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Sunday, March 29, 2009
BLACK BEETLE Vs MAX MALONE ( poll - updated!)
Hello Pulp Friends,
last Sunday I shared a pulpish creation of mine that dates back to 15 years ago, MAX MALONE: I was wondering if I should take it to the next step and have it developed in the form of webcomics and you guys seemed excited about that idea.
Well, diggin through my things, I found this other guy I came up with about 3 years ago, BLACK BEETLE. Where MAX MALONE is more a sci-fi pulp noir, this is more in the vein of masked vigilante pulp in some sort of '40s/'50s settings, with some slight (40s/50s) sci-fi tone to it.
Now here's the idea: I know a few pulp fans visits this blog regularly, so I would like to do a poll. Since I am kinda busy with several projects, if I have time to develop a webcomic, which one you would like to see "sequentialized" first: Max Malone or Black Beetle? Let me hear it from you and thanks for the input :)
Click on the teaser image above for the bigger version. The art is from 2006, the "dress-up titles" from today ;)
Edit: I added an updated teaser for MAX MALONE (below) to have a fair fight ;)
Edit: The generous response from you wonderful pulp aficionados pushed me to put up some more art to help to decide. :)
Here's another teaser for Black Beetle and look for more Max Malone later today or tomorrow.
Thank you all,
Edit> And here is the new art for Max Malone, as promised. Sorry for the little delay but I had to wrap up issue 4 of GARRISON and that's exactly what I did this morning ;)
Please keep the voting comig - would love to hear from all of you :)
64 comments:
- Chris Roberson said...
I vote Black Beetle. I'm a sucker for masked avengers.
- March 29, 2009 at 1:21 PM
- Anthony Schiavino said...
Damn you make this tuff. Black Beetle I'd have to say just because of the sheer fun of it.
There's a movie being made with Thomas Jane called Give Em Hell Malone. I don't know that his name is max but you should take a look.
- March 29, 2009 at 1:35 PM
- Anthony Schiavino said...
And you'd have to let me plug it on my website.
- March 29, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you, Chris, me too :D
Thank you too, Anthony :)
I checked that title/movie and... "A tough as nails private investigator (Malone) squares off with gangsters and their thugs to protect a valuable secret." Crap! A PI called Malone!!! it's a totally different settings/story (I think) but still a problematic coincidence. We will see how the poll goes and eventually solve the issue, if needed.
And yes, by all means, plug this away, Anthony: the more I hear from the better is :)
SO far we got 3 votes for Black Beetle (I got one via email).
Keep em comng, buddies :)
- March 29, 2009 at 2:48 PM
- Kyle Latino said...
Well, I'd like to see either of them, but Max takes my vote. I get enough capes in the floppies.
- March 29, 2009 at 3:38 PM
- bobbykro said...
my vote goes to the"Black Beetle" nothing like a gooood pulp!!
- March 29, 2009 at 6:09 PM
- Chad Carter said...
I actually screamed and bounced up and down when I saw the Black Beetle, FF, almost as if you knew I'd fall in love with him in shameless love like no hetero male could possibly love another...thus, you see, where I'm coming from.
- March 29, 2009 at 8:10 PM
- Keller said...
I'll vote for Max too. Yeah Max.
- March 29, 2009 at 9:28 PM
- Doc Shaner said...
I can't stress enough how much I like both, but I find myself leaning towards Black Beetle. It might be the way you presented him, but I really like the look.
- March 29, 2009 at 11:12 PM
- john siuntres said...
i like them both Francesco . pulp and noir are 2 of my favorite types of stories.
- March 30, 2009 at 12:34 AM
- Neue Ziel said...
I loved Max Malone. BUT! Black Bettle gets my vote without a second thought. He reminds me of Lobster Johnson.
P.S You sure are a pulp enthusiast, aren't you Mr. Francavilla?
- March 30, 2009 at 3:12 AM
- chris said...
I'm going to have to go with Max on this one.
- March 30, 2009 at 6:27 AM
- Daniel said...
I'm tired of super hero books, but I would like to see what YOU would do with a character like Black Beetle. Especially as a webcomic form.
- March 30, 2009 at 6:35 AM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you so much, Kyle, Bob, Chad (HA! :D), Keller, Evan, John, Neue (yes I do ;)), Chris, Daniel, I really appreciate the input :)
SO far we have 10 votes for BB (including some off-blog)and 4 votes for MM.
I see how someone could be attracted by the better presentation (also most recent) of the BB, so I decided to make this a fair fight and updated Max Malone (see the revised original post) with modern sensibility (and skills, since the sequentials I shared were 15 years old), so now should get a better idea of how they would look in the webcomic.
So, in a corner we have Black Beetle, a masked avenger, no superpowers, just his own strength and some high-tech gadgets/guns, fighting crime and some horror/scifi 50s bio-product, and in the other corner we have Max Malone, a PI with an agenda, solving cases in a future where machines are a little more than just "slave-labor".
Let the fight continue :)
- March 30, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Cullen Bunn said...
I'm gonna go with Black Beetle. I'd love to see what you could do with that type of character.
- March 30, 2009 at 7:17 AM
- BCM said...
Black Beetle!
- March 30, 2009 at 7:21 AM
- Hopeless said...
Black Beetle is rad as hell. He gets my vote.
- March 30, 2009 at 7:22 AM
- stephen said...
I'ma vote for MAX.
- March 30, 2009 at 7:51 AM
- andy kuhn said...
i gotta go BLACK BEETLE. :)
- March 30, 2009 at 9:06 AM
- Parker said...
Either way, I win! Can't wait.
- March 30, 2009 at 11:03 AM
- Neue Ziel said...
Gosh! This thread's gotta be one of the most "replied to" Ever. Right?
- March 30, 2009 at 1:37 PM
- Mark Englert said...
Black Beetle! You should have Black Beetle fight that robot in the Malone pic...
- March 30, 2009 at 2:28 PM
- Chad Carter said...
Even as gnarly cool as Max is in that teaser, I still gotta go Black Beetle. Goggles plus beetle motif is $$$$.
Thanks for BOTH of these, FF.
- March 30, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you so much, Cullen, B Clay, Dennis, Stephen, Andy, Jeff, Neue, Mark, and Chad: your input and opinion are precious and most appreciated :)
The situation is (counting external votes): 19 for Black Beetle and 8 for Max Malone. I will let the poll going all week, but it seems more and more that BB is gonna get a spotlight pretty soon ;) But I am not giving up on Malone just yet: he seems tough enough to hang in there and maybe even win this :)
Thanks again for the input, guys, you are the best :)
- March 30, 2009 at 3:54 PM
- KIRK MANLEY said...
Francesco this is an easy one!! Black Beetle for the win!!! He is bad ass looking. I hope to see his adventures brought to life soon. Great stuff as always and you truly are the hardest working man in Comics !!! LOL
- March 30, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- Roger said...
I vote Black Beetle. BTW, love your site.
- March 30, 2009 at 9:09 PM
- Eric Morse said...
I vote Max Malone - USB Connection is just too good of a title to pass up.
- March 30, 2009 at 9:51 PM
- Honolulu Dogfight said...
I gotta go with Black Beetle. Either way I'm happy though...
- March 31, 2009 at 4:44 AM
- maurizio battista said...
They are both amazing. I initially preferred Black Beetle, but now Max Malone seems to be more interesting. :-)
- March 31, 2009 at 6:53 AM
- Dave_Flora said...
Ah, Francesco and webcomics! What a delight!
My friend, I'm going to place my vote for Black Beetle simply because the character has a more iconic look than Max. I'll bet both would be great!!
I'll be covering this from the Ghost Zero blog as well!)
Bravo, my friend!
- March 31, 2009 at 7:38 AM
- Greg said...
Put me down for Black Beetle. I'm down with masked avengers.
- March 31, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Chris Samnee said...
Black Beetle all the way!
You rule, sir.
- March 31, 2009 at 12:53 PM
- Kyle Latino said...
WHOA! Really dig the new art for Max! Also, great to see the response to the poll.
- March 31, 2009 at 7:43 PM
- Kyle Latino said...
Also, whatever you do, you might think about adapting it eventually to iVerse or some other iPhone comic viewer. That would kick ass!
- March 31, 2009 at 7:44 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you, Kirk (hardest I dunno, but busy, that yes ;)), Roger, Eric (glad you, and others, enjoyed the pun title on The French COnnection ;)), George, Maurizio, Dave, Greg, Chris, and Kyle: you guys are the sweetest :)
Thanks also for covering the poll in your blogs, I really appreciate it - the more cast their vote, the better I know which pulp I am tackling first :)
And yes, the format will be i-phone friendly, since we are heading that way anyway ;)
So here's an updated result (including external votes): 25 votes for Black Beetle and 12 for Max Malone.
I just added extra BB teaser to the original post, which will be followed by extra MM teaser later tonight. I thought you guys might need some extra art to decide ;)
Thanks again, everyone :)
- April 1, 2009 at 5:49 AM
- Jason Arnett said...
My vote is for Black Beetle, yes!
But Max v. Beetle would probably be fun, too.
No, Beetle first, please.
- April 1, 2009 at 2:11 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you for casting your vote, Jason, I appreciate it :)
Guess that makes 26 for BB. I updated the original post with new art about Max Malone: maybe that will entice new votes ;)
Either way, keep em coming: only a few days reamining to decide.
- April 2, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Monkeyfeather said...
I liked them so much, I have to comment again. These are amazingly awesome.
As much as USB Connection cracks me up, I think I want to see more Black Beetle.
Must find time to do fan art of Black Beetle...
- April 2, 2009 at 1:28 PM
- Luke H. said...
I vote Max.
- April 2, 2009 at 3:56 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you so much, John, and PLEASE find the time for that fanart: that would be great and I would be honored (invitation extended to everyone who has the time and will too ;))
Luke: thank you for the vote :)
SItuation is: BB with 27 votes and MM with 14 votes.
2 more days...
- April 2, 2009 at 5:01 PM
- SWAiN said...
I cast my vote for the Black Beetle. I'm a sucker for masked vigilantes---The Shadow, Batman, Zorro, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lone Ranger...
- April 2, 2009 at 5:22 PM
- Craig Zablo said...
Max gets my vote, but I'm in either way!
- April 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
- Bubbashelby said...
One more vote for Black Beetle!
- April 2, 2009 at 6:40 PM
- Orrin said...
Black Beetle!
- April 2, 2009 at 7:44 PM
- -U! a.k.a. Uriel A. Duran said...
Probably doesn't need at all,but add another vote to the Black Beetle.
- April 2, 2009 at 9:59 PM
- Neue Ziel said...
Wew artwork for both characters is nothing short of amazing. and although Max Malone looks really mean i gotta stick with the Black Beetle, it's too much of an awesome vigilante.
- April 3, 2009 at 5:22 AM
- slavi said...
Mate i vote for Black Beetle go for it .by the way i did a wallpaper logo from you original art that you have posted early i will posted later
- April 3, 2009 at 7:47 AM
- slavi said...
I will give us some backstory for the two characters ?
Like what the name of the hometowns or something else
- April 3, 2009 at 7:49 AM
- slavi said...
Can i vote twice ?
- April 3, 2009 at 7:50 AM
- slavi said...
This some wallpaper i did .I hope you like will try to do more
- April 3, 2009 at 8:05 AM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you so much, Swain, Craig, Eric, Orrin, Uriel, Neue, and Slavi (no you can't vote twice ;) but you can change your vote if you want to :) - cool idea for a wallpaper, even if it's a tad blurred ;)), I am happy to hear from you guys :)
SO the situation is pretty much the same, with a proportion of 2 to 1: BB with 33 votes and MM with 16 votes.
Still a couple of days to see if something changes. Meanwhile please let me know if you like BB with the red goggles (like in the second illo) or in gray (like in the first teaser).
Thank you, pulp friends, you guys rock :D
- April 3, 2009 at 8:10 AM
- slavi said...
I think gray are better
- April 3, 2009 at 8:51 AM
- slavi said...
Here is another one . I hope you like .Will be there more teaser ?
Maybe that will change things up .
- April 3, 2009 at 9:20 AM
- Kyle Latino said...
well, if Max is going down, the gey goggles look best.
- April 3, 2009 at 2:38 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
slavi: thank you :) I think I prefer the previous one since I am for a simpler approach. About teasers, I think the next thing we will see it will be the actual cover and/or some sequentials. Stay tuned!
Kyle: noted and thank you :)
So, based on the new teaser, someone has changed his mind and went from BB to MM. PLus I got another MM vote via email so we go to 32 for BB and 18 for MM: things are changing a bit ;)
- April 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM
- slavi said...
I collect most of the art you have posted on your blog and add the few teaser that you have posted early and make some sort of promotion for the web comics ,plus some another related black beetle wallpapers i hope you all like it.
http://img159.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blackbeetlestampsonmumm.jpg <=this one just for fun nothing personal :P
What are you think mate are they good , post any comment will be nice thank you in advance
- April 3, 2009 at 4:34 PM
- slavi said...
Tell what do you think about this one it's graffiti inspired work
use of some fonts and some homemade fx.
Goodnight i am going to bed now
- April 3, 2009 at 5:32 PM
- Anthony Schiavino said...
Me thinks somebody REEEEALLLY wants to draw Max! LOL!
Grey eyed Black Beetle. The other looks a little too cartoony and less pulp.
- April 3, 2009 at 6:42 PM
- ilia said...
I love the Max images more then the Black Beetle images. The images you have posted digital or paper? The Max posters are incredible.
But you know what, if you pick one over the other why don't you have a guest appearance by the other. That way you can keep everyone happy.
- April 4, 2009 at 5:57 AM
- Per said...
Both looks great, but nothing beats a masked avenger in a 1949 setting
- April 4, 2009 at 12:48 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Slavi: Thanks again for the enthusiasm :) Just make sure to leave the line with my credits/signature/copyright when using my artwork for these wallpapers ;)
Anthony: HA! I just like to draw robots, that is ;)
Ilia: thank you :) MM will have its own comic later. A cross-over might be cool too - need to think about that :) Inks and grays are digital, but underneath pencils are mostly traditional.
Per: thank you for casting your vote :)
Head up to this week new post for more BB art.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:20 AM
- fedemilella said...
queste illustrazioni sono troppo belle Francesco!!!!
e poi quel rosso li mi attizza
- April 8, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Grazie mille, cumpa' :D
- April 12, 2009 at 8:47 AM
- Mark Brown said...
Black Beetle, please.
- April 26, 2011 at 11:57 AM


