text:
Fantastic Four (US - DVD R1)
It's clobberin' time! Matt Joseph takes a look at the latest blockbuster from Fox
After years of trying to get on the big screen, Marvel Comic's Fantastic Four has gone through so many alterations, directors, and production companies that the story behind how it got to be here in 2005 might actually make for the genesis of a decent super villain, or at least an annoying sidekick character like Herbie the robot. Alluding movie stardom over the years while other characters got their due and surviving what was sure to be an embarrassing, Roger Corman co-produced cheapie made and subsequently buried in the mid-90s, Marvel's longest running team of heroes finally got thrust into the spotlight this past summer with a big budget production from Twentieth Century Fox and director Tim Story.
Brilliant research scientist Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) is running out of time and money with his latest endeavour, and in a last ditch effort seeks the help of industrialist and college rival, Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) in procuring a place on Doom's space station for his latest experiment involving the effects of cosmic radiation on DNA. Along for the ride are Reed's friend and astronaut, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), and two of Doom's employees—hot-headed pilot Johnny Storm and his sister, scientist Susan Storm (Chris Evans and Jessica Alba), both of which complicate matters as Johnny once served under Grimm during his short and tumultuous stint with NASA, and Susan was once romantically linked with Richards, but is now Victor's main squeeze.
Once on the space station and the experiment is underway, the cosmic storm so vital to Reed's research arrives earlier than expected, catching all five with their proverbial and literal shields down. Miraculously, everyone survives the ordeal and after some time in quarantine back on Earth they soon realize that the cosmic storm that should have killed them all has changed their bodies' on a molecular level, leaving them all with different, strange, new powers. Richards is able to stretch any part of his body and contort himself into virtually any shape, Sue can render herself invisible and generate force fields around her and others, Johnny can turn into a flame projecting human torch, and Ben finds himself mutated into a hulking, impenetrable, rock-like beast with brute strength. As the four become acquainted with their new superhuman abilities and learn to cope with them and the public at large, Victor undergoes a change or two of his own that could spell doom for the rest of the world with a capital 'D'.
As the end credits began to roll on Fantastic Four, my initial thoughts reminded me of the feeling I had after seeing the first X-Men a few years back. As with that film, this one was a fairly underwhelming affair, one that felt like the folks behind it stepped up to the plate, and instead of going all out and swinging for the fences, decided to settle on hitting a sacrifice fly to deep right.
The main problem with Fantastic Four is that there seems to be a good half an hour missing from the third act—there's a decent build-up but little to no payoff by the time you reach the end. Being the first in a proposed franchise for Fox, Fantastic Four is an origin story, so there's a lot of character building and exposition that needs to get out of the way before more action-oriented aspects can unfold and carry any weight. Over the past several years, other comic book adaptations have featured the standard origin story and managed to tack on something more, such as Spider-Man and this past summer's Batman Begins, but here you get plenty of exposition and little else besides. You get to see the characters learn all about their new abilities and go through some awkward phases in learning to control and how to best use their powers, but that's about as far as the story here goes. Right around the eighty-five minute mark, I thought it was finally going to rev up the engines and strut its stuff with a few, big action set pieces, and for all too brief a time it does just that only to have the credits roll several minutes later.
Even if it didn't meet my expectations of being an all out, action-packed extravaganza, the least it could have done was hold my interest with some good characters, but unfortunately it only manages to bat around .400 in that department. As Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba are both likeable and pleasant enough on screen, but in a movie that is overtly trying to be nothing more than a fun ride, their characters are a couple of the blandest and most uptight super heroes to ever grace the silver screen. Thankfully, the other half of the fantastic foursome, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the Human Torch and the Thing, make up for a lot of the shortcomings in the other two main protagonists. Both actors manage to have a lot of fun with their roles, and even though they get a leg up on the other actors by nabbing all of the best lines and action, they don't drop the ball when the cameras turn their way and deliver a couple of great performances. As for the villain, a movie like this needs a good bad guy to act as a foil to our heroes, but as this incarnation of Dr. Doom, Julian McMahon comes off more as a guy going through a mid-life crisis who's just lost his girl and career than the megalomaniac, super genius bent on world domination that the character is known for the world over.
So while the story and over half the characters would have benefited from a little more polish, there's still some goods things running through the its veins. Both the computer generated and makeup effects are, for the most part, outstanding throughout and really help in pulling off the more fantastical elements of the story. Just like the characters themselves, the effects that really stand out from the rest are those used to not only bring to life the Human Torch and the Thing, but in keeping them believable as real people too. The movie is also pretty family-friendly for the most part, and as someone who lugged along a six year-old to see it in the theatre this past summer, I can safely say that the kids there that day enjoyed it much more than I did.
Overall, while there is a lot of room for improvement in the characterizations and story, Fantastic Four is about ninety minutes of harmless fluff that just ends up feeling like a setup for the bigger and better sequel that will no doubt hit multiplexes in about two years. It's not the worst comic book adaptation I've ever seen, but its far from the best, which getting back to my comparison with X-Men, is exactly how I ultimately felt about Bryan Singer's first outing into the mutant realm. Hopefully, the next Fantastic Four will take a few pointers from that film's sequel and hit one out of the park.
Fox Home Entertainment presents Fantastic Four on DVD with an anamorphically enhanced video transfer at its 2.35:1 theatrically exhibited aspect ratio and the results are excellent. The image is sharp and detailed, suffering from only the slightest grain and edge enhancement during some of the darker and more elaborate special effects shots respectively. The movie's extensive colour palette comes off nicely in nearly every scene and bursts off the screen in others, while black levels are kept consistent throughout and give it a nice, solid look. Being a newly released film, there seems to be no artefacts due to dirt or other such debris on the source print, which results in a near pristine picture. Overall, this is a great video transfer and you're going to be hard pressed this year to find one this good for a live-action picture not called Revenge of the Sith.
Fantastic Four is presented on DVD with the choice of a trio of audio tracks, including DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 in English and Dolby Surround in Spanish with optional English and Spanish subtitles, and the audio in this case comes off as well as the video. You should expect that given the fact this is a newly released, big budget action movie that the audio would give your surround sound setup a workout, and that is exactly what will happen when you pop the disc in your player. The disc features an aggressive and immersive mix that makes good use of all the available surround and LFE channels while keeping dialogue nice and crisp coming from the centre speaker. While both the Dolby Digital and DTS tracks are reference quality for their respective formats, the DTS track wins hands down and should be the track of choice for those that can take advantage of its less compressed audio. Overall, Fantastic Four simply sounds great, true believers.
Fantastic Four arrives on DVD with a host of supplemental goodies in tow, including a cast audio commentary, a couple of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a video diary, trailers, and more, all of which on the surface hints at offering an in-depth look at what went on behind the cameras in making these larger than life heroes comes to life.
The first extra is an audio commentary with three members of the film's principal cast, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Ioan Gruffudd. It should be noted that the copy of the DVD I received for review states on its packaging that the commentary also features co-stars Chris Evans and Julian McMahon, but if these two played a part in the track they must have been extremely low talkers as I didn't hear one peep out of them nor are they addressed by any of the other participants. Getting back to the track as it is, however, there are plenty of anecdotes volleyed back and fourth between the actors as they share their on set experiences, and while the audio track is light and bubbly and a lot fun to listen to, I would have preferred a commentary that was a little bit more on the technical side of the filmmaking process seeing as this is a special effects laden movie. What would have definitely helped the track would have been if director Tim Story were to have joined his cast and offered up some insight that the actors weren't privy to, but as it is the track is more fun than informative.
Next is a nearly twenty minute featurette, entitled 'Fantastic Four Video Diary', which was produced by Jessica Alba and has a running time of nearly twenty minutes. I was expecting a camcorder look behind the scenes of the picture's shoot, but I was only half right. The piece chronicles the press tour that the actors took across the globe to promote the film, and culminates in its premiere in New York City. The featurette is enjoyable for what it is and offers a few candid moments with the film's stars (memo to Ioan Gruffudd—next time remember not to drink the water in Mexico), but as far as offering anything useful pertaining to the actual making of it you're best served looking elsewhere.
Next up is a series of three featurettes, the first being the five minute 'Making of Fantastic Four,' which is basically a feel good, promotional piece where everyone involved gets to pat each other on the back and smile for the cameras. As far as offering any detailed info on the making of the movie, this featurette doesn't even scratch the surface and barely deserves to be called a making-of piece at all, especially when you consider some of the other feature length documentaries available with such films as Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins that really go behind the scenes of their respective pictures.
The next featurette of the trio is and eight minute piece produced by Fox Movie Channel, 'Fantastic Four: Making a Scene', which goes into detail on how the bridge sequence in the film was pulled off. The featurette is interesting enough and goes into some detail about this one effects sequence, but at eight minutes long is far too short to cover much ground and again feels like a fluff piece of promotional material, which as I remember seeing this on television over the summer, is exactly what it is.
The third and final of these behind-the-scenes featurettes, 'Fantastic Four: Casting Session,' is an eight minute piece that details how each member of the principal cast came to be hired onto the picture and their reasons for choosing to do it, and also throws Stan Lee into the mix to discuss each of the casting choices. This piece actually comes across as the best of the three, but that's not really saying a whole lot given the competition.
Next on the shiny platter are three, brief deleted scenes that were wisely cut and consist primarily of dialogue scenes between Jessica Alba's Sue Storm and Ioan Gruffudd's Reed Richards, so there's nothing too eye popping here that would warrant a second look. The disc also contains two music videos, "Everything Burns," performed by Ben Moody with Anastacia, and "Come On, Come In," performed by veteran rockers and one of my personal favourites, Velvet Revolver. I don't really get into music videos too much, but as far as these types of things go they aren't bad if not in a 'let's put videos on the disc to promote the soundtrack' kind of way, and as it turns out, a spot for the Fantastic Four soundtrack is also available.
