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|The X-Files: Fight the Future
The X-Files: Fight the Future is a 1998 science fiction thriller film directed by Rob Bowman. Written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, it is the the first feature film installment of the The X-Files franchise.
Mulder and Scully uncover a government conspiracy attempting to hide the truth about an alien colonization of Earth.
Later that day, two fire engines from the County Fire Department arrive at the scene. Fire Captain Miles Cooles exits one of the vehicles and runs towards the cave. He sends two firefighters, Danny and T.C., into the pit and reports the location of the rescue situation to officers in Dallas. After Cooles loses contact with his two dispatched firefighters, however, he orders two other officers, Glenn and Sal, to enter the cave.
Later, a helicopter from Dallas arrives at the scene and HAZMAT suited men in white exit the aircraft, carrying a bubble litter. A doctor named Ben Bronschweig also exits the craft and clears the area of several curious civilians clustered nearby. Cooles informs Doctor Bronschweig of the situation as they walk towards the cave. They watch while the HAZMAT team carries Stevie to the helicopter inside the bubble litter. Bronschweig seems extremely concerned, as the boy's paralyzed body passes him, but Cooles' only concern is for his officers in the pit. As the helicopter takes flight with Stevie aboard, a fleet of unmarked, white Freightliner trucks arrive and surround the fire engines. Cooles is puzzled at their arrival as Bronschweig walks away. The doctor phones his employer and tells him that an impossible scenario, the like of which they have never planned for, is imminent.
A helicopter transports Special Agent in Charge Darius Michaud to the roof of the Federal Building, where many FBI agents are positioned. Michaud meets with another FBI agent, who reports that, even though the building has been evacuated and searched, no trace of an explosive device has been found. Although the agents have already sent dogs to search through the building, Michaud tells the man to send the dogs again and walks away. The wearisome FBI agent reluctantly tells the other officers to begin again. Michaud walks to the edge of the roof and watches another FBI agent on top of an adjacent building.
There, Special Agent Dana Scully calls her partner Fox Mulder, informing him of her location and launching into a lengthy diatribe in which she criticizes his hunch that the building where she is contains the bomb, even though the FBI are answering a bomb threat that was called in to the Federal Building across the street. Moments after she ends her long tirade, he sneaks up on her and uses the element of surprise to intentionally startle her, as a practical joke. He then verbosely supports his decision to act on his hunch. Believing he is bored with their assignment, Scully reminds him that the X-Files have been closed and that there is new procedure and protocol for them to follow. Scully seemingly tricks Mulder into thinking that the door to enter the building from the roof is locked but, upon discovering her cunning, he claims to have always known the door had been open.
Inside the building, the agents continue their jesting and Mulder shows her an emotionless expression that he describes as the face he makes when he is panicking. They playfully argue whether he made that expression when Scully had pretended the door was locked and, on Scully's instruction, Mulder heads away to buy drinks for them both. He passes a Black-Haired Man on the way into a vending room where he finds the bomb within a drinks dispenser. Also discovering that the door to the vending room is locked, he contacts Scully and apprehensively alerts her to the situation. She is initially skeptical that he is in serious danger, instead believing that he is trying to trick her, but then confirms for herself that he is indeed in jeopardy, when she sees that the keyhole to the vending room door has been soldered over.
Thanks to her efforts, Mulder is released from the sealed room by their fellow FBI agents and the building is evacuated. However, SAC Michaud, apparently intent on defusing the bomb, remains inside the vending room, where he sits, looking at the bomb without taking action, as Mulder senses, now outside, that something is dreadfully wrong. He turns back to the building but ultimately complies with Scully's anxious urges for them to flee before it is too late. The bomb detonates as Scully, Mulder and another agent start to rush away from the building in a car. The explosion of the bomb causes major devastation to the building. While Mulder and Scully gaze up at the wreckage after exiting their car, Mulder tries to make light of the situation by telling Scully — with darkest irony — that next time will be her turn to buy them both drinks but his comment is not met with laughter from Scully, who instead continues to look up at the devastation as Mulder wanders away.
In Washington, D.C.'s J. Edgar Hoover Building, Scully is attending an OPR hearing, presided over by Assistant Director Jana Cassidy. Mulder enters, late for the meeting, as AD Cassidy begins to cite a list of individuals who – the FBI have discovered – were in the bombed building, upon its destruction; the list not only includes SAC Michaud but also three firemen and a young boy. Even though Mulder interrupts the Assistant Director by questioning the list (because he and Scully have been told that the building had been clear), AD Cassidy asks him to leave the room until Scully has been debriefed. Mulder eventually complies with the request.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner finds him in a corridor outside the room, where Mulder argues that he himself should be assigned OPR's blame for the blast – claiming that he breached protocol – even though Skinner says Scully is taking the blame and defending Mulder. She exits the OPR room and, advising Skinner that the OPR panelists wish to speak with him, Skinner leaves the two agents. The duo calmly but passionately discuss the likely imminent end of their partnership, with Scully mentioning that OPR is reassigning her and that she would be uninterested in a transfer to an FBI field office, after having experienced the things she has. Mulder correctly deduces from her latter pronouncement that she instead intends to quit the FBI. Scully asks Mulder if he wouldn't consider the same action. Skinner calls Mulder back to the OPR review room and, as he returns there, Scully hands him his FBI jacket, wishing him good luck.A drunken Mulder is later seen at Casey's Bar & Grill where he notices an elderly man observing him from the other end of the counter. When the barmaid takes an interest in Mulder's occupation, he begins deriding his own work and the humiliation he endures at the FBI due to his convictions regarding aliens. The puzzled barmaid decides he's had enough to drink. She asks him to pay and they part company. Mulder sees that the elderly man is no longer at the end of the bar and goes in search of a place to relieve himself. He finds the bathroom door bearing a makeshift "out of order" sign, and the ladies' room is already occupied. Mulder goes to a back alley to urinate and is approached by the elderly man, Doctor Alvin Kurtzweil, who claims to be an old friend of his father and to have followed Mulder's career for years. He informs the agent that the firemen and child found in the Dallas building after the explosion were already dead and that the bomb was meant to destroy evidence about how they died. Mulder refuses to believe him at first, but then heads to Scully's apartment and asks her to accompany him to the morgue to investigate.
NORTH TEXASTwo helicopters land by night at the Blackwood County site. Complex structures have been erected around the pit where Doctor Bronschweig and his colleagues are working. The black oil found in the pit is being sucked up through pipes and stored into tanker trucks. The Cigarette-Smoking Man steps down from one of the helicopters and follows Doctor Bronschweig into the pit wearing a protective suit; they approach the body of one of the victims who is kept in a refrigerated bubble litter. The Smoking Man observes that the man is still alive to which the doctor responds he is, biologically, but will never recover, his now translucent body having been taken over by an alien being growing inside of him, the cold temperature only slowing the gestation process down. The Cigarette-Smoking Man asks the doctor to try their weak vaccine on the victim, and if it should prove unsuccessful, to burn the body as they did with the others.
Agents Mulder and Scully arrive at the morgue where Stevie Richardson and the firemen's bodies are kept. A soldier is present to guard the entrance, but Mulder manages to convince the young man to let them through. Scully is shocked at what she is seeing when she gets to examine one of the firemen's translucent body, declaring nobody could explain what caused the man's death. Mulder asks Scully to perform an autopsy while he seeks out Doctor Kurtzweil for more information.
Mulder finds Kurtzweil's apartment building surrounded by police cars and climbs up to discover the man has been falsely accused of selling child pornography as a way to have him arrested and silenced. Kurtzweil is hiding in the back alley behind the building and calls out to Mulder, telling him about a secret government and their plan to experiment with the virus found in Texas. The doctor encourages Mulder to go back to Dallas and investigate.
Mulder is joined by Scully in Dallas where they get to examine bone fragments found in the pit and kept for further observation at the FBI field office. Scully is astonished after looking at them under a microscope and mentions the tissue samples taken from the fireman she autopsied contained a protein code she'd never seen before. She is worried that what killed the victims could be a serious health threat, considering how fast it acted.
As Doctor Bronschweig's team is ready to pack everything and leave Blackwood County, the scientist descends into the pit to inoculate the infected victim with the Syndicate's vaccine. The man finds the fireman's body torn open. He warns his colleagues about it but a strange sound gets his attention. A slimy figure is observing him from a dark corner, and Bronschweig decides to try inoculating the alien being with the weak vaccine instead. He is unaware of the alien's strength and long claws and is soon attacked by the creature. Bronschweing calls for help, but his colleagues close the pit's entrance and bury the two alive.
When spending time with his family in England, the Well-Manicured Man is called to a meeting of the Syndicate in London.
Upon arrival, all of the other members are present, and the Well-Manicured Man has to give his apologies for being late, owing to his grandson breaking his leg. The man is then given the new information concerning the black oil; the virus is not an agent that would enslave humans but a colonizing force that feeds on its host and becomes a fully grown alien being. Security camera footage from the morgue revealing Mulder and Scully's visit is also shown to the man.
NORTH TEXASMulder and Scully travel to Blackwood County and walk to the desert valley where the bone fragments have been gathered, only to find a brand new playground built on freshly laid turf. The agents find this rather suspicious. Stevie Richardson's friends approach the park on new bicycles and Mulder asks them about what happened and who built the playground. The boys answer they are not supposed to talk about it and are unimpressed with the agents' claim about working for the FBI until Mulder shows them his badge. They then point out where Doctor Bronschweig's team had headed. Mulder and Scully drive until nightfall looking for unmarked tanker trucks when they reach the end of the road. The agents begin to argue when a train passes by, hauling the tanker trucks in question. Mulder and Scully follow the train on a road stretching along the railroad tracks and park when they come to a dead end. Standing on a hilltop, the duo notices a large cornfield and two luminous, white structures built in the middle of the desert. They come down to explore the strange place and walk through the crops towards the white structures. They find the doors unlocked and enter one of the buildings where the temperature is controlled and much cooler than outside. A low humming can be heard from underneath metal traps built into the floor and ceiling. Mulder tells Scully to run when the traps suddenly open, releasing swarms of bees into the air. The agents soon understand they are dealing with an experiment involving infected bees, as previously seen with related investigations. Mulder and Scully leave the apiary and avoid being stung, but two black helicopters appear in the night sky and start chasing them around the fields. The agents hide under the corn foliage until the helicopters leave the plantation. Mulder and Scully walk back to their car and return to Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C.Scully runs to the FBI Headquarters, coming in late for her OPR hearing after which she gives Assistant Director Skinner her letter of resignation and is transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah. She pays Mulder a visit to his apartment to share the news with him. Mulder is stumped and says she can't leave, insisting he needs her on the X-Files. Scully reminds him she was assigned to the X-Files to debunk his work and had hindered him all the way. Mulder replies that even if her strict rationalism was often frustrating, it had kept him honest and that he owes her everything. Scully tears up and kisses Mulder on the forehead. As the agents embrace and are about to kiss, an infected bee stuck in Scully's collar stings her on the neck. Scully goes into shock and loses consciousness. Mulder immediately calls the FBI to announce he has an agent down. An ambulance is sent to get the patient and Mulder informs the paramedics about the bee sting and the possibility of a virus carried by the insect. As he asks to which hospital his partner will be taken, the paramedics close the doors with no response. Mulder runs to the driver who only stares at him and shoots him through the window. Mulder collapses in the street. The real ambulance meant for Scully arrives on the scene and takes Mulder to a nearby hospital. Mulder awakes to The Lone Gunmen staring at him from above his hospital bed. The men tell Mulder the bullet only grazed his brow, but that it was a close call. They further explain the call for Scully was intercepted and someone else was sent to take her infected body. Melvin Frohike shows Mulder the dead africanized honey bee they picked up in the corridor outside his apartment. Mulder tries to get up, but Skinner enters the room and tells him to lie down. Mulder refuses to stand still and asks for Byers' clothes while the man puts on the hospital gown and pretends to be Mulder. Mulder leaves the room followed by Langly and Frohike, passing off as Byers, fooling the guard the Syndicate had placed in the hall to keep an eye on the agent.
Meanwhile, Alvin Kurtzweil is found by the Well-Manicured Man who executes him and hides his body in the trunk of his car. As Mulder comes looking for the doctor, he is met by the Syndicate member who orders him to join him in the car. They are driven around Washington while the Well-Manicured Man reveals details about the mutated virus, the Syndicate's motivation to pursue hybridization experiments and survival to colonization. The man knows he is acting against Syndicate orders, but entrusts Mulder with a vial of the weak vaccine, giving him Scully's exact location and telling him he must get to her within 96 hours or it will be too late. The Well-Manicured Man tells the driver to pull over in a back alley only to shoot him and tells Mulder to leave the car which explodes soon after.
After recovering from her ordeal, Agent Scully hands in a report on the recent events and is called to another OPR hearing. Assistant Director Cassidy is confused by what she has read, unable to take Scully's report seriously, and demands concrete evidence to justify the story. Scully walks up to her superior, handing her the encapsulated honey bee collected by the Lone Gunmen on the night she was stung. "I don't believe the FBI currently has an investigative unit qualified to pursue the evidence in hand," she stresses, and walks out of the room.
[While the hearing proceeds, the cornfield in north Texas is being destroyed and tanker trucks leave the area.]
Scully takes a break outside where she finds Mulder sitting on a bench reading the newspaper. "There's an interesting work of fiction on page 24, " he says, pointing to a reassuring, made up explanation for the black oil incident that took place in Texas. A frustrated Mulder tells Scully she was right to want to quit, that she should go be a doctor and get as far as she can from him and his hollow cause. Scully stands firm and responds she will work by his side, because if she quits, they win.
The Cigarette-Smoking Man steps down from a helicopter and strolls along a new cornfield planted in the middle of the Tunisian desert. He is led to fellow Syndicate member Conrad Strughold and tells him he got a telegram he needs to see: "X-FILES RE-OPENED. STOP. PLEASE ADVISE. STOP."
1998; Alien Cryogenic Storage; Blackwood County; Blackwood County Rural/Metro Fire Department; Dallas; Danny; Howard Dimsdale; Distant past; Glenn; Sal; T.C.; Texas; Montgomery County, Maryland; Bethesda Naval Hospital
Background InformationEdit
|Teaser trailer
- This film was only the second movie adaptation of a series produced for television by 20th Century Fox; the first was Batman in 1966.
- A working title of this movie was X-Files: Blackwood.
- The phrase Fight the Future was included as a tagline on some promotion for this film, although not all. The phrase is also not included in the title card that begins this film, leading some to assume that it was not meant to be part of the film's title. However, the use of the phrase as a subheading for the film's script suggests that it was indeed meant to be part of the movie's title, more than just one of several taglines used to the promote the film, and that it was conceived in this fashion.
- The movie was filmed in the hiatus between seasons 4 and 5, and reshoots were done during the filming of Season 5, which meant that some episodes of that season do not revolve around Mulder and/or Scully, because either David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson or both actors were unavailable. Examples of these episodes include "Unusual Suspects" (in which Scully does not appear), "Christmas Carol" (featuring a single scene with Mulder), "Chinga" (which focuses primarily on Scully), and "Travelers" (in which Scully does not appear).
- The movie plays an integral role in the ongoing storylines of the television series The X-Files, set between Seasons 5 and 6 of the series, but it is also a stand-alone film. Similarly, it can be understood by both fans, and viewers who have never seen The X-Files before. For example, the black alien virus is intended to be the black oil from the television series, but this fact is only implied by the appearance of the black substance and the connection is never outrightly stated. Due to its accessible nature, the movie was responsible for introducing the show to a new group of fans.
- The bomb at the start of the movie has been frequently likened to the real-life Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995.
- In one scene, Mulder urinates on a wall that displays a poster for the 1996 20th Century Fox co-produced film Independence Day. Apparently, writer and producer Chris Carter deliberately added the reference as he hated the film. Like The X-Files Movie, however, Independence Day also involved extraterrestrials and UFOs on Earth. It referenced The X-Files in a scene near the start of the movie in which a SETI employee talking during a phone call says, "I love The X-Files, too. I hope you get to see it." The line was not in the script used to film Independence Day and was presumably only added while filming the movie.
- According to several May 1998 newspaper articles on the rising costs of film production, 20th Century Fox spent around 60 million dollars promoting the film worldwide, [1] and the production budget, originally said to be 60 million dollars as well, was eventually revealed to have been closer to 66 million. With a minimum expenditure of 126 million dollars for production/promotion, the movie had a worldwide gross of slightly over 189 million, of which the studio would have received around about 55%.
- This movie was released on both DVD and Blu-Ray.
- A lot of actors who appeared in this film have appeared throughout popular sci-fi/fantasy shows: T.W. King - FBI Agent on Roof - Andy Treadeau in Charmed, Gary Grubbs - Fire Captain Miles Cooles - Roger Burkle in Angel , Steve Rankin - Field Agent - Tara McClay's Father in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Lucas Black - Stevie - Caleb in American Gothic , One of Stevie friends in the film was played by Christopher Fennell - Steve's friend - Caleb's best friend Boone in American Gothic, and Terry O'Quinn - Darius Michaud - John Locke in Lost.
- Scully's exact address is: 107 E. Cordova St. Apt. 35 Georgetown, VA 24026
- Several actors who have appeared in previous and/or future episodes of the show guest starred in the feature movie: Terry O'Quinn (Aubrey, Trust No 1) Steve Rankin (Orison), Gary Grubbs (Our Town) and Jason Beghe (Darkness Falls). See below for the list.
- Exterior shots of the Well-Manicured Man's residence in London were shot at a house in Pasadena that was used as the exterior location of the Wayne Manor in the "Batman" television series.
- When the crew was shooting the cornfield scenes, a teenager had managed to get past security and was hiding inside the cornfield. He was able to videotape the actors in the field and the huge white domes. He sold the footage to a local news station and thus revealed some of the key locations for the X-Files movie nearly a year before the movie was due to hit the big screen.
- Of the three young actors playing Stevie's friends, only one had any previous acting experience.
- When Gillian Anderson was filming the rooftop scene, she had an allergic reaction to the sunscreen used by the make-up department to simulate sweat.
- During the first week of principal photography, the second-unit crew was stranded for 2 days on a glacier near Vancouver as bad weather conditions prevented the helicopter, which had taken them up there, to come and pick them up. They spent the night in the ice station set while the temperature outside dropped down to the low twenties.
- The movie had a budget of just under $60 million.
- In order to prevent the crew from making copies of the script and posting it on the Internet, the script was printed on red paper with the name of the owner placed diagonally over each page.
- To protect the secrecy surrounding the movie, the project was given the 'code' title "Blackwood" during its production. However, the online X-Philes community quickly found out about the code title and started speculating about its possible meaning. Some ideas were even more out there than others as theories alluding to Edgar Allen Poe and MTV VJ Nina Blackwood were posted on the Internet. They were all wrong however, as "Blackwood" only refers to a fictional town in Dallas where some of the story is set.
- The movie only had a pre-production period of 10 weeks. This is extremely short as a normal feature film of this scale would prep from eight months to a year.
- In the newspaper that Mulder is reading, the article above "Fatal Hanta Virus Outbreak in Northern Texas Contained" is just a set of lines that are repeated over and over again. It reads "She said her husband was outside the house trying to get the girls to talk to him and allow him to take them into his home. While he amended the compromise into a bill that would have required a minimum of five cent refundable deposit, the assembly at the senate will be the first time buyers.
Cast and CharactersEdit
- Terry O'Quinn (Darius Michaud) previously played Lt. Brian Tillman in The X-Files episode "Aubrey" and Peter Watts in several Millennium episodes.
- Steven Rankin (Field Agent) previously played Sheriff John Cayce in Millennium episode "19:19".
- Gary Grubbs (Fire Captain Miles Cooles) previously played Sheriff Tom Arens in The X-Files episode "Our Town".
- Jason Beghe (FBI Man at Bomb Site) previously played Larry Moore in The X-Files episode "Darkness Falls".
- David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder
- Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully
- Martin Landau as Alvin Kurtzweil
- Blythe Danner as Jana Cassidy
- William B. Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man
- John Neville as Well-Manicured Man
- Mitch Pileggi as Assistant Director Walter Skinner
- Jeffrey De Munn as Ben Bronschweig
- Terry O'Quinn as Darius Michaud
- Armin Mueller-Stahl as Conrad Strughold
- Lucas Black as Stevie Richardson
- Chris Fennell as 2nd Boy
- Cody Newton as 3rd Boy
- Blake Stokes as 4th Boy
- Dean Haglund as Richard Langly
- Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers
- Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike
- Don S. Williams as First Elder
- George Murdock as Second Elder
- Michael Shamus Wiles as Black-Haired Man
- Craig Davis as Primitive #1
- Carrick O'Quinn as Primitive #2
- Tom Woodruff, Jr. as Creature #1
- Gregory B. Ballora as Creature #2
- T.W. King as FBI Agent on Roof
- Luis Beckford as FBI Agent
- Steve Rankin as Field Agent
- Gary Grubbs as Fire Captain Miles Cooles
- Steven M. Gagnon as Last Agent Out
- Lawrence Joshua as DC Cop
- Glendon Rich as DC Cop #2
- Gunther Jenson as Security Guard
- Scott Smith as Technician
- Ian Ruskin as Well-Manicured Man's Valet
- Paul Welterlen as Control Room Operator
- Joel Traywick as Young Naval Guard
- Milton Johns as British Valet
- Paul Tuerpé as 1st Paramedic
- Michael A. Krawic as 2nd Paramedic
- Larry Rippenkroeger as Towncar Driver
- Josh McLaglen as Buzz Mihoe
- Randy Hall as Windbreakered Agent
- T.C. Badalato as T.C.
- Amine Zary as Tunisian
- Jason Beghe as FBI Man at Bomb Site
- Glenne Headly as Barmaid
- Vanessa Morley as Young Samantha Mulder
- Mitch Toles as Security Guard #2
- Marcus Turner as Young Fox Mulder
- Gilley Grey as Danny


text: It's that time of year again. Everyone's favorite holiday - World Water Day! What? Never heard of the holiday that celebrates the one substance that is the basis for all life? Think about it, when scientists are looking for proof of life on other planets, what is the one clue they hope to find? Water. The simple presence of water. They know that if there is water, there may be a possibility for life. No water, no life. Here on Earth, almost three quarters of our planet's surface is covered with water. The volume of water in your own body is made up of almost that exact same percentage. We all need water to survive. And by "we all," I mean microbes, insects, kittens, people, polar bears, trees, frogs, flowers, birds, turtles, forests, ecosystems, etc. We are all intricately linked through water. As much as we try to separate these groups in our minds, as much as we disassociate ourselves with parts of the rest of the world, it would do us good to remember that we all have one common need. What do sharks and humans have in common? Their need for water. Clean water. There is some great information now available that helps us visualize how truly dependent we are on water. We can see how much water it takes to make a one pound of beef, one pint of greek yogurt, one cup of coffee. It's all very fascinating – mostly because it forces us to look at water in new ways. We live in a world where "conserve water" or "save water" used to mean - stop letting the faucet run while you are brushing your teeth, or don't water your lawn in the middle of the hot summer day. This new view of water, puts a truer value on the resources required to produce the food we eat and makes us think about our daily choices in different ways. For example, it takes three eggs to equal the amount of protein in one serving of beef, but the beef requires nine times the amount of water to produce. If we are committed to being good stewards of this amazing water planet, we need to start with our own daily choices. Figure out what is most important to you and then look for ways to make less of an impact! Interested in learning more about the state of our of water supply and how it's impacting marine life? Tune into PBS NewHour's weekly Twitter chat (#NewsHourChats) at 1pm EST to hear from me (@LauraBankey) and our Chief Conservation Officer, Eric Schwaab (via @NatlAquarium)! Tags: clean-water, clean-water-access, Conservation, eric-schwaab, national-aquarium-experts, ocean-conservation, pbs-newshour, thoughtful-thursday, twitter-chat, water-conservation, world-water-day Categories: News Previous Post Next Post

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Verdicchio is a crisp Italian white grape that makes wines with "considerable personality" (The World Atlas of Wine). You'll find it in the Marche (pronounced "mar-kay") region along the Adriatic coast. Unlike most Italian whites, it's known for its ability to age, and the best offer a nutty, buttery complexity. Conti Leopardi, acclaimed at the 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competition, was crafted by a noble family who have made wine in the Marche since 1500.
If you're into literature, you may have heard of the Leopardi family — their ancestor Giacomo, a 19th century poet, is as important to the Italians as Shakespeare is to the English-speaking world. Today, the family is just as proud of their reputation for excellent wines. In fact, it wasn't hard to persuade the present-day Count Leopardi, Pierfrancesco, to grant our customers access to the family's pride-and-joy Verdicchio.
The Leopardi's vineyards are located more than 1,100 feet above sea level, where brilliant sunshine, the cooling influence from the Adriatic and low-yielding ancient vines produce aromatic, intensely flavored Verdicchio grapes. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, the Marche is a top spot for fresh seafood. So locally, this elegant white — with notes of citrus, minerals, almonds and fresh herbs (which will also develop a subtle nuttiness over time) — would be enjoyed with simple grilled white fish, shrimp or calamari.
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Praise for Robert K. Massie's Dreadnought
"Dreadnought is history in the grand manner, as most people prefer it: how people shaped, or were shaped by, events." —Time
"A classic [that] covers superbly a whole era . . . engrossing in its glittering gallery of characters." —Chicago Sun-Times
"[Told] on a grand scale . . . Massie [is] a master of historical portraiture and anecdotage." —The Wall Street Journal
"Brilliant on everything he writes about ships and the sea. It is Massie's eye for detail that makes his nautical set pieces so marvelously evocative." —Los Angeles Times


text:
In my blogs this week, I have explored the challenges that face decision-makers in building trust with adversaries, and shown the limitations of approaches like Osgood's GRIT (see Wednesday's blog) and Kupchan's 'Red October' analogy (see yesterday's blog). In my final blog today, I want to explore the proposition that I am developing at length in my new book that face-to-face encounters between leaders and top-level diplomats hold out the possibility of building trust across the enemy divide. In making this argument, I am not falling into the trap of claiming that all that is necessary for a conflict to be transformed is that enemies meet and talk as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain discovered when he met Adolf Hitler at Munich in September 1938.
Even if adversaries meet without the intention of deception, putting enemy leaders in the same room can simply have the effect of heightening their awareness of what is at stake in the conflict, how much they fear and distrust each other, and how determined they are not to make concessions. This was certainly the outcome of the disastrous summit meeting between US President John F. Kennedy and his Soviet counterpart Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna in June 1961. Neither leader was able to exercise that particular kind of empathy which I called 'security dilemma sensibility' (see Tuesday's blog). Over the two days that they met, Kennedy and Khrushchev hammered away at each other on the ideological failings of the other's political system – a textbook case of the ideological fundamentalism (see Tuesday's blog) which blocks empathyand trust.
The research that I have conducted to date as part of my ESRC/AHRC Global Uncertainties project on 'The Challenges to Trust-Building in Nuclear Worlds' suggests three key conditions that are necessary for the success of face-to-face diplomacy in building trust between adversaries. First, leaders must exercise security dilemma sensibility; ideally, they will have begun the process of empathising with each other prior to their meeting, but situations might arise where the exercise of empathy develops through the encounter itself, or is deepened as a result of meeting face-to-face.
The second condition for successful face-to-face diplomacy is political risk-taking on the part of leaders. I discussed yesterday Sadat's leap of trust in going to Jerusalem in November 1977; the Egyptian leader paid the ultimate price for this gesture of trustworthiness in that he was assassinated from within the Egyptian army four years later, and his opening to Israel played a major part in this. I am not suggesting that this is the measure of 'political risk-taking', but the two adversarial leaders need to be able to see that the other is serious about building trust, and a litmus test of this is how far each leader is prepared to take on new vulnerabilities as a signal of their potential trustworthiness. As Annette Baier has put it: 'Trust is acceptance of vulnerability to harm that others could inflict, but which we judge that they will not in fact inflict' (1995: 152). These vulnerabilities could, as in the case of Sadat, be personal life-threatening ones, but they could extend well beyond personal risks and dangers to encompass national risks and dangers. It is often argued that Khrushchev left the Vienna summit in June 1961 with the belief that the new and young US President could be pushed around, and this was one factor in the nuclear brinkmanship that the Soviet leader tried with his audacious move of deploying medium range nuclear missiles to Cuba in October 1962.
The third condition for building trust through face-to-face encounters is that both leaders and top decision-makers recognise a common interest and shared responsibility in de-escalating a conflict. Trust will never grow in a context where one side believes that they can only be secure if the other side is insecure; rather, there must be a commitment to common or mutual security. Put differently, each leader must be looking for ways to increase and not decrease the security of an adversary. Indeed, the critical test of a trusting relationship is whether an actor refrains from exploiting opportunities that might arise to make gains at the other's expense.
In the book I am writing, I test this model of what I call 'communicative dynamics' in both face-to-face encounters and written communication between actors.
The best case we have of 'face-to-face diplomacy' (the term is Marcus Holmes's) is the Reagan-Gorbachev one. The summits that these two leaders held at Geneva in 1985, Reykjavik in October 1986, Washington in December 1987, and Moscow in March 1988 offer a fascinating contrast to the cases of Munich in 1938 and Vienna in 1961. Taking the first element in my model, both leaders arrived for their first summit in Geneva in November 1985 with a strong disposition to exercise security dilemma sensibility (this proposition is developed in Booth and Wheeler 2008; Wheeler 2013 – see also Reynolds 2007). With regard to the second condition, both leaders embarked on the summit process knowing that there was strong domestic opposition to a rapprochement of this kind, and yet each proceeded to take the political risks to build trust. Turning to the third condition for successful face-to-face trust-building, Reagan and Gorbachev shared a common vision to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and this created an emotional bond between them – transcending their ideological divisions – which led them to act as 'nuclear trustees' (the term was Hedley Bull's) for common humanity. Reagan and Gorbachev trusted each other because they came to realise through meeting face-to-face that what divided them was ultimately far less important than what united them.
I would argue that face-to-face encounters of the kind that Reagan and Gorbachev had constitute a mechanism of trust building that overcomes the limitations that I identified in relation to other approaches in earlier blogs. Nevertheless, it still remains to be shown that face-to-face trust building enables frame breaking conciliatory moves (the subject of yesterday's blog). Gorbachev made a series of cooperative moves in 1987-88 that can only be described as frame breaking (discussed in detail in Wheeler 2013). These were costly signals (to use Andrew Kydd's terminology from yesterday's blog) because the Soviet Union would never have sent these signals of its potential trustworthiness had it harboured malign motives. Stated boldly, my argument is that Gorbachev felt able to make those moves in significant part because of the trust that he had developed with Reagan. I am not claiming that the frame breaking conciliatory moves that Gorbachev made as Soviet leader would not have happened in the absence of this trust; the available evidence does not permit such a strong claim.
But what has to be explained is how Gorbachev went from making GRIT (see Wednesday's blog) type moves in the 1985-86 to the more dramatic frame breaking moves in 1987-88. According to Osgood, ratcheting up to bolder cooperative moves should only follow after reciprocation by an adversary; Gorbachev threw Osgood's GRIT strategy out of the window when in the absence of US positive reciprocation, Gorbachev moved to the frame-breaking level. Realist scholars like Mearsheimer (see Monday's blog) would argue that Gorbachev made these moves because the Soviet Union was on the ropes as a consequence of economic failure and US competitive arms racing. I would agree that the material pressures exerted by a declining Soviet economy were a critical enabling condition of Gorbachev actions. But this is not to say that these conciliatory frame-breaking moves would have been possible in the absence of the trusting relationship that developed between US and Soviet leaders. In short, a full explanation of the end of the Cold War requires attention to both the material and the ideational, the latter being expressed significantly in the form of the trust that developed through Reagan and Gorbachev's face-to-face diplomacy.
Our research on the conditions under which face-to-face diplomacy succeeds is only in its infancy, and my book is only the springboard to further research in this area. One exciting area of enquiry here concerns the implication of the latest research in neuroscience for trust building between adversaries, and in particular, the work of Marcus Holmes who is exploring how far mirror neuron theory might offer an escape from the security dilemma (the existential condition of uncertainty about the motives and intentions of others with the capability to do us harm). I am leading a partnership at the University of Birmingham in conjunction with the School of Psychology to take forward this research agenda, bringing in other scholars internationally. As part of taking this research project forward, the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security (ICCS) in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) under the latter's 'Saving Humans' theme, is co-hosting a workshop in June at Birmingham that will investigate theoretical issues, and explore further the case of Munich as well as evidence from the Israel-Palestine case. I look forward to reporting back on this work through the ICCS blog and other publications in due course.
Nicholas J. Wheeler is Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, and Director of the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security at the University of Birmingham.
Follow Professor Wheeler on Twitter: @WheelerICCS
Click here for further information on the work of the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security (ICCS) at the University of Birmingham.
Further useful links:
Investigating diplomatic transformations
The force of Face-to-face diplomacy
International Politics at the Brain's edge
Vienna 1961: when Cold War tensions came to the boil


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Browse by Author
|Up a level
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Report / Paper
Number of items: 1.
Report / Paper
Iturbe Ormaetxe, Iñigo and Ponti, Giovanni and Tomás, Josefa and Ubeda, Luis (2008) Framing Effects in Public Goods: Prospect Theory and Experimental Evidence. [Working Paper]. p. 41. Working Papers. Serie AD (No. 2008-15).


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Passionate For Paso - 2006 West Coast Kustoms Crusin' Nationals
Livin' it up at West Coast Kustoms' Cruisin' Nats
Loyal custom and hot rod fans recently gathered once again in Paso Robles, California, at West Coast Kustoms' Cruisin' Nationals to celebrate with the vehicles that make their pulse rates quicken and shift into high gear. Over the years this event has grown from a small number of custom fans getting together to an event crossing many different styles and generations, yet remaining completely true to its traditional roots.
Unlike some unfocused events, the Paso Robles gathering brings together hot rods and customs, as well as their loyal fans who all share a love for everything traditional. Whether it be wild '60s show rods, nose-up gassers, fresh-off-the-lakebed early hot rods, or purebred customs, it all can be found throughout the weekend at Paso. Kicking back in the park listening to live music or cruising the vendors checking out everything you need for the rod and custom lifestyle is all a part of Paso. Throw in several hundred cars and it's easy to see why this has turned into a must-do event.


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There's a lot of anxiety about the pros and cons of the X-Pro 1 in that abode of hungry ghosts, the DPReview forums. I think most of that anxiety really boils down to one question—is it the right camera for you?
Thom at Sans Mirror:
Fujifilm X-Pro1 or Olympus E-M5? Still a little early to call, but initial impressions say E-M5 hands down. The X-Pro1 is a big camera, as big as a Leica M9. It has a limited (and expensive) lens set. It has poor autofocus performance. It has a large, eccentric sensor (APS, non-Bayer). It has a retro design with a hybrid optical/EVF viewfinder. The E-M5 is a smaller camera than it looks in photos. It has an extensive lens set. It has faster focus performance. It has the best of the m4/3 sensors so far. It has a very usable EVF. The problem I have with the Fujifilm is that it is really only great for one (slow) style of shooting, and it's doesn't take advantage of the size benefit that removing the mirror gives you. The hybrid viewfinder is fine, but it's a bit of a gimmick. A good EVF is enough, which is exactly what the E-M5 has. Bottom line: for less money you get a smaller camera that has a huge lens arsenal and very good autofocus performance.
I almost agree... even if I think I can smell a whiff of irrational bias there. How is a 'large, eccentric sensor' a disadvantage?
First, he characterizes the X-Pro 1's autofocus performance as "poor." It isn't. It's not as good as on the latest µ43 cameras, but it is not "poor" by any reasonable definition of the word. "Poor" means that it gets in the way of using the camera. The Sigma DP1 had poor autofocus. Most compact digital cameras before the Fuji F30 had poor autofocus. The EOS-10D had poor (as in inaccurate) autofocus. The X-Pro 1's AF is not poor. It's perfectly adequate for the one type of shooting where it truly excels.
That brings me to the second point. Thom calls that one type of shooting (slow). It's not slow. On the contrary, it's a very fast type of shooting. Timing is critical in it, and a slow camera will seriously get in the way. "Deliberate" is a better word, because the idea is that you stay a step ahead of the action and anticipate it. That's what the "gimmick" of the optical viewfinder is for, too. That's not just sugar-coating something; it's describing a real difference. Shooting with a view camera, for example, is a slow style of photography. It takes a lot of effort to set up every shot. But situational shooting with a rangefinder-style camera, whether it's a true rangefinder or something like the Contax G3 or the X-Pro 1, is not slow. Of course it would be nice to have AF as good as the OM-D's, but it would not change much about how the camera shoots.
However, I concur with the larger point: the OM-D does almost everything better than the X-Pro 1, does it for less money in a more compact package, and does a great deal more than the Fuji can do, at least with its current very small lens selection. This is true of any current µ43 camera. So if you do want an all-rounder, then the Fuji is not the right camera for you.
But if it so happens that you value the particular type of shooting the Fuji is made for, there really is nothing else out there that does it better. What's more, it's entirely capable of coping with types of shooting its antecedents simply couldn't do—close-ups and macro, for example, and once the telephoto lenses from the roadmap materialize, that sort of stuff too. Fuji's lens roadmap does suggest to me that they plan to extend the camera system with more general-purpose bodies as well. If the X system survives in the marketplace, it could evolve into something much more versatile. I hope it does. If the optical viewfinder goes the way of the dodo, something significant will be lost.
At this point, though, the answer to the "is it for you?" question is something like "If you have to ask, then no." The µ43 system is better for general photography. The Sony system—with focus peaking and better EVF's—is better for legacy lenses. Or, naturally, the Leica system, if you can swing the entry cost. But if you do inhabit the niche the X-Pro 1 serves, then hell yes, it is for you.
It's a bit like a road bike. If you have to ask, then it's not the right kind of bike for you—but there's nothing out there that reels up the miles on a twisting country road quite like one.


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What's in your bag, Kahchun Wong?
The Singaporean conductor impresses not only with technical brilliance, but also with his relaxed approach. At just 32, the rising star has already been appointed Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. In February, he will be performing in Germany and New York. Lufthansa Magazin peeked inside the cosmopolitan conductor's bag at Hamburg Airport.
The sound of Kahchun Wong


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Abismall necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 18 diseños de 7 diseñadores freelance.
Hi, I have 7 vector images and I'm looking for a creative flash designer to simply animate my vector images. it is about subtlety and attention to detail, not loads of animation. the theme is Zen' and all must be calm, simple but a little quirky...have a bit of fun.
Phoenix London
I work for a small web design agency as a designer. We do not specialise in flash at all, but are doing a website that relies on some subtle, interesting flash. You can view the website at http://firefish.phoenixbeta.co.uk/ click on the menu items across the top of the box to see the different sections, each section has a background animation. There are animations there at the moment that I did but they are terrible. I'm looking for someone to have a bit of fun. The animation can be simple and don't forget Zen!
You can download all the illustrations below.
Each animation represents a section of the site so if we can have this in the back of your mind when animating that would be great.
Ideas of what you can do are as follows, but this isn't by any mean finite it is just to help give you an idea. I would like you to let your creativeness flow!
about us:
tails and eyes moving
fire flickering
on mouseover of element make sun flames flicker and moon have face
what we do
fish looking under plants, plants ripple
on mouseover plants grow
bubbles, fish slightly move, leaves flutter on the tree
on mouseover of element the world can turn
branches twiddle
on mouse over birds put heart on tree
river ripples clouds move
on mouseover lights go on and off
ok you are getting the jist i hope, again this is just a very quick idea, not to be taken as concrete.
- you can download a zip file of all the illustrator files here
username: flowton
password: studio
- the size of stage should be 550 height with the width 550 or wider as most are landscape but as you will see most of the illustration needs to sit in the left space which is about 320px.
- the flash must have a transparent background
- it should have only small amount of animation on each illustration
- then some elements to animate on mouseover
- section 'what we do' - must have the fish looking under things (eg the leaves)
- section 'people' - the birds are humming birds so must dip into the flower pollinating them
- i only have flash8 so if the final fla files could be saved down to this it would be good.
- i have saved all the illustrator files as just CS,but if you have any problems opening them just let me know
- too much, animation
- too fast animation
- too in your face animation
- only use colours given, or 1 or so subtle additional ones if necessary
- please stick to the size given above


text:
I am using Ubuntu 12.10 and going to write Prolog program with clpqr. I write this in first line:
:- use_module(library(clpr)).
I got this message:
source_sink `library(clpr)' does not exist
So, how to install that library? I've found some bug report about this, but maybe there's another way to install it...


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Posted by Editoress on 08/1/07
Team Escape Velocity Community Night at UBC
Bring the Whole Family out to Experience a Children's Bicycle Roadeo and Exciting Road Racing at Thunderbird Stadium
Team Escape Velocity is proud to host the first annual World Tuesday Night Championships Community Night at the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Stadium on August 7, 2007. The evening's events will include a fun kid's bicycle roadeo that will emphasize bicycle safety, handling skills and safe cycling in traffic. Escape Velocity will also hold the regular Tuesday Night races and have representatives on hand to explain the discipline of bicycle road racing to interested members of the community.
Escape Velocity has been holding the Tuesday Night races at UBC since 1989, Tobin Copley, Team Escape Velocity Membership Coordinator and Board of Directors member said. As a member of the UBC community, Escape Velocity would like to reach out to the new and growing residential community on campus to promote both safe and competitive cycling in Vancouver.
Escape Velocity organizes close to 30 races throughout the year, and the World Tuesday Night Championships (WTNC) is likely the best attended cycling event in Western Canada. The WTNC series consists of road races held on a short circuit around UBC's Thunderbird stadium Tuesday evening during the summer months, weather permitting. Race categories vary from novices to experts and professionals, including separate races for women. Although intended to be training races, competition in these races is intense and turnouts of close to 200 cyclists are not uncommon on a warm summer evening.
Part of Escape Velocity's mandate is to promote cycling in the community and encouraging young people to get involved in the sport, Copley added. Three of the four members of the Canadian National track pursuit championship team are members of Escape Velocity's youth development program (dEVo) and a number of our former cycling club members have gone onto North American and International professional cycling careers.
Team Escape Velocity would like to thank club sponsors Louis Garneau, Powerbar and La Bicicletta for supporting this event and providing prizes for the evening's events.
Event Details
Date: August 7, 2007
Location: University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Stadium
Time: Kid's Bicycle Roadeo Starts at 6:00 PM; Races for licensed riders starts at 6:30 PM
Bike Roadeo: Bring your own bicycle. Helmets are MANDATORY for this event.
For complete details, see: http://www.escapevelocity.bc.ca/communitynight
Special Note: If it rains, the Kid's Bicycle Roadeo will continue as scheduled, but the racing for licensed riders will be cancelled for safety reasons.
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


text: We were on pins and needles, counting down the days and minutes till midnight on August 2, when Breaking Dawn , the fourth and final book of the Twilight series, hit bookstores. And we were beyond excited when we got our hands on a copy. So, if you're not yet caught up on every single bit of the Bella/Edward/Jacob drama, settle in with our Twilight inspired recipe and check out our recap of the first three books. ( Spoiler Alert: We reveal some plot twists. )Then read our interviews with the Twilight cast , take our Twilight quizzes , play our Twilight games , brush up on your Twilight trivia , and then read our review of Breaking Dawn . Whoo-hoo!


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Medical Marijuana Use in HIV+ Patients Prospective Cohort Study (MMC-1)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01536899
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : February 22, 2012
Last Update Posted : April 5, 2018
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The investigators are interested in understanding personal factors such as medical conditions and mental health, as well as social and economic factors, that influence marijuana (and other substance) use in HIV-positive patients.
Several alternative hypotheses will be evaluated in the proposed project:
- healthier patients may self-select marijuana use;
- marijuana use may be associated with consequences that create barriers to seeking healthcare;
- marijuana use may have medicinal value that reduces the need for such care.
|Condition or disease
|HIV Positive Marijuana Smoking
The study will involve a total of 5 interviews with clinical research staff members, the total involvement will be for about 1 year.
The first interview will establish a baseline of current behaviors and health status; this will take about 3-4 hours. This interview will take place at the Tolan Park Medical Building, located at 3901 Chrysler Service Dr. The remaining 4 interviews - which will be shorter in length - will be conducted about 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the baseline interview; each follow-up interview will take about 2 hours.The purpose of the 4 remaining interviews is to assess changes in behaviors and health status over time.
We will collect urine samples at each of the 5 interview sessions to assess health and illicit drug use.
|Study Type :
|Actual Enrollment :
|119 participants
|Observational Model:
|Time Perspective:
|Official Title:
|Behavioral Economic Analysis of Medical Marijuana Use in HIV+ Patients Prospective Cohort Study
|Study Start Date :
|February 2012
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|June 2017
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 2017
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participants will be patients in the HIV clinic.
- Participants will have HIV.
- Participants will sign a single consent form.
- Participants will be marijuana users.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants who test negative for marijuana will be excluded.
- Volunteers who exhibit signs of drug intoxication or cognitive/mental impairment during the consent process will be excluded.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01536899
|United States, Michigan
|Wayne State University (HIV clinic, Tolan Park Medical Buiding)
|Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201
|Principal Investigator:
|Mark Greenwald, PhD
|Wayne State University
|Responsible Party:
|Mark Greenwald, PhD, Professor, Wayne State University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
R01DA032678 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|February 22, 2012 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|April 5, 2018
|Last Verified:
|April 2018
HIV positive
Medical Marijuana
HIV Seropositivity
Marijuana Abuse
Marijuana Use
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Substance-Related Disorders
Chemically-Induced Disorders
Mental Disorders


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I stood at one side of the hour,
you at the other,
like two handles of an amphora.
Only the words flew between us,
back and forth.
You could almost see their swirling,
and suddenly,
I would lower a knee,
and touch my elbow to the ground
to look at the grass, bent
by the falling of some word,
as though by the paw of a lion in flight.
The words spun between us,
back and forth,
and the more I missed you, the more
they continued, this whirl almost seen,
the structure of matter, the beginnings of things.
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet (or meters), just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter.(wiki)
freezing rain (ploaieîngheţată) este destul de rar, însă nu total neobişnuit pentru România.
Fenomenul se formează din cauză că în straturile înalte ale atmosferei temperaturile cresc, iar la nivelul solului, unde sunt temperaturi sub zero grade, ploaia se transformă imediat în gheaţă. Astfel, în urma freezing rain, se formează o crustă subţire de gheaţă.


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Here we discuss the latest Internet scams, phishing and viruses. A place for up-to-the-minute information and remedies. This forum is viewable by all.
**** Hi-pri Threads ****
This is sorta kinda an expanded version of the Spybot/Ad-Aware list Kris posted, only expanded to include software for detecting, removing, or preventing malware installations.
I personally have - and use - ALL of the items on the list below. I catch a LOT of malware and virus attempts but thus...
**** Regular Threads ****
There are currently 1 users browsing this forum. (0 members & 1 unregistered/not logged in)
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


text:
Breckenridge, COHome Menu
Town Calendar
Looking for info on the wide variety of our special events? Visit GoBreck.com.
Breckenridge Masters Swimming
Ages 18 & Up
- Date: 10/24/2018 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM
- Location: Breckenridge Recreation Center
880 Airport Road
Breckenridge, Colorado 80424
Return to full list >>
Days & Times :
Whether you are a fitness swimmer, a former competitive swimmer, or a triathlete in training, the U.S. Masters Swimming community helps you work toward your individual goals. Under the guidance of USMS Coach Jaime Brede, you develop effective habits in a fun environment with other swimmers who wish to take their fitness to the next level. The drop-in fee is $5.00 per class. Punch pass is available.
Days & Times :
Tuesdays: 6:15-7:45am
Wednesdays: 6:15-7:30pm
Thursdays: 6:45-8:15am
Fees: $5 per class


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Our Social Studies class had a class project for the Ancient Greek era. This was an in-class project so you couldn't do anything at home. (I got an A+ of course )
Shurtugal wrote:Cool boat *ahem* trireme, Socrates! A little more background would be nice, is a trireme a specialized type of boat or something? Anyway, it look awesome!
Triremes (Greek Τριήρεις pl. (Τριήρης sing.)) are several different types of ancient warships. In English no differentiation is made between the Greek trieres and the Latin triremes. This can confuse, while in other languages these describe different ships.
The early type had three rows of oars on each side, manned with one man per oar. They originated with the Phoenicians and are best known from the fleets of Ancient Greece. The early trireme was a development of the pentekonter, an ancient warship with a single row of 25 oars on each side. The trireme's staggered seating permitted three benches per vertical section with an oarsmen on each. The outrigger above the gunwale, projecting laterally beyond it, kept the third row of oars on deck out of the way of the first two under deck. Early triremes were the dominant warship in the Mediterranean from the 7th to the 4th century BC.
The heavily armored Greek/Phoenician trireme was the mainstay of most navies during the times of quinquiremes/penteres. Like these, all rowers were now protected under deck and battle was mainly fought by marines. A different system of classification was also used, referring to the men per vertical section, so that they did not necessarily have three rows of oars any more.
Light Roman triremes supplanted the liburnians in the late Roman navy. They were like the early triremes a light type of warship, but with 150 rowers under deck instead of 170, with little armor, but significantly more marines and less structural support for ramming. Later it developed into the heavier dromon.
Prince Imdol wrote:Why do you bring up old threads. It is really anoying. Learn not to do that.
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Wing Commander, Dungeon Keeper 2 hit GOG
More EA delights arrived on GOG today, in the form of Bullfrog's Dungeon Keeper 2 and the first two of Origin's epic space combat sim series Wing Commander.
Good Old Games has resumed releasing classic Electronic Arts games after its short summer break, coming back with some great games. Today the virtuous virtual vendor of vintage games added Dungeon Keeper 2 to its catalogue plus a double-pack of Wing Commander 1 and 2.
Dungeon Keeper 2 brought Bullfrog's dungeon overlord sim into full 3D, jazzing things up with new units and rooms too. It'll cost you $5.99, and is lovely. The original is also available on GOG. You should certainly play one or the other if the series is a gap in your gaming history, as it's part of why the name "Bullfrog" is spoken in such reverent tones.
Spaceship combat sim Wing Commander was created by the legendary Origin Systems and went on to be hugely successful, spawning numerous sequels, expansion packs, spin-offs, novels, and even a movie. The first two games don't have the FMV sequences which famously starred Mark Hamill as the lead character, but they do have plenty of zap-zap spaceship action and the beginnings of an epic sci-fi story. The double-pack of 1 & 2 will cost you $5.99.
GOG teases that another six EA releases are due "in the coming weeks." Hamillmaniacs may keep their fingers crossed for more Wing Commander, while all my hope's going into wishing that the legal hurdles facing System Shock and System Shock 2 can be overcome.
Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Wing Commander, Dungeon Keeper 2 hit GOG.
More EA delights arrived on GOG today, in the form of Bullfrog's Dungeon Keeper 2 and the first two of Origin's epic space combat sim series Wing Commander.
fo shizzle ma nizzle!
here's the forum page:


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Pulled by pork: Hartman leaves Fossett's to focus on BBQ
Fossett's head chef Craig Hartman has decided to leave the upscale kitchen to devote more time to his recently opened BBQ joint in Gordonsville called the Barbeque Exchange, which has become quite the culinary challenge, he says.
"Seems that I underestimated everything about my BBQ project," says Hartman. "The upside is that I underestimated the success as well."
So, why would a fancy food chef trade steak tartare for pulled pork? Looks like satisfying the discerning palates of BBQ lovers is no easy task.
"I think that 37 years in upscale kitchens can make you feel as if you know a few things," says Hartman, "but what I learned is that I'm still a student of this trade, and I'm definitely humbled by this experience."
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Eaten BBQ all over the southeast for 30 years and have judged KCBS and MIM contests. Right now, Backyard BBQ is the best followed closely by BBQ Exchange.
Problem with eastern NC BBQ like Wilbur's, King's, Parker's, Bill's. etc. is they cook on gas. There is no smoke on the meat. Same thing with Skylight in Ayden. Used to wonder where the smoke was. They had a HUGE pile of wood outside and not a speck of smoke on the meat.
Ate at Lexington #1 a few days ago. Smoke was flying out of the pit chimneys and never made it to the meat. Red slaw was as wonderful as ever.
BBQ Exchange is a great place. Glad to hear Chef Hartman is doing so well with this new venture! He's a nice man.
A gentle suggestion though. While the counter staff have been wonderfully polite and congenial on every visit, the proprietress has been curt and snappish on several occasions. It spoils the experience to hear customers and employees spoken to brusquely. Please leave the customer service to the folks who are good at it-- your staff!
@ Reality Bites
Been to Wilbur's many times. After a while, sadly most eastern NC BBQ tastes alike regardless of how it's cooked. They depend too heavily on the peppery vinegar-based sauce. A lot of them do use electric cookers and stainless steel gas pits. It's too hard to find a real pit master these days. 30 years ago Parker's in Wilson was the best then Bill's came on strong. Bill's hasn't been the same since Hurricane Floyd.
great BBQ and even better sides. Pork Belly, ribs and spicy slaw with a chunk o' cornbread? Lord just take me now, cause it don't get no better
Anybody tries Pierces outside of Richmond on the way to the Outer Banks. Good Stuff!
His BBQ is the best in Central Virginia, I think. If he is committed to being a student of the Q, he probably should take a field trip to Eastern NC. Wilbur's in Goldsboro and Kings in Wilson (or is it Kinston) would be a good starting point.
Needs lemonade at his joint too
Excellent, excellent BBQ!!!
Need to add collards and black-eyed peas to the selection of sides, then we'd be in BBQ heaven.
We plan trips to that part of the state so they always include a side trip to BBQ Exch. Will be passing through there in a couple of weeks. Counting the days . . .
In case your travels take you south, there is comparable BBQ in Durham, NC at Backyard BBQ on NC Route 55 about a mile south of I-40.
Lots of 'que around, but not the quality of these two establishments.
I recommend the bbq platter....with homestyle cole slaw and the mac & cheese. Nice.
I have had bbq all over the US and this bbq is top shelf! Nice work Craig.
Kings in Kinston is the best BBQ I've ever had. Will have to try Craig's to see how it measures up.
Piece's is off 64 at the Lightfoot exit and is very good- the BBQexchange in Gordonsville is better and may be the very best new BBQ place in Virginia in a decade. It is FANTASTIC- stop whining all you foodies about the Taste of China changing chiefs and get your perfect cooked porcine lovin patootie out there now. Nice drive to boot
STSM, Backyard is that good? Is that the one in Durham, I have yet to eat there. Lexington #1 is one of my favorites, it does everything delicious, quick and clean. The Slaw and hush puppies along with the Friday only berry cobbler make it great.
Also I really love Walls in Savannah for the people and the place.
Parker's was just good but not great.
Small Town - You are dead ass wrong about Wilbur's. They absolutely do not cook over gas. You can smell and see the smoke as soon as you get out of your car in the parking lot. I doubt you have ever been there. That said, I have not been to (or heard of) this joint in Gordonsville and am excited to check it out!


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When Young-Pyo Lee joined Vancouver Whitecaps FC this offseason, he didn't quite know what to expect.
Though the right fullback knew he'd have a big role to play both as a player and an ambassador for a club in only their second year in Major League Soccer, at age 35, he didn't anticipate logging more minutes than any of his teammates.
But with two matches to go, the former South Korean international has done just that, racking up 2,790 minutes over 31 games, all of which have been starts.
"I didn't expect it," Lee told MLSsoccer.com after a training session at Swangard Stadium on Tuesday. "At the beginning of the season, I never thought about it – but it's been a very impressive season for me and for the team. Last season, they were bottom of the league, but this season, we are very close to playing in the playoffs."
While Lee himself didn't foresee leading a team of much younger men in playing time, the way things have played out hasn't surprised the club's captain.
"Y.P. is a guy, no matter what his age, who has always been there and been consistent," Jay DeMerit said, before going on to a discussion of Asian engineering. "I've played with a lot of guys from that culture and those guys just seem to have engines that come from those areas. I don't know why and I don't ask questions – those guys are very talented in their fitness and their health, both things that Y.P. brings to this team.
"His wealth of experience and his skill as well – he's the total package and he's been fantastic."
Lee's season – in which he has started all but one of the club's league games – runs in stark contrast to the juggling act that occurred in the position in Year One, with Jonathan Leathers, Bilal Duckett, John Thorrington, and Jeb Brovsky all taking turns on the right side of defence.
"We didn't have as good of consistency in that position and your right and left back should be the most consistent guys on the field," DeMerit said. "They keep the ball for you and they defend well, and if they're the type of player who gets beyond and get in crosses and helps out offensively then he's the complete package. Y.P. does all of those things for us."
Lee has enjoyed his North American adventure thus far – as have his teammates – and now it's about crossing the finish line and helping the 'Caps become Canada's first-ever MLS Cup playoff team. "I want to play in the playoff as soon as possible, and that's it."
As for the club and where he sees the league going, "[MLS] is very unique and many people are interested in this club," Lee said. "It's very fast growing up – maybe the fastest growing league in the world. I expect in 10 years even it will be much better than now."
Martin MacMahon covers Vancouver Whitecaps FC for MLSsoccer.com.


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In a dazzling event, Rock the Vote and Ubisoft teamed up to create the Art of the Assassin gallery using the soon to be released title, Assassin's Creed III, as inspiration for artists all around the world to create unique artistic visions of the upcoming game:
Assassin's Creed III invites players to experience the untold story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a new assassin, Connor. Designed from the ground up over more than two years, Assassin's Creed III takes one of gaming's most beloved franchises to new heights. The year is 1775. The American colonies are about to revolt. You are Connor Kenway/ Ratonhnhaké:ton, an assassin who has sworn to secure liberty for his people and his nation. To do so, you will hunt your enemies across a staggeringly large, open, and realistic world. You will unleash your lethal skills in a violent quest that will take you from chaotic city streets to blood-soaked battlefields in the hostile American wilderness and beyond. You will meet legendary heroes of American history, and together you will conspire to annihilate those who threaten Liberty itself. Whether you use your predatory instincts to kill silently, or your fearsome arsenal to kill openly, one thing is clear: the world that the Assassins live in has become far more deadly. And so have you.
Below are a few of pieces of art from the many talented artists who submitted to the gallery as well as an artistic anlaysis by guest author, Harrison Holmes.
Chad Gowey - Assassin's Creed III
From the moment we entered the gallery there seemed to be a sort of thematic tension, what one may even go so far as to call an irony—the assassins and democracy. From the preview we were given, this tension appears to be an underlying part of the game, taking shape in the protagonist Connor/Ratonhnhaké:ton—part Native American and part Colonial. This dual nature creates a divisive path for our developing assassin: towards "Liberty", the ideals of the revolution, and the structure of a democratic society on the one hand, and towards "Freedom", wild, chaotic and in tune with the Native American wilderness on the other. Chad Gowey's Assassin's Creed III piece seems to speak strongly to this thematic conflict of ideals. In his beautiful illustration, the Connor strides coolly away from the kill, bloodied axe in hand, casting a haunting silhouette across the colonial flag. It appears his job is done, the mission is over and so he departs in silence as the revolutionary forces charge on— leaving his mark, but also leaving the revolution. Like the Native American and the Colonials—Freedom vs. Liberty, The Assassins and the American Revolution--Does one ultimately betray the other? I guess we'll just have to play the game and find out. Though Chad was not there to speak to at the gallery opening, we send our thanks and appreciation for such a provocative piece.
Mark Dean Veca - ACIII, 2012
Mark Dean Veca's textured and multi-dimensional graphic work renders the Assassin's Creed III logo in an intense red and white. Using his own variation on comic book black crosshatching and detail, he creates a fluid, brain-like texture that appears as either impressed upon or writhing beneath the surface of a very solid and graphic red canvas. His bold "interpretation" of the Assassin's insignia leans on the one hand toward thoughts of the Animus, and the other toward a prominent red—the color of blood-- a color only too familiar to the Assassins. Applying his unique and somewhat graffiti flavored style to hand drawn graphic icons and images, Mark Dean Veca offers his piece to the Rock the Vote/Assassin's Creed III : Art of the Assassin gallery and is met with a warm reception.
Racecar13 - Colonial Creed
Tanner Goldbeck a.k.a Racecar13, takes a step away from his soft brushed and gritty surreal works to play with hard lines and solid graphic detail. Incorporating the thirteen stars of the colonial flag, Tanner depicts our Assassin's Creed III protagonist Connor / Ratonhnhaké:ton with stunning line work, also leaning towards the comic side. Backed by vicious hotrod skulls and arrow decals-- both signature features of Tanner's work—Connor stands ready for war. Extending the piece still further, Tanner colored his comic creation, giving texture and grit to the American flag that serves as its background.
Check out all the other art from the event here: http://artoftheassassin.com/artists-portfolio/
In addition to the wonderful art, we had a chance to demo Assassin's Creed III with the Senior Concept Designer, Remko Troost. On the Assassin's Creed team, Remko is responsible for the majority of the main characters artistic designs, including the main protagonist, Connor.
Remko played through a sequence in the new American Colonial Frontier level showcasing Connor's distinct new feel of a predator in the wild. The organic feel of the locations made the transitions smooth between traversing the landscape and battling redcoats and dangerous wildlife. The brand new AnvilNext Engine gives the new forest region (which is 1.5 times greater than all of Rome from the previous Assassin's Creed games) changing seasons which effect how Connor goes about defeating his foes. After traversing through the landscape, Connor sneaks into a redcoat base. Carefully identifying his target, Connor sets off an explosion that throws the entire base into chaos, giving just the distraction he needs to assassinate the Redcoat captain.
Remko's work can be found on his portfolio site: http://www.remkotroost.com/
Assassin's Creed III releases on October 30th in North America on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In addition to Los Angeles, the Art of the Assassin gallery will be stopping by Boston, Chicago, and New York before returing to Los Angles. Check out the official ACIII website to stay up to date on all the upcoming ACIII news: http://assassinscreed.ubi.com/ac3/.
To see all the photos of the LA Art of the Assassin gallery, check out the main website at: http://artoftheassassin.com/
Follow Harrison at his blog http://inmyothermind.tumblr.com/
Follow Johnson on Twitter @Jlightfoote or visit his personal website http://johnsonlightfoote.com/


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The Eagles have officially confirmed what was widely expected: Both quarterback Michael Vick and running back LeSean McCoy will sit out Monday night's game against the Panthers as they continue to recover from concussions.
But while Vick is progressing and appears to be close to getting cleared to return, McCoy still has a long way to go.
Eagles head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said today that Vick is in Phase 3 of the NFL's five-stage protocol for recovery from concussions. That means Vick has been cleared to do cardiovascular workouts that get up to 80 percent of his target heart rate. Burkholder said Vick is likely to progress to Phase 4 by Sunday. After that he's expected to see an independent neurologist next week.
McCoy, however, is still in Phase 1 of the program. Burkholder said McCoy is having headaches, is very fatigued and is having trouble sleeping. McCoy isn't even able to go to team meetings yet, let alone practice. So it may be a while before McCoy plays again.
Nick Foles will start at quarterback on Monday night and Bryce Brown will start at running back


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The team started like this:
Bielik Mertesacker Kolasinac
Nelson Coquelin Willock Bramall
Ozil Walcott
Martinez replaced Cech at half time and at 67 minutes all the rest of the team changed to something like this (Matty may correct the formation):
Maitland-Niles Elneny Monreal
Iwobi Xhaka Nketiah Oxlade-Chamberlain
Lacazette Malen
Being outclassed by Bayern at the moment. The two teams are not even in the same universe
Being outclassed by Bayern at the moment. The two teams are not even in the same universe
Better to identify opportunity now rather than the opening weeks of the season
Jack Wilshere was back in training after his latest injury setback, while Hector Bellerin, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding were all back in training after the U21 European Championships. Lucas was also in training.
Youth players Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock remained with the first team after impressing so far and look set to feature in the Emirates Cup, as will Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who's first team promotion has been all but confirmed.
Chuba Akpom, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson, all out of favour, are like to feature for an Arsenal XI against Boreham Wood tomorrow night, as is Jeff Reine-Adelaide, who is on his way back from injury.
Alexis and Shkodran Mustafi are set to return next week, while Joel Campbell, Santi Cazorla and Gabriel are all still injured.
We are now much closer to the start of the season than when you began this thread; at this point, how would you project the composition of our senior squad?
Anticipated departures?
Anticipated additions? Mahrez? Carvalho?
Anticipated youth making the first team?
Anticipated loanees?
Wenger confirms Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis will be back in training on Sunday.
Team to face Boreham Wood:
(formation is a guess, could be 4-2-3-1)
Subs: Keto, Bennacer, Mourgos, Malen, Johnson, McGuane.
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Government Meetings - Agenda Calendar
This calendar contains dates of government meetings with published agendas for the City Council and City Advisory Bodies. You may subscribe to e-Notifications to directly receive notification of agendas and related packet materials when they are announced on this calendar.
Future Planned Meetings Calendar
Meetings are posted on the calendar below when published agendas are available for the public (Note that these dates are subject to change).
PCC - Promotional Coordinating Committee
- Date: 10/09/2019 5:30 PM - 7:59 PM
- Location: City Hall - Council Hearing Room
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
This is a regularly scheduled meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee. The meeting agenda will be posted at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting on the PCC Agenda web page.Return to full list >>


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Modern cowboy movies have traditionally had difficulty finding audiences, as the whole point of stories like John Huston's The