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|View Poll Results: Have You Had A Failure In A Semi-Auto/Revolver That Rendered It Inoperable?
|Yes, In A Semi-Auto
|Yes, In A Revolver
|No, I Have Experienced No Failures In Either
|I Have Experienced Failures In Both
|Voters: 270. You may not vote on this poll
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|September 8, 2012, 04:21 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 30, 2010
Posts: 1,480
Have You Had A Failure In Semi-Auto/Revolver That Made It Inoperable?
I have often read (with some amusement) that revolvers are simpler guns than semi-autos and that makes them more reliable. The truth is that there is a litlle more to a revolver than people think and that they can, and do, fail at times.
How many of you have had a failure with either that rendered the gun inoperable at the time? Nothing catastrophic like, "I loaded a cartridge too hot and it blew the top strap off of my Blackhawk" sort of stuff. Just something like a broken spring, extractor, etc. that made it inoperable for the moment but was fixable.
I wonder about this and how it affects people's choices for carry guns. I'm not looking for a revolvers vs. semi-autos arguement as I own and shoot both.
Stay Groovy
|September 8, 2012, 04:31 PM
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Join Date: October 17, 2006
Location: TX
Posts: 513
First time at the Air Force range in San Antonio, 1970, I got off 2 or 3 rounds and the S&W Model 15 locked up. Tight. Instructor had to play with the ejector rod, then it was fine. I've seen it happen on several other occasions. No mechanical device is perfect. I think what happened was the last guy that shot it didn't ensure the ejector rod was screwed in tight after he cleaned it. No one checked it, certainly not me. Since then I always check it before loading it.
If you want to shoot...shoot...don't talk! Tuco
USAF Munitions 1969-1992
|September 8, 2012, 04:38 PM
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Join Date: January 13, 2010
Posts: 111
I voted revolver. It was long ago. The primer backed out and locked the cylinder. Dad sent it in to S&W to fix.
Gun control is like stopping drunk driving by making it harder for sober people to drive.
|September 8, 2012, 04:49 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 26, 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 6,141
So far, I'm the only one who reported failures in both kinds of handguns.
The auto was a Sig P225. This has been a while and it only happened one. It literally had a "jam", presumably some sort of failure to feed. I was unable to get it working again at the range. I believe that's the only instance of a "jam" like that I ever had but it was inoperable at the time.
The revolver problems I had were both S&W N-frames. One, a Model 29, would become too difficult to rotate the cylinder after about one cylinder full of shooting. Obviously, it was fitted too tightly but it was not a new gun and had been worked on at some point. The other was a Model 28 that also tended to exhibit the same problem, but not so quickly as to be a serious problem.
I've had parts break or come loose on both revolvers and autos but in neither case did the gun become inoperable. Actually, I believe a revolver is more complicated than an automatic but the operation is a little simpler, generally speaking. Some automatics, though, especially Rugers, have a surprisingly large number of parts.
Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands!
Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag,
and return us to our own beloved homes!
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|September 8, 2012, 04:56 PM
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Join Date: January 7, 2009
Posts: 1,775
In the spirit of the original post...
I had the "firing pin retainer plate" crack and release the firing pin (back at me) once. That stopped everything. See #30 on the diagram here... http://media.photobucket.com/image/b...=sevendaysview
And I've also owned a... wait for it... a Ruger that failed as well. the ejector rod washer was split (#17) http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/...spx?catid=8353
So both guns locked up tight and were unusable until I replaced the $2.00 and $5.00 parts. Both still work fine - years later - and are "trust worthy".
I get a kick out these guys who will not "tolerate" any kind of failure at any time. I buy guns from these guys all the time for next to nothing and repair them for pennies and the keep them or flip them. I count on the "never tolerate failure" crowd to keep me in guns for cheap.
If you are planning on never having a failure and never having to deal with one; you have a bad plan.
Mechanical things break, count on it.
DOUGH! - I voted incorrectly for "semi auto" and should have voted for both.
Let's eat Grandma.
Let's eat, Grandma.
Commas save lives...
Last edited by jglsprings; September 8, 2012 at 05:04 PM.
|September 8, 2012, 05:00 PM
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Join Date: May 25, 2011
Posts: 1,755
I voted neither, but to be fair, I don't own a revolver yet.
|September 8, 2012, 05:02 PM
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Join Date: April 20, 2002
Posts: 454
The only 2 I've had were an issued M9 at BSG that cracked a locking lug during pre-qual in '05 and with my GP100 when a cracked and expanded .357 casing (American Eagle 158gr) locked my cylinder up. 2 TAPS with a rubber mallet and it was cured.
Signature Space For Rent.
"Just relax. Breath normally. All you should see is the front sight post. Ignore the the target. Wait for the pause between breaths and when you feel good about it...ease the trigger back."
-PMI Sgt. Hopkins, USMC
|September 8, 2012, 05:05 PM
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Join Date: December 5, 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 708
Yes, a kaboom with a G22.
|September 8, 2012, 05:05 PM
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Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near Ohio, Indiana.
Posts: 5,270
S&W M57, had a burr on the firing pin bushing, locked the gun up on the first shot...stoned it off, no further problems.
Circa '70's Colt Combat Commander, came with a burr on the barrel shroud, the Sheriff Deputy could not rank the slide open when inspecting it for a Michigan "Safety Inspection Certificate"...stoned it off, never a problem with that gun again.
Circa '70's Colt Series 70 1911, extractor tension incorrect, would jam empties into magazine lips locking up the gun. Applied correct tension to extractor, no more problem.
Circa '70's Colt Combat Commander .38 Super, incorrect positioning of slide recoil lugs, peened the barrel lugs severly...would still fire, never locked up...had to get a new slide and barrel.
Current production, about two years ago, Colt XSE Combat Commander, underpowered recoil spring, would lock the slide in open position (stoppage). Fixed that, then weak firing pin spring, would allow the firing pin stop to drop down during firing, locking up the gun. After swapping out both springs, no more problems. Both grips were poorly checkered, but that was a cosmetic Q.C. problem, not functional issue.
I do not consider the problems I had with the Colts (four out of four) to be any indication of a propensity for 1911's for failure. I consider the problems I had to be a manifestation of a lack of quality control, incompetent Q.C. management, or lack of requisite skills of Q.C. management. Now that Ruger has come out with a 1911, I cannot envision ever buying a Colt 1911 again...I do not need the aggravation, and I am certainly not going to pay more to get it.
Last edited by dahermit; September 8, 2012 at 05:13 PM.
|September 8, 2012, 05:07 PM
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Join Date: August 25, 2002
Posts: 157
I have an H&K USP45c that broke it's trigger linkage while a first time shooter was using it at the range. Result was a dead trigger that would move forward and backwards, but not drop the hammer. Poor kid thought she broke my gun. I explained to her that it had tens of thousands of rounds through and that any weapon no matter how good will break from use eventually.
H&K fixed it for free with no hassle. Thumbd up to their customer service and repair divisions.
TFL survivor, THR member, TFL member once again!
|September 8, 2012, 05:07 PM
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Yes to both. Broken firing pin on a model 1910 FN .32 acp, and a S&W 442 with a cracked frame.
|September 8, 2012, 05:42 PM
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Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 6,117
Kimber Royal carry. Magazine was dropped and I didn't notice it till the next time at the range. Luckily I didn't carry the gun with that magazine.
Taurus 445. Poorly built gun from the factory, End of the barrel was not flush with the cylinder and clearance was way too tight. A good gun smith fixed.
Taurus 605, shot well until +50 rounds. Started blowing lead out the side of the cylinder. Out of time in less than 100 rounds. Gave it to my gunsmith friend.
Colt Gold Cup, pin that holds the adjustable rear sight came out of the gun as I was firing. Half the magazine hit center mass the remainder of the mag hit 12 inches low. Not bad for a gun with over 5000 rounds.
|September 8, 2012, 06:24 PM
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Join Date: December 9, 2011
Posts: 177
Yes. Colt m1903 .32 acp model. A shooter. Slide locked back and WON'T come unlocked. It is inoperable.
|September 8, 2012, 06:26 PM
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Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,358
All my revolver failures have been ammo related. All my autoloader failures have been magazine related. (there haven't been all that many of either)
"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun"
|September 8, 2012, 06:30 PM
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Join Date: November 15, 2010
Location: United States of America
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"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" -Admiral Farragut @ Battle of Mobile Bay 05AUG1864
|September 8, 2012, 07:45 PM
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Location: Alabama
Posts: 209
the S&W 21-A .22LR pistol I had locked up and the slide would move only about 1/2". Sent it back and was returned with report they replaced something. Fired one mag and it locked up again, same way. Sent it back a second time and after a month finally got it back with report they adjusted the slide lock area. Very mysterious. Concluded it was a lemon so I traded for a Ruger LCR22 which has been excellent.
The action seemed loose from the start so I'm sure it was a factory lemon that got by QC.
|September 8, 2012, 07:52 PM
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Location: North Carolina
Posts: 4,728
Both, but both were ammo failures and not necessarily gun failures.
Had a Wolf 9mm round squib in a Ruger P89. Blocked the bore and had to be tapped out with a brass rod.
Had a poorly crimped reload (my fault) jump crimp and tie up my LCR.
Both easy fixes. Neither the fault of the gun. Both bad juju in a gun fight.
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|September 8, 2012, 07:54 PM
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Join Date: December 20, 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 950
Had a few revolver failures over the years. Had a squib load in a model 25 and the bullet didn't clear the barrel. That put a halt to my shooting for the day. Ejector rod backing out of the model 10s at work has been an issue over the years. In autos most of my failures have been either poor reloads that wouldn't feed in my P-90 when I first started reloading or failure to go all the way into battery when my Kimber was filthy earlier this year. None of my failures in the autos made me quit for the day though.
|September 8, 2012, 09:07 PM
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Join Date: December 30, 2010
Posts: 1,480
These posts are making me want to reconsider a BUG.
Stay Groovy
|September 8, 2012, 09:26 PM
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Join Date: November 2, 2009
Posts: 212
Taurus 686 with very tight cylinder gap. Shoot 2-3 loads of ammo, and there is enough carbon on the front of the cylinder to jam against the barrel, and it won't rotate. Still like the gun though, just needs tweaked. Or maybe shot a little more and broken in.
|September 8, 2012, 09:28 PM
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Join Date: November 21, 2011
Location: Southern Louisiana
Posts: 1,399
Three instances with handguns that I personally experienced that made them inoperable:
Had a piece of grit get under the extractor of a S&W 29 during a reload in a IDPA match that locked the cylinder up so tight that the trigger wouldn't move and it couldn't be opened. So much for that stage. Finally had to smack it open with a wooden mallet.
Had the original 2 piece barrel on a 70 series Colt .38 Super separate at the joint, lock up the gun and blow burning powder and particles of brass back in my face. Safety glasses are a good thing.
Had a Taurus 92 that one side of the locking block broke off and locked up the gun. Sent it back to the factory and they fixed it. Sold it soon after.
Had a friend firing some of my bowling pin loads (they were VERY stout loads) break the slide release on his 1911 and the whole slide came off.
Saw the slide come completely off some semi-auto during a Gunsite class and go downrange. Don't know why, seems like it was a SIG.
I've seen a lot of rifles in 3 gun matches locked up from the extractor jumping the groove or tearing through the rim, then double feeding. Gun is inoperable until you punch the empty out with a range rod or cleaning rod. I believe it's the humidity down here and chambers that are not chrome plated or stainless barrels. They get a little rust in the chamber and lock up the brass.
Last edited by 45_auto; September 12, 2012 at 03:09 PM.
|September 8, 2012, 09:30 PM
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Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,384
For totally disabled, only two, both revolvers. One was a Model 36 that broke its hammer stud. The other was a Colt OP whose hammer broke off at the thin point. I fixed both without a factory trip, but they were completely disabled. Nevertheless, I have had far more temporary failures from autos, failures to feed, and the like. But then I shoot collector guns and have some odd pistols, so if Langenhahn fails to eject, I don't consider it a disaster, as I would never use such a gun for serious purposes anyway. On the plus side are .45 autos; I logged a Norinco at 8500 rounds with no failures, and a 1943 Colt M1911A1 at about the same. (The Norinco was new; God only know how many had been through the Colt before I got it.)
Jim K
|September 8, 2012, 09:45 PM
Join Date: September 13, 2011
Posts: 41
One of each.
S&W model 10. Had the firing pin (hammer dog nose) break.
WW2 vintage FN P35 (Nazi occupation) version of the Browning High Power. Had the end of the extractor claw break off.
|September 8, 2012, 09:49 PM
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Never an "Inoperable" Failure
I think all of us (that actually shoot K's of rounds per a lifetime) experience either a jam, bad round etc. that results in the need to perhaps 'clear' the weapon which can be done almost instantaneously by a trained shooter. I have found it's always (for me) a result of cheap bulk ammo so I expect it every now and then but I have never had such occur with costly carry ammo.
While not a revolver guy (I actually like them but allocate my funds according to the ammo I have on hand which is 90% semi-auto) I have read more lately of cylinder shell extraction issues' due to bad tolerances' and the like (gun-tests had an article on this) yet I have personally never seen one 'lockup' at the range. In theory this would be a problem if one had to reload for defensive purposes and found he or she had to 'pry' the rounds out.
Point is I think with either platform that "inoperable" failures are an infrequent occurence at best. My Dad (God rest his sole) taught me a long time ago, however, that anything man-made (mechanical) can fail/break at any time--It is precisely for this reasng that I religiously carry a small BUG --it's so small as though IMO there's no excuse not to.
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"A free people ought...to be armed..."
―George Washington
|September 8, 2012, 09:53 PM
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Join Date: January 31, 2010
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,522
Yes. Two separate times, and with two different guns. One was a Sig P220, the other was the Sig P220ST. The trigger return spring was the culprit in both incidents; snapped in half and left me with a real pricey boat anchor. This is why I always grit my teeth anytime I see Sig ads in the gun books, or hear somebody else singing the praises of Sig. "To hell and back reliability", my *#?!
Seen on a bumper sticker: "Exercise. Eat right. Take vitamins. Die anyway."
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Action University Book Review: Week of December 17, 2012
Action University is a new, online professional development tool for AFP members. In each weekly lesson, Action University takes a best-selling business book and summarizes it into a 10-15 minute video. Each video is accompanied by a workbook, a PDF summary, and in most cases a 45 minute webinar with the author where participants get to ask specific questions.
The content you are attempting to reach is for AFP members only. Please log in to see the full content. Not a member? Join AFP now!