Rounding out the disc are the film's theatrical teaser and trailer, along with a trailer for Marvel's The Avengers animated series and an inside look featurette geared towards promoting Fox's upcoming summer blockbuster, X-Men 3. I've noticed that in a lot of the advertising for the disc that this 'Inside Look' is one of the major features being pushed to the forefront, but all it amounts to is Marvel front man Avi Arad taking a couple of minutes to talk a bit about the upcoming movie and how huge it is going to be while clips from the previous X-Men movies are shown. So much for seeing something really cool or surprising in anticipation of next year's sequel to one of the best comic book movies yet to be made.
Overall, the special features included in the package are a pretty disposable lot and, although they promise some substance with important sounding titles, never really do give much of an insight or look into the making of Fantastic Four. Based on what's presented here, it isn't hard to sniff out another version of this movie coming around the bend in a few months' time, especially since region two is already getting a more feature packed, two-disc version around the same time this offering is being released in North America.
While I found Fantastic Four to be primarily light weight and pretty underwhelming as far as more recent comic book adaptations go, the movie does a nice job of both setting up the next film and knowing its target audience enough to be kid friendly entertainment, with the exception of one or two out of place, gratuitously violent scenes that alone warrant the PG-13 rating. Fox Home Entertainment's treatment of the movie on DVD features great audio and video that are worthy of consideration next time you're searching for a disc to show off the home theatre, but the special features aren't nearly fantastic enough to put the package over the top as a whole. Overall, unless you just can't wait to get your hands on one of this summer's biggest hits on DVD, a rental of the title will do fine until the inevitable release of the two-disc special edition that's been released in region two hits region one shores and shelves sometime next year.
Review by Matt Joseph
Existing Posts
Point one against this movie: the effects, for the most part, are a joke. When Mr. Fantastic stretches his rubbery limbs, the blurring and gltichy edges of the green screen cut outs are so sad they're laughable. When the Thing, a man turned into a rock, moves, you can HEAR the foam moving. He's rock. Could they maybe have spent $2.00 on a sound effect, like sc**ping two rocks together? Dr. Doom is barely even in the movie till the last fifteen minutes. And the Human Torch spends all his time just trying to get laid, relying way too much on the extremely overused pun, "You're hot." Point two: there is NO plot. No hero vs. villain story whatsoever, which is usually the whole point to a...super hero movie. They go into space; they become superheroes; they study their powers in order to try and get rid of them; the aimless businessman suddenly decides he'll be a supervillain and tries to kill them all, a climactic battle lasting all of, I swear to god, 2 minutes. I timed it, in shock. The end. Spend your money elsewhere, like on any other super hero movie ever made.
I thought it was a good movie, but there was too much difference in the Dr. Doom from the movie as opposed to the comics, and it could have standed to be longer.
Mal wrote: Seems to be a fair bit of product placement going on in that first screenshot.
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
Don't forget all the Burger King product placements when Johnny Storm is at the arena.
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
Don't forget all the Burger King product placements when Johnny Storm is at the arena.
THIS MOVIE SUCKED!! They were on Earth, blasted into space, had their accident, and were back on Earth in less than fifteen minutes. A very choppy beginning, complete with an anti-climactic final battle and an ending reminiscent to Raiders of the Lost Ark. I will admit this movie had its moments, (a grand total of about three good scenes, one being the scene on the bridge) as well as an awesome cast. Had the cast been given better material, this would have been much more enjoyable and would have been worth the free rental coupon I used. I doubt the Director's Cut will be any better.
C**p, now I need to rent this instead of buy it to wait for Fox to release a Special/Deluxe/Ultimate/Collector's/Unrated/Director's Cut/Extended/Limited Edition! Bah!
Good movie, though. And the video/audio sound like they do it justice.
Good movie, though. And the video/audio sound like they do it justice.
Just got the DVD and I have to say that I enjoyed it more in the theater. Its a decent film like I said before but my main problem is not the lack of action, but the special effects. I found them range from poor to good. I wish they just could have kept them all great like the end fight. The editing was a bit off as well... I think Fox just hired the wrong people. For the sequel they need to fire Tim Story and Marc Frost (Even though they just signed them on) and make the story darker, have more action and better effects. But keep the humor and humanity the film captured so well. There is much room for improvement I hope that Fox uses this oppertunity wisely.
Surprise!!! A sequel has been announced by Fox!!!
"As Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba are both likeable and pleasant enough on screen, but in a movie that is overtly trying to be nothing more than a fun ride, their characters are a couple of the blandest and most uptight super heroes to ever grace the silver screen."
To be honest, this is the way that these two characters are in the comics. They did a good conversion from the comic page to the screen. Torch and Thing are the "comic" relief to the serious "smart people" that Reed and Sue are.
To be honest, this is the way that these two characters are in the comics. They did a good conversion from the comic page to the screen. Torch and Thing are the "comic" relief to the serious "smart people" that Reed and Sue are.
Didn't Killer tomatoes cost like $7.43 to make? They had to get the money some how.....
I still think Spaceballs did a good version of product placement - quote Yogurt "Merchandising, Merchandising, Merchandising"
I still think Spaceballs did a good version of product placement - quote Yogurt "Merchandising, Merchandising, Merchandising"
Sounds similar to that really long Fedex advert they sell on DVD, um Cast Away.
Not without getting banned I certainly felt dirty after watching it. That JVC thing was bad enough, but when he pulled out the Converse I almost choked on my popcorn. By the time the car rolled around I had lost all interest in the film anyway...
It reminded me of that Killer Tomatoes movie, except they were trying to do it with a straight face!
It reminded me of that Killer Tomatoes movie, except they were trying to do it with a straight face!
Chris wrote: I needed a shower after that film!After watching Will Smith in the shower?
We could go so many ways with this...
We could go so many ways with this...
Mal wrote: Seems to be a fair bit of product placement going on in that first screenshot.
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
To be fair it's pretty much consigned to that one scene, which takes place at a motocross event anyway and there's always shed loads of sponsorship/product placement there. It's not like the blatant product plcement in I, Robot. I needed a shower after that film!
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
To be fair it's pretty much consigned to that one scene, which takes place at a motocross event anyway and there's always shed loads of sponsorship/product placement there. It's not like the blatant product plcement in I, Robot. I needed a shower after that film!
Quote: "Next is a nearly twenty minute featurette, entitled 'Fantastic Four Video Diary', which was produced by Jessica Alba and has a running time of nearly twenty minutes"
How long was it again?
Nice review, bad movie.
How long was it again?
Nice review, bad movie.
Hehe...also wanted to comment on all the advertising in that first shot. Good review Matt!
If this movie was Italian food, I would say it's like eating Chef Boyardee
Did they get 'enough' advertising in that first picture?
Hate, hate, hate, hate, hated this movie. One of the worst of the year.
Just finished watching it. I thought it was a pretty well done flick. There were some problems but I enjoyed it.
Seems to be a fair bit of product placement going on in that first screenshot.
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
I think I need a Dell PC with some Samsung memory to play an Activision game purchased at Walmart. Pepsi would be good too.
Now I'm not sure what to do, I trust the opinions of both Matt and Chris! I can't make a choice on my own! Quick, someone else do a review for a tie-breaker! Can Pete do a R4 review? Maybe Bodhi can review the HK release (I know it's available).
FANTASTIC FOUR (2005) This was a very decent film. Not great but good entertainment. I was expecting more from it because of the sheer brillance of BATMAN BEGINS. But regarldess I will pick this up.
I thought it was awesome, and I'm sure its sequel will do it wonders. Fair viewing though, Matt.
I'm gonna watch it right now... after it's over, I'll say what I think of the release.
Tony DeFrancisco wrote: Good review Matt. 5/10 for the actual movie rating? Must not of been that good.
Eh, like I said, light weight and pretty underwhelming...it's better than the theatrical release of Daredevil, but not quite as good as the first X-Men.
Eh, like I said, light weight and pretty underwhelming...it's better than the theatrical release of Daredevil, but not quite as good as the first X-Men.
Because all our reviews are nice, intelligently written works of art Chris Oh, wait - Matt wrote it.... Hehe j/k
Sven Lorenz wrote: Is that a joke that I don't get or a typo?
"The poison works fast, Dr. Jones."
"The poison works fast, Dr. Jones."
Fernando G. wrote: I Just look at the stras.
How do you know it's a nice review if you didn't read it?
How do you know it's a nice review if you didn't read it?
Quote: there are plenty of antidotes volleyed back and fourth between the actors
Is that a joke that I don't get or a typo?
Is that a joke that I don't get or a typo?
Good review Matt. 5/10 for the actual movie rating? Must not of been that good.
I Just look at the stras.
I approved this review just after 22.30 hours. How did you have time to read it and post a comment in around thirty seconds?
Nice Review.
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 6th December 2005
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: NTSC
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Surround Spanish
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Extras: Cast Audio Commentary, Video Diary, Deleted Scenes, Mafking-Of Featurette, 'Casting Session' Featurette, 'Making A Scene' Featurette, Music Videos, Trailers, Inside Look Into X3
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon
Genre: Action and Sci-Fi
Length: 106 minutes
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 17th May 2007 18:54 UTC
In the GNOME bugzilla, there is an ongoing discussion about whether or not to include a patch into the default GNOME installation which would enable GNOME to (optionally) have a global application menubar, similar to that of the Mac OS and KDE (in the latter it is optional and off by default). Installation instructions and .deb packages, as well as a 60-page (and counting) discussion of the patch, are available on the UbuntuForums. Read on for a poll on this issue.
