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When pioneering French artist Marcel Duchamp unveiled his most influential work in New York nearly a century ago, even the avant-garde artists who organized the exhibit were stunned.
No one before had imagined anything like a urinal as a work of art. But Duchamp — by turning one on its back and signing the top — had transformed a lowly example of a utilitarian object into a subversive aesthetic bomb.
So deeply did his infamous "Fountain" shake the world of art that — in 2004 — an international survey of 500 art experts named it the most influential artwork of the 1900s. Five years ago, the revolutionary porcelain pot still stirred such strong emotions that another French artist stepped up to whack the trail-blazing monument with a few disapproving strokes from a hammer.
Chances are you won't encounter anything quite so provocative in "Assemblage, Collage and Mixed-Media by Virginia Artists," which runs through July 10 at the Charles H. Taylor Arts Center inHampton.
But you will run into piece after piece where the ingenious manipulation of things meant to make you think is at least as important — if not more — than the manipulation of materials meant to make you look.
Take Nancy B. Prichard's mind-tickling "Positive Aspects of Negatives," which fuses old paint brushes, an antique wooden shoe last and a half-dozen other found objects into a remarkably personal and engaging piece of sculpture.
Transforming the shoe last into the persuasive likeness of a horse's body, the Virginia Beach artist performs the same magic with the brushes, cutting the handles and plucking the hairs to conjure up her imaginary creature's legs, tail and mane. Then she gives it a hand-carved and painted head and hitches it up to a visionary-looking 4-wheeled cart.
Stitched together from scraps of maps and several tight, mysteriously cropped photos of children, the cart pops open like a jack-in-the-box, revealing a doll-sized cowgirl decked out with shiny glass beads and a beaded hospital baby ID bracelet. Behind this enigmatically smiling figure sprouts a pair of knitted yarn wings — the imaginary result of some repurposed infant garment.
What ties all the pieces of this curious, puzzlelike collection together are the lines of text Prichard inscribes across the lids of the box.
Taken from the classic Victorian-era children's poem by George MacDonald, they're unexpectedly evocative, sentimental and existentialist all at once.
"Where did you come from, baby dear?" the first passage asks.
"Out of the everywhere into the here," the second answers.
Such rewarding 3-dimensional works crop up many times in this show, as seen not only in Prichard's toylike, riddle-filled piece but also Hampton artist Bruce Kinkaid's playful "Rhythm Section."
Here an antique washboard combines with an array of horns and bells as well as a cymbal and tambourine to produce a remarkably elegant assemblage of sculptural shapes — not to mention a collection of implied sounds that you can almost hear as you run your eyes over the various noise-making parts.
Similar qualities can be found in many of the 2-dimensional works, including an eye-catching if inscrutable collage pieced together from vintage photographs, contemporary magazine illustrations and old cabinet keys by Chesapeake artist Mallory Jarrell.
Beginning with a painted figure that sports long, vinelike locks of hair, Jarrell pastes in pictures of a woman's smiling face and provocatively gesturing hand. Then she strews a collection of small white flowers across her subject's hairdo.
She adds to the mix with three old black-and-white photographs depicting a brick church, a wooded park and a far-away airplane. Still more evidence comes from two printed images portraying the houses of the zodiac and an eerily kneeling skeleton.
Equally intriguing is the quintet of cabinet keys that Jarrell hangs from the top of the frame by various lengths of twine. Then there's the scrap of paper bearing the handwritten details of an 1868 tax receipt.
Puzzling out what it all means is left up to the imagination.
But not for nothing is this mysteriously resonant trail of clues called "The Truthseeker."
Erickson can be reached at email@example.com and 247-4783. Find him at dailypress.com/entertainment/arts and Facebook.com/dpentertainment.
Want to go?
"Assemblage, Collage and Mixed-Media by Virginia Artists"
Where: Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd.,Hampton
When: Tuesday-Sunday through July 10
Cost: Free
Info: 727-1490/hamptonarts.net
Online: Go to dailypress.com/assemblage to see works from the show.


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UPDATED: Keene firefighters battle two blazes eight hours apartBy MEGHAN PIERCE
Union Leader Correspondent
May 13. 2013 9:08AM
KEENE – Firefighters responded to two multi-alarm fires Sunday and Monday. No one was injured in either fire, but combined damages total $130,000, a Keene Fire Department spokesman said.
Firefighters were dispatched to a first-alarm barn fire Sunday at 10:10 p.m. at 864 Marlboro Road. The building is owned by Jay McIntyre.
When Capt. Mike Burke arrived, he reported a well involved garage fire. Ten minutes later the fire had spread to the house, and the call was bumped up to a second-alarm.The fire was under control by 11:08 p.m., but the garage was a total loss. Damage to the house was primarily to the outside of the single-family home. Total damage between the garage and house is estimated at $30,000, according to a fire department spokesman.
The Fire Investigation Unit determined the cause of the fire to be combustibles stored too close in proximity to an operating wood stove. Keene police, Diluzio Ambulance, Marlborough, Swanzey, Chesterfield, Sullivan, Westmoreland and Brattleboro, Vt., fire departments assisted at the scene. Units from Spofford, Swanzey, Harrisville and Troy fire departments covered the two Keene stations during the incident.
Monday at 6:17 a.m. firefighters responded to a first-alarm porch fire at 50-52 Grove St. That building is owned by Meaghan Cook of Keene.
The residential duplex was occupied at the time of the fire.
Fire Capt. Mike Burke requested a second alarm before arriving on scene because of reports that the rear porch area was well involved.
Burke arrived to find heavy fire on the rear porches with fire extending on floors one and two in the rear of the house. Within 15 minutes, the fire was bumped up to a three-alarm fire as crews were fighting the fire on both floors and the attic area of the duplex.
The fire was under control at 6:17 a.m. The structure suffered damage on both sides of the duplex and a vehicle in the driveway suffered damage from the heat before it could be moved. Damage to the property is estimated at $100,000.
"The probable cause of the fire has been determined by the Keene Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit to be an electrical malfunction with an operating refrigerator on the back deck," a Keene Fire Department release indicated.
Keene police, Diluzio Ambulance, Marlborough, Peterborough, Swanzey, Spofford, Walpole and Brattleboro, Vt., fire departments assisted at the scene. Units from Chesterfield, Sullivan, Brattleboro, Vt, and Putney, Vt., fire departments covered both Keene stations during the incident.

subset: commoncrawl


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Was baking some Gingernut cookies to wrap up and tag for a bake stall and wanted to make them look like the labels were luggage tags. Adore how they turned out, they got so many comments from the ladies. And so easy, add a pretty ribbon and call them done. They printed up so well.
Katie Pertiet:
Basic Tags No. 01
Old Press and Miserably Lose


text: Just because you have an amazing sense of style, an eye for color, and can make a piece pop, doesn't mean it isn't nice to have someone else do the grunt work every now and again! Scrapbook kits are like having a fabulous personal assistant to gather up all the coordinating products and lovingly deliver them to you while you get a manicure. Make cards, layouts, albums and other perfect projects in a jiffy with page kits, album kits and beginner scrapbooking kits too!


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NRO's Corner has linked to my Daily Standard piece in support of supporting the Miers nomination. Ramesh Ponnuru adds a thoughtful response.
Addressing my argument that a standard under which conservatives reject Miers because she may not be a conservative is a standard under which non-conservatives could reject nominees known or suspected to be conservative, Ponnuru notes that some Senators are already voting against nominees for that reason. That certainly is true, thanks to the liberal Democrats. But non-conservative Republicans aren't doing so, at least not a critical mass of them. This is why the president was finally able to push Judges Prior, Owen, and Brown onto the bench, why Chief Justice Roberts' confirmation was never in doubt, and why the nuclear option remains (perhaps) in play. We have a fairly formidable (if less than rock-solid) coalition of moderate and conservative Republicans that will back conservative nominees. That's one of the reason why many conservatives are disappointed that Bush didn't nominate a well-established conservative.
Accordingly, conservatives need to think very carefully before they cast a vote against Miers that might well "blow up" the process. The process is not in great shape, but it's still intact. If we're going to be the ones to finally sink it, I'd rather that we do so for a liberal nominee in a case where, with luck, we're allied with moderates, not for a moderate to conservative nominee where our allies may be Senators Biden and Kennedy.
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


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Managing change in healthcare
We know healthcare like no one else. In fact, FreemanWhite is dedicated exclusively to creating forward-looking healthcare strategies and facilities that support our clients' success. Whether your organization faces challenges in prioritizing capital investment, creating healing spaces that improve the patient experience, maximizing operational efficiency, or achieving valuable speed to market advantage and cost savings, we can help you navigate today's rapidly changing healthcare environment. The entire way, our data-driven approach empowers you to respond flexibly to tomorrow's challenges.
Integrated healthcare expertise
Our integrated team of architects, engineers, strategists, clinicians, and construction experts provide incisive insight on complex healthcare issues, preparing you to thrive in the current market as well as in the next decade and beyond. We understand what it takes to serve patients during their most important moments, and we know how to deliver facilities and strategies that help healthcare practitioners do what they do best. At FreemanWhite, we manage change for organizations that change lives.