text:
- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 2011
- Hull Material:
- Wood
- Length:
- 25'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- /
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Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
LOA: 7.70 m
Beam: 2.40 m
Minimum Draft: 0.39 m
Maximum Draft: 0.85 m
Dry Weight: 1800 kgs
Cruising Speed: 47 knots
Engine Options
Engine Option 1: 1x Cummins Mercruiser QSD4.2 Sterndrive 320 HP
Fuel Tanks: Stainless steel (300 Gallons)
Standard Equipment
Large luxury windscreen
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Backwards bench
Adjustable forwards/backwards helm seat
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Sundeck with mattresses
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2 electric bilge pumps
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Stainless and chrome – plated brass fittings
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3 cleats
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Manufacturer Website

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ailing Randy Travis is showing "signs of improvement" as he recovers from heart problems which left him in a critical condition on Sunday, according to doctors treating the country star.
The "Honky Tonk Moon" hitmaker was admitted to the Baylor Medical Center in McKinney, Texas over the weekend with "congestive heart failure" and a "presumptive cardiomyopathy," a heart condition he developed after battling a viral respiratory illness three weeks ago, reveals Dr. William Gray, who claims the singer had been in "excellent" health prior to the infection.
He underwent a procedure to help improve his blood flow and stabilize his heart earlier this week and has since been transferred to the nearby Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, where medics have continued to monitor his condition.
His status remained critical on Tuesday, but his doctors have given fans hope Travis will pull through.
In a videotaped statement released on Wednesday, Dr. Michael Mack adds, "His condition has stabilized and he has shown signs of improvement…
"On behalf of Mr. Travis' family, friends and associates, we would like to express our extreme gratitude for the overwhelming affection and support that Mr. Travis has received."
The 54 year old had to cancel a show in Deadwood, South Dakota on Wednesday as a result of his illness.


text:
Seagrass meadows are essential to commercial species such as prawns
Impacts of global change threaten commercially valuable seagrass meadows, according to a report launched today by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. One hectare of seagrass meadows is worth around €12,000 per year, by providing benefits like food and shelter for highly valued prawn and fish populations.
The IUCN report Managing Seagrasses for Resilience to Climate Change, analyzes the threats faced by these marine flowering plants and provides survival strategies. Seagrasses are submerged marine flowering plants forming extensive meadows in shallow waters worldwide.
"Overall, seagrasses are in a vulnerable state," says Mats Björk, one of the authors of the publication. "Seagrass habitats are already declining due to increasing water temperatures, algae growth and light reduction, which are all effects of global change."
Seagrasses need high light intensities to survive. Storms, flooding and coastal erosion create sediment disturbances that smother the seagrass plants. Excessive nutrients (eutrophication) added to coastal waters may lead to algae invasions that also shade the seagrass leaves. Warmer sea water, changes in ocean acidity and higher CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere also affect seagrasses, but the exact consequences cannot be foreseen yet. When all these global changes come together, already stressed seagrass systems will be pushed over their limit of existence, resulting in further widespread seagrass losses.
"Our oceans' treasures are under attack from climate change – now is the time to realize the true value of this precious natural resource," says Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head of IUCN's Global Marine Programme. "Seagrass provides shelter for many animals, including fish and shellfish, and can also be a direct food source for dugongs, turtles, sea urchins and seabirds."
Seagrasses also have many traditional uses such as filling for mattresses, traditional medicine against skin diseases in the Mediterranean, and as roof coverings in Europe and Africa.
While many global change effects such as increasing water temperatures are already real, much can be done to help seagrasses survive.
"We need to make seagrass more resilient to global change. For example, we know that genetically more diverse populations of seagrasses have a higher chance of success in a changing environment," says Lundin . "Protection of seagrass refugia and connecting them to adjacent habitats such as mangroves or coral reefs will increase their survival chances considerably."
"While promoting new protected areas and restoring seagrass meadows to stem the causes of global change, IUCN also encourages more research into protecting these vital plants from being pushed out of existence."
In the Mediterranean, three main seagrass species can be found: Posidonia oceanica, endemic to the Mediterranean, Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera spp. The healthiest areas are located north of Africa, in particular Libya and Tunisia, where development and tourism have not yet affected the coast much.
Notes to Editors
The report Managing Seagrasses for Resilience to Climate Change was authored by Mats Björk (Stockholm University, Sweden and University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Fred Short (University of New Hampshire, USA), Elizabeth Mcleod (The Nature Conservancy, USA) and Sven Beer (Tel Aviv University, Israel).
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
James Oliver, communications officer, IUCN Global Marine Programme, tel +41 22 999 0301, james. firstname.lastname@example.com.
Carolin Wahnbaeck, IUCN media relations officer, tel +41 8587593, email email@example.com.
Borjana Pervan, IUCN Global Communications, tel +41 22 999 0251, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
To download the report please go to https://www.iucn.org/downloads/report_seagrass_and_climate_change.pdf
|Net in seagrass meadow Photo: Gabriel Grimsditch / IUCN
|Acropora coral in seagrass, Mombasa Photo: Gabriel Grimsditch / IUCN
|Sea urchin in seagrass, Nyali Photo: Gabriel Grimsditch / IUCN
|Seagrass Photo: Gabriel Grimsditch / IUCN


text: Fixtures for KBSC Premier League Season 5 August 3, 2017 Published in General News Read 26757 times Print Email Be the first to comment! Tweet Download attachments: FIXTURE_-_KBSC_PREMIER_LEAGUE_SEASON_5.pdf (6280 Downloads) Tagged under Fixtures for KBSC Premier League season Leave a comment Make sure you enter the (*) required information where indicated. HTML code is not allowed. Message * enter your message here... Name * Email * Website URL Enter the two words you see below