subset: commoncrawl


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Restaurant Review
Monte Carlo Steak House
A good choice for choice meats
Finding your way into the Monte Carlo Steak House can be tricky since there is no obvious entrance. The place started out as a package liquor store with a drive-through window and a small bar in the back. The liquor store is still thriving, but the canopy is all that remains of the drive-up liquor window. There are two unmarked doors on the side of the beige building—the southernmost door will get you the entrance of the bar and steakhouse.
When I wrote about this place in my recently published restaurant guide, New Mexico Chow: Restaurants for the Rest of Us (The Intrepid Traveler, 2004), I made specific mention of the bar. "Yes, there is a full bar, filled with smoke, the tinkle of ice and (maybe) the laughter of naughty women. Imagine, a place where you can sit and smoke and drink and reminisce about the time you used to be able to sit and smoke and drink at a bar." Albuquerque's new smoking ban makes all that witty prose a figment of the smoldering past. The bar is now smoke-free. Manager George Katsaros told me they were still considering expanding the bar, which would allow them to add smoking; unless, of course, the law changes again.
The place is a throwback to a bygone era. It reminds me exactly of the Capri Steak House of my youth in New York's Hudson Valley. The same booths are back (or maybe they never left in the first place)—red and black, tufted and tough looking. There's lots of Budweiser memorabilia everywhere and Clydesdales (plump, beer-wagon-pulling horses) in etched mirrors and statuary. "The King of Beers" appears on neon wall signs and menu board displays. Never underestimate the power of suggestion; there were more Budweiser long necks per table than I can remember seeing anywhere else. You won't find pilsner glasses here; somehow they don't fit the profile. This place is decidedly not an upscale kind of steakhouse, so bottled beer it is. You can catch sports on any one of three television sets while the music is turned up. There is a collection of model cars, and even a portrait of "The King" (as in Elvis) on black velvet. The crowning touch (and what makes it just like the Capri) is the revolving pastry case.
The menu pretty much stays the same all day except for the homemade soup ($2.75) (which is usually sold out by dinner), and a lunch special ($6.95), Monday through Friday from 11 to 3 p.m. The special changes daily and might include roast chicken, meatloaf or enchiladas. On the lighter side, you might choose from an unusual Greek salad with salami, ham and cheese, several sandwiches or their signature chile-cheeseburger. The burger is a half-pound of ground sirloin with delicious shards of burnished, roasted green chile and cheddar cheese. The burger is more round than thick, is seated on a giant bun and covered with fantastic skin-on French fries.
The appetizers seem like pretty standard fare—fried zucchini, mushrooms and mozzarella, etc., so I passed them up to focus on the steak. There are four sizes and styles to choose from, with the 14 oz. rib eye ($18.95) being the most popular. I've always favored the New York strip. For the life of me, I can't figure where it got its name. Could it be that it's shaped like Long Island? But I digress. The aforementioned steak is two bucks cheaper Monday through Wednesday evenings. I enjoyed one perfectly cooked to red (as in rare); a feat that seems to elude many local grill stations. A salad, a starch and Texas toast come with the steaks. You won't find even the tiniest micro baby green hiding in this basic salad. It's not quite lettuce alone, but it's pretty close. When it comes to choosing a dressing, go for the tangy Greek, with pieces of feta cheese. The baked potato was well cooked and served piping hot. I passed on the Texas toast—why would I want a thicker version of bad bread, even when it's browned on the grill?
Really good prime rib ($16.95) is offered only on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings after 5 p.m. Get there early, because this three-quarter pound slab of premium beef is very popular and sells out quickly. Seafood choices are limited to a flavorful broiled, marinated salmon ($13.95) served with drawn butter, a breaded cod filet ($9.95) or jumbo fried shrimp ($16.95). When it comes to desserts the choices are few. Homemade baklava ($3.75) is nutty and sweet. Their apple pie was absent on both our visits.
The wine list is pretty standard with a few surprises from down under. However, manager George Katsaros was quick to point out that guests are welcome to choose another wine from the package store up front for consumption at the restaurant at a reasonable markup. In fact, he tries to stock often-requested wines.
Servers are generally fast and familiar but on a recent visit we felt abandoned most of the evening.
Just take a hop, skip and a jump west from the Rio Grande and you can enjoy quality meats at affordable prices, in a truly retro atmosphere.
Monte Carlo Steak House; 3916 Central SW; 831-2444; Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m-10 p.m. Fri & Sat 11 a.m-11 p.m.; Price Range: Inexpensive to Moderate; Major credit cards accepted.


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Ex-player leaves child in car at club
A former University of Florida and NFL player was arrested after authorities say he left a 3-year-old girl alone in a car while he went into a Clearwater strip club.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reports that 41-year-old Monty Ray Grow was charged with child abuse Sunday night. He was later released on $5,000 bail.
Deputies say Grow went into Diamond Dolls and left the child in the parking lot of the nearby used car dealership. Authorities wouldn't say how Grow knew the girl.
The girl's mother and grandparents had already removed the uninjured child from the car when deputies arrived.
When Grow returned to the car, he reportedly acknowledged leaving the child unattended.
Grow played linebacker for the Gators from 1989 to 1993. He went on to play a season each for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars.