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Hardware Hacks for the LS2
All input is welcome. Please do not edit this page directly as I do not want any information to get past me without my knowledge as it could be detrimental to the LS2 on which I'm experimenting. Please post any comments to the forum thread or the talk page.
This is an account of the attempts of Tampakuro (aka Kuroguy) to open the LS2 hardware to more development.
The JTAG port and software as well as the serial port/console and USB port modifications are fully tested and are known to work.
There is a forum thread at http://forum.nas-central.org/index.php?action=vthread&forum=3&topic=1530 with a discussion relating to this project. Please feel free to add relevant content to that thread.
The LS2 that the community purchased arrived from Dusseldorf today (Oct 6, 2006). I will be installing a JTAG port on it. Once that is done I'll be installing a serial console. I plan to document all of the steps here. As described it came without a hard disk and (possibly) with a bad power supply.
- 1 Additional Info about the history of this particular LS2
- 2 Lets see what we can see
- 3 Getting it to power up
- 4 The Microcontroller
- 5 JTAG Installation
- 6 Serial console installation
- 7 Mini PCI Slot (coming soon)
- 8 Install additional USB ports
- 9 Other stuff I know
Additional Info about the history of this particular LS2
Mindbender asked Adrian (the former owner of this box) again what happened and what he did to repair the LS2 and he told me that he caused the problem by shortening the board somehow while replacing the HDD.
As a result of the short, two capacitors were destroyed and he replaced them....but it did not work. Here is a picture which shows which Capacitors were replaced...maybe they are faulty or not correctly soldered to the board?
Lets see what we can see
I first disassembled the LS2 and took a few photos of the board. Noteworthy on the back of the board labeled CN8 is a mini PCI header. It looks like the addition of 4 SMT resistors and 6 SMT capacitors is all that is necessary to get this port working.
From the manufacturer's literature given to me by Mindbender I know that CN9 is the JTAG port. The spec says that the target voltage can be picked up on pin 14. As in the case of the LS1 and LS-HG, the series resistor is missing. Rather than mess with it, I'll likely get power for the JTAG cable from elsewhere on the board.
Next I unplugged the power supply from the board and powered it up. My voltmeter told me that the power supply is working. That means I need to look for a bad fuse or switch on the main board. This might be over before it gets started.
J1 looks just like the standard serial header found on all of the PPC based boxes. It even has pads for a decoupling capacitor (C34) across pins 3 and 4 (on the PPC boxes pin 3 is 3.3V and pin 4 is ground). I'll check for 3.3 volts across these pins when I power up the board. Pin 2, like the PPC versions, has a pullup resistor, R256 (not installed) and series resistor, R186 (not installed) If this does turn out to be a serial port it will make life really easy on us.
CN5 appears to be a header for programming the AVR. We shouldn't need to mess with this one and unless someone would like me to solder a header in place, I'll leave it alone.
I've included a couple of high resolution photos of the main circuit board.
Getting it to power up
The buttons wouldn't do anything and I think that the microcontroller (does the same functions as the AVR in the PPC based models) is damaged. The microcontroller is responsible for powering up and down the Linkstation. It also controls the cooling fan. Good news, After a bit of fiddling i Have been able to make the LS2 power up the fan by shorting pins 24 and 25 of the AVR. I can also make the fan and drive spin up by shorting pins 23 and 24 and then shorting and holding pins 24 and 25. I believe the LS is powering up too. I can hear the heads stroking back and forth.
As I will be somewhat bypassing the microprocessor I'll try to trace the pins and document their functions too.
I've gotten some conflicting results when injecting data onto the pins of the microprocessor. I suspect it is due to the circuitry of the microprocessor transferring data onto other pins at the same time. In any event, there is no way for me to know the normal state of the inputs and outputs of the microprocessor with it still in circuit. I'm seriously considering removing the microprocessor from the board to get some certain answers as to what pin does what without interference by the microprocessor. This will allow me to properly document which pin does what.
I assume there are at least the following DI (digital input)and DO (digital output) pins:
DI - fan status DI - front button status DI - Rear button status DI - HDD read/write status DI - Serial in DO - Serial out DO - Fan Start DO - HDD start DO - HDD light on DO - DIAG. light on DO - Power light on DO - Reset CPU
Other pins that have to be present would be Vcc and Ground
If I can determine which pin does what it will be very possible to write our own application for the microprocessor and get rid of the proprietary stuff Buffalo is using. This would allow things like additional flash patterns for the LED.
Planned modifications
1. Install and test the JTAG header.
2. Test/Install serial level converter.
3. Optionally try to install a mini PCI slot.
4. Install additional USB ports
The Microcontroller
The microcontroller work wasn't planned. It was necessitated by the fact that the LS2 I have was someone else's damaged discard. This work came from an attempt to get the LS2 to power up.
The microcontroller was interfering with diagnosing the cause of the LS2 not powering up so I decided to remove it. It took the better part of an hour to remove the microcontroller and solder it in its new home - a piece of perf board with 2 sets of 2x7 pin headers. I had to bend the pins into a single row making two rows of 14 each on .05" centers to match up with the pin spacing on the microcontroller. Check out this photo of the microcontroller sitting atop its new socket. The plan was to attach a 28 strand ribbon cable to the circuit board where the microcontroller was located and terminate the other end of the cable with two 2x7 IDE headers. The microcontroller could then be snapped back in the LS2 at will. With the microcontroller removed from the circuit I could trace those pins and their functions without the microcontroller causing problems.
A bit of serendipity here. Printed on the circuit board under the microcontroller was the part number MC68HC908JL8CDW. This is a Motorola Freescale microprocessor. Motorola has a complete data sheet posted on the Freescale site. This is new and very useful information.
With the microcontroller removed from the circuit, I easily found the cause of the LS2 not powering up; a missing resistor on the main board, R265. This is a series resistor for the power button. I installed a 4.7K resistor and reinstalled the microcontroller and it booted without incident. All that work removing the microcontroller and setting it in a homebrew socket was not necessary. Of course, we did gain some very useful information, such as the true part number for the microcontroller and the pin functions of the microcontroller, so it wasn't a total waste of time. In fact, I couldn't have diagnosed and repaired the problem without removing the microcontroller unless I had a schematic drawing of the LS2 and those aren't available. It is possible to write a completely open source application for this microcontroller now that we know what it is and the specific pin functions.
I have also determined that the Link light is not controlled by the microcontroller.
The following table lists confirmed pin functions of the microcontroller:
|Signal Type
|Pin 3, CN5
|Pull to ground to turn Diagnostic light on
|Ground and Pin 9, CN5
|Pin 1, CN5
|Pull to ground to turn HDD full light on
|Vcc (3.3V)
|Pull to ground to turn power light on green
|Pull to ground to turn power light on amber
|Serial in from CPU
|Serial out to CPU
|Pin 8, CN5
|Pin 7, CN5
|Pin 10, CN5
|Pin 5, CN5
|Rear button pressed pulls low
|Pull High to turn on fan and spin up HDD
|Fan Status, High means fan running
|Power button pressed pulls low
|Vcc, Through filter FIL18 to Pin 4, CN5
CN5 is a 2x5 header that appears to be used to program the microcontroller. Pin 2 of this connector is tied to Vcc (3.3V). Pin 6 of this connector is tied to ground.
Items in bold have been confirmed with the microcontroller removed from the circuit.
JTAG Installation
Hardware Modifications
The literature lists the following pins and descriptions:
|must be pulled high if not controlled by the JTAG cable. Tie pin 14 to pin 1 with a 1K resistor.
|Series Resistor R64 not installed - Installed 330 ohm resistor
|Series resistor R181 and decoupling capacitor C35 not installed. - Bridged R181, didn't install C35.
The instruction manual at http://www.idt.com/products/files/1868542/32434manual.pdf details the required values of the TDO series resistor on page 494.
It states that a typical value of R64 is 1Kohm. It states that a typical value for the series resistor (R64 in our case) is 33 ohm. It says a smaller value reduces crosstalk and values of 33 ohm are sufficient. It also states that the recommended pull-up/down resistor is 1.0 Kohm because a low value reduces crosstalk on the cable to the connector, allowing higher JTAG_TCK frequencies. A pull-up resistor value of 47Kohm is sufficient for hot plugging applications. Since we will not be hot plugging the JTAG cable we can use a value closer to the recommended value of 1Kohm. As it turned out I could not find a 1K SMT resistor in my computer graveyard. Instead I installed a 330 ohm resistor (has 331 on it).
linuxnotincluded: A value of 1 Kohm for the series resistor does not work. A value of 330 ohm works but it is 10 times higher than the manufacturer recommended value. To avoid surprises, I suggest you use the manufacturer recommendation of 33 ohm
Bridging R181 and installing a capacitor in the range of .1uF at C35 should be sufficient to power the cable. In fact, The DLC5 cables I made already have a decoupling capacitor across the power and ground lines so C35 may be omitted in our case. If you are in doubt as to whether your cable has a capacitor installed you should install a capacitor at C35. It won't cause problems if both are installed.
Also, according to the manufacturer's data, pin 12 on the main board should be left unpopulated to prevent connecting the JTAG cable to the main board backwards.