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Comedian Josh Rabinowitz Performs at UW April 10
Comedian Josh Rabinowitz will offer his brand of comedy at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, in the University of Wyoming Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
The Student Activities Council hosts Rabinowitz, a 24-year-old comedian from New York City. He has been featured on Comedy Central's "Live on Campus Tour," "CollegeHumor Live" and "Kent" on MTV's "I Just Want My Pants Back."
Last July, Rabinowitz was selected as a "New Face" at the Montreal "Just for Laughs" Comedy Festival, and also was named one of Comedy Central's "Comics to Watch" in November 2011.
For more information about Rabinowitz, follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Rabinowitz or like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/josh.rabinowitz.12.
For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/sac. Individuals who need assistance to attend the performance should contact the Campus Activities Center at (307) 766-6340. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/cac.


text:
Bruce and Denise Morcombe honoured in Queen's Birthday honours list
The parents of murdered Queensland teenager Daniel Morcombe say they are proud their child protection work has been recognised in Queen's Birthday honours list.
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Bruce and Denise Morcombe have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
They are the parents of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in 2003.
In 2011, DNA tests confirmed bones found in the area were Daniel's.
Since 2005, the Morcombe's have fought to educate children about safety through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
The foundation also aims to assist victims of crime, particularly children.
Mr Morcombe says he and his wife Denise are trying to take their safety messages to as many Australian schools as they can.
"The difference that we bring to the table - as opposed to a police officer of a teacher or a principal talking to kids about safety - is we link Daniel's very real story with those safety messages," he said.
"No longer do kids sit there thinking 'this is boring, this will never happen to me, I'm not interested'.
"They're saying 'hey, tell me more - this is fascinating, I need to equip myself with the skills to stay safe'."
He says they hope to continue safety workshops in schools for a long time to come.
"We still have the passion, we still have the endeavour and drive, and many many people say 'keep up the good work', so we'll keep going until someone says 'we've seen enough of you, goodbye'," he said.
Indigenous service honour
Meanwhile, Australia's first Indigenous police officer, former police inspector Colin Dillon, made the list for service to Queensland's Indigenous community.
He also served as an ATSIC commissioner, with a focus on reducing Indigenous deaths in custody and reduce Aboriginal incarceration rates.
"There are still too many in prison today so I think there still needs to be a concerted effort," he said.
Mr Dillon says racism was entrenched in the police service when joined in 1965.
"It was made known to me right at the very outset that there was no place for Aboriginal police in the police force, so that's what I was up against," he said.
"I had to sort of hang in there and battle my way and finally make it through to the end of my career some 36 years later on."
He says he is proud he helped to break down barriers.
"Initially I never thought of that but once I got into the upper levels of the service and I reflected and looked back, I thought, 'well yes, I have blazed a trail and opened a door for others to come into the service'," he said.
"Going from one lonely one, to seeing all the numbers building up over the years, and the numbers that we have today, that's an achievement that I'm very happy about."
Olympian Ron Clarke recognised
Former Gold Coast mayor and Olympian Ron Clarke has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
He has been honoured for his work in local government, philanthropy, and promoting athletics.
Mr Clarke says he thought "why me" when appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
He says the discipline he learned as an athlete served him well in leadership positions later in life.
"If you don't train, you don't get anywhere, so therefore if you don't work at a problem, if you don't work at a project, if you don't work at it - you won't succeed,' he said.
"Flukes happen, but very rarely - you really have to put the hard work in."
Mr Clarke says his family inspired him to devote time to the community.
"My father - way back - used to organise all sorts of functions for charity and for unions for gosh-knows-what - he was always organising something, a picnic somewhere for something - so I suppose we've always been a part of the community," he said.
"All my life I've looked forward to waking up because I've had something to do that day."
Nepal villages charity
A Brisbane couple have also been honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia for their work to support poverty-stricken villages in Nepal.
Rod and Deb Setterlund help to run the Brisbane-based Nepal Australia Friendship Association.
Mr Setterlund says it raises about $120,000 each year for a range of projects.
"Our priority is rural, particularly trying to help women and children," he said.
"For instance installing toilets at a school will help girls' attendance at schools.
"Money goes a lot further there than here, so we can build a classroom for $5,000, a health clinic for $15,000, $20,000.
"We sponsor two teachers, three health workers."
"We might replace classrooms, we put water taps into a village."
Red Cross work
The Brisbane chairman of the international committee that oversees the Red Cross, Greg Vickery, is also among the Queenslanders to receive honours today.
Mr Vickery has worked with the Red Cross for more than 40 years and is now chairman of its international Standing Commission.
He says there has been many highlights.
"Just seeing so many people do amazing humanitarian work," he said.
'Power house' Darling Downs
Former Nationals leader Mike Horan has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the Darling Downs and Queensland's Parliament.
He also served as the Member for Toowoomba South from 1991 to 2012, having been Opposition leader and health minister.
"I've got a lot of fond memories of my years in Parliament - colleagues on both sides of the Parliament," he said.
Mr Horan remains passionate about the Darling Downs region.
"I think the Darling Downs is going to become one of the power houses of Australia," he said.
"It could well end up being the Singapore of eastern Australia in terms of logistics for rail, a new airport proposed, for heavy transport areas, and linked up of course not only with agriculture but with the mining developments to our west."
Mr Horan says he is pleased he can still contribute to the community as chairman of the local health board.
"We have some big demands, particularly through the Surat basin but also in Toowoomba and other areas, where we are seeing population growth," he said.
"We're seeing ever increasing demands for more health services and it's an honour and a privilege to be involved where I can hopefully make a difference."
Rural doctors
The director of Medical Services at Cairns Base Hospital, Dr Patrick O'Neill, says he is proud to have been able to attract more young doctors to the state's far north.
Dr O'Neill has received a Queen's Birthday honours award for service to his fellow citizens.
He says there has been an increase in the number of junior doctors in Mareeba, Atherton and Innisfail over the past couple of years.
"Whether these doctors take up a career in rural medicine - it would be fantastic if they do that as a result of the experience that they get," he said.
"Even if they become a neurosurgeon, the fact that they have an understanding of what it's like to work in the bush in a remote rural community - I think that's really of a lot of value."
Church services
Townsville Catholic Bishop Michael Putney has been recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia for 50 years' work in the church and services to the north Queensland community.
"I'd have to say Townsville's my life, my love - this is the diocese here and the people here and there's no one or no thing in my life is more important than the community here," he said.
He says he has strived to build strong ties between the different faiths.
"Even in Townsville where representatives of the other world religions are not here in the big numbers they are in the capital cities, I think we've got nice relationships," he said.
Meanwhile, Vascular surgeon Peter Woodruff has been recognised for service to medicine and Sunshine Coast resident Norm Innis was honoured on the list for service to surfing.


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Q-Mark LFK484-OB Open Box Wall Heater
- 4800 Watts of Heating Heats Up to 400 Sq. Ft.
- Electric Wall Heater
- Open Box Model
- Reviews
- Description
- Specifications
- Benefits
This product is classified as an "Open Box" product. Open Box products are fully functional items that operate the same as a brand new appliance, but have been opened, touched and/or returned. They are otherwise in excellent, "Like New" condition. These products are a great value and covered by a full 1-year manufacturer's warranty.
QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater
The QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater offers heat coverage up to 400 square feet. It is built in order to prevent overheating, which is a great safety option. There is a built in fan delay that will keep the motor energized and it provides powerful and energy efficient heating. It comes in a clean white color that will look in any type of setting, no matter the type of d??cor or colors in the room where it would be used. This makes it very versatile, and this particular wall heater is ideal for a great variety of settings. Here are some idea spaces for the QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater:
- Home
- Work
- Basement
Simple Installation
The QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater is extremely easy to install. It includes a hole plug for tamper resistant installation and can be wired with a standard 90 degree C wire. It can either be recess mounted or surface mounted, depending on your personal preference. The heater can be mounted in standard 2" x 4" stud walls. This makes for a fantastic space saver.
Special Features of the QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater
- Built in fan delay that keeps the motor energized
- The motor is permanently lubricated for added longevity
- It can be wall mounted and is a great space saver
- Clean white finish that will look good in any room no matter the decor
- Heats areas up to 400 square feet
- Heating capacity of 16,382 BTUs
Great Heat Coverage
The QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater offers great heat coverage of up to 400 square feet. This makes it great for spaces such as basements, recreation rooms, and commercial offices. It is a powerful 4,800 watts and has one fan speed.
Designed for Durability and Reliability
When it comes to durability and reliability of a wall heater, it doesn't get much better than the QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater. The unit is made entirely of steel, so it is extremely durable, which is what you want in a wall heater. They are rugged and built to last, so they are a great option should you need a wall heater for extra warmth.
Versatile and Lots of Extras
The QMark LFK484-OB Electric Wall Heater is entirely electric and has a thermal cut-out for added functionality. The wall heater also comes with an automatic shutoff. The motor is permanently lubricated and sealed, which adds to the reliability.
- Model: LFK484-OB
- Product Type: Open Box Wall Heater
- Product Dimensions: L: 4.00" x W: 15.75" x H: 19.20"
- Product Weight: 21.00 lbs.
- Product Color: White
- Application: Perfect for tight spaces searching for a way to stay warm.
- Warranty: 1-year manufacturer's warranty
- Type: Wall Heater
- Fuel Type: Electric
- Coverage Area: 400 square feet
- Voltage: 240 volts
- Watts: 4800 watts
- Amps: 20 amps
- Frequency: 60 Hz
- Certifications: UL
- Heating Capacity: 16382 BTUs
- Built-In Thermostat: Yes
- Thermostat Type: Integral double-pole thermostat
- Timer: No
- Automatic Shut-Off: Yes
- Thermal Cut-Out: Yes
- Automatic Reset: No
- Fan Delay: Yes
- Frost Protection: No
- Indicator Light: No
- Number of Fan Speeds: 1
- Construction: Steel
- Finish: White
- Mounting Options: Recessed
- Includes Wall Bracket: No
- Energy Star Rated: No
- Hard-Wired: No
- Digital Display: No
- LED Touch Screen: No
- Automatic Temperature Control: No
- Installation Requirements: Recess Mount or Surface Mount (with additional purchase). Recess or surface mount in standard 2" x 4" stud walls
- Motor Type: Permanently lubricated and sealed motor
- Open Box Model
- Because the QMark LFK484 is wall mounted unit it's a great space-saver
- Enjoy this heater in a bathroom, bedroom office or living room
- Featruing built-in fan delay the QMark LFK484 always produces warm air
- The QMark LFK484 features a permanently lubricated motor for years of effective and efficient heating
- The QMark LFK484 includes a clean white finish that looks great in any setting
- The QMark LFK484 provides 4800 watts of powerful and energy efficient heating for up to 400 sq. ft.


