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Apress has made the beta ebook of my VB book available at http://www.apress.com/ecommerce/ebooklisting.html
During the early banter-and-have fun part of my recent dotnetrocks interview I dissed TDD (Test Driven Development, not the text translation service for the deaf). Of course this wasn't the focus of the real interview, and prior to sitting down behind the mic I hadn't thought about TDD at all, so we were all just having some fun. As such, it was flippant and it was short - meaning I was having fun, and that I surely didn't have the time or opportunity to really express my thoughts on design or testing. That would be an entirely different show all by itself.
Nor do I have time to write a long discussion of my thoughts on design, or on testing, just at the moment. But I did respond to some of the comments on Jeffery Palermo's blog – and here are some more thoughts:
As a testing methodology TDD (as I understand it) is totally inadequate. I was unable to express this point in the interview due to the format, but the idea that you'd have developers write your QA unit tests is unrealistic. And it was pointed out on Palermo's blog that TDD isn't about writing comprehensive tests anyway, but rather is about writing a single test for the method – which is exceedingly limited from a testing perspective.
Of course you could argue that since the vast majority of applications have no tests at all, that it is a huge win if TDD can get companies to write just one test per method. That is infinitely better than the status quo (that whole division by zero thing) and so TDD is hugely beneficial regardless of whether it is actually the best approach or not. I'd go with this: some testing is better than no testing. But one-test-per-method is pretty lame and certainly doesn't qualify as real testing.
But the real key is that developers are terrible testers (with perhaps a few exceptions). This is because developers test to make sure something works. Actual testers, on the other hand, test to find ways something doesn't work. Testers focus on the edge cases, the exceptional cases, the scenarios that a developer (typically?) ignores. Certainly there's no way to provide this level of comprehensive test in a single test against a method - which really supports another person's comment on Palermo's blog: that TDD isn't about testing.
Having spent a few months being employed specifically to do that type of QA unit testing I can tell you that I suck at it. I just don't think in that "negative" manner, and it is serious effort for me to methodically and analytically work my way through every possible permutation in which a method can be used and misused. I've observed that this is true for virtually all developers. As a group, we tend to be optimists – testing only to make sure things work, not to find out if they fail.
But as someone on Palermo's blog pointed out, TDD is mis-named. TDD isn't about testing (thankfully), nor apparently is it about development. It is, he said, a design methodology.
That's fine, but I don't buy into TDD as a "design methodology" either. You can't "design" a system when you are focused at the method level. There's that whole forest-and-trees thing... Of course I am not a TDD expert – by a long shot – so for all I know there's some complimentary part of TDD that looks at the forest level.
But frankly I don't care a whole lot, because I use a modified CRC (class, responsibility and collaboration) approach. This approach is highly regarded within the agile/XP community, and is to my mind the best way to do OOD that anyone has come up with to this point. (David West's Object Thinking book really illustrates how CRC works in an agile setting) The CRC approach I use sees the forest, then carefully focuses in on the trees, pruning back the brush as needed.
Now I could see where TDD (as I understand it) would be complimentary to CRC, in that it could be used to write the prove-it-works tests for the objects' methods based on the OO model from CRC – but I'm speculating that this isn't what the TDD people are after. Nor do I see much value at that point – because the design is done, so whether you write the test before or immediately after doesn't really matter - the test isn't driving the design.
But to my mind writing the tests is a must. In the interview I mentioned that I (like all developers) have always written little test harnesses for my code. What I didn't get to say (due to the banter format) was that for years now I've been writing those tests in nunit, so they provide a form of continual regression testing. In talking to Jim Newkirk about TDD and his views on this, he said that this is exactly what he does and recommends doing.
And as long as we all realize that these are developer tests, and that some real quality assurance tests are also required (and which should be written by test-minded people) then that is good. Certainly this is my view: developers must write nunit tests (or use VSTS or whatever), and that I strongly encourage clients to hire real testers to complete the job – to flesh out the testing to cover edge and exceptional cases.
None of which, of course, is part of the design process, because that's done using a modified CRC approach.
That was fast! Just this past weekend I was in New London, CT and did a live-in-the-studio interview for dotnetrocks on CSLA .NET 2.0. Somehow I thought it would air in a week or two, but just like that it is online and ready to hear!
While I was there I also recorded two episodes for DNR TV - the new dotnetrocks initiative that includes video of the computer screen. In those programs I walked through the basic structure of an editable root object and discussed how to bind it to a Windows Forms interface. If you want a quick intro into the use of CSLA .NET these should be well worth watching when they become available.
Yea! I have completed the final proof/review of all 12 chapters of the VB book. The Apress schedule calls for the book to go to print next week, which means it should be available in the 2-3 week timeframe (given time for printing, binding, shipping and all that stuff). It is so nice to be done, done, done!! :)
I have sent off the final code for the book to Apress, which officially means that I have RTM code at this point. You can go here to download the release code for VB or C#.
As a bonus, I also put a test release of a WCF data portal channel up for download - you can get if from this page.
Update: Today (March 22) I recieved my author's copies of the Expert C# 2005 Business Objects book - so it is most certainly in print. What a joy it is to actually see the results of the past several months of work!!
A number of people have asked why the C# edition of my new Business Objects book is coming out before the VB edition. And yes, that is the case. The C# book should be out around the end of March, and the VB book about 2-3 weeks later.
As I've said before, I wrote the books "concurrently". Which really means I wrote one edition, knowing full well that I'd be coming through later to swap out all the code bits and change a few of the figures. It really didn't matter to me which one I did first, because I was going to have to go through every chapter to do this swapping process either way.
I did write the actual framework and sample app in VB first. The initial port to C# was handled by a fellow Magenicon, Brant Estes. Believe it or not, he had the initial compilable code done in about three days! I am thinking he didn't do a whole lot of sleeping (because he did the port by hand, not with a tool - which is awesome, because it means the code style and quality is far higher).
I could give you a fluffy (if somewhat true) answer, that the reason I did the C# book first was to ensure that the C# code was fully tested and brought entirely into line with the VB code. And there really is some truth to that. By doing the C# edition first, I was able to go through every line and recheck, tweak and enhance that code. Several large chunks of functionality were actually added or altered in C# first (during the writing process) and I back-ported them into the VB version of the code.
But the real reason is what a few people have speculated: dollars. For better or worse, the fact is that the .NET 1.0 C# book is outselling the VB book by quite a lot. Nearly 2:1 actually. Due to this, my publisher really wanted to get the C# edition out first. I initially pushed back, but I personally have no rational reason to do one before the other. I do love VB very much, but that's an irrational and emotional argument that simply doesn't hold a lot of sway...
(That said, if there was more than a couple week difference in release dates, I would have insisted on VB first, and I would have won that argument. But you must pick your battles, and it made no sense to me to have a fight with my publisher over which book came out 3 weeks before the other...)
For what its worth, porting the book is far, far easier than porting (and maintaining) the code. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, maintaining the same code in two languages is just a pain. Converting the book was a relatively rote process of copy-paste, copy-paste, copy-paste. But converting the code means retesting, double-checking and almost certainly still missing a thing or two...
Anyway, I thought I'd blog this just to make the order of release totally clear. For better or worse, it was simply a business decision on the part of my publisher.
Business people hold the common belief that computer people are all the same, just cogs in a machine. Don't like the color, shape, odor or whatever of one cog, just replace it with another cog. Domestic cogs are too expensive? You can find low-priced cogs overseas.
Those of us actually in the computer field know that this is quite incorrect. One "cog" is not at all like another. In fact, the skills of good cogs are orders of magnitude better that the skills of average cogs. Similarly, the skills of bad cogs are orders of magnitude worse than the average.
Unfortunately, the array of skills falls on a truncated bell curve; and I think that's a primary contributor to the way business people perceive us cogs. That, and another issue I'll get to later in this entry.
But the bell curve issue is a real and serious one. And one that isn't likely to go away. The fact is that the vast majority of computer professionals are competent. Not stellar, not terrible; just competent. And, for technical ability, one competent professional really is much like another.
There are also "professionals" who are a standard deviation or two down the skill slope. We've all interacted with some of these people. But the fact is that they simply don't last long; not most of them anyway. That's why the bell curve is truncated. You have to truncate it, because to ignore this low end would distort the curve, making it useless.
The reality is that the vast majority of practicing computer professionals are in the middle of the skill range, but artificially appear to be near the bottom. At least this is true for the business people who don't exist inside the industry and don't see that bottom third (or so) of the skill range like we do.
This vast majority of very competent and generally hard-working professionals tend to be Mort (in Microsoft's code scheme). They are as focused on the business as on the technology. Sure they are technologists, but that knowledge is focused on solving the issues of the business in the most efficient manner possible.
What's important to realize though, is that the technology skills of Mort aren't a differentiator. Even subjectively, the tech skills of most computer professionals really are pretty interchangeable (within a platform at least, such as Java or .NET). But the business domain understanding and knowledge are most certainly less interchangeable. Yet in the end, it is the intersection between the technology and business knowledge that truly differentiates one computer professional from another. It is in this nebulous area of overlap that the cogs become specialized and substantially more valuable than just any other random cog.
If business people understood the true value of this intersection of skills and knowledge they'd understand why they can't just outsource or offshore all the computer work to save money. While the technical skills might be comparable, that area of business-technology overlap can only be gained by in-house staff (or perhaps by consultants who focus on a vertical area of business).
Years ago I managed a small group of programmers at a bio-medical manufacturing company. Our small team (of 5) built and maintained software that is a pipe dream for almost every client I've encountered from a consulting perspective. But our small team had this intersection in spades. We all understood the business, the people, the politics and we understood our entire technology infrastructure and standards. Coupled with being competent professionals, this little team did what I can say with certainty (having been in consulting for 12 years now) would take a team of consultants 2-3 times the size and at least twice as long.
But it is also important to remember that the bell curve and the non-linear nature of skill differentiation combine to create some interesting effects.
One standard deviation up the skill curve and you have far fewer professionals. Yet they are likely an order a magnitude better than average. Two standard deviations up the curve and there are precious few people, but they are really good with technology.
This is the part business people just don't get. Hire someone one standard deviation up the curve, get them the business domain knowledge and they'll out-produce a number of average developers. In theory, it would be even better if you got someone two standard deviations up the curve.
But what really happens is this: moving up the skill curve requires increased focus and specialization on the technology. There's simply less time/room for learning the business domain.
The group one standard deviation up still has enough time to grasp the business domain effectively, and that group really is much better than average. We've all worked with people like this. People that really grok both the business and the technology and are able to come up with answers to problems in a fraction of the time as many others with whom they work. These are the Elvis persona in Microsoft-speak.
Of course the business people often don't recognize this value, so these people don't get paid according to their production and so they often leave and become consultants. A simple case of the business people shooting themselves in the foot, turning a would-be gold mine into an adequate resource.
Why "adequate"? Well, Elvis as a consultant loses the business domain expertise, and even their increased technical skills can't entirely compensate. The fact is, Elvis as a consultant is not much (if any) better than Mort as a full-time employee (FTE). That near-mystical business/technology intersection enjoyed by a typical Mort typically offsets most or all the benefit Elvis gets from their technology understanding.
This is why Elvis-as-a-FTE is a real catch, and why business people should get a clue and work to keep these people!
Then there's the people that are two or more standard deviations up the curve. They are so busy keeping up with technology that they don't have time for the business domain expertise. Hell, they often don't have time for families, stable inter-personal relationships or anything else. Let's face it: these are the uber-geeks. In Microsoft's persona system these are the Einstein persona.
An Einstein may work in a regular company, but honestly that's pretty rare. The lack of business domain focus, coupled with the narrow technologies used by any one company tend to make Einstein a very poor fit for a single business. Of course very large businesses have the variety to overcome this, giving an Einstein enough different technologies to avoid boredom. Oddly, the same is true for some very small companies, where dabbling in random technologies seems to be the norm rather than the exception.
So most Einstein types are in consulting, working for software companies (like Microsoft or Oracle) or they are in very large or very small business environments.
And everywhere but in a software company, they are trouble. The Einstein types directly contribute to making all computer professionals look like cogs. They can (and do) create software that can only be understood and maintained by people at their level. But they are easily bored, and generally don't do maintenance, so they move on, leaving the maintenance to Mort.
But of course Mort can't maintain this stuff, so it slowly (or rapidly) degrades and becomes a nightmare. You've probably seen this: a system that was obviously once elegant, but which has been hacked and warped over time into a hideous monster. The remnants of an Einstein. Perhaps a better name for this persona would be Frankenstein…
Just check out this "overview of languages" post, but make special note of what happened when the Einstein types moved on and the Mort/Elvis types tried to maintain their masterwork…
Now we know what happened here. But to business people it is likewise "quite obvious" what happened: They hired some bad cogs to start with (the Einstein types), who created a monster and left. Then they hired some more bad cogs later (the Mort/Elvis types) who were simply unable to fix the problem. See, all cogs are the same; so let's just offshore the whole thing, because some of those foreign cogs are really cheap!
In summary, what needs to be done is to figure out a way to get business people to understand that not all cogs are the same. That there are wide variations in technical skill, and wide variations in business skill. Perhaps most of all, they need to understand the incredible value in that mystical intersection where business and technical skill and knowledge overlap to create truly productive computer professionals.
The alternative is scary. When there's thought of having Microsoft unionize, you know we're in trouble. Unionization certainly has its good and bad points, but it is hard to deny that people inside a union embrace the idea of being interchangeable cogs and use it to their advantage. To me, at least, that's a terrifying future…
Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed, fortunately it wasn't me this time :)
This is a nice little rant about the limitations of OO-as-a-religion. I think you could substitute any of the following for OO and the core of the rant would remain quite valid:
Every concept computer science has developed over the past many decades came into being to solve a problem. And for the most part each concept did address some or all of that problem. Procedures provided reuse. Modules provided encapsulation. Client/server provided scalability. And so on...
The thing is, that very few of these new concepts actually obsolete any previous concepts. For instance, OO doesn't elminate the value of procedural reuse. In fact, using the two in concert is typically the best of both worlds.
Similarly, SO is a case where a couple ideas ran into each other while riding bicycle. "You got messaging in my client/server!" "No! You got client/server in my messaging!" "Hey! This tastes pretty good!" SO is good stuff, but doesn't replace client/server, messaging, OO, procedural design or any of the previous concepts. It merely provides an interesting lense through which we can view these pre-existing concepts, and perhaps some new ways to apply them.
Anyway, I enjoyed the rant, even though I remain a staunch believer in the power of OO.
Ron Jacobs and I had a fun conversation about the state of object-oriented design and the use of business objects in software development. You can listen to it here: http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=169693
Here's another status update on the books.
I am done with the C# book, and it is still on schedule to be available at the end of March.
I am in the final revision stages with the VB book, so it is still on schedule to be available mid-April.
Since posting the beta code, people have pointed out a couple bugs (which I've fixed), one bug which can't be fixed without breaking the book (so it will be fixed later - and it isn't a show-stopper anyway) and a few feature requests (which will obviously come later).
I expect to be able to put the final version 2.0 code for both books online around March 13.
I'm also working with Magenic to have them host a new online forum. The plan is to use Community Server 2.0, hosted on a server at Magenic and most likely available through forums.lhotka.net (though that's not for sure at this point).
So the next few weeks look to be exciting (anticipated):
March 13
CSLA .NET 2.0 code available
End of March
Expert C# 2005 Business Objects available
New CSLA .NET forums available
Expert VB 2005 Business Objects available
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Tim Thomas helps Bruins head to All-Star break with win over Panthers
Fans braved the weather on Wednesday night in traveling to TD Garden, and were rewarded with a 2-1 Bruins victory behind Tim Thomas' 24th win of the season. Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic scored in the first and second period, respectively. Marchand is now fourth on the B's with 13 goals, while Lucic improved his team-leading total to 20. Defenseman Bryan Allen scored the Panthers' lone goal at 8:37 of the third period. Thomas, now 24-5-6 on the season, is now tied with Canadiens' netminder Carey Price for second in the NHL lead in wins. Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller leads the league with 25. Thomas sits atop the league in save percentage, goals against average, and is tied for the league lead in shutouts. He made 34 saves Wednesday night, with the B's firing 35 shots on Tomas Vokoun. The Bruins will now break for the All-Star weekend. The skills competition will take place Saturday, with the actual game being played Sunday in Raleigh, N.C. The B's will will return to action Tuesday in that very city, taking on the Hurricanes in the fourth meeting between the teams this season. WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE BRUINS -Milan Lucic reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Less than two minutes into the second, linemate David Krejci won a faceoff straight back to Lucic at the top of the left circle, and the 22-year-old winger didn'ÂÂt waste any time firing a quick snap shot into the top right corner. Lucic now has four goals in his last six games. Coming into the season, he said getting 20 goals was one of his targets. Time to raise the bar a little higher. - The Bruins didn't see another center suffer an injury, which was certainly a concern when David Krejci was down on the ice after crashing into the boards following a hit from Panthers forward Rostislav Olesz. Trainer Don DelNegro came out to tend to him, and Krejci left the ice and went down the tunnel. Moments after the scare, Krejci was back on the bench and returned to the ice in short order, not missing any shifts in the process. Krejci went on to play a huge role in Lucic's second-period tally, winning the face-off clean in the Panthers' zone early in the period and drawing it to Lucic, who fired a quick snapshot past Vokoun from high in the circle. - Brad Marchand remains hot for the Bruins. The surprising offensive contributor now has 11 points (7 G, 4 A) in his last 11 games and has 13 goals thus far in his rookie year. He beat Vokoun on a wraparound in the first period for the game's first goal. Linemate Patrice Bergeron picked up the primary assist and now has 15 points over his last 10 games. - The Bruins stayed out of the box. The Bruins avoided the sin bin until the refs found Dennis Seidenberg guilty of a hold 5:37 into the third. The one infraction matched a season low for the B'ÂÂs. WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE BRUINS - Nathan Horton now has one goal over his last 20 games. His line had a much stronger effort on Wednesday than in the team's 2-0 loss Monday in which he was demoted to a line with Blake Wheeler and Tyler Seguin. - Thomas lost what would have been a league-leading eighth shutout of the season when Bryan Allen made it a 2-1 game at 8:37 of the third. Thomas remains tied with Henrik Lundqvist with seven blankings on the season. The Panthers outshot the B's, 16-9, in the third. - With how well Marchand has been playing, you almost wish he didn't have to take five days off for the All-Star break. Scott McLaughlin contributed to this report.


