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The Year in Film – 2009
Farewell, 2009. You won't be missed.
Not only did the economy fail to generate much enthusiasm this year, neither did the movies. In fact, with a single exception, I'm hard-pressed to name a single film released in 2009 that I got genuinely, unreservedly excited about. But at the same time, I can name very few movies that I absolutely loathed. Lots of mediocrity, but still plenty of films out there to recommend… even if those recommendations come with a few caveats. The collected 2009 top ten lists of the staff commence forthwith. –Christopher Null, Director and Editor in Chief, Filmcritic.com
Christopher Null
1. Two Lovers
No one saw James Gray's quiet masterpiece, and this saddens me — more even than Two Lovers saddened me when I saw it. In fact, I nearly forgot about it myself when composing this list — thinking it came out in 2008. But Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow (and even the underplayed Vinessa Shaw) have never done better work than in this sad and tragic story of love, obsession, and suicidal tendencies. Still hurts to think about it.
2. The Messenger
One of the most searing looks at the war at home produced since the '70s. Imagine Apocalypse Now in suburban America and a four-door sedan and you've pretty much got this film. If Woody Harrelson doesn't win Best Supporting Actor this year it'll be a crime.
3. Adventureland
The popular 'edgy' rom-com choice on lists like this for 2009 is going to be (500) Days of Summer, but Adventureland is the better film, a semi-tragic love story and an unabashed celebration of our suburban '80s — the last decade before the suburbs totally went to shit.
4. A Serious Man
The Coen brothers tried to go all Barton Fink and meditative with this film — which is stellar until it just about blows it on the ambiguous ending, now becoming a bit overdone as a trademark of the duo. Still, this look at a man whose life is crumbling around him despite his very best intentions is searing and sad, destined to be an underrated, minor masterpiece.
5. The Hangover
With the possible exception of I Love You, Man, has any movie this year proven more quotable and rewatchable? Zach Galifianakis is destined for great things.
6. In the Loop
This is how you make a war. Not on the battlefields, but in the backrooms (and even the children's bedrooms) of Washington and London. Utter farce… but probably not far from the truth.
7. The Informant!
It took a while for this film to grow on me, but Soderbergh and Damon produce some quirky, magical moments along the way to laying out the Archer Daniels Midland scandal for the masses. Love the toupee.
8. The Hurt Locker
9. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The best kids' film of the year was not Up — a random 'adventure' movie that barely even had a point — but rather the underdog Meatballs, which skewers modern excess and has a very adult, understated sense of humor. Great for the little ones and the grown-ups.
10. Avatar
Not as dumb as I thought it'd be, and even more gorgeous to experience than everyone says it is. Big screen is a must.
Worst of the year: Angels and Demons
Don Willmott
1. Still Walking
Hirokazu Koreeda's keenly observed domestic drama is all about the tiniest details. Watch the body language, the eyes, the turned backs, and all the resentments and disconnections of this painfully fractured Japanese family come into sharp focus. Ozu and Bergman would bow with respect to this beautifully crafted movie.
2. The Hurt Locker
Once again, directrix Kathryn Bigelow proves she has more cojones than Michael Bay and James Cameron (her ex-husband) combined, helming this unbearably tense exercise in explosive suspense. Great to see the sometimes overlooked Jeremy Renner up front.
3. District 9
It works as a thriller; it works as sci-fi; and best of all, it works as a clever extended metaphor for any apartheid-like societal system anywhere. The fact that it's humans vs. aliens is no big deal. In fact, the way the movie scrupulously avoids being amazed by this close encounter is one of its biggest pleasures.
4. Precious
Whoever called this film 'poverty porn' has a point, but it's real, it's raw, and it's about as challenging as an American film can get. The performances are amazing, especially that of Mo'Nique, who must have gone to a very dark place to bring forth the monster she creates.
5. Adventureland
6. Julie & Julia
Entertainment Weekly gave this movie two ratings, a low one for the Julie half and a high one for the Julia half. We get it. While it's hard to care about a whiny Queens food blogger, it's impossible not to be utterly transported by Meryl Streep's Julia Child, just the latest in what's now a 30-year string of incredible on-screen transformations.
7. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
It turns out that this real-life Spinal Tap saga is as entertaining as the fictional one. How amazing to find yourself weeping tears of sympathy for a washed-up Canadian metal band that peaked in 1984 and has been trying desperately to keep the Zippo flame alight ever since. This chronicle of their disastrous European 'comeback' tour is equally funny and pitiful. 'Looks like we missed our train.' You said it.
8. Of Time and the City
A five-star winner here at Filmcritic.com, Terence Davies' feverish prose poem both celebrating and lamenting the lost Liverpool of his youth combines really interesting archival footage with his wildly pompous and portentous narration, and somehow it works. And what's really interesting: The Beatles barely earn a mention.
9. Sugar
How the producers managed to assemble a troupe of non-acting Dominican baseball players to create this story of cultural dislocation among foreign players who show up in the American minor leagues with big dreams and slim chances is perhaps as compelling a story as the movie itself. Easily paced and low-key, it's a home run.
10. Sin Nombre
Why not shoot a movie on top of a moving freight train? Director Cary Joji Fukunaga is up to the challenge with this thriller about three people riding the rails from Mexico the U.S. alongside a turncoat gang killer who has become the target of his own gang. It's quite a chase and quite a logistical achievement.
Runners-up: The Cove, Food Inc., Up, Inglourious Basterds
Worst of the year: Whatever Works
Sean O'Connell
1. The first 11 minutes of Up
Some will view this as a cheat. How could my No. 1 film not be a feature-length movie? Well, I didn't see anything this year as moving, uplifting, and perfectly complete as the opening montage for Pixar's Up. Director Pete Docter sandwiches a lifetime of love and loss into one tear-jerking sequence (enriched by Michael Giacchino's warm score) that recounts the relationship shared between cautious Carl Fredricksen and his adventurous soul mate, Ellie. Sadly, Up peaks too soon, and Docter's remaining story doesn't muster the same emotional punch as his beautiful opener. But for 11 breathtaking minutes, Up soars higher than any other film released this year, and I believe that's an achievement worth celebrating.
2. (500) Days of Summer
Marc Webb's heartfelt, funny Summer traces the highs and lows of the often-turbulent, 500-day relationship between a greeting card writer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and an interested but noncommittal beauty (Zooey Deschanel). The talented duo makes the film's emotional core sing. But it's Webb's imaginative direction, nonlinear storytelling and clever use of guilty jukebox pleasures (listen up, Hall & Oates) that elevate Summer to a rarified air occupied by such films as Harold and Maude, Say Anything, and The Graduate. Yes, it's that good.