text:
Posted Mon January 14th, 2013 - 11:47 AM PST
After wowing on the red carpet last night at the Golden Globes, Halle Berry got back to the daily grind when she dropped her daughter off at school.
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More efficient ways to transfer remittances are emerging. Are migrants and their families ready to benefit from them?
The price of sending international remittances has reached a new record low in the first quarter of 2014. The global average cost of sending money across borders was recorded at 8.36 percent. This figure is used as a reference point for measuring progress toward achieving the so-called "5x5" objective – a goal endorsed by the G8 and G20 countries – to reduce the cost of sending remittances by five percentage points, to 5 percent, by the end of 2014.
Most indexes of international remittance costs – published by the World Bank in the new, ninth issue of the Remittance Prices Worldwide report, which was released on March 31 – indicate good progress in the market for remittances.
The global average cost is significantly lower when weighted by the volume of money that flows in each of the report's country-to-country pairs. The weighted average cost is now down to 5.91 percent, following a further decline in the last quarter. For the first time, the weighted average has fallen below 6 percent.
Nearly one-third of the remittance-sending countries included in Remittance Prices Worldwide have now achieved a reduction of at least 3 percentage points. Those countries include such major sources of remittances as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan. This is also the case for 39 out of 89 of the remittance-receiving countries.


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Moments with You Couples Devotional 11/22
Recommend this article to your friends.
Giving Thanks
by Barbara Rainey
It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. PSALM 92:1
As Psalm 92 tells us, "It is good to give thanks to the LORD . . . to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night." With a little effort, you can make Thanksgiving a cherished family time devoted to thanking God for what He has done in your lives.
One tradition we've kept for years is to have each family member write five things for which he or she is thankful. On our plates are five kernels of corn—a reminder of the Pilgrims' daily ration during one of their first difficult winters. Before we eat, we pass a basket around the table five times, and each person places one kernel of corn at a time into the basket and tells one thing he or she is thankful for.
Here are some of the things our children wrote one year:
•"I'm thankful for being able to have a family."
•"I'm thankful Ashley got to come home from college for Thanksgiving."
•"I'm thankful for God in my life."
•"I'm thankful for my ministry at my high school."
•"I'm thankful for my sisters and all they've taught me about relationships."
•"I'm thankful I got to shoot a deer!"
•"I'm thankful for a great brother."
Dennis and I were thrilled to hear the kids actually thank God for each other!
After so many years of sibling rivalry, they were finally beginning to show each other the affection we hoped would continue throughout their lives.
That year we also were touched by something our son Samuel wrote: "I'm thankful for my muscular dystrophy." He had been diagnosed with the disease earlier in the year, and we had been through some wrenching months.
Thanking God was a big step of faith for him. And it provided another sign that our children were learning the true spirit of Thanksgiving—a heart of gratitude that gives thanks in all things.
How has God worked in your lives this past year?
Spend time thanking God for His love, His provision and His work in your lives.
Visit the FamilyLife® Website, or Own Your Own Copy of This Devotional


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This article is a farcical reply to the list of grievances published in the Gazette on December 27, 1786 and signed Thomas Grover. The author talks about things being backwards, and how the regulators don't want the General Court in Boston because they cannot approach it there. The article is signed Tom __, Regulator, but is clearly written from the opposite point of view.William Butler began publication of the Hampshire Gazette on September 6, 1786, in Northampton, Massachusetts, 18 days after the Regulators prevented the Court of Common Pleas from convening there. The newspaper often urged support of the government and was generally against the activities of the Regulators. The paper came out on Wednesdays and consisted primarily of articles reprinted from other newspapers.
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"List of Grievances" poem published in the Hampshire Gazette newspaper.
"Remarks and Observations" by Justin Hitchcock
List of grievances by Shaysite Thomas Grover -article published in Hampshire Gazette newspaper
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A Nebraska woman is auctioning a McDonald's chicken McNugget that she says is the spitting image of President George Washington.
Rebekah Speights of Dakota City, Neb. is selling the patriotic poultry piece on eBay to raise money for a church summer camp, according to the Sioux City Journal.
Speights said she almost trashed the McNugget three years ago after a meal at a Sioux City McDonald's.
"I looked down at the McNugget and just started laughing," Speights said. "I saw this portrait of George Washington staring back at me."
The McNugget had been in Speights' freezer for three years when a sermon at the Sioux City Family Worship Center inspired her to auction it.
"It's not one of those things you think would get money, but people put crazy stuff on there (eBay) all the time," Speights said. "For me, it's more the nature of raising money for the kids and not about the McNugget."
Either way, her hunch was right — there is currently one $100 bid on eBay for the presidential nugget. The auction ends next week.


text: Men's Track and Field | 5/10/2018 8:29:00 PM | Tweet PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots men's and women's track and field teams will conclude their regular outdoor season competition this Saturday at the Portland Twilight at Lewis and Clark College. This meet will mark the final opportunity for student-athletes to post West Regional Qualifying times. "This meet gets better every year and most of the events look really strong," said women's head coach Ian Solof. "This is the last meet for the majority of the team so I'm excited to see what everyone can do. Our top women are also using this as a tune-up for the NCAA First Round so it will be great prep for the championship meets coming later." Chestnut Brumby Lo Boots Unisex Emu Child The majority of the women will compete in the 1500m in the middle of the day, while the men 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m will feature lots of purple on the track as well. There will be athletes also competing in both the men's and women's steeplechase races, and several women in some short distance events. Live stats can be found on PortlandPilots.com. Portland Twilight TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Lewis & Clark College Portland, Ore. Saturday, May 12, 2018 3:30 p.m. - Women's 400m: Skye Chen-Johnson (Section 1), Christina Francisco (Section 1), Samantha Walsh (Section 1) 4:05 p.m. - Women's 100m: Maya Murphy-Cook (Section 2), Payton Kirtley (Section 2) 5:20 p.m. - Women's 3000m Steeplechase: Dylan Hite, Lacey Conner 5:35 p.m. - Men's 3000m Steeplechase: Matt Schumann (Section 1), Noah Schutte (Section 2), Riley Osen (Section 2), Joe Horen (Section 2) the leather Click heel Orange women at the point show Dark high of varnished model women's red fall shoes 78U7q 6:00 p.m. - Women's 1500m: Katelyn Schultz (Section 1), Courtney Cox (Section 2), Natalie Smith (Section 2), Emily Bechen (Section 2), Taryn Rawlings (Section 3), Maddy Lyons (Section 3) Lauren LaRocco (Section 3) 6:25 - Men's 1500m: Jack Welch (Section 1), Sean Tan (Section 1), Malcolm Roux (Section 2), Conor Johnston (Section 2), Said Guermali (Section 2), Sam Lomax (Section 2), Matt Welch (Section 3), Michael Teran – Solono (Section 3), Jeff Thies (Section 4), Trent Mazelli (Section 4), Simon Grannetia (Section 4), Stuart McCallum (Section 4) 6:50 p.m. - Women's 200m: Christina Francisco (Section 2), Payton Kirtley (Section 2), Samantha Walsh, Maya Murphy-Cook (Section 3) 7:15 p.m. - Men's 5000m Section B: Sam Lomax, Peter Allegre, Conor Johnston, Cole Shugart, Devin Wulff, Michal Murphy 7:35 p.m. - Women's 5000mGrivis Shoes adidas Negbas Rubsup Hiking Women's Ax2 Cp W Gris 0AA7p1v: Lauren LaRocco, Aoibhe Richardson, Sophia Noto 7:55 p.m. – Men's 5000m Section A: Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, Caleb Webb, Gabriel Haughey, Nick Hauger, Logan Orndorf, Simon Grannetia, Tristan Peloquin, Reuben Kiprono 8:15 p.m. - Men's 10,000m: Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, Matt Welch, Reuben Kiprono, Michael Teran-Solono, Gabriel Haughey Print Friendly Version