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You probably had enough of the Andrew Bynum saga by now. Unfortunately, it's not over.
After missing the entire 2012-13 NBA season due to knee problems, you probably assumed the 7-foot free agent center, who doesn't have a contract to play next season, would be rehabbing in an attempt to show teams he's healthy enough to contribute in the upcoming years.
He's not. Well, not exactly. If you consider performing the Flamenco dance in Spain to qualify as rehabbing, he is. Here's the video proof:
At least he's not bowling, right? That could be dangerous.
Luckily for Bynum, it appears to be a strong showing on the dance floor.
In case you're not familiar with this particular dance, the Flamenco is an expressive, Spanish dance form that uses hand clapping and fluid footwork. Bynum sure has that.
This video surfaced on the Facebook page of Cafe de Chinita, a restaurant in Madrid, less than two weeks after the Sixers ended a disappointing season.
As usual, scroll down and let us know how you feel in the comments after seeing this, Sixers fans.
(h/t Bleacher Report)


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About KCOM
Mission : Campus : Dean : Osteopathic Medicine
Margaret Wilson, D.O.
Dean, KCOM
Welcome to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine website! This site provides you the information necessary as you decide where to receive your osteopathic medical school education. After reviewing the information, I hope you consider KCOM as your first choice. KCOM is the founding school of osteopathic medicine with a proud tradition of graduating the finest osteopathic physicians in the world.
KCOM faculty members are dedicated to developing exceptional graduates who can outperform any graduate from other allopathic or osteopathic institutions in the country. Faculty provide an excellent learning environment with individual attention. KCOM has both formal and informal tutoring programs available. Student Fellowships in Medical Education, Anatomy and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine are available for those looking to enhance their professional resume. In addition KCOM has a highly regarded master's degree program in BioMedical Sciences. KCOM also has a Humanities Center and offers many electives including those focused on spirituality, literature in medicine, vulnerable populations and global health. Many of our faculty have been recognized by the governor of the state of Missouri for their outstanding teaching.
KCOM has recently developed an anatomical and clinical ultrasound curriculum. Students learn living human anatomy with the use of bedside ultrasound technology that will enhance their ability to diagnose at the point of care.
KCOM has the state-of-the-art Connell Information Technologies Center. This houses the latest high fidelity human patient simulators, expanded library and multimedia area, new Clinical Skills and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment laboratory, and several more "breakout" rooms for small group activities. Its internet capabilities connect KCOM with all our regional clinical training sites and any likewise equipped university in the world! KCOM has one of the oldest active Standardized Patient programs in the country.
There is plenty to do when you are not studying for classes, too! The Thompson Campus Center has basketball and racquetball courts, a rock climbing wall, free weights and machines, treadmills, stair climbing machines, elliptical machines, and stationary bicycles. It even has a sauna and a hot tub! The nationally recognized Still-Well program encourages a healthy lifestyle for all participants. The school hosts marathons, canoe trips, and other enriching experiences. There are plenty of organizations for you to explore your interests and practice the leadership skills you will need as physicians.
The Kirksville community offers a safe and relaxed lifestyle. Opportunities abound to become involved in community life. Whether you prefer mountain biking, day hikes, canoeing, water-skiing, the arts, theater, movies, or even nightlife, Kirksville has it all and if you wish Columbia, MO is only an hour away. Kirksville is also the home of the world class Truman State University. St. Louis and Kansas City are roughly three hours away, and you can even take the train (round-trip) to Chicago in less than six hours!
KCOM is the right choice for many of the top students from around the country because they can receive a premier osteopathic medical education in a safe, friendly, and economical community. All of this combines to make the "KCOM Experience" unbeatable.
Thanks again for stopping by A.T. Still University's Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, it is the right place to begin your career as an osteopathic physician!
Margaret A. Wilson, D.O.
Professor of Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Community Health
Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
A. T. Still University


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GoSmart mobile, a new pre-paid low-cost mobile brand from T-Mobile will be coming in February, according to Fierce Wireless sources. T-Mobile has already received encouraging numbers from select test markets last December, and has used those numbers to determine the efficacy of a nationwide rollout.
The pricing scemes are very reasonable, and give other prepaid plans a run for their money, or should we say, bandwidth. GoSmart Mobile will be offering plans at three different price points; $30 per month for unlimited voice and texting, $35 for unlimited voice, texting and 2G web service, and $45 for unlimited voice, texting and 5GB 3G "high-speed" web service. GoSmart is offering the Alcatel OT 838 for $49 and a "mobile SIM kit" for $8 that allows users to use their unlocked GSM devices to the service.
T-Mobile has made it clear that "certain T-Mobile plans may be prioritized over GoSmart Mobile plans during period of congestion" meaning that there is a chance your traffic will be prioritized behind that of T-Mobile's. It could create problems for other MVNOs who use T-Mobile's network, such as Ultra Mobile, Ready SIM and Solavei, who also offer low-cost prepaid services. If T-Mobile decides to prioritize GoSmart Mobile traffic over others, customers of the aforementioned MVNOs could suffer from slow data rates and bad connections.
It makes sense that T-Mobile is refining it's pre-paid strategy, as many other carriers are seemingly doing the same. Verizon Wireless is rumored to be launching two new prepaid plans on Feb.1, and will be offering unlimited talk and text and 500 MB of EVDO data for $60 a month and unlimited talk, text and 2 GB of EVDO data for $70 a month.
Looks like it's time to ditch those pesky contacts folks. Are you interested in GoSmart's new low-cost service? Let us know.
[Via: Fierce Wireless, Tmo News]


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DMS Program Announces 2013 Report
November 5, 2013
Each year the DMS program is required to create a report of student success to the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), which is then reported to CAAHEP. The program has prepared the 2013 report and is pleased to announce the class of 2012 credential success rates. The OB-GYN, vascular and cardiac credential success rates were all 100%, while the abdomen credential success rate is 80%. Congratulations to the DMS program for another successful report.
The class of 2013 is preparing for their credential exams and results will be reported in the 2014 report to the JRC-DMS. The class of 2013 included 20 students.
Cardiovascular General
Jeff Baughman Carrie Forbush
Lynsie Brewster Amber Collins
Kristen Eblin Renee Davis
Katie Fisher Cassie Earley
Jacob Harden Kelly Himelrick
Tammi Jones Shelby Malone
Jennifer Royer Amy Martin
Shelby Sizemore Hannah Newsom-McDaniel
Stacy Stump Megan Ours
Brooke Taylor Jamie Reed
On August 2, 2013 the DMS class of 2013 was recognized and given pins during the annual pinning ceremony. After the ceremony, students and their families were treated to refreshments. Congratulations to the class of 2013!


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Cross Country: Robitaille's success no surpriseBy ALEX HALL
New Hampshire Union Leader
November 18. 2017 12:29AM
When Manchester West cross country coach Leo Ducharme watched Julia Robitaille cross the finish line at the New England Cross Country Championships last Saturday, he felt a rush of several emotions.
Surprise was not one of them.
Robitaille became the first Blue Knights runner to win a New England individual title after earning a first-place time of 17 minutes, 31.65 seconds on the Troy Howard Middle School course in Belfast, Maine.
"My immediate reaction was pride," Ducharme said. "I knew she could do it."
Robitaille, a junior, came into the New England meet fresh off a pair of top-two finishes.
Robitaille finished second to Exeter senior Jackie Gaughan at the NHIAA Meet of Champions on Nov. 4. One week before that, Robitaille became the first West runner to win the NHIAA Division II individual title, earning a time of 17:52.5 at Derryfield Park in Manchester.
Heading into the New England meet, Robitaille and Ducharme decided it would be best for Robitaille to try to keep pace with top runners like Gaughan throughout the race. After making a few early moves out of the gate, Robitaille found herself running with the front pack. Around the two-mile mark, Robitaille made another move to take the lead.
"I felt good at that point," Robitaille said. "I realized I actually had a chance to win so I took off from there hoping to get to the finish first."
During the final stretch toward the finish, Robitaille felt South Kingstown (R.I.) senior Eleanor Lawler on her shoulder. Lawler finished with a runner-up time of 17:40.55, nearly nine seconds behind Robitaille.
"When I finished, there was a moment of disbelief because I never imagined I could have placed first at New Englands," Robitaille said.
After catching her breath and taking a minute to enjoy her victory, Robitaille turned her attention back to the finish line. She was eager to see what place her identical twin sister, Corinne, would finish in. Corinne took 25th overall with a time of 18:45.82 and was the 10th runner from New Hampshire to cross the finish line.
Gaughan, who won the New England title last year, placed sixth overall with a time of 18:06.5 and was the second New Hampshire runner to finish.
Ducharme said he was happy to see Robitaille rewarded for all of the training she puts in both during practice and on her own time.
"Some runners, after practice, they're done," Ducharme said. "Julia is never done. She's always trying to make herself better."
With the New England meet behind them, Ducharme and Robitaille are preparing for the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional on Nov. 25 at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Robitaille took seventh at the meet last year and fell just shy of qualifying for Nike's national meet in Portland, Ore.
Ducharme is confident Robitaille can place among the top five at the regional championships, which would earn her an automatic bid to Portland.
"That's the goal," Ducharme said. "Place and go to Portland."
High schools NH People Sports Running Manchester Cross Country High School Sports


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Feeling really frugal, I made my own salad. Here's my recipe:
1. Large serving of pre-washed organic salad: red and green romaine, oak leaf, chard, arugula, and other mixed greens. Thankfully, we had a bag of organic mixed greens in the frig.
2. Baby carrots
3. One vegetarian Morningstar chicken patty. (My favorite restaurant charges about $3 for that addition of veggie meat.)
4. Chopped almonds, walnuts and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
5. Chopped onions.
6. Minced, crisp miniature pickles.
7. Italian salad dressing.
Arranged on a large glass plate, my homemade gourmet salad was just as pretty as the $10-plus salad that I would have picked up at the restaurant. My own creation was a riot of color and taste, washed down with a tall glass of Asian Plum White Tea, sweetened with honey, which would have cost $3 at the cafe. For dessert: a generous serving of Oreo cookies, with the yucky cream center scooped out. (Yeah, I love the chocolate cookies, no cream.)
Bottom line: I didn't feel deprived; I felt pampered for a total cost of less than $2. And I learned several lessons from my salad plate:
1) Keep the kitchen well-stocked: Without the nuts, pickles and other perks, my meal would have just been lettuce on a plate. That so-called salad would have been no competition for the color-coordinated eye-candy salad at the cafe. Having a few extra ingredients in my cabinet and frig really saved me a lot of money.
2) Be creative: I don't normally put sour pickles on a green salad. But in a festive, anything-goes mood, I chopped and sprinkled the pickles onto my salad plate. My creativity was awarded with extra crunch.
3) Be patient: It took time to wash the pre-washed salad. (I never trust pre-washed salads!) It took patience to chop the carrots and the onions. Even reaching into the assorted bags of nuts was an exercise in persistence. But if I want to save money and live well, I'll have to stretch for the higher shelf, open the bag of baby greens and sprinkled the nuts myself.
4) Be honest: This is the big X-Factor. When I started to reach for the $20 bill on the dining room table, I initially told myself a lie, namely: I don't have time to make my own salad. It was easier, I thought to just walk out the door with my money and just hand over my green bill for a plate of green food.
But here's the actual invoice of time:
- Leaving my house is at least a 10-minute process.
- Walking to the little cafe near my home or the competing restaurants involves a brisk 10-minute sprint if I do that swishy hip-heel-toe weird walk demonstrated by speed-walkers that make little kids giggle.
- At this time of the year in Miami, my neighborhood is overrun with snow birds and the wait for a table at my little cafe could take as long as 20 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes to be waited on and served.
- The remaining balance of time: 20 minutes to eat, 10 minutes to wait for the bill and to pay my tab.
- And finally: 10 minutes to walk home.
Final cost of home gourmet salad: 10 minutes of prep time.
Bottom line: I saved about $18 in cash and over an hour in time. My gourmet salad was worth the effort.
Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of The Frugal Duchess of South Beach:How to Live Well and Save Money... Anywhere!, which will be published in the Spring of 2008 by DPL Press.