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January 13, 2017 by Cody Villafana
Filed under Cody, Reviews
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Directed by: Martin Scorsese ("Goodfellas")
Written by: Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York") and Martin Scorsese ("Goodfellas")
As a film almost 30 years in the making, from one of the most prolific, respected and decorated filmmakers of his time, it's almost impossible for Martin Scorsese's "Silence" to not have impossibly high expectations. Sprawling, beautifully bleak and yet quietly presented, the first trailers indicated that this wasn't your average Scorsese. As we move into the final wave of awards season films, all eyes are on Scorsese to see what exactly he has been sitting on for decades.
After the disappearance of Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), a pair of Jesuit priests, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Gariupe (Adam Driver), head to the dangerous land of Japan to track him down and to spread the word of Catholicism. As the two priests enter Japan, they see that being a Christian in Japan is a death sentence and they fight to keep the faith alive while trying find their mentor and keeping and their whereabouts a secret.
As an actor on the cusp for a while, "Silence" sees a fully realized Garfield. It's a physical performance with a bit of weight loss, but also a sorrowful, charismatic, heartfelt and at times, humorous performance. It's his film to carry with Neeson and Driver taking a bit of a backseat and he handles it well. Much of the rest of the cast is Japanese and very solid across the board. A lot is being made of the performance of Issey Ogata who plays the Inquisitor, and it's valid. It's almost strange as the performance seems hammy and cartooney yet completely works due to its commitment and darkly funny personality.
With a film this steeped in the story of priests and Catholicism, it is almost impossible to not say that what the audience takes from this film will largely depend on their own personal beliefs. At a minimum, however, the themes that can be extrapolated come down to "how far would one go to defend what they believe in?" As we watch our protagonists given time and time again to pull themselves, and those who follow them out of a situation at the expensive of selling out their believes, we see their struggle and their faiths tested. Scorsese deserves credit for not delving too far into forcing his beliefs on his audience, but the undertones are unmistakable. Is it meditative? Of course. Is it extremely religious in its themes? Absolutely.
"Silence" feels almost aggressively long, which isn't helped by its slow pace. While much of the movie is compelling and ripe with strong performances, there are several false endings and a few check your watch moments. As a comprehensive piece, "Silence" probably falls around the middle or mid-to-lower range in Scorsese's filmography. That isn't to say it is a bad film on any level. It's harrowing and challenging. It's well performed and well written. There's fantastic sound design and beautiful cinematography. But in the end, it remains a tough nut to crack and a little difficult to connect with on a level beyond its religiosity.
The Amazing Spider-Man
July 6, 2012 by Kiko Martinez
Filed under Reviews
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
Directed by: Marc Webb ("500 Days of Summer")
Written by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves
With the first three Spider-Man movies raking in almost $2.5 billion worldwide at the box office from 2002 to 2007, there was no way Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures were going to allow the franchise to fade away just because their lead actor and director didn't want to return for a fourth go-'round. Instead, Marvel hit the reset button like they did with Ang Lee's underappreciated "Hulk" and like DC Comics did for their inspired rebirth of Batman via the ingenious mind of director Christopher Nolan. What we're left with is "The Amazing Spider-Man," an unnecessary and extremely average reboot of the series that offers slight tweaks to the overall story but never commands the mythology as its own.
In the newest adaptation, Toby Maguire ("Spider-Man 1-3") is replaced by Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network"), a capable young actor cast well in the title role. He gives Spidey a bit more emotional depth based on a screenplay focused more on the mysterious disappearance and death of Peter Parker's parents than the original 2002 film. Secret files and research related to cross-species genetics left behind by his father prompts Peter to investigate his work with fellow scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). Coincidentally, Peter's love interest Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) interns for Dr. Connors while her cop father (Denis Leary) and the NYPD want to bring the webslinger to justice.
At its core, the story is a rehash of what we already know about Peter and his transformation into the masked vigilante: laboratories, a spider bite, teen romance, masterful sewing skills, revenge on a schoolyard bully, schizoid CGI villain. To have to re-watch everything play out again doesn't benefit anyone, especially if the purpose of a reboot to this franchise was to give audiences something fresh and exciting.
Marc Webb's modern take on the rom-com with "500 Days of Summer" in 2009 was a much-needed change from the usual Kate Hudson schlock the genre delivers, so it was logical to think his take on the superhero movie could provide a similar resurgence. Unfortunately, Webb doesn't stray from the original tone and does little to build on the familiar themes that make Spider-Man such an interesting character. Raimi's versions were far from perfect themselves, but Webb's own voice is quickly engulfed by the big-budget comic-book universe that came before him.
Never Let Me Go
October 8, 2010 by Kiko Martinez
Filed under Reviews
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield
Directed by: Mark Romanek ("One Hour Photo")
Written by: Alex Garland ("Sunshine")
With such an original concept, it's unfortunate when "Never Let Me Go" simply trails off without much emotional impact. The artful cinematography is remarkable by Adam Kimmel ("Capote," "Lars and the Real Girl"), but the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel of the same name leaves a lot to be desired in the dreary dystopian world it has created.
Part coming-of-age British drama, part science fiction love story, "Never Let Me Go" is a melancholic narrative that follows three life-long friends – Ruth (Keira Knightley), Kathy (Carey Mulligan), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) – as they grow up together in Hailsham, an boarding school where special rules to ensure their health and safety are enforced so their sole purpose in life can be fulfilled.
Without giving too much of the plot away, the film explains that scientific breakthroughs have increased human life expectancy to over the age of 100. Children raised at Hailsham are one of the reasons people are able to live longer than ever.
During their stay at the boarding school, Ruth and Tommy begin an innocent relationship. Kathy watches them casually as she conceals her own feeling for Tommy, which last throughout their childhood and into their teenage years. After graduating from Hailsham, the trio is sent off to live in an area known as the Cottages where they are given a bit more freedom than before, but are still well aware of thier ill-fated future.
Directed by music video veteran Mark Romanek, who's only other film credit is 2002's creepy drama "One Hour Photo," "Never Let Me Go" is a delicate and surreal story that doesn't provide enough answers in a script that seems to ignore its most obvious flaws.
As the melodrama rises, it becomes more evident that screenwriter Alex Garland ("Sunshine") has backed himself into a corner. No matter how faithful he stays to Ishiguro's source material, the film's lack of balance between genres is irresolvable. It's undoubtedly one of the more profound movie premises of the year, but never gets paid the attention to detail it deserves aside from its technical accomplishments.
The Social Network
October 1, 2010 by Kiko Martinez
Filed under Reviews
Starring: Jesse Einsberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
Directed by: David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Written by: Aaron Sorkin ("Charlie Wilson's War")
Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Einsberg) is the smartest guy in the room. If you weren't aware, don't worry. He would've let you known sooner or later.
So is the personality of the genius Facebook founder as it is portrayed in director David Fincher's internet epic "The Social Network," an incisively-written and impressively-controlled biopic where fascinating legal drama meets new media ambition. Adapted by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("Charlie Wilson's War") from the book "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, "The Social Network" is an occasionally one-sided yet nearly-perfect narrative centered on the most prevalent online phenomenon of the past decade.
With a story this substantial, there was bound to be a villain – or at least an anti-hero – somewhere in the mix. "The Social Network" doesn't waste time in introducing audiences to Mark. Einsberg plays him as arrogant and aloof as any character in recent memory. It doesn't necessarily push the actor's range compared to some of his past films, but from this bigger-than-life persona Einsberg exudes a scary confidence and insensitivity that draws us as close to him as it pushes others away.
From the opening scene, Mark has our attention as he sits across from his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara) in a Harvard pub and manages to say just about every wrong thing imaginable. The difference between Mark and a guy that simply puts his foot in his mouth (as all guys do) is that Mark is well aware of his offensive nature but wants to see where the breaking point lies.
"This is exhausting," Erica tells Mark as he rambles on about how getting into a Finals Club (a sort of glorified fraternity at Harvard) will lead to a better life. "Dating you is like dating Stairmaster."
Mark's ability to destroy friendships is what layers his character so well. His defense mechanisms are what keep him from truly finding a connection with friends. In "The Social Network," Mark is able to demonstrate how he uses his intelligence to prove his worth. He starts by ransacking the campus blogosphere before proceeding to steal what would later become Facebook, a multi-billion-dollar media corporation.
Standing beside Mark to help build his empire is best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), who provided the start-up cash to fund Facebook in its early stages and attempted to monetize the website. In the film, Eduardo, who is the main source for "The Accidental Billionaires," is suing Mark for $600 million. Garfield's depiction of a loyal friend is heartfelt until it becomes heartbreaking. As Napster founder Sean Parker, singer/actor Justin Timberlake plays to his strengths and embodies Parker as a smart and wily entrepreneur looking for the next big money-making idea.
"The Social Network" isn't so much a movie about Facebook as it's a story of greed, envy, and the ruthless means one young man would take to rise to power no matter who he crushes along the way. It's "There Will Be Blood" for the tech generation.
Through wonderfully-constructed scenes, director Fincher and screenwriter Sorkin have created an exhilarating drama that achieves the finest that filmmaking has to offer today. "The Social Network" is a relentless character study and just might be the best film of the year.


