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Topic: BloodRayne: Unrated Director's Cut (Read 5827 times)
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BloodRayne: Unrated Director's Cut
June 05, 2011, 09:05:40 PM »
Rated: Unrated Directors's Cut
2 slimes
Pitchblack Pictures Inc. 2005 BOLL KG 2005
Submitted by WingedSerpent
Rayne: Kristanna Loken- Human/Vampire hybrid and main character.
Vladimir: Michael Madisen-leader of the Brimstone society. So uninterested in anything he doesnt react when Kagen stabs him.
Sebastian: Mathew Davis-Vladmimirs right hand man. Mullet gives him his only real noticeable feature. Killed when Domistir kills himself.
Katrin: Michelle Rodriguez-Daughter of Lord Elrich and betrayer of Brimestone. Shes a tough girl whose main expresiion is an angry pout. Like every other character Michelle Rodriguez plays.
Lord Elrich: Billy Zane-Katrins father turned Vampire. Wears a somewhat respectable wig and was smart enough to keep his part in this movie to a minimum.
Kagen: Ben Kingsley-Raynes father and main villain of the movie.
Leonid: Meat Loaf Aday-Hedonistic Vampire lord that lays around all day surrounded by prostitutes. Really a stretch for MeatLoaf Im sure.
Domistir: Will Sanderson-Kagens Head Thrall. Stabs himself in order to stab Sebastian who was behind him. Then gets his troat slit.
Regal Monk: Udo Kier-Head monk of the monstary that holds an ancient powerful relic and teller of exposition. Killed by Domisitr.
Amanda: Madalina Constantin young woman trying to make it in show business. Bitten by Rayne who then takes her swords, then killed by Katrin. And they say Hollywood is tough.
Thralls and Vampires. Thralls are humans in service to Kagen. Vampires are also working for him. Cannon fodder for the heroes
Opening credits roll through some paintings of devils and demons. One is of the movies main villain, created by running a movie still through the photo manipulation software.
In a small town, 3 of our main characters arrive-two supporting mullets that belong to car racing fans more than they do 18th Century fighters of hellspawn. Vladimir, Sebastian and Katarin are members of the Brimstone Society-an organization dedicated to defend mankind from creatures of the night. They sit down to acquire some information from the local bar tender. Sebastian casually kills a vampire who had just stopped by to get some absinthe. Really wasnt that guys night. The bar keep, not really shocked that an undead monster is in his bar tells them that there might be an undead monster at a traveling carnival.
The carnival is a place with mildly talented people and freaks and is a place where normal people go to watch others suffer. (Insert any video sharing site joke here). One of the entertainers is Amanda, a sword woman and friend to the movies namesake. Rayne herself is touted out and is first burned by exposure to water, as a side effect to vampirism is a severe case of aquagenic urticaria. Then shes feed the blood of a live goat. Again had this been the modern era, somebody would have shouted out FAKE followed by a racist remark. Rayne is taken back to her cage, and Amanda tells her that soon they will leave the carnival for a better life.
Flash to the Castle of Free 3D Software, and we get our first look at Kagen, the main villain and Raynes father. Kagen apparently sits around his castle a lot looking into space because he hasnt realized that TV hasnt been invented yet. His head thrall Domistir tells him that there had been an incident of Blood rage at a local carnival. Kagen believes it might be his long lost daughter.
By the way, Kagen in the movie looks like a frail old man. Kagen in the games looked like someone who could tear you in half with his bare hands even if he wasnt a vampire.
Rayne is next seen running through the woods wailing and covered in blood. A carnival performer tried to force himself onto her. She goes into a rage and ends up attacking and killing everyone in sight.
Vladimir, Sebastian, and Katrin arrive at the carnival the next day, searching for Rayne. They start hacking up bodies and burning them. Amanda still lives despite Rayne having bitten her and taking her swords. After telling them that Rayne isnt really a threat, Katrin stabs Amanda through the heart. Poor girl, just one of those characters a movie just love to be mean to for no good reason.
Katrins father Lord Elrich, who wears the second worst wig in the picture dictates a letter to his daughter. He says that the Brimstone has become too weak to survive and he wants her to bring him an artifact that is hidden at the fortress. And surprise...Hes a vampire now. Nice to see he keeps in contact with his family.
Rayne kills some more vampires and we hear her talk for the first time. All weve had until now is some wailing and grunting. She enters a village where a fortune teller and Rayne are able to get some explanations done for the audience. Short Version: Rayne is a human/ vampire hybrid called a dhamphir. Kagen raped and killed her mother while she watched hidden from him. To get to Kagen, she must find an artifact (an eye) from a monastery to gain an audience with him and a chance at revenge.
The fortune teller is played by the daughter of Charlie Chaplin. Something both sad and funny about the descendant of one of films pioneering figures appearing in an Uwe Boll film.
Rayne gains entrance to the monastery under the guise of a lost woman wanting food and shelter. While sleeping, Rayne is woken up by voices that lead her to the vault, which is guarded by a large deformed monk who swings a war hammer and mace. What happens next can only be described as a boss battle. Rayne flips around and is able to kill the monster, after which she gains the Cross key. Game Logic 101-Beat the boss ,get the treasure.
Using the key, she opens the vault only to find its trapped with motion detecting blades. Rayne is able to avoid the blades but taking the artifact off the pedestal triggers another trap as the room fills with water. (Ill give this movie one thing-some parts are very video game-esque). Using her sword to hang from the ceiling, Rayne inadvertently absorbs the eyes power and is no longer burned by water. Also shes lucky that it only filled in about 2 inches instead of it filling all the way and drowning her.
The head monk tells Rayne that an ancient vampire named Belliar was somehow able to make himself immune to traditional vampire weaknesses-sunlight, Crucifixes, and water. All that is left of him is a rib, an eye, and a heart. Kagen is looking for the parts to make himself invincible.
Domistir and the thralls then attack the monastery. The monks fight back using their martial art skills but end up getting killed. Vlad, Sebastian, and Katrin show up to join the free-for-all, but Rayne ends up getting captured anyway. Domistir goes to the castle of Leonid for a pit stop which leads to one of this movies more infamous parts.
Leonid is played by the singer Meatloaf with what appears to be a dead Yorkshire terrier atop his head. Hes surrounded by naked women that according to some sources where played by actual prostitutes. All this plus the cheesy acting gives the film some unintentional laughs.
Vlad and Sebastian make it to Leonid underground blood orgy and music club just as Leonid tries to get the eye from Rayne. Leonid is killed when Vlad starts breaking windows to let in sunlight. A few well placed shots and the meatloaf gets burned. (I should feel bad about that one, but I dont). Rayne is taken to the Brimstone fortress, located on some far away island.
The next parts of the movie can be summed up quickly. Kagen acquires the rib and destroys some Brimstone franchises off screen. Rayne undergoes some training montages. Katrins distrust of Rayne leads her to contact her father, the vampire so she can give him the heart which is hidden at Brimestone Society headquarters.
Like the eye before it, the heart seems to talk to Rayne. No idea what it was saying to her, but it seems to cause her to want to have relationships with mullet headed renaissance fair workers. Luckily Sebastian is there, and is not about to turn down Raynes advances. It may not be the most gratuitous sex scene is a horror movie, but its definitely nominated.
Katrins message to Elrich is intercepted by Domistir who forces the Count to reveal the location of the final game piece.
While Vlad, Sebastian, and Rayne are out getting supplies, an army of thralls attacks the final Brimstone fortress, killing almost everyone inside. One survivor makes it to land and is able to tell Rayne that Katrin had betrayed the society. Rayne goes off to face her, but is stopped by Sebastian. She convinces him to let her go alone, while he and Vlad head to Kagens castle level.
Rayne finds the Castle Brimstone destroyed, its occupants dead, and the thralls still searching. Following the voices from the heart, she finds Katrin swimming down to the underwater hiding place of the heart. Rayne dives in after her. A short fight later, Rayne snaps Katrins neck and drinks her blood, healing some wounds. A little overkill maybe, but you always want to stock up on health before facing the final boss.
Off to the final level.
Ranye allows herself to be captured and is quite lucky Domistir never checks the hearts container to see if see was lying. Vladimir and Sebastian get through the gate using some black powder bombs. It always amuses when medieval movies are able to work in an explosion or two. The three are united in the dungeon where Rayne tells them that Katrin is dead. She does leave out the part that she was the one that killed her though.
Kagen is preparing to perform a ritual to remove the eye from Rayne. Rayne vows to fight, and by that I mean she lets herself be taken away and tied up with only minimal struggling and token grunts and wailing.
Vlad and Sebastian escape the dungeon using the My friend is missing trick. A joke so old, a T-Rex wouldnt fall for it. (Well actually, a T-Rex wouldnt fall for it, because its highly developed sense of smell could have located the missing person almost instantly-but I digress)
The two interrupt the ceremony and free Rayne. Vampires and thralls are killed. A very tired looking Vlad is killed by Kagen.
Domistir kills Sebastian by killing himself but is first killed by Sebastian whom he just killed. Thats what happens. Trust me.
Kagen and Rayne square off in the final boss battle. Rayne is able to put up a decent fight, actually using some moves from the game, but Kagen overpowers her. He is about to gouge her eye out, but luckily, Kagen is distracted by Sebastian who is dying from being killed by
Domistar who killed himself to kill Sebastian but was killed by Sebastian. Still with me?
Rayne is able to kill Kagen but with Vlad and Sebastian dead, she has little else to do but sit on the throne of Kagen. And its here that the theatrical and unrated directors cut share their biggest differences.
In the theatrical version, the screen fades to black on Raynes face, implying that shes assuming control of her fathers empire. In the Directors cut, after the fade out, the movie now shows alternate versions of some of the movies scenes. The alternates are mostly of the battle scenes and are gorier then what was shown previously. It also leads to the biggest unintentional laughs. During the alternate version of the attack on the monastery, some thralls are chopping up a monk, but the look on the thralls face is one of boredom. Other scenes have fake looking effects or just seem over the top.
When the alternate reel is done, Rayne smiles to the camera then rides off on her horse. Headed towards Direct to DVD land.
Art styles of the 18th century included Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Photoshop filter.
Belly shirts where a popular fashion trend for women in 18th Romania
Hacking people to death is not as exciting as youd think it would be.
Hearing voices is a very powerful aphrodisiac.
5:46 I really want to make a Got Milk joke, but I know I shouldnt.
17:03 Nearly twenty minutes in and this is the first time we hear our heroine speak.
27:50 Puzzle Trap Room
1:22:43 Final Boss Battle
1:24:56 Dying in a Crucifix position. Oh come on, thats just being pretentious
1:27:16 Recapping the movie for those just joining us.
Bartender: Thats what I like about you Brimstone people. You never make a mess of the place.
Sebastian: Kagen is building an army of thralls and were on our way to a carnival? Am I the only one who thinks this is madness?
Amanda: I didnt see anything. I dont even remember what happened.
Vladimir: You were bitten by a vampire, and you dont remember anything that happened?
Sebastian: We should kill her now.
Rayne: I will not harm you. I only wish to kill vampires
Kagen: I shall skin you alive and hang you in display. Where is the eye?
Last Edit: June 21, 2011, 09:29:56 PM by WingedSerpent
At least, that's what Gary Busey told me...
Doctor of Zombology
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Re: BloodRayne: Unrated Director's Cut
Reply #1 on:
June 09, 2011, 04:55:39 AM »
Nice review WS and welcome back.
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This time last year, the Herald evaluated Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's midterm progress. We graded him on how well he had followed through with his campaign promises and how effectively he had dealt with the major issues facing the county.
The results were middling. We gave Mangano a C in job creation, a C+ in cutting wasteful spending and an Incomplete on his promise to reform the assessment system. He did earn an A, however, for cutting taxes. He promised he wouldn't raise taxes, and he didn't. He also eliminated the energy tax that the Suozzi administration implemented in 2009.
A lot has happened since we offered that report card, and we thought it would be useful to reassess Mangano's performance one year later.
Cutting taxes
He still does well here. He pledged that he would reduce homeowners' taxes, and he did so by cutting the energy tax. He has opted to close every gap in the budget with cuts rather than tax increases. Keeping taxes stable seems to be one thing Mangano is good at.
Reforming the tax-assessment system
About a month ago, Mangano touted "historic assessment reforms." For the first time in the county's history, he said, it had settled all of the tax challenges residents filed before the Legislature finalized the assessment rolls. This meant that residents wouldn't have to pay more in taxes, challenge their assessments and then be reimbursed, which, Mangano said, would save the county about $30 million a year.
According to Mangano, $1.6 billion of the county's $3 billion debt can be attributed to the assessment system. To his credit, he has taken steps to try to correct the problem. He lengthened the assessment cycle from one year to four, and he repealed the county guarantee, making school districts and villages responsible for reimbursing their proportional share of property tax overpayments.
On paper, this makes sense: Nassau is the only county in the country that reimburses entire tax certiorari payments, even though it receives only a fraction of the tax money. There's no reason for the county to be paying back tax money owed by schools and villages. But school districts have challenged the repeal in court, so its future is unclear.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Background of
Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI),
Honor Society of Nursing
Sigma Theta Tau International Mission
The mission of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.
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The vision of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to be the global organization of choice for nursing. Read more about STTI.
Chapter Region
The honor society's chapters are separated into 6 global regions. The North American region is further divided into 15 geographic regions. To learn more about the organization's regions, visit the STTI website.
Headquarters Information
Chapter-specific questions should be directed to the chapter's contact person listed in the chapter directory. If you have questions about your membership, renewals or benefits, please contact STTI headquarters.
Honor Society of Nursing
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text:
Opinion: Red-Tape Nation
American Action Forum president Douglas Holtz-Eakin on a new study showing that President Obama's regulatory "reform" has merely increased costs and paperwork. Photo credit: HealthCare.gov.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I ... I ... the the promise to cut red tape for American businesses ... how's he doing on that promise I've got American Action Forum President Douglas Holtz Eakin ... joining me now from Washington with some new numbers ... I'd done you guys have not looked at the tender ... when does it show ... well it shows that guy instead of reducing the river's River and it's actually gone up up ... as you will recall up for the Obama famously issued executive order thirteen five sixty three ... whose job was to ... get rid of redundant or irrelevant or overlapping ... regulations and ... the promise was that by looking back agencies would get rid of ... these old regulations that weren't crossing our economy costing us ... growth in jobs and we have a much more ... nimble reversed a just just doesn't work out that way ... a slide upon the screen it to put some numbers on this ... I've ten point three billion hours of paperwork EIA last year ... as a seventeen percent increase from twenty cents ... and also ... ten forty two billion dollars in new net costs ... since twenty ten that I think that what is this mean for companies with is it mean for economic growth ... regulations are essentially taxes on the private sector and the skies and ... they impose on three kinds of costs number one ... they had their direct costs of complying at the higher compliance officers to ... pay them number two it takes time for ordinary workers to fill out paperwork and ... distraction from the jobs and ... the third thing it does is distort the economy you're ... not doing things that are more heavily regulated and favorite things are lightly regulated ... all of that ... harms the economy and ... much a heavy taxes will harm growth and jobs ... we're seeing that this vast expansion of the sorry state ... led by the formal care Act the about section easy in the Dodd Frank Act ... really have a big impact on economic growth ... Intel Sun steamy was the former head of Islandia N C agency in charge of looking at ... I in these regulations he left the administration a little more than a year ago I think ... I inside it didn't didn't do anything can we give him at least any credit here ... or is this is Ben the ... red tape nation from the start of the Obama presidency ... well I think the CAS s team in good faith effort in this case in particular to ... instill ... an ethic of looking back the old regulations and ... and reviewing them on four point two things happened on number one ... when they look back at all regulations instead of ... Lorne costly revises relations the costs on top of ten point two billion dollars ... in additional compliance costs and ... that's not a victory ... on the second is the ethic didn't stand up while there was a lot of activity surrounding this executive order ... I've that was three years ago ... two years ago there were two rules The reads and ... and this year so far they're going on so ... the notion that you should really review what you're doing to the private sector get rid of ... unnecessary regulations ... that is not in the ministrations DNA ... we are red tape is so in our study till late inning get worse from here ... I think so what we really need ... ah some sort of fundamental ... legislation in or or oversight put in place which ... forces all regulations to face costs of scrutiny and sunset if necessary ... it's not happening ... we just adding on more more and ... they're still young ... hundreds of Dodd Frank rules right ... they're still hundreds of the portal care Act was right ... and on the new station has promised to use ... its executive authority instead of going to the Congress ... that's all bad news for regulation point view and not to mention all the bureaucrats and lawyers employed to write those rules and being paid with taxpayer money ... sista gets to purchase again ... American Action pizzeria like ... American Action Forum President Douglas Holtz Eakin ... thank you so much for joining us thanks