3. Up in the Air
4. This Is It
The year's biggest surprise. Kenny Ortega's rambunctious This Is It served as a musical release, an antidote to the foul tabloid journalism that polluted Michael Jackson's legacy in the days and weeks following his death. Using cobbled-together footage, Ortega created a splashy souvenir, a dynamic party and a ferociously entertaining send-off to the King of Pop that celebrated the man's artistry, ignored his oft-covered quirks, and permitted Jackson's career to end on a high note.
5. District 9
6. A Serious Man
7. Star Trek
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
As a standalone fantasy epic, the sixth Harry Potter adaptation possesses remarkable maturity and a deep appreciation for J.K. Rowling's contemporary gothic mood. But on a larger scale, Half-Blood extends the impressive, unprecedented, and downright magical run that began nearly a decade ago. Four directors, two screenwriters, and countless high-profile, British co-stars have passed through the Potter universe, but the core cast — and the remarkable level of quality — has stayed consistent. Forget the uneven Star Wars franchise and that overrated Lord of the Rings trilogy. When all is said and done, the eight-picture Harry Potter series will be the definitive film franchise of our lifetime.
9. Away We Go
Color me impressed by Sam Mendes' tender, funny, and embraceable road comedy about smitten, scruffy 30-somethings searching for the ideal place to put down roots before their baby arrives. Mendes directs with a caring touch, and helps his cause immensely by casting John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as college sweethearts with no idea how to function in the 'real' world. Away may be episodically structured, but I recognize these characters and can associate with their problems, connect with their dreams, and understand their fears.
10. Big Fan
The kid brother of last year's Oscar-nominated The Wrestler, and not just because they come from the same creative father — Robert Siegel. Both view the fragile human condition through the cracked prism of professional sports, assuming the viewpoint of a wounded individual who stands on society's outskirts while dreaming of inclusion. While not as polished as The Wrestler, this film wrings pain out of heartbreaking truths, and Siegel steamrolls Big Fan to an unpredictable conclusion that's suspenseful, mildly coincidental, and gut-wrenchingly sad.
Tied for No. 11: Moon, The Lovely Bones, The Road, and In the Loop
Best opening credits: Watchmen
Best closing credits: The Hangover
Worst of the year: Play the Game
Chris Barsanti
1. Adventureland
It starts and ends with The Replacements, and in between one finds several movies' worth of heartbreak and joy.
2. A Serious Man
3. Coraline
Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman's thrillingly dark fantasy speaks to children (and the adults who brought them) in a way that hits directly at the locus of their deepest vulnerabilities. Coraline herself — a strong-willed girl who inadvertently swaps her parents for a perfect-seeming pair from a never-never land — is a wonderful, independent character who somehow isn't diminished by the gorgeously-imagined 3-D stop-motion immensity of the world Selick and Gaiman created. Forget Avatar, this should be remembered in coming years as the film that truly showed audiences what 3-D was capable of.
4. In the Loop
5. Still Walking
6. The Way We Get By
Aron Gaudet's sharp, unsentimental story about senior citizens in Bangor who greet every plane that lands at their airport full of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is the kind of gripping documentary that doesn't come along very often.
7. The Hurt Locker
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox
It's greedhog farmers vs. cute, funny f
arm animals in this stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. Instead of making brainy movies for immature adults, this time Wes Anderson went straight to the source and just made a children's movie (with wit and imagination to spare, of course). The fact that adults will probably like it much, much more should surprise nobody.
9. Bright Star
The perfect film for those who like their poets served up on screen in doomed romantic scenarios, the kind that leave one not just crying but sobbing, Jane Campion's Bright Star follows the fate of a sick John Keats and his pensive would-be lover, Frances Brawne (inhabited with incredible presence by Abbie Cornish). Kept apart by his lack of funds and her need for a providing husband, the two indulge in an exchange of passionate correspondence and literary, flirtatious badinage that fairly sings with the lyricism of true love.
10. Summer Hours
Another great reunion film. Three adult siblings (including a sarcastic, downbeat Juliette Binoche) return from their far-flung homes to their family's beautiful estate in rural France to celebrate their mother's 75th birthday, expiate their guilt over not visiting more, and start figuring out what to do with everything once their mother passes on. Writer-director Oliver Assayas' meditations on memories and the ties that bind are quietly, humorously made, but pack a punch. Although the choices the siblings make are perfectly understandable, that doesn't make the film's reverie-like conclusion any less heartrending.
Honorable mentions: Inglourious Basterds, Two Lovers, Gomorrah, Ponyo, Of Time and the City, The Messenger, Me and Orson Welles, The Informant!, The White Ribbon, A Song of Sparrows, Burma VJ
Most terrifying: Collapse, The Cove
Most terrifyingly bad: Transformers 2, Antichrist
Most overrated: Bruno
Most disappointing: The Invention of Lying
Most overlooked: Forbidden Lies, I Sell the Dead, Humpday
Norm Schrager
1. The Messenger
Sydney Pollack and Ben Affleck were once lined up to direct this drama before it landed with its screenwriter, Israeli Oren Moverman. Quite a stroke of destiny. With confident control, Moverman focuses on a seldom-seen aspect of war — casualty notification duty — to illustrate the demands placed on unsuspecting military families and the men forced to deliver horrific news. Moverman starts down an expected path or two, then takes unpredictable turns that reflect his characters' loose psyches. As a director, his style is one Hal Ashby would love, reminscent of the wilder, woolier American films of the 1970s. In a world mixing cold protocol with indescribable pain, Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton nail the tension, loss and quiet, hopeful moments. A heartbreaker.
2. Up in the Air
Jason Reitman leaps into his third film with unexpected maturity, delivering one of the most timely and engaging character studies of the year. As nowhere man Ryan Bingham, George Clooney brings a touch of melancholy to his unflappable exterior, representing a fading era of hard work, handshakes and honor — all while the American economy fades too. A script full of wonderful touches and layers, with a rock-solid performance by Vera Farmiga as Bingham's on-the-road lust interest.
3. Brothers
Irish director Jim Sheridan remakes a Danish drama as a great American tragedy. After he's presumed dead while serving in Afghanistan, a POW (Tobey Maguire) returns home to a world his damaged mind won't allow him to understand or accept. Despite their status as 'movie stars,' Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman bring real depth to Sheridan's deceptively powerful direction.
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. The Hurt Locker
6. Winnebago Man