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Kind of annoyed!
- Ok I sent my iPhone 5 off to Apple because the calls continuously would fail on it. I received a new phone & guess what.....this phone is doing it too. I am in a full signal area when this happens. I have a 16 gb white AT&t iPhone. With the first phone I replaced the SIM card, restored & backed up, restored & set up as new, turned the cellular connection off & back on. None of this made a bit of difference, so Apple told me to send it in & sent me a replacement. I am getting a bit irritated! I mean this is a phone & should work as one. Who cares what else it can do if it can't even hold onto a call in a full reception area! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The odds of me getting a second phone with the same problem seem odd to me unless this is a big issue with the iPhone.12-20-2012 09:22 PM
- Rene RitchieEditorial DirectorDo you have any friends, family members, or co-workers with the iPhone 5 in your area? Do they work?
The first step would be to determine if there's a problem with your specific iPhone 5, with all iPhone 5s in your area, or with AT&T in your area.
Do Verizon iPhone 5s work?12-21-2012 10:00 PM
- Two of my friends have the iPhone 5 on At&t and one of my friends has an iPhone 5 on Verizon. None of them have had this same issue. They don't actually talk on the phone that much though. Mine doesn't do it on every call. It is just random when the calls fail. No consistancy with it at all that I can pin point. I don't know if it would be this phone again or not. The phone I just sent Apple was doing it and I would hope I wouldn't get back a new phone that does the same thing. I don't know how to go about getting the right answers. Other people's phones in my family don't have calls that fail. They are on At&t, but don't have iPhone 5's.12-21-2012 10:26 PM
- What is your basis that your area is a "full signal area"? Cellular signals can fluctuate, change and move quite frequently at times...i had an area where 3G was not very strong for years, then (assumably because an addition to a tower or an increase in the strength of the tower) it became very good one day, and months later it's nearly perfect.
On the flip side of this, there's an area near Piedmont Park in Atlanta that I go to at times just to sit outside and have lunch...i never had any problems getting signal in that area, then one day when i had the 4S, it was almost ZERO reception (and continues this with the iPhone 5).
Signals can fluctuate...not saying this IS the problem you're experiencing, but it is a scenario.12-21-2012 10:34 PM
- The area I am in when this issue usually occurs (although it has happened other places as well) is my house & we have always had full bars on our cell phones, so that is why I say it is a good reception area. My iPhone 5 says full bars when the calls drop as well. I don't know what the problem is, I just wish that it would resolve itself because I really do like this phone. I would like to have a dependable phone though that can complete phone calls when needed.
Edited: I did want to add that my town does not even have 3G. We still have edge here. I don't know if that would cause problems with my the calls failing or not. We do have full bars of reception about everywhere in our small town. Like I said in a previous post, my friends live here too & haven't experienced this issue yet.12-21-2012 10:54 PM
- Yes I have my Lte turned off. That's the first thing I did when I got both phones to conserve the battery since we do not have lte anywhere close by.12-22-2012 08:34 AM
- I can never understand why some people always have to blame their iPhones when something malfunctions.
The OP started by stating the calls on his iPhone were "continually failing on it". Then, in another post he says "Mine doesn't do it on every call. It is just random when the calls fail".
Bearing in mind the OP can only receive edge signals, I would suggest he blames At&t.12-23-2012 08:31 AM
- I came to this forum for help, not to bash the iphone or to be criticized for explaining my problem. I did not state that every single called failed. I did say the word continuously because it did continue to happen. It was not every single call by any means, but it was a good number of calls. At times on the old phone it would happen more than once during a conversation. It was enough calls to make it a problem. I never said it was the iphone with something wrong with it. It could be At&t. I don't know what the problem is. I have never had a phone before getting the iphone that this happened too, so pardon me if I don't know whether to "blame" the iphone or the carrier. I am not bashing the iphone. I don't have time to come on a forum to bash a product. All I wanted was help to resolve the problem and feedback if anyone else was having this issue. That is the reason these forums exist.12-23-2012 12:18 PM
- The forums exist for many reasons...assisting people with problems is a part of that, yes. Your first post, however, was quite accusatory at the iPhone itself...i for one personally don't care if you blame the iPhone, godzilla or a piece of ham for the problem, but in defense of John T's retort, your initial post was very reflective of what he was saying.
I can't find anywhere in the thread where you were criticized, so not sure where exactly you're going with that...but John T did make a pretty valid point in regards to the whole "blame game" deal, it would seem your cellular network would be a more likely "at fault" party.
That said, you presented an issue...the nature of a forum (since you wanted to bring it up) is not always going to be a 100% rainbows and sunshine assistance fest, we arn't Apple CSR's so while discussing possible issues or fixes, you're going to get opinions too...which is the core of why a forum exists.12-23-2012 01:28 PM
- Thank you all for your feedback. I honestly didn't intend to blame the iPhone for the issue. I realize it did sound that way in my original post after re-reading it, but that wasn't my intention at all. I don't know what is causing the issue. I am hoping it is one that can be fixed whether it's AT&T or my iPhone. As I said before I don't think it would be the phone since this is the second one doing the same thing. I have called AT&T about the issue. I actually did that first before any other troubleshooting. I don't really know what else to do to fix this issue. That's why I was reaching out for help. I haven't heard of many others experiencing this issue. This is the only problem I have experienced with the iPhone, so I really do like the phone. I just wish the calls didn't fail.12-23-2012 01:56 PM
- Thank you all for your feedback. I honestly didn't intend to blame the iPhone for the issue. I realize it did sound that way in my original post after re-reading it, but that wasn't my intention at all. I don't know what is causing the issue. I am hoping it is one that can be fixed whether it's AT&T or my iPhone. As I said before I don't think it would be the phone since this is the second one doing the same thing. I have called AT&T about the issue. I actually did that first before any other troubleshooting. I don't really know what else to do to fix this issue. That's why I was reaching out for help. I haven't heard of many others experiencing this issue. This is the only problem I have experienced with the iPhone, so I really do like the phone. I just wish the calls didn't fail.
It may be that the edge receiver on the iPhone 5 just isn't up to snuff for your area, that would really be unfortunate but is entirely possible...do you know others with newer gen smart phones who get reception just fine on edge in your area?12-23-2012 02:19 PMLike 1
- My mom has the iPhone 4, but that's an older phone. My husband has a newer android phone. He hasn't had an issue with his phone, but he doesn't talk on the phone that much. He texts & uses the internet mostly. We have wifi here at our house, so we are able to use the Internet without the slow speed of edge. I guess I can just be glad it doesn't drop the calls all the time & hope AT&T will update our towers. I believe they are going to be upgrading them to 3G soon.12-23-2012 02:30 PM
- Edge was never a very reliable network (one of the reasons the push for wide spread 3G came so quickly and wide spread). I would still be concerned if your mom's 4 was able to pick up the signal better in your area, but i would definitely compare the two phones against each other a good bit before making that decision, like you said with your husband, your mom may not use the phone as much, or may not move around in your area as much while making phone calls, giving the appearance of better performance when you could just unfortunately be using your phone in areas where Edge isn't reaching properly.12-23-2012 04:53 PM
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Marvin49 wrote:TeamoftheCentury wrote:Marvin49 wrote:Wow.
Really? OK...I guess thats ONE way to look at it. A bit self aggrandizing IMO, but whatevers clever.
REALLY! Here, is this any more readable? I didn't realize you couldn't read the font size. No need to put on those goofy glasses that make your eyes look so big.
Yes, Tom Brady is pretty good. Momentum is a huge thing. You must have saw that shift after the 2nd halftime of the Super Bowl. Anyway, sorry if I lost you. Wasn't trying to be clever. I'll try to remember that you've got pompous down, though. Too, I'll try to remember you're vision impaired.
Yeah....my issue wasn't that I couldn't read...it was that you seem to be attributing WAY to much credit to the Seahawks for "exposing" the 49ers. You know...the Self Aggrandizing part.
No worries. Just lookin forward to week 2.
Gee, my mistake then, since you say so. How could I have so obviously missed that you were insulting my reasoning? How very self-aggrandizing of me to suggest that the Seahawks had a lot to do with exposing the 49ers. Good thing you Niner fans are here to "discuss" and "interact" with us Seahawks fans. That's right, Niner fans simply wish to come into a Seahawks forum with pure intent to merely talk football. Everyone should know that you guys know much more about football because the 1980s teams won championships and the Seahawks team did not. That settles it, right? Gosh, how silly of me to bother waste my time to explain what I meant - especially if I were to give reference and applaud the total game plan and team effort of the Seahawks that SNF game. That's what you experts call, weak sauce, right?
One more thing. Are we supposed to take your week 2 reference as some prediction, oh great nostraDUMass? So you're saying we should count on you coming after us in this Seahawks - 49ers forum (.net main) and give us all an ear full? Because you're just here to talk football, not smack, etc.


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If you were here yesterday, you've already seen Part I. But if not, you can click here to read it first.
Yesterday was about the speakers and the workshops, but today is about the other stuff–the friends you will make and the fun you will have.
I've met some amazing writers through Yale and I'm thrilled to say that many of them have also become friends. They inspire me, encourage me, and make me laugh.
I don't have pictures of everyone I keep in contact with but these are my girls! They are talented, kind, and super fun to be around. In fact, making writer friends is probably the biggest benefit I can see in attending writers conferences. I'd say I make at least one new friend at every writer event I go to. No one in my house really cares too much about reading or writing (I know, I have failed them all miserably), so having friends who share the same passion is amazing.
I mentioned yesterday that dinner is not included in the tuition for the Yale conference. That gives you a chance to get out and explore New Haven. There are tons of restaurants–Chinese, Indian, Burger Joints, Pubs, Mexican. Here are some of my favorite places:
Tomatillo – think Chipotle but better. It's super casual and not too expensive. No alcohol is served there.
And then there is Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant. They have yummy guacamole and the margaritas aren't so bad either.
Then there is the Indian Vegetarian Restaurant Thali Too. Their dahl is dahlish!
The Atticus Bookstore has yummy tomato soup and great salads and sandwiches.
One of the places I enjoyed most was Mory's. It's a private club but they invite the writers from the conference to come anytime during their time in New Haven. The side patio is lovely.
Ordinary has the most fabulous grilled cheese sandwich, but be patient, you might have to wait a while for it. 😉 I also loved the beet salad at the Heirloom Restaurant in The Study Hotel.
For the world's most famous hamburger, go here. There is very little room to sit down, so plan on "to go". Just fyi, they don't offer many condiment options. Well, you can have ketchup, onions, or I think tomato. But nothing else. Think Soup Natzi. And learn from my mistake–do not, I repeat, do not ask for mayo. And, dear God, whatever you do, do not ask for french fries. It's chips or nothing. Personally, I don't get it. The meat was rawish and the burger is served on bread rather than a proper bun. But, like, I said, the line was out the door.
Yale holds their conference in June. Both years that I attended New Haven was also hosting the Arts and Ideas festival at the same time. Bonus!New Haven is full of amazing libraries and museums. You could easily spend ten days just sightseeing. There is the Peabody Museum of Natural History.
The Sterling Memorial Library:
The Beinecke Rare Book Library where you can see the Gutenberg Bible:
Some of the other fun things you will see around town:
Skull and Bones.
It is an "ivy" league school after all.
Some people say rubbing his foot will bring you good luck. Other people say that rubbing his foot will make you look like a dork. So, why are you still here? Log off and go get your submission ready! 😉