The following photo shows the JTAG connector and R64 just above the jtag header. I have installed the JTAG header on the back of the board to make it easy to plug and unplug the JTAG Cable. If I had not done this I would have needed to remove and replace the main board every time I wanted to connect or disconnect the JTAG cable. As a result of the header being on the back side of the board, the rows of pins are reversed. It will mean wiring our JTAG cable connector backwards. This is not a problem until you try to use your JTAG cable on other hardware as it will be wired backwards. Connecting the cable backwards could damage the JTAG port on your board, so make sure you get it right.
The JTAG cable I designed for the PPC boxes along with some very minor modifications was able to detect the chain.
I terminated the cable with the 14 pin IDE connector instead of the 16 pin connector used for the PPC boxes (I built an adapter), it was necessary to pull pin 1 (nTRST) high. I just tied pin 14 (3.3v) to pin 1 through a 1K resistor and Openwince's JTAG Tools detected the chain.
For the adapter I used an 8x2 strip of header pins and a small piece of perf board and soldered the wires from the ribbon cable (with 14 pin IDE connector) directly to the pins. Here is the connection table for the adapter. Don't forget that every pair is reversed because we are connecting to the back side of the board.
|PPC Pin Number
|MIPS Pin Number
|Tie pin 14 (Mips end) to pin 1 (MIPS end) with a 1K resistor.
=== Openwince JTAG Tools (never did work here) === I was not successful getting Openwince's JTAG tools to work with the LS2. I'm leaving this section in this wiki article for historical purposes. Please skip down to the Hairydairymaid section below for the JTAG solution that was finally made work.
About the only JTAG software that is free and works with the DLC5 flash is Openwince's JTAG tools. This is the software that I use to unbrick Kuros and PPC LinkStations (Also works with the TeraStation Pro). I need to build the IDT include files for Openwince's JTAG tools before going any further. As those files are not part of the source package I will need to create them myself. This could take some time as I'm not a software person.
I found in IDT's website a BSDL file that describes how to talk to the SOC via JTAG. I have also found a script for converting Xilinx BSDL files for use with JTAG Tools. Hopefully this will work and we'll have the ability to read and write flash contents. There are a number of files that need to be edited so the software will recognize the LS2 properly, but I think I can get that done properly.
I'm still not sure if the DLC5 cable will work, but if it doesn't, I'll build a wiggler cable and continue working. At the very least we know the header is installed correctly.
Configuring JTAG Tools to recognize the LS2's components is simple. The Device has a unique identification string. It is a 32 bit number and JTAG Tools displays this ID when the command detect is executed. The ID is 00000000001000010111000001100111. There are 3 parts to this ID. According to the standard, the least significant bit is required to be 1.
Bits 12 through 2 (00000000001000010111000001100111) are a unique number that identifies the manufacturer. If you add this ID to /usr/local/share/jtag/MANUFACTURERS along with the the manufacturer name and directory name where the target manufacturer's data files are located JTAG Tools will automatically recognize the device manufacturer when detect is run.
The line I added looks like this :
00000110011 idt IDT
The "idt" is the name of the data directory for this manufacturer loacted at /usr/local/share/jtag/data/ and the "IDT" is the text that detect will return as the manufacturer.
In the idt directory there are several files we need to create. Create a file named PARTS. This file uses bits 28 through 13 (00000000001000010111000001100111)of the device identification string. It defines the specific part's name and the subdirectory where the converted BSDL file is located. This file contains the following line:
We create a file named /usr/local/share/jtag/data/idt/79RC32434/STEPPINGS which contains bits 32 through 29 (00000000001000010111000001100111) and the name of the file that contains the converted BSDL file (mips) along with the version number of the target (I called it LS2):
0000 mips LS2
We also need to create a file named /usr/local/share/jtag/data/idt/79RC32434/mips which contains the converted BSDL file. We create this file by piping the BSDL file into the conversion script and piping the output to a file named mips. We get the BSDL file from http://www.idt.com/products/files/9185/79RC32434_BSDL_83464.txt. We execute:
bsd2jtag < 79RC32434_BSDL_83464 > mips
If you do this correctly, JTAG Tools will return the following when detect is executed:
jtag> detect IR length: 5 Chain length: 1 Device Id: 00000000001000010111000001100111 Manufacturer: IDT Part: 79RC32434 Stepping: LS2 Filename: /usr/local/share/jtag/idt/79RC32434/mips
Next we need to get JTAG Tools to initialize the JTAG bus.
HairyDairyMaid (did work)
see also JTAG_Software/HairyDairyMaid
HairyDairyMaid is a tool used to read and write to the flash of the Linksys WRT54G router. Functionality has been added that would allow access to the flash memory using E(xtended)JTAG. This is a set of JTAG instructions for the MIPS based processors and they allow what is known as processor access (PrAcc). PrAcc allows the loading and execution of instruction codes into the MIPS core. HairyDairyMaid (HDM) has these applications written and should be able to install that code on the LS2 allowing the reading and writing of the flash contents via JTAG.
As it turned out, the HDM program needed some modifications. The patched source as well as a makefile and compiled zipped binary that will run on x86 architecture is available here. Read on for a description of the modifications and tests that were done to ensure that The HDM was working properly and was not going to make any bricks (at least if used properly).
EDIT: Where is the source code or the patch? We only have the binary there! Mindbender
My first attempt at using HairyDairyMaid produced the following output (after making minor modifications to the source code):
localhost HDM # ./wrt54g -backup:cfe ==================================== WRT54G/GS EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.5 ==================================== Probing bus ... Done Instruction Length set to 5 CPU Chip ID: 00000000001000010111000001100111 (00217067) *** Found a LS2 chip *** - EJTAG IMPCODE ....... : 01000000010000000100000000000000 (40404000) - EJTAG Version ....... : 2.6 - EJTAG DMA Support ... : No Issuing Processor / Peripheral Reset ... Done Enabling Memory Writes ... Skipped Halting Processor ... <Processor Entered Debug Mode!> ... Done Clearing Watchdog ... Done Probing Flash at (Flash Window: 0x1fc00000) ... Done *** Unknown or NO Flash Chip Detected *** *** REQUESTED OPERATION IS COMPLETE ***
It looks like I need to define the flash chip in HDM. This might work....
With the help of linuxnotincluded I was able to read, write, and erase areas of the flash via JTAG. Since LNI didn't have a LS2 I did the testing and made several suggestions while he did most (pretty much all) of the coding. The source code for the modified HairyDairyMaid software will be posted in a day or two as there is still some cleanup to do.
As it turns out, the JTAG port on the LS2 is actually a MIPS proprietary EJTAG port. It is similar to the JTAG port except that it allows debugging. We were able to execute code on the LS2 that would read or write the flash contents and send them out to the host computer via the EJTAG port. What follows are some of the tests that were performed on the LS2
First we got the HDM to recognize the LS2's MIPS 32434 SOC by adding the ID code to the source code. Next, LNI wrote an 8 bit flash chip driver and integrated it into HDM. I tested the changes and emailed output from the HDM to him for additional modifications. Here is the output from the first version that could read the flash. I Flashed a 256 byte file to the area starting at 1fc3400 as that entire area was filled with ff. By the way, the /flash8 option was added since the 32434 could only write 8 bits wide at a time. The HDM was later modified so the /flash8 switch is no longer required as the HDM now detects the flash type and knows how to write and read its contents.