This documentary star of the '09 festival circuit is one of the funniest, most entertaining movies of the year. Twenty years after starring in Winnebago's corporate sales videos, Jack Rebney becomes a YouTube hit thanks to his notoriously profane rants in between takes. When an obsessed filmmaker goes searching for Rebney, we're left to wonder about — and laugh at — the oddities of fame, infamy and perception.
7. Two Lovers
8. Up
9. Adventureland
10. Five Minutes of Heaven
James Nesbitt does a remarkable job carrying this heavy film, one of the most overlooked of 2009. He plays a revenge-seeker finally getting to meet the man (Liam Neeson) who killed his IRA-member brother decades earlier. The catch? They're meeting on television. Beyond the obvious issues of forgiveness and vengeance, there's commentary on the reality of 'reality TV' and the media's willingness to worship anyone who'll talk on camera.
Also Worthy (in order): I Love You, Man; Knowing; Grace; Pontypool; Fifty Dead Men Walking; Humpday
Best performances: Ben Foster, The Messenger; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds; Paul Rudd, I Love You, Man; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air, James Nesbitt, Five Minutes of Heaven; Natalie Portman, Brothers
MVP Actor: George Clooney (Up in the Air, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Fantastic Mr. Fox)
MVP Actress: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia, It's Complicated, Fantastic Mr. Fox)
Worst ending to a great film: (500) Days of Summer
Worst of the year: The Informers
Bill Gibron
1. Inglourious Basterds
It ta
kes nerve to rewrite history, but that's exactly what Quentin Tarantino does in this stunning cinematic dissertation on film and its roll on changing/challenging the past. Sure, it was sold as a standard revenge flick, a twisted take on Jewish soldiers kicking Nazi keister, but there's so much more here than that. From Christoph Waltz's jaw dropping performance as a smiling, sinister SS agent to the finale which retrofits the upper echelons of the Third Reich as an action epic turkey shoot, this remains 2009's most memorable motion picture statement.
2. Avatar
3. A Serious Man
4. Antichrist
Good old Lars Van Trier. Who else but the mastermind behind the no-frills filmmaking style Dogme '95 could take a two character drama about grief and transform it into the greatest Grand Guignol gross-out statement of 2009 – and still maintain its narrative depth and character complexity. Sure, limbs are hacked and body parts violated, but in between all the blood and guts is a serious statement about life, love, and our human inability to comprehend either.
5. Up in the Air
6. The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's heartbreaking novel is getting railroaded by most in the mainstream media – unfairly, actually. Instead of delivering something straight forward or melodramatic, the Lord of the Rings leader turned the tale of a dead girl looking down on her killer from Heaven as his own version of a Brothers Grimm cautionary tale. Destined to be misunderstood now, and beloved later.
7. Star Trek
J.J. Abrams should win a Special Oscar. The category – Pulling It Off! While purists persist in calling this revamp of the classic sci-fi series some manner of abomination, it stands as one of the great popcorn blockbusters of the modern age. Abrams didn't only update Trek for a new millennium, he breathed infinite new life into a franchise that was running on fumes for decades. Bring on the inevitable sequels!
8. Where the Wild Things Are
Leave it to Spike Jonze to spin Maurice Sendak's seminal kid lit fixture into something dark, melancholy, and oh so special. Parents expecting the same old family film pap were stunned at how complicated and confrontation this vision was, especially in comparison to the original book's stark illustrations. The result is something incredibly rare – a child's fairytale which says more about the human condition than a dozen dramas.
9. Up
10. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Everyone has unfilled hopes and deferred dreams. Few have a champion in Hollywood screenwriter (The Terminal) turned documentarian Sacha Gervasi. After spending time in the '80s as their roadie, the filmmaker did a 'whatever happened to' Google search and discovered that, far from defeated, his favorite band was still plugging along. So he decided to grab a camera and craft a follow-up. The result is an everyman lesson in longevity, and never giving up.
BONUS: 15 Top Tens — "clip 'n' save"
|Christopher Null
1. Two Lovers
2. The Messenger
3. Adventureland
4. A Serious Man
5. The Hangover
6. In the Loop
7. The Informant!
8. The Hurt Locker
9. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
10. Avatar
|Don Willmott
1. Still Walking
2. The Hurt Locker
3. District 9
4. Precious
5. Adventureland
6. Julie & Julia
7. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
8. Of Time and the City
9. Sugar
10. Sin Nombre
|Sean O'Connell
1. Up
2. (500) Days of Summer
3. Up in the Air
4. This Is It
5. District 9
6. A Serious Man
7. Star Trek
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
9. Away We Go
10. Big Fan
|Chris Barsanti
1. Adventureland
2. A Serious Man
3. Coraline
4. In the Loop
5. Still Walking
6. The Way We Get By
7. The Hurt Locker
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. Bright Star
10. Summer Hours
|Norm Schrager
1. The Messenger
2. Up in the Air
3. Brothers
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. The Hurt Locker
6. Winnebago Man
7. Two Lovers
8. Up
9. Adventureland
10. Five Minutes of Heaven
|Bill Gibron
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Avatar
3. A Serious Man
4. Antichrist
5. Up in the Air
6. The Lovely Bones
7. Star Trek
8. Where the Wild Things Are
9. Up
10. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
|Paul Brenner
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
3. The Windmill Movie
4. Adventureland
5. Of Time and the City
6. Me and Orson Welles
7. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
8. The Girlfriend Experience
9. In the Loop
10. Eccentricities of a Blonde Hair Girl
|Keith Breese
1. The Hurt Locker
2. A Serious Man
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
5. Gomorrah
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. District 9
8. Pontypool
9. The Cove
10. Coraline
|Chris Cabin
1. Police, Adjective
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. The Hurt Locker
4. The Headless Woman
5. Silent Light
6. The Limits of Control
7. The Sun
8. Summer Hours
9. Hunger
10. Treeless Mountain
|Jesse Hassenger
1. Up
2. The Brothers Bloom
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. A Serious Man
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Adventureland
8. Observe and Report
9. Star Trek
10. Public Enemies
|Blake French
1. The Hurt Locker
2. The Informers
3. Antichrist
4. The Burning Plain
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Knowing
7. A Serious Man
8. Crazy Heart
9. Shrink
10. The Last House on the Left
|Rob Vaux
1. Up
2. The Hurt Locker
3. The Road
4. Up in the Air
5. The Hangover
6. Watchmen
7. Moon
8. Coraline
9. District 9
10. Observe and Report
|Pete Croatto
1. Up
2. In a Dream
3. Star Trek
4. Humpday
5. Adventureland
6. Brothers
7. Sin Nombre
8. Big Fan
9. Julie & Julia
10. Away We Go
|Jason McKiernan
1. Up in the Air
2. Julia
3. The Messenger
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Mammoth
6. An Education
7. Up
8. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
9. A Serious Man
10. Adventureland
|Jay Antani
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. Up
4. Big Fan
5. The Messenger
6. A Serious Man
7. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
8. Perestroika
9. Adventureland
10. Food, Inc.


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Penis Health – Is Testosterone Deficiency to Blame for Poor Erectile Function?
Having problems with pecker perkiness? It's easy to joke around about erectile problems, but for men who experience them, they're no laughing matter. Whether they manifest as weak erections, anticlimactic climaxes or complete loss of erectile ability, these problems take a serious toll on a man's physical and emotional well-being, not to mention that of his significant other. What is more: Erectile dysfunction may be a symptom of poor penis health or an underlying condition that needs to be identified and treated.
One such condition is androgen deficiency, which is marked by abnormally low levels of male sex hormones, particularly testosterone. There are many symptoms and causes of androgen deficiency, and learning what to look for can help men know when to suspect this condition.
Androgen Deficiency Symptoms
Low levels of male hormone can cause an array of symptoms. Sexual symptoms include:
- Reduced sex drive
- Reduced amount of ejaculate
- Weak erections
- Weak orgasms
Emotional symptoms include:
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
Non-sexual physical symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Breast development
- Hot flashes/sweating
- Reduced muscle mass
- Reduced bone mass
- Loss of body hair
- Increased abdominal fat
Some of these symptoms can result in chronic health conditions. Increased abdominal fat, for example, is associated with type 2 diabetes. Loss of bone mass can cause osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). And, of course, sexual symptoms can lead to a reduced overall quality of life.
The main causes of testosterone deficiency in men are:
- Age
- Testicular problems leading to decreased production of testosterone (such as undescended testes or complications related to cancer treatment)
- Pituitary gland tumor (which interferes with the production of hormones in the gland that cause the testes to manufacture testosterone)
- Chronic use of medications, such as opioid pain-killers or steroids
- Major trauma, illness or surgery
Generally, men with androgen deficiency are treated with hormone replacement therapy. Testosterone can be injected, taken in pill form or applied as a cream, gel or skin patch.
If a problem with the pituitary gland is the culprit, then men may receive replacement therapy of the hormone produced by this gland.
When medication use is behind androgen deficiency, men may talk with their doctors about switching up their treatment method for whatever condition the medication is intended to treat.
While a severe case of hormone deficiency will likely require replacement therapy, men with mild deficiencies may be able to combat the problem naturally. The following self-help techniques may boost testosterone levels:
- Exercise. When a man leads a sedentary lifestyle, his body will adapt to his reduced need for testosterone by not making so much. When he's active, however, his muscles and bones need more testosterone: Need and you shall receive! Both strength-training and cardio exercise are important. Note: Overtraining can actually reduce testosterone levels, so men should take rest days and avoid increasing their exercise load too quickly.
- Sleep. Lack of sleep, particularly when chronic, can throw the body's hormones out of whack. Men should get plenty of shut-eye as part of their testosterone management plan.
- Chill out. When a person is stressed, his body produces the hormone cortisol, which has a negative impact on testosterone production. Managing stress, anxiety, depression and other emotionally draining conditions will promote higher testosterone levels as well as overall health.
- Eat zinc. This mineral is imperative for maintaining healthy male hormone levels. The best food sources are oysters, lean beef, lamb, wheat germ and spinach.
- Shed excess pounds. More weight equals more estrogen equals less testosterone. Eat right in combination with hormone-boosting exercise and say goodbye to extra weight.
Boosting levels of male hormone will do wonders for penis health and functionality. Men may wish to supplement their care regimens with the use of a quality penis health cream (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil). Look for alpha lipoic acid and vitamin B5 on the ingredient list; these nutrients may help protect the cells of the penis. The best creams contain natural moisturizers like Shea butter and vitamin E for silky-smooth skin.
In : Men's Health

subset: commoncrawl


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Best known quote from W's wild man Rumsfeld, was "you can know about known knowns, and known unknowns but not unknown unknowns". This story from Tas Van Ommen Program Leader, Australian Antarctic Division reveals results of latest investigation that this glacier, resting on submarine ridge, with immense weight of ice above it, is subject to warm water current, which risks separation and tumble into deep ocean. On its own, it can cause 3.5m(not a typo!) sea level rise. Will all Tony's horses and all Tony's bigots be able to put this one back together again. Fat chance.
>hearmore.mp3> ABC RN Breakfast


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This little beauty started as a crease pattern suggested by Mark Leonard and ended up as this little snapper. The crease pattern suggests folds necessary to form the base, but finishing the model was an interesting challenge.
the feet are really reminiscent of a Joisel fold, and with a nice little tummy-tuck, his body stays round, ridge of roughness along the spine and a lovely head/mouth.
Was not sure if this fold would see the light of day, glad it did.


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Home › Forums › Discussions › Support Portal › STATIC FILTER using VB › Re: Re: STATIC FILTER using VB
October 28, 2013 at 7:10 pm #7149
Sorry it took so long to reply, but this server is remote and the guy on the other end is not that technical. It turns out that the problem was with an incompatible or corrupt version of IPHLPAPI.DLL. I had to wait for the other guy to be available, because when I tried to do it remotely I would lose connectivity.
J.A. Coutts


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Hire price: £2.46 inc.Vat | £2.46 ex.VAT
A beautiful piece, with a silver-gold mottled finish and a classic design. Lovely for using as part of a collective group of similar products.
Can be used with a pillar candle or a votive candle.
Product Code: GCVH – 246
Gold Chalice Votive Holder
Height: 19cms
Diameter of base: 8cms
Diameter of top cup: 9cms
Depth of top cup: 4cms (approx)
Cost of hire (without candles): £2.46 (Ex VAT)
An additional delivery/collection charge will be made on this item.
Client collection and return in person is an option on this product.


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The Steamboat Police Department will be hosting a spring installment of Coffee with a Cop, Friday. Members of the Steamboat Springs Police will be at the Off The Beaten Path Bookstore from 8 to 10 in the morning. Free coffee will be available. In addition to police officers, a Spanish to English translator will also be available. Coffee with a Cop is designed to allow open, two-way dialogue between the community and police officers. The program allows community members to ask questions and learn about the men and women who serve their community. For additional information on the event, call 879-4344.
Search KRAI.COM


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Food safety in the petfood industry is a shared responsibility among renderers, ingredient suppliers, petfood manufacturers, distributors and even the pet owners who feed the final pet food or pet treat to their companion pets. Ensuring the safety and quality of commercial pet foods is both a challenging and complex process.
Petfood manufacturers face challenges like oxidative deterioration and microbial contamination of both their ingredients and finished pet food. Failure to control oxidation and microbial risks of the ingredients used in pet foods can result in loss of nutritional quality, reduction in palatability, and increased microbial risk.
Kemin provides natural and synthetic preservatives and mold inhibitors to help extend the shelf life of pet food and treats. Kemin has developed solutions for renderers and petfood manufacturers to assist in managing oxidation and microbial risks in fats, oils, rendering raw materials, and pet products.
Kemin's ALLINSURTM line manages both oxidation and microbial risks in fats, oils, fresh and frozen meats and rendered raw materials.
PREVIONTM is a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives designed to extend the shelf life of pet treats.


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An air conditioner will not run smoothly forever. Every electro-mechanical system runs into trouble at some point—but there are ways to prevent this. Regularly changing the air filter, for example, helps to regulate airflow, and without a clean filter your air conditioner could run into a number of problems throughout the season.
And perhaps the most important step in preventing air conditioner damage and improving efficiency throughout the summer is scheduling a tune-up. A professional AC tune-up is something we think any home with a central air conditioner should have done annually. But this late into the season, is it worth it to skip the tune-up? Can you or should you have one right now?


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2019-06-03 人氣:728By amending the claims, the distinctive technical features between the present application and the citations are emphasized to persuade the examiner
The examiner considers that the claims of the present application are not involved an inventive step and unpatentable over the citations. However, TJIP amends claim 1 to emphasize the distinctive technical features which are different from the citations. Therefore, TJIP states that the technical manner of claim 1 in the reply letter, wherein the technical manner is not disclosed by the citations and has involved an inventive step, such that the examiner is persuaded to grant a patent to the present application.


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Croatia has a wine tradition dating back 2500 years. With a hot Mediterranean climate in the south and colder Alpine weather in the north, the country is divided into four wine regions with their own geographical and climatic features, sixteen sub-regions and 66 appellations. A wide variety of wine styles is produced from approximately 200 grape varieties, of which at least 60 are indigenous. Three of these - Graševina, Malvazija and Plavac Mali – account for nearly half of the vineyard plantings. Another, Crljenak, is regarded as the original Zinfandel.
This year's Vina Croatia Annual Tasting, which took place on 17th October at The Westbury Hotel in London, allowed a fascinating insight into the individualistic wine styles this country offers. Although my main focus was on the Plavac Mali grape, I managed to try some other wines too. Here is my selection from the show:-
Malvazija Istarska (Istrian Malvasia) can be fresh, crisp, fragrant, fruity and mineral or aged in oak for a more opulent style. In other words, plenty of expressions are possible and this is illustrated beautifully by Vina Cattunar's, two contrasting examples. Their Malvazija 2012 (13.3% ABV) is crisp, fresh, aromatic and dry with a slightly herbaceous note and could be drunk on its own or with food. However, their Malvazija Collina 2010 (14.9%), made from old vines and aged for one year in Austrian oak, is much more of a food wine. With notes of peach and gentle woody/smoky characteristics, this is a much richer expression of the grape. At £15 and £20.85 respectively from PC Wines, they are also relatively good value for money, given the quality.
Teran is a native grape of Istria. Dark, iron–rich with high natural acidity and good ageing potential, the resultant wines can display a mix of fruit and spice flavours or, as was described to me, "should smell of blood and mulberries!" Indeed, this description was not completely off the mark when I tried Cattunar's superb Teran Barrique 2007 (13.2% ABV), which spent 3½ years in oak. This is a big powerful wine (£27 from PC Wines), which will easily keep for several years. Notes of plum and chocolate on the nose and palate were immediately obvious, but an earthy, blood and iron character was also there, making this wine a good match for strongly-flavoured game dishes, for example.
Graševina is the most common grape variety in Croatia and produces an array of styles from dry to sweet wines. Often characterised by floral aromas, apple, stone fruit or citrus notes, it is the Croatian name for Welschriesling. One of the more interesting examples was provided by Vina Belje. Their Goldberg Graševina 2012 (15.6% ABV) is rich, powerful and mineral with notes of apple and honey. The wine, made from grapes manually harvested at different stages of maturation, is aged on its lees for eight months in large Slavonian oak barrels and stainless steel tanks with no malolactic fermentation. This allows for a combination of acidic freshness and a fuller, rounded mouth feel. Although the wine may be too powerful and alcoholic for some consumers, I think it is nevertheless a noteworthy and characterful expression of this grape variety. The ex-cellar price category is listed as £10-£14.99.
Bodren makes award-winning sweet predicate wines, i.e. from overripe or very ripe grapes with high sugar content, picked after the normal vintage time. They use several international grape varieties to create both Icewine and Trockenbeerenauslese styles. The "driest" of their range is the 100% Riesling Rajnski Rizling 2010 Trockenbeerenauslese (8.5% ABV), which has cooked apples on the nose, followed by toffee apples, spice and pears on the palate. Their intensely fragrant and unctuously sweet 100% Gewürtztraminer Traminac 2011 Ice wine (6%) is a mélange of peach, apple, tropical fruit and honey aromas and flavours. The website prices for these wines are listed as €30.06 and €43.42, respectively.
Plavac Mali is an indigenous grape of Croatia, capable of producing a wide gamut of styles, from powerful, full-bodied, high alcohol wines, especially near the southern Dalmatian coast, to lighter and fruitier expressions from further inland. Jako Vino's Stina Plavac Mali Remek Djelo 2009 (15% ABV) is only made in the best years and from the finest vineyard grapes, spending 24 months in new oak, followed by 1 year in bottle. It has a complex nose and palate, exhibiting notes of cherries, plums, gentle wood and spice with good tannins and will certainly age well. In total contrast, the same winery's Stina Prošek 2010 (15% ABV), made from 25% Pošip – a native white grape – and 75% Plavac Mali, is a traditional Dalmatian dessert wine made from grapes dried in the sun to concentrate their juice, resulting in approximately 70g residual sugar content. With a plum, dried fruits and caramel character, this is a sweet wine which has a slightly bitter finish reminiscent of Campari, making it particularly refreshing at the end of a meal. The UK importer for Jako Vino is Vino Nostro, but prices are unavailable at this time for these two excellent wines.
A selection of Miloš wines.
One winery that particularly impressed me was Miloš. Their vineyards benefit from a nutrient-rich sandy soil on a bed of dolomite rocks plus an ideal climate, which contribute to superb growing conditions for Plavac Mali. In keeping with their ecological and partly organic approach to winemaking, using natural methods where they can, vineyard sprayings and sulphite levels are kept to a minimum. Additionally, they never use new barrels for wine ageing, as they do not want fresh oak influences. The result is a choice of delicious, yet contrasting, 100% Plavac Mali wines, which are available in the UK from PC Wines. Labelling is modern, clean and attractive too.Miloš wines
The same company also makes superb olive oil, full of peppery olive flavour and utterly delicious.
Croatian wine deserves to be more widely known and adventurous, boutique or informed wine buyers will be tempted by the quality on offer. However, there are many challenges facing Croatian wine producers in the UK market, not least being consumers' unfamiliarity with the country's wine and indigenous grapes, in addition to relatively high price points. Indeed, as a report in the drinks business highlighted, grape variety is the most important factor influencing wine purchases in the UK, affecting 70% of consumers. When faced with a choice of recognisable and pronounceable wine styles, it would appear that the old favourites reign supreme, especially in times of financial austerity, so the bottle label, in particular, can be expected to have a significant impact on buying patterns. This is especially true for off-trade sales and may be an area for further consideration by Croatian wine makers seeking UK export opportunities. However, high alcohol levels and powerful structure make most of these wines easier to drink and appreciate with food. Thus, on-trade sales, particularly the restaurant sector, could potentially benefit the most from increased knowledge of this market.
This article was first published on The Alcohol Professor website.


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Harmony Devices: No More NVIDIA Support [Updated]
Well this isn't really the news Harmony device owners are wanting to hear. NVIDIA has come out and said that they are no longer going to support their Harmony devices with an upgrade to Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). A lot of Harmony device owners that have been itching with the Honeycomb fever to have the tablet OS ported over now are being shoved into the dark. The fact that support has been cut off for devices not even on the market for longer than a year is disappointing.
NVIDIA instead wants developers to use the Ventana platform to develop upon; notable devices on the Ventana platform are the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. So those owners of Harmony devices will be stuck on Android 2.2 until (or if ever) NVIDIA decides to give the support back.
NVIDIA has set the record straight that their ending support of Harmony device has been blown out of the water. Here is a clip of their new statement
For our partners' Android devices, NVIDIA provides support until the hardware partner chooses to no longer support the device. So, for instance, NVIDIA will support the Xoom on all versions of Android Motorola requests until Motorola ceases to support the Xoom. The same goes for ViewSonic with the G-Tablet, Notion Ink with the Adam, Acer with the Iconia, LG with the Optimus 2X and so on.Advertisement
So all you Harmony device owners can now take a deep breath in and smile you're not being kicked to the curb by NVIDIA.
Here is the full forum post about the mishap and the correction.


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We know that not everyone can afford to hire a housekeeper, at Fresh Nest Cleaning, our goal is to help you improve your quality of life by keeping a clean and tidy environment. That's why we have included a list of tips and tricks we have found to help you stay on top of your chores while also working or managing a family.
Write a List
Sometimes it is helpful to write down a check off list of all of the tasks that should be done in each room. Then, determine which should be done daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Daily
tasks should not take more than 15 minutes to complete.
Small Goals Equal Big Success!
If you are feeling overwhelmed, start small. Decide what one task is manageable and start there. Don't attempt to re-organize all of your paperwork when your laundry has not been put away. Begin with easier, shorter tasks that can be maintained with little effort.
Put Away Distractions
Set your phone to "do not disturb" or "airplane mode." Turn off/log off your social media accounts on your devices to eliminate notifications that may prompt you to want to take a break and respond.
Pick Some Tunes
Music has been shown to boost productivity. Pick something that keeps you moving and motivated!
Set a Timer
Many experts suggest setting a timer for 15 minutes and trying to get as much as you can done, within that time frame. Often, I find that encourages me to want to complete the rest of my daily tasks for that room.
Maintain It
Resist the urge to put off small daily tasks for later. When your laundry is done, put the load away in the drawers and the closet. The 10 minutes to do so will prevent you from having to spend 30 minutes putting away multiple loads, later. Removing clean dishes from the
dishwasher and putting them away, will prevent dirty dishes from piling up in the sink. Cleaning up after yourself always makes it easier in the long run.
Give Yourself A Reward
Plan so you have some time to reward yourself for your effort. Perhaps, you enjoy a nice long shower or bath in your clean bathroom or you fix yourself a quality meal in your organized
kitchen. You deserve it.
Do you have suggestions on how you stay on top of cleaning and chores? Let us know in the comments below!


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(Book titles are subject to change)
Artillery at War with Napoleon
Woman of the Revolution
Third Leonaur Book of Ghost and Horror Stories
John Hawkwood
Sikhs, Russians & Sepoys
Hew Ross of the Chestnut Troop
Sir Howard Douglas
Supernatural Theo Gift
Supernatural James Platt
Australians in Action: New Guinea
British Hussar on the Western Front
Campaign of a French Infantry Officer (WW1)
Experiences of a French Dragoon (WW1)
Billy the Kid
Battle of Jutland
Congreves Rockets
Hew Dalrymple
Marshal Ney's Military Studies
Harriet Tubman
A Flying Soldier
The Novik
The Orphan Brigade
and many others
Edgar Wallace
Date Published: 2019/08
Page Count: 348
Softcover ISBN-13: 978-1-78282-831-0
Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-1-78282-830-3
Tales of vengeance delivered by the hidden hand of a ruthless master of disguise
Practically everyone who has an appetite for the mystery, crime and thriller novels which were offered to the reading public during the inter-war years of the 20th century will be familiar with the substantial body of work produced by British author, Edgar Wallace. His imaginative penmanship brought forth, 'The Four Just Men', 'Sanders and Bones', 'J. G. Reeder', 'Inspector Elk' and many others. However, it was the principal character of the stories contained in this book that many authorities on the genre believe established Wallace in the highest echelon of the mystery writers of his time. The Ringer is an unrepentant anti-hero and vigilante of the most extreme type—for this nemesis does baulk at murdering his villainous victims. The Ringer is, in reality, Henry Arthur Milton, ruthless master of disguise, and it is the job of Inspector Wembury of Scotland Yard to catch him and bring him to justice, although that is easier said than done! Despite his popularity with an avid readership, 'The Ringer' only appeared in two books, the 'The Ringer' and its sequel 'Again the Ringer' which is a short story collection in which, of course, The Ringer brings a diverse number of deserving reprobates to their just desserts. Both books appear in this special two-in-one good value Leonaur edition.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.


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From John Adams to James Warren, 25 October 1775
To James Warren
Octr. 25th. 1775
A Method of collecting Salt Petre from the Air which is talked of here is this. Take of Lime and Ashes equal Quantities, and of horse dung a Quantity equal to both the Ashes and Lime, mix them together into a Mortar, with this Mortar and a Quantity of long Straw to keep it together build two Walls Eighteen Inches thick, and three feet high, about four feet asunder. Then make a Center and turn and [an?] Arch over cemicircularly from the Top of one Wall to that of the other, and this Arch may be made Eighteen Inches thick too. These Walls with the Arch over them, may be continued to any length you please. There must be a shed over it to keep off the Rain, and the Arch must be wett every Day with Urine. This, in summer, will collect so much salt Petre that an ounce may be extracted from every Pound of the Walls in three Months. In Winter it will make as fast provided you keep a Fire at one End of the Arch, that the Wind may blow the Fire and Smoke under the Arch, and keep it from freezing.
This is one Method as it is affirmed by Gentlemen here.
Sulphur, Nitre, and Lead We must have of our own. We must not depend upon Navigation for these. I wish the Committee of the General Court for Lead and Salt would transmit their Discoveries to me. I dont know whether you are one of that Committee or not.
Pray inform me if Obrian and Carghill1 were or were not commissioned by some Vote of the general Court, and whether they cant be put into the Continental service. An order is gone to Genl. Washington to that Purpose if it can be done.
RC (MHi:Warren-Adams Coll.); addressed: "Hon. James Warren Esqr Speaker of the House Watertown"; docketed: "Mr. J Adams Lettr. Octr. 1775."


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Sebring, Fla., March 20, 2015 – DeltaWing Technology Group, Inc. today released the results of an independent engineering analysis of a four-passenger road car concept based on the patented DeltaWing® narrow front track vehicle architecture that showed it would achieve an unadjusted EPA fuel economy rating of nearly 74 mpg Highway and over 57 mpg combined rating. If it was available today, those figures would not only make it America's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine vehicle, it would meet the 2025 CAFE standard today.
Indeed, those ratings based on an internal combustion, 1.4-liter gasoline engine would make the DeltaWing® four-passenger model even more fuel efficient than all of today's available hybrids.
Through a board-level relationship with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), DeltaWing Technology Group recently commissioned Meszler Engineering Services to model fuel economy performance of a four-cylinder, 138-horsepower DeltaWing® four passenger automobile. Meszler's proprietary computing model calculated from all available data points including weight, power, drag coefficient, frontal area, rolling resistance, and many more.
The efficiency and performance of the DeltaWing® vehicle architecture can be defined as a "green technology multi-tool." The architecture can accept virtually any current or future transverse engine powertrain and deliver significant fuel savings and green benefits when compared to traditional vehicle designs. The DeltaWing® platform also can be fitted with all-electric or hybrid powertrains; today's smaller and lighter high-efficiency gas, diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) engines; and even tomorrow's hydrogen fuel cells. As a result, it can:
- Reduce EV range anxiety and help put more EVs on the road, further reducing emissions and helping improve air quality
- Further extend a diesel-powered vehicle's already impressive range
- Reduce emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles by up to 42 percent
- And even extend the range of hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles
"I'm very pleased to see how this objective testing validates and even exceeds our initial estimates," said Don Panoz, DeltaWing Technology Group chairman and CEO. "This key milestone allows us to immediately move forward with our plans to build prototype two- and four-seat DeltaWing® vehicles and begin real-world testing."
Brian Willis, DeltaWing Technologies' newly appointed vice president, Engineering and Design, will lead the development of two- and four-seat DeltaWing® road car prototypes, as well as the testing program.
Willis is no stranger to Panoz and racing. His 27-year career includes stints as senior designer for Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd., director of engineering for Élan Technologies' motorsports division, chief engineer for Panoz Motorsports, and technical director for Audi Sport Japan, winners of the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Team Goh Audi R8. Most recently, he was director of technical services for Multimatic Inc. in Canada.


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Whether you're looking for a product, service or potential partnership, our Member Directory is your go-to resource.
You can easily search our list of hundreds of members to find the ones that fit your needs.
Ames Construction has extensive, award winning experience in commercial, energy, mining, transportation, water & wastewater projects.


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Is Copyright Law finally catching up to the digital era?
November 19, 2018
Originally posted 2018-09-03 5:03:09
By Tasha Schmidt | amdlawgroup.com
An intense debate and trial has been going on concerning the Washington Redskin's name in reference to "Redskins." Their general manager Bruce Allen has attended the first hearing for the trademark last Thursday. The case is not just as simple as declaring the word "redskins" a slur. If it is proven that it is a slur, then it should and will not have federal trademark protection. The name "Washington Redskins" has to be proven to be a term that was used in a disgraceful and slight way from 1967 to the 1990's when the team was granted their trademarks. Five Native American petitioners are bringing the case forward to the Washington Redskins football team. It does not appear that there will be a resolution anytime soon. Similar rulings have taken about 17 years to go through the legal system only to find out that the Supreme Court would be declining to intervene.
The Redskins argue that they do not mean to offend anyone and that the name actually honors the Native Americans. If the trademark protection goes through, the Redskins can still not be stopped from using the name. However, the team, from a marketing perspective, would be hurt financially. A number of Native Americans claim to continue to be offended by the name, but then, on the other hand, Bruce Allen, the Washington Redskin's GM, believes strongly that the name is simply just history to be proud of.
Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/03/07/challenge-to-redskins-name-begins-anew-at-trademark-hearing-gm-allen-defends/


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FAQ on Injectables
1. What are injectables?
Injectables for the purpose of improving one's appearance are classified into 3 groups:
- Neuromodulators which inhibit muscles from contracting. In USA these are Botox, Dysport and Xeomin, and are commonly used to prevent frown lines, crow's feet and in a number of other sites as well. Both Drs Dale and Michelle Abadir have been using neuromodulators for 20 years
- Filling injections which can be used for obliterating hollows, and helping fine lines and acne scars etc. These are numerous and all have different properties. The injector should understand the various properties and which are best suited for the individual patient's needs. Both Drs Dale and Michelle Abadir have been using all the various "fillers" since each became available and offer all these to their patients unlike some other practices that only purchase from one manufacturer.
- With the recent FDA approval of "Kybella", a fat shrinking injection to permanently treat "double chins" we have a new "fat dissolving" type of injectable. Our office is among the first to offer this to our patients.
2. What is the difference between Botox and Dermal fillers?
Botox relaxes muscles which cause lines, while Dermal fillers do, as their name implies, fill—anything from hollows to fine lines.
3. What areas can be treated with Injectables?
Areas which can be treated with injectables are anywhere on the face, neck, decolletage and the backs of hands.
4. Are there other off-brand uses for Injectables and is this safe?
In USA when an injectable is approved by the FDA, it is legal to use it "off label" i.e. for a use not precisely what it was approved for, as long as it is not advertised or promoted in any way for this alternate use. For instanced, when Botox was first approved it was only for frown lines, but quickly we realized the potential to use it in many other areas and did so.
5. Which dermal filler is best for forehead wrinkles?
Forehead wrinkles have to be treated very carefully so there are no ridges when the forehead is relaxed. For this reason, Restylane Silk or Belatero are best as they are specific for fine lines.
6. Can I be allergic to Injectables?
Allergies to the injectables used these days are extremely rare. In the past, many were allergic to injectable "collagen" but this has not been used for many years as we have far better products available now.
7. I've heard of Voluma, is that different from dermal fillers?
Voluma is a denser, heavier type of product which, when used correctly, can give some lifting of sagging cheeks as well as filling hollows.
8. Can Injectables be used with other treatments?
We are constantly combining injectables with other treatments. Fractionated laser to smooth the skin surface, Thermage and other skin tightening procedures, microdermabrasion, and mini liposuction of jowl and under chin fat to name a few.
9. Can I use dermal fillers on my lips?
Dermal fillers are often used on lips as lips they tend to become thinner as we age and fuller lips are associated with youth and sensuality. They have to be used very carefully in order to produce a natural, attractive appearance, and not the " sausage", overfilled or "duckbill" look!.
10. What is the best Injectables for anti-aging?
All fillers help with anti-aging! The injector must have the experience and aesthetic sense to decide which will give the most desirable result in the various areas of the face, neck or other sites.
11. Are injections painful?
Most injections are done with very fine needles and are well tolerated. Anesthetic creams can be applied for a period of time beforehand if a patient wishes.
12. Can Injectables take place of a facelift?
Injectables can, and do replace facelifts, especially if started relatively early. Far fewer facelifts are being done these days.
13. Who should I trust to treat me with Injectables?
It is extremely important to choose an injector who has experience. Many practitioners of all different specialties are attending courses, often as short as 2 hours long to "learn" this art! Get a reference from a friend or relative who is having these treatments and you think looks good. These days, having injectables for cosmetic enhancement is becoming as common as going to the beauty parlor and people are more ready to talk about it than used to be the case.