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|Think about Loose Coupling
Comment on
|( #3333=superdoc: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
I run Redhat Linux 8, and currently use the Ximian Desktop. If you right click on the desktop there is a 'scripts' menu item, and scripts folder. Here is the description
You should be able to move any perl scripts to the appropriate folder, (on my system this is "/home/user/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/"), on your system (if available) for similar results, YMMV.
In reply to Re: Re: (Not Quite Perl) Running Scripts from Right-Click Context Menu in Windows
by djbiv


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Evans named in Northern Ireland squad
Jonny Evans has been passed fit for Michael O'Neill's first competitive matches in charge of Northern Ireland next month.
The Manchester United defender had ankle surgery at the end of last season and has not played so far this term, though he did make the bench for the Red Devils' win over Fulham at the weekend.
Evans' appearance record for his country is patchy, but he is integral to O'Neill's hopes in World Cup qualifying and has been named in the 23-man squad which takes on Russia on September 7 and Luxembourg four days later at Windsor Park.
Belfast Telegraph


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The UVM McNair Scholars Program
The UVM McNair Scholars Program commemorates the accomplishments of the late Ronald McNair, PhD,1 NASA astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Introduced at UVM in 2004, the mission of the McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is to work with undergraduates to increase the number of first generation, limited income and underrepresented minority students who earn a doctorate. The McNair Scholars Program provides students with critical academic, research and professional experiences to enhance their competitiveness in gaining admission to doctoral programs. Students with majors in computer science, education, engineering, humanities, math, natural and social sciences, nursing & allied health sciences, and statistics are encouraged to apply.
Website questions? Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Funding for this Web Site provided by NSF EPS Grant #0701410 © 2011 Vermont EPSCoR – Burlington, Vermont 05405


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The Buffalo Sabres today announced they will partner with Unyts, Western New York's only organ, eye, tissue and community blood center, to host a blood drive Monday, Feb. 10. The blood drive will take place from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. at First Niagara Center.
Although all appointments for the Feb. 10 blood drive at First Niagara Center have been filled, additional blood donation appointments may be made at Unyts Neighborhood Blood Donation Centers through Friday, Feb. 14.
Those who sign up and keep their online blood donation appointment will receive two tickets to an upcoming Sabres game at First Niagara Center.
Beverages and snacks will be provided to all donors, and Perry's Ice Cream will be supplying free half-pints of ice cream throughout the day. Additionally, those who sign up and keep their blood donation appointments at the arena on Feb. 10 can take a tour of the Sabres' locker room.
Guest appearances by Sabres alumni and Sabretooth, the team's mascot, are also scheduled for the event.
Unyts is among the leading procurement organizations in the U.S., and is one of the only eight centers nationwide to house organ, tissue and eye procurement in one location. With the addition of community blood service, Unyts has become the first organization of its kind nationwide. Unyts operates as a nonprofit serving the eight counties of Western New York, and works to assist donor families, coordinate the donation process and increase knowledge and awareness within the community regarding transplantation.


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Adobe Enterprise Agreement 2 Licensing Program
Take advantage of significant savings on Adobe software over a three-year term and simplify purchasing and deployment across your entire organisation
Adobe Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2, one of the Adobe Volume Licensing (AVL) programs, makes it easy for customers to standardise on Adobe® Acrobat® and Adobe Creative Suite® software across their entire organisation. With EA 2, medium to large commercial and government organisations can earn significant discounts on volume purchases for a three-year term. Not only can EA 2 help you more easily deploy and manage the latest Adobe software across your organisation, but it also offers predictable pricing on software costs while reducing administrative management and IT workloads.
How EA 2 works
With a minimum purchase of 100 licenses of Adobe Acrobat or 100 licenses of Creative Suite software as well as Maintenance and Support for those licenses, your organisation can enroll in Adobe's Enterprise Agreement 2 program. The number of licenses (with Maintenance and Support) in your initial order sets your EA discount tier for the length of the three-year term, offering you predictable pricing for additional license purchases throughout that term and making it easier to budget for future costs. If your organisation is already using previous versions of Acrobat or Creative Suite software, you need to upgrade all qualified computers to the latest version of Acrobat or Creative Suite and purchase Maintenance and Support for those upgrades at the beginning of your enrollment. Full, upgrade, and upsell licenses will all count toward your initial minimum 100-license purchase. During your EA term, your organisation automatically receives upgrades of your licensed Adobe products and has direct access to Adobe support to quickly resolve technical issues.
Standardise software across your organisation
EA 2 makes it easy to standardise and manage licenses across your entire organisation. By making a volume purchase of Acrobat or Creative Suite licenses, you can ensure that everyone in your organisation is using the same version of the software, thereby reducing IT costs associated with supporting different versions of the same Adobe application. Because all licenses are covered with Maintenance, you automatically receive the latest versions of the licensed software throughout your term. In addition, EA 2 offers an annual true-up feature that enables you to deploy additional licenses as you need them throughout the year and then pay for those additional licenses—as well as second- or third-year Maintenance and Support—on each EA anniversary with a single purchase order. Additional licenses are priced at the same EA discount tier as your initial order, no matter how many extra licenses you deploy.
Reduce software costs
EA 2 offers your organisation the most substantial savings on Adobe software licenses of any AVL program. EA 2 offers significant savings based on your initial volume purchase. The more licenses you buy initially, the more money you save now and throughout the three-year term of your agreement. Your organisation is also eligible for deeper savings if you standardise on software from the Acrobat Family on 100% of your computers. If your organisation also participates in Adobe's Cumulative Licensing Program (CLP), which is recommended but not required, your EA 2 purchases can be applied toward your CLP accumulated point total for even greater savings.
If you are not yet a CLP member, you can become one before you enroll in EA 2 to take better advantage of the benefits that both programs have to offer. And because all EA 2 licenses require Maintenance and Support, your organisation saves on upgrade and product support costs throughout the three-year term.
Simplify software management and compliance
In addition to price advantages, EA 2 customers can maintain control over their software environments and simplify compliance by easily tracking and managing their Adobe software licenses through Adobe's Licensing Website (LWS). With LWS, you can run reports, track your order history, access serial numbers, review license statements, and download software via one online resource.
Get the most out of your product investment with Adobe Enterprise Support
Adobe Enterprise Support—which is required with EA 2 purchases—provides comprehensive 24x7 technical and usage support coverage through multiple channels, including phone and web. The program offers indispensable expertise to help you meet your business objectives with Adobe products. Deploy faster and more reliably with Adobe Support experts who can assist you across your entire solution lifecycle and provide insights on security issues and integration with other software. The support service facilitates product onboarding sessions and gives how-to support coverage to help you drive user adoption and accelerate your team's productivity. Mitigate risks and minimise downtime with direct access to around-the-clock responsive support from Adobe experts who can help you resolve technical issues quickly, no matter how complex your requirements. EA 2 also provides the opportunity to enhance Adobe Enterprise Support with an optional personalised support program—Enterprise Advantage Support—that offers the highest level of support expertise and responsiveness through designated Adobe support specialists.