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Bird festival - The 6th annual Galt Winter Bird Festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McCaffrey Middle School, 997 Park Terrace Drive, Galt. The event includes wild animal presentations, guest speakers, demonstrations, exhibits, free youth activities, food vendors and many wildlife viewing tours. Information and tour signups: ci.galt.ca.us or (209) 366-7115.
DFF dinner - The Delta Fly Fishers annual fund-raising dinner starts at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7:30 p.m. at the Eagle's Lodge, 1492 Bourbon Street, Stockton. The cost is $35. There will be drawings and a silent auction. Checks should be mailed to: Delta Fly Fishers, P.O. Box 77862, Stockton, CA, 95207-7862.
Fishing tournament - The 10th annual Bob McMillen Memorial Fishing Tournament presented by the Delta Fly Fishers at Oak Grove Regional Park is open to all ages with gates opening at 6:15 a.m. and registration closing at 10 a.m. The final weigh-in will be at 12:30 p.m. About 2,700 pounds of rainbow trout, including 200 pounds of trophy-sized fish will be planted prior to the event. There is no registration fee, however, a $5 fishing permit fee and valid California fishing license is required for those 16 and older. Parking is $6. Information: (209) 331-2050 or mgzoo.com.
Hunter safety classes - Valley Waterfowl's and the Galt Parks and Recreation Department are teaming to provide a fun-filled, information-packed hunter safety classes for youth and adults on Feb. 22-24; April 26-28; June 21-23; and Aug. 23-25. All classes will be held at the Galt Police Department community room at 455 Industrial Drive. The schedule for all Cost is $10. Signups are limited to the first 25 students for each of the three class sessions. Enroll at the Galt Parks and Recreation Department. Information: Bruce Bullard (209) 744-2766.
Fly fishing show - The annual Fly Fishing Show is at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Doors open at 10 a.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission: $15 one-day, $25 two days. Continuous seminars, fly tying and casting instructions.


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Some surprises in these random thoughts for a Tuesday:
Some surprises in these random thoughts for a Tuesday:
� Most everyone loves an underdog, but Northern Illinois playing Florida State in the Orange Bowl doesn't promise to be must-watch TV. The BCS agreements and conference ties to bowls again produced some less-than-compelling games, the Huskies vs. the Seminoles among them. Not fired up about Louisville vs. Florida in the Sugar Bowl, either.
� Name the FBS team with the best record (21-1) since Oct. 2, 2011. Answer below.
� "Sit Hits the San!" in reference to Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez being benched Sunday against the Cardinals, was one of Monday's headlines in the New York Post. The same headline would have worked to describe "San" Francisco's loss to the Rams. Alex Smith sat again only to watch Colin Kaepernick make several costly mistakes in his failed attempt to be the first 49ers QB to win his first three career starts.
� The 49ers are using Kaepernick to open up the offense, yet they went ultra-conservative with play calling after earning a first down on a pass play at the Rams' 37-yard line in overtime. Three running plays, when they hadn't run well all game, leaving it to kicker David Akers, who has a pelvis injury, to win the game was frustrating to watch.
� The answer: Northern Illinois. The Huskies' 21 wins are two more than Alabama and four more than Notre Dame - this season's BCS championship participants - over the same stretch. Northern Illinois is the first team from the Mid-American Conference to earn a BCS bowl bid.
� In August, USC quarterback Matt Barkley was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and his Trojans were the consensus No. 1 team in the land. Fast forward to December and Barkley didn't even get invited to New York as a Heisman finalist, the Trojans aren't ranked and a freshman, who won the quarterback job at Texas A&M in August, is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman.
� Former Utah and Saint Louis basketball coach Rick Majerus died Saturday at age 64. Majerus spent some time in Stockton about 12 years ago recruiting Philip Ricci. But the Galt and Delta College product opted for Oregon State and led the Beavers in scoring in 2001-02. Now, Ricci is playing for Toyota Alvark in Japan.
� If you're looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for the discerning basketball fan or playground fashionista, consider a pair of Jordan XXB shoes, the latest in the Michael Jordan line of Nike athletic footwear. They're only $250.
� Former Mets and Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra was sentenced to prison for committing bankruptcy fraud. He's already doing three years for grand theft auto. His post-baseball life is a twisted, sordid story and to think he agreed to manage the Mudville Nine (Ports) only to back out before the 2001 season.
Contact sports editor Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8282 or email@example.com.


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2 days ago
The Melbourne Storm have broken the hearts of the Wests Tigers, scoring in the final five minutes to snatch the Premiership with a final score of 24 points to 22.
The Tigers had done all the hard work in the second half, scoring two tries back to back to fight back from an 18-10 deficit at half time to a four point lead.
Fullback Jake Mullaney featured heavily in the Tigers fightback, backing up a Simon Dwyer bust in the 53rd to score under the posts, before then creating the bust in the 56th from a quick play the ball, and finding Robert Lui in support for the try.
Mullaney got the scoring started in just the 12th minute, following through Darren Nicholls grubber to give the Tigers an early lead.
The Storm then responded with two tries, to winger Matt Duffie in the 20th, before Billy Rogers caught the goal line defence napping when he dove over untouched in the 27th.
It hadn't been a happy day for the kickers, with neither team having made a conversion yet.
As such, when Rhys Curran burrowed over in the 32nd and Mullaney converted, the Tigers had the lead back.
They didn't have the lead for long though, as Gareth Widdop scored a Slater-esque try in the 35th, then in the 39th Sam Joe came up with a Gidley flick pass out to O'Neill who raced down the sideline and went over untouched to give the Storm their eight point halftime lead.
The second half belonged to the Tigers right up until the 74th minute, when in a carbon copy of the games first try, Luke Kelly grubbered through and Widdop beat three Tigers defenders to the ball to snatch victory for the Storm.
Match Details
Melbourne Storm 24 def Wests Tigers 22
Toyota Cup Grand Final - Sunday October 4th, 2009 02:15pm Venue: ANZ Stadium, Homebush Referee: Gavin Reynolds
Sideline Officials: Richard Daizli & Jason Walsh Crowd: Halftime: Melbourne Storm 18 Wests Tigers 10
Melbourne Storm 24
Tries: Matt Duffie, Billy Rogers, Gareth Widdop (2), Justin O


text:
COVINGTON, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say three people were injured and six horses were killed in a series of crashes after more than three dozen horses got loose from a western Ohio farm.
Miami County sheriff's deputies say there were at least five separate crashes beginning at about 3:30 a.m. Friday near Covington, north of Dayton. Two drivers injured in the crashes were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover. There's no word on the extent of the injuries to the third person.
WHIO reports that the horses came from a family farm, possibly getting through a hole in a fence. A phone message left for the farm owner wasn't immediately returned.
Most of the estimated 39 horses that got loose were rounded up by later Friday morning.


text:
By Matt Gelb
The Phillies will replace J.C. Romero with... J.C. Romero.
Two baseball sources confirmed Monday the lefthander will return for his fifth season in Philadelphia. The two sides have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, pending a physical.
Romero is in Puerto Rico with his family for the holidays and the physical may not take place until after Jan. 1.
CSN Philly was the first to report the deal late Sunday night.
Romero, who turns 35 in June, will likely take a significant pay cut to remain with the team. He made $4 million in 2010 and shortly after the season ended, the Phillies declined a $4.5 million option for 2011, instead paying him a $250,000 buyout.
The Phillies had found a replacement for Romero earlier in the off-season when they agreed in principle to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with Dennys Reyes. But the two sides could not finalize the contract following Reyes' physical in Philadelphia.
With the market for lefthanders dwindling, the Phillies chose the familiar one. Romero lacked control in 2010, walking 29 batters while striking out 28. He blamed nebulous mechanical problems as the culprit and still showed flashes of effectiveness, but the walks hurt more than they had in years past.
It's likely Romero will make something near what Reyes was scheduled to make. Last week, assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said the team still had Reyes' money to allocate to a lefthanded reliever even after signing Cliff Lee.
They could have held onto that money and filled the lefthanded reliever job internally with either Antonio Bastardo, Dan Meyer, Mike Zagurski or Sergio Escalona, but chose for experience.
When Romero officially re-joins the roster, the Phillies will have to make a corresponding roster move because the 40-man roster is full.


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Can You Guess the Celebrity Cleavage?
This celebrity cleavage might be pretty tough for you guys to figure out. But, hey... at least you'll have fun trying, right?
This girl is in her mid-20s and hails from Africa. She's a beauty pageant titleholder and participated in Miss Universe 2007. Those hints might be too much already, for any of you who are adept at Googling, but we'll drop some more hints just in case.
You might also find this girl as an actress, TV presented and model in her home country. As a model, she's appeared in FHM Portugal and has continued to participate in the pageant world.
Can you guess who she is?