text:
Retired US Air Force officer to speak on counter-terrorism
Guermantes Lailari's visit to 'The War on Global Terrorism' class open to campusA retired United States Air Force officer will speak on campus about counter-terrorism and the use of an airplane as a weapon.
Lt. Col. Guermantes Lailari will visit Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation Jytte Klausen's "The War on Global Terrorism" class on March 12, from 2 to 3:20 p.m. It will be held in the Mandel Center for Humanities, in room G03, and is open to the public.
Lailari is a systems engineering and technical assistance defense contractor specializing in the provision of support for research and development in irregular warfare. He'll speak on counter-terrorism and technology, with a special focus on hijackings and the use of an airplane as a weapon.
He served for nine years in the Middle East and North Africa and for six in Europe. Lailari has directed training and courses at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School and served as the U.S Air Force attaché in the Middle East.
Lailari has advanced degrees in international relations and strategic intelligence, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in public policy at George Mason University. He has written on modeling of terrorism and counter-terrorism and on the Israeli-Hezbollah War, and has contributed to "Influence Warfare: How Terrorists and Governments Fight to Shape Perceptions in a War of Ideas (Praeger 2009)" and "Hybrid Warfare and Transitional Threats (CENSA 2011)."
Return to the BrandeisNOW homepage
Categories: Humanities and Social Sciences, International Affairs