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As Nintendo's first high definition console, Wii U will join the neverending, nothing-really-proven debate between the PS3 and the Xbox 360 over which console's visuals for whatever multiplatform game are superior. Some people are convinced it's a bad port, others are convinced it proves inferior hardware.
Anyone remember launch 360 and PS3 games? They sure didn't look all that great either.
Take a look at Condemned and Resistance: FoM both launch games, they looked pretty decent compared to a PS2 game but compared to what games came out a year later they look awful.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z... - Resistance
http://swotti.starmedia.com... - Condemned
I think using them as an example is a bad idea. This big difference there is it was the first time developers really went from SD to HD (big step) on consoles. I think this is more down to lazy porting by the developers. The step from this generation to next isn't as big as it was last generation
Your right comparing ps2 to ps3 is like comparing wii to wii-u. Last console to the next console. Comparing a wii-u multiplat to a 360/ps3 multiplat isnt really saying much. As a port its prob about the same minus a few niggles if dev's arent used to the hardware.
Now if all multiplats are downgraded somethings wrong. If all look far better somethings right. If theyre comparable everythings normal. People shouldnt judge the wii-u against a decked out rig, a ps3, or an atari. Compare it to the wii and see if its a worthy upgrade and see if it has titles you want.
Resistance: Fall of Man is a classic.
Don't lump it together with that Condemned garbage; which first released on PS3 in 2008 by the way, not 2006.
going from SD to HD is not hard for devs.. going from Intel/Nvidia PC parts in Xbox to a unified architecture with IBM/ATI parts is a harder step to take.
But we all know that the more experience devs have with a system the better the games look as the life of the console goes on.
@EeJLP - Condemned is more of a classic than Generic Brown Shooter #48.
I don't think its exactly "Laziness" but really because its what the name suggests, a "Port." When you port from one set to another without building from the ground up, it will never be like the original. There are a FEW cases that porting over from another console actually benefited, but in most cases I don't see it.
So its no surprise that ports to the Wii U will be like this.
LOL! After all the hype created by Nintendo and their fans by touting the BEST launch line-up EVER, these are the reviews they get. The graphics of this supposedly "next-gen" console are worse than current gen. Moreover, slowly the reality about Wii U is being revealed. We now know that WiiU RAM is slower than 6/7 year old PS360. The 5GB firmware update is bricking consoles. Soon the underpowered CPU and GPU will be revealed as well. Nintendo was hiding the specs and details for this very reason. They were tricking the Nintendo fans into buying this crappy, underpowered and last-gen console.
Sorry but there was a clear diffrence from ps2 to ps3 with resistance launch.
does that look like a ps2 games? look better than mw3. and far behind zombie u.
As far as wiiU goess.
I don't even see one semi next gen looking games on wiiU.
This is how wiiU games should look in the about a year?
accept with 1080p & 60fps.
Don't act like you wouldn't be impressed if that was a wiiU demo. (talk about gameplay if you want I am talking about the visuals.)
and it's off screen.
ps4 is gonna so own wiiU.
Not because of hardware but the great hardware pushing devs nerds that sony has.
Is it me or does resistance look better than zombiu
Well PS2 was the weakest of the 3 that gen
A better example is final years XBOX and launch 360 games.
You could argue that DOOM 3 as good as Perfect Dark Zero
That was the worst example you could give really as Heavy Rain and Beyond do not play like other games. They are more like interactive movies.
Before anyone starts too, show me a game that has those graphics on PS3/360. Sorry but there isn't one. Beyond and Heavy Rain (as good as it was) sacrifice being a game for those graphics.
Uncharted and God of War 3 are still the games to beat on consoles. They are real games with great graphics.
60fps? Yeah, I'll be getting a Wii U, but it's not THAT much more powerful than the 360 and PS3.
What is so wrong with ZombiU graphics?
I mean damn they aren't mind blowing, but they are at least atmospheric and clean.
I say give it a little time even though some experts already said that the Wii U wasn't very powerful; I do remember the experts of the experts saying the same thing about the PS3.
@StanSmith - Uncharted 2/3, Killzone 2/3, and Gran Turismo 5 are "real games" with those graphics. What are you talking about? What about The Last of Us? An argument could be made for LittleBigPlanet 2, as well.
Does anyone really think that Wii U shouldn't be thrashing 360 and PS3 from day one, out the box? Certainly I expected Nintendo to build something affordable, but in 2012 that should comfortably beat existing machines while not being too expensive to manufacture.
When you consider the kind of performance you get from a £65/$90 PC graphics card that comfortably beats out the consoles. A Radeon 6670 GDDR5 is plainly faster than 360 and PS3.
You can only pin down so much to this being a new machine and developers being unfamiliar. Indications suggest that Wii U's hardware is fairly standard stuff.
But even taking into account some developer unfamiliarity, Wii U should really be trouncing existing consoles. Really it should, I don't see an excuse why it shouldn't be able to comfortably best a 7 year old console like xbox 360 from day one.
If Nintendo were serious when they said Wii U will keep up with Sony's and Microsoft's next offerings...
I will be interested in following up on the other ports and multi plats Wii U is getting to see how it really compares.
The thing is, based on the dev kits sent to PS4 and Xbox devs, the Wii U will not be able to keep up with the next-gen competition. We've seen this played out before, with the Wii. Also, the hidden costs of the Wii U are a lot. My observations though, you could be correct or I could. The future will tell.
Claiming that one's opinion is a "fact"? Only on N4G.
I didn't buy a 360 for nearly two years after it launched. Was underwhelmed with the "leap". But then, games started looking better and better. The final games of PS2/GC/XBOX hardly looked any worse than launch games for 360/PS3.
You can expect the same thing with the wiiU, as far as launch games compare to later games.
I don't think thats really the point being made here Quetzil.
The point as I see it is that Mass effect 3 is already like the 3rd game in the series on Xbox 360, and so it is fairly well advanced graphically.
Even so would you expect Wii U to struggle at all with that? When Xbox 360 launched would you expect it to struggle with a straight up port of ANY Xbox or PS2 game? Of course not!!!!!!
Wii U should comfortably run ME3 right away. I mean if you used latest version of photoshop on a 7 year old PC and bought a new PC now- even like a super budget new one, would you expect photoshop to run better?
You would cos it would. Point is even budget 2012 tech is gonna (or should be) be better than premium 2005 tech cos tech moves fast like this.
Super duper 2005 PC with $1000 AMD 4800+ dual core http://www.cpubenchmark.net... gonna get stabbed by cheapass $50 2012 Intel Celeron G530. http://www.cpubenchmark.net...
So no matter if Wii U is brand new to developers how can it not run a game better designed for 7 year old hardware?
360 and PS3 didn't thrash Xbox and PS2 out of the box so why would you expect any different for this gen? Not to mention 'not being too expensive to manufacture' have you not heard about the state of the world's economy compared to 2006. Give it time.
The situation is somewhat familiar when you factor the Gamecube on the PS2 era. Early games didn't exactly "blow" away the PS2 not until the Resident Evil series started to flex it's muscles. 3rd party devs really don't place emphasis on system hardware unless they need to be competitive (see Vita).
By then, I'll give it an extra year before making final reservations.
"360 and PS3 didn't thrash Xbox and PS2 out of the box so why would you expect any different for this gen?"
I'll stop you there as it is fairly obvious this statement is quite, quite insane. You clearly didn't have Xbox or 360 on launch like I did.
Before you even talk about quality of the texture assets in launch games of xbox 360, from the very kickoff it knocked out more than TWICE the resolution of ANY xbox games, even the PAL ones that might be 720 x 540. Straight up there is a quantum leap in fidelity from an Xbox on a SDTV to a 360 on a HDTV.
Even if you pick the genuinely best looking games on the Xbox later in its life, the most powerful console of its generation, and compare it to a brand new xbox 360 launch title.
Sooo...Project Gotham 2? Frankly PGR3 blows it out the water.
Oddworld Strangers Wrath on xbox usually considered a graphical tour de force of the time- Stands up to Kameo does it? Clearly it does not.
What about Black, on xbox in SD. Does that look remotely as good as Call of duty 2 does on 360 in glorious HD? Hilarious anyone suggesting so.
Need I say more to utterly dismember your comment?
Ok, so I never expected Wii U to be a quantum leap like that because I said that in my first post and pointed out about the current economy. BUT like computersaysno said (and I highlighted first post again), even CHEAP new processor technology easily beats up premium modern tech from 2005.
I don't see the excuse for Wii u to do anything less. Any excuses about developers getting to grips with new technology is fairly weak looking at history (in fact 360 had THE fastest launch cycle in console history hows that for devs being rushed), and seeing how fast technology advances and knowing how even cheap modern technology should utterly destroy quality tech back in the day.
Of course what matters is Nintendo's games for this machine. However it is really not impressive if Wii U isn't beating PS3 and 360 comprehensively graphically from day one.
P.S Digitalanalog, PS2 and Gamecube weren't separated by 7 years and a supposed generation....try 18 months.
krisq didn't say vulcanproject's post was fact. krisq said vulcanproject made an accurate observation, and he/she did. The Wii U's launch titles should look better than what's out there now. There should be a noticeable gap. With 6-7 years since current gen consoles launched and developers like Ubisoft who are familiar with HD programming, these games should have been better. I don't know why Nintendo won't just announce what's under the hood already.
You were underwhelmed with the leap in 360 games in 2007?
I'd say that this:
Looks a bit better than this:
But that's just me.
PGR3 is a good example of a glimpse at next gen from day 1 for MS and Oblivion Folklore Genji Resistance all did not look like PS2 games for sure. NG3 Wii U was documented in IGN review to look worse than the other 2 consoles. Oblivion PS3 which was a launch title was better looking than the Xbox 360 version so...
vulcanproject made a very valid point in his comment. Not sure where you see this 'fact' you're speaking of.
+reps bro, best comment. I wanted to say that myself what you said in your 2nd comment about being blown away in terms of next gen title. Even though i didn't try xbox original, but had ps2, i picked up a 50" 720p HD tv back in late 2005 prior to launch of 360. Then went and got a 360 in Jan'06. The leap of graphics from GT4 on p2 to PGR3 was huge. GT4 looked like it was made from razor blades on my HDTV due to extreme aliasing which i never noticed and loved the game and graphics, till i got pgr3. Man the reflection of sun on windscreen which showed scratches, the buildings looked so realistic and the interiors were amazing. I couldn't believe my eyes. Perfect Dark Zero was the bundled game and it was having bump map or normal mapping, these effects i had only seen before in PC games. I never went for the so called computer entertainment system called Ps3 this gen cuz i was in love with the 360 from that time on.
That was one of those rare occasions in my life concerning video gaming when i felt really in awe. I remember it from jumping from C64 to amiga500, PC 386 to Pentium 90 to play need for speed, regular pc chunky/tiled graphics to S3 verge effects of special blurred textures technology called alpha blanding in days of DX1. I remember playing Descent on my pc before i upgraded to 1MB (lol) S3 card and after i installed it and the change it made when i enabled the features of S3TC i was amazed.
You're right this was one of those quantum leap moments in the gaming consoles history. I doubt next gen can give us that level of wow factor.
PS3 games are still buggy today. Ask Bethesda and Treyarch.
Bethesda are bad devs. How about we ask Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, and tons of other first and third party devs why their games aren't buggy?
are you too poor to own more than 1 console?
Didn't look great...what are you talking about at the time with the new tec we had I was blown away with what we got on those two consoles
I mean Resistance Fall of Man at the time was amazing to look at.
I'm not sure I agree. Resistance FOM didn't look better than games like Half-Life 2 or Counter Strike Source. And those games came out like 2 years or more before the ps3.
I played some Doom 3 on the PC several years back.. and was hearing a lot about the PS3 during it's early days..
Went to play to my friend's house with Resistance and I was so underwhelmed by the visuals.
Resistance has moments and what I mean by that some areas look like 2 different games. Some of the game looks amazing and other parts look old. I think they did not have the specs for the system so the first half of the game does not look as good as the latter half of the game. I have played the game recently actually.
Resistance still looks pretty good compared to todays games, you should have tried picking something more credible.
Why is Black Ops 2 a hot mess on PS3 after all these years of PS3 development?
So sick of fanboys blaming everything but a developer for technicals.
They're just bad ports, we haven't seen what the wiiU can do yet visually and I doubt we will see its true potential until at least the end of next year when devs have got to grips with it.
I find it hilarious when people compare Resistance FOM to a ps2 game, it makes me wonder if they've ever played ps2 game or Resistance FOM
Actually some parts of resistance look pretty decent, and i'll tell you this. It's the most hectic game on console at times. The only thing they did not have for resistance 1 was texture streaming.
Wii u will get better, and some games will push. But it won't be day and night.
I beg to differ. The original Gears of War was mindblowing on the 360! It still looks amazing almost 6 years later.
Except it isn't 2005 anymore.
And Nintendo themselves aren't even running their games at 1080p.
how about both? its a new system so developers will take some getting use to and big publishers want a quick cash in so they will port any game that came out as long as they can charge full price again for a game that came out months ago
why are so many people freaking out about wii-u power? its a next gen system for nintendo and moves the industry forward. Will it beat ps4,xbox720 NO but i don't think that was the goal for Nintendo they want a mixture of casual/core gaming console. Its their first HD home console so not not be excited to be able to play their 1st party games in HD?
stop the hate. ps4 and xbox720 will be more powerful than wii-u for one reason
1. wii-u will be out for about an year or more before either ps4,xbox720 so logically both companies will have time to look at the wii-u tech and make improvements. now granted it maybe 10% more powerful than wii-u which is still more than wii-u. It doesn't mean wii-u will fail or suck it just means like every other device and that is when a new one comes out it makes improvements upon the ones already available
I agree with everything you said but something... 10% less powerful than next gen consoles ... hmm I don't think the next MS and SONY consoles will be just 10% more powerful than a Wii u
That was just an example I know be much more powerful than wiiu
The jump from ps2 to ps3 was a big leap. It was new technology some devs are still having trouble with and it was from SD to HD. So you can't use your argument as RFOM definitely looks better than last gen games. Wii U should be nothing devs have already seen. So either bad port (which I can admit its probably that) or inferior hardware.
What Iamsuperman said. At the start of the PS3/xbox 360 era developers were still building engines and learning new tricks for the HD era. Its 7 years later which means devs have seven years experience with HD graphics. Wii U games will look better as the years go on but no way will you see the kind of leaps that happened between RFOM-UC2.
Also wasn't both Condemned and RFOM originally meant for the PS2?
And how many years ago did Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) and Condemned (360) release?
Yea right!!
Cod 2 & need for speed mist wanted were killer launch 360 titles.
And on the ps3..resistance fall of man carried ps3 on launch day.
Bottom line...wii u needed at dvd playback
Series_lla- Are you serious? Launch games look damn good still heck I played Kameo a launch 360 game last month and it still looks pretty good and was surprised at how well it stood up to time.
EEjlp- I have no idea how you call "Condemened:Criminal Origins," Garbage. That game is still considered one of the scariest games that came out in recent years and it does still look decent.
How you consider Resistance a better game is your own opinion one in which I don't agree with even though I've played it but to call Condemned trash it stupid.
The fact that the Wii U is not absolutely BLOWING away 6, and 7 year consoles is a condemnation no matter what.
Next Gen consoles are suppose to be HUGE leaps.
But those games were built from the ground up for their respective systems. The 2 games mentioned in the article existed and were ported to the Wii-U. If rumors are correct and the Wii-U is as easy to develop for as the original Wii/360 with a bit more power under the hood then we should have had a superior port. Am I wrong?
"1Up, in its review of Mass Effect 3, said the game "seems a lot less visually stable," than the Xbox 360 version"
Console gamers... don't care about graphics.
Wii U will do fine.
You sir need to educate yourself if you think it was the first time developers went HD. Going HD is just a resolution upgrade nothing much. Games have been running on the PC in HD since 1998. Back in those days we were playing close to resolutions of 720p (1024*768). By Early 2000 some people were already playing at 1600*1200 (which is about 1080p). So please do not talk about what you dont know.
Devs can at best optimize a game by adjusting Textures, AA, AF, Res etc. Its something simular to what PC gamers do when configuring their games. For a Dev to get a game to run at 720 @ 30fps on console they would have to play around with these sort of settings. Guess why most console games are a blurry mess with low res textures and hardly any AA? The devs simply set those standards since the hardware cant handle more than this.
By next gen there are plans to make tvs at 4k res, sure the next consoles wont be able to handle it, however the PC will. So yes the jump may not be there for consoles, however for the PC it is. Infact some people already play at resolutions like 5760*1080, which is about 6 times higher than the current console 720p standard.
"Console gamers don't care about graphics."? Speak for yourself.
Obviously you're not familiar with Decrypt's work....
Just ignore the PC troll, like everyone else.
Lol when people talk HD graphics they don't mean the resolution. Its just a short way of saying all the things in your second paragraph without sounding like a nerdy doucebag. Now when they put 720p or 1080p in front of the HD, then they are talking about resolution.
It wasn't the first time devs used HD resolution heck God of War 2 had a HD resolution unlock but it still looked jaggy and dark. But around that time was when devs started using textures and lighting so the graphics would fit that resolution to give us the best type of picture.
What we all want to know is how will blops2 look like on wii u compared to its competition. Someone needs to post an article of this. I bet it will be the hottest article.
BO 2 is 720p on Wii U. Hence its not a big upgrade from the 630p on PS3 or Xbox 360.
[email protected]" = 36.72ppi
[email protected]" = 35.67ppi
The difference is less than 3%
dasteru - yeah, but BO2 runs at something like 880x720 on the xbox and even less on the ps3!
Disagrees with my facts? Really?? Really really???
Sounds to me like bad port.
Thank you. At least someone has some common sense on N4G.
Its quite simple... when you buy a game, make sure it plays the way you want it to. Sorry to be blunt but I am sick of all these flame wars.
interesting how wil Wii U games will look after 1=3 years, when they'll start to know Wii U architecture better, it just a start people..isn't that obvious?
No it's not obvious to those who just want to hate.
Haters can go stick their heads in a sony or microsoft toilet for all I care. They wouldn't buy Nintendo any ways. They pretend like they care by spaming WiiU articles while PS3/360 articles hardly have comments anymore. They are bored too!
They'll look better than now but resolution or fps won't really go up at all. What will happen is that, once the PS4/720 show up and start showing more power, developers will try pushing the Wii U to pull off more effects to make the games look as much as they can to the competition. Resolution and fps would only get on the way.
Reminds me of some of the early PS3 multiplatform games.
I'll just stick to Wii U exclusives for the first little while - luckily enough there's stacks of good ones.