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Once the investigator has documented information about the decedent's death, and the decedent's medical, social, and mental
health, he or she should complete the investigation. He or she should follow these steps:
Principle: Maintaining jurisdiction over the body allows the investigator to protect the chain of custody as the body is transported
from the scene for autopsy, specimen collection or storage.
Authorization: Medical Examiner/Coroner Official Office Policy Manual; State or Federal Statutory Authority.
Policy: The investigator shall maintain jurisdiction of the body by arranging for the body to be transported for autopsy, specimen
collection or storage by secure conveyance.
Procedure: When maintaining jurisdiction over the body, the investigator should:
Summary: By providing documented secure transportation of the body from the scene to an authorized receiving facility, the investigator
maintains jurisdiction and protects chain of custody of the body.
Principle: Prior to releasing jurisdiction of the body to an authorized receiving agent or funeral director, it is necessary to determine
the person responsible for certification of the death. Information to complete the death certificate includes demographic
information and the date, time and location of death.
Policy: The investigator shall obtain sufficient data to enable completion of the death certificate and release of jurisdiction over
the body.
Procedure: When releasing jurisdiction over the body, the investigator should:
Summary: The investigator releases jurisdiction only after determining who will sign the death certificate; documenting the date,
time and location of death; collecting appropriate specimens; and releasing the body to the authorized funeral director or
other authorized receiving agent.
Principle: Completion of the scene investigation ensures that important evidence has been collected and the scene has been processed.
In addition, a systematic review of the scene ensures that artifacts or equipment are not inadvertently left behind and any
dangerous materials or conditions have been reported and documented.
Policy: At the conclusion of the scene investigation, the investigator shall conduct a post-investigative "walk through" and ensure
the scene investigation is complete.
Procedure: When performing exit procedures, the investigator should:
Summary: Conducting a scene "walk through" upon exit ensures that all evidence has been collected, that materials are not inadvertently
left behind, and that any dangerous materials or conditions have been documented and reported to the proper entities.
Principle: The investigator provides the family or authorized individual(s) with a timetable so they can arrange for final disposition
and provides information on available community and professional resources that may assist the family.
Policy: The investigator shall offer the decedent's family or authorized individual(s) information regarding available community
and professional resources.
Procedure: When the investigator is assisting the family or authorized individual(s), it is important to:
Summary: Interaction with the family or authorized individual(s) allows the investigator to assist and direct them to appropriate
resources. It is essential that families or authorized individuals be given a timetable of events so that they can make necessary
arrangements. In addition, the investigator needs to communicate what information will be available and an approximate timeline
for its release.
Back to: Crime Scene Investigation.
National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531


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Lancaster Post 31 built a 7-2 lead and held on to even the best-of-five American Legion baseball Upstate title series at 1-1 with a 10-7 win over Greenwood Post 20 at Eggleton Field on Thursday night.
Devin Rodgers led the P-31 offense with four hits, three RBIs and scored a run. Tripp Rollings drilled three hits, including a two-run homer.
Colt Ellis added two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Tyler Rodgers supplied two hits.
Jonah Crenshaw and Trey Payne each produced a hit and drove home a run.
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October 10. 2013 9:33PM
College Hockey: New year, same goal for Wildcats
By ALLEN LESSELS
New Hampshire Union Leader
— It ended — painfully — at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester on the last Saturday night in March.
The University of New Hampshire hockey team's bounce-back season put Dick Umile's team, after a rare off year, back in the NCAA tournament and the Wildcats eliminated Denver in a first-round game in the Northeast Regional at the Verizon.
But UNH's top two forwards, Kevin Goumas and Grayson Downing, left the game after taking nasty hits against Denver. Neither was able to play in the regional final the next night against UMass Lowell and the Wildcats didn't have enough offense against a tough bunch of defenders and fell, 2-0.
UMass Lowell moved on to its first Frozen Four and New Hampshire closed out at 20-12-7 overall.
"It seems like yesterday," said UNH senior defenseman and captain Eric Knodel. "It's a loss that didn't sit well over the summer. We got a taste of it last year. We got back to the NCAA tournament and won the first game and lost the second We have a taste of what it takes to get there and what it takes to win."
Led by Goumas, a senior, and Downing, a junior, up front with Knodel and junior Trevor van Riemsdyk anchoring the defense and junior Casey DeSmith of Rochester back in net, an experienced group of Wildcats will look to build off that taste and take things a step or two further in 2013-14.
Ranked No. 13 in the country in the USCHO preseason poll, they begin their latest quest against undefeated Clarkson today at 5 p.m. in the first round of the Ice Breaker Tournament at Mariucci Arena at the University of Minnesota.
Mercyhurst and Minnesota meet in the other first-round game tonight.
The winners play on Saturday night in the title game and there is also a consolation game.
"We're excited to get going," said Umile, who begins his 24th season as UNH's head coach tonight. "Minnesota's a great hockey area and we haven't played Clarkson in a while. We're looking to put a good game together."
Clarkson opened with a pair of wins, 2-1 and 2-0, at Niagara last weekend.
Senior Jeff Wyer will start in goal for UNH tonight and DeSmith will be in the net on Saturday.
Umile said during the pre-season that Wyer had been playing well and was going to push DeSmith, who started all but one game last year, for playing time.
"We'll take it one game at a time," Umile said. "Casey got on a roll last year and we went with him. He could well do that again. We'll see how it goes."
The Wildcats got off to a super start last year — they won their first four games and were 11-1-2 as of Dec. 1 — and will try to do so again.
"We're definitely hungry," Goumas said. "Me and the rest of the seniors have come up short twice in our three years and we tell the guys all the time that you don't get many chances and it goes by so quickly."
The Wildcats lost in the Northeast Regional final when Goumas and his classmates were freshmen and they had a streak of 10 straight tournament appearances snapped the next year.
"We learned that year there are no guarantees," van Riemsdyk said. "It makes you want even more to win the next game in the tournament, to get back to the Frozen Four."
The Wildcats last made it to the Frozen Four in 2003 when they advanced to the championship game and lost to Minnesota, 5-1, in Buffalo. That closed a string of four Frozen Four appearances in six years.
The goal remains to return.
First, there's the matter of competing in the new-look Hockey East: New team in Notre Dame; new coaches in Berlin native Red Gendron at Maine, on for Tim Whitehead, and David Quinn replacing Jack Parker at Boston University; and even a new schedule with league teams playing each other only twice a season in games that count in the conference standings.
UNH has finished outside the top four in the league each of the last two seasons and thus has had to play its quarterfinal series on the road. The Wildcats lost in three tight games each year and did not make it to the TD Garden to compete in the league championship round.
"The ultimate goal is the national championship," Wyer said. "But we want home ice advantage for the Hockey East playoffs and to make it to Boston. We want to be playing here at the Whit."
And, come the second week in April, they want to be playing in the Frozen Four at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.


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Title: Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story
Author: S D Nelson
Publisher: Abrams
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
Told from the Native American point of view, Black Elk's Vision provides a unique perspective on American history.
From recounting the visions Black Elk had as a young boy, to his involvement in the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee, as well as his journeys to New York City and Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, this biographical account of Black Elk—an Oglala-Lakota medicine man (1863–1950)—follows him from childhood through adulthood.
S. D. Nelson tells the story of Black Elk through the medicine man's voice, bringing to life what it was like to be Native American in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The Native people found their land overrun by the Wha-shi-choos, or White Man, the buffalo slaughtered for sport and to purposely eliminate their main food source, and their people gathered onto reservations. Through it all, Black Elk clung to his childhood visions that planted the seeds to help his people—and all people—understand their place in the circle of life.
The book includes archival images, a timeline, a bibliography, an index, and Nelson's signature art.
I read two books recently about young children victimized by war, and they both broke my heart. In Black Elk's Vision, a picture book based on Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt, warfare destroys not only Black Elk's home, but also his people's entire way of life. From the cover to the last page, this colorful book is striking and thought provoking. It doesn't pull any punches, either. From Little Big Horn to the massacre at Wounded Knee, Black Elk's story is compelling and unforgettable. From the vast plains, hunting buffalo, to the hardship of a walled reservation, his words remain steady and engrossing. I am not sure that I would be as forgiving as Black Elk, Great Vision or not. Manifest Destiny is such an ugly chapter in the history of this country, and I find it painful to read many accounts of settlers as they steamrolled over everything in their path to conquering the West.
There are several parts of this book that I found disturbing, and I am sure that I will find them hard to forget. Before the white settlers flooded like a tsunami over the Great Plains, there were an estimated 30 million bison. Thirty million. By 1889, there were about a thousand. The numbers are mind-numbing. Worse, diseases brought by Europeans wiped out hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. And that was before the settlers began to intentionally drive them off of their ancestral homelands. Thinking about the massive loss of life is nauseating. Thinking about a twelve year old boy forced to defend his life, as well as the lives of his family, is also upsetting. Thinking about having everything you owned, every belief and physical possession, even your way of life, torn away also merits deep contemplation. I would not have survived nearly as well, or lived nearly as gracefully, as Black Elk.
I found Black Elk's Vision a compelling read. Interspersing colorful acrylics with vintage photos of the events described in Black Elk's narrative, I found this book hard to put down. I also found myself going back to key passages, illustrations, and photos to ensure that I absorbed everything. From the photograph of Black Elk on the cover to the portrait of his family near the end, this is a haunting book. Black Elk believed that all of us have a part in the circle of life. We can all hold weapons of destruction or the sacred water of life. Each of us carries the power to nurture or destroy. Black Elk choose the cup of life, and he wished that all of us would choose it as well.
Grade: B+
Review obtained from my local library


text:
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2013 NW Hort ExpoThe Northwest Horticultural Exposition is held annually in conjunction with the Washington State Horicultural Association's Annual Meeting.
The highly acclaimed and sought after NW Hort Expo is the largest gathering of Horticultural products under one roof and is available to more than 1,500 attendees during the WSHA Annual Meeting.
The NW Hort Expo hours of operation are Monday and Tuesday December 2nd & 3rd from 8:30am to 5pm and Wendnesday December 4th 8:30am - 12:30pm 2013
The NW Hort Expo is open free of charge to the general public.


text:
Wendell Cox
Wendell Cox is a consultant who has completed transit projects in countries around the world.
From Wendell Cox
Connect Southeast Michigan Transit Proposal: Looking Backward
Published on June 4, 2018 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
The UAW's Anti-Democratic Principles
Published on March 15, 2011
Agenda and Facts Collide in Land-Use Report
Published on Aug. 27, 2003
Privatization Should Drive Detroit Transportation
The Detroit Department of Transportation is by all accounts costly and inefficient. Officials should consider the benefits of privatizing D-DOT's fleet of buses to provide citizens with better and more reliable service at less cost. … more
Published on Dec. 1, 2000 – Michigan Privatization Report
Competitive Contracting of Transit Services
Published on June 1, 1998 – Michigan Privatization Report
Competitive Contracting of Transit Services
This manual provides answers to the costly woes of transportation. When transit bus service, for instance, is competitively contracted out to private firms, savings range from 30 percent to 60 percent with no reduction in safety or service quality. 20 pages. … more
Published on Jan. 1, 1993 – Special Items


text: Jeanette Arsenault Calendar October 2018 Oct 2018 There are no upcoming events to display at this time. October 2018 Oct 2018 Contact Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Name Email Address Message 2 + 10 = Submit Subscribe to Jeanette Arsenault MusicGet the inside scoop, behind the scenes news, and updates! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!