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Lessons on 4th Grade Fractions for Teachers and Parents
In 4th grade, students continue their study of fractions by identifying equivalent fractions, comparing them and solving equations with fractions. If you're a teacher or a parent looking for lesson plan ideas, keep reading.
Fraction Lessons for 4th Graders
Circle Fractions
To teach 4th graders about equivalent fractions, it can help to incorporate visual aids. Break students into groups for this activity and provide each group with a large sheet of paper and a paper cup. Before beginning the activity, each group should use the paper cup to create at least 20 circles on the large piece of paper.
On the board, write a fraction, like 5/6. Then, ask your students to represent that fraction using one of their circles. They should divide the circle into six parts and color in five of them. Then, ask your students to create an equivalent fraction using another circle. Possible equivalent fractions include 10/12 or 25/30. Continue by adding more fractions to the board and having students create equivalent fractions using the circles.
If you plan to do this lesson at home, simply provide your child with a large sheet of paper and a cup to outline. Then, call out fractions for him or her to use. Customize the lesson to meet your child's individual needs by providing simple fractions, like 1/4, or mixed numbers, like 5 1/2.
Measure It!
This lesson allows students to practice measuring and adding fractions. Begin by having students go on a scavenger hunt around the classroom to collect and measure various objects. They should write the measurements down using fractions. For instance, a box of tissues might be 5 1/4 inches wide, and a pen might be 6 1/4 inches long.
Next, have your students add the various measurements together. For example, add the width of the box of tissues and the length of the pen together like this: 5 1/4 + 6 1/4. Students should turn the mixed number into an improper fraction by multiplying the denominator by the whole number (4 x 5 = 20) and adding the numerator (20 + 1 = 21). Then, put this result over the denominator from the mixed number (21/4).
Once you've also changed 6 1/4 to an improper fraction, the addition problem should look like this: 21/4 + 25/4 = 46/4. Remind your students to reduce the answer whenever possible. In this example, 46/4 reduces to 23/2.
This lesson can easily be done at home, as well. Have your child complete a scavenger hunt and measure each item that he or she collects. Then, your child can use the measurements to practice adding fractions.
Other Articles You May Be Interested In
Fractions can be a confusing topic for some students. Read on to learn how you can help your children better understand the uses of fractions.
Looking for a way to get your child engaged with math? There are many free, fun math games online that explore basic concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as more advanced games that offer practice with decimals and fractions. Read on to discover five of our favorite educational - and fun! -...
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The research line reported here involves the improvement of the set of interaction primitives that we have developed [8, 2] for the implementation of multi-agent systems in dynamic and distributed environments. This interaction primitives have been implemented for allowing the creation of several independent multi-agent systems, where agents communicate with others just by knowing the other agents' names. The framework includes primitives for associating the arrival of a message with the automatic execution of a Prolog predicate, thus allowing event-based programming. It also allows the implementation of standard Agent Communication Languages, and provides tools for developing standard Agent Conversation Protocols. We will first describe briefly our framework and then we will propose some improvements for it.
Eje: Inteligencia artificial