text:
Diablerie was a science fiction fanzine by Bill "Willie" Watson.
The first issue of Diablerie appeared in February 1944.
According to Terry Carr (Entropy), writing in his column "Entropy Reprint", in Energumen #10, from May 1972; "Bill Watson was a San Francisco fan of the forties; his fanzine DIABLERIE appeared on all the polls for top fanzines of the time, but it's forgotten by most everybody but Harry Warner and me today. It doesn't deserve its obscurity; it was an exceptionally neatly produced fanzine, mimeographed with colour headings and illustrations. Some of the artwork, such as a drawing by Ronald Clyne, was offset and pasted in; and the "About Our Contributors" section was illustrated by pasted-in photographs."
Contributions included poetry by Banks Febane, and articles by Robert Bloch, George Ebey, Lou Goldstone (Fantasia), F. T. Laney (The Acolyte), Graph Waldeyer, and Jack Wiedenbeck (Nova).
illustrations were by Ronald Clyne and Bill Watson.
Also contributing was E. Hoffman Price. Terry Carr says, "For DIABLERIE, self-styled as "fandom's Esguire," he wrote connoisseur articles on brandies, tobaccos and so on, and a reminiscence about his friend Robert E. Howard." E. Hoffman Price was perhaps the only science fiction writer or fan to actually meet Howard.
Letters came from Clark Ashton Smith, among others.
Seven issues of Diablerie were published, the last one appearing in January 1945.
Bill Watson co-published, with George Ebey, the science fiction and horror poetry fanzine Sappho. On his own, he published the titles Chaos and Fantasy Amateur.


text:
As of the time of this posting, with vote counts still coming in, it looks like the make-up of the Montana senate may be 21 Democratic senators to 29 Republicans in the next legislative session. Democrats and Republicans appear to have won an equal number of the seats up for grabs, but Rs maintained an advantage in holdover senators.
During the 2011 session, there were 28 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
In the House, it looks like Democrats may pick up seven
five seats, making that chamber 40 38 Democratic seats to 60 62 Republicans instead of 32-68 like the 2011 session. This will help Governor-elect Steve Bullock sustain his 2013 vetoes. UPDATE: As of 8:30 pm Wed evening, Dems have gained seven MT house seats. The Billings Gazette has the story.
All of the results STILL aren't in yet, so this could change and the Dems could pick up more seats.
Here are a couple of highlights. I'm sure there more more, please add them in the comments.
- Democrats Brad Hamlett and Greg Jergeson were successful in winning tough Senate races.
- Democrat Ed Leiser is leading Tim Baldwin.
- Tom Jacobson appears to have taken out TEA Partier Cleve Loney.
- Reilly Neill (D) looks to have taken out Dan Skattum in an ATP targeted race.
- And in Butte, Ryan Lynch took back Max Yate's house seat for the Dems.
- Newcomer Jenny Eck was successfull in keeping her Helena house seat blue.
- Gary Marbut lost in Missoula.
- Janna Taylor and Dee Brown will be back in the Senate.
- Militia-linked Jennifer Fielder is in from Sanders County is now a state senator.
- Nicholas Schwaderer defeated Christine Johnson for the Superior house seat that was much in the news.
- Dog killer Roger Webb is leading Wanda Grinde in Billings for the Heights senate seat, but all the votes aren't yet in.
- Warburton and Hanson will be back in the house. Though given the recent Frontline expose, she might be subject to a range of penalties, including removal from office, fines, or worse. The question is whether there is a prosecutor out there who is willing to begin looking into this stuff.
- Liz Bangerter from Helena and Joanne Blyton from Red Lodge will be back as well.