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Location: Maine
Established: February 26, 1919
Size: 49,600 acres
Sea and mountain meet at Acadia, where, as one presumably ambidextrous visitor wrote, "you can fish with one hand and sample blueberries from a wind-stunted bush with the other." Most of the park is on Mount Desert Island, a patchwork of parkland, private property, and seaside villages that seasonally fill with what residents call "the summer people." Other bits are scattered on smaller islands and a peninsula.
Mount Desert Island once was continental mainland, a mountainous granite ridge on the edge of the ocean. Some 20,000 years ago, towering glacial ice sheets—sometimes a mile thick—flowed over the mountains, rounding their tops, cutting passes, gouging out lake beds, and widening valleys. As the glaciers melted, the sea rose, flooding valleys and drowning the coast. The preglacier ridge was transformed into today's lake-studded, mountainous island, which thrusts from the Atlantic like a lobster's claw.
Samuel de Champlain, who explored the coast in 1604, named the island L'Isle des Monts Déserts, sometimes translated as "the island of barren mountains." From his ship he probably could not see the mountains' forested slopes. The summer people rediscovered Mount Desert in the mid-19th century, built mansions they called "cottages," anchored their yachts in rock-girt harbors, and cherished the wild. To preserve it, they donated the nucleus land for the park, the first east of the Mississippi. The original name, Lafayette National Park, was changed in 1929.
Dependent on donated land since its inception, the park took what it could get, skirting around private property and growing piece by piece. Acadia's real estate was so patchy that not until 1986 did Congress set its official boundaries.
Although one of the smaller national parks, Acadia is one of the most visited—by almost two and a half million people a year. Heavy traffic can produce a phenomenon unknown to Mount Desert's first summer people: gridlock. The Island Explorer shuttle bus has helped alleviate the problem.
How to Get There
From Ellsworth, 28 miles southeast of Bangor, follow Me. 3 south for 9.5 miles to Mount Desert Island, where most of the park is located; the visitor center is 3 miles north of Bar Harbor. Another section lies southeast of Ellsworth, on the Schoodic Peninsula, a one-hour drive from Bar Harbor. Airports: Bangor and Bar Harbor.
When to Go
Year-round, but main visitor center is open from mid-April through October. Expect heavy traffic in July and August. Spectacular foliage also attracts crowds from September to mid-October. Snow and ice close most park roads from December through mid-April, but parts of the park are open for cross-country skiing.
How to Visit
Allow at least a day for Mount Desert Island, with a drive on the 20-mile Park Loop Road and the road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. If fog comes, enjoy its gift: a softening of sights and sounds. On a second day, enjoy an uncrowded view of the rocky coast of Maine by visiting the Schoodic Peninsula. If you have more time, take your pick of one of the trails or smaller islands.


text: Well, I definitely need at least one belt for a hydraulic pump to run the anchor winch. And sure - at some point it might be nice to have an engine-driven water pump as well. Could use for washdown, emergency bilge pump, etc. But the problem is that the four-row pulley extends several inches past where the bulkhead would land. Moving the bulkhead forward won't work for any number of reasons (I want to maximize cabin space, the current bulkhead is positioned to be the forward face of the pilothouse and it ties to a major cabin support beam) so I'm stuck with what I have. The motor is really wedged in. About an inch of clearance aft and above and maybe that much forward after I swap the pulley. The companionway steps clear the thermostat by about half an inch on that side. As it is I might need to mount a jackshaft for the anchor winch pump since I need to move that as well. It was originally mounted in front of the motor (on the platform welded to the starboard engine stringer) but that placement would interfere with my new bulkhead too.


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Transportation planning
Transportation Related Links
The following links are provided for use in obtaining additional information on transportation related topics.
Federal & National Government Links:
- U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Transportation Research Board (TRB)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- US Census Bureau
- International Trade Administration
- National Association of Counties (NACO)
- National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
State Government Links:
- California Air Resources Board
- California Environmental Protection Agency
- California Highway Patrol
- California Transportation Commission
- California Department of Finance
- California Technology, Trade & Commerce Agency
- California Department of Motor Vehicles
- California Energy Commission
Local Government Links:
- Air Quality Management District Links
- California Local Government Information Website
- California State Association of Counties
- League of California Cities
- Various California Links
Academic Links:
- National Highway Institute
- National Transit Institute
- University of California - Davis
- Partners for Advanced Transit & Highways
This page provides links to be used as resources only and is by no means an exhaustive listing. We are not responsible for information contained on the referring sites. If you find that these links are grossly inaccurate please inform us and they will be removed. If there are links that you feel would be useful as a resource please let us know.


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Gift Your Vehicle To A Charity In Clarksville IA
Apart from obtaining car donations in Clarksville IA from interested donors, you can consider reputed car donations centers that can support your charity in a great manner. A number of car donors donate their vehicles to these organizations, which in turn sell the cars and donate a significant percentage of amount obtained to the charitable organizations. In this way, these organizations act as charity agents between the donors and the charities. If you run a charity to help needy people and families, here are few tips to help you choose the right car donation centre in Iowa.
Donation Centers with Strong Network In Clarksville IA
A car donation centre with strong network in the industry can be of great support for your charity. For instance, the center that makes huge efforts to attend car auctions in different parts of the region can obtain deserving prices for the donated cars. This will consequently bring more donations for your charity. Also, a popular car donation centre near Clarksville IA will be visited by more number of car donors.
Amount Reserved for Donation In Iowa
What percentage of the money obtained from selling the car is promised by the donation centre towards charity? Most of these centers promise the contribution of 50% towards the charity, which is definitely a good support for the noble causes near Clarksville IA like one supported by your charity. You can also search for the organizations offering better share than this.
Does It Donate Repaired Cars In Clarksville IA?
A car donation centre might simply donate the car to the charitable organization. In that case, make sure that the cars are repaired and donated in working condition. In case, the donation center sell the car and donate money to the charitable organization, it will deduct the costs related to repair, pickup and delivery of the vehicle in Clarksville IA. For this, make sure that you get a written record of the price and expenses associated with the car.
Do They Wish to Restrict?
Some car donation centers restrict the charitable organizations to obtain charity exclusively from them. It is definitely not in favor of your charity to get donations in Iowa from one source only. So, choose a donation centre that sets you free for receiving donations directly from donors or from other donation centers as well.
Authorized Donation Centers In Clarksville IA
The car donation centre must be an authorized organization and must be in the notice of the state laws. Also, you can learn about the reputation of the centre to avoid any types of frauds and scams. Do not hesitate to ask for the references of other charities with which the centre works.
Finally, you can learn about the time taken by the organization to pay the cheque for the promised donation. There are organizations that might demand favor from your charitable organization in the form of advertisement for their work. If you are satisfied with the way these organizations support donations for your charity, there is no harm to recommend their names to other charitable organizations or promote their name in the society.
Other City Posts To Look At:


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- Catch a glimpse of what's happening on campus right now by visiting live.interlochen.org.
- View a schedule of upcoming live webcasts.
- See our collection of archived webcasts.
- For more great videos, be sure to check out our YouTube channel!
- Audio archives on Interlochen Public Radio
Video: Leonard Slatkin and the Academy Orchestra
On February 12, 2009, Leonard Slatkin and the Academy Orchestra performed the U.S. premier of Kalevi Aho's Concerto for Contrabassoon, with soloist Lewis Lipnick of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Video: Camp 2011: Horn Solo
Shelby, a high school student in the summer music program performs a horn solo.
Video: Camp 2011: High School Bassoon Ensemble
High School Bassoon Ensemble from Camp 2011
Video: Academy Musician Performs with Guster
Academy Saxophonist performs live with Guster in Kresge Auditorium.
Video: Academy Opening Convocation Faculty Remarks, by William Church
This video features remarks by Bill Church, director of the Comparative Arts program and instructor of theater, during the Opening Convocation of the 49th year of Interlochen Arts Academy. Originally recorded and streamed live on Saturday, September 4, 2010.
Video: Symposium 2012: Information, Space and Time
In October 2012, a diverse group of speakers and participants gathered to ask some hard questions and discuss the future of the arts.
Video: Camp 2011: High School Saxophone Ensemble
High school saxophone ensemble from Camp 2011.
Video: Arts Academy 50th Anniversary Tours: Spring 2012
Students across the arts areas took to the road to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Arts Academy in an effort to reconnect with alumni and perform for new audiences across the country.
Video: Future of Cinema Film Festival 2011
The fourth annual Future of Cinema Fest was held on the Interlochen campus this fall and screened the best work of high school students around the world. In addition to screening student films, the festival brings some of the world's leading filmmakers to the Interlochen campus where they work closely with students who also have a passion for storytelling and film.
Video: Camp 2012: Opening Weekend
Opening weekend of Interlochen Arts Camp 2012 and the official start to the 85th season of Arts Camp.
Video: Hunter Bell, Summer Camp 2012
Hunter Bell, author and one of the stars of the musical [title of show] works with musical theatre students during Summer Arts Camp 2012.
Video: Camp 2012 Dance Ensemble
The collaboration of the music of Steve Larson with Interlochen dancers was featured in the dance curriculum at Interlochen Arts Camp this summer.
Video: Arts Academy: 2012 Commencement & Honors Convocation
Academy 1962 Opening Convocation: Joseph Maddy Speech
An audio recording of the Interlochen founder's speech at the opening ceremony of the first year of Interlochen Arts Academy.
Video: Interlochen Arts Camp Dance Summer Programs
Interlochen Arts Camp offers modern dance and ballet summer programs for dancers in grades 6-12.
Video: Percussion performance of "The Legend of Sleeping Bear"
Percussion students from Interlochen Arts Camp perform an original composition by John Alfieri, instructor of percussion at Interlochen Arts Academy.