localhost LNIHDM # ./wrt54g -flash:custom /flash8 /start:1fc34000 /length:ff /window:bfc00000 ==================================== WRT54G/GS EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.6 ==================================== Probing bus ... Done Instruction Length set to 5 CPU Chip ID: 00000000001000010111000001100111 (00217067) *** Found a Linkstation 2 with RISC K4C chip *** - EJTAG IMPCODE ....... : 01000000010000000100000000000000 (40404000) - EJTAG Version ....... : 2.6 - EJTAG DMA Support ... : No Issuing Processor / Peripheral Reset ... Done Enabling Memory Writes ... Skipped Halting Processor ... <Processor Entered Debug Mode!> ... Done Clearing Watchdog ... Done Probing Flash at (Flash Window: 0xbfc00000) ... identify_flash_part: vendid: C2, devid: A7 Done Flash Vendor ID: 00000000000000000000000011000010 (000000C2) Flash Device ID: 00000000000000000000000010100111 (000000A7) *** Found a MX29LV320T 2Mx16 TopB (4MB) Flash Chip *** - Flash Chip Window Start .... : bfc00000 - Flash Chip Window Length ... : 00400000 - Selected Area Start ........ : 1fc34000 - Selected Area Length ....... : 000000ff *** You Selected to Flash the CUSTOM.BIN *** ========================= Flashing Routine Started ========================= Total Blocks to Erase: 0 Loading CUSTOM.BIN to Flash Memory... [ 1% Flashed] 1fc34000: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 7% Flashed] 1fc34010: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 14% Flashed] 1fc34020: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 20% Flashed] 1fc34030: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 26% Flashed] 1fc34040: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 32% Flashed] 1fc34050: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 39% Flashed] 1fc34060: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 45% Flashed] 1fc34070: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 51% Flashed] 1fc34080: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 58% Flashed] 1fc34090: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 64% Flashed] 1fc340a0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 70% Flashed] 1fc340b0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 76% Flashed] 1fc340c0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 83% Flashed] 1fc340d0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 89% Flashed] 1fc340e0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 95% Flashed] 1fc340f0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 Done (CUSTOM.BIN loaded into Flash Memory OK) ========================= Flashing Routine Complete ========================= elapsed time: 15 seconds *** REQUESTED OPERATION IS COMPLETE ***
and then read the flash and got:
localhost LNIHDM # ./wrt54g -backup:custom /flash8 /start:1fc34000 /length:ff /window:bfc00000 ==================================== WRT54G/GS EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.6 ==================================== Probing bus ... Done Instruction Length set to 5 CPU Chip ID: 00000000001000010111000001100111 (00217067) *** Found a Linkstation 2 with RISC K4C chip *** - EJTAG IMPCODE ....... : 01000000010000000100000000000000 (40404000) - EJTAG Version ....... : 2.6 - EJTAG DMA Support ... : No Issuing Processor / Peripheral Reset ... Done Enabling Memory Writes ... Skipped Halting Processor ... <Processor Entered Debug Mode!> ... Done Clearing Watchdog ... Done Probing Flash at (Flash Window: 0xbfc00000) ... identify_flash_part: vendid: C2, devid: A7 Done Flash Vendor ID: 00000000000000000000000011000010 (000000C2) Flash Device ID: 00000000000000000000000010100111 (000000A7) *** Found a MX29LV320T 2Mx16 TopB (4MB) Flash Chip *** - Flash Chip Window Start .... : bfc00000 - Flash Chip Window Length ... : 00400000 - Selected Area Start ........ : 1fc34000 - Selected Area Length ....... : 000000ff *** You Selected to Backup the CUSTOM.BIN *** ========================= Backup Routine Started ========================= Saving CUSTOM.BIN.SAVED_20061119_130016 to Disk... [ 1% Backed Up] 1fc34000: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 7% Backed Up] 1fc34010: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 14% Backed Up] 1fc34020: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 20% Backed Up] 1fc34030: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 26% Backed Up] 1fc34040: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 32% Backed Up] 1fc34050: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 39% Backed Up] 1fc34060: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 45% Backed Up] 1fc34070: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 51% Backed Up] 1fc34080: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 58% Backed Up] 1fc34090: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 64% Backed Up] 1fc340a0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 70% Backed Up] 1fc340b0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 76% Backed Up] 1fc340c0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 83% Backed Up] 1fc340d0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 89% Backed Up] 1fc340e0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 [ 95% Backed Up] 1fc340f0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 Done (CUSTOM.BIN.SAVED_20061119_130016 saved to Disk OK) bytes written: 256 ========================= Backup Routine Complete ========================= elapsed time: 0 seconds *** REQUESTED OPERATION IS COMPLETE ***
Looks like we are in business. Next I read the contents from 1FFF9000 through 1FFFA000. It contained all 0xFF. I then flashed 256 bytes of 0x00 starting at 0x1FFF9000 and read the area from 0x1FFF9000 through 0x1FFFA000 and verified that the first 256 bytes had been changed to 0x00. After that I erased the area from 0x1FFF9000 through 0x1FFFA000 and reread the same area once again. That area once again contained all 0xFF.
Now that I knew that the read and erase functions worked I needed to test that the data was being written to the flash and read from the flash in the proper order.
Next I did the same with a file that contained a sequence of bytes that started at 0x00 and incremented to 0xff. The flash contents were written properly and erased properly leaving that area containing all 0xff.
The only suggestion I had for LNI was to modify the source code to allow the user to specify the name of the file to flash and backup, as it can be very confusing having a disk full of files named CUSTOM.BIN.SAVED_<date>_
The last test I did was to boot the LS2 normally and read the MTD devices using dd. I then compared them to the data I had read from the flash using the JTAG cable and HDM. They were exactly alike.
The final version of the HDM software will include the ability to specify the filename to write and read. It also currently automatically detects the LS2's MIPS 32434 and flash chip so it is no longer necessary to specify the /flash8 option that LNI included in the source code.
I will upload the flash contents to the downloads section in a day or two after I have had time to test the final version.
Serial console installation
I ordered a max3232 chip and 5 capacitors from Mouser electronics (along with some other parts for the hacks I'm doing here) and have built a serial level converter on perf board (I don't have time to etch a board) This box will have a permanently installed serial level converter. We'll need to install a series resistor (R186). Had we installed a temporary level converter we would have had to install both a pullup and series resistor. This is because the level converter holds the pin high unless pulled down by serial data to the LS2, and without it the LS2's serial input pin will float causing bad data to show up on the serial port. For the Kuro we used the 10K resistor that was installed as a pullup resistor as a series resistor with success, although I suspect anything between 1K and 10K would work.
I have read that in order to toggle the UART from the AVR to the serial console, since the LS2 only has one serial port, a jumper must be installed at J2. One side of J2 is tied to pin H4 of the IDT 79RC32H434 SOC. This pin is defined in one of the manuals on page 6 as U0SINP: Alternate function: UART channel 0 serial input, so that pretty much confirms that J2 is directly related to the serial port. We'll give this a shot once I have confirmed that the JTAG modification works. I don't want to make more than one change at a time for troubleshooting purposes.
Of course with the AVR not able to communicate with the processor (on boxes with a working AVR), it will be necessary to disable the watchdog before starting the LS2 or it will shutdown when the watchdog runs down. No problems there for me. This is where the red button on the rear of the LS2 will finally come in handy. Just hold it down while powering up the LS2 to disable the watchdog (AKA Christmas tree mode).
As it turns out, simply jumpering J2, installing a 330 ohm resistor at R186, and disabling the watchdog (or not) will allow two way communication via the serial console. Of course, you do need to install a serial level converter at J1. I installed the J2 header on the back of the board so it can be accessed without removing the board from the chassis. Simply remove the side of the case and it can be accessed. Photos will be posted shortly.
Mini PCI Slot (coming soon)
It appears that all of the capacitors are decoupling capacitors. Based on the pin descriptions at http://www.interfacebus.com/MiniPCI_Pinout_124Pin.html they all bridge 3.3v to ground. I suspect anything in the .1uF range will work for these.
Also according to the standard, R238 and R239 enable and disable the 66Mhz PCI bus.
Install additional USB ports
The USB controller used is the same as the Kurobox and LS1. Additional ports can be added by following the instructions at http://www.kurobox.com/mwiki/index.php/Add_USB_Port#Additional_USB_Port_in_the_Rear. The USB controller is labeled IC7 and is installed on the back of the main board adjacent to the front USB plug. R86 thru R93 are pulldown resistors that have already been installed to keep those USB ports from floating. All that is necessary is the installation of two 36 ohm resistors and a USB plug for each additional port. Six resistors and 3 plugs would max out the USB controller with five working USB ports.
Other stuff I know
Install an LED at LED8 and a 330 ohm resistor at R268 (Both near the IDE connector pin 40) and It will turn on when a HDD read or write occurs.


text:
The residents at the Volunteers of Americas Durango Community Shelter couldnt sing Ill be Home for Christmas, but they did get a dash of the holiday spirit when members of all three Durango Rotary Clubs and Rotaract brought the party to them.
The brainchild of Eddie Cheung, the event featured a full-scale holiday meal and a visit from Old Saint Nick himself. Enjoying the festivities were 18 adults residents and eight children, also known as the guests of honor.
The ratio of party-throwers to receivers was pretty high, with 12 Rotarians on hand to make sure everyone had fun. Im pretty sure there were some really good leftovers, as the menu included four turkeys, six hams, five potato dishes, six vegetable dishes and seven desserts. A lot of food was sent over to the Southwest Safehouse, whose residents did not attend the party for obvious reasons.
Helping out at the shelter party were Brandon Walter, Christie Schler and Martha Burwell from the Durango Rotaract Club (Rotary for people ages 18 to 30); Cheung, his wife, Nancy, and Bob Conrad from Durango Daybreak Rotary; Kari Plante, Terry Swan, Roger Ptolemy and President Lynn Westberg of the Rotary Club, or, as some call it, the Tuesday Night Club; and Melody Warren from High Noon Rotary Club. Scott Beckstead filled in for the jolly old fellow, who was up at the North Pole getting ready for his big night.
This is truly a collaborative effort between the four service clubs.
The High Noon club provides the soft drinks, while the Daybreak and Durango clubs donate and prepare the food. (Several Rotarians who were unable to attend took the time to prepare dishes.)
The latter two clubs also provided all the funding for the adult gifts and partial funding for the childrens presents. (You didnt think Santa would show up with an empty bag, did you?) The Rotaract Club donated $150 toward the childrens gifts and did all the shopping. The adults all received $25 gift cards to Walmart, which certainly will come in handy, but it was fun all the way for the kids gifts.
Its hard to imagine how frightening it must be to be without a home at Christmas, or for that matter, any time of the year. But knowing there is a safe place for you and your family to go, where people of good will reach out to make sure something special will happen for the holidays has to be reassuring and heartwarming.
Every item I write about Rotary, I must always include a disclaimer. I am a third-generation Rotarian. My father was a member of the Rotary Club of Durango for more than 35 years, and I, myself, was a founding charter member of Durango Daybreak Rotary Club in 2002. Im only honorary right now, because I work afternoons and nights, while they meet at 6:45 a.m., a schedule that just doesnt work for people like me who like to sleep.
But I believe with all my heart in the clubs motto, Service Above Self, and one of my priorities when I began writing Neighbors was to ensure that service clubs and nonprofits got enough coverage. Rotarys coverage shouldnt suffer because Im connected to it!
If one of your New Years resolutions is to get more involved in making the world a better place, joining a service club such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions or Civitans is a great place to start. All of them have both local and international initiatives, so you can truly act locally, think globally, as the saying goes.
Celebrating these birthdays can be a bit anticlimactic after the holidays, but heres hoping these folks start the New Year and their new years in style Charlie Milliet, Sharon Donahue, Richard Biegel, K. Redford, Todd Youngblood, Al Spungen, Jon Geer, Kelli Stanley, Justin McBrayer, Sue Mooney, Dottie Johnson, Jamie Pratt and Anne Rudolph.