text:
The Basics of Vector Analysis Part 1
The Basics of Vector Analysis Part 3
The Basics of Vector Analysis Part 4
Last month, we clarified the definition of a vector and showed you how vectors are added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided. This month, we'll see how to use vectors in defining a complex circuit with resistance and inductive reactance to determine the total current of that circuit.
Some electrical devices, such as motors, present a combination of resistance and inductance to current flow through them. Other devices, such as resistance heaters, are almost all resistance. In many cases, it's common to find a pure resistance load in parallel with another load made up of resistance and inductance in series. Or, a capacitance might be connected in parallel with a load made up of resistance and inductance in series. Called ¡°complex circuits,¡± these circuits are actually combinations of series and parallel circuits.
A basic complex circuit would be a 120V branch circuit supplying an incandescent lamp and a motor, with the loads connected in parallel. The lamp load is pure resistance while the motor load is actually a series connection of the resistance and inductance of the motor coil windings. Figure 1 shows a schematic of this circuit.
Current flow through resistance, inductance
In AC circuits, the waveform character of current, relative to voltage, is very important. Depending on the type of load, differing phase relationships will exist between current and load voltage.
When AC voltage is applied to a circuit containing resistance only, the resulting current waveform is produced by the voltage waveform. In such a circuit, the current and voltage waves pass through their zero values and increase to their maximum values in the same direction and at the same time. They are said to be ¡°in phase.¡± This is because the current encounters no opposing electromotive force (EMF).
However, in circuits that contain opposition to current flow other than resistance, such as magnetic coils and motors, the current and voltage waves do not go through their zero and maximum values at the same time. Instead, there is a fixed time interval between their respective zero and maximum values. In this case, the current is said to be ¡°out of phase¡± with the voltage. This is also true for current flow through an inductance because a magnetic field is set up around the coil, inducing an opposite EMF in it and causing the circuit current to lag behind the circuit impressed voltage.
Now, depending on the particular conditions of a circuit, a current may lead or lag the voltage by any value up to ¨ù cycle, or 90¡Æ. We commonly express this phase difference in electrical degrees and call it the ¡°phase angle¡± of the circuit. We also commonly use the Greek letter theta (¥È) to designate it.
Let's see how this angle enters into the vector analysis of a complex circuit later on in the article.
Vector analysis of lamp circuit
Referring back to our basic complex circuit, as shown in Fig. 1, let's begin the vector analysis by constructing a vector diagram for each load. Remember that we're using boldface type to designate vectors.
Looking at Fig. 1, we can see that the incandescent lamp portion of the circuit has current I1 flowing through resistance R1. As previously stated, this current is in phase with the circuit voltage (E). In other words, phase angle ¥È is equal to zero. So, the current vector I1 and voltage vector E are somewhat superimposed on each other, with the magnitude of E being larger than that of I1 (Fig. 2 on page C12).
Vector analysis of motor
In the motor portion of the complex circuit shown in Fig. 1, current IR flowing through resistance R2 is in phase with the circuit voltage. Therefore, vector IR will be superimposed on vector E. As is the case with current flowing through an inductance, the current IL will be 90¡Æ out of phase with the voltage. Therefore, vector IL will be 90¡Æ from IR. By adding IL and IR, we get vector I2, which is the total current flowing through the motor.
Note that this current lags the circuit voltage by angle ¥È1, so the angle between I2 and IR is also ¥È1 (Fig. 3).
Vector analysis of complex circuit
By referring back to Part 1 in the August 2008 issue and using the parallelogram method to add the resulting vectors of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the result, as shown in Fig. 4, is the vector diagram of our basic complex circuit. Here, vector I, which represents the total current of our complex circuit, is the resultant of vectors I2 and I1. This current will lag the voltage E by an angle ¥È2, which is the angle between I and E.
Next month in Part 3, we'll see how you can use vector analysis to calculate neutral currents in 3-phase, 4-wire circuits.


text: This bit was supposed to start off by focusing on a brand-new model from Porsche: a two-door SUV based on the Audi Q5 and called the Cajun. Seriously. But the ragin' Cajun might just have been strangled at birth. And we know who did it. His name is Matthias Müller (on the right of the picture) and he's the new CEO at Weissach after all that "Porsche buying VW then VW buying Porsche" nastiness. He has put a hold on new product while the company works out what it wants to do with its life. Or in business terms, conduct a review of its portfolio to determine the viability of its range. As far as we know, the 911 and Boxster are safe, but no Cajun quite yet or 356 Speedster, an open-top two-seater (with a VW-sourced 2.0-liter turbo) set to slot beneath the Boxster. And there were rumors a while back of a GTI-type of Porsche; now it's just a drawing on the cover of an old car magazine. Oddly enough, Müller is the guy who declared recently that Porsche could afford to run its own Formula One team. Wonder how long he's going to keep this job?


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - [img] Robert the Bruce Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Gallery/Finished Work View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "[img] Robert the Bruce" AkolytememberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 722Location: NY/RSAD Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2001 7:01 pm My first painted attempt on my wacom. Is it too sketchy? I am having a hard time refining a pic without blurring it all up. Please Crit...but don't kill it/me ------------------ Every man dies, but not every man really lives. [This message has been edited by Akolyte (edited January 02, 2001).] Back to top OpticalmemberMember #Joined: 26 Oct 1999Posts: 331Location: Edmonton, Alberta , Canada Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2001 7:02 pm sweet pic *cough* ------------------ http://www.eccentrix.com/artist/0ptical "Bye bye Lets get high and ride Oh, how do we do these niggas But I'm not gonna cry I'm a Bad Boy killa Jay-Z die too Looking out for Mobb Deep Nigga when I find you Weak mutha-fuckas don't deserve to breathe How many niggas down to die for me yea yea" - Makaveli "Got my money in my pocket, finger on the trigger and I ain't taking no shit from no niggaz" -2pac Back to top AkolytememberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 722Location: NY/RSAD Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2001 7:34 pm cough? does it suck that bad? lol Back to top BlitzmemberMember #Joined: 04 Oct 2000Posts: 752Location: Sedro-Woolley, WA Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2001 8:18 pm Very nice I like the subject matter..Braveheart is my fav movie I think you could work on the eyes a bit. Make them a little more detailed. I duno Blitz Back to top Matt EldermemberMember #Joined: 15 Jan 2000Posts: 641Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2001 1:16 am I really like the image although the eyes struck me first up. They appear to be too large with the head too big (maybe if you could post the source imagae that would be good). The guy looks like he has a huge forehead, a 'ring' sitting on top of that and then some hair, it just looks to high. The rest looks pretty good and the background works well not being in focus. ------------------ See ya on da flip side Matt http://www.mattelder.com Back to top A.ButtlememberMember #Joined: 20 Mar 2000Posts: 1724 Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2001 1:45 pm Get thee to Elfwood! ------------------ Larry Flint's right! You guys suck! Joe Dillingham email@example.com Three Times A Day Back to top AlieNjunior memberMember #Joined: 28 Sep 2000Posts: 40Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2001 12:17 am the chainmail is amazing - how did you do it? the eyes and the moustache don't fall along the same parallel line, and the eyes seem too wide and too wide apart (which is what I think other people were commenting on) try to spend more time sketching before you get started, and you won't get little problems like this proportion & perspective one Back to top DivesmemberMember #Joined: 22 Sep 2000Posts: 392Location: Finland Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2001 7:34 am Really cool. If you sharpen it up a bit and add some more detail it would really rock. Back to top marc_taromemberMember #Joined: 27 Sep 2000Posts: 128Location: Boston Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2001 11:27 am Very good for early work with wacom. I think you should try to work from larger shapes down to smaller ones, and do less fiddling with small brushes. It will make the picture stronger, and the work go faster. marc Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Gallery/Finished Work All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


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SAN DIEGO — There have been few bright spots recently, but Gants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong provided one on Thursday. He threw 30 pitches, all fastballs, during his first bullpen session since pinkie surgery.
"Felt good. Hand is good, arm is good," Vogelsong said. "I've just got to get some timing back."
Vogelsong still has a little swelling on the side of his hand, but he said it doesn't bother him and probably won't fully go away until the offseason. He's on the comeback trail, but he's not sure when he'll be back in a game. For now, he'll keep taking small steps like this, hoping that he can make a difference before it's too late.
"I wish I could get back out there tomorrow," Vogelsong said. "But at the same time, you've got to be smart and do what they need me to do. This game is hard enough to play when you're healthy, let along when you don't feel right."
The Giants discovered years ago that Cain, like many pitchers, has some bone chips floating around in that pitching elbow. Asked if they were still there, Bochy said "I'm sure he does (still have them), but it hasn't affected him as far as I know. He's fine."
Like they did when Cain was shelled in St. Louis, the Giants took a close look at Wednesday's start.
"He had trouble with his slider, getting it over where he wanted," Bochy said. "From my perspective, he just came off a start where he worked pretty hard. Now you're back out there and you walked some guys. I didn't want to take any chances."