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Q&A with James Bomalick: Action Director for Blue (2009)
I'm privileged to have met with James, who was kind in previewing some of the very fantastic and awe-inspiring behind-the-scenes footage of the quality action sequences that went into the making of this film. Blue will certainly set a new benchmark for Hindi movies to follow. I must add that it will also have one of the most contagious soundtracks (A. R. Rahman) of the year. Enjoy this Q&A, and please join me in thanking James for taking time out of his extremely hectic schedule to answer my questions and share his remarkable insight.
1. What motivated you to take up a career as action director? What's most exciting about it?
There was no conscious decision to action direct. Rather, it was an outgrowth of designing, creating, fabricating all of the pieces and parts to make an action sequence. After many years dealing with the choreography and the mechanics, it was only natural to place cameras for the best shots, to make it as exciting as possible. It was the next progression of development. The most exciting part of all of this is seeing the completion of complicated sequences on film, from all the different angles. Many times I have thought things up, prepared long and hard, and then had that moment when it was done, saying, "Wow, we really did that!!!" That is the most rewarding part.
2. How did movies influence your life as a child?
Movies didn't really influence me as a child, they only corroborated what I was doing. I was a wild kid on my bicycle, jumping ramps, and riding motorcycles in the desert. As I saw things in movies, I would get ideas for more crazy stuff to try. As I got older, I was a total adrenaline junkie; surfing, motorcycles, skydiving, scuba diving, martial arts, anything physical and dangerous. So, it was a way of seeing on film the things I thought were normal.
3. Which was the first action film you recall having seen?
The first action films I remember were the James Bond movies, with Sean Connery; also the westerns with John Wayne. One had cars, etc., and the other had shootouts, horses. Both were amazing, but I truly fell in love with the mechanics and adventure of Bond films. I have seen them all, not just once, but too many times to count. Besides films, I was a voracious reader of all action books. Well, any books. I loved the connection in the stories, and have read the books that movies were made from.
4. Books and treasure hunts go hand in hand! How did you come to direct action for Blue?
I came to direct the action on Blue when the director Anthony D'Souza called me on the phone and asked if I was interested. He wanted real action, not Computer Graphics, and we would do as much as we could on camera. Well, that was right in my ballpark, so we talked. I went to Mumbai, and we went to work. Anthony was the driving force for realism, and it was my area of expertise, so it was a perfect fit.
5. Is this your first Hindi/Indian film project?
This is my first Hindi film, and I hope for many more to come, if all is willing.
6. I don't doubt it! Three things in Blue every Hindi film fan must be excited about, in addition to the cast and music?
The cast and music are both great, and a great reason to see this film. In addition, there are incredible underwater sequences with 40 sharks, and a radical train chase, and for that matter, a lot of chases that will really be like a roller coaster ride.
7. We've read about it being filmed in the Bahamas. Any more locations we should be on the lookout for?
Not only did we film underwater in the Bahamas for months, in and around a real sunken ship at over 80 feet below the sea, with real sharks, and real explosions, but we were in Thailand with street chases as well as train chases. Also, the footage of the water scenes in the islands of Thailand is very amazing.
8. You filmed with several sharks, which I think is unreal. How was that experience? How did the actors react to being in their proximity?
The sharks were very real, and not trained. They live their lives around this wreck. So, every day it was: go to work, swim through the sharks, and film. For me, it was the greatest. You had to be careful and observe some basic rules, but it was an adrenaline rush. The actors took it all in stride, and Akshay was very cool with the sharks. It was great to see how all actors appreciated the nature and the environment, as well as the sharks place in it.
9. There's a significant fan following in the Bollywood blogosphere for each of the lead actors of the film. Anything you'd like to share with us on your interactions with them?
Working with the stars of this movie was amazing. Until then, I had not had a grasp of their status worldwide; but, I did a lot of homework to educate myself, and watched a lot of films with these same stars. I had many long converstions with Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, and Zayed Khan about a variety of topics, not just the films. In this way, we developed a trust and connection that made it all work.
10. What are the first words that come to mind when I say the following names. Any specific memories that stand out?
Sanjay Dutt: Heart of a lion. He is truly a great man, and I enjoy the time I spend with him.
Katrina Kaif: I didn't have a great deal of interaction with Katrina, but see her glamor and appeal.
Akshay Kumar: Very professional, cool, and soft spoken. He has a great work ethic.
Zayed Khan: A lot of fun, and an adrenaline junkie like me. He was very enthusiastic.
A. R. Rahman: I met him before we started filming, and he seemed to have a lot of involvement and artistic direction when discussing this film with the Director Anthony D'Souza.
Lara Dutta: Amazing, intelligent and beautiful. Also, hard-working, learning to swim so very well.
11. The casting for Blue seems to be spot on. Sanjay, Akshay and Zayed are seasoned performers in action-oriented films. Did any of the actors surprise you with their involvement in stunts?
As action director I was heavily involved with the male lead actors. Sanjay dove very well, and was a good sport with the very demanding underwater fight sequences. Think of all that gear, underwater, trying to make hard, quick fight moves. Utterly exhausting.
Akshay was very cool, working smoothly underwater, through all of the takes we needed. He seemed to enjoy the water. And, Zayed was great, though he surprised me with his desire to jump off of a 30 ft tall balcony onto a car. When he told me he wanted to do this, I was quite shocked. In Hollywood, this is unheard of. All of the actors have done their own stunts, and it amazed me that this was a Hindi industry standard. Though it put a lot of pressure on me, as I had to be extra careful and plan extra well. They were totally amazing.
12. The background score and soundtrack, combined with the action sequences, promise a treat. It seems a lot of filmmakers pay relatively little attention to music before or during filmmaking. Do you think the presence of playback singing and songs in Hindi films are a complement or a deterrent to the films?
I appreciate the formula of Hindi film. In this culture the music and dance are a vital part of life, so the film must reflect that. Only through this can you convey all of the ranges of emotion and drama, as well as excitement. The public is attuned to this and expects it to be in their comfort zone. The music was so important for this film that it began at the first planning stages, before filming even started.
13. One action film everyone must see.
I am such a critic. I watch *all* action films, and take bits and pieces from each. I love fights from some, car chases from others, explosions from yet others. I think all action films have some parts that are great, even if the entire movie may not work. Bruce Lee movies, Grand Prix, Bourne Supremacy, Ronin, old James Bond, all are soooo fun!
14. Agreed. Which is/are your favorite Hindi movie(s)?
Again, I have no one favorite. I have watched several dozen Hindi films; I like Sanjay's fight sequences and also his singing. I liked a variety of Akshay films. I think Amitabh Bachan is quite distinguished in many of his roles. I truly enjoyed Shah Rukh Khan films as well. I think the films all bring something to the table, I like parts of all.
15. True. Some of Sanjay's fight sequences are quite memorable, indeed. How would you rate your experience on the sets of the Hindi film?
It is very similar to Hollywood. Though, some departments have a lot more people, it is more or less the same. So, for me it was fairly easy and comfortable to get into a groove. All in all, it was a great experience. I had filmed in Goa previously on Bourne, so I was exposed to it before. Here it was a fully international crew working in some very remote locations. The crew worked very hard, and I was very greatful for all of their effort.
16. Would you do it again?
Do it again? I would love to. In fact, I am now working on another Hollywood film, and I am missing the color and flavor…the vibe…of working on a feature like Blue. I would love to do it again.
17. There seems to be an unprecedented level of interest in Bollywood following the tremendous success of Slumdog Millionaire (2008). As an industry insider, do you sense around you the same level of interest in Bollywood?
For years there has been an interest in Bollywood, even prior to Slumdog. I was involved with this project 2 years ago in its infant stages, and have seen the interest grow. All of the Hollywood studios have affiliates in India now, and the interest keeps building.
18. What's one lesson Bollywood could learn from Hollywood?
I would say that there is only one main area that significantly differs between the two; that is a result of schedules and talent availability. Usually a Hollywood film , especially a big action film, has everything planned and rehearsed for a long time prior to shooting. Then it is all shot in one long go, not broken into schedule. I understand the difference, but in action it can be difficult to work around this preperation and rehearsal time. I understand how it is done in Bollywood, and why, but it can be difficult especially for action.
19. And vice versa?
Hollywood could benefit from some of the looseness, the color, the happy sudden occurrences that make a more spontaneous performance. It is this vibe, this life, that lends a realism to things that can be lacking in Hollywood.
20. When is Blue expected to release? Will Los Angeles see a premiere?
I have been told that Blue is to be released during August, on a long weekend, but I can't be held to that. There will be several large premieres, that I was told by the production house.
21. Sounds great, I'll hope to see it Day 1! Again, thank you so very much for sharing your remarkable insight. I'll say it again, I'm awed by all you and your crew do for the sake of film and its audience. Many salutations, and I cannot wait to see Blue. Any closing comments?
I would like to thank my friend and the Director Anthony D'Souza for placing his faith in my abilities to bring his vision to reality in terms of action. He was instrumental in his support to me. I would also like to thank the production house Shree Ashtivinayak for their support and for allowing us to be so creative on such a big scale. Without their support, this film would not have been made. The action is all real in camera, so it was logistically very difficult. But, in the end, it was a great opportunity, and again, I thank them.
Picture sources:
Stunt/Action crew images copyright James Bomalick, ActionTek LLC.
Actors' images courtesy this MSN India link.
Please note that copyright for this Q&A is owned by James Bomalick and theBollywoodFan.com, and that the content of this post may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the author.
23 comments:
- Bhargav Saikia said...
Thanks for sharing the interview.
Looking at Bomalick's filmography, Blue should be an interesting action flick! But I do hope that the film's budget is decent enough for the action sequences to actually look good.
Huge expectations from Rahman! I suppose Blue will be a welcome change for him. He hasn't scored music for many action films.
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- Darshit said...
Maha Exclusive !!!
Gr8 post, loved insightful talk. Did u got to listen to any of the fab ARR tracks? I m jealous ;)
One thing disapointed though, is 'Jaws + DeepBlueSea' lookalike poster. Still I think its a temporary one.
- Monday, May 18, 2009
Thank you James! I've loved each of the Hollywood movies mentioned here for their special effects/action, and I can't wait to Blue!
And well done, TBF! Thank you for sharing such wonderful 411. Much appreciated.
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- Filmi Girl said...
Cool interview!! I'm very excited to see Blue and it looks like I'll have some cool action scenes to look forward to!
I like how he mentions that the actors did their own stunts. I love that about Akshay films, in particular. He's like Jackie Chan in that way.
I'm going to link to this in my news tomorrow!
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- memsaab said...
Very nice interview! :-) Talk to you soon!
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- bollywooddeewana said...
Wow a lot seems to have gone into making this flick, i hope they'll be rewarded for their efforts with the box office takings, this film had BETTER NOT FLOP
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Bhargav: From what's out there in the Indian media about it, Blue seems to be the most expensive Hindi film ever made. Regardless, I don't think the budget would be an issue.
Rahman's background score for an action flick is something I'm definitely looking forward to. The one for Ghajini (but that was more streetfighter action, although there were a couple of chases...that 'Run, run' theme is great) was, in my opinion, one of the more underappreciated components of the film.
Darshit: Thanks, and yes, the songs will rock! And there will definitely be more posters upcoming. I'm loving the theme (calls for a Lego creation, perhaps...anyone interested?). Treasure hunts and the seas are my kind of film :) Plus...Katrina! And Lara!
Anonymous: You're very welcome! It was a great first Q&A, one much fun compiling as well. A big thank you to James B., of course, for making it possible.
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Filmi Girl! I agree with you on Akshay. (On an unrelated note...have you seen Deedar (1992)? I remember liking it when it released.) He's always been a great action hero. And you'd better believe I was referring to the 'Akshay No. 1 Ladies Fan Club' when I mentioned 'fan following' above :)
The action scenes here will be a *lot* of fun, and I'm really looking forward to checking them out on the big screen. Bollywood finally seems to be growing up in this genre!
Memsaab: Thank you. Will do!
BollywoodDeewana: I'm confident all that hard work will be rewarded. And I think it'll be timed right, too. There's so much to look forward to!
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- Darshit said...
Yes ! Go Lego Boy !
- Monday, May 18, 2009
- Pitu said...
Wonderful job, TBF!
- Tuesday, May 19, 2009
- Diwali said...
Very interesting interview, many thanks. Would you allow me to add the link of this blog post to my fan-site www.sanjay-dutt.info? I also would love to translate it for the Bollywood fans here in Germany as not all of them understand English perfectly.
All the best, Diwali from Germany
- Tuesday, May 19, 2009
- JJC said...
awesome.those are some good questions you asked
- Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Honestly totally uninterested in this movie. :-p
Both my wife and I absolutely loved the stylish action in Mission Istanbul and look at how big a flop that was!
But anyway, just wanted to ask you Aamir fan, in Taare Zameen Par, did he or you guys (as in fan guys) come up with a justification for showing the other teachers as buffoons? Asking because, despite my misgiving on that score, REAL teachers actually appreciated the movie. :-p
- Wednesday, May 20, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Darshit: Great! Be on the lookout, then. It'll probably be a while, but I have a closet full of Lego to re-build and share =)
Pitu and JJC: Thanks for reading. :)
Diwali in Germany! Huge Sanjay Dutt fan! Absolutely, please feel free to link to this page from your blog. In fact, thank *you* for that.
Also, would it be possible for you to send me the translation, or post a comment here with your translation?
- Thursday, May 21, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Sunil: I haven't seen Mission Istanbul, so can't really speak to the action there. I do most certainly prefer the cast of this film more, and the music to this will be way better. So I guess I'm looking forward to a much better timed product. Time will tell. Any movie with a treasure hunt, though...seriously...should be fun.
As for Aamir in Taare Zameen Par. I'm probably intentionally being flippant about it here, but Aamir was a teacher too, after all, which might be why real teachers like the film :)
In all seriousness, I think the essence of it was to encourage breaking out of group think mode. Academia in India seems to have been having a major issue dealing with children with learning disabilities (among others). From the chairperson of the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association (who is featured very prominently along with medical professionals, in an hour-long segment in the T-Series Taare Zameen Par DVD release in India), we learn of the research that went behind the film and its subjects, a lot of which is fact-based. We also learn that the movie was first named 'High Jump' and not TZP, only adding to the universality of the message to fight against group think no matter what the sphere of operations.
I didn't think the other teachers were shown as buffoons, though. They appeared just strictly operational. Believers in everything being black and white with no shades of gray. :( There must've been other teachers in the schools Ishaan attended, who would've helped him just the same. The poor kid just didn't have the good fortune of being in their classes until the art class came along!
So what did you think of the movie overall? A lot of the complaints against it seem to be targeted at Aamir, which I find baseless, given the primary target audience of the film includes rural India, which urban India should've figured out by now =) I think it's fair to give him a chance to defend his work. If only everyone listened to the Director's Commentary on the DVD!
- Thursday, May 21, 2009
- Diwali said...
@bollywoodfan: Thanks. Here's the link:
I'll return to you when the translation is done.
- Friday, May 22, 2009
- Diwali said...
Okay, here is the German translation of your Q&A with James Bomalick:
German Translationhttp://sanjudiwali.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-mit-james-bomalick-action.html
(Don't know which way the link will work better...)
Once again many thanks! :-)
- Sunday, May 24, 2009
Was bit busy. :)
So what did you think of the movie overall? Watching this movie was the very last thing I did in the year 2007 and year 2007 ended on a high note for me, so draw your own conclusions!
More than with Aamir (who can make a movie like Earth and be ridiculed for doing something so beautiful), I was very happy and proud of our audience for so wholeheartedly accepting such a totally uncommericial film - no heroine, no romance, no fights, and that is just for starters.
And that is precisely why I didn't like the buffoon teachers. In a movie where Aamir was appealing to our higher senses, where he was trusting us as an audience, it really saddened me to see him cheapen it by adding stock commercial comedy elements like the buffoon teachers.
They appeared just strictly operational. The lady Bombay teachers were drawn very well, but - in my opinion of course - the male teachers in Boarding school very literally caricatures as shown in the climatic song. :) The movie still worked for me, but I was worried that real teachers may not like the unnecessarily mean-spirited jibe at them. Or that "ordinary" members of the audience would get a chance to dismiss the message of the movie due to this unrealistic touch. That they still liked the movie is too cool. :)
- Sunday, May 24, 2009
- Shahid said...
Hey hey hey,remember me.?
Well i don really care ab8 this movie,itz the soundtrack m waiting fr,after delhi - 6 this is gonna b Rahman's second outing dis yr,i hope he gets it well.!~ :)
- Tuesday, May 26, 2009
- shell said...
Great interview! I didn't really know much about this movie, and was just recently thinking, as I was watching the Hollywood movie 'Wanted' that it would be nice to see a well-directed Hindi action. AR is my musical hero, so I can not wait to hear what he comes up with for this!
- Saturday, May 30, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
All: Apologies for the delay in responding.
Diwali: Thank you so much for providing the link to this post, and for translating the interview in German!!!
Sunil: That's great to know about 2007 ending on a high note for you! I agree on being proud of the audience for accepting TZP. It needed an Aamir to take the film to that level; the film was a risky project given the theme. I understand better your viewpoint on the teachers, and agree for the most part. Except that I'm still not sure those teachers were completely unrealistic. :)
Shahid: Of course I remember you! I'm quite sure Rahman's music will be well received (that's *always* a safe bet, LOL). I also think the film will do well -- as I said above, I can't wait to see it on the big screen.
shell: Thank you! Thanks also for your visit. So would you recommend one see 'Wanted'? I just finally saw 007: Quantum of Solace a few days ago and rather liked it. Blue at least gives us something to look forward to. I think by Bollywood standards, it'll be best in class. And AR's music, we can always count on!
- Saturday, May 30, 2009
- shell said...
'Wanted' felt kind of like a breath of fresh air to me (in and amongst the hordes of bollywood movies) simply for the fact that I thought the action was top notch. It's pretty bloody at times, but really great action sequences especially towards the end. Story was okay.
- Sunday, May 31, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Thanks for the info, Shell. I'll try to check it out sometime!
- Sunday, May 31, 2009