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Scott & Madelyn's Story
The Accomac went above and beyond our expectations. We were so thankful to have them on our team as we planned our dream wedding.A Dream Come True
Worry Free Wedding
We didn't have to worry about a thing the day of the wedding! Working with Accomac for our wedding was an incredible experience.More Details
Happy Holidays
Thank you for all your hard work and creativity in making our annual holiday party such an extraordinary event.Read More


text: This sound effect is created to be used as sound effect for the game . I was thinking about the event of main character loosing the game , so this sound is ideal as " game over " effect or " live lost " effect . Of course this ambient sound have many varieties to use it , for example as " intro / outro " or transition effect for video game , movie or even as logo sound.


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"The Bridge" is not a tidy little connection between two points, or even two sides of a story. It stretches and bends, bringing in new characters before you've gotten to know the older ones, spreading its narrative from police offices and grimy streets to dry stretches of land along the border between Mexico and the United States. Not even the body that begins its story is simple.
Premiering at 9 p.m. Wednesday on FX, the series follows the investigation of that body, left at the midpoint of a bridge between Juarez and El Paso, with part of it resting in the United States and part in Mexico — bringing in law enforcement from both sides. From Mexico comes detective Marco Ruiz (Demian Bichir), an honorable man trying to keep his job (and his life) while working among the cartels and their corrupt associates, some of whom are his co-workers. From the U.S. is Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger), an El Paso detective whose personal challenges include having Asperger's syndrome. Each has rules, though not the same ones.
And they are part of a larger world that includes, among others, Ruiz's wife, Alma (Catalina Sandino Moreno); Cross' boss, Hank Wade (Ted Levine); Charlotte Millright (Annabeth Gish), a wealthy ranch wife who is suddenly widowed when her husband suffers a heart attack while on the Mexican side of the border; Daniel Frye (Matthew Lillard), a nasty and troubled newspaper reporter who is drawn into coverage of the case; and others who seem to have interests in the outcome of the investigation.
All of that adds to the pushing and pulling of the central characters. But there are also points at which they step aside to reveal more about the supporting players: Frye's approach to the case, for example, or how Millright is seen by her wealthy neighbors. There's more than a little of "Traffic" at work here, although that film (and the miniseries that inspired it) moved more certainly forward. "The Bridge" can at times be very good; Bichir, a best-actor Oscar nominee for "A Better Life," is especially effective. It is also strong when it comes to the desperation of life along the border.
But "The Bridge" loves complexity too much, in the layers of Cross' personality and in the variety of characters and stories it tries to juggle. Still, I was drawn into it, and well into the third episode still wanted to see where "The Bridge" was going.
What: "The Bridge"
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday
Where: FX


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Avatar (UK - BD RA/B)
Our Marcus paints himself blue and infiltrates the natives on Blu-ray disc...
2154. After the death of his twin brother, paraplegic former Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is inducted into the Avatar program as he provides a perfect DNA replacement for his brother.
Travelling to Pandora, Sam's consciousness is transferred into an alien host body and he's assigned a mission to learn as much as he can about the native ten foot tall Na'vi alien race as he can. Walking a tightrope between helping the science researchers, led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and providing insider knowledge to the head of security Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), Jake's priorities become increasingly blurred, especially after meeting native Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and discovering the beauty of this new world that his people are slowly destroying.
It seems like a million years ago since I wrote up my thoughts on the fifteen minutes Avatar Day cinematic preview back in August and weirdly it seems ages ago since I saw the actual movie before Christmas. It was exciting times for a while there, what with the return of James Cameron to our big screen, the first proper presentation of 3D and a showcase of what it could do and of course the movie just exploded across the box office, not only making money, but becoming the highest grossing film of all time, even surpassing Jimmy C's last movie Titanic. You might say that Avatar is a certified triumph, you might even say that it's an instant classic, but for the life of me I can't really say that my feelings towards it get much higher than lukewarm.
From the get go, Avatar feels like a James Cameron movie. His effortless ability to make his worlds feel lived in and believable is as sharp as ever. The moment you arrive on Pandora you know the landscape, you have a feel for the technology at hand, and you know the characters and the parts they have to play. This is all done with minimal detail but Cameron just draws you in with charm and sets you off on his adventure.
For me the movie really comes to life when Jake takes the first steps in his host body. The feeling of freedom the character displays (after all let's remember this is animated, albeit via performance capture) is astonishing and is a great piece of uplifting cinema to get you on the side of our hero. His interactions with Dr Grace also add a lot to the development of the character and the feeling that he's achieving something comes with a warming change of attitude from Sigourney's character as the movie develops. But of course the real heart of the story takes place in the rain forests and with the arrival of the mesmerizing Neytiri.
If there was ever an argument for how much of a success the step forward in technology—especially when it comes to animated characters— Avatar has achieved, it's with the combination of Zoe Saldana's performance and the subtle work within the animation of her character Neytiri. Literally from the first moment you see her, she draws you in and when she starts interacting with Jake, I dare anyone to say they weren't captivated. Her voice, her movements and the character's grace is one hundred percent believable and for me the heart and soul of the movie.
However, it's also Neytiri's arrival that highlights what frustrated me about Avatar. We knew from the get go that the movie was much akin to Dances With Wolves and others dealing with similar themes. After the first trailer hit, there was a lot of online debate and generally it was a fun little joke in the build up to the movies release ( South Park even got in on the gag with a Dances with Smurfs episode).
Unfortunately and surprisingly for me, the similarities to movies past really held back my thorough enjoyment of Avatar as I couldn't help drawing parallels. Everything just felt too close to Pocahontas (specifically Disney's version of it) and I don't mean the obvious stuff like Neytiri's family set up, the douche bag tribe warrior who should be marrying her but won't now because of Jake, her going to talk with a tree, the relentless zero compassion bad guys on the rampage to make money for the company or the fact that the lead character seems to be voiced by Mel Gibson (sorry Sam Worthington—you do sound a lot like him in this movie though). I mean that it got to the point where I kept expecting Neytiri to burst in 'Just Around the River Bend' and start hanging out with a hummingbird and a raccoon.
Okay that's probably a little overblown, but I did find myself constantly thinking that James Cameron isn't going to stick to this. He'll throw us a curveball or take us somewhere different, but for me those storytelling curveballs never came and despite the big visuals, the alien world, the military war, the mecha suits the luminescent flowers, the Pandora wildlife, and the giant dragons (of which, I can't believe only five Na'vi ever worked out how to tame), nothing about this story or indeed its characters felt fresh to me and despite enjoying the movie, my connection to these characters was distanced because I've met them too many times before and just felt as if I was constantly a step ahead when it came to knowing how all this was going to play out.
Watching the movie again (that's right, I never went back to the cinema for more of the 3D goodness), I have to say I felt the length of the movie more this time out. It's all running smoothly but around the point where we get the dragon flying montage (they look an awful lot like the ones from Evolution don't they?) I just kept thinking how much more there was until the end and how much we have to get through before the big 'ol battle commences. I also have to say that I didn't miss the 3D at all. There were moments where I remember a richer experience on the big screen (like the insects filling in the air in forest) but generally the tried and trusted 2D experience was just as impressive but more on that in the next section.
Whatever your reference quality disc is for Blu-ray, move it aside. Avatar looks incredible throughout and the more vivid your TV settings are the more it seems to thrive. From the slightly new 20th Century Fox logo until the film's title kicks off the end credits the transfer is astonishing, filling the screen with eye popping colour, incredibly sharp detail, perfect black levels and lighting that shows off an HD TV's flashy and subtle abilities.
Of course, the argument will be that Avatar is essentially an animated movie and all computer generated animated movies looks great. That argument is a valid one but not all animated movies are made by James Cameron and there isn't an animated movie out there that's presented a landscape like the forests of Pandora. Literally from the moment that helicopter ship thing sets down in the woods you will be dazzled by the wash of texture, detail and colour on the screen. Every blade of grass has a presence, every beam of sunlight and insect makes the image feel alive and when the action kicks off, it just keeps getting better.
Explosions glow, reflections off of surfaces look incredibly natural, the Na'vi can feel 3D with their level of realism (especially in the scene with Neytiri and human Jake towards the end) and the layers of objects within some of the shots looks amazing. I also found that the special effects hold up well too. There's the odd dodgy composite when real actors inteact with CGI and some of those Pandorian beasts look decidedly game like, but this is all in the filmmaking because nothing's going to take the sheen off of this transfer.
As you can tell, I was impressed and I'm glad to say that I for one got the transfer I expected from James Cameron's new movie without any disappointments. Avatar on Blu-ray is pretty much flawless and you won't believe how many times it keeps reminding you of the fact.
Other than the distracting score with opening beats sounding too much like 'My Heart Will Go On" and the Toy Story sounding bit when the wildlife turns on the army in the forest, Avatar once again delivers the goods.
The DTS-HD Master Audio track is as subtle as it is aggressive. One moment you'll be wowed by the atmosphere the track creates in the quiet forests the next have your doors rattled by a dragon's roar or an explosion. The track pretty much covers the entire spectrum and all of it well.
Surprisingly, I actually found the dialogue to be one of the most impressive elements of the track. It's wonderfully clear as you'd expect but it seemed to come with a little bit extra power than a lot of other discs (or it could be I've been watching a lot of small dramas lately).
I wouldn't go as far as saying it was as impressive or as much as a step up as the video transfer was, mainly due to the score sometimes feeling a little lost in the action, but it's still up there with top end audio tracks and more than hammers homes the goods.
Well unless you count an added DVD copy as an extra feature or access to the Avatar Program online (which I don't) we get jack. Of course we all knew this up front, same as we all know the special edition will hit at the end of the year. It's weak, but this movie was so huge that they could have probably gotten away with selling it without a box... Don't get any ideas studios!
I know I threw up a few negatives in my review, but I still enjoy the majority of Avatar. Against the odds James Cameron has made another movie for the masses and as always has done it his own way (outside of a lot of the 'paints with all the colours of the wind' story elements and a few too many overly clichéd characters). As a long time fan, I'd probably place this in the lower end of my favourite Jimmy C movies (just above True Lies), but again I don't mean that as a negative thing, because a lesser James Cameron movie is still ten times better than most.
Whether or not you opt for this bare bones edition is going to come down to how patient you are for the end of year mega edition, but if all you really care about is seeing the movie with a glorious transfer and a fine audio track, you're going to be one happy Avatard. That's what's the hardcore fans are called right?
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Suitable only for persons of 12 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 25th April 2010
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-MD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Surround 5.1 English, Dolby Surround 5.1 Spanish, Dolby Surround 5.1 French, Dolby Surround 5.1 Portuguese
Subtitles: English HOH, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Extras: DVD Copy
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Length: 155 minutes
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You were chosen for the Macy's campaign because of your personal style. How would you describe your look?
I like it keep it fairly simple, I quite like a classic look. I like fitted coats, always a pair of black jeans. Simple colors—I never like to over-complicate things.
Was there ever a time you didn't have such a great sense of style?
I went through a hip hop stage when I was in school. Big baggy jeans with words graffiti-ed down the side, kind of the Fresh Prince thing, and huge spiked hair, like Vanilla Ice. DCs, Airwalk, and Vans for shoes. But I still honestly to this day believe I was a trendsetter at my school.
What's the last great thing you bought?
From Raf Simons, this massive coat with a big hood that makes me feel quite tough.
What are you dying to buy right now?
There are a few coats from Lanvin, but god—tough on the ol' wallet. Also some coats from Prada. Coats are my favorite thing, and it's always cold in England. I'm comfortable spending a bit of money if you know you're going to be wearing it 10 years later.
How is modeling different then acting?
It's a different discipline. With acting, I've got a character to inhabit. You've got to think about your intentions and your directions. In modeling, even though there's an act to it, a good model is a good model. For me it's uncomfortable territory. You start to feel quite insecure about yourself. There's nothing between you and the camera, and it's just you.
Who are your biggest style icons?
James Dean was quite cool, a young Clint Eastwood, and definitely Tom Waits. More contemporary, Pharrell is really cool. He's good because he mis really simple stuff with a modern look.
On that note, who do you admire when it comes to acting?
Clint Eastwood, he was so iconic. He's still cool, but when he was young he was cool. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Meryl Streep... and Ryan Gosling. You get put off by the fact that girls are like, "Ryan Gosling! Ryan Gosling!" But then I sat down and watched him, and his films are really good. He's got George Clooney's charm.
What are your all-time favorite movies?
The kind of writing that excites me is dialogue-driven, like in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. I loved Annie Hall, and Manhattan, too. The writing's just so wonderful.
What's on your iPod?
My girlfriend made me a playlist of loads of music I've never heard, and it's all great. I'm into this band at the moment called the Cocteau Twins. A Scottish band who's very '70s, a tiny bit like Bjork—they're amazing.
What's the show you can't stop watching?
I just finished .
What's next for you?
I'm getting ready to go to Louisiana for The Host, with Andrew Niccol and Saoirse Ronan, who is amazing, and she's going to be so great for the part. We start filming on the fifteenth of February and we go through May 1. We've got Andrew Niccol, who's wonderful, and we've got a great script he's developed from Stephenie Meyer's book. It's going to be great.
**Is it going to be the next Twilight?**
I don't think it's going to be the same as is a different, and I'm excited to see where it goes.