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Once upon a time, when I started Eat To Blog with Howard, our idea was that I'll take the photos and Howard was going to provide the text. Well now we both write and take photos. Anyways, so when I happened to see Spoon Fork Bacon, a collaboration between food stylist Jenny Park and photographer Teri Lyn Fisher, that sort of reminded me of our initial idea for Eat To Blog.
Scrolling through the blog, it's difficult to not to jump at the screen. Like I just want to munch on these Baby Chimichangas or these Baked Egg Boats now! Besides the delicious looking photos, the whole site is so well designed. The colors of the titles match the colors of the foods/images and who said animated gifs are out?
Q. Can you tell me what you're trying to capture when you take your food photos?
A. I like to capture a mood and feeling. To create a space where someone would want to be in while eating that food.
Q. Do you approach a food photo differently than non-food photo?
A. Totally. Food doesn't talk back, like people do. Its easier to interact with the food for me because its just totally visual, about pairing colors, and finding an angle that best fits the dish. For interior shoots its more about the big picture, so I try to take the same sensibilities I use in food, and use them in that area as well. Regardless of the subject, for me its still about creating a space and feeling I want to be in myself.
Q. What inspires you?
A. Literally anything. Colors in nature, patterns in clothing, shapes in plants, and of course, food magazines. Graphic design is also a big influence, I try to draw compositionally from that. Also, movies. That is a big one. For instance, the color temperature in the movie A Single Man, or the Kings Speech. The Kings Speech also has some amazing nuggets of composition genius.
Q. Do you still shoot with Polaroids? What is it about Polaroids or instant photos that attracts you to them?
A. I don't so much anymore. I used to a lot when it was more accessible. I have not tried the new film from The Impossible Project. I think I fell in love with Polaroids when I got my Sx-70. If you are unfamiliar with that camera, it fold down nice and neat, and is metal and leather. So it feels really heavy and nice in your hands. I probably like Polaroid for the same reasons everyone else does. The instant satisfaction of an image. You get something you see, locked in your memory, into something tangible. Its small, and cute, and has a frame already. So that's pretty cool.
Q. Any food photography heroes? If not any photography heroes?
A. Oh yes. I might go on and on right now. Non food – Irving Penn. He will always be amazing. Diane Arbus, Rineke Dijkstra, David Hilliard and Sally Mann. Andrea Gentl of the awesome photography duo Gentl and Hyers just posted this series of photos: which reminds me a lot of Sally Mann. So so so pretty its almost spooky.
For super creative manipulated photography that makes my brain shake, I go look at my Gregory Crewdson books, or a Kahn and Selesnick, Teun Hocks, or Parke Harrison.
Food Photography, I think everyone can agree Con Poulos, he is so good it makes me want to vomit. As I mentioned above, Gentl and Hyers, the textures and colors they capture are so beautiful. I am also in love with Ditte Isager.
Q. Best meal you had in 2011?
A. I think its a tie between these two restaurants in Los Angeles. One was Son of a Gun, followed by a magnolia cupcake. OR this pasta tasting menu I had at Mozza. Unreal.
Q. Name something you want to achieve in 2012 with your photography.
A. I hope to have some kind of massive creative breakthrough that changes everything for me. That would be exciting.
All photos courtesy of Teri Lyn Fisher from Spoon Fork Bacon.


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The information you share in my office is confidential with some exceptions listed in the Notice of Privacy Practices. A Consent for Treatment must be signed prior to receiving services stating you have read and understood the privacy notice and this letter and are informed of your rights and how information can be used and disclosed. If you have signed an authorization to release specific information with another resource, in some instances I may want to call you to discuss what I will be releasing before your records are released. If your case requires consultation with other professionals your identity will be protected or in the case of providers involved in your treatment an authorization will be requested before a consultation takes place.
Information is requested by insurance companies for the purpose of payment and medical necessity when they cover a portion of the cost of psychotherapy. Most commonly they request diagnoses, symptoms, and treatment plans to determine if your symptoms and treatment meet their criteria for payment. The Consent for Treatment form allows me to share this information with your insurance company for treatment, payment and business operations purposes.
Audio and video recording will not be permitted without your written consent. E-mails are not considered private and will be used only for scheduling or billing at your request.
Client Rights and Responsibilities and the Grievance Procedure are in the waiting room for your review. A long version of the Notice of Privacy Practices with more detailed information is on the desk in the waiting room for further information. Please ask questions and express any concerns you may have prior to signing the Consent for Treatment form.