Another group that decided to make a difference for the holidays was a group of local authors who participated in Marias Bookshops first Giving Back Gang event on Dec. 7.
All 19 authors agreed to give a portion of their proceeds from the sales of their tomes to a nonprofit in the area, with a mass booksigning the evening of the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Novels, poetry, childrens books, autobiographies and history books were all represented.
Heres another disclaimer I was one of the authors, because my first book, Trail Canyon: 6 Miles Long, 10,000 Years Deep just came out in November. My co-author, Howard Bud Poe, and I donated a portion of our proceeds to the Montezuma Historical Society, because Trail Canyon is located there.
Libby Cowles, who handles the community liaison work for Marias, organized the event with Holli Pfau, the author of Pure Gold, who continued making donations to the La Plata County Humane Society, because all of the profits from her book have gone to various humane societies.
The authors, their books and causes were: C. Joseph Chuck Greaves, Hard Twisted, for the National Mustang Association of Colorado; Jerri Lincoln, Coopers Smile, for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado; Tekla Dennison Miller, Inevitable Sentences, for Volunteers of Americas Durango Community Shelter and Southwest Safehouse; Erin Gray, Moonshine Murder, for the Animas Museum; Gail Wagner, Donegal Sidhe: Army of Sorrow, for Childhaven; Ken Wright, Monkeywrench Dad, for San Juan Citizens Alliance; R. Lataine Townsend, 2013: Beginning an Era of Hope and Harmony for the Humane Society; Melanie Milburn, I Love You More than Chocolate, for the Mothers of Preschoolers; John H. Wright, Blazing Ice, for the Silverton-San Juan Fire Authority and Rescue; Bruce Ehlenbeck, Some Time Till Knowing in support of Planned Parenthood of Durango; Erica Olsen, Recapture and Other Stories, for Montezuma Land Conservancy; Pam Young, Night Sounds, Alternative Horizons; Fred Wildfang and Nik Kendziorski, Postcard History Series: Durango, for the Center of Southwest Studies; Jean Campion, Minta Forever, in support of the La Plata County Historical Society; Sylvester Allred, Rascal, the Tassel-Eared Squirrel, for Durango Nature Studies; and Ginger Jenks, whose book Wag, Live, Love was in support of Annies Orphans.
And did I mention there were cookies? Lots and lots of cookies.
The final tally donated was just shy of $1,200, but the spirit of the evening was contagious.
These folks once started their lives together at the beginning of the year, so thats when they get to celebrate their anniversaries Bob Vialpondo and Dian Jenkins and Bill and Carol Thurman.
Because the world is recuperating from the holidays, the Neighbors beat is experiencing a rare quiet period, so I am taking a few days of respite. Neighbors will return Jan. 9.


text:
How to Register, Login and Logout
Printable instructions here∞ [PDF | 126KB]
In order to add any material, or make any comments on CAF, you will need to be a registered user. To register yourself as a new user, simply click on the Login/Register link at the bottom of the left hand menu.
On the User settings page you will see six fields. To register you will have to fill out the first four:
1. Your User Name: This is the username you will be identified by in this website. It has to take the format of at least two words starting with capital letters and without spaces between them, such as 'DanHull' or 'MarieClaireFerguson', and must be shorter than 75 characters! It is not possible to use the name of an existing page, so you will have to come up with a new name not yet being used on this site. The type of text used for these usernames is known as CamelCase, and forms an important part of the way in which this website works.
2. Password: you must choose a password that is at least five characters long. The password will be stored encrypted in the CBA's CAF database, so it is impossible even for someone with access to the database to know your password.
3. Confirm password: to exclude mistakes (for example mistyping) you have to type your password a second time. You can change it later if you wish in your User settings.
4. Email address: you need to enter a valid email address in case you ever forget your password
Then, click on the Button labelled Register. Please note that there is no email confirmation once you register, you will simply be registered straight away.
To login, click on the Login/Register link which can be seen at the bottom of the left hand menu on every page. Simply fill in the first two fields (Your User Name: and Password:) with the information you provided upon registration, then click on the Button labelled Login.
The page changes from the Register/Login screen to a display of your User settings.
You might also want to introduce yourself - click on the link with your username at the top right of any page to create your personal userpage once you have registered. Here you can add information about yourself, projects you're involved in, or any other information that you would like to mention. You are welcome to add a link to your personal website and to websites you own relating to archaeology or heritage. Please don't feel that this is compulsory, however, if you would rather not do this!
To logout, click the button labelled Logout located on the UserSettings page, or at the bottom of the Menu at the left-hand side of all pages.
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text:
Add some life to your home, literally, in the form of plants or fresh flowers.
Add some life to your home, literally, in the form of plants or fresh flowers. You can accessorize your home to the hilt with these beneficial—and beautiful—resources. Not only are plants esthetically wonderful accessories for your home, but they bestow wonderful benefits. For example, a NASA study proved that specific houseplants have the ability to purify the air in our homes. Here is a brief list of some of the nasty chemicals a simple houseplant can help remove:
Carbon dioxide: Make sure your home is equipped with a carbon dioxide detector as well!
Formaldehyde: Found in pressed wood products such as cabinetry, plywood, subflooring and some furniture
Benzene: Found in glues, adhesives, cleaning products, paint strippers, tobacco smoke and gasoline
Mercury: Found in latex paint pre-1990, thermometers, thermostats, button-cell batteries and fluorescent lamps
Typical houseplants that do an excellent job of air cleaning include:
Peace lily: One of the few air purifiers that flower, peace lilies grow well with low light and require only weekly watering but are poisonous to pets.
Snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue: These grow well with low light; put a couple in your bedroom for a slight oxygen boost while you sleep.
Boston fern: Americans grew to love these botanicals during the Victorian period. This beauty is one of the most effective air purifiers, but it can be a bit tricky to keep alive as it loves water and humidity.
English ivy: It is a pro at removing formaldehyde from synthetic carpet dye.
If you are serious about boasting the air quality in your home, you will need two pots, 10" to 12" in diameter, per 100 square feet in your home. That means a 1,500 square foot home needs 15 to 30 plants. Wow, that is almost jungle level! So, you might just consider placing plants in the areas your family usually occupies.
Plants as Room Dividers
Plants are a great way to divide a room into independent spaces. A common situation in newer homes is what I call the "run-on-room." This is where one long room is actually meant to be two rooms, but visually it is not. The most common combination is the living room/dining room where the chandelier hangs at one end, serving as the only discerning indicator of two rooms.
Consider staging two large plants (one along each wall) maybe Ficus trees in large generous pots, to visually divide the space and create a visual partition. By doing this you will create an opening into the room between the potted trees. Silk trees have come a very long way in recent years; they are so incredibly convincing that they might be a wise choice. Selecting strong massive pots is what will really establish the divider for your room. Another additional element I like to add is real plants in the same pot and let them surround the silk tree. This offers the health benefit of real plants with the option to change them out with the seasons (for example, potted tulips in the spring). A trompe l'oeil"! In fact, the footbath on the desk shown in the photo is a combination of faux and fresh plants. Can you tell which is which?
The Faux Alternative
If allergies or the lack of a respectable green thumb plague your plant placement ideas, you will need to consider faux (fake) plants and flowers. While you will surrender the health benefits, you will still gain the aesthetic softness and the illusion of life. I suggest that you be very selective with the fabulous fakes you bring into your home. Select plants that require a touch to discern whether they are real or faux! I have placed orchids in client's homes so realistic that they really do deceive you into believing water is required. So, gorgeous, take your time in locating fabulous fakes for you home! You may even need to visit with a florist (may I suggest: Brick Street Floral Company/502 State Street) to find faux plants and flowers that will make you proud to have them be part of your home.
Flowers literally add sunshine to any room. While I prefer that you use the real botanicals God created, issues may arise that make that impossible. If faux is what you need to do for health or convenience, just be sure to make them convincing. I caution you about adding floral bouquets or arrangements that shout "I was created in a factory! I have no fragrance, I don't need water and my stems have wire in them!" A floral design on your dining room table that uses KU blue roses, for example, is a dead giveaway. Mother Nature did not produce roses in that hue! Search for blossoms that portray a wonderful study in realism. Unfortunately, these beauties usually cost more, but the beauty they will add to any room will be worth the extra money.
Note that manmade posies are usually washable. Remove one petal and test it for color fastness. Once you have confirmed that the color won't bleed, give them a gentle spritz with the sink sprayer to eliminate the dust and the occasional cobweb, then allow them to air dry and rearrange into a new floral design.
Less is More
My next suggested maybe met with some reservation, so I apologize up front. I do want you to remember that all of my advice should be viewed as suggestions. Your home is your home, and I truly honor that. However, I have to say that loading the tops of kitchen cabinets, high drywall shelves and tall pieces of furniture with silk plants is not desirable. I can't really pinpoint the start of that design direction, but it might have been the restaurant designs of the 1980s. Back then, walls and decorative shelves were habitually loaded with stuff…all sorts of stuff. The problem is that when you place plants in areas that are 7' to 12' off the floor, you are not fooling anyone into believing they are real—and isn't that the purpose? You want to convince family and friends that you have an amazing green thumb and that plants brought into your home thrive. Well, nobody in their right mind is going to retrieve a ladder from the garage and climb to those heights and water a plant! Now, gorgeous, you know and I know this isn't going to happen. None of us are going to do this; I consider myself lucky if the tops of furniture get dusted yearly. (Maybe even consider leaving the tops of the cabinets bare to showcase the architecture of the cabinets.)