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Become a Cop >> Browse Articles >> Career Resources
Getting Serious About Joining the Force
Richard Weinblatt
It's a New Year and you want to fulfill your dream of landing that cop job. Now that the initial flurry of silly New Year's Resolutions have fallen by the wayside, let's get serious. In order to help you on that quest, this Cop Career Counselor column is geared towards helping you shape your New Year's resolutions towards that goal.
Around 80% of Police Departments and Sheriff's Offices across the country are experiencing a crisis in recruiting. Some departments have altered their standards in response. The Dallas Police Department just revamped their prior drug usage history for applicants (A one-time, experimental usage of a harder drug such as cocaine is now okay with a ten year or older window).
Be that as it may, the standards are still high in most agencies. Only the most determined of applicants will make it in. The time to alter habits is today (if not years ago). Here are some useful New Year's Resolutions to replace the initial silly ones.
Have a fitness program- This is an age-old New Year's resolution. Health club memberships skyrocket this time of year reflective of many people's desire to better their physique. Be wise. Do your research and start the program under the guidance of medical and fitness professionals.
Toss the Tobacco- Some agencies have enacted tobacco-free policies. As cities in particular have been squeezed by soaring health insurance costs, administrators see the requirement of police applicants to have been tobacco free for a year as a move towards lowered costs.
Clean up the Credit- Do as the financial gurus advise and take stock of your money situation. If you have outstanding bills, contact those creditors and set up a payment plan. Put those high interest credit cards at the top of your list.
Slow Down on the Driving- Police chiefs and sheriffs recognize the high liability they have from their law enforcers driving 6,000 pound weapons. A ticket-laden pre-hire driving record will make any on-duty crash situations into a negligent hiring lawsuit against the employing agency. Try to put some distance between your application and your tickets.
Get New Friends- Don't be the guy who gets caught on surveillance cameras bailing out bad guys from the county jail. Prospective law enforcers are judged in part by their choice in friends and associates.
Quit Clubbin'- Hanging out at downtown clubs and other places of adult distractions are not conducive to a healthy police career. You don't want to be the person who ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets caught in the net. Your explanations as to why you are on the police report will be lost to a background investigator who is wondering why you were in such a place to begin with.
Bag the Baggy Pants- In order to be perceived positively as a future professional law enforcer, you need to dress the part all the time. Putting on the suit and tie when you go to the oral board is not enough. Donning baggy pants for your stroll in the mall will not go over well when you run into the local captain or major doing some shopping with the family. Present yourself professionally at all times as you do not know who will bump into around town.
The time to live the clean police lifestyle is not when you pin on the badge. The answer is actually to the contrary. The time to conduct yourself at the higher standard is now (and really yesterday). Much like the motto "dress for success," you have "behave better for success" as a police applicant.


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They aren't that far away and LeBron is going OFF.
This is possible.
DTexHawk wrote:I hope they spend so much energy on the streak, they are tired for the playoffs!
InSuarezWeTrust wrote:Nope.
The Yugoslavian wrote:They're at 27 now. . . Looking more and more likely. My boss is gonna be down in Miami on vacation and will attend two games (Celtics & Bulls) when they have the chance to break the record. Lucky bastard