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|Digital Display Work, Wireless Remote Control Start And Close Studs
|Have In Stocks:
|More Than 10 Sets
|Effective Interception Distance:
|6-15meters(in Options)
|Puncture Tire Thickness:
|Max Weight Capacity:
|Remote Control Speed:
|≤ 1 Time / Sec
Portable Tire Killer SPT650 Traffic Safety Tyre Killer Road Barrier Gate Tyre Killer
SPT650 Portable deceleration slope type roadblock, also known as tyre killer. It belongs to the electromechanical integrated remote control to intercept the car.
The roadblock uses more than 100 hollow stainless-steel needles to directly pierce the tires of unauthorized vehicles.
The size of the spike barrier collection can be put into the trunk of the trolley. When it is needed, the spike barrier can be opened in the traffic lane.
The user can remote control the spike rising within 200 meters.
To prevent the vehicle can't continue driving after the tire has been deflated.
The effective length can be produced to 5-16 meters according to the user's requirements.
Technical Specification :
|Digital display work, wireless remote control start and close studs
|Effective Interception Distance
|6-15meters(in options)
|Puncture Tire Thickness
|Max weight capacity
|Remote control speed
|≤ 1 time / sec
|Remote control distance
|45meters (Empty zone)
|Spike Barrier Weight
|16 kgs
|Standard Spike Barrier Size
|Working Voltage
|Venting Hollow Steel Needle Size
|Packing box size
|Gross weight(6m)
|34 kgs
external power connection jack of the remote control box, and the other end is inserted into the 12V car point. To the cigarette lighter jack, pull the power switch of the remote control box to the external power supply position, and the operation is the same as the above.
9, work indicator
(1) Power indicator light - When the remote roadblock needs to perform the interception task, turn on the power switch in the remote control box, and the power indicator light is on.
(2) Undervoltage indicator light——When the undervoltage of the power supply in the remote control box is lower than 11V, the undervoltage indicator light is on, and it needs to be charged at this time. The charging indicator lights up when charging, and the charging time is 8-12 hours.
(3) When the red work light remote control stop road barrier is in the working state of interception, the two red indications above the remote control box are on, the interception task ends, the power is turned off, and the indicator light stops working.
Related Products:
Under Vehicle Inspection System SPV3300:
Under vehicle surveillance system mainly adopt to inspect the beneath part of a variety of vehicles.
It can quickly and accurately identify threats/ contraband/ smuggling of persons hiding at the bottom.
UVSS greatly improved vehicle safety inspection speed and accuracy, reduce investment in human resources.


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|Light Rail Transit Association
Light Rail for better public transport
Home LRTA Shop | Light Rail Campaigning Information News Systems | site map
Metrolink Introduction > Airport Line > New Bridges: updated 6 December 2012
|New bridge under construction alongside the M56 in October, it was moved into position overnight 24/25 November 2012.
|New M60 bridge being transported into position overnight 3/4 November 2012. This will carry Metrolink Airport line.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair TfGMC,
New bridge in place over M60.
Pictures courtesy of TfGM
Two new bridges are required to carry the Airport line over the M60 and M56 motorways.
Both bridges are of a single span design (not requiring a 'central pier') and were moved into position during a 24–hour closure of the motorway on separate weekends in November.
Each closure started to be introduced at 21:00 hours, with lane closures in advance of each approaching junction, ahead of the motorway closing in full in each direction from 22:00 hours Saturday to 22:00 hours Sunday.
For long distance through–traffic, diversions used the rest of the motorway network. Local traffic diversions were in place on the local road network.
The bridge over the M60 is south of the existing Fairy Lane overbridge between junctions 5 and 6. It was moved into position overnight 3/4 November.
The bridge over the M56 is next to the existing Hollyhedge Road overbridge between junctions 3 and 4. It was moved into position overnight 24/25 November.
The superstructures were built next to the bridge sites and were driven into place, from approximately 70 metres away, using two self-propelled modular transporters.
Each of these transporters has eight axles, and each axle has eight tyres — which amounts to 128 tyres in total across both vehicles.
The bridge forms comprise single span steel 'through-deck' structures founded on traditional reinforced concrete abutments.


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the order of the month is base training.
getting out the door each night for an hour of low heart rate running is the goal, and the best way to make sure this happens is not to stop when i get home.
walk in the door.
say hello to whoever is in the house.
check email.
eat clif bar.
put on running clothes.
download podcasts.
put on running shoes.
it is dark earlier for another two days which means more running in the dark. the same route each night allows me to turn off the brain and go through the motion, adding valuable base miles to the body.
but this is about to change as i take off for barbados on friday. visiting family and running in the sun. it sounds fun, but usually it takes a few days for me to acclimatize to the heat. easy hour runs here become draining 25 minute battles with heat and sweat there.
i am running on routine right now. get things done. like now. time to adjust training schedules for the frontrunners' clinics that start when i get back. and marking. and prepping. and packing.
and running.
happy whatever it is you enjoy at this time of year.


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Here at Abbott Construction we build our reputation on your satisfaction. After growing up in a family of contractors and learning about working hard and going above and beyond in everything that you do, Scott Abbott branched out on his own and founded Abbott Construction. With a diverse background in asphalt paving, landscaping and commercial site work, Scott has steadily demonstrated to his North Shore clients that he is a small business owner with a hands on touch that makes all the difference.
Scott personally meets all his clients to gain an understanding of their needs and expectations for their project. By being present on each and every job, Scott ensures that the job is done right. Scott's knowledge has come from years of experience and hands on training growing up on job sites with his family. Education is a powerful tool that is not overlooked at Abbott Construction. Scott and his staff are ICPI Certified (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) the governing body for the industry. We also carry a NCMA certification (National Concrete Masonry Association) in segmental retaining walls. This education insures that we are trained in the newest standards and proceedure for all your hardscape landscaping needs.


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Podcast (radius-podcast): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:56 — 14.7MB)
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If you've visited Hartford's South End, you might be familiar with Mozzicato DePasquale Bakery on Franklin Avenue. It's an "institution" in the city — a place that has been around for a long time, and that if you visit Hartford and don't stop in, you're crazy.
Mozzicato's has pastries, cakes, pizza, bread, and lots more delicious food, plus a cafe where you can get espresso drinks.
"I had to do something, had to make a living," said Gino Mozzicato, who came to Hartford from Sicily in 1968 and started the bakery five years later. "People like us became a well-known name. We cater to the customer, to the people. We've been friendly, helpful, respectable. That's why we're over here today."
What used to be a mostly Italian neighborhood is now much more diverse. "Immigration change the people. Still the people still like the sweets," Mozzicato said.
Al Marotta has been a South End resident since 1949. Today he's the president of the South Hartford Merchants Association, and he's pleased to see new generations of homeowners move in to the neighborhood. "I think in the past three years, there has been a great change," he said, "It's been a positive thing."
At nearby Bulkeley High School, students speak 23 different languages. It has a program called City Slickers that brings together refugee, immigrant, and special needs students to a farm in Terryville, Connecticut to learn skills and connect with other students. We hear from some of them, and learn more about what it's like for them to live in Hartford — including a Burmese refugee who is getting used to a new place, and experiencing snow for the first time.
Mozzicato Radius Extras:
The City Slickers program is helping Bulkeley High School immigrant and refugee students to learn skills and connect with others at a farm in Terryville, Connecticut. Learn more »
Listen to more audio from Mozzicato's radius:
Join WNPR as we map Hartford in a new way, searching for perspective on the city — its beauties, its issues, and most importantly its people.
Theme music: Tang Sauce, "Just Chillin remix"
Alphonse Marotta and Kamal family photos by Ryan Caron King


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LEXINGTON, S.C. — A South Carolina father is accused of killing his five young children.
Authorities said he wrapped their bodies in garbage bags, then drove 400 miles away and dumped their bodies on a dirt road.
Investigators are bringing Timothy Jones Jr. back to Columbia, South Carolina, to face murder charges.
The children range from age 8 to as young as a 1 year old.
Photos of 5 SC children found dead
Jones' estranged wife first reported them missing last week in Lexington County.
On Tuesday, Jones led investigators to their bodies in Wilcox County, Alabama -- more than 400 miles away.
The Lexington County sheriff said it's one of the most difficult cases they have ever handled.
Authorities spent most of the day Thursday questioning neighbors of Jones' estranged wife about the case.
"I made a promise to these children's mother that I would bring these children home and I was not going to go back on that promise," said Lexington County Sheriff Lewis McCarty.
The children's mother, Jones' ex-wife, is in shock and distraught, McCarty said.
"I'm sure everybody wants to know the answers," Jones' father, Timothy Jones Sr., told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Amory, Mississippi. "It's just a terrible tragedy."
"They were wonderful. They were happy," Jones' stepmother, Julie Jones said of the five children as she cried. "They were wonderful, beautiful."
RAW VIDEO: Sheriff speaks after 5 SC children killed
McCarty called it one of the most heart-breaking cases of his career.
"He traveled three states with these children in garbage bags in the back of his vehicle," McCarty said. "I don't think that there is a person in this room that could speak to the mother of these children and not become emotional."
Detectives released a timeline in the case:
- Aug. 28: Authorities said Jones picked up his five children from school in Lexington.
- Aug. 29: The children failed to show up in school.
- Sept. 3: Jones ex-wife reported them missing.
- Sept 6: Jones was detained in Mississippi. Officers found drugs, blood and children's clothes, but no children. Jones was arrested.
- Sept. 9: Detectives said he led them to a rural road in Alabama where the bodies of five children were found in garbage bags.
"I'm a father and a grandfather and in all of my years I've never seen a case like this," said McCarty.
State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said authorities did not issue an Amber Alert because the case didn't meet the criteria because Jones had legal custody of his children.
On Wednesday, food and other garbage were piled up outside Jones' mobile home south of Lexington. The yard was overgrown, with broken toys strewn about.
A sign on font door said, "Is there life after death? Trespass here and find out" with a photo of a gun.
Sheriff's officials hope to extradite Jones to Lexington County Wednesday evening or Thursday.
An autopsy will determine exactly how the children died.
IMAGES of Search: 5 SC children found dead in Alabama; father detained
A neighbor of the estranged wife told Channel 9 about her memories of the children..
Gov. Nikki Haley cancelled a campaign fundraiser following the tragedy.
Haley was supposed to travel to New York for a fundraiser.
Tuesday's discovery is the second tragedy for South Carolina this week.
A Charleston County deputy was shot and killed, and another deputy hurt when responding to call Monday night.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:


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Check out Deniro Farrar Feat. DuRu Tha King & Magic Tha Don. "Dontrezz" Video, the latest visual from Deniro Farrar, released on Monday, May 20th, 2013. Deniro Farrar continues to impress with each new leak, and Deniro Farrar Feat. DuRu Tha King & Magic Tha Don. "Dontrezz" Video is no exception. It's strengthens Deniro Farrar's already impressive body of work, which has seen positive change over the years. We're most definitely anticipating Deniro Farrar's next offering.Visuals for the latest single from Deniro Farrar, featuring DuRu Tha King and Magic Tha Don and directed by Anthony Supreme. "The Patriarch II" drops on June 18th.
How do y'all feel about the collabo with DuRu Tha King, Magic Tha Don.?
How does this compare to Deniro Farrar's previous work?
Peep the new visual for Deniro Farrar's Deniro Farrar "The Reasons " Video.
If you're feeling this, make sure to hit up Deniro Farrar's profile page for the latest info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Check out Deniro Farrar's Facebook and Twitter.


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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently remanded a truck accident case for re-trial, after the plaintiff presented a strong case for how elements of a crash report, previously deemed inadmissible, were inappropriately entered into evidence and improperly prejudiced him.
The trial court jury entered a verdict apportioning no fault to either party, essentially creating a situation wherein the plaintiff received no compensation for his serious and life-long injuries.
Our Naples truck accident lawyers understand the primary concern of the trial court in refusing to admit the police crash report in the first place was that it amounted to hearsay because the officer was unavailable to testify at trial.
In its review, the appellate court noted the trial court hadn't given any extensive basis for why, but noted broad discretion on such matters and the fact that the defendant hadn't challenged. The challenge upon appeal was whether the trial court improperly allowed elements of the crash report to be entered into evidence through other means, without giving the jury the benefit of seeing the full report.
According to court records in Valedez v. Watkins Motor Lines, et al., the plaintiff was working as a delivery driver at the time of the crash. He was required to pick up vehicles purchased at auction and deliver them to a location in Texas.
In February 2006, the driver and his co-worker picked up their respective vehicles and hitched them onto a tow dolly. Each said they attached a simple tow light kit to the plaintiff's vehicle, allowing the brake lights to be visible on the back of the vehicle being transported.
Around 2 a.m., the pair merged to exit the highway. The plaintiff testifies he slowed from about 65 mph to 55 mph. From behind, a semi truck struck the vehicle he was towing, causing his vehicle to be pushed off the roadway and into a ditch. He suffered severe injuries that resulted in him having to quit his job.
The semi-truck driver claims he never saw the tow light vehicles, and that the plaintiff was completely stopped in the roadway at the time of the crash. No tow lights were recovered after the crash, with the plaintiff asserting they had been totally destroyed.
The plaintiff filed suit against the trucker individually and the trucker's employer. Prior to trial, the plaintiff filed a motion requesting to exclude portions of the report that included the opinions and conclusions of the investigating officer. The court instead excluded the entire report.
During trial, the plaintiff questioned a sergeant who had reviewed the accident report. He was asked whether there was any indication in the report that the plaintiff's vehicle was stopped. He responded in the negative.
The defense took this as an opportunity to press for other details included in the report. Specifically, there were questions pertaining to "other probable circumstances" as concluded by the officer. These were made despite the repeated objections by the plaintiff.
After the jury returned a verdict of no-fault, the plaintiff appealed on the grounds that evidence regarding the officer's conclusions and opinions were improperly entered, despite the court's determination that such evidence was hearsay.
The appellate court agreed, reversed the verdict and remanded the case.
If you have been injured in an accident, contact the Hollander Law Firm at (888) 751-7770 for a free and confidential consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
Additional Resources:
Valedez v. Watkins Motor Lines, et al., July 11, 2014, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circut
More Blog Entries:
Phelps v. Herbert – ATV Injuries and Duty of Care, July 12, 2014, Naples Truck Accident Lawyer Blog


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So, here begins the experimentation. I'd never made butter before today. Apparently many people made it once in elementary school, shaking heavy cream in a Ball jar until it separates. (Is that all it is? because that sounds like it would take forever.) I missed out on that activity, but let me tell you, using a food processor has got to be MUCH faster.
Inspired by the cultured dairy section in Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot's terrific new book, Maximum Flavor, I figured I'd give it a shot. First step: make butter, then culture the buttermilk and think about eventually making crime fraiche, sour cream, or ricotta. It wouldn't be fair to say that my kids helped on this one, although they did watch along with me as the cream whipped (which we tasted) and then deflated, changing slowly but surely, and then breaking.
I recombined these in the quart jar and plan to let them sit in the fridge for 48 hours or so before straining and kneading. The taste is already pretty remarkable. I'm curious to see how it develops.


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The sale of the downtown Vancouver Bentall office portfolio, announced March 27, could drive commercial real estate velocity in B.C. to near or above the record level of 2018. The sale price of the four-tower landmark office complex in downtown Vancouver has not been released but is expected to be near the $1.06 billion paid for the site three years ago.
Business in Vancouver's Biggest Real Estate Deals of 2018 list chronicles a year that rang in $6.5 billion in 202 commercial and industrial sector transactions, according to commercial agency Avison Young. This was down from the unprecedented volume of $7.5 billion in 2017, when 232 properties sold.
Avison Young noted that a widening bid-ask gap was already becoming apparent in 2018's last half as investors and lenders began to "recalibrate investment objectives."
This could be related to rising interest rates and a near collapse of Metro Vancouver residential sales, because many large land deals last year hinged on the potential for lucrative, high-density residential development.
"A substantial decline in the number of deals completed is forecast for the first half of 2019," according to Avison Young's Year-End 2018 BC Real Estate Investment Review.
The report suggest prices will remain high for prime office, retail and industrial assets, but buyers and lenders will be costing out the yields "with less emphasis on the speculative aspects" of redevelopment.
At least seven of 2018's biggest deals were based on residential development speculation. These include:
•U.K.-based Harlow Holdings Ltd.'s $164.7 million purchase of a one-third-acre multi-family site in Vancouver's West End;
•two "strata windups" in Vancouver with a total value of $324 million; and
•the sale of a parking lot on Seymour Street to mixed-use residential developer Reliance Properties Ltd. for $131.3 million.
Industrial transactions, which accounted for 40% of 2018's big deals, were worth almost $1.2 billion, just down from the peak of 2017.
In 2018, Metro residential land sales hit $627 million, which would be an all-time high were it not for the spike during 2016 and 2017 when sales crested the $1.1 billon mark for the first time.
The downward shift began in 2018's last half, as an avalanche of government policies, interest rate hikes and a subsequent 40% plunge in housing sales hammered developer and consumer confidence, said Casey Weeks, senior vice-president of investment at Colliers International.
Weeks added that the mortgage stress test and other regulations have also slashed the pre-sales that condo developers depend on for financing.
He forecasts that some planned condo projects from smaller developers won't proceed, which in turn could affect speculative sales of potential development sites this year.
The average cost for every buildable square foot for a residential development in Vancouver is now between $450 and $550. Vancouver has by far the highest combined per-buildable-square-foot costs and construction costs in Canada, according to Altus Group's 2019 Construction Cost Guide.
Sales of all types of land, including commercial holding property and residential land assemblies, started slowing late in 2018, reported the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. Tracking transactions through B.C.'s land titles, the board found that land sales in the third quarter of 2018 had fallen 34.8% from the same period a year earlier and the value of total land sales had dropped by nearly 15%, to $2 billion.
BIV lists the $248.7 billion transaction of an industrial portfolio by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority as the biggest industrial deal last year.
Much of the industrial action, however, is in speculative warehouse and distribution tied to the retail sector, including the 1.1-million-square-foot Xchange business park in Abbotsford by Hungerford Properties and QuadReal Property Group, developed on speculation and proposed for completion late next year.
But a "major deceleration of retail sales growth" from 9% in 2017 to 2% last year is among the reasons the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) cites for an expected "flattening" of commercial and industrial real estate investments in 2019.
The BCREA also points to a fourth-quarter drop in manufacturing shipments and employment as red flags for industrial real estate. The association's much-watched Commercial Leading Indicator index saw its first drop in nine years as 2018 ended, down one point from a year earlier.
Hudson Pacific Properties Inc. (NYSE) has bought the Bentall Centre office and retail portfolio in a joint venture with an affiliate of Blackstone Property Partners. Hudson Pacific will own 20% of the joint venture and be responsible for day-to-day operations and development. Blackstone will own 80% and serve as the managing partner. The 1.45-million-square-foot transaction is expected to close in 2019's second quarter. CBRE in Vancouver is the broker agent on the transaction, which is rumoured to have topped $1 billion.•


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- 4009 hits
- Student Engagement
- 3 years ago
The students who are most engaged are the ones who think they matter to the teacher
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|4009 The students who are most engaged are the ones who think they matter to the teacher Senior Staff Editor
|1829 There is nothing more powerful than knowing the hopes and dreams of students and staff. Errol St.Clair Smith
|1655 Does the teacher know my hopes and dreams? Do teachers see me as a burden or opportunity? Senior Staff Editor
BAM Radio hosts 4,369 episodes reaching 7.7 million social media users a month. We're your source for "PD to Go!"
BAM! Radio Network is now the largest all-education talk radio network in the world, offering programming from the nation's top education organizations and thought leaders and reaching a wide audience of people passionately committed to quality education.