A better plan, I believe, is to place faux plants where you would position the real thing—and nowhere else. If you want a beautiful faux rosemary plant in your kitchen, find a fabulous pot and place it on the island or breakfast table, or tuck it into the corner on your kitchen counter. Place small plants in wonderful little teacups, antique china pots, or sleek chrome containers on stacks of books on side tables or in the bookcase. As for plants on the tops of cabinets (if you can't resist) or on large pieces of furniture, select "containers" that relate to the room. For example, try a collection of antique cookie jars for plants in the kitchen and make the numbers few.
There is no alternative for plants and flowers in your home—nothing! The little lift a bright green plant tucked in just the right location in a room can be so beneficial to the joy of that space. Or the fragrance of a tight little bundle of bright pink carnations placed lovingly next to your kitchen sink in a crystal or cheerfully painted ceramic vase. These are such delightful little rewards you can indulge yourself with, so don't wait for an occasion for flowers. And, after the carnations are ready to be tossed, clip the blooms off and add them to your spring bowl of potpourri!
I will leave you this week with some funny words from Erma Bombeck!
"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died!"
See you next week!
Jan Colvin has been a professional interior designer for over 25 years (Allied ASID). She accredits her mother Pat Robinson and Lucille Chase for her intense interest and love for design.
She has taught interior design at the college level and operated her private design business since 2001. Look for her new book soon!
Jan welcomes questions, which will be answered in her columns. Send your questions to: email@example.com


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Captain's Report
Intelligent Suspension One Better
Sea-Doo's intelligent suspension (iS) system on their PWC's is not new, and we've grown pretty accustomed to its abilities, but they bear repeating. The team at Sea-Doo learned early on that taming the water hasn't been too successful this side of the Old Testament, so they decided to try to tame the ride instead. To that end, they've placed the entire riding area, from the foot wells to the handlebars, on a floating suspension system that allows the hull to move independently from the upper deck. The system uses a coil spring and gas shock, the two being interlinked by two aluminum control arms. The iControl computer system adjusts the pre-load of the spring preload in real-time according to payload and water conditions, thus ensuring optimal suspension behavior at any given time.Enter "aS", or adjustable suspension. Now, the operator can control the ride's feel by two methods. The primary is the spring preload which is a mechanical system located under the seat that can be manually adjusted with the turn of a screw. For further adjusting there's a nitrogen-charged remote reservoir located behind a see thru panel in the glove box. Turning the knob clockwise increases the compression damping force yielding a firm suspension setting. This method adds between 65-115% more dampening than the standard intelligent system, according to Sea-Doo, and now waves of 2'-5' are much more easily handled. The end result is a stiffer ride that gives a better feeling of control and a suspension that won't bottom-out in rough waters. This combination makes a great feature for those riders who do not have, nor care for, the protected waters of a lake or river and instead choose to mix it up offshore. Due to its more offshore characteristics, the RXT-X aS 260 will always feel stiffer than the iS version but you can soften the ride in gentler water, which in effect, increases the spring effect. Now when cranking into a turn, the squat effect will allow you to maintain control and quickly get out of the hole and off in the new direction.
Action Figures
As any high performance rider demands, there are a host of cool features that make the RXT-X aS 260 the attractive package that it is. For starters there's the digital display which reports on 30 different operating functions. The most popular are sure to be the lat timer and average speed. More functional will be the distance to empty and water temperature. Of course Sea-Doo's claim to fame feature is the iBR, or intelligent braking/reverse attribute. By squeezing the brake lever, you effectively drop the reverse bucket down to stop you sooner than any other watercraft. The "intelligent" comes from briefly interrupting the flow of water through the jet while the bucket comes down in stages. This ensures that you don't get tossed into the water in front of the craft from the deceleration. Sure it throws water everywhere, but you're not here to stay dry, and the collision avoidance advantage of such a feature cannot be over estimated. In addition to the braking, being able to shift into reverse without taking your hands off the handlebars is a huge plus when approaching the dock.
Digital Throttle
Everything is going digital nowadays, and electronically controlling the throttle not only eliminates the sliding shift and throttle cables, and their fairly tortuous route to the active components, but allows for a whole host of benefits. It started with optional cruise mode, which offered incremental speed adjustments at the touch of a button. Once programmers started to get the hang of things, features really opened up. The most notable, and useful, is the iControl Learning Key. The programmable Learning Key allows you to limit the performance of the PWC based on rider skill level. Each of the two settings can be fine-tuned using the mode/set buttons. Now you can toss your kids the keys and not worry about them getting into trouble. As skill progresses, so can the ride.
Fine-Turning the Throttle
Then there's Touring / Sport mode. This allows for a choice between two throttle responses for different riding styles. Touring mode is the default setting offering a more progressive acceleration curve for a more confident ride – ideal for cruising and 2-up riding. Sport mode can be easily activated using the Set button. It provides all acceleration performance for a more aggressive throttle response. And of course you can program in the desired power curve that suits your riding style. The High-performance electric Variable Trim System (VTS) system provides pre-set positions for quick settings when adjusting boat trim at the push of a button, which maximizes acceleration and high-speed stability.
Comfort Features
So much for performance features. Now let's touch on the comfort aspect, beyond the suspension system of course. The X-Steering with A.E.S (Adjustable Ergonomic Steering) offers the only fully adjustable handlebar in the industry. With A.E.S. the rider can adjust the handlebar width and grip for a fully customized ride. The X-Coloration seat is a race-inspired designed seat for comfort and great looks providing seating for three.
Power Play
Knowing that operators in this class have a "why walk when you can run?" mentality, Sea-Doo chose to offer the RXT-X aS 260 with as much engine as they could muster, and still fit under the seat. In this case a three cylinder supercharged, intercooled 1,494cc EFI Rotax with multi-port fuel injection. That promises to give it plenty of speed, but both the insurance industry, and the riders association dictate that it should be industry limited to 65-67 mph. That said, acceleration is the dividing factor and this craft performs right along with the best of them. Sea-Doo has done a good job of combining riding styles into a crossover PWC that will give the operator a dialed-in ride. Couple that with the killer good looks and now a combination is created that rivals the competition.
Standard and Optional Features
Exterior Features
|Swim Ladder
|Optional Fold-down reboaring step
|Swim Platform
Hull Warranty
(It's quick and FREE!)


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If you love Cascade 220, you may have wished for the same yarn in a Superwash -well here it is! Truly a machine-wash and machine-dry yarn, the 220 Superwash from Cascade is 220 yards of the softest Peruvian Highland wool for all your washable projects. This yarn does it all from baby blankets, every-day clothes, tough wearing kids' clothes, and also an incredible choice for afghans. The full and growing color spectrum of the 220 Superwash will answer all your needs.
What about yarn that have the same look and feel? Find more yarn with a smooth / uniform texture, a medium twist, and is machine dyed.
We provide endless possibilities for you including yarn, knitting gifts, needles, kits, sale yarn, free knitting patterns, and more!Jimmy Beans Wool is Your Local Yarn Store... Online!


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 25th Oct 2012 20:50 UTC
"Microsoft today announced the global availability of its popular Windows operating system, Windows 8. Beginning Friday, Oct. 26, consumers and businesses worldwide will be able to experience all that Windows 8 has to offer, including a beautiful new user interface and a wide range of applications with the grand opening of the Windows Store." I'm still not clear on what '12:01 AM local time' means, but if it means it goes on sale in every country on 12:01 AM, I'll be buying in a bit over an hour!
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RE[3]: The one thing I'm wary of
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason announced Friday that Ramamoorthy Ramesh of the University of California, Berkeley, has been hired as the lab's new deputy for science and technology — effective June 1.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason announced Friday that Ramamoorthy Ramesh of the University of California, Berkeley, has been hired as the lab's new deputy for science and technology — effective June 1.
In a memo, Mason stated, "Ramesh will also hold an appointment as a Governor's Chair professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
"Ramesh has an exceptional record of accomplishment in fields that are well aligned with ORNL's current scientific thrusts. In particular, he is internationally recognized for his work on complex multifunctional oxide thin films, nanostructures, and heterostructures. He has published more than 400 papers in areas spanning magnetic materials, recording materials, magnetic and magnetoresistive metal oxides, high-temperature superconductors, ferroelectrics, dielectrics, piezoelectrics and relaxors, semiconductor heterostructures, and advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques applied to materials characterization. These papers have been cited more than 35,000 times, making him one of the world's most highly cited researchers. Ramesh was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to the science and technology of functional complex oxide materials.
"In addition, Ramesh has been a driving force in moving innovation to the marketplace, most recently as the director of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative and Solar Energy Technologies Program. In this capacity he set the science and technology agenda for SunShot, established funding priorities, and oversaw solar research and development activities at the Department's national laboratories. His management experience in this and other roles, including director of the Berkeley Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Institute and the Singapore-Berkeley Research Institute for Sustainable Energy, will be a valuable asset in our continuing development and execution of multidisciplinary research initiatives that are focused on delivering outcomes.
"We will also benefit from Ramesh's personal commitment to and passion for the education of the scientific workforce of the future. He has successfully mentored many undergraduate interns, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, and I expect him to continue to build on the momentum that we have created around our graduate education initiatives with the University of Tennessee as we expand these activities and sustain our outreach in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
"Ramesh received a B.S. in chemistry in 1980 from Madras University, Madras, India, and a Ph.D. in materials science from UC Berkeley in 1987. He currently holds the Purnendu Chatterjee Endowed Chair in Energy Technologies in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UC Berkeley, where he is also on the faculty of the Department of Physics. In addition, he serves as a Faculty Senior Scientist, Materials Sciences Division, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
"Ramesh recently returned to Berkeley after serving as the Director of the SunShot Initiative, working directly for the Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu. Earlier, Ramesh served as Associate Chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at UC Berkeley. He was previously a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and a member of the technical staff at Bell Communications Research.