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Episode 686. Today, Pat and I welcome some small business owners to tell us all about their products! Frank, with The Chicken Fountain, and Dawn, with Treats for Chickens! Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer® is a nationally broadcast radio show all about keeping backyard poultry, show poultry, and living a self-sufficiant lifestyle. Each week, the Chicken Whisperer®, author of, The Chicken Whisperer's Guide To Keeping Chickens, and his co-host, Pat Foreman, author of City Chicks, welcome special guests, and experts in their field from around the country to talk about backyard poultry, show poultry, and living a self-sufficiant lifestyle. Special guests include Peter Brown, aka The Chicken Doctor, Poultry Scientist, Dr. Brigid McCrea, Ph.D, Jeannette Beranger, with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Christine Heinrichs, with the Society for Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, Publisher of Back Home Magazine, Richard Freudenberger, Arlena Schott, founder of Garden Wise Living, Andrew Odom, founder of TinyRevolution.us, The Heritage Chef, Steve Pope, as well as FFA members, 4-H members, poultry club members, and the who's who in the backyard poultry, show poultry, and self-sufficiant lifestyle industries. The Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer® radio show has given away more chicken coops, and chicken related prizes than anyone else on the planet! Every Friday is Fun Friday, and many cool prizes are given away from our sponsors.
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The best project managers (PMs) in the business are certainly a multi-talented bunch, possessing many of the same inherent personality traits that make them such sticklers for detail. Whether it's financial, interpersonal, or technical expertise — or the ability to constantly juggle multiple projects and their prospective deadlines — it's not enough to have these natural skills. It's knowing when to apply the right one at the right time that separates the good PMs from the great ones.
But even the best PMs have found themselves in a tough spot when senior management reprioritizes goals, without realizing they've compromised the success of the entire project. An example of this might be when a contractor relies on its project management staff to also act as estimators. Estimating a project and managing a project are contrasted in two ways: 1) completing an estimate is a short-term process requiring the estimator's undivided attention with a very well-defined deadline; and 2) estimating a project involves potential risk, whereas managing a project involves real risk. When project managers are required to estimate a project, they're forced to focus on the details of the estimate at the potential expense of their other projects already under contract.
Because scenarios like this one will inevitably arise, senior management should be tuned in to the stage of each project under contract — not force a PM to jeopardize the quality of an ongoing project for the sake of a potential one. To deliver a successful and profitable job on time and on budget, PMs must take a proactive approach. How do they accomplish this task? By maximizing performance in several key areas.
Project finances. The PM's goal on the financial front is to view each of his projects as a separate profit center, subordinate to the greater goals of his employer. In other words, each project must stand on its own merit when it comes to financial success and contribution to the company's overall bottom line. Because construction projects are typically long-term endeavors, it's important that an accurate degree of success be predicted as early in the project as possible. By relying on an updated construction schedule and honest periodic reporting on various aspects of the job's status, confidence in the eventual outcome can be developed and measured throughout its duration.
Most contractors have had one or more projects in which profit margins are misstated (usually overstated). This usually starts as a minor problem, but as progress continues on the project things mysteriously deteriorate. No one likes being the messenger of bad news, but the first step in overcoming a potential loss is recognizing a problematic project. Most poorly performing projects can be attributed to a poorly quantified estimate, insufficient field staffing levels, poor project administration, design oversights/deficiencies, unqualified/inexperienced general contractors, undocumented change orders, etc., or any combination of the above. Identifying the underlying causes as early as possible in the process provides more time to develop offsetting plans and to react to areas of weakness.
In general, senior management at a construction company will track the progress of each of its projects individually by means of a periodic work-in-progress (WIP) report. While development of the WIP report is typically the responsibility of someone in the company's accounting department, responsibility for the accuracy of the WIP report resides with the PM. He or she is the one individual with the knowledge and understanding of the project to accurately predict its ultimate success or failure.
For this method to be successful, however, the accounting department must be willing to share all job cost data with the PM. Due to the proprietary nature of the information, many contractors are hesitant to share true job cost data with their PMs out of a misguided notion that the information will be used by the PM to demand greater levels of compensation or bonuses. When approached from this perspective, the contractor has laid a foundation of mistrust that hamstrings the efforts of the PM and limits the success of the project.
With the introduction of sophisticated accounting software tailored to the needs of the construction industry, job cost reports are easily generated for use in creating and updating the periodic WIP report. At a minimum, this sharing of data should include actual costs, plus committed costs, relative to a budget established at the start of the project. With this data in hand and a thorough understanding of the work already completed, the PM can then establish a percent complete figure for the project, and make an accurate assessment of the cost to complete the remaining work.
The nature of construction and the billing process make it difficult to start a project from a positive cash position. As a result, every PM should strive to make the project cash positive as quickly as possible. Structuring the schedule of values such that up-front costs are identified and captured early in the billing process will help to achieve this goal. For example, although owners and general contractors won't approve of "front loading" a project, mobilization is one up-front cost that should definitely be reflected in your schedule of values. Additionally, many times equipment orders require advance payments based on a percentage of the total cost of the order at the time it's released for fabrication even though most owners and architects want to see proof of delivery before they'll allow the contractor to add such costs to an application for payment. An astute PM will anticipate this requirement and communicate it to the appropriate parties when the schedule of values is submitted for approval.
Fig. 1 above and Fig. 2 on page C26 illustrate the relationship between cumulative costs, cumulative receipts (invoices), and the value of each monthly invoice for a $1 million dollar project with an 18% margin. The point at which the cumulative receipts (red line) crosses or equals cumulative costs (blue line) is the point at which the project becomes cash positive. Fig. 1 depicts a well-crafted construction and billing schedule while Fig. 2 reflects a poorly constructed schedule of values and the resulting delay in the point at which the project becomes cash positive. The longer it takes you to get into a positive cash position, the more time you'll be required to finance the cost of the work.
As stated earlier, most industry-specific accounting software on the market today incorporates tools for creating reports that measure project costs against project receipts. A simple spreadsheet that's updated at regular time intervals with cumulative costs and receipts can accomplish the same result. Because costs can only be added to an application for payment as they're incurred it's important that vendor invoices be monitored closely. Major purchase orders can sink a project's cash position if a vendor invoice is paid and not added to the application for payment as quickly as possible. Communicating with the vendor and your accounts payable department is critical to ensuring this doesn't happen.
Communications. Effective communication with the field, via the project foreman, is a critical practice in project management. The PM must be able to accurately convey the goals of the project to the company's foreman as well as all other team members associated with the project. Doing so in a timely manner allows the foreman to procure the proper tools, manpower, and materials to accomplish the job tasks as efficiently as possible. A good rule of thumb is for the communicator to ensure all parties clearly understand instructions no matter how simple. Poor communication can create unwanted delays and add unnecessarily to expenses on the best of projects.
Most commercial construction projects have weekly job progress meetings that are held by the general contractor. These meetings usually involve all of the various trades working on the project and provide an opportunity for the project manager to resolve conflicts during the construction phase of the project. Prior to the meeting is the time the foreman should be speaking to the PM, communicating the issues since the last meeting that have not been resolved. After the meeting, it's the PM's turn to communicate to the foreman, letting him know how certain issues are to be resolved.
If someone other than the PM estimates a project, it's crucial that the PM completely understand the perspective from which the estimator originally quantified the costs for the project. One proven approach that works well is to bring together the PM, estimator, and foreman early on to evaluate various stages of a project.
A PM must also be able to effectively interact with representatives from other trades involved in the construction process. Many of these individuals will have goals that most likely compete or conflict with those of the PM and/or contractor he represents. Understanding how the electrical work fits into the greater design of the building and then effectively communicating that understanding to other contractors, architects, engineers, and the owner is a fundamental part of an effective PM's job. This requires him to document all verbal and written agreements and share written records with all those affected by changes made throughout the construction process.
One specific example of this might be where an agreement with another mechanical trade has been achieved to resolve a spatial conflict that exists above a ceiling. If the PM fails to share this agreement with the electrical foreman it will go unresolved in his mind. He may reach a point where he works around the conflict in an effort to maintain progress and the schedule. Because the agreement was not communicated to the foreman, time was spent unnecessarily — and credibility and good will may have been lost with the other trades.
Technical acumen. Because construction of a building is a coordinated effort among many different trades, the PM needs to have a thorough understanding of not only the electrical work on the project but also any outside factors affecting its installation. For example, he should have a basic understanding of how the mechanical and plumbing systems within a building are installed and operate.
The knowledge of codes and regulations is another key responsibility of a good PM. Many states and local authorities having jurisdiction have put in place their own guidelines, which many times differ somewhat from national standards. Most of these codes undergo periodic review and change. Therefore, it's essential for the PM to stay current with these updates and account for them when sequencing activities in the development of a schedule, ordering and staging materials, and estimating change orders. If the PM is unaware of the code requirements on a particular project, it's possible that costly re-work will be required. The PM must not rely on the foreman to catch these items, as this creates a reversal of the PM/foreman relationship and leads to limited efficiency of the work tasks. The most common occurrence here is when the PM estimates a change order (possibly based on sketchy and incomplete information from the architect/engineer) and fails to understand completely the code issues involved with the work being changed. When the PM fails to account for the requirements of the code and the foreman installs it in accordance with the code, the end result is a negative effect on profitability.
Additionally, many (if not all) professional liability insurance companies exclude means and methods of installation from the policies purchased by the engineers of record for the various engineering disciplines associated with a building project. In the unfortunate event of litigation resulting from failure of a designed and installed system, legal counsel for the engineer responsible for the design will attempt to prove the failure was a result of the installation and not the design. Based on this fact, many engineers are hesitant to provide specific direction on how a system should be installed or the methods employed to install it. A PM with a strong technical aptitude will be able to work closely with the foreman to identify and develop methods of installation that do not compromise the original design.
Scheduling. More and more project specifications now require a subcontractor to prepare some sort of schedule prior to the start of work that's consistent with the general contractor's schedule. The PM must not only have the skills necessary to evaluate and develop a workable construction schedule based on the chronology laid out by the general contractor, but also to periodically update it to avoid areas of conflict before they occur.
Being skilled in the use of scheduling software packages allows the PM to clearly indicate how individual project activities logically tie to other activities on the project. An organized and updated construction schedule is critical on fast-track projects or contracts with liquidated damage clauses. The best scheduling software allows the PM to plan the work logically, show the critical path and show progress for each task through periodic updates.
A recently updated and current schedule also provides the PM with accurate information for determining percent-complete and cost-to-complete reports, both of which are essential when preparing data for the WIP report.
Armed with job cost data and an accurately structured and updated construction schedule, assessments can be made on the project's pending success. By simply dividing the hours used by the hours budgeted, and then comparing the percent of hours used to the percent complete shown on the updated schedule, the PM can instantly evaluate whether he's ahead of or behind his overall labor budget.
Successful PMs always look for opportunities to enhance their skills. Natural development of these skills will come with experience; however, formal training is available through university extension courses, and industry related organizations. A commitment to invest in this training by senior management will lead to better project administration, a more qualified project management team, increased profit margins, and the potential for seeking work in previously unexplored markets.
Englert is manager, commercial D/B services, with Industrial Electrical Engineers, Inc., in Elgin, Ill.