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The Dirty Bones is the latest book by author Terri Kaiser.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Tag Archives: family violence
Local Tragedy
As I wrote "The Book of Esther', where four generations of women come together to solve a family mystery, I paid special attention to the differences between those generations. Esther's life was very different, her choices were different, than those … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged family violence, murder, small town, tragedy, women's rights Leave a comment


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B.C. Camplight - How To Die In The North (Music CD)
Release Date: 19 January 2015
Artist: B.C. Camplight
£8.79 includes FREE UK Postage (other delivery options available)
Shipping Destinations for this item
UK - Shipping Included
United Kingdom
Europe Zone 1 - £1.29
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland
Europe Zone 2 - £1.49
Andorra, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Poland, Sweden
Europe Zone 3 - £1.69
Bosnia And Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City
North America - £1.69
Canada, USA
New Zealand / Far East Asia - £1.69
New Zealand, Taiwan
Japan - £1.69
Others - £1.79
Falkland Islands
Release Date: 19 January 2015
Artist: B.C. Camplight


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The world's first 3D phone is coming to the UK tomorrow. The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy will exclusively offer the LG Optimus 3D from Friday July 1. It will roll out to the rest of the UK on July 6.
Carphone Warehouse will sell the Optimus 3D in 20 UK stores, Best Buy in four. The LG Optimus 3D will be free on a £35 per month 24 month contract or £499 SIM-free.
The Google Android-powered LG Optimus 3D is is powered by a dual-core processor and has a 4.3-inch display. The display allows for glasses-free up to 720p 3D video. The LG Optimus 3D has a dual 5-megapixel camera so you can capture 3D video, upload it to YouTube 3D (LG also announced a partnership with Google's video sharing service) and share with other 3D devices. You can also hook up the phone to a 3D TV via the HDMI port.
"It's safe to say that 3D technology is growing, with more events and entertainment being screened in 3D than ever.
"The LG Optimus 3D features some ground breaking technology and we're proud to be able to offer the world's first 3D smartphone exclusively at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy," said Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy.
Read our LG Optimus 3D review.
See also: Group test: what's the best smartphone?


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The Fingerprints of a Drone Strike
BY Rebecca Chao | Wednesday, March 19 2014
A woman dressed in a black hijab is highlighted by the glare from a computer screen as she works with forensic architects in digitally recreating her home, the scene of a drone strike in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, Pakistan where five men, one of them her brother-in-law, were directly hit and killed on Oct. 4, 2010. This is the spot where she had laid out a rug in the courtyard, she explains, and where her guests sat one evening when the missile dove into their circle, leaving a blackened dent in the ground and scattering flesh that later, she and her husband had to pick up from off of the ground so they could bury their dead.
Morbidly, the digital reconstruction of a drone strike is similar: the gathering of flecks of information when nothing else is available. Through satellite imagery and video, the length of a building's shadow, the pattern of shrapnel marks on a wall, and the angle of a photo, can help forensic architects determine where a missile struck and determine how it led to civilian deaths.
Forensic architecture is an emerging data and tech-driven field of investigation that is about three years old. One of its pioneers, Eyal Weizman of UK-based Forensic Architecture, says over Skype, "We think of ourselves very much like archeologists of contemporary ruins." They use technology to piece together conflict-related atrocities or human rights abuses. Data comes from a variety of sources: visualization software, video and photography, eyewitness reports, satellite imagery, GPS, radar, and the media.
Brad Samuels of the research and architectural studio SITU based in Brooklyn, collaborated with Forensic Architects on the UN drone project. He explains, "Part of what we're trying to demonstrate here is that when you leverage the full potential of different types of technologies, synthetically or in combination with each other, it's possible to say more and know more." This is especially useful when governments refuse to disclose material or acknowledge a particular event.
For the UN drone project, the forensics team analyzed 30 cases selected by Ben Emmerson, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism and Human Rights, who presented his findings before the UN Human Rights Council on March 11.
The drone analysis website features five of these cases in depth and explains the various methods forensic architects used to uncover information about the strike from very limited amounts of data.
One case involves a drone strike in a market area in Miranshah, North Waziristan on March 30, 2012 and analyzes rare footage smuggled out of the region. The video is shot at a depth that suggests caution and avoidance of open windows; the concern is warranted since video equipment in and out of this region is forbidden. It took weeks for the video to reach NBC Islamabad bureau chief Amna Nawaz.
Carefully studying the way the camera moves and even where shadows fall – also known as "shadow analysis" – enabled forensic architects to digitally recreate the building and use animation to test how shadows in the building fall at different times of the day. By matching the pattern of shadows in the model with how it falls in the video, they can determine when the video was recorded – and if filmed shortly after the strike – when the strike occurred.
The team at Forensic Architects also analyzes the damage inflicted by explosions. For example, every type of missile has a unique breaking pattern when it makes impact, so the explosive's model, make and country of origin can sometimes be determined. Fragmentation patterns on the wall created from the missile's explosive head can reveal whether civilians were killed. Lower density patterns of the fragmentations indicate that a person or other object has absorbed the shells released from a blast.
"These videos," says Weizman, "do three things. We undertake the investigation while telling viewers how we do what we do and in the end we also reflect on how confident we are about the results." In this way, human rights activists or journalists can learn how to conduct their own forensic architectural investigations.
There are limitations to obtaining data, however. With satellite imagery, even the highest resolution images degrade to a pixel that translates to 50 cm by 50 cm of actual terrain. This means that a drone could easily hide undetected in one of those pixels, says Weizman, as well as damage caused by strikes.
When asked if this an uncanny coincidence, Weizman explains, that while there is prerogative for states and militaries to maintain an advantage, that 50 by 50 pixel is also proportioned to hide a human. Satellite imaging companies may simply be complying with privacy laws. Even so, this loophole allows countries to deny drone strikes, notes Weizman, since drones are beyond the threshold of detectability in the available satellite imagery.
The UN report by Ben Emmerson notes how that loophole can be closed: the countries involved in drone strikes and implicated in the report – the U.S., U.K. and Israel – should disclose information that might assist in determining whether the use of drones has led to a disproportionate amount of civilian casualties. These countries have failed to do so. Even if drone-operating countries have not violated international law, they are violating norms of transparency in refusing to offer the public an explanation and analysis of why civilian casualties have occurred and what can be done to prevent them.
Personal Democracy Media is grateful to the Omidyar Network and the UN Foundation for their generous support of techPresident's WeGov section.
For a round-up of our weekly stories, subscribe to the WeGov mailing list.


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black+blum Forminimal Bread Bin
CLOSEOUTS. Large enough for a loaf of bread plus a couple of buns, croissants or bagels, blackblumand39s Forminimal bread bin adds the striking poise of functional art to your kitchen. The lid opens by pressing any corner and doubles as a handy bread...
$24.95 on sale
More Information
Email: email@example.com
Quick Links