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Sister confirms SHU student's death
Hundreds drawn to vigil and service for Sacred Heart student who was struck by car and critically injured
BRIDGEPORT -- Kaitlyn Doorhy, a 20-year-old Sacred Heart University student stuck by a car on Friday, has died a hospital spokeswoman confirmed Saturday afternoon.
In a statement the hospital said, "This morning the parents of Kaityln Doorhy gave permission to St. Vincent's Medical Center to confirm their daughter had died from injuries she sustained on Friday afternoon. Her parents have agreed that her organs will be donated for transplant. Mr. Doorhy said `Kaityln is an organ donor and will help give lives to others.''"
"Our hearts grieve with the Doorhy family. There are thousands of individuals waiting for lifesaving organs or tissue", said Brooke Karlsen, Vice President, Surgical Services. "We hope it provides comfort to Kaitlyn's family and the Sacred Heart University community to know that Kaitlyn's generous gift of life will save lives."
St. Vincent's Medical Center will fly the Donate Life flag in Kaitlyn's honor.
Kaitlyn's sister also confirmed the death Saturday. "She's not with us no more," the sister, Carly Doorhy said.
In a phone interview from her Long Island home, Carly Doorhy said the family was planning to have services near their home.
SHU President John J. Petillo also announced Kaitlyn's passing Saturday afternoon. "I think it is important that we continue to celebrate the beginning of a new academic year even as we grieve for the loss of Kaitlyn. Everything I have heard about Kaitlyn--her caring for others, her dreams to be an attorney, the way she embraced life--tells me that she would expect this from us," he said.
"The Sacred Heart University community is mourning the loss of Kaitlyn Doorhy, who was a vibrant and involved student at SHU. Her organs will be used to help save the lives of others. That she is an organ donor, is in keeping with the generosity and caring of the close-knit community that makes up the fabric of Sacred Heart University. Even in her death, she is giving hope to others. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Doorhy family in this time of immeasurable loss. Petillo said.
He said counseling is available in the Wellness Center.
A Facebook page, Rest In Peace Kait Doorhy, has been created in her memory.
On Friday evening, hundreds of students packed into the chapel at Sacred Heart University to take part in a prayer service for the popular student who was seriously injured when she was stuck by a car as she crossed Madison Avenue earlier in the day.
"Tonight, we join hands and pray for a member of our family," the Rev. David Buckles told a crowd of somber students that filled the university chapel.
When asked about her daughter, her mother, Darla Doorhy said, "she is in heaven," and broke down in tears. Friends at the vigil said "she will be missed," and a number of message on Twitter remembered Doorhy. "RIP Kait Doorhy, heaven gained its most beautiful angel today," said one tweet from a fellow Sacred Heart University student.
Friends and family members described Doorhy as being similar to the lead character in the "Legally Blonde" movies, a perky blonde who aspired to be a divorce attorney.
"She was smart, spunky and sweet," said Christine O'Brien, 20, a housemate and friend. "She loved her labels, but she was an independent, hard worker."
Doorhy's sister, Carly Doorhy, said she was studying pre-law and drove a white Dodge Charger with the license plate "Lblonde."
Her mother, Darla Doorhy, said her daughter recently told her she got a part-time job in the school's mailroom, one of many jobs and activities she was pursuing. Her activities included membership in a sorority and another job at the Michael Kors store at the Trumbull mall.
"She said `mom it's only four hours a day and $9 an hour, but I'll be making my money,' " said Darla Doorhy proudly.
The crash was third serious accident involving a pedestrian in as many weeks in Bridgeport. All three resulted in deaths.
The accident on Friday was the only one of the three in which the driver remained at the scene and took responsibility.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't see her. I'm so sorry," said the driver, Brandon M. Pouncie, 28, of Bridgeport, sobbing. He spoke with police and family members at the scene.
Police did not immediately file charges, pending further investigation. After the police interview, Pouncie went home with his family. Pouncie, an artist, left with several of his works that police had given him from his car.
The crash occurred as hundreds of college students were moving into dorms and off-campus housing as they prepared for the start of classes.
"Sacred Heart students are the best thing to happen to this neighborhood," said Cathy Keller, who has lived on Madison Avenue near the crash scene for 20 years. "They walk through here all the time, but the cars drive too fast and there is that blind curve."
Police said Doorhy, a junior at Sacred Heart, was crossing Madison Avenue with a friend shortly before 12:30 p.m. when she was struck by a red Nissan coupe traveling north on Madison. The two friends had been walking from the driveway of a privately owned home that is rented to students.
The impact knocked the girl out of her shoes, which remained in the roadway. She slammed against the car's windshield before landing in the road. The car then careened out of control and ran into the curb on the opposite side of the street.
University security helped local police cordon off the area around the crash. They later brought a priest to the scene to speak with the girl's housemates. A number of them, dressed in identical red T-shirts and blue shorts, later stood outside the house crying. They declined to comment.
The university later released a statement saying "the thoughts and prayers of the entire Sacred Heart University community are with the student and her family."
Neighbors said the area where the crash occurred is a dangerous one for pedestrians. It is just north of a curve in the road and neighbors said the view of oncoming traffic is often blocked by cars illegally parked on the side of the road.
Relatives praised Doorhy during the service and vigil at Sacred Heart on Friday evening.
"She was the type of girl she was. She lit up a room when she walked in it," said an uncle at the service.
After the service in the chapel, the students filled the quad in the middle of the university and formed a large circle of candles.
"The flame will be a prayer that will unite all of us in hope," Buckles said.
email@example.com; 203-330-6308; http://twitter.com/dantepfer
firstname.lastname@example.com; http://twitter.com/FGPreporting