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|2009-09-08, 03:48
|Link #485
♪~ Daydreaming ~♪
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Italy
Happy Birthday, Klash-kun!
Jokes aside, I sure would have preferred to turn 23 as well today. Hey Klash, mind if I give you 3 of my years so we get even?
|2009-09-10, 11:47
|Link #487
阿賀野型3番艦、矢矧 Lv168
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Belgium, Brussels
Age: 32
For that reason, it is kinda funny how I'm instead using a bloody brutal red "sword" (it seems some members were actually likening my staunch modding actions with Beato's methods )
I'm sure it was another of Monir's conspiration and plotting for this kind of happening!
For those who were wondering, I was completely busy with umineko sub-forum, umineko patches, exams (succeeded, so engaging my last year in nursing)... And now this .
Well, for those who are wondering, no I didn't drop this little hobby.
Now that I have "much" more time, hopefully I will have the motivation for signatures (it has been like 2-3 months I'm postponing Dan's request... urgh...).
|2009-12-21, 06:59
|Link #488
♪♫The Winged Flame Haze♫♪
:3 please and thank you [if no one's using it of course]
|2010-09-03, 15:36
|Link #489
阿賀野型3番艦、矢矧 Lv168
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Belgium, Brussels
Age: 32
2010 was probably the worst year for me regarding my free time, considering I had to deal with my studies, but also a lot of things (mainly Umineko patch sucking so much time it isn't even funny).
So in the end, that "break" became as long as... a full year and even more. That said, I didn't discard sig making hobby at all, so I pulled myself a bit here (and because of a "certain" person, he shall recognize himself).
For my "return", I tried something totally different from what I've done so far, and "that person" provided me an unusual picture:
original picture: Rusalka Schwägerin from Dies Irae
Due to Dies Irae's mood and storyline, it wasn't too hard to imagine a color pattern and a "mood", with a thick "emanating" aura.
However, things are a bit hard for me because the pose itself is... not really what you can exploit best with my usual sizes (no, I really can't imagine myself making any signature bigger than 120 pxl height anymore... looking back to my very first signatures give me goosebumps).
So I could only have a "focus" on a specific area, or trying to have a compromise to have the "most" of that picture:
The "full face" wasn't any good in the end: you have a very obvious "dead space" on the left. Furthermore, the arm itself became "secondary", thus the mood itself didn't put a good importance on the whole "length" of the signature but rather everything on the right.
Afterwards, it was also a matter of idea: I was thinking of some "orb" of magic, but then switched to the idea of a accumulated "mass" of swirling lightning bolts. And the more I was going with that idea, the more I became satisfied with the "crop" ratio of the face, leaving that "grin", yet leaving the expression unknown. Result with a lot of hue fun:
The text is from the real Dies Irae, the first verse in latin:
"The day of wrath! That day will dissolve the world in ashes".
That was yesterday. but now, there was something I wanted to finish, but alas, my free time AND inspiration were sunking for a... whole year. Thus, I've put a request for a bit more than a year, which doesn't stick well with me: no matter the request, I believe it is my responsibility to finish it once I accept it. So "better than later" even if it is debatable how long it took me.
In the end, I guess the dies irae signature ignited me my old habits enough.
Urgh... so long, but it doesn't seem I've lost "too much" of my "skills" after a year. I can say that after 6 months, another obstacle prevented me to jump on this hobby back: the obvious fear of sucking even more after so much time so heh.
Anyway, "back to business" I guess... and a good opportunity to update this thread (good lord, so many embarassing and shameful comments I've put in there...)
|2010-09-08, 06:52
|Link #497
♪~ Daydreaming ~♪
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Italy
So it's that time of the year, here's the double mod birthday combo once again.
Joyeux Anniversaire!
|2010-09-08, 11:57
|Link #498
Anxious bookseller
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Shibuya Psychic Research
Happy Bday Klash
|2010-09-09, 17:35
|Link #500
阿賀野型3番艦、矢矧 Lv168
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Belgium, Brussels
Age: 32
Thanks everyone (I'm sort of lazy, so a single answer for all posts, including visitor messages etc ).
Just to answer 2 peculiar points:
Last edited by Klashikari; 2010-09-09 at 18:24.
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Introducing H-Wood's Next Female Comedic Duo
Partners in crime, Tommee May and Liz Iacuzzi, take inspiration from their Los Angeles dating horror stories to create episodes for their web-series, The One 'N Done. Based (quite loosely) on real-life dating traumas, the web series follows two best friends, each in search of "the one" who can't seem to make it past one date. Each episode follows one train wreck first date after the next. Using the gift of exaggeration and shock-value, every three-to-five minute episode will leave you in hysterics, unsure whether you want to cry for them or cheer them on. And with the gift of it being a series made for the web, the women give themselves the license to "go there." Which they definitely do. (See Episode 2: http://www.theonendone.com/) It's fun, it's funny, it's women making fun of themselves. These girls have found a fantastic outlet to release and explore the madness of dating in Los Angeles, California, the adult playground of America.
Behind the scenes, Season 1:
Jamie (above left, played by Ms. May) surprises her boyfriend with an anniversary gift [she thought] he always wanted in Episode 1, "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!" (http:// theonendone.com/Episode_1.html)
Alex (above right, played by Ms. Iacuzzi) gives her date a alternative kind of lap dance in Episode 6, "The Art of Seduction." (http://theonendone.com/Episode_6.html)
Will they ever find love??
Or will Jamie and Alex be alone, together, forever? You can catch episodes of the entire first season RIGHT NOW: (www.TheOneNDone.com) Cautionary note: Not all content is appropriate for work or around children. Laugh at your own risk.
"I would totally date these girls." - Nobody Created by Liz Iacuzzi and Tommee May www.TheOneNDone.com


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Motel 6 Winter Haven hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Motel 6 hotel rooms in Winter Haven, FL for your group or personal travels. We list the best Motel 6 Winter Haven venues so you can review the Winter Haven Motel 6 hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our site will also provide discounted Winter Haven, FL hotels/motels that have similar star rating to Motel 6.Need 5+ Rooms? Lock in a group rate for Winter Haven FL
How should we direct your call?