text:
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - December 28, 2012 --It's looking like a very happy holiday season for a couple of people who played the lottery recently in Pennsylvania.
Two tickets for the Dec. 22 Powerball drawing are each worth $1 million. They correctly matched all five white balls, 01-18-35-39-44, but not the red Powerball 11.
The slips were sold at opposite ends of the state. Pennsylvania lottery officials say one was bought at Giant Eagle supermarket in Baden, Beaver County.
They say the other was sold at Stauffer's One Stop in Ringtown, Schuylkill County.
Winners get $1 million, minus 25 percent federal withholding. They have a year from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.
Each retailer gets a $5,000 bonus for selling a winning ticket.


text:
Madden NFL 2003 Ad Blurbs (PlayStation 2)
Published by
Developed by
Also For
ESRB Rating
Critic Score
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
User Score
5 point score based on user ratings.
Advertising Blurbswww.xbox.com:
Only one game is synonymous with American football gaming: Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS™. For more than a decade, Madden NFL Football has delivered the most authentic, most realistic football game an unmatched feature set, and level of detail. The dominance continues with Madden NFL 2003. With more depth and polish, faster gameplay, jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, and new play modes, Madden NFL Football remains the undisputed leader in authentic NFL football simulation.
Contributed by havoc of smeg (22285) on Sep 21, 2010.
In its 13th year, Madden NFL Football has perfected the art of authentic NFL football simulation. Its combination of jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, in-depth play modes, and truly innovative features is well-known. With a primary focus on in-game graphics and game play, this game looks great, sounds great, and plays even better! This season Madden NFL Football continues to establish why it is a top-notch interactive football experience.
Contributed by Joshua J. Slone (4672) on Feb 26, 2006.
Madden NFL 2003 is packed with new features including enhanced graphics, updated rosters and an all new Mini-Camp mode.
Even with the new features and the graphical facelift, there's no mistaking the rich engine of the demi-legendary Madden NFL series. The game even considers player weight and momentum before registering the outcome of a tackle.
Football freaks will welcome the return of such familiar features as player substitutions, fatigue and injuries. Even casual fans, though, will appreciate the updated rosters, which include the expansion Houston Texans and the new division alignments.
Any list of this year's improvements should begin with the excellent commentary delivered by Madden and Al Michaels, who react sharply and accurately to game situations with expert analysis.
Your options range from a quick tune-up in Mini-Camp to building a dynasty that lasts years in Franchise Mode. Scout for Rookie's and evaluate Free Agents during pre-season, or create your own players.
New tackle animations and emotional cut-scenes emphasise big plays. Thanks to 300 new player faces, the generic look of seasons past is long gone. Madden NFL 2003 has enough snazzy improvements to make it a gotta-have sequel to last year's Madden.
Contributed by Evil Ryu (65847) on Oct 02, 2005.
Immer noch ist Madden NFL Football die unangefochtene Nr. 1 unter den American Football-Simulationen. Die Kombination aus atemberaubenden Grafiken und Animationen, einer realistischen Spieler-KI, mitreißenden Modi und neuen Features ist einfach beeindruckend. Bei der Entwicklung wurde gesteigerter Wert auf die Grafiken im Spiel und das Gameplay gelegt, wodurch eines der besten Football-Spiele überhaupt entstanden ist, was sowohl Grafik, Sound als auch Spielspaß angeht. Auch in dieser Saison beweist Madden NFL Football erneut, warum es das beste interaktive Football-Erlebnis bietet.
- Online-Spiele
- Mini-Camp - Mit John Maddens Cruiser-Tour-Bus auf der Reise in alle NFL-Städte, in denen es spezielle Aufgaben zu erfüllen gibt. Der Spieler kann seine Stars im Trainingsoutfit steuern und Experte auf allen Positionen werden. Denn er hat immer nur das eine Ziel vor Augen: so viele Madden Cards einheimsen wie möglich.
- Audio Dream Team - Mit Kommentaren von John Madden und Al Michaels und mehr Analyse als je zuvor. Die neue Sound-Engine liefert immer den passenden Kommentar je nach Spielsituation und Spieler- bzw. Teamstatistik. Neue Spieler-Spieler-Diskussionen und verbesserte Zuschauer-Sounds.
- Verbesserte Grafik und Darstellung - Neue Spezialbewegungen für Spieler; neue Filmsequenzen von Cheerleadern und zusätzliche Banksequenzen; über 300 realistische Spielergesichter; verschiedene Kameraperspektiven, die das Spiel noch authentischer gestalten.
- Neuer Spielmechanismus - Schnelleres Spiel; Checks auch gegen Spieler ohne Ball; bessere Steuerung durch schnellere Animationen; verbessertes Passspiel; neue Sounds für Defensive Line, Linebackers und Defensive Backs.
- Erstellen eines Playbooks - Der Spieler kann Formationen oder auch das komplette Playbook seines Teams individuell ändern. Somit kann jeder denkbare Spielzug auf dem Feld direkt erschaffen werden.
- Verbesserungen am Franchise-Modus - Wie auch wirklich in der NFL möglich, kann der Spieler Rookies, Free Agents und erstellte Spieler in vier Spielen, die vor der eigentlichen Saison stattfinden, bewerten und ein Franchise-Team für ein Freundschaftsspiel exportieren. Dank des neuen Scouting-Berichts kann der Spieler Rookies leicht bewerten.
- Fragen an Madden - Die Trainerlegende John Madden liefert Strategien und Tipps und Tricks in allen Spielsituationen.
- Freischalten - Spieler, die NCAA Football 2003 besitzen, können besondere Madden Cards in Madden NFL 2003 freischalten.
Madden NFL 2003 ermöglicht zum ersten Mal auch Online-Spiele. Darüber hinaus enthält es das neue Houston Texans-Teams und berücksichtigt das neue NFL-Divisions-System.
Contributed by Xoleras (66813) on Jul 21, 2005.Electronic Arts UK website - PlayStation 2:
- Mini-camp - Features John Madden's Cruiser Tour Bus traveling to all NFL cities to complete skilled tasks. Take control of players in practice gear and become an expert in all player positions in your ultimate goal to earn unique Madden cards.
- NFL's Best Commentary – The Monday Night NFL team of John Madden and Al Michaels handles commentary, with dynamic play-by-play and more analysis than ever before. Melissa Stark will also be reporting from the sidelines. New audio engine delivers appropriate commentary based on current game situation and player/team statistics. Greater use of on-field player sounds, including player banter, offensive and defensive audible calls, crushing hits and improved crowd reaction sounds.
- Improved Graphics and Presentation - New signature player animations like sidearm quarter-backs, gang-tackling, stand-still receiver catches; new cut scenes with high-poly cheerleaders and additional emotion-based bench scenes; more than 300 realistic player faces; cinematic approach to camera positions gives new, more natural feel. Completely redone stadiums and fields provide an exceptionally realistic playing environment.
- New Game play Mechanics - Faster game speed; players follow through, making hits on people without the ball; tighter control with quicker animations and reduced player momentum; more finely tuned passing game; independent audibles for defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backs. Enhanced ground game with all new spin moves, stiff arm moves, and inside running; all new receiver moves and routes; improved screen plays and quicker play action; more intelligent pass coverage.
- Create-A-Playbook - Customise receiver routes, player formations, and your team's entire playbook. Create virtually any play imaginable and play it on the field immediately.
- Franchise Mode Enhancements - Just as you can in the real NFL, you'll evaluate and progress rookies, free agents and created players during a four- game pre-season; Export a franchise team to exhibition play; Rookie Scouting Reports serve as a new way to evaluate rookies. 30 years of player progression logic with full career stats and enhanced computer managed team logic for trades and drafting.
- EA SPORTS' Trax – Songs throughout the game featuring Bon Jovi, Andrew WK, Nappy Roots featuring Marcos from P.O.D, Good Charlotte, (hed)pe, OK GO, Seether, Dry Cell, Audiovent and Epidemic.
- Ask Madden – Legendary coach John Madden provides strategy and advice during both offensive and defensive play calling.
Contributed by Xoleras (66813) on Jun 15, 2004.
The best gets better.
In its 13th year, Madden NFL' is the undisputed leader in authentic NFL simulation. Its combination of jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, in-depth play modes, and the most innovative features is beyond comparison. With a primary focus on in-game graphics and game play, this is the best looking, sounding and playing NFL game ever. This season Madden NFL continues to establish why it is the definitive interactive NFL experience. Madden NFL 2003 includes the new Houston Texans and the new NFL divisional alignment.
Best-Selling Football Videogame, Madden NFL 2003, Launches on Six Platforms
In its 13th year, EA SPORTS' cornerstone franchise adds online gaming, John Madden with Al Michaels commentary and new mini-camp mode
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 12, 2002 – Football season officially starts today with the launch of Madden NFL' 2003 from Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the best-selling football videogame. The ship date was moved up a day due to the high demand from consumers. Available on six platforms, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube, the Xbox' video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation console, Game Boy® Advance and PC, the Madden NFL Football franchise enters into its 13th year as the undisputed leader in authentic NFL football simulation. In its history, the franchise has sold more than 25 million copies including more than four million copies of Madden NFL 2002.
For the first time on the PlayStation 2 console, gamers can play Madden NFL 2003 head-to-head online with a Sony network adaptor.* Featuring an online lobby where gamers can meet, greet and chat, as well as download current player rosters throughout the NFL season, friends can challenge one another coast-to-coast in the most competitive football videogame available. On all of the consoles, Madden NFL 2003 features all-new commentary with the ABC Monday Night Football team of John Madden and Al Michaels, providing the most dynamic play-by-play and in-depth analysis ever. Melissa Stark will be reporting from the sidelines, while an all-new audio engine delivers appropriate game situation, as well as player and team statistics.
Two new modes will please everyone from the first-time Madden player to the most hardcore Madden NFL 2003 football fans. The innovative Mini-Camp mode allows players to join John Madden's Cruiser Bus traveling to all 32 NFL cities to compete in fun and challenging mini-games. Gamers have the opportunity to take controls of players in practice gear and become an expert in eight positions while trying to earn unique Madden cards. The new Create-a-Playbook mode allows you to customize receiver routes, player formations and a team's entire playbook for both offense and defense; allowing the gamer to create virtually any play imaginable and play it on the field immediately.
Madden NFL 2003 includes the expansion Houston Texans, the new NFL divisional alignment and new features in its signature franchise mode, making it the deepest such mode available. Gamers will also find dramatically improved graphics and presentation with new signature player animations like sidearm throws, gang-tackles, new high-emotion celebrations and cut scenes, more than 300 realistic player faces, animating 3D crowds and completely redone stadiums and fields that provide the most realistic playing environment possible. With new game play mechanics, the game speed of Madden NFL 2003 is significantly faster and features tighter control with quicker animations, an all-new interior running game and a more finely tuned passing game.
Debuting in Madden NFL 2003, EA SPORTS TRAX, showcases new songs from today's hottest bands with songs throughout the game from artists such as Bon Jovi, Andrew W.K., Nappy Roots (featuring Marcos from P.O.D.), Good Charlotte, OK GO, Audiovent, (hed) p.e., Seether and Quarashi. Many songs from these artists can be heard in Madden NFL 2003 before their albums are available.
On PlayStation (PSOne) Madden NFL 2003 features updated team logos, team uniforms and the conversion of franchise mode to new NFL conference and division alignment as well as the official inclusion on the Houston Texans in Exhibition, Season and Franchise modes. The Game Boy Advance version has link play for head-to-head competition, full season stats tracking and scouting combine style Create-a-Player.
For the PC, Madden NFL 2003 includes many of the same great features as the console versions like mini-camp, but also has a unique player mode that allows the user to only execute plays given by the computer coach, an all-new mouse plus keyboard control scheme and online game play with quick tournaments, quick games, an online hero persona that you can build up and customize, and ranked match ups with more stat rankings.*
Madden NFL 2003, developed by Electronic Arts – Tiburon, one of the leading sports game studios in the country, is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and is available on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube, the Xbox' video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation console, Game Boy® Advance and PC. Consumers may purchase the game directly at the EA Store (http://eastore.ea.com) or by calling EA Direct Sales at 1-877/324-2637, for a suggested retail price of $49.95.
EA SPORTS (www.easports.com) is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world. Its top-selling franchises and games include FIFA Soccer, John Madden Football', Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Golf, NHL® Hockey, Knockout Kings', NBA LIVE Basketball, Triple Play Baseball' and NASCAR Thunder®.
About Electronic Arts Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.7 billion for fiscal 2002. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for the Internet, personal computers and video game systems. EA markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS', EA GAMES', EA SPORTS BIG' and EA.COM. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
* For more information regarding the online capabilities of this product, go to http://www.ea.com/easports/articles/ps2online.jsp.
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Contributed by skl (1142) on Mar 01, 2004.
The Best Gets Better
- Football's Best Commentary
Legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and Melissa Stark join Johm Madden to complete football's best audio team.
- New Mini-Camp Mode
Tour NFL cities in the Madden Cruiser and compete in mini-games for unique Madden Cards.
- New Create-A-Playbook
Create your own offensive and defensive plays, formations, and receiver routes as you build your team's playbook from scratch.
- Deepest Franchise Mode Ever
30 years of career stats and player progression logic. Draft players with tips from your scouting staff and export your franchise team to all game modes.
- New EA SPORTS Trax
Features 11 hot music releases from Andrew W.K., Nappy Roots feat, Marcos from P.O.D., (hed)p.e., Quarashi, Good Charlotte, Bon Jovi and more.
Mini-camp DB swat ball drill
Enhanced defensive gameplay
Run-stuffing gang tackles
New stiff-arm moves
Contributed by JPaterson (9551) on Feb 22, 2003.
Access an online community where you can meet, chat, download rosters, and play against Madden gamers across the country.
Legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and Melissa Stark join John Madden to complete football's best audio team.
Tour NFL cities in the Madden Cruiser and compete in mini-games for unique Madden Cards.
Create your own offensive and defensive plays, formations, and receiver routes as you build your team's playbook from scratch.
30 years of career stats and player progression logic. Draft players with tips from your scouting staff and export your franchise team to all game modes.
Features 11 hot music releases from Andrew W. K., Nappy Roots feat, Marcos from P.O.D., (hed)p.e., Quarashi, Good Charlotte, Bon Jovi, and many more.
Contributed by Corn Popper (69379) on Nov 24, 2002.