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Ideal for beginners
College registration system & phone phone repairs
This is a collection of a college and phone repairs system for beginners. This features inludes,
- Auto Suggest DropDown Search - Citys Model
- Adding Classes to Rows in the GridView - Countys, Citys, Branches, Units Booked By Students Model
- Ajax Search With the GridView (By using Pjax ) - Authors, Branches, Book Models etc
- Batch Insert - Insert multiple models - Members, Student Games Model
- Calender & Events Planner - Events Model
- Checkbox - Members model
- Complex forms (multiple models) - Jobs Model,
- DatePicker in the Filter Field GridviewSearch filters - Citys Model
- Date Pickers - Members, JobsMembers, Branches, Book Models etc
- Default sorting - BranchesSearch, MembersSearch Model, Rbac (/rbac/index-members) - Sort by Branch_name (SORT_DESC), date_created (SORT_ASC), fullName (SORT_ASC) and searching on related data
- File Upload (Multiple file Uploader) - Images, Companies model
- Global Search - Citys Model
- Getting Values From a Table Using Ajax - Jobs, Citys, Payments, StudentGames, Members Model
- Hidden inputs - Jobs , Members Model
- Kartik Date Picker - Jobs, Members Model
- ListBox - Members model
- Layouts - Change the theme by designing a layout and specifying the layout in the controller. Check Controller /site/login. The layout is in /views/loginLayout.php
- Modal Forms (Popup) - Branches, Jobs - payment models
- Option Box - Members model
- Option boxes - Jobs Model
- Popup windows for Forms - Branches Model, Jobs Models
- Registration and Login - Members and JobsMembers models. Features include (Menus->List A Members)
- Default username:: admin - password:: admin
- The admin is initialised after changing their passwords from admin
- The user can reset their passwords by entering their email addresses
- Resetting password - Members model
- Serial No verification - After logging in , a serial prompt screen is shown requiring a serial. sample serial codes are in codes table. The inputed serial is checked against that set in this table and if correct the code_valid and code_verified are flagged (companies model.)
- Scenarios
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) - Using the yii2 vendor database tables auth_assignmeent, auth_item, auth_item_child, auth_rule you can Assign User Permissions with a checkbox to grant access/deny access to the five basic controller actions namely (Index, View, Delete, Add, Edit). The Authmanager must be configured in the config file (/config/web.php) as DbManager. Intialise Rbac by running rbac/init in the Menu (List C->Rbac->Initialise Rights). To assign rights, select the member from List C->Rbac->Members, the assign by checking all the rights you wish to grant. You can add more controller actions in config file (/config/params) rbacControllerActions parameter. Controllers that arent be available for rights allocation should be listed in the /config/param.php - omittedControllers parameter. Check the implementation in Authors controller. This sub Menu is only avalailable for The Admin who should be logged in
- Static dropdown generated from Arrays - Countys Model
- Sending email - JobsMembers, Members, Companies Model
- Sending sms messages - Jobs Model - After saving a job, an sms receipt is sent to the clients phone if their is an internet connection or later when the internet connection is alive
- Setting and getting Cookies - Cookies model, \views\Branches\cookies=> Dynamic/Static dropdowns - Authors, Members, Jobs, Branches, Citys, Countys, Phone, Companies, Models etc
- Submitting Forms Using Ajax - Branches Models
- Tabular editable forms with or without Activeform - Book - indexExample1 and IndexExample4, MarksMaster - MarksDetails models
Yii Version: 2.0


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When President Obama delivered his annual comic rejoinder to the media at April's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, he got some help from his "anger translator," Luther.
Obama noted that "we count on the press to shed light on the most important issues of the day" – prompting an pricklier utterance from his fuming alter-ego: "And we can count on Fox News to terrify old white people with some nonsense!"
The act could have come straight out of Comedy Central's "Key & Peele," if only Jordan Peele had been playing his buttoned-up Obama to Keegan-Michael Key's Id-like Luther. Even in Peele's absence, the presidential seal of approval marked a major moment for the comedy team, who return Wednesday for a fifth season of translating their observations on everything from race to the media to pop culture into laughter.
U.S. & World
Unlike Luther, there's little outwardly angry in Key and Peele's comedy, though they're hardly lacking in edge. They make serious points in ways subtle, smart and silly: In last season's premier episode, they portrayed two seemingly stereotypical rednecks in a bar bitterly spewing positive stereotypes about minority group members, including Mexican immigrants ("They work their a---s off and have strong family values," declared Peele's bar patron, topped by a Confederate flag baseball cap).
Perhaps Key and Peele's most memorable skit came in Season 2 when they played two zombie apocalypse survivors who are aggressively avoided by frightened white zombies. Last season, they offered a biting variation on the theme as two armed survivors of an alien invasion who were able to tell the invaders from genuine earthlings through racial attitudes ("Would you let me date your daughter," Key's character asked a middle-aged white man in a business suit. "Of course!" replied the man, who, upon being shot, turned out to be a green-blooded alien).
Both bits, while pointedly tackling race, also showed off the duo's shared fanboy sensibility. Their geek-driven humor also plays out with Peel's obese, pizza-loving, video-making nerd Wendell and the pair's valet parking attendants, who work themselves into repeated frenzies while discussing action movies ("Why would you mess with the Batmans?").
Memo to Comedy Central: Don't mess with Key and Peele – they've got a great thing going. Even the President – and Luther – agree. Check out a timely Season 5 preview tackling marriage equality as Key and Peele bring their comic connection back to TV.
Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.


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Many moons ago I took a college course on how women use humor. For anyone reading my current research, it's clear that this class did not lead me to pursue a career in comedy writing. However, something the professor said did stay with me. To paraphrase her badly, comedians who frequently "work blue" (use profanities) during their stand-up acts often do so because they're not sure what other words to use to trigger an audience reaction. It's the lazy way out because it doesn't rely on accurate word choice to get a laugh.
What does this have to do with B2B writing, which presumably is going to be profanity free? It shouldn't shock anyone when I describe a lot of marketing copy as not just dull, but deadly dull. Even worse, this marketing copy fails its readers because it doesn't say anything. It's like a comedy routine greeted with silence. When readers find no value, it kills marketing results – and don't expect another opportunity to do better next time. Let's be clear: By readers, I mean your customers, prospects and influencers, and in one click they can look elsewhere for more useful (if not entertaining) information.
I see a clear "taking the easy way out" parallel between comedians who resort to profanity instead of carefully honed monologues, and B2B writers who use the crutch of profound-sounding "filler" words or phrases. These let us use complete sentences even if we haven't mastered a topic enough to explain it clearly. They also lull us into thinking we sound reasonable because it's no different than all the other copy out there. Examples of filler: Pretty much any word that ends with "-ize" or "-ation" (e.g. globalize, optimize, actualization, familiarization). Filler also extends to the tendency to overuse phrases like "best in class" or "solution."
Full disclosure: I find myself using filler without even realizing it, so this post is meant to be encouraging, not accusatory. It's hard to write simply and clearly. A marketer's goal must be to help readers understand the information and to see themselves as benefiting from it. That takes writers who come across as human and understand the world from the reader's point of view, but who can also effectively communicate their own views.
It can be done. Remember, from Bob Hope to Jerry Seinfeld, some of our funniest comedians never needed profanity because they shared common experiences from a fresh perspective. Take a lesson from this style. Try to be more human and specific in writing. Use words that mean something without a bunch of qualifiers in front of them that don't. Yes, this takes more work, but the end result will be worth the effort.
Here's a quick way to get started. Ever see a buzzword bingo table? (Here are two to take a look at: One from Vertical Response, and one from Business Buzzword Bingo.) Take this challenge: Next time you write something, find one and go through your copy to see which buzzwords are there. When you see one, find another way to say the same thing with a more specific word. Do this, and your audience may stick around for the second show.


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Volatility, Information Feedback and Market Microstructure Noise: A Tale of Two Regimes
54 Pages Posted: 23 Feb 2017 Last revised: 8 Mar 2017
Date Written: February 6, 2017
We extend the classical "martingale-plus-noise" model for high-frequency prices by an error correction mechanism originating from prevailing mispricing. The speed of price reversal is a natural measure for informational efficiency. The strength of the price reversal relative to the signal-to-noise ratio determines the signs of the return serial correlation and the bias in standard realized variance estimates. We derive the model's properties and locally estimate it based on mid-quote returns of the NASDAQ 100 constituents. There is evidence of mildly persistent local regimes of positive and negative serial correlation, arising from lagged feedback effects and sluggish price adjustments. The model performance is decidedly superior to existing stylized microstructure models. Finally, we document intraday periodicities in the speed of price reversion and noise-to-signal ratios.
Keywords: Volatility estimation; market microstructure noise; price reversal; momentum trading; contrarian trading
JEL Classification: C58, C32, G14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


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Bureau of Meteorology
Tasmanian Regional Office
for DAMAGING WINDS
For people in the Furneaux Islands, Upper Derwent Valley, South East, North East, East Coast, Midlands and parts of the Western and Central Plateau Forecast Districts.
Issued at 10:46 am Saturday, 14 January 2017.
A broad area of low pressure over Tasmania extends from a deep low well south of the state, and a high pressure centre in the Bight. Fresh to strong and gusty west to southwesterly winds, increasing to gale strength about the south and east coasts.
DAMAGING WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS around 50 to 60 km/h, with peak gusts of 90 to 100 km/h are forecast across the state this morning. Wind speeds are expected to ease slightly during the afternoon, though remain fresh and gusty into the evening.
Locations which may be affected include St Helens, Swansea, New Norfolk, Hobart, Geeveston and Dover.
Severe weather is no longer occurring in the North West Coast and Central North districts and the warning for these districts is CANCELLED, although winds will remain fresh and gusty for the rest of the day.
In the past 6 hours the strongest wind gusts reported are:
Maatsuyker Is and Mt Wellington 146 km/h, Hartz Mountains 130 km/h, Cape Grim 119 km/h, Tasman Is 91 km/h, Hobart Airport 89 km/h, Hobart 87 km/h, Dunalley and Tunnack 85 km/h, Strahan 81 km/h.
The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* Supervise children closely.
* Check that family and neighbours are aware of warnings.
* Manage pets and livestock.
* Secure outdoor items including furniture and play equipment.
* Be prepared in case of power outages.
* Beware of damaged trees and power lines and take care when driving.
* Listen to the ABC radio or check www.ses.tas.gov.au for further advice.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132500.
The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 5pm Saturday.
Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 216. The Bureau and State Emergency Service would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.