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Petr Mrazek makes 26 saves in NHL debut to lead Red Wings past Blues 5-1NHL.com @NHLdotcom
ST. LOUIS - Petr Mrazek made 26 saves in his NHL debut, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
Detroit halted a two-game skid with its second win in three tries against St. Louis this season.
The Blues, who beat Detroit 6-0 on Jan. 19, dropped their third in a row. They have lost three successive games in regulation for the first time since Feb. 27 to March 5, 2011.
Daniel Cleary and Jakub Kindl scored first-period goals for the Red Wings, who beat St. Louis 5-3 in Detroit on Friday. Cory Emmerton and Damien Brunner added second-period goals 91 seconds apart.
Mrazek, recalled from Grand Rapids on Monday, stopped the first 14 shots he faced. Jimmy Howard, the team's No. 1 goalie, was given the night off after starting the first nine games of the season.


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Tips on Selecting Kitchen Cabinet Knobs
Whether you're refinishing your cabinet doors or planning to build custom cabinets from scratch, at some point you have to choose new knobs and pulls for the doors and drawers you're installing. The hardware you put on the front of your cabinets is arguably the most striking element of the whole design, so it should be chosen carefully. Before you get started, be sure you've chosen fixtures that perfectly express your sense of style and complement you existing kitchen cabinetry.


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All over the news in Chicago!
Posted 10 June 2007 - 06:09 AM
The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways--I to die and you to live. Which is the better, only God knows. - Socrates I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing. . - SocratesEnergy Hot SpotsEnergy Hot Spots New EnglandEnergyhotspots DemonicologyLet the house of Israel say / His mercy endures forever Let the house of Aaron say / His mercy endures foreverLet those who fear the lord say / His mercy endures forever
Posted 10 June 2007 - 12:46 PM
Posted 14 June 2007 - 05:49 PM
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A Victorian Liberal candidate who resigned over a series of crude and homophobic tweets has apologised, but claims some of the social media posts were taken out of context.
Aaron Lane, the endorsed Liberal candidate for the upper house seat of Western Region in the upcoming November 29 state election, resigned on Friday after the tweets came to light.
Mr Lane apologised for the "inappropriate and offensive tweets" posted more than two years ago on a private account.
"I really regret the fact these tweets were there, I regret the offence. I'm deeply embarrassed by it. I'm ashamed of it," Mr Lane told ABC radio.
"I think we've all said things that on reflection we wish we hadn't.
"The problem that's befallen me today is that some of these tweets have been stripped of all context."
He said he resigned because he didn't want the scandal "hanging around the neck of the government".
Mr Lane withdrew his candidacy for the election before a meeting of the Liberal Party's administrative committee to discuss his future on Friday afternoon.
Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach said while Mr Lane had apologised unreservedly for the comments, the party believed it was important to send a strong message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
"The Liberal Party acknowledges that the comments made by Mr Lane on social media are hurtful to many people and are entirely unacceptable," Mr Mantach said in a statement.
Premier Denis Napthine also slammed the tweets just hours before Mr Lane's resignation.
"There is no place in my team or in the coalition team for this sort of behaviour and these sort of comments," he told reporters.
Some of the posts published in the media use the term "faggots" and one states "The problem is (IMO) many homos make their sexuality a defining aspect of their being".
In one post he refers to former Labor leader Simon Crean as "a giant C".
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the views were offensive and wrong.
"There is no place for this sort of bigotry and hatred in the Victorian parliament or anywhere in our state," he said.


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Today on my bike ride home from work, I was coming down a hill, at a higher rater speed then I should have been for the conditions of the road. The road was wet, as I rounded the bend I see a truck, so I figured I should slow down, the good thing was that the guy driving the truck also saw me and was also slowing down also. But unfortunately my bike went out from under me. I slide about 3 yards on my right side. I did not take much damage; my hand had a bit of a cut on it, a few cuts on my leg, and a bit of soreness on my right hip. But the most damage I believe was done to my pride. When I got up, I moved the bike out of the way so the truck can go on his way. One on looker asked if I was ok, and so did the driver, so that was good. But I find it more funny now that I look back on it.
He slides, he's safe
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Three words "pay to win" If you are going to charge the full $60 for a game, then do not make it pay to win, if you want to have it pay to win, make the game free. I also detest micro-transactions, and don't do them, but to make a game pay to win (as[…]
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It has been a long while since I've posted here – I'm definitely due to get a few things off my chest. My life changed quite a bit in the last few months as I decided to go back to work part-time after staying home full-time with my children for 7 years. I was actually quite excited about the prospect of being able to use my crazy race-car brain in more structured ways, but I am still struggling with the guilt I feel not being there everyday with my youngest.
This evening I exploded. Am I impulsive? Maybe. Is my oldest child exactly like me? definitely yes. I was helping my oldest brush teeth and one thing led to another and the next thing I know, we're screaming at each other. I try and I try and I try SOOO hard to remain calm even when my child is pushing all limits and screaming at me. But, I can't always contain myself. I usually do. But tonight I just lost it. I really hate those moments. Those are the times when I get so down about having ADD. I feel as though my disorder is going to cause my children more pain in the future because I couldn't be the kind of mother that I would have been without ADD. I hate it, I really, really hate it when the impulsivity takes over and I lose my cool. Are all of us ADD'ers just looking for the next Dopamine hit? What am i teaching them? I carry a lot of guilt. I certainly hope that my children do not have to go through years of therapy because I was their mother.
Yet, on the other hand, strangely enough I think I am a better mom than I was before my diagnosis. There were many more days of yelling and screaming then. My self-esteem was at an all-time low because I kept mentally beating myself up with "what is wrong with me… why am I not like other moms? Why won't my child listen to me" … I wanted to control everything. I'm sure I thought, as I probably did for years, that if things looked good on the outside or to outsiders, then it made me feel better about my own personal shame of not being perfect in society's eyes.
I could go on and on. but I will stop there for now.


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Being an Orange County Wedding Photographer. I had to started my day off early to make it up the beautiful mountain side to the Lake Arrowhead Resort. Jana and Justin wanted a snowy white wedding and that is exactly what they got. While waiting for the Bride to appear, tiny snow flakes started falling from the sky on family and friends.
This is one of my favorite shots.....
The First Dance.
I finished shooting Jana and Justin's wedding and rushed to my car to put on chains because the snow was really started to fall.....and barely made it down the mountain before they closed all the roads..... Jana told me later that 60 minutes after I left they closed all the roads leading down the mountain and all the hotels were booked up.....needless to say they had a very romantic evening in their Honeymoon suite with 15 other guests spending the night in their room.... Thanks again Jana and Justin for trusting me with your White Wedding.
All images were taken by Darnall Photography.