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Production designer Dan Hennah on the set of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (James Fisher / New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Alan Lee, left, Dan Hennah and Grant Major show off their art direction Oscars for their work on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" on Feb. 29, 2004. (Jeffrey Mayer / WireImage)Link
A scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, left, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf in a scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
A scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (Warner Bros.)Link
The dwarfs, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf in a scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Gollum, performed by Andy Serkis, in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
A scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Ian McKellen as Gandalf, left, and Hugo Weaving as Elrond in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Galadriel actress Cate Blanchett and director Peter Jackson on the set of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, left, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf in a scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
A goblin in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
The Great Goblin, performed by Barry Humphries, in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Ian McKellen as Gandalf, left, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
The White Council Chamber in a scene from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (New Line Cinema / MGM / Warner Bros.)Link
Dan Hennah, left, Grant Major and Alan Lee accept their art direction Oscars for their work on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" on Feb. 29, 2004. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)Link
Few people know Middle-earth better than Dan Hennah, the production designer tasked with translating J.R.R. Tolkien's words and director Peter Jackson's vision to the big screen for "The Hobbit" trilogy. Hennah has been working on the film for three years, but it's not his first visit to the land of dwarfs, elves, hobbits and Orcs. Hennah served as art director for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and won the art direction and set decoration Academy Award for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" along with Grant Major and Alan Lee in 2004. Hero Complex spoke with Hennah about his return to Tolkien's world, what's different in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and the challenges of bringing to life new corners of Middle-earth.
HC: Can you start by explaining what your job entails? Production design must have been so important for a film like this one.
DH: A production designer takes responsibility for the look of everything pretty much on the picture except the actors and what they're wearing, and obviously lighting is a separate area. It starts with liaising with the director, with the script and working out creatively what the director's vision is. And while it's permissible for the production designer to have a vision, it's always good to try and work out what the director's vision is and to bring that to the screen. That's the ultimate aim. And it involves liaising really closely, collaborating with the director of photography, the cinematographer and the costume department, because you don't want purple costumes in a green room. And it's one of those things that worked really well on "The Lord of the Rings," and it's worked again very well on "The Hobbit" — that sort of interdepartmental collaboration. The production designer has to put together a team of people who can execute the director's vision and have it ready within the budget. Always, always the budget is a really big consideration, and time. And of course always time and money fight with each other; if you haven't got enough of one, you need more of the other. Apart from coming up with this great grand vision that works with the director, it's also about attention to detail. Every nut and bolt, every small thing being in the right place. So it's a big-picture job, but with attention to the detail as well.
PHOTOS: 60 images from 'The Hobbit'
HC: Does most of the work happen before the shoots, or does your team have a hand in post-production too?
DH: On this, we've put our concept artists and one of our art directors into the post-production world, so they're working with WETA Digital, who are doing the post, particularly digital extensions to the sets and creatures. So our concept artists are working with them, and one of our art directors, just to take the vision all the way to the end. Because oftentimes, you find at the end of the shoot, the art department team all do their strike and go away, and the digital effects company is left to interpret what the architecture, what the extensions are doing. And it's really great to be able to have some input to keep it consistent from the on-set shoot right through the final post-production.
HC: How is the look of Middle-earth in "The Hobbit" different from "The Lord of the Rings"?
DH: Well, it's 60 years earlier, and quite a lot happened in those 60 years. Also it starts in midsummer and goes through to midwinter, through the three pictures. "The Lord of the Rings" started in spring so that was a slightly different feel, in the sense of our color palettes. We've gone a bit more whimsical. One of the great things about the script and the story itself of "The Hobbit" is that it's written for a younger audience, or a younger reader, so we've been able to embrace that. It had a lovely, whimsical feel to it, whereas "Lord of the Rings" was a much more serious book. So we've incorporated wherever possible a little bit of whimsy. It's a slightly younger world that we're in.
HC: You won an Oscar for your work on "Lord of the Rings." Has it been advantageous to have that prior experience in Middle-earth?
DH: Absolutely. I worked on "Lord of the Rings" for five years and got to know that world incredibly well. "The Hobbit" goes off in a different direction, but Hobbiton itself, the Shire, is similar to what it was, and Rivendell is the other place they go to, but everywhere else in their journey, we didn't visit in "Lord of the Rings." So this is a different world. In "Lord of the Rings," we went south from Hobbiton, and in "The Hobbit," we go east. We sort of took the view that going east would be like going east across Europe and into Asia. And those were the influences we used in our architecture and in our coloring and in our general feel. It was a really lovely thing to actually have a physical reference that we could use as our inspiration as we traveled, so just in general the use of stone, the use of timber, the use of peaked roofs, flat roofs, all those things — they do happen as you travel across Europe.
PHOTOS: Meet the dwarfs from 'The Hobbit'
HC: So you were able to pull in some non-Tolkien influences?
DH: Yeah, absolutely, but you know, the interesting thing is that Tolkien wrote it. We discussed this going east thing, and really we based that on the fact that Tolkien had gone east from London, so forgetting about the English Channel, he had gone east across Europe in his research, and in his story, really. So that was the influence there. So in a way, while it's not Tolkien, it is Tolkien, you know? But I think we have to say in terms of our design, Tolkien is our bible, and that's the beginning and the end, really. And sure, there are opportunities to extend it, but you have to use them really subtly.
HC: Of all the new places in Middle-earth you helped design for "The Hobbit," which is your favorite?
DH: In the first film, I'd have to say the world underneath the Misty Mountains. The goblins' world was quite an incredible place to work on. As the films go on, there's a sort of favorite in each film, really, but if we're just talking about the first film, I would say the goblin world and Gollum's cave, which is a hole in the ground with some water in it, but it's very, very much more than that. It's a very organic set, and one of the things about organic sets is they're very hard to quantify when you're working with a director, and you're trying to visualize what you're going to build for him, and what he's going to work in. In this case, we modeled every set up so that Peter could look at the models, and we had to be as accurate as we could with these models so he could see if his action was going to work inside that environment, if the environment was suitable for the drama. That whole inside the mountain environment was quite fun.
HC: How did you go about developing the look of that world?
DH: We had some experience with goblins from "Lord of the Rings." And John Howe and Alan Lee, our concept artists, played a big part in the types of goblins, and then we sort of hit on a concept of what goblins are, what they do. Before you start designing their environment, you need to know what they do there, because that will influence the design. And so there were weeks and weeks of discussion about what goblins are, and what they do, and who they like, and who they don't like, and how they live, and it was a very involved process, but very fruitful.
HC: What does it feel like to see these designs of such iconic places and characters come to life as you go?
DH: Look, it's the best feeling in the world. It's really great. Interestingly on "Lord of the Rings," I spoke to a lot of people who were fans of the books and who were terrified that we were going to misrepresent their vision. It's a huge consideration. At that stage, 50 million people had read the books. And now I think it's up to 200 million, certainly with "The Hobbit" and the popularity of "The Lord of the Rings" films. So we've got 200 million people out there who all have a vision of what this world is, and it's a huge responsibility to bring their vision to life. Really it was bringing Tolkien's vision to life. But it's not deviating from that vision, not having your own personal conceit jump out and, "Oh, I've got a great idea. It's not really in the book, but it's a great idea." So you avoid that impulse.
HC: How did the returning "Lord of the Rings" veterans blend with the crew members who were new to Middle-earth?
DH: One of the great things in this industry is that you always get to work with some people who are new to it and some people who are veterans, and it's great just to get that dynamic going where some people think they know all of it, and other people think they know none of it, and surprisingly, they blend together and create a whole new world. A lot of our team were "Lord of the Rings" veterans, but the other interesting thing is that it's 10 years since we did that; a lot of people have gone elsewhere and moved off or got too old. Honestly we have a really nice young influence in our team across the board, so there's a whole lot of people who had some experience with film but no experience with Tolkien, and they bring a freshness and a really nice energy to the job. We had 400 people at our peak in the art department, so that's quite a lot of enthusiasm. One of the great things about this film is that our team across the board, we really are enthusiastic about the project, about the concept, the fantasy of Tolkien's world.
HC: What's it like working with Peter Jackson?
DH: Ah, he's a delight. He's a vision-directed director. He has a clarity of vision right from the very beginning. And a great vision memory, so when he sees a piece of concept art and then the next time he sees it, it's a built set, he's retained all of the elements from that concept art, so you're always striving to be as accurate as possible as the process works its way from that concept art through to the final set.
HC: You and Peter have been working together since "The Frighteners" 15 years ago, right?
DH: It's a long and fruitful relationship, and it's just been a delight. He's a very creative person, and he comes through from left field with great ideas. That clarity of vision is always a fine thing, and when you're planning something and you're trying to achieve a deadline within a budget, which is always the case, it's great to have someone who does see it and can describe it. To be part of his process is always exciting.
HC: After five years on "Lord of the Rings" and three years on "The Hobbit," are you sad that your time in Middle-earth will be coming to an end?
DH: It's sort of sad in a way, but one of the great things about film is that you create a piece of celluloid, or in this case a digital file, that will be around for a long time. And it's really nice to be able to pick it up and revisit. Every time I look at a "Lord of the Rings" picture, it brings back good memories of places and times. It's very hard to divorce yourself from the making of the film after you've done it and just watch it as a film, and it's one of the things that I've really tried to do very hard — not dwell on where we were when we did that, and how this panned out or that panned out. But it's very hard not to have those memories.
HC: What's next for you?
DH: I've got a lovely big holiday coming up in the New Zealand summer, and we've got our pickup shoot in April, and after that, goodness knows. Whatever it is, I'm looking forward to a few surprises just around the corner.
— Noelene Clark
Hair designer Peter King on dwarfs' yak wigs
Sylvester McCoy's loves: Radagast, 'Doctor Who'
Costume designer's favorite look? Radagast
Fili actor Dean O'Gorman talks sexy dwarfs
Tami Lane on dwarf wrangling, silicone magic
Peter Jackson talks Smaug cameo in first film
'Hobbit' offers more 'sophisticated' Gollum
Peter Jackson has 'absolute belief' in 48 frames
PHOTOS: Meet the dwarfs from 'The Hobbit'
Peter Jackson's unexpected journey to three films