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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Three relatives of Pope Francis died and a fourth was in serious condition Tuesday after their car crashed on a provincial highway in Argentina, the Vatican and local officials said.
The small car carrying a nephew of the pope along with the man's wife and two young children slammed into the back of a truck, Highway Police Superintendent Jorge Raineri said. The crash killed the wife and children, one 2 years old and the other 8 months.
The passenger side of the car was smashed and crumpled beneath the cargo truck.
Emanuel Bergoglio, the 38-year-old son of a brother of Pope Francis, was hospitalized. He suffered extensive injuries and was in serious condition in the hours after the pre-dawn crash, Ignacio Bruno, an assistant director of the hospital in the town of Villa Maria, told Todo Noticias television.
The man's 36-year-old wife, Valeria Carmona, and youngest child, Jose, died in the accident. Two-year-old Antonio died at the hospital, Bruno said.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said: "The pope was informed about the tragic accident. He is profoundly saddened." He added that the pope asks "all who share in his grief to unite with him in prayer."
Carmona was a social worker who specialized in assisting police in helping victims of domestic violence, said Horacio Alberto Gimenez, chief of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police. Her husband, the son of the pope's late brother Alberto, is a medical examiner.
The accident occurred between the cities of Rosario and Cordoba, apparently as the family was returning to Buenos Aires after a holiday weekend. The driver of the truck was not injured.
The pope's nephew underwent surgery and would be closely monitored over the next 48 hours to evaluate the next steps, the director of the hospital, Francisco Fortuna, told Radio Continental
"He has made good post-operative progress and the hemorrhage, which was the reason for the surgical intervention, has been contained," Fortuna said.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (Feb. 23, 2010) - Carding a final round 71, ETSU sophomore Nina Muehl (Vienna, Austria) captured the first individual championship of her collegiate career by winning the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic Tuesday at the Cougar Point Golf Club.
Muehl, who finished tied with Oral Roberts' Crystal Reeves, posted rounds of 72-70-71 to finish at 3-under-par 213 for the event.
"Winning your first college tournament is always special," Muehl said. "I was able to put together three good rounds. That was the key to be in position to win."
While Muehl surged on Tuesday, her teammates struggled as the Bucs fell from second place on the team leaderboard following Monday's second round to a final showing of sixth. Besides Muehl, no other ETSU player finished with a score better than 4-over 76.
Miami won the team title by one stroke over second place Minnesota. The Hurricanes finished at 28-over 892 as a team.
Along with Muehl's efforts, senior Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway, Ireland) finished tied for 15th at 7-over 223. No other ETSU player finished better than a tie for 65th.
The Bucs will get a few weeks of rest before returning to action March 15 at the Northern Migration Invitational in Florence, Ariz. For more on ETSU women's golf throughout the 2010 spring season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's golf link.


text: Is the current version of Ipchains still vulnerable to packet fragmentation attacks? I.E, using packet fragmentation to initiate a connection with a server on a port that the firewall allows, and then overriding the original service port in a subsequent packet with a service port not allowed by the firewall? Or has this vulnerability since been fixed by Ipchains?


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AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — U.S Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders to further explore options for relaunching stalled peace talks after President Barack Obama's Mideast trip this week.
Following up on Obama's visits to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the State Department said Kerry would see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Saturday. After that meeting, Kerry will return to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian Authority as president, Obama called on Thursday for resumption in negotiations. He offered no new plan on how to get there but said Kerry would be spending considerable time on the matter.


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HENRICO, VA (WWBT) - Not only do restaurants have to make sure they don't have critical violations when they're inspected, they have to make sure the kitchen is clean. A health inspector found that was a problem for a Mediterranean restaurant in Henrico.
The restaurant was Sweet Olive Mediterranean Grill at 9127 West Broad Street. Among its 4 critical violations, the inspector wrote that blood was pooling on the lid of pre-cooked gyro meat in the walk-in cooler. That and other problems were corrected during the inspection. But the report also states it appears workers left the kitchen in poor condition and cleaning was very much needed.
The problem was food temperatures at T-Miller's Sports Bar and Grill inside the Richmond Marriott at 500 East Broad Street. The 5 critical violations included that tomatoes, cheese and cole slaw in a cooler, and spinach dip and chicken were not being kept cold enough. It also said the slicer and mixing bowl were soiled to sight and touch. The report shows violations were corrected on the spot.
This week's NBC12 Hall of Fame Award winner says it serves authentic local barbeque made by authentic, local people. Q Barbeque at 11871 West Broad Street in Henrico is authentically clean, acing all four of its health inspections over the last year.


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WASHINGTON � The Senate voted last week to extend the government's borrowing power through mid-May, delaying at least one partisan showdown over the nation's debt and deficits.
WASHINGTON � The Senate voted last week to extend the government�s borrowing power through mid-May, delaying at least one partisan showdown over the nation�s debt and deficits.
Senators voted 64-34 to suspend the $16.4 trillion debt limit until May 19. The measure, already passed by the House, was sent to the president.
The move allows the government to continue borrowing to meet interest payments and avoid default on its debts. Republicans had threatened to withhold support as a way to force cuts in spending but most decided to hold off until Congress takes up a separate government funding bill later this spring.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said the delay until May gives Congress �a few month�s breathing room� to negotiate new strategy on debt and spending.
The newly passed bill contains a �no budget, no pay� provision that would place the salaries of senators and House members in escrow if the body in which they serve failed to pass a budget by April 15.
�No budget, no pay� was derided as a gimmick, but its supporters said it sends a message that Congress must get itself together to stem red ink.
Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., voted for the bill. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., voted against it.
Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe, both R-Okla., voted against the bill.
Before passage, the Senate killed an amendment by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, that sought to offset future increases in the debt limits with cuts in spending over the next 10 years.
�I think we can all agree that saddling our children and grandchildren with this enormous debt is not just bad economics, it is immoral,� he said.
Speaking against the amendment, Baucus said it was brought up in he past year or two but failed to win support.
�Dollar for dollar, this has been attempted in the past,� Baucus said. �This is an idea that was once tried, but it didn�t work.�
Portman�s amendment was tabled, 54-44. Boozman voted for it while Pryor voted against it. Coburn and Inhofe voted for it.
Egypt Arms Sale Upheld
The Senate killed an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to halt the sale of F-16 fighter jets and M1 Abrams tanks to Egypt, which is experiencing political unrest.
�I think it particularly unwise to send tanks and our most sophisticated fighter planes to Egypt at a time in which many are saying the country may be unraveling,� Paul said, adding he feared they may end up being used against Israel.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., argued calling off the sale would be �harmful to America�s national security interests.� He said it would hamper Egypt�s military, which is �one of the stabilizing forces� in the country.
The amendment was killed, 19-79. Boozman voted for it while Pryor voted against it. Coburn and Inhofe voted against it.
Hurricane Sandy Aid Finalized
The Senate gave final approval to a $50.5 billion aid bill for victims of superstorm Sandy that hit the East Coast in October.
Senators voted 62-36 for the bill, after supporters said it took way too long for Congress to complete. Critics challenged the amount of spending in the bill.
Pryor voted for the bill. Boozman voted against it. Coburn and Inhofe voted against it.
Senators defeated an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would have offset the disaster aid by lowering spending by .5 percent across the board this year and by similar amounts over the next eight years.
�If we are being asked to spend money, no matter how important the cause, to the tune of more than $50 billion in one fell swoop, I think we owe it to the good people of the United States of America � to consider how our actions today might forestall, might complicate, might impair our ability to fund those programs down the road,� Lee said.
Sen. Robert Menendez. D-N.J., said the amendment would means cuts in education, health care, health research, law enforcement, �a whole host of things we care about in our lives every day, across-the-board cuts, indiscriminate, without anything about what the consequences are.�
Lee�s amendment was killed, 35-62. Boozman voted for it while Pryor voted against it. Coburn voted for it while Inhofe voted against it.


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Fixed Income Assets
|This article is part of WikiProject Definitions. Consider editing to improve it. View articles referencing this definition.
Fixed Income assets refer to assets that provide their owners with a fixed stream of income. Bonds are the most common example of a fixed income asset. Companies and government entities will issue bonds or IOUs to investors. These bonds typically pay a fixed rate of interest or coupon rate to investors for a fixed period of time, thus the name fixed income. At the end of the period, the investor receives his principal (the orginal amount of money paid for the bond).
Fixed income assets typically receive ratings from major ratings agencies. These ratings signify the amount of risk represented by the assets. For instance a U.S. treasury bond which is considered to be one of the safest investments, carries a AAA rating, some states likewise carry high ratings. The higher the rating of the bond issuer, the lower the rate of interest required by the purchasers. A smaller, less established company, for instance, might only have a rating of BBB, and would have to pay bond investors significantly higher annual interest rates. Bonds with exceptionally low ratings are known as junk bonds and typically pay the highest interest rates--sometimes in the double digits.
Equities and bonds are the two major asset classes available to investors. While there are others (real estate, private equity, and venture capital) these two classes are very common and extremely liquid (can be converted to cash easily). Equities are typically considered to be the riskier of the two asset types (with the exception junk bonds and other lowly rate bonds) and have traditionally generated higher returns than fixed income assets.
Fixed income assets historically have had a much lower rate of return than stocks (equities). This is because with


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The operating system is able to drive a monitor through DVI and can talk with the rest of the world through a serial port. Lee explained that his next move is to get USB up and running for keyboard and mouse support.
This port makes a few things clear. First of all, it means that RISC OS 5 can be ported using the code of the RISC OS Open project without a massive team of engineers to back it up. It also means that RISC OS 5 can run on the Cortex A8 family of ARM processors, which will be the type of processors found in the upcoming avalanche of ARM-powered netbooks.
Lee told Drobe:
Once all the hardware drivers are working there'll still be plenty of work to do to improve their functionality, and to update the kernel and other software to make use of the new CPU features - the most notable features are likely to be the VFPU and an API to allow use of the spare hardware YUV overlay.
Let's hope that the fruit of this labour will allow us to run RISC OS on cheap ARM devices, such as the upcoming netbooks, because like the Amiga, RISC OS is too intriguing a platform to just lay there unused, only experienced through stories on OSNews.