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What Kenneth Bae Will Face in North Korean Prison
A U.S. citizen has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for unspecified "hostile acts" against North Korea. The WSJ's Alistair Gale tells us what this may mean for already-strained relations between Washington and Pyongyang. (Photo: AP)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... I just announced attained I can say this anti Bain has been sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor in a prison camp ... I'm Deborah con joining me now is sold beer chief Alastair Gale ... a Alison to we know anymore about the reasons on the Heinz ... his arrest ... will North Korea said today is that the midst of a has been sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor for quote on quote hostile acts against North Korea ... so the Humvee in a more specific than they were last week when they said he was seeking to overthrow the government ... um ... activists here in Seoul say the ... midst of a recent receiving humanitarian issues ... and what may have run gotten into trouble with some images from a hard driving out ... of homeless people Korean children so are ... the North Korea wasn't something like ... we've ever known ... I'm doing now and I mean he may have made him a tour operator aam ... to we know if he was out of the mentor at that time and and we are exactly he was when he was detained inside the country ... yes he's a torrent ... of great series based on the in the Chinese border area he regularly ... goes into North Korea ... and he was detained shortly authorizing that in AmeriCorps routes on which is in the final piece of the country ... in November of last year with a small group of underpinned tourists ... so the US the safety of us when he was taken on by the North Korean authorities ... I'm Osterhout and and is a sentencing compared to our past cases of Americans being detained inside North Korea ... it's very similar to two cases the Republican recent years ... into thousandnine there were two female American journalists who were detained by the North pole ... of the same alleged crime of hostile acts ... they were also sentenced to hard labor and Ben ... former presidents of former US President Bill Clinton ... of trouble to Pyongyang and retrieve them ... of any election two thousand and ten was another American ... who was also attained but will switch off with hostile acts against Austria ... on about time um former U S presence in the cost of travel to Pyongyang ... that the reports in the South Korean media have to say that to the cost has expressed interest in going ... back to North Korea ... I when we have come from not but but with seventy fifth approximately seen in recent years ... ok and so far have we heard any official response from the US ... until today no they said but in recent days the sun would cool cool is ... um is this debate to be released on humanitarian grounds ... of a house that is this the Swedish embassy which represents ... US interests in North Korea ... House which houses the test of the day ... of her film of the homes that are nothing more ... so ... than a dozen red if they from camp fourteen we had a glimpse into what goes on inside North Korean prison camp but when they say ... that he's been sentenced to hard labor what exactly does that mean open it means very hard labor such as breaking role so working in a mind so this is something that such endeavors potentially ... could be ... extremely serious and said are you unless you have ... to fiscal health it's of a Cooper goal of progress ... so this is something that really um most of a read on for boys ... um but whether or not we see in another form of present all of us ... in a high ranking US official prior to two Pyongyang to try retrieve them afterward and say ... and cake thanks Fran that's all beer chief Alastair Gale for more on that star a pink added any estate dot com I'm Deborah con


text: USDA's Glauber Sees 9.8 Mil. More Acres Planted in 2011 February 24, 2011 03:31 AM Tweet An additional 9.8 million acres will be planted to crops in 2011, the largest year-over-year increase in planted acreage to the eight major crops in the U.S. since 1996, according to USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber. Here are the acreage levels that Glauber said USDA currently expects: Corn: 92.0 million, up 3.8 million acres Soybeans: 78.0 million, up 0.6 million acres Wheat: 57.0 million acres, up 3.4 million acres Cotton: 12.8 million acres, up 2.9 million acres The level of area planted to the eight major crops at 255 million acres will be the highest total for these crops since 1998, Glauber said. "It will be a real challenge to get to the 10 million acres needed," Glauber said. "Despite increased production of corn and soybeans, grain and oilseed markets are still forecast to be tight due to strong export demand and strong demand for biofuels," Glauber said. "Unless this year's weather is better than normal or plantings increase more than expected, stock levels for corn and soybeans should see only modest rebuilding in 2011/12. This will likely mean continued volatility in those markets." Corn: Despite an anticipated 4 percent increase in planted acreage, the corn market will continue to be tight in 2011/12. Assuming harvested acreage of 84.9 million acres and a trend yield of 161.7 bushels per acre, corn production for 2011/12 is forecast at a record 13.73 billion bushels. Because of this year's smaller carryout, total supply for 2011/12 is estimated at 14.425 billion bushels, an increase of only 250 million bushels over 2010/11 levels. Total corn use is projected at 13.56 billion bushels. Higher exports and higher corn use for ethanol will more than offset an anticipated reduction in feed use. Feed and residual use is anticipated to fall slightly in 2011/12 as high feed costs limit expansion in the pork and poultry sectors and beef feeding declines with tighter feeder cattle supplies. Exports, however, are anticipated to increase to 2 billion bushels as reduced global use of feed quality wheat boosts world corn trade and consumption. With total supply at 14.425 billion bushels and total use at 13.56 billion bushels, ending stocks are projected at 865 million bushels in 2011/12, a modest 190-million bushel increase over the level projected for 2010/11 levels. Stocks-to-use levels will remain tight at 6.4 percent. Corn prices are forecast at a record $5.60 per bushel, $0.20 higher than the mid-point of the range forecast for 2010/11. Higher than trend yields or larger planted area could help rebuild corn stocks, but stock levels are not likely to return to recent levels over the course of one or even two seasons. For example, if 2011/12 yields were to equal the record level of 164.7 bushels per acre achieved in 2009/10, ending stocks would exceed 1.1 billion bushels. And this assumes no increase in use for feeding, ethanol, or exports, an unlikely scenario. Further, assuming this yield and no increase in usage, 2011 planted area would have to increase 8 million acres to return stocks to the 2010/11 level of 1.7 billion bushels. Soybeans: Soybean planted acreage is forecast at 78 million acres due to strong prices and increased double-cropping opportunities compared to last year. Assuming trend yields and harvested acreage of 77.1 million acres, production is estimated at 3.345 billion bushels. With a carryin of 140 million bushels and imports forecast at 15 million bushels, total supplies for 2011/12 are forecast at 3.5 billion bushels, about 5 million bushels more than total supplies for 2010/11. Domestic use is estimated to be 1.765 billion bushels, unchanged from 2010/11. Exports, are forecast at 1.575 billion bushels, and, while down from this year's record 1.59 billion bushels, would be the second largest on record. One out of every four soybean rows planted in the United States is currently exported to China and that is expected to continue in 2011/12 though U.S. exports will face renewed competition from South American exports from Brazil and Argentina. Total use for 2011/12 is estimated to be 3.34 billion bushels, down 15 million bushels from the current year. Ending stocks are estimated to increase by 20 million bushels to 160 million bushels, the highest level of carryout since the 2007/08 marketing year. However, given the increased use since 2007/08, the stocks-to-use ratio is still estimated to be below 5 percent, indicating a tight market. The season average price is forecast to be $13.00 per bushel, a record. Wheat: Despite increased wheat plantings, total wheat production is expected to fall to 2.08 billion bushels in 2011/12. Higher abandonment rates in the southern plains will reduce harvested acreage to levels comparable to last year (47.5 million acres) and a return to trend yields (43.8 bushels per acre) will mean wheat production levels will fall about 6 percent from last year. With a lower carryin this year, total supplies are forecast at 3 billion bushels, down 9 percent from last year. World wheat production is expected to rebound in 2011/12 which will reduce export opportunities. As a result, U.S. wheat exports are forecast at 1.15 billion bushels, down almost 12 percent from this year's 1.3 billion bushels. With domestic food and feed use projected at similar levels to last year, ending stocks are forecast to fall to 663 million bushels. This would mean a stocks-to-use ratio of 28.3 percent, the lowest since 2007/08. The season average farm price is forecast at a record $7.50 per bushel, though prices will likely moderate in the late summer and fall as spring planted crops in the Northern Hemisphere come to market. Livestock: Total U.S. production of meat and poultry is forecast to remain flat in calendar year 2011, with slight growth forecast in supplies of pork and poultry but reduced supplies of beef. Stable production, increased exports and some recovery in domestic demand should help maintain livestock prices near last year's historic highs. For livestock and poultry producers, increasing feed costs will be an important component of producer production decisions in the upcoming year. In January, the price-feed cost ratios for cattle, broilers, hogs and milk, as reported by NASS, were all well below year ago levels. While livestock prices are expected to remain strong and further improvement in milk prices is likely in the months ahead, higher feed costs could lead to below average margins for livestock and dairy producers in 2011. Here's a link to read Glauber's full remarks. Back to news