"Ramesh has organized a number of international conferences and symposia, and he has served on the editorial boards of Applied Physics Letters, Integrated Ferroelectrics, the Journal of Applied Physics, the Journal of Materials Research, and the Journal of Electroceramics. In 2001, he was awarded the Humboldt Senior Scientist Prize, the A. James Clark School of Engineering Faculty Outstanding Research Award, and Fellowship in the American Physical Society (APS). In 2006, he was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was selected to present the David Turnbull Lecture to the Materials Research Society (MRS) in 2007 and was elected MRS Fellow in 2009. Ramesh was also awarded the 2010 APS James C. McGroddy New Materials Prize."
Mason said Ramesh, his wife Sudha, and their twin daughters are excited about relocating to Tennessee.
The ORNL director also thanks Jim Roberto for serving as the interim deputy for science and technology.


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The 7th Annual HLGU Trojan Turkey Trek will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2.
The 7th Annual HLGU Trojan Turkey Trek will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2. Sponsored by the missions department at HLGU, the 5k Run/Walk begins at 8:30 am on the grounds of the Mabee Sports Complex. Following the race will be a 0.5-mile fun run for kids.
The course weaves through the HLGU campus, along a couple of city streets and through the nature trail, introducing the runners to some of Hannibal's Hills and ending near the HLGU soccer field. The kids' course is on campus and completely closed off.
Proceeds from the event will help offset student fund-raising endeavors for HLGU mission trips.
Sponsors of the event include General Mills, Big River Pest Control, Culligan, McDonald's, Pepsi, Fiddlestiks, Fresh Ideas, and Antioch Baptist Church. Awards are sponsored by the Hannibal Regional Medical Group. The top two runners in each age group will receive medals and the top overall runners will receive $25 cash. The fun run is a non-competitive race. All participants will receive a ribbon and a T-shirt.
To register for the event, visit www.hlg.edu and click on the Trojan Turkey Trek slide. The cost is $20 for adult racers, $15 for HLGU students, faculty, staff, and alumni, $8 for the Kid's Fun Run, or $50 for families. All pre-registrants are guaranteed a T-shirt.
For information regarding the Trojan Turkey Trek, contact Meri Allen at 573-629-3099, or e-mail email@example.com.


text: At Red Lion Hotels, we know that the best vacations aren't the ones where you only follow travel guides, but rather the ones where you mix things up and strike up conversations with locals and visit the places they recommend. Opening the door to the best local experiences for travelers since 1959, Red Lion Hotels has built a legacy on paving the way to great adventures on the West Coast. Never forfeiting service or convenience for the sake of status or over-the-top luxury, we pride ourselves on knowing the best mom n' pop diner and the most delicious burger nearby, where to get a local brew and catch the sports game, that secret fishing spot only the locals know about and the kind of hiking trail that natives only whisper about. After a day of adventure, retreat to an inviting guest room with comfortable beds and free Wi-Fi, and hotel features that support your unique pursuits. Whether you are staying in one of our affordable hotels in British Columbia or the Pacific Northwest for leisure or business, you can count on warm service, restful sleep and the kind of local knowledge you simply won't find elsewhere. A stay at Red Lion Hotels will guarantee you many things, but this most of all — local wisdom. So play, rest, work, do it all, or do nothing at all, but be sure to do so with great rates and friendly service at Red Lion Hotels.


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A couple of big plays put Wellington into a 14-0 hole halfway through the first quarter, and the Crusaders could never did their way out in a 41-18 loss to Winfield Thursday.
By James JordanWellington Daily NewsA couple of big plays put Wellington into a 14-0 hole halfway through the first quarter, and the Crusaders could never did their way out in a 41-18 loss to Winfield Thursday.The loss ended the Crusaders' season with a 5-4 record.Coach Tyler Ryan said he felt bad for the players, but he said he was pleased to see that they never gave up and kept fighting."We had a small group of seniors who stuck with it. They kept in the game and battled," he said.He also was happy with the way they kept fighting even with the strange plays that got them in a hole early in the game.First Winfield connected on a 58-yard scoring pass where a receiver caught the ball on a crossing pattern and outran the defense. Less than a minute of game time later, a Winfield defender intercepted a pitch to a running back and rambled 39 yards for a score.Before the first quarter ended Winfield fumbled deep n its own territory, with Wellington recovering at the Winfield one-yard line. The Crusaders could not punch the ball in with four tries from inside the five.Wellington got on the scoreboard in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Austin Dunn. A two-point pass failed and the score was 14-6.The Crusaders stopped Winfield and marched down the field again, helped by a 54-yard pass from Trevor Nance to Connor Phelps.Dunn scored from five yards out, and after not converting a two-point try the deficit was 14-12.Wellington got the ball back before the half, and Nance completed a 40-yard pass to Colin Reichenberger, and it looked like the Crusaders were in business. Reichenberger fumbled at the end of the long play, and a Winfield defender caught the ball in the air.Winfield then managed a 39-yard scoring pass before the half ended and led 20-12.Wellington started the second half with the ball, and drove quickly to the Winfield 15, but gave up the ball on downs without scoring.Winfield scored moments later to make it 27-12.Wellington got another touchdown in the fourth quarter, on a four-yard run by Dunn, but could get no closer.


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People are a never ending source of interest, amusement, mystery.
In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a handsome young fellow who rejected the attentions of Echo. He preferred looking at his own reflection in a pond. He admired himself so long and so intensely that he took root and became a beautiful flower, the narcissus. He was stuck, unable to move and unable to form a relationship with anyone but himself.
I am reminded of the time in San Diego I was waiting in a poplular restaurant to meet our daughter for lunch. As I waited, I watched the young professionals in their expensive shoes and clothes as they waited for tables. After a short time, I noticed that most were posing as they waited. When Christi arrived, I said "I'm so glad you married Jim and not one of these guys."
"Why? What's wrong with these guys?"
"i'm glad because these guys are so in love with themselves, they couldn't possibly love you." She looked, assessed, and agreed.
So what words describe a Narcissist? Vain, egocentric, selfish, arrogant, conceited, shameless, haughty body language, pretended self-importance, feel entitiled, use/exploit others, lack compassion or empathy, braggarts, hyper-sensitve to perceived insult---not qualitites that would make a good candidate for a relationship!
A recent news item reported that 25 percent of today's college freshman are narcissists!
While that does not surprise me, it does make me sad and concerned about the future. Narcissists do not care about others. They are Number 1. These are not people who "serve their community, their country, their kin." These are the people who expect to be served by the invisible people. They feel entitied to 'The Best' service, clothes, food, cars, etc. They judge themselves and others by brand names, price tags, appearance.
They would never do the hard and sometimes messy work of taking care of children or the elderly. They will not dirty their manicured nails building or repairing infrastructure. They will not seek employment as cooks or servers. They will not work behind the scenes to make life safe and comfortable for others. And many, many are choosing not have children as children can be messy, expensive, inconvenient, and demanding. Pregancy can change their slim shapes. Horrors. What if the baby gets all the attention?
There was a time when Pride was one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Humility was a Virtue, and modesty was admired. But that is another study in human behavior for another day.


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Milford will celebrate its 10th annual Bug & Bud Festival on Saturday, April 27 and you know what that means? It's time to dust off your ladybug and tree costumes for the annual parade!
Milford will celebrate its 10th annual Bug & Bud Festival on Saturday, April 27 and you know what that means? It's time to dust off your ladybug and tree costumes for the annual parade!
The lowdown
The Bug & Bud, held in downtown Milford and co-presented by Downtown Milford Inc. and the Milford Parks & Rec Department, will kick off with its annual parade. The parade will be spearheaded by the festival band, comprised of members from the Milford Community Band. Kids and adults and are encouraged to wear their best ladybug and tree costumes at the parade and the winner of each category will earn $50, said Irvin Ambrose, board president of Downtown Milford Inc.
Afterward, the Milford Community Band will entertain at the library's amphitheater at 11 a.m., followed by other local talent.
Throughout the day, more than 100 arts and crafts and food vendors will be selling goods downtown. In addition, free paddleboat rides will be given at the Vineyard Shipyard. Children will also enjoy the Kids Korner at Bicentennial Park as it'll feature games and inflatables. Memorial Park will include nature-oriented demonstrations, Ambrose added.
Why it's a big deal
There's a special reason why Milford goes gaga over the Bug & Bud. The genesis of the festival dates back to 1974 when Delaware adopted the ladybug as the state's insect after second-graders at Lulu Ross Elementary School decided the First State deserved a state insect. The students, along with their teacher, Mollie Brown-Rust, petitioned the legislature to designate the ladybug as the state bug, and the rest was history, Ambrose said.
However, the ladybug wasn't the only candidate the students considered for the state's insect. "They kicked around the idea of having the mosquito," Ambrose said. "When you spend a summer here in Delaware, you're going to find the mosquito is rather prevalent. But they decided that wasn't a really good idea."
The "Bud" portion of the festival commemorates Arbor Day, since Milford has a great tree population. Ambrose said 600 tree saplings will be given to attendees in honor of the festival's 10th anniversary.
WHAT 10th annual Bug & Bud Festival
WHEN 9 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 27
WHERE Downtown Milford
COST Free admission
INFO downtownmilford.org
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