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Multiple sessions :
Showing some of the tech I presented on the 3 series of The Cool Stuff Collective on ITV as Super G33k.
Showing the blurring of digital and physical that games technology brings, how people can design and simply digitally distribute ideas in virtual worlds and how those ideas, products, experiences get made physical again with 3d printing.
A version of the slides (minus the TV video) is on a previous conference post http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blo...
Each of the future tech episodes has it own blog post http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blo... covering cloud computing, kinect hacking, 3d scanning, graphene,arduino, open source, opensim, telepresence etc.
All aimed at getting the audience of the show interested in tech that may seem far off in the future but is here already.
Live demos of http:/www.opensimulator.org the open source free to use virtual world server platform
4 more slide decks from "Hack To The Future"
Sign in to add slides, notes or videos to this session
11th February 2012


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Jaguars pick UVA's Monroe in NFL Draft
After some speculation that he might join his former Virginia Cavaliers teammate Chris Long with the St. Louis Rams, UVA fourth-year offensive tackle Eugene Monroe was the eighth overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Monroe's selection marks the fourth time in five years that a player from UVA has been drafted in the first round. Three other Wahoos heard their names called over the weekend: linebacker Clint Sintim was selected in the second round by the New York Giants, and running back Cedric Peerman became a Baltimore Raven in the sixth round, and tight end John Phillips went to the Dallas Cowboys, also in the sixth round.
–photo courtesy UVA Athletics


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Title: Between
Author: Jessica Warman
Publisher: Walker Books
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.
I am a bit confused about my feelings for this book. There were many elements that I loved and that is what kept me reading. There were also bits and pieces that I wasn't so fond of, that detracted from my enjoyment of Between. I love the concept, too, but felt that the execution was just a little weak in spots.
My biggest dissatisfaction stems from the pacing. This is a leisurely look at the life and death of one very spoiled young woman. Starting with Liz's death, the book jumps between the present and flashbacks to the past to unravel the mystery of her death. How did she end up in a cold, watery grave on her birthday? Why didn't anyone hear her fall off of her parents' boat, or her struggles to save herself from drowning? Liz has very few memories left, so with the help of another ghost, she begins to fill in the pieces of her life that she has forgotten. As she slowly adds one fragment of her past after another, she starts to see that she wasn't a very nice person, and that despite all appearances to the contrary, she wasn't a very happy one, either.
This is a character driven book, which brings me to the other reason why I didn't totally love this read. I wasn't head over heels with any of the characters, except maybe Alex. Alex has been dead for a year, killed by a hit and run driver. He has been stuck somewhere between life and death, restlessly seeking a way to move beyond where he's stuck now. He was never a popular kid at school, and unlike Liz, he had to work for everything that he had. His parents weren't wealthy, and he had to work at the local market, riding his bike back and forth to his job. It's obvious from the start that he can't stand Liz, he can't stand her friends, and he isn't happy that he's with her in death. She is about the last person he would want to spend time with, and now it looks like he's going to be spending eternity with her. Life, and death, just aren't fair!
Since Liz can't remember much about herself, she has a hard time believing that she was as big a witch as Alex claims. Through flashbacks, she begins to see what a mess she was. Having witnessed her mother's untimely death, Liz has had many issues to deal with, and they have left her with a skewed outlook on life. Her father denies her nothing, and her step-mother and step-sister are also accustomed to getting every material thing that they want. This leaves Liz a shallow, materialistic girl, and I never connected with her. Even in her death, she's hard to like. She's catty and judgmental, and she's always critical of the people around her and how they look or what they have. It's like she still can't see beyond outward appearances, even when she is seeking redemption for herself. This frustrated me about her. She is petty and shallow, from the beginning of the book to the end. This is a passage near the end of the novel:
Nicole saunters out the back door of our house. She's wearing a flowing white skirt that grazes her ankles, a yellow halter top that exposes her belly – which is just a tad pudgy – and a light jacket.
If I had ever met her in real life, we would have hated each other.
Having said that, Liz does possess one character trait that I admired, and kept me from totally disliking her. She is so intensely loyal and in love with Richie, her boyfriend. Though he is a flawed character as well, their relationship was convincing. They have known each other since they were both babies, and they have developed an intense and unwavering love between them. They have always been together, and they believe, firmly and unflinchingly, that they will always be together.
While Between didn't always work for me, I never wanted to put it down and stop reading it. I did want Liz and Alex to find some kind of meaning in their deaths, and I wanted Liz to find the happiness in death that she never found in her troubled life. I just wish I had liked her better during her journey to find inner peace.
Grade: B
Review copy provided by publisher