text:
These days, we now are seemingly always doing "battle" with liberals on various forums and social sites so I wanted anyone reading this, to be better armed. One thing I have not seen clarified in the argument on "gun control" ,
I have addressed below –
"In the hands of the military or police only" – This little phrase is spreading like wildfire in the media and in the Left's agenda to synergize their goal of disarming America. Are they under the impression that our military service men and women come from another planet and are maybe automaton droids that have no emotion or impulse and can "suddenly appear" during an act of crime or murder and save the victims? How about our police personnel, the same?
These human beings are subject to the same freedoms and challenges that the rest of us are. The military and police are our friends, family and neighbors. The argument then leans to "training". Is it not the right and best choice for any man or woman to learn everything that they can to not only survive, but flourish in a free nation?
Training is available to anyone, anytime. And it should be the agenda of the Right to encourage the expansion of weapons training and hand to hand combat for sport and for defense at all costs. Most people that spend time at gun ranges and training events are surrounded not by "militia" or "military personnel", but by average American citizens.
So, the weapons should be in whose hands? All of the possible leverage, in any life or death situation should be with whom, exactly? In what way, is that a good idea? In what strange and distant version of Earth is it a "good idea" to remove powerful weapons from a good and hardworking people? That's just it, right? These acts are not done by a "good and hardworking people" by and large. But good and hardworking people can celebrate their efforts with Freedom.
Punish the many, for the acts of a few? And you liberals are TEACHERS, Doctors and Lawyers? That model doesn't work in ANY scenario. Hence, the ridiculous claim that criminalizing over 140 million + people for their free interest to buy whatever weapons they want will never stop mass murders.
The case for "The Gun Show Loophole", "High Capacity Mags" and "Military Style Assault Rifles" is simply put, here. The events that have enraged the nation and call for change would not have been changed by any ADDITIONAL legislation or Executive Orders:
- The guns used were not purchased at gun shows, by criminals.
- 10 round magazines in an armed theatre, mall or school can be "swapped out" within seconds, allowing the shooter to continue any spree, easily. A ban on "high cap mags" will not prevent truckloads of manure from blowing up Federal buildings, etc.
- "Military Style Assault Rifles" are not accessible to the general public. They require a Class 3 Tax Stamp and extensive registration and background check. They operate at "Full Auto" or "Burst Fire" or are shortened or modified in a series of existing regulations. Not since the early 90's has an individual (American citizen) even so much as brandished one of these weapons in an act of "mass killing".
How many people died during the Spanish Inquisition? How many by "assault rifles"? How many people died during the attacks on 9/11? 9 TERRORISTS SHOULD HAVE, BY THE ARMED PEOPLE ON THE PLANES, no more.
The individual was given rights by God, an outside force, not to ever be confused by government. Even if that individual chooses not to believe in God, the system is still perfect. They are not required to and yet they get the same individual rights as designed into the Declaration of Independence! The argument falls into the Constitution, alone, too often!
The Declaration of Independence clearly shows that the life-blood and purpose of this nation is to support one's initiative and drive to be more and have more, without the hand of tyranny to take it and "re-distribute it".
47% of this nation…I mean 51% (after the election results)...Believes it is better to have a government take care of them, than to have to go out and get their goals accomplished on their own. This would not be quite as worrisome to the free-thinker, if simultaneously they were NOT trying to disarm those of us that make the cogs turn and feed the beast.
"Why do you need that"? – Great question! Why does a soccer player need a ball, "regulation size"? Why do cars NEED to go over a 100 miles per hour? Why, WHY, WHY??? – The free thinking, non-criminal, average American can buy what they want and the entrepreneurs can build and sell what they want. Bigger, louder and more exciting are all adjectives used to describe the average man's inherent "interest" in the things he plays with. All innuendos aside, whether it's a soccer ball, a backyard fire or a firearm –Safety, education and respect to all of it, for what it is, is where we start making change.
Starting a fight, telling someone what kind of shoes they can buy, what kind of car they can drive and what kind of gun they can own is the stupidest possible agitant to support "peace " and a "violence free America".
If the Left would like to discuss change, they can come to the table with detailed plans on changing the messages sent by Hollywood, the video game industry and the prescription drug industry, FIRST. From there we can discuss how SICK PEOPLE can be ensured by law enforcement to be removed from access to deadly objects.
In our arguments and discussions with "open minds", those that might be on the fence and even those with their "heals dug in", it is imperative that we use reason and patience and above all, facts and intelligence. It's an emotional battle that can be won without bloodshed if we keep our cool. Who would come knocking on our doors for the guns? We, the People, will not. "We, the People" are the military and police. Once they bring in the U.N. to our soil, it will be an official act of war on 140 million + American Citizens. At that scale, the relatively small events (With all due respect) that caused it will seem ridiculous.
Keep your powder dry.


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'98 Jeep WranglerPosted in Project Vehicles on January 1, 2002
Most 98 TJs did not roll off of the Toledo Jeep factory floor covered in Chili Pepper Red paint. And most 98 TJs will also never wear a set of 39.5-inch Swampers let alone, custom high-clearance, high-pinion WMS 9-inch axles, but Casey Groth's 98 TJ does. Why? Well as part of the crew at the Wagoner Machine Shop (WMS) in Claremore, Oklahoma, Casey needs a Jeep that can not only help him get around town, but also serves as a play toy on the weekends, and reflects how WMS can modify a Jeep. The result is Casey's Chili Pepper Red 98 TJ that sports some serious tires, and some damn trick axles.
Chassis & Driveline.
In order to retain the reliability of the 4.0L and the automatic transmission Casey left them pretty much alone with the exception of a K&N air filter and an exhaust system from Flowmaster. The NP231 was modified for 2-Lo, and a slip-yoke eliminator was added to allow for the greater driveline angles that are necessary for the lift. A 4:1 low-range was also planted in the transfer case to keep the crawl ratio low enough for driving on the rocks. Both front and rear axle housings were built by WMS. WMS cut the housings as much as possible to provide the most ground clearance without getting in the way of the ring gears. Both axles were then filled with Currie high-pinion 9-inch hog's heads, which were filled with 4.56 gears and Detroit Lockers. The axleshafts are custom units from Moser, with the front axles spinning 297 U-joints and Dana 44 outers.
The frame of the TJ was kept relatively stock with the exception of the suspension mounting points, which were modified for the custom WMS 8-inch long-arm TJ suspension. The lift is achieved with 6-inch Rubicon Express coils, and some trick custom spring brackets that WMS used on the axles. Dampening of the big Swampers is done by a set of adjustable Rancho RS 9000 shocks. To protect the driveline internals from Oklahoma rocks, Casey added a custom WMS skidplate that offers tons of clearance and rock-stopping construction.
Body & Interior.
The Chili Pepper Red paint is unmodified from the factory with the exception of custom scratches care of the bushes and branches that line the Oklahoma stomping grounds of this Wrangler. Casey added a M.O.R.E. rollcage and a Sony CD player to keep the Jeeps occupants safe and happy. A 1-inch body lift was also added to keep the Swampers from mangling the body during compression. To further protect the body, Casey added Currie bumpers, rocker guards, Off Your Rocker corner plates, and a Warn brushguard. Wheels & Tires The 15/39.5x15 TSL Super Swampers are held onto to the TJ with a set of 15x10 32-bolt Fast Wheels bead locks. The type of rockcrawling Casey does in Oklahoma is tough on tires. You need thick sidewalls, low pressure, and tires that stick to the jagged sharp rocks.
Good, Bad, & What Its For
This TJ fills several duties. Casey drives it around town on business calls during the week, and hits the trails on the weekend. It also serves as a platform for testing new WMS products.
What We Think
We dig those axles. Unfortunately, Casey tells us that they are better suited for 36-inch tires, and by the time you read this Casey should have a set of WMS shaved Dana 60s under the TJ. The big Oklahoma rocks require big tires and big tires are tough on drivetrain, and apparently Casey has grown tired of trailside repairs and sold the nines in favor of some Dana 60s.


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Kris LaCroix & Mike Snep
Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty is known through the Phoenix area as the Valley of the Sun's premier real estate brokerage, and we are proud to be the company's most experienced and well-established equestrian real estate specialists. Whether you are looking for sunshine, great golf, a "lock and leave" winter residence, luxury equestrian real estate, a working ranch, or all of the above, Scottsdale is your ideal destination. So give us a call and let us guide you through Scottsdale's diverse and unique real estate offerings.


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The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win! Just remember to leave a comment for each contest entry you complete. (Ex. "I tweeted this" and then add the link of your tweet.)
Note: Please use a valid email address. Contest open to North American Residents only.
The winners will be chosen randomly. Giveaway ends Wednesday, January 19, 2011. The winner will be reached by email, and announced on the blog on that same day.
Good luck!


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"Just wanted to let you know we loved the recessed panel kits. Our handy man installed them and it took a little planning but it went quickly after that." - Arlington, Massachusetts
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Aside from style and sophistication, AICMillworks.com offers a vast selection of columns to add visible stability and character to your home or commercial venue. Natural wood lally column wraps, PVC (vinyl) porch column covers, aluminum support posts, fiberglass composite pillars and urethane porch posts are among the variety of columns or pillars you'll find in our product line. Round columns generally fall within the five classical orders of architecture; upgrade the column capital and column base to get the distinct style. Square columns are a more enduring element of American architecture; styles range from plain columns to fluted columns, chamfered columns or panel colmns. Depending on the material, they may be used as an interior column, exterior column, column cover or as a support column. Many are available split for use as a pilaster. Consider using our columns in your next project: colonnades, column wraps, column covers or pole covers, basement lally columns, porches, balconies, decks, gazebos, courtyards and fireplace surrounds are all candidates.