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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Leave it to John C. Reilly to turn a question and answer session with this year's animated feature Oscar nominees into a gut-wrenching comedic affair.
The funny actor, who voiced the title character in Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph," read the synopsis of nominee "Despicable Me 2" he's pulled from Wikipedia and tried to speak botched French to the filmmakers of the French-Belgian production "Ernest and Celestine."
"What I really like is that the Oscar voting is closed," said Reilly at Friday evening's event honoring the animated feature nominees. "Now it's pure appreciation. No one is sucking up for votes."
The academy cast its final ballots at the top of the week and Disney's "Frozen" is said to be the favorite in the animation category. Still, the film's co-director, Jennifer Lee, is skeptical.
"I'm from Rhode Island and we believe in our superstitions," said Lee, searching for wood to knock on at the motion picture academy headquarters after being asked if she was ready for the win at the Oscars on Sunday.
"Frozen" is up against "The Croods," ''Despicable Me 2" ''Ernest and Celestine" and "The Wind Rises."
Earning over $980 million worldwide, "Frozen" is the highest grossing original animated release ever and marks the first time a female has co-directed one of the studios features. Co-director Chris Buck admitted the story line was going down the "evil queen road" until Lee came on board.
"We do revenge stories all of the time," said Lee, who plans to take her sister with her to the Oscars on Sunday. "Love over fear was something we hadn't done."
"The Croods" also shifted from the original vision of the film. "It was meant to be a stop-motion film," said writer-director Chris Sanders. "'Crood Awakening' was the original title."
The "Despicable Me" franchise has led to spin-off "The Minions" with characters voiced by Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm. "What am I, chopped liver?" joked Reilly of not getting a part in the film, which is currently in production.
"We always wanted a sequence where we'd see the minions being created," said "Despicable Me 2" director Pierre Coffin. "But we always removed those sequences and luckily for us we did because we've found our way in."
"The Minions" is scheduled to release in 2015.
Follow AP Film Writer Jessica Herndon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SomeKind


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Tuscan Bread Pudding with Grilled Vegetables
A savory bread pudding that is studded with grilled vegetables and cheese. It bakes up golden on the outside, creamy on the inside, and goes great with a nice green salad.
6 bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, and green) sliced
3 large red onions, sliced
3 zucchini, sliced into strips
4 tbsp. olive oil
6 eggs
2 cups cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, minced
12 cups day old bread (preferably Italian bread, like ciabatta), cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste.
1. In large bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil. Grill vegetables until charred and softened, return to bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, garlic, 3⁄4 cup Parmesan, and herbs. Season to taste.
3. Add bread cubes to grilled vegetables. Pour liquid mixture over bread and vegetables and combine well. Season to taste.
4. Pour mixture into oiled hotel pan. Top mixture with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° F. until the mixture has set and top is golden. Let cool 30 min. before slicing. Serve with a white bean and sun-dried tomato relish, and mixed green salad.


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Sensor Technology
The Sensor Technology Platform is a system which ensures the clothing you wear on the course works with your body as well as the demands of the game.
sensorcool®: Keeping you dry & protected in heavy rain and windy conditions.
Five-Pocket Chino-Style Pant, made from 100% Polyester.
Want to be notified when "Lennox Mens Trousers Black-40L" is in stock? Just enter your email address below and we will notify you if this item becomes available within the next 60 days.
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We respect your privacy. The email address that you provide will only be used to notify you when the item above is in stock. You will not receive any additional emails from us as a result of using this tool.


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About Tom Molloy
Tom Molloy produces drawings, sculptures, and installations, whose economy and delicacy belie the darkness of their subject matter, which is centered upon the human cost of geo-politics. With America as an enduring focus, he unflinchingly examines the destructive toll of political and economic ideologies, ranging from fascism to capitalism; wars, from WWII to America's war in Iraq; and mass media culture. Literature, maps, money, stamps, and famous figures from history and art history recur throughout his work, often heavily redacted. "A lot of my work is about evidence," he explains, "about examining sources, examining things which you take for granted in the real world, whether they're photographs, or texts, or stamps, or whatever." Through his simple, pointed manipulations of these sources—folding dollar bills into fighter jets, for example—Molloy transforms them into politically charged objects that yield darker underlying truths.
Irish, b. 1964, Waterford, Ireland


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Auto enrolment makes it easier for people to save money for their retirement. It means that every employer must automatically enrol eligible staff into a qualifying pension scheme.
Staging dates
Auto enrolment is being phased in gradually, with the largest businesses beginning in October 2012. Your start date for auto enrolment, known as a staging date, will depend on the number of employees in your PAYE scheme.
All businesses with more than 250 employees are already expected to be compliant. Smaller businesses are being phased in gradually until February 2018.
Finding out your staging date
If you know your PAYE reference number, you can find out your staging date on the Pensions Regulator website.
Complying with auto enrolment
In order to comply with the new pension reforms, employers will have to:
- Provide a qualifying pension scheme
- Automatically enrol eligible employees
- Make employer contributions
- Tell staff about auto enrolment
- Register with the Pensions Regulator.
Choosing a pensions scheme
If you already have a defined contribution workplace pension scheme you need to check with the Pensions Regulator if you can use it for auto enrolment.
If you already run a stakeholder pension you still have to operate it if your existing members want it. However, you don't have to offer it to other workers.
Who is eligible?
You must automatically enrol all staff who are:
- Between 22 and state pension age;
- Working in the UK; and
- Earning more than £10,000 (for the 2017/18 tax year).
Some staff who don't meet the criteria can also opt in to auto enrolment. If they choose to opt in, you have to enrol them.
Employer contributions
Auto enrolment requires employers to make a minimum contribution, which is a percentage of an employee's qualifying earnings.
The minimum contribution is 2% with at least 1% coming from the employer. The minimum employer contribution increases to 2% at the start of the 2018/19 tax year and 3% from 2019/20.
Inform employees
You need to write to all staff to tell them how they are affected by auto enrolment.
Staff can choose to opt out of your pension scheme after they have been automatically enrolled. Those who want to opt out will have to complete a form from the pension scheme provider and give it to you.
Register with the Pensions Regulator
Once you've set up your pension scheme you need to register it with the Pensions Regulator and provide details of your pension scheme, including the number of people enrolled. This can be done online at the Pensions Regulator website.
NEST pensions
NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) is a pension scheme set up by the government and is designed to help employers meet their auto enrolment obligations.
Employers are free to choose which qualifying scheme they use but the NEST scheme is specifically designed to help smaller employers meet the requirements of auto enrolment.
Contact us to discuss your legal obligations for auto enrolment.


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Washington Heights and West Englewood each saw two homicides in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found.
In West Englewood, a 26-year-old man was shot to death Tuesday in the 6200 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said. Four days earlier, a 75-year-old man was beaten to death in the 5600 block of South Racine Avenue, according to officials.
West Englewood has logged 11 homicides so far this year. The South Side community area recorded 19 homicides last year, RedEye determined.
In Washington Heights, a 28-year-old man was shot to death Sunday in the 1300 block of West 90th Street, police said. Three days earlier, a 25-year-old man was fatally shot in the 9100 block of South Justine Street, according to officials.
Washington Heights has logged seven homicides so far this year. The far South Side community area recorded six homicides last year, according to RedEye data.
Citywide, gunshot homicides were logged in the last week in Austin, East Garfield Park, Hermosa, Morgan Park, North Lawndale, Roseland, West Garfield Park and West Pullman, RedEye determined.
Thirty homicides have been recorded so far this month. Fifty-seven homicides were logged in August 2012, according to RedEye data.


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Here are some articles that have recently gotten attention among media obsessives. They are all fundamentally flawed:
- A list of the Top 25 newspapers on Twitter from Journalistics
- An expanded list of 200 U.S. newspapers, sorted by their Twitter follower counts
- A piece in MediaWeek about Elle UK's popularity on Twitter
The problem with all of these pieces? The data that underlie the assertions are fundamentally flawed.
Each story uses the advanced research technique of looking at a publication's Twitter account, then reading the sidebar of their Twitter profile and copying the number of followers listed there. This methodology is useless for determining how many people have chosen to follow a publication, and instead is indicative primarily of whether or not that publication is one of the suggested Twitter accounts that users encounter when signing up for the service. It's also correlated to how long that publication has been on Twitter accruing those incidental followers.
Big Follower Counts Are Horses*it.
I covered much of this topic at the beginning of this year in a post called Nobody Has A Million Twitter Followers. While the literal point of that headline may no longer be true (I'm sure Justin Bieber or Nicki Minaj has actually earned a million organic Twitter followers), the point still stands: Being suggested as an account to follow when users sign up for Twitter so distorts the meaning of follower counts that citing such follower counts without disclaimers is either ignorant or misleading.
In the case of screaming headlines that say "The New York Times has more Twitter followers than subscribers!" we actually veer from misleading to so distorted it's absurd. Subscribers are people who have, in one way or another, indicated intent. They filled out a form, sent in some money, and established a relationship with The New York Times. The majority of followers of the New York Times on Twitter, however, only established a relationship with Twitter itself, and the Times came along for the ride. MediaWeek actually uses the headline "Elle has a hit with Twitter feed" and this cannot be proven— being on the list myself, I gain users at almost the same rate as Elle UK, and I'm no hit among fashionistas. All we're getting a measure of is Twitter's popularity.
If any of these articles included explanation of the fact that the publications with the biggest number of followers were merely those chosen by Twitter to be so, then we could start to have an honest discussion about impact or influence or popularity or whatever the hell it is these writers want to weigh in on. By analogy, if a publisher went and threw its paper on the doorsteps of millions of people without any conscious action on their part, and then crowed about how it had a bigger subscription base than someone else, we'd consider them ridiculous.
So statements like "Maybe The New York Times has such a huge Twitter following because it was the first of the Top 25 to join Twitter, way back in March 2, 2007" (from the first article linked above, on Journalistics), show a fundamental misunderstanding of the very numbers they're trying to report on. If we're going to make a splash with articles based on numbers, let's at least pretend to know what the numbers represent.
This post originally appeared at the author's blog and is republished here with permission.