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I have noticed that lots of guides have suggested that to fast level you bring out the weakest pet first, hit once and switch to a lvl 25 and nuke.
I DONT DO THIS, your pet gains a fraction of the XP.
Instead bring out a level 25 pet, fight a level 25 team. Your pet should be able to destroy all 3 easily if you choose the correct one, but when the third pet is down to ~ 150 HP keep passing and let yours die. Bring out your low level and finish it off. for example a level 10 against a wild team will gain in excess of 1000xp, if you do it the expected way you will get perhalps 400-500. Against Trainers your looking at >2000xp
Do this on the Fire/Water Spirit Trainer (On Water I use Bat and Croc to start, let elemetals whirlpool finish off your croc) and you gain 4000xp. Dont try it on Air/Earth, you'll get nuked. Possible on nearly every other trainer.


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Grand Theft Auto IV The City
|Points of Interest
|Stunt Jumps
Since Liberty City is clearly based off of New York City, Bohan is just as clearly based off of the Bronx. Located north of Dukes and Broker, just as the Bronx is located north of Queens and Brooklyn, Bohan has little of actual value to Niko. It's close on its southwestern end to Algonquin (another similarity their real life counterparts share), meaning its proximity to places of great importance in the game is relevant and obvious. This is especially true because of the fact that you will have a safe house on Bohan for a vast majority of the game, but will do very little in the borough otherwise. But as far as visiting the small borough for missions or other adventures, you simply won't find yourself doing it too often.
There is a point of interest in Bohan worth mentioning though, and that's The Triangle Club located off of Altona Avenue. The Triangle Club is the game's largest strip club and is a favorite place to visit for many of your friends. So, if you're picking up anyone in Broker or Dukes, all you have to do is cross the Dukes Bay Bridge and you're almost to the strip club (this is especially convenient for friends like Packie and Little Jacob). You can also play a mean game of QUB3D there if you're feeling up to it.
There are other points of lesser interest in Bohan, but nothing worth mentioning at length. There are two Burger Shots in the borough, as well as a fire station, hospital and two police stations. Otherwise, there are few roads or areas worth exploring, though the Northern Expressway and Grand Boulevard, both on the north end of the island, are worth driving down for some extreme straightaways. But the three major things about the Bronx—Yankee Stadium, Fordham University and the Bronx Zoo—are all missing their Liberty City counterparts.
|Health Locations
|Click on map to expand view.
|Armor Locations
|Click on map to expand view.
|Give us feedback!
|Continue The City...
Saints Row: The Third Cheats
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Professor Layton and the Last Specter
X360 Forza Motorsport 4
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Grand Theft Auto IV: T... at IGN
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Venture Patrol Letter
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
For the BSA 'V' emblem awarded to youth and adult Varsity Scouts see Varsity Scout Letter.
Award requirements
A Venture patrol letter may be earned by Boy Scouts in a who participate in an ultimate activity or sporting activity.
A Venture patrol is an optional patrol within a Boy Scout troop for boys 13 to 17 years old. The Venture patrol's youth leader is the Venture patrol leader. The Venture patrol letter is administered by the Assistant Scoutmaster-Venture. A Venture patrol can be a full-time, part-time, or one-time activity.
Venture patrol letter
The Venture patrol letter is awarded to members of the Venture patrol who participate in an "ultimate activity." Ultimate activities are high-adventure or sports activities that are preceded by training sessions.
Venture patrol activity pins
Main article: Venture Patrol Activity Pins
At the completion of each ultimate activity, one of 26 Venture Activity Pins are awarded and pinned to the Venture patrol letter. Venture patrol activity pins correspond to the 14 Venture program pamphlets and 12 sports Varsity Scout Features pamphlets and other resources.
Source: The Boy Scout Handbook (38105), Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet (34283)
Remember that a Venture Patrol is Not part of Venturing and as such cannot wear Venturing Green or Green Shoulder Loops. Do not Remove
Help with these requirements
External links
- Venture/Varsity (1989-present) on the "A History of Senior Scouting Programs in the BSA" site.
- The Venture Patrol Program (40K PPT) on the U.S. Scouting Service Project site.


text:
Zeus The magic of Zeus has finally come to your Favorite Mobile Device for the first time from WMS Gaming! This legendary slot is one of the most played slots from casino floors across the world and can now be yours to play in the palm of your hand. It's time to scale the heights of Olympus and play one of the greatest slots of all time with ZEUS!
This slot machine is connected to other slots through a casino interface. From the casino floor you can browse to the other slots. Your bankroll is shared between all the machines. Other slots include:
- Brazilian Beauty - HD Slot Machine - Fortune Seeker - HD Slot Machine - Jungle Wild - HD Slot Machine - Kilauea - HD Slot Machine - Reels O Dublin - HD Slot Machine - Rome and Egypt - HD Slot Machine - Shimmer Beauty - HD Slot Machine
If you like playing these slots solo, you might also want to try playing the slots in tournaments! Buy in to tournaments using your earnings from solo play. Then see how many credits you can win in a set number of spins. You will be competing against other players spinning the same slots with the same number of spins. Earn a high score in a tournament and rake in some serious dough!
All our slots are for entertainment purposes only. No real money is wagered, earned or lost. The payout percentages on our slots is higher than slots in actual casinos and you should not expect similar results.


text:
RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1860. Do the Tineina or other small moths suck flowers, and if so what flowers?. Entomologist's weekly Intelligencer 8 (30 June): 103.
REVISION HISTORY: Scanned, OCRed, corrected and edited by John van Wyhe 2002-8. RN3
Do the Tineina or other Small Moths Suck Flowers, and if so what Flowers?—I once saw several individuals of a small moth apparently eating the pollen of the Mercurialis; is this physically possible? I have during several years watched the smaller clovers, such as Trifolium procumbens, and the Vicia hirsuta which has such extremely minute flowers, and I never saw a bee visit them. I am, however, aware from experience that it is very difficult to assert that bees do not visit any particular kind of plant. As Mr. F. Bond1 informs me that he has often seen moths visiting papilionaceous flowers, even such small ones as those of the trefoil, it has occurred to me that small moths may suck the flowers of T. procumbens and of V. hirsuta. From analogy we must believe that the smaller clovers secrete nectar; and it does not seem probable that the nectar would be wasted. I should esteem it a great favour if any Lepidopterists would communicate their experience on this point.—CHARLES DARWIN, Down, Bromley, Kent.
[In reply to Mr. Darwin's enquiry we may observe that very many of the Tineina are provided with tongues, and that these appendages are naturally used in extracting the sweets of flowers. It is no uncommon sight to see an Umbellifer swarming with the pretty little Glyphipteryx Fischeriella, each with its proboscis extended sucking at the flowers. The Depressariae, as is notorious to every collector of Noctuae, come very freely to sugar, and no doubt naturally visit flowers.
But the fertilization of flowers may be accomplished by insects in another way. Many species oviposit on the blooming flowers; they do not deposit all their eggs on a single plant, but sparingly a
few here and a few there; a female protruding her ovipositor down the corolla of a flower, and then flying off to repeat the operation elsewhere may herself be "the priest who performs the marriage ceremony."]
1 Frederick Bond (1811-1889), entomologist and ornithologist. On this letter see Correspondence vol. 8, pp. 261-2.
Return to homepage
Citation: John van Wyhe, editor. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 2 July, 2012


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"It's intimidating."
"It's intimidating."
That's what a friend told me when I asked her why she chose not to attend the budget meeting at her son's school.
She explained that she trusted the school board to take care of the budget, so she attended the school's cake contest instead.
Please parents, speak up and don't be intimidated by school budgets.
The system allows for taxpayers to voice their opinions. After all, it's your money that's being put to use for education, and if the district has to raise taxes, you better know what your tax hike is paying for.
We all work on budgets. Whether it's planning a grocery list; ordering inventory at work; or paying for your kid's new soccer cleats, shin guards, soccer ball and uniform. You take a look at what you need to spend to make those purchases and what you can afford.
The difference is what's known as a budget gap.
So for starters, you're always looking to see what a school district's budget gap is. Unless the district can downsize the list of things it needs to pay for, taxpayers will probably get stuck holding the bill.
The rising cost of teachers' pensions and benefits is one big reason why costs are soaring. Some districts are trying to see if they can streamline some of those insurance costs.
Since most of the money that districts have to spend is raised through property taxes and state aid, they're all hurting.
The tax cap law, passed in 2011, limits what districts can raise in taxes, while changes in state formulas have reduced what the districts receive in school aid.
Find your local tax cap. If your district is crying poverty and plans to exceed the tax cap, you'll need to know, and decide if it's worth paying more taxes to save programs and jobs.
In order to override the tax cap, voters will have to approve the budget by a supermajority of 60 percent plus one vote.
There are nearly two weeks left before the April 26 deadline for the 700 school boards across the state to adopt their budgets and then report the results to the state in a Property Tax Report Card.
During the first couple of weeks in May, each district will hold a public hearing so the public can comment on the budget before it's placed on the ballot for the annual vote on Tuesday, May 21.
But if you wait until the May public hearings to have your say about the budget, there aren't a lot of changes that can be made, since the dollar amounts become fixed.
"Once a school board settles upon the final dollar amount of the district budget, it still may be possible for the board to adjust various projected budgetary expenditures without changing the total dollar amount of the budget submitted," said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for the State Education Department.
So if you have something to say about the school budget, say it soon.
You might save yourself from paying for it later.


text:
DailyDirt: Lies My Computer Told Me...
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- Recently, it's been discovered that some Xerox machines don't make exact copies, and in an effort to "clean up" images, they can introduce egregious errors that can swap numbers. The scary thing about this is that you might never notice that the photocopier changed your numbers around for you.... #youonlyhadonejob! [url]
- Intel sold millions of defective Pentium chips that didn't quite perform calculations correctly, and a math professor (Thomas Nicely) discovered the problem while he was working on a computational number theory project. Intel ultimately recalled the processors, but it publicly stated that the flaw would only affect a typical PC user with a spreadsheet less than 1 time every 27,000 years. [url]
- In the mid-1980s, the Therac-25 medical accelerator had a software problem that killed at least 5 people and others were seriously injured from radiation overexposure. A race condition in the Therac-25's operating system that allowed the device to turn on an electron beam even when its metal X-ray target was out of position. [url]


text:
Abit AN78GS Review
BioShock is one of the creepier games out in the wild, chronicling the building of a perfect Utopian society undersea gone horribly wrong - its inhabitants driven mad with the introduction of tonics and genetic modifications. Now Rapture is just a shadow of its former glory, with little girls looting the dead of what little they have left, while being shadowed by guardians known as "Big Daddies". It is a demanding game that will make your hardware scream for mercy. This First Person Shooter allows for an infinite number of weapons and modifications to provide a unique experience each time it is played. The environment as well as the story line will wrap you up for hours on end.
Video Settings:
- All settings to maximum
- V-Sync: Off
Again, the Abit board showed a slight advantage in Bioshock.


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Home Topics Zuma Grill
Zuma Grill
15 musicians close Francophone Week with performance
It was a night of trumpets, saxophones, conga, piano, drums and guitars at a concert to close the Francophone Week in Abuja on Saturday.
Recent Stories
NLC: N30,000 minimum wage must be paid before 2019 elections
Waheed Olojede, Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo state chapter, has assured workers of the payment of N30,000 new minimum wage before the 2019 general election.
Atiku Abubakar: Why I shunned the 2019 elections peace pact signing
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, said he did not attend the signing of a peace pact for 2019 presidential elections in Abuja because he "did not receive any formal invitation."
EFCC detains ex-Skye Bank chief Tunde Ayeni for alleged fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained a former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc (Now Polaris Bank), Mr. Tunde Ayeni, for fraud.
VON chief, others call on mainstream media to counter fake news
The Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has called on mainstream media organisations in the country to establish 'Social Media Desks' that would track and counter fake news disseminated on social fora.
Plateau PDP accuses APC of buying voters cards
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of buying voters cards especially in the PDP strongholds as part of its plan to win 2019 election at all levels even as the governor stated that PDP was merely playing to the gallery and engaging in diversionary tactics to misinform and mislead the public.
Most Popular
Lagos: Unruly motorists risk three years imprisonment
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday urged motorists to comply with the provisions of the State Traffic Laws, warning that government would not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law on offenders.
Duvan Zapata hat-trick has Atalanta aiming for the Champions League
Colombian striker Duvan Zapata's hat-trick against Udinese put Atalanta just four points away from Serie A fourth place and final Champions League spot held by AC Milan
Cristiano Ronaldo challenges Lionel Messi to join him in Serie A
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has challenged Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona and sign for a club in Italy.
YPP decries president's rejection of electoral bill
Young Progressives Party (YPP) has faulted the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari declining assent to the 2018 Amended Electoral bill, stating that it was an attempt to benefit from a flawed electoral system.
UNICEF: Malnutrition ravaging children in North East
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has raised the alarm warning that child malnutrition is silently killing hundreds of under-age children in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.


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James Taylor
And His All-Star Band
Sat, June 11
Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver
All Ages / Reserved Seating
Doors 7:00pm / Show 8:00pm
Facebook Presale: Thurs, Feb 18 from 10am – 10pm
Password: BASS
Onsale: Fri, Feb 19 @ 10AM
Tix available here: http://bit.ly/1WeBEO5
Tickets (incl. GST) $35.00, $65.00, $95.00 + s/c
Website: http://www.jamestaylor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesTaylor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamestaylor_com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestaylor_com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jamestaylorvideo
Five-time GRAMMY® Award winner James Taylor has announced 15 Canadian dates to his upcoming North American tour. Tour dates listed below. The shows will include material from his latest album Before This World, the legendary singer/songwriter's first album of new songs since 2002's platinum-selling October Road. Before This World was released in June of last year and scored Taylor his first ever #1 album on the Billboard Charts.
Earning critical praise from outlets such as The New Yorker who described Taylor as a "master of songwriting," the album features ten songs, nine of which are brand new James Taylor compositions. Produced by Grammy Award®-winner Dave O'Donnell, the album offers heartfelt reflections and insight from a life well lived such as the album's opening track "Today, Today, Today," which The Wall Street Journal described as "trademark Taylor: elegant, tuneful and just a little wry." Other album highlights include "Stretch of the Highway" and "Angels of Fenway," a song about the redemptive spirit of baseball, which Taylor debuted at Fenway Park in Boston.
Recorded at his home studio TheBarn, in Washington, MA, Taylor enlisted the longtime members of his band for the sessions including bassist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Steve Gadd, guitarist Michael Landau, keyboardist Larry Goldings, percussionist Luis Conte, fiddler and vocalist Andrea Zonn and vocalists Arnold McCuller, David Lasley and Kate Markowitz. Taylor also called on close friends Yo-Yo Ma and Sting to add their remarkable talent to the new album, (Ma's cello is heard on "You And I Again" and "Before This World"; Sting added vocals to "Before This World.") Additionally, Taylor's wife Kim and son Henry sing harmony on "Angels Of Fenway" and the classic folk tune "Wild Mountain Thyme."
On Before This World, Taylor continues to explore many of the themes that have absorbed him throughout his career. "My sort of self-expression and the autobiographical aspect of my work is a thru-line that links all my albums together," he explains. "I think I have grown musically, and I think people can hear it in what I played in '68, and you can hear it in what I'm singing about now. It is ongoing, it's still me, but it's still evolving."
The past ten years have been full of extensive tour schedules and notable achievements for Taylor -- including his acclaimed One Man Band tour and concert performance film, which aired on PBS and was nominated for an Emmy Award, his wildly successful Troubadour Reunion tour and Live at the Troubadour album with Carole King, two collections of cover songs Covers and Other Covers, a heartwarming Christmas album, James Taylor at Christmas and sold out tours across the US, Europe and the UK throughout 2014 and 2015.
Before This World is currently available in a variety of formats. The special 2-Disc CD/DVD Before This World Deluxe Edition includes the full-length album on CD plus "There We Were: The Recording of James Taylor's Before This World," a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the album on DVD. The beautifully rendered 30-minute film, using studio footage and interviews, provides an intimate look into Taylor's creative process and the recording of this landmark album.
Before This World's Super Deluxe Edition includes the standard full-length album plus bonus tracks, the expanded "There We Were: The Recording of James Taylor's Before This World" documentary on DVD and a 40-page hard bound book featuring photos, liner notes, and a collector's envelope with handwritten lyrics, all housed in a numbered slip case. The album will also be available digitally and on 180gram vinyl.
Stay up to date with Live Nation!


text:
Just how much of a role would the government have played in supporting Chrysler and General Motors if Mitt Romney had been president?
As First Read reported yesterday, the former Massachusetts governor has worked to couch his opposition to President Barack Obama's decision to bail out the two car companies -- a decision which Romney, who was raised in Michigan, is being forced to confront heading into the state's Feb. 28 primary.
Democrats and the Obama campaign have made a big issue of Romney's 2008 op-ed in The New York Times entitled, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," especially in light of the signs of encouragement in the auto industry since the bailout. He penned it just weeks after Obama secured the presidency.
Related: Obama touts manufacturing at Wisconsin plant
The piece, published as the automakers were facing a major cash crunch, called for what he dubbed a "managed bankruptcy." He said the car companies needed to restructure their labor agreements; replace each company's management and rid them of corporate perks; and increase government spending on alternative energy and fuel economy research, which would benefit the industry indirectly.
Of direct government assistance, Romney wrote: "The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk." He stated, declaratively, "Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check."
Since then, Romney has spoken publicly about the bailout, essentially trying to take ownership for the successes of the auto industry's turnaround while decrying Obama's management of the process. Romney argues that the administration basically ended embracing a variation of the strategy he originally advocated.
"The indisputable good news is that Chrysler and General Motors are still in business," Romney wrote Tuesday in The Detroit News. "The equally indisputable bad news is that all the defects in President Obama's management of the American economy are evident in what he did."
The separation between Romney and Obama on the issue of the bailout stems from two issues. First, Romney argues that interests of the labor unions were unfairly favored over some of GM and Chrysler's private creditors. The government-supervised bankruptcy did this, he argues, by allowing the autoworkers' retirees program an equity stake in the restructured GM in exchange for providing financial support for the bankruptcy.
Second, Romney appears to differ with the president over the extent to which government itself should have stepped forward with money to help stave off liquidation of GM and Chrysler and provide for the restructuring process. The administration's approach did this in the case of GM by essentially establishing a new, restructured company in which the government became a majority shareholder. (Romney argued Tuesday for the government to divest itself from the company.)
Romney's position in the past has been that the private sector could have stepped forward to finance and more effectively manage the bankruptcy process -- especially in a way that would have treated private stakeholders in the companies more fairly.
The right-leaning editorial page of The Detroit News weighed in Wednesday:
But on the key question of whether the automakers could have managed themselves through a traditional bankruptcy without assistance from the government, Romney is wrong. The loans provided by Bush and then by Obama allowed the domestic auto industry to survive the darkest hour of its history and return to thriving operations today.
Critics also contend that Wall Street might not have been in the position to give that financial assistance to Detroit in 2009, as Lehman Brothers collapsed and global credit tightened.
But Romney appeared to add more uncertainty into his position surrounding the bailouts in an interview Wednesday on Detroit talk radio station WJR. Romney said that the government should have been available to step in and provide financing during a structured bankruptcy by way of a bridge loan -- the initial way in which the Bush administration propped up GM and Chrysler at the end of 2008.
Romney explained:
They needed to go through bankruptcy, and if, as part of that process, they needed financial help to get out of bankruptcy -- a bridge loan, or guarantees on sales of cars and so forth -- I said the government should be there to provide that. But the point was they took the wrong process, they wasted a lot of money, and ended up giving the companies to the UAW.
That doesn't necessarily mean that Romney would have pursued the exact path as the Obama administration for restructuring GM and Chrysler, but it does indicate some willingness for a more expansive role for the government during bankruptcy. Spokesmen for the Romney campaign didn't immediately respond to an inquiry seeking clarification.
But in addressing some of the political flak he's taken over the bailout, Romney added on WJR: "I don't imagine that anyone could think I had any interest other than to see the companies to thrive and survive, and that's why the original op-ed piece I wrote describes what I thought was the best way to get that done."


text:
A beautiful 3D twist on tile sliding puzzles. Guaranteed to challenge & delight!
TileStorm by Massive Hadron is here for Android so you can find out for yourself why this game was a hit on iPhone/iOS and has been compared to Angry Birds for it's huge amount addictive and challenging gameplay.
100 unique puzzles and tens of hours of gameplay await you to tax your mental agility and lateral thinking. More fun than brain training with guaranteed satisfaction as you travel across four environments beautifully detailed in full 3D.
The aim of TileStorm is to solve a series of puzzles enabling 'Eggbot' the robot to make his way through each respective level to the exit. The first puzzles are similar in appearance and strategy to traditional sliding puzzle games, but later players will encounter tiles with completely different properties, maps with multiple solutions, and levels requiring the re-use of certain tiles. Not all tiles can be moved and some can only be moved in certain directions - look for the visual clues to help you solve the puzzle.
TileStorm is guaranteed to present a challenge to anyone that plays it and it will require real skill and mental dexterity to complete.
Features include:
- 100 challenging maps of generally increasing difficulty
- 4 beautiful themes including Industrial, Egypt, Medieval and Jungle
- 5 great tunes - classic game tracks for each theme and the menus
- Player statistics stored under options menu including combined playing time and number of screen presses
- Individual level times stored - go back and try to beat your fastest time
- Tap the in-game timer to restart or surrender any given level.
- App2sd
Please email us with questions or feedback.
Try our other awesome HD & 3D Games. Whether you want a puzzle, arcade, action, strategy or casual game, we've something entertaining for you:
* In TileStorm Eire highly addictive puzzles of path construction against the clock are great brain training as you guide Eggbot through a jungle of challenges. Pocket gold coins as you need to slide the tiles to guide our robo hero from spire to castle on an Irish adventure in another beautiful brain teaser. Or bag a jewel or two in TileStorm Polar in a super new Tile Storm story. [Massive Hadron]
* Fight for survival over a night in the city with a gun & torch as your only defense (defence) against an angry zombie hoard in Aftermath XHD. Attack or run? It's your choice. [Two Heads]
* Glide through the air like a paper plane (or the birds!) as you race flying at high speed from tower to tower in Ground Effect Pro X HD. Enjoy virtual physics, acceleromoter control and stereoscopic 3D. [Glenn Corpes]
* Be truly challenged by Denki Blocks! Deluxe which The Sunday Times called "a Tetris for the 21st century"
* Slice, dice, cut, chop, pop and flick blobs of color goo in Mixt. Includes bonus MP3 music track by DJ Shur-i-kan to enjoy as you mix the bubbles of coloured paint [Uprising]
* Fun for kids and all the family alike. Farm fruit in Frootrees as you flick, throw and toss the Froot to harvest them using your poker skills to balance risk & reward. Just a hint of south park. Or try the Freaky Halloween Edition [Tin Man]
* Be a cool snowboard ninja and smash the course record in Snow Dude. Don't tank your jump! [Lycette Bros]
* A retro glow awaits you inSpirit - carve space with your touch
* Shave face like never before in Magnetic Shaving Derby [Brandon Williamson]
* For sports fans, check out Big Cup Cricket and Big Hit Baseball FREE from our friends at Beautiful Game Studios.
Small Print: VAT added if bought within EU. Game may require license from Google and collect anonymous stats for quality purposes. If u get error "Unknown reason -18", please email us or google for solution. Dev tested on devices from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson incl Xperia Play, Droid, Galaxy & Desire Z.


text:
Covering auctions, collectibles and marketplace selling.
The AuctionBytes Blog has been giving a voice to online merchants since its launch in 2005. Named one of the world's top 30 blogs in 2008 by "Blogging Heroes." Weigh in with your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of selling online.
|Thu May 22 2008 23:10:04
eBay Considering PayPal-Only Policy in US?
By: Ina Steiner
Sponsored Link
Comments (32) | Permalink
|eBay Considering PayPal-Only Policy in US?
by: BeBopDeluxe
|Fri May 23 06:03:37 2008
Why is ebay doing this slow, drawn out suicide dance? Why not cut to the chase and just end it?
1 2 [Next Page]
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text:
You lose touch with people
You lose friends along the way
But you just gotta keep going man Yeah
[Verse 1]
Man it sucks growing up, gotta let go of the past
Not every childhood friendship is going to last
People grow up and move on, for better or worse
Always praying for us that it doesn't end in a church
We used to go on L rides like the city's ours
But now we all got real jobs and shitty hours, huh
And those the lucky ones who earn a check
The ones who don't sit at home all day and blow percocets
Cause I've seen a lot of people on the path
And it sucks cause they almost never come back
It's the sad truth to life, it's ruthless, right?
As a kid we never thought that we could lose the fight
Shit we all had big dreams back in middle school
But real life is played by different rules
And reality hurts
So I always keep a bag of the purp
And pray for the best until they put my ass in the dirt, word
Chances thrown, nothing's free
Longing for what used to be
Still it's hard, hard to see
Fragile lives, shattered dreams
[Verse 2]
For the teenage mothers with a baby to feed
For the kids who think the pill bottle's all that they need
We all hit a rough patch, get back on your feet, we only got one life
And it goes on, but now we're one less
NEV tatted on my bicep, shit
Nick I miss ya man, but I guess that fate just had a different plan
I thought you and me would be kicking it in twenty years
Talking bout our wife and kids over a couple beers
And now you're not here
And it's hard to even say in a song
But shit I've thought about you every fuckin' day you've been gone
A.G. Shawn and Glock we all getting through the pain
But just know that Norwalk ain't gon' ever be the same
You even had faith in me back when we was kids
You said I'd get big back when nobody did
So now I'mma do this rap shit for the both of us now
Cause I know your still up there Holding me down
So brother, save me a spot if something happens to me
Until then, enjoy the show from the balcony seats
I love you man
[Verse 3]
For the kids who lost friends and family in the past
For the kids who messed up and want to take it all back
We all hit a rough patch get back on your feet. We only got one life
If you got a dream you gotta get it man
At least try, shit, you may never get a second chance
As a kid we never thought that it could happen to you
For better or worse It's how I'm here rapping to you
Keep in touch with all your homies and your right in the prize
We all slip and fall down push your shit to the side
Only got one life better live while you got it
Cause only one thing's for sure: tomorrow is not promised
Chances thrown, nothing's free
Longing for what used to be
Still it's hard, hard to see
Fragile lives, shattered dreams
And that's it, you know
Life goes on. Got to keep focus
Nicky We all miss ya down here brotha
We'll see you though
This is the closing track of Webby's mixtape "Bars on Me"
This track largely focuses on the subject of getting over troubles. He addresses teenage mothers, drug abusers, ones who lost loves one, etc, and tries to explain that even though these are hard things to get through, life goes on and you have to overcome these troubles because after all, you only have one life and tomorrow is not promised.
The song is produced by DJ Semi and the chorus is a sample from The Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright" song.


text:
Random Picture Thread Redux
Pics from the community
Random Picture Thread Redux
I could have sworn we had a random picture thread, but couldn't be bothered to find it
Pix while driving down to visit Jim @ PVG
Thinking about the Audi Q7 again:
And old night pix I found in Imageshack:
Pix while driving down to visit Jim @ PVG
Thinking about the Audi Q7 again:
And old night pix I found in Imageshack:
diz_gti wrote:here is my random picture of me and my son
Long Beach? what's the the numbers?
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00TURBO wrote::whoa: found in concord off treat blvd. got out to snap a pic and the owner came out all pissy and told me to leave. understood.
no airbags deployed.
that sucks.
Airbags deployed for what?
Ah, upon closer inspection, I see the T-boned door and stuff...ouch. I was gonna say, that guy is just a priss about his car, but now I notice the damage...yeah, I understand now too
i think it was more like " do not disturb acupants" there is a sell sign in the yard i think you need to make an appointment to see or take pics of the house and the "car" he thought you was interested in the house. and said " no soliciting " call to make appointment. dont bother me. DAMN KIDS !!
lookingcloser at the pics, it sont look like a t-bone hit. looks more like he side swiped something
lookingcloser at the pics, it sont look like a t-bone hit. looks more like he side swiped something
One reason I love San Francisco:
riced out dub
check out the supra tail light
Bored in Vallejo on a misty Thursday morning...after mowing the lawn
I need to shoot more.
motorwerks wrote:Oh snap I didnt know you were in Vallejo. I thought you were farther west into the Bay for some reason.
Nice House BTW.
Thanks, that's one of the houses, BTW. I stay most of the time in South SF, so you were correct, heh. But now, I have some time to spend a night in the Vallejo house, when I want to get away, sorta
Makes it convenient for trips to Napa or Sac, nice pit stop
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omllenado wrote:
Hoy, Olibear, your button is crooked
haha yeah I need to modify the momo horn ring plate... nardi's has a different bolt pattern lol.
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Kris Kristofferson
At an early age, Kris Kristofferson got used to moving around a lot. He had to, since his father was an Air Force General who expected young Kris to follow in his footsteps. The younger Kristofferson graduated from San Mateo High School (the alumni of which include Alicia Silverstone, to boot). There Kris received his first taste of fame: he appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In the Crowd" article, which chronicled his accomplishments in rugby, track and field. Kristofferson attended Pomona College in California, where he became a Golden Gloves boxer. While living in Pomona, Kris earned the Rhodes Scholarship for literature at England's Oxford University (Merton College, to be exact).
During his Oxford years, Kristofferson first met his manager Larry Parnes. Kris also wrote songs and recorded for Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson, which went nowhere. In his spare time, Kristofferson was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In 1960, Kris graduated withAt an early age, Kris Kristofferson got used to moving around a lot. He had to, since his father was an Air Force General who expected young Kris to follow in his footsteps. The younger Kristofferson graduated from San Mateo High School (the alumni of which include Alicia Silverstone, to boot). There Kris received his first taste of fame: he appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In the Crowd" article, which chronicled his accomplishments in rugby, track and field. Kristofferson attended Pomona College in California, where he became a Golden Gloves boxer. While living in Pomona, Kris earned the Rhodes Scholarship for literature at England's Oxford University (Merton College, to be exact).
During his Oxford years, Kristofferson first met his manager Larry Parnes. Kris also wrote songs and recorded for Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson, which went nowhere. In his spare time, Kristofferson was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In 1960, Kris graduated with a Master's Degree in English Literature; he also married his longtime girlfriend Fran Beer. Kristofferson's literature-studies are reflected in his song, "The Best of All Possible Worlds." (French writer Voltaire satirized similar ideas of philosophical optimism in his short novel Candide.)
After graduating from Oxford, Kristofferson joined the U.S. Army; ultimately, he earned the rank of captain. He also became a helicopter pilot, having received his flight training at Fort Rucker in southeastern Alabama. In 1965, Kris was offered a position at West Point...as an English Lit professor! Yet none of this brought Captain Kristofferson any sense of real fulfillment. He never completely turned his back on writing and performing music; during the early 1960s, he formed a band while stationed in West Germany. Kris declined the West Point commission and - following his discharge from the Army in 1965 - moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
Kristofferson pursued his dream in earnest, having already sent several of his compositions to a friend's relative: successful Nashville songwriter Marijohn Wilkin. Unfortunately, Kris and Fran were burdened with medical bills due to their son's defective esophagus. The Kristoffersons divorced, and Kris supported himself as a janitor...sweeping the floors of Nashville's Columbia Studios, where Bob Dylan just happened to be recording his landmark 1966 album "Blond on Blond." Tragically, although Kristofferson watched some of Dylan's sessions, the two never met; Kris, fearing for his job, couldn't bring himself to approach Bob.
Kristofferson was holding a second job, as a commercial pilot for Petroleum Helicopters International (PHI): a firm based in Lafayette, Louisiana. (This was three years before Kris started cutting records and selling songs to other performers.) He actually wrote "Help Me Make It Through the Night" while sitting atop an oil platform!
Back in Nashville, Kristofferson's music career finally began picking up speed. In 1966, Dave Dudley released a successful Kristofferson single, "Vietnam Blues." The following year, Kris signed with Epic Records and released another (less-successful) single, "Golden Idol"/"Killing Time." Over the next few years, more Kristofferson originals hit the charts, performed by: Roy Drusky ("Jody and the Kid"); Billy Walker & the Tennessee Walkers ("From the Bottle To the Bottom"); Ray Stevens ("Sunday Morning Coming Down"); Jerry Lee Lewis ("Once More With Feeling"); Faron Young ("Your Time's Coming"); and Roger Miller ("Me and Bobby McGee", "Best Of All Possible Worlds", "Darby's Castle").
Kris also strengthened his ties with fellow Highwayman Johnny Cash, for whom he opened at the Newport Folk Festival. Actually, Kristofferson landed his chopper right in Cash's yard (!) to present him with a song he (Kris) had written: "Sunday Morning Coming Down." Cash recorded it, and the Country Music Association voted it Song Of The Year, 1970.
While Cash and Kristofferson exchanged more songs and tapes, Kris signed with Monument Records to record his debut album: 1970's "Kristofferson." (Monument was run by Fred Foster, who also managed Kristofferson's own songwriting label, Combine Music.) This record, which contained many of Kris's previous hits along with some new compositions, sold poorly at first. Ironically, the same album became a hit the following year, when it was re-released with a new title: "Me and Bobby McGee." During the early 1970s, Kristofferson saw still more of his songs turned into hits by various artists: Ray Price ("For the Good Times"; fellow Highwayman Waylon Jennings ("The Taker"); Bobby Bare ("Come Sundown"); Johnny Cash ("Sunday Morning Coming Down"); and Sammi Smith ("Help Me Make It Through the Night"). All three future Highwaymen made history during this time: "For the Good Times" won 1970's Song of the Year Award from the Academy of Country Music; that same year, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" won the same award from ACM's arch-rival, the Country Music Association. So did Kris become the only songwriter in history ever to win the same award from both organizations, during the same year, for two different songs.
In 1971, Janis Joplin achieved a #1 pop hit with Kris's "Me And Bobby McGee" from her posthumous album Pearl. More Kristofferson-penned hits followed from other artists: Ray Price ("I Won't Mention It Again", "I'd Rather Be Sorry"); Joe Simon ("Help Me Make It Through the Night"); Bobby Bare ("Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends"); O.C. Smith ("Help Me Make It Through the Night"); Jerry Lee Lewis ("Me and Bobby McGee"); Patti Page ("I'd Rather Be Sorry"); and Peggy Little ("I've Got to Have You").
Kris himself released his second album, "The Silver Tongued Devil And I", in 1971; the success of this record, at long last, established Kristofferson as a recording artist in his own right. That same year, Kris made his acting debut in Dennis Hopper's "The Last Movie" (how ironic), which debuted at the Isle of Wight Festival.
In 1972, Kristofferson co-starred in Cisco Pike; he also released his third album, "Border Lord"; which was comprised by all-new material. Despite its sluggish reception in record stores, Kris swept the Grammies that year...with numerous songs nominated, and several winning.
Kristofferson's fourth album, 1972's "Jesus Was a Capricorn", experienced a slow start in terms of sales...which were greatly bolstered by its third single, "Why Me?"
For the next few years, Kristofferson focused on acting. 1973 was busy for him: he appeared in Paul Mazursky's "Blume In Love" and Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid"; that same year, Kris married fellow singer Rita Coolidge...with whom he collaborated on his album "Full Moon". This successful record was buoyed by numerous hit singles and Grammy nominations.
Kristofferson's fifth solo album, "Spooky Lady's Sideshow", was a commercial failure; worst of all, it set the trend for the remainder of Kris's career. Artists like Ronnie Milsap and Johnny Duncan would continue to successfully record Kristofferson's material with success; however, Kris's rough singing voice and anti-pop sound kept his own audience to a minimum.
Kristofferson fell back on movies such as: "Bring Me the Head Of Alfredo Garcia"; Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy"; "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"; "Vigilante Force" (a film based on Yukio Mishima's novel "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea"), and "A Star Is Born" (with Barbra Streisand).
Kristofferson's music career kept spiraling downward with his ninth album, "Shake Hands With the Devil" (an apt title, since it failed to even chart). His next film, "Freedom Road", never made it to theaters in the USA. By now, Kris was battling a serious drinking problem: 1.5 bottles of Jack Daniels per day (DO NOT try this at home, folks). This cost Kristofferson his pilot's license, when he passed out at the controls in midair (!); it also ruined Kris's marriage to Coolidge, who divorced him in 1980. Meanwhile, more artists were taking Kristofferson tunes way up on the charts; these included fellow Highwayman Willie Nelson, whose less-than-creatively-titled LP "Willie Nelson Sings Kris Kristofferson" was a smash.
Kristofferson swore off booze for good in 1980, but his professional troubles weren't over. That year, he starred in Michael Cimino's infamous box-office flop "Heaven's Gate" (which has, however, done much better business in Europe).
In 1982, Kristofferson collaborated with three other artists (Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Brenda Lee) on "The Winning Hand": a country success which, sadly, failed to score with mainstream audiences. Kris returned most of his attention to films, including: "The Lost Honor Of Kathryn Beck"; "Flashpoint"; and "Songwriter" (how apt), the latter of which co-starred his friend Willie Nelson. Kristofferson also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song Score. "Songwriter", an album of duets between Nelson and Kristofferson, was another massive country success.
Kristofferson and Nelson continued their partnership; eventually, they added Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to form The Highwaymen. Their self-titled debut album was a huge success, and the group worked together for several more years. In 1985, Kris starred in "Trouble In Mind"; he also released "Repossessed", a politically-aware album that was a big success among country audiences. Its standout cut was "They Killed Him"; this duet with Bob Dylan (!) was a tribute to Kristofferson's heroes...which included Martin Luther King Junior, Jesus Christ, and Gandhi. That same year, Kris co-starred in "Amerika": a controversial TV mini-series which hypothe on life after World War Three...the USA having surrendered to the USSR. In 1989, Kristofferson starred in "Welcome Home" (a swan song for late Patton director Franklin J. Schaffner). Four years later, he co-starred in "Knights", assisting champion-kickboxer-turned-actress Kathy "the Punisher" Long against evil cyborg-vampire Lance Henriksen.
Despite the success of 1990's Highwaymen 2, among other recordings with said group, Kristofferson's solo career nosedived early that decade. Twelve years after "Heaven's Gate", Kris co-starred with Drew Barrymore, O.J. Simpson and Oscar-winner Martin Landau in a film considered even worse by many critics: "No Place To Hide". One of Cannon Pictures' final releases prior to their going bankrupt (another was the "Walker, Texas Ranger" TV pilot), this movie was written and directed by Richard Christian Danus...who had previously co-written another box-office dud from 1980, "Xanadu". In fact, NPTH never even made it to theaters in the USA. (Landau himself, who portrayed an evil police chief in said film, hates discussing it even today.)
Kris's 1996 film "Lone Star" jump-started his acting career. Soon afterward, he co-starred in: "Sodbusters", the "Blade" trilogy; "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries"; "Fire Down Below" (as an evil toxic-chemicals-magnate who unwisely pits himself against Steven Seagal); Tim Burton's remake of "Planet Of the Apes" (the original having been directed by Kris's old friend Franklin Schaffner); "Payback"; "The Jacket"; and "Fast Food Nation".
Kristofferson was inducted into Nashville's Songwriters' Hall Of Fame in 1977; he enjoyed a repeat of this ceremony in 1985. 1999 saw the release of "The Austin Sessions". On said album, Kris reworked some of his favorite songs with the help of several artist-friends, including: Mark Knopfler; Steve Earle; and Jackson Browne. In 2003, Kristofferson released "Broken Freedom Song", a live album recorded in San Francisco. In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Two years later, he received the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame; Kris also released "This Old Road", an album offering some of his first new material in 11 years.
On 4/16/2007, Kristofferson won CMT's Johnny Cash Visionary Award. Johnny's daughter Rosanne presented this honor during the show in Nashville. (Previous recipients include Cash himself, Hank Williams Junior, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, and the Dixie Chicks.)
Kristofferson claims he prefers making music to making movies; he is one-quarter of the popular singing group the Highwaymen (the others are Willie Nelson, plus late greats Waylon Jennings and Cash). Yet Kris also claims his eight children (with three different wives since 1961) are his true legacy. Those children include daughter and fellow actress Tracy Kristofferson.
Kris is currently married to Lisa Meyers; they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on February 19th, 2008.… Expand
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text:
The Coalition has set out plans to simplify state pension rules into a new "single-tier" system where almost everyone who retires after 2017 gets the same state pension, worth around £145 in today's money.
The simplification will benefit the self-employed and people who have taken time out of work to care for children or relatives, since they will now be able to qualify for full state pension.
People with less than 10 years of work or care in the UK will not qualify for the new pension, excluding some foreigners who come to the country temporarily.
Economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated that "the vast majority" of people will end up with reduced pension entitlements compared to what they would get under the current rules. Anyone born after 1970 is likely to lose out, the IFS suggested.
"The main effect in the long run will be to reduce pensions for the vast majority of people, while increasing rights for some particular groups," the IFS said.
The impact of the changes will be felt unequally across the workforce too, the economists noted.
The Daily Telegraph revealed on Saturday that more than 6 million workers who are part of final salary pension schemes face higher taxes because of the changes. Around 1.6 million are in the private sector.
Steve Webb, the pensions minister, said that under the new rules, most of the 6.9 million people affected will eventually get a bigger pension than they would otherwise have done.
But around 700,000 will be worse off, he admitted, adding that most of the "net losers" from the tax rise will be higher-earners in the private sector.
As well as increasing workers' tax payments, employers will also face higher taxes, paying around 3.8 pence in the pound in National Insurance Contributions.
That could cost a company an extra £1,200 a year for an employee paid £40,000.
Raj Mody, head of pensions at PWC said the higher NICs bill would "give employers yet another reason to close the few remaining final salary schemes still open to existing members".
The higher NICs payments will raise almost £6 billion a year for the Treasury from 2017, Mr Webb said.
To offset the higher costs now facing private sector employers, they will be allowed to reduce the "accrual rate" of their pension schemes, reducing the sums paid to workers on retirement.
While public sector employers like the NHS and local councils also face higher NICs bills under the reform, there will be no changes in the pension right accrued by their employees.
Mr Webb admitted that the effect of the reform would be that some private sector workers will now get smaller occupation pensions while public sector staff in a comparable situation will not.
If ministers had not allowed private sector employers to make their pensions less generous, many would be forced to close their schemes altogether, he said: "Firms have said they want that freedom."
The minister said that Government has ruled out any reduction in public sector pension accruals because of a deal they made with trade unions last year to leave public sector retirement rules unchanged for at least 25 years.
Asked why ministers have not given private sector workers similar certainty, Mr Webb said: "Firms chose to run private sector pensions – we don't."
The different treatment of private- and public-sector pensions has led to allegations of "two-tier pension system. The CBI, Britain's biggest business lobby, has said that pensions in both sectors should be treated the same way.


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Haberek's per diem, use of town car under scrutiny in Stonington
Stonington - The Board of Finance plans to investigate First Selectman Ed Haberek's use of a car leased by the town and his receipt of almost $1,800 in per diem reimbursements while attending out-of-town trade shows.
Chairman Glenn Frishman said Tuesday that the board would seek answers from Haberek and would implement new rules to limit the practices after The Day informed him of Haberek's use of the 2011 Ford Fusion and the per diem payments, neither of which Frishman said were authorized by the board.
Frishman said it is has been the understanding of the finance board that Haberek would use the town-leased car to travel to out-of-town meetings but would use his own car for in-town business and would be reimbursed for gas.
Frishman said he also was unaware that Haberek was taking the car home at night, something he said the finance board never envisioned when the car was leased.
"This is a perk he has appropriated for himself that is going to come to a screeching halt," Frishman said. "He's going to have to park it."
Haberek said the car is not assigned to him, and other employees may use it. He also said first selectmen and mayors in surrounding municipalities have the use of town vehicles.
The car is being leased by the town for $348 a month. In addition, Haberek has a $6,000-a-year expense account and a $92,000 annual salary. He receives the $6,000 each year regardless of how much he incurs in expenses.
Haberek said the car is filled with gas from the town's highway garage. He also has been reimbursed for gas and mileage when he uses his own car for economic development reasons.
Former first selectmen William Brown and Donald Maranell said last week that they did not have the use of a town car and instead used their personal vehicles for town-related business, paying for gas from their expense accounts.
Frishman said that when the finance board approved the lease of two cars and a pickup truck in 2011, it was with the understanding that they would be parked at Town Hall and shared by town employees on an as-needed basis, such as for property inspections or to go to an out-of-town meeting. The employees would use their own cars to get to and from Town Hall.
Last week, the car was parked most nights in front of Haberek's Moss Street home and was there all weekend. On Friday night, the first selectmen used the car to go to the town-sponsored concert at nearby Donahue Park.
Although some town employees refer to the silver Fusion with plates 70-STN as "Ed's car," Haberek said it is not permanently assigned to him. When pressed about how much he uses it, he estimated about 20 percent of the time.
"It's not my vehicle. Anyone can use it," he said.
He said it was out of service for eight of nine months because of a recall. He said he only takes the car home when he has an early morning meeting the next day.
The town's policy regarding the use of town vehicles states that vehicles must be parked at Town Hall or at the Human Services Department when not in use, unless otherwise authorized. It is unclear who authorized Haberek to take the car home. The policy also prohibits the use of town vehicles for personal use.
During an interview Tuesday, Haberek said he uses his expense account to pay for work-related gasoline and repairs to his personal car. Later, he said that if he used only his own car, his expense account would be exhausted before the end of the fiscal year.
With gas at about $4 a gallon and Haberek saying his car gets 16 miles per gallon, Haberek's expense account would pay for 24,000 miles a year of driving.
Haberek, though, said he only gets $4,800 of the $6,000, because taxes are taken out when he receives it in his paycheck. But Frishman said the money would be tax-free if Haberek submitted receipts for reimbursement.
Police Chief J. Darren Stewart and Capt. Jerry Desmond have unmarked cars they take home so they can respond directly to after-hours emergencies. The cars are provided as part of their contracts. Haberek, an elected official, has no contract.
Town policy states that select vehicles may be assigned to employees to allow faster after-hours responses to emergency calls for better job efficiency and may be taken home. Haberek said he often responds to after-hours incidents when contacted by residents or town officials.
He also said he is much more active when it comes to attending after-hours meetings and events than were Maranell or Brown.
"No one in town can question me about being visible at town events," he said.
Over the past four years, Haberek also has attended trade shows in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and other cities promoting the town to businesses looking to expand or relocate.
Expense records show that during those trips, Haberek received per diem payments of between $50 and $71 a day for meals, for a total reimbursement of $1,779. The town separately pays for hotels, transportation and registration fees for any conventions or trade shows.
Frishman said it is unheard of for a first selectmen to be paid a per diem fee when he has an expense account. He said that if Haberek wants to be reimbursed for meals, he could submit receipts.
Haberek, though, said town policy calls for town employees to receive per diem payments per IRS guidelines when away on town business.
But Frishman said those employees receive a per diem stipend because they do not have a $6,000 expense account.
Stonington's Haberek withdraws request for expense account increase


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ALL INFO AVAILABLE AT: http://J11Action.com
#J11: IdleNoMore Global Day of Action, Solidarity and Resurgence
Date: Friday, January 11, 2013
Location: Worldwide
What: Anything. Everything. Anywhere. Everywhere.
Why: To demonstrate your support for the rising global Indigenous Peoples Movement by taking action in your community.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/461884363867603
* * * *
We are at an important time in the #IdleNoMore movement, and we need to keep momentum up now that Harper has agreed to meet with the AFN. So I'm writing this post to give everyone a brief overview about the planned #J11 action.
#J11: Global Day of Action
#J11 is being planned as An #IdleNoMore International Day of Action, Solidarity & Resurgence – on January 11, 2013 – to run parallel to the meeting between PM Harper and the AFN.
The goal is to raise the profile of the movement, demonstrate our global presence, and give visibility to our growing momentum as a peoples' movement first.
As only a few AFN-determined representatives will be chosen to participate in the meeting with Harper, we thought it would be important to show that the rest of the movement stands united with one voice, that we are not going anywhere, and that we are here to demonstrate the strength and resurgence of our nations. We also want to honour and mark the fact that Jan 11th will be the 1-month anniversary of Chief Spence's hunger strike, and to honour the other chiefs and elders who have been on hunger strike with her.
All nations and all people from around the world are invited to join in celebrating and affirming their support for what is happening and the need to keep things moving forward together.
What Can You Do?
We are hopeful that every community will take the opportunity to organize a #J11 event or action in their own way. There is no specific action being suggested, just simply a framework and rallying point for all peoples to stand united—to offer a strong, loud and visible alternative to the AFN/Harper agenda and messaging.
Please spread the word and organize in your community.
On Twitter, use the #J11 hashtag for your event.
Please spread the word and organize in your community.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/461884363867603
Time to get moving…it's only a week away!
Hiy hiy.
In solidarity,
Jarrett Martineau
Frog Lake Cree Nation


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Walk to End Lupus Now®
Feel the Power! When you take part in a Lupus Foundation of America's Walk to End Lupus Now® event, you experience firsthand the power of the movement to end lupus! The Lupus Foundation of America is the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact.


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SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation
April 23, 2012 22:53 ET
Following Stellar Performances, Chrislyn Hamilton, Dyscem Muldener, Lyam Soto and Stephanie Savage to Compete for "Voice of McDonald's" Title
Following Stellar Performances, Chrislyn Hamilton, Dyscem Muldener, Lyam Soto and Stephanie Savage to Compete for "Voice of McDonald's" Title
ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwire - Apr 23, 2012) - Tonight, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) Owner/Operators, employees and suppliers from around the world witnessed powerful performances that rocked the arena from 16 semi-finalists in the Voice of McDonald's singing competition. Hosted by singer and actress KeKe Palmer, an audience of thousands cheered on the contestants as they each sang a song in front of a panel of judges from the music and entertainment industry, including Latin Grammy-nominated singer and actor Diego Boneta.
Following tonight's competition, the four finalists are:
They will advance to the finals on Thursday to compete for the Voice of McDonald's title -- an honor that yields a grand prize of $25,000. In addition, the grand prize winner will lend their voice to an upcoming DreamWorks Animation movie, work with a music-industry executive to produce a record demo, appear in an upcoming McDonald's TV commercial in their local market, and receive a VIP trip to the American Idol finale in Los Angeles. The second prize winner receives $17,500, third prize winner receives $15,000, fourth prize winner receives $12,500, and all other contestants win $3,000. All finalists receive $500 for a celebration party with co-workers at their restaurants and a $1,000 donation in their names for their local Ronald McDonald House Charities or other children's charity.
During Thursday's final round, the four contestants will be judged by some of the biggest names in the entertainment, music and recording industries, including: Grammy-Award winning singer Toni Braxton, veteran music producers Ron Fair and David Foster, CEO of DreamWorks Animation Jeffrey Katzenberg, and prominent entertainment attorney and brand strategist Ken Hertz.
"It was great to share the stage with such amazing singers tonight," said Palmer. "There are some really talented employees that work at McDonald's and they have bright futures ahead of them."
"Judging this competition was extremely hard given the incredible performances by the singers at McDonald's," said Boneta. "I can relate to these kids because I was discovered at age 12 in a nationwide singing competition in Mexico. It was great to be a part of Voice of McDonald's and I look forward to seeing who will win."
The Voice of McDonald's is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and reward the most talented singers among the approximately 1.8 million restaurant employees in the McDonald's system. This fourth edition of the competition started with an initial field of more than 20,000 entries, included more than 70 country contests and 30 live performances before the popular singing competition called on consumers in five markets and top music industry professionals to narrow the field to 16 semi-finalist contestants.
To learn more about the Voice of McDonald's finalists and to view a live webcast of the final competition on Thursday, visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com or www.voiceofmcdonalds.com. For downloadable web and broadcast-quality video clips, visit http://www.epklink.com/VOMSemifinals/.
About McDonald's
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Voice of McDonald's Semi-finalists with Diego Boneta, Chrislyn Hamilton, KeKe Palmer, Stephanie Savage, Dyscem Muldener, and Lyam Soto.
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CORTLAND, N.Y. (9/17/11) – For the second straight week, the Kean University football team knocked off a nationally-ranked opponent, as the Cougars defeated #11 SUNY Cortland, 21-16, in the team's New Jersey Athletic Conference opener on Saturday afternoon.
A week after upsetting #3 Wesley, the #18 Cougars (2-0, 1-1 NJAC) defeated the host Red Dragons (1-1, 1-1 NJAC) for just the second time in series history. Kean's only other win against Cortland was in 2009, when the Cougars posted a 24-10 win in Cortland, N.Y.
With Kean leading 21-16 after three quarters of play, the Red Dragons had third and goal at the Kean two-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The Cougar defense held on third down, before junior Brett Yacjaji broke up the final pass of the game to seal the Kean win.
Junior Will Evans scored what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter, returning the Cortland kickoff 89-yards for the touchdown to give the Cougars the 21-16 lead in the final minute of the third quarter.
In the victory, senior quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi completed 15-of-23 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, as senior Chris Suozzo caught both touchdown passes from D'Ambrisi and finished with four receptions.
The Red Dragons would score on their first possession of the game, picking up three first downs before quarterback Dan Pitcher completed the 19-yard post pass to Brian Haber to cap the 10-play, 63-yard opening drive.
After the Cougars went three-and-out on their first drive, Cortland looked to extend the lead, however the 37-yard field goal was wide left and the scored remained 7-0, as Kean took over at their own 20-yard line with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.
On the ensuing drive, the Cougars would eventually have first and goal at the Cortland six-yard line, however on the first play of the second quarter, defensive lineman Vaughn Labor forced the fumble on D'Ambrisi's quarterback draw, and Bill Smith would recover the ball for the Red Dragons at their own one-yard line.
The Red Dragons would move the ball out towards midfield on the drive, however the Cougars would get the ball back on a turnover, as Yacjaji forced and recovered the fumble and Kean would take over just inside Cortland territory. Three plays later, D'Ambrisi hit Suozzo with the 18-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 after the Billy Daniels extra point.
Cortland regained the lead just before halftime following a 15-play, 82-yard drive, as Pitcher complete six passes for 67 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown pass to John Babin with just 20 seconds remaining in the half. Kean senior linebacker Bekim Bujari blocked the extra point attempt to keep the score at 13-7 heading into the break.
The Cougars moved the opening drive of the third quarter down to the Cortland one-yard line, however the Red Dragon defense held the line on back-to-back quarterback sneaks, as D'Ambrisi would fumble the ball on fourth-and-one and was unable to recover the ball himself and the Red Dragons would take over on downs just outside the endzone.
After the Cougar defense forced Cortland to punt after managing just eight yards on three plays, junior T.J. Denehy moved the Cougars into Cortland territory with a 21-yard punt return to the 33-yard line. Two plays later, Denehy would then catch the 31-yard reception from D'Ambrisi to set up a three-yard touchdown pass from D'Ambrisi to Suozzo, as Kean would take its first lead of the game at 14-13 following the extra point from Daniels.
Cortland regained the lead on its next possession, as the Cougar defense nearly intercepted the ball in the endzone and limited the Red Dragons to just a field goal after having first-and-goal at the Kean five-yard line. The 22-yard field goal from Marc Corrado gave the Red Dragons the 16-14 lead with just 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Evans gave the Cougars the lead right back with what would be the final score of the game, as he returned the kickoff 89 yards after breaking away from the pack and racing down the left sideline for the 21-16 lead after the Daniels' extra point.
Both teams had multiple drives in the fourth quarter, with Cortland's best opportunity coming on its final drive. Trailing 21-16, Cortland started its final drive on its own 35-yard line with 5:21 remaining in the game. Three plays into the drive, a wild snap forced Cortland into a second-and-32 from its own 30-yard line. However, Dorian Myles picked up 15 yards on the second down carry and Pitcher connected with Haber on a 26-yard pass completion to keep the drive alive.
Cortland would eventually have first-and-goal at the five-yard line, with Myles carrying the ball on back-to-back plays to give the Red Dragons third-and-two after a three-yard carry. Kean junior Jerelle Peay and sophomore Will Nahan stopped Pitcher for no gain on the quarterback draw on third down, before Yacjaji knocked down the jump ball in the endzone to seal Kean's second straight win in Cortland, N.Y., as the Cougars would take a knee three times to run out the clock.
Suozzo and Matt Pitarresi each had four receptions for a combined 70 yards, while tight end Scott Davis added three receptions for a team-high 57 yards. On the ground, senior running back Chris DiMicco carried the ball 15 times for 54 yards.
Defensively, seniors James Boyd and Richard Esdaille each made nine tackles, while junior Chris VanFechtmann made eight stops, one intereption and one pass break-up. Bujari also made eight tackles, while breaking up a pair of passes and blocked the extra point. Yacjaji finished with six tackles, one force fumble, one fumble recovery and the final pass break-up.
The Cougars were victorious despite being outgained offensive for the second straight week, as Cortland had 455 yards of total offense, including 187 yards rushing. Pitcher completed 22-of-36 passes for 265 yards and one interception. Myles carried the ball 17 times for 91 yards, while Justin Autera added a team-high 20 carries for 73 yards.
Cortland was led defensively by Kyle Nisbitt, who finished with nine tackles, while Mike Wilson added seven tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss of nine yards.
The Cougars remain on the road next week, as they battle Western Connecticut State University in NJAC action on Saturday, September 24th, at Noon.


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Thiamin is one of the B vitamins, a group of water-soluble vitamins that are part of many of the chemical reactions in the body.
Alternative Names
Vitamin B1; Thiamine
Thiamin (vitamin B1) helps the bodys cells change carbohydrates into energy. The main role of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and nervous system
Thiamin also plays a role in muscle contraction and conduction of nerve signals.
Food Sources
Thiamin is found in:
- Enriched, fortified, and whole grain products such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta,and flour
- Beef liver and pork
- Dried milk
- Egg
- Legumes and peas
- Nuts and seeds
Dairy products, fruits, and vegetables are not very high in thiamin, but when eaten in large amounts, they become a significant source.
Side Effects
A lack or deficiency of thiamin can cause
Thiamin deficiency in the United States is most often seen in people who abuse alcohol (alcoholism). A lot of alcohol makes it hard for the body to absorb thiamin from foods. Unless those with alcoholism receive higher-than-normal amounts of thiamin to make up for the difference, the body will not get enough of the substance. This can lead to a disease called
In severe thiamin deficiency, brain damage can occur. One type is called
There is no known poisoning linked to thiamin.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamins reflect how much of each vitamin most people should get each day. The RDA for vitamins may be used as goals for each person.
How much of each vitamin you need depends on your age and gender. Other factors, such as pregnancy and illnesses, are also important. Adults and pregnant or breast-feeding women need higher levels of thiamin than young children.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin:
- 0 - 6 months: 0.2* milligrams per day (mg/day)
- 7 - 12 months: 0.3* mg/day
*Adequate Intake (AI)
- 1 - 3 years: 0.5 mg/day
- 4 - 8 years: 0.6 mg/day
- 9 - 13 years: 0.9 mg/day
Adolescents and Adults
- Males age 14 and older: 1.2 mg/day
- Females age 14 to 18 years: 1.0 mg/day
- Females age 19 and older: 1.1 mg/day
The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods.
Escott-Stump S, ed. Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008.
Sarubin Fragaakis A, Thomson C. The Health Professionals Guide to Popular Dietary Supplements. 3rd ed. Chicago, Il: American Dietetic Association;2007.
Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, PantothenicAcid, Biotin, and Choline. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1998.
Mason JB. Vitamins, trace minerals, and other micronutrients. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 225.
Review Date:
Reviewed By:
Alison Evert, MS, RD, CDE, Nutritionist, University of Washington Medical Center Diabetes Care Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, David R. Eltz, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi Wang.


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Scott Beyer
Vice President, Marketing & Strategy
Spot trends faster, with more global insight
Oxford Global Resources can address client issues daily, not quarterly, with SAS® Enterprise BI for Midsize Business
With SAS Enterprise BI for Midsize Business, Oxford Global Resources created a Web-based portal that allows field managers to proactively spot business trends. Data that was once reported quarterly is now available daily. The company also has a worldwide – rather than just a regional – view of staffing trends.
Locating hard-to-find technical expertise in the information technology and engineering fields is Oxford Global Resources' specialty. The industry is highly competitive, and knowing what type of consultant to recruit and which companies to market to is critical.
The real benefit from SAS BI has been an improvement in our ability to see what the operational issues are and address them as they are occurring instead of waiting until a quarterly meeting. As a result, we are able to be more proactive and responsive to our clients.
Scott Beyer
In search of the next step
Oxford has gained an edge for years by using SAS to create reports. But senior management wanted to get the information to their field managers faster. "We were using SAS to develop a lot of trend reports and that helped us grow into certain areas much more quickly than we would otherwise be able to,'' said Scott Beyer, Vice President, Strategy & Marketing.
But while quarterly reporting seemed fine five years ago, in today's rapidly changing global environment, the company wanted to spot trends faster – and with more global insight. "The issue was that our recruiters and account managers only saw opportunities in the context of individual offices and didn't recognize notable trends across the full company," Beyer says. "For us to increase our competitiveness, we needed a better way to put key office and individual performance information at our managers' fingertips in a timely fashion."
Additional users, more insights
With its positive previous experience with SAS, the company sought out a SAS reseller to develop a BI solution to initially roll out to 25 pilot staffers. "It quickly escalated beyond that,'' says Joseph Cofone, Data Mining Analyst at Oxford. "We asked the original group of users if we should push availability to more users in our regional offices and their response was, 'Yes, yes, absolutely.''' Today, 125 staff members are accessing the portal regularly, tracking their daily operations as well as consulting skill trends in different economic sectors.
"The real benefit from SAS BI has been an improvement in our ability to see what the operational issues are and address them as they are occurring, instead of waiting until a quarterly meeting. As a result, we are able to be more proactive and responsive to our clients." Oxford's account managers, recruiters and others in the field are now able to access key performance data as it relates to the company, to an office and even to an individual.
"We're a very results-driven organization so we now look at certain key performance indicators every day. Pushing this information out of headquarters and down to the front lines has made our people more accountable and focused on high-priority activities that really drive the business,'' Beyer says. "For a company of our size, in a highly competitive industry, these applications are vital.''
Oxford uses a customer relationship management (CRM) system but wanted to do more with it. With SAS BI and the SAS data warehouse, the company is storing snapshots of key data coming from the CRM system every day. "That is one key advance that the SAS system has – it can go back to the historical data,'' Beyer says.
Oxford has been pleased with the support it has received from SAS resellers. SAS supports a global network of resellers to bring BI, analytics and other SAS solutions to small and midsize businesses.
Oxford wanted a single version of the truth for management reporting and wanted its staff to be able to spot trends daily, rather than quarterly.
SAS® Enterprise BI for Midsize Business
Oxford can react more quickly to the needs of its clients and capitalize on emerging trends within sectors.


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I know what this whole phrase means. So now, I also know that I can substitute "αὐτὸν" for "Λαζαρον" or "με" or whatever other accusative word! As we learn the alphabet, for example, we begin to see the words as a "Whole" rather than a set of letters. Perhaps we should see phrases as a "whole" as well, rather than a set of words.Galatians 1:1 wrote:τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν,
What do you think?
τι νομιζετε υμεις;


text: With temperatures hitting the 70s on the first day of spring, Wickes School physical education teacher Ellie Hull couldn't resist letting the entire school population participate in Jump Rope for Heart whether they raised funds or not. She said the lesson that exercise is good for health was worth it. And, for sure, there was no lack of enthusiasm. The kids jumped for joy and for healthy hearts.


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2012 News Archives
Indy Library Begins Sister City Relationship With Hangzhou, China
April 25, 2012 — Creating cross-cultural connections through free public programming and the eventual exchange of library staff will result from the newly-formed Sister City relationship between The Indianapolis Public Library and the Hangzhou Public Library in China.
Indy Library eBooks Achieve Record Popularity
April 13, 2012 — Following a national trend, Indianapolis Public Library patrons are downloading and reading Library eBooks in record numbers. New statistics released by the Library correspond with findings on Americans' reading habits by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project.
Service Hours Increased at Indianapolis Libraries
March 27, 2012 — Beginning May 13, Indianapolis public libraries will provide additional hours of service with consistent opening and closing times following action by The Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees on March 26, 2012.
March 21, 2012 — Children and families are invited to listen to their favorite stories in children's literature recorded by players from the Indiana Pacers or representatives of the Pacers organization on The Indianapolis Public Library's free 24-hour Call-a-Story telephone line at 275-4444.
Library Grants Target Early Learner Computers and eBooks
March 15, 2012 — New educational technology at The Indianapolis Public Library will help young children become successful learners thanks to grants from The Library Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation.
Award-Winning Children's Author Mo Willems to Present 2012 McFadden Memorial Lecture!
March 12, 2012 — Families and individuals of all ages are invited as award-winning children's author and illustrator Mo Willems presents The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation's 2012 McFadden Memorial Lecture on Thursday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at the North Central High School Auditorium.
First-Ever Comprehensive Indianapolis School Chooser Guide Available at Library Locations
March 7, 2012 — An informational guide to help parents make well-informed school decisions to meet the needs of their children is available at all 23 locations of The Indianapolis Public Library.
Indy Library Adds Local Firefighting Photos to Digital Collection
March 6, 2012 — A collection of over 900 photographs documenting firefighting in Indianapolis from 1874 to 1939 has been added to The Indianapolis Public Library's online digital library. The new images come from the photo collection of early 20th century Indianapolis firefighter Harold Brown Adkinson which resides at the Indiana State Library.
Spades Park Branch Celebrates 100th Anniversary!
March 2, 2012 — Individuals of all ages are invited to a special community celebration when the Spades Park Branch of The Indianapolis Public Library commemorates its 100th year of service on Saturday, March 24 from 1 - 5 p.m. at the Spades Park Branch, 1801 Nowland Avenue.
City Councillor Steve Talley Endows Special Indianapolis Library Fund for Children's Programming
February 21, 2012 — With the goal of fostering learning and opportunity for children throughout Indianapolis, District 11 City-County Councillor Steve Talley has announced a major share of his current and future council salary will be devoted to a new endowment for additional children's programming through The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.


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Leigh Riding takes a belated look at the latest political biopic from Oliver Stone
Maverick director Oliver Stone tackles the formative years and subsequent political career of one of the most derided and condemned US presidents in living memory, George W. Bush.
For those politically minded film lovers out there, the prospect of firebrand director Oliver Stone tackling the Bush administration must have had them salivating with anticipation as the release of the movie neared. So one can only imagine the disappointment for that audience when W. turned out to be so toothless. The lack of edge from Stone could possibly be due to the fact that, judging by the film's portrayal of the man, Bush is quite simply rather dull subject matter. While I went into the film expecting a savage character assassination of a man I assumed was a bumbling idiot, what I got in return was a portrait of Bush striving to surpass his father's low expectations, and a man that was not a fool as such, just an incredibly poor public speaker. Well, that's fine, but it's not terribly interesting is it?
What I personally wanted to see was an insight into the shadowy workings of the Bush administration Mk 2 (or Mk 1.5; daddy's work is never done), which is an area that Stone should attack with relish. Sadly, the political milestones and millstones are merely bullet points within the film's framework, with the narrative far more concerned with checklisting Bush's personal mishaps such as the notorious pretzel incident in a rather pedestrian manner. It's not that Stone isn't adept in directing political biopics; 1995's Nixon was both a blistering character study and a and a study of Nixon's administration that almost bordered on the thriller genre. I think that Stone simply doesn't have the passion for the subject matter.
Stone even seems to have watered down his trademark visual style for W.. While the bravura visuals of Natural Born Killers and U-Turn would have never suited this type of film, Stone still embraced a slick and stylised look for Nixon, so it's strange that he employs such a flat eye for W.. The film has a rather flat and conventional look which resembles a mid-level television production, and is rather disappointing. Flicking through the film's production history, it didn't really surprise me that the entire production was crammed into a tiny window between last year's writer's strike and the election, and it certainly shows in the end product, with everything from the script to the editing and right down the shooting style suggesting that at least another four months or so of serious polish would have improve the storytelling twofold.
One thing that hasn't been trimmed back is the cast and their work. Josh Brolin delivers a barnstorming performance as Bush that has been universally praised, but the rest of the main cast are as equally faultless in their respective roles, such as Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Scott Glenn as Rumsfeld, Brit Toby Jones as Karl Rove, and Thandie Newton does a respectable Xerox of Condolezza Rice. Sadly Ioan Gruffudd is rather miscast as Tony Blair, but I guess we've been spoiled a little by Michael Sheen's delivery of Blair, so that's not quite so fair. But on the whole, viewing the film becomes a far more rewarding experience than the rather flat production delivers; indeed, good enough to make the film required viewing.
There is little about the 2.35:1 transfer that will have the viewer dancing on the table. For a film that is visually rather perfunctory, the transfer doesn't do much heavy lifting. The image is sharp and clean, with little grain and no defects that I could notice, and strong representation of the colour scheme. A decent representation of a visually plain film.
Much like the video element, the 5.1 track isn't stretched to breaking point here. Aside from the occasional war segue, which admittedly does sound good, the film is predominantly dialogue based. Thankfully the dialogue is lovely and clear, perfectly audible and right where you want it; upfront. Again, what little needs doing is done well.
The first port of call is the audio commentary with director Oliver Stone, which is as always a must for fans. While Stone never dwells too much upon the technical aspects of the film, he does talk in length about the script choices made, and exactly how much stayed in or out and why. Stone is always engaging, and this is another classic document from the man. 'Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency' is a twenty minute look at both Bush tenures that is simply too short to deliver any seriously meaty debate, 'No Stranger to Controversy: Oliver Stone's George W. Bush' doesn't engage as much as one would like, being as it is general behind the scenes B-roll footage interspersed with Stone delivering a talking head interview that is surprisingly dry. Things are rounded up with several deleted scenes with commentary by director Oliver Stone that don't particularly engage. Finally there is a DVD-Rom link section containing Stone's personal annotations and research notes. It's not the strongest set in the world, and I can only assume that there is a special edition waiting in the wings.
While I expected something far more savage from Oliver Stone, I suppose he should be commended for giving a far more rational and balanced portrayal of the Bush Sr. era. While those who want the no holds barred Stone approach may bemoan the lack of bite shown from his earlier works, there are some absolutely cracking performances that genuinely raise the film's kudos. W. is a flawed but solid film buoyed by one serious acting master class that nudges the film up to recommended viewing.
Review by Leigh Riding
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
I miss great Oliver Stone movies.
Good review Leigh.
Good review Leigh.
leigh1975 Contributor Join Date: October 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 318
The last good Stone movie was U-Turn, the last truly great one was NBK.
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
I dunno. Any Given Sunday was freakin' awesome!
leigh1975 Contributor Join Date: October 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 318
Annoyingly, i forgot about that one.
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
I never forget Elizabeth Berkley naked.
Sam Spade Member Join Date: January 2007 Location: United States Posts: 2,032
"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?"
JFK is my fav. I need to see Any Given Sunday.
JFK is my fav. I need to see Any Given Sunday.
Worst Nightmare Senior Member Join Date: July 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 6,716
Chris Gould wrote: I never forget Elizabeth Berkley naked.
Have you worn out your 3rd copy of Showgirls yet?
Have you worn out your 3rd copy of Showgirls yet?
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 16th March 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English HoH
Extras: Audio Commentary with Director Oliver Stone, Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency, No Stranger to Controversy: Oliver Stone's George W. Bush, Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Oliver Stone
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss, Toby Jones
Genre: Drama
Length: 124 minutes
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Honorary Oscars cap rough week for Academy
LOS ANGELES - The first Academy Awards of the season will be presented Saturday night, capping a tumultuous week that saw the abrupt departure and rapid replacement of the Oscar show producer and host.
James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith will receive honorary Oscars for their long film careers, and Oprah Winfrey will accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' third annual Governors Awards.
Presentation of the honorary Oscars at a black-tie dinner at the Kodak Theatre complex, where the Academy Awards will be held Feb. 26, follows this week's replacement of Oscar show producer Brett Ratner and host Eddie Murphy with Hollywood veterans Brian Grazer and Billy Crystal.
The Showbuzz: Billy Crystal to host Oscars (Video)
Winfrey's Hersholt award honors her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions, including her own namesake foundations and Academy for Girls in South Africa. The 57-year-old media mogul was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for 1985's "The Color Purple."
Jones and Smith will receive honorary Oscars for their outstanding careers.
James Earl Jones to accept honorary Oscar
Jones, 80, has worked in more than 50 films, including the voice of Darth Vader, and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for "The Great White Hope." His other credits include "Field of Dreams," "Patriot Games" and "The Hunt for Red October."
Smith was NBC's first makeup man when he started his career in 1945. He won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on "Amadeus" and was nominated again in 1989 for "Dad."
Known as the "godfather of makeup," he also worked on "The Godfather," "The Exorcist" and "Taxi Driver." Smith also helped train many of today's top movie makeup artists.
The film academy launched its Governors Awards three years ago to pay tribute to winners of honorary Oscars prizes previously presented during the Academy Awards telecast. Governors from its 15 branches chose Saturday's winners.
Highlights from the untelevised event will be available online at Oscars.org and included in the Academy Awards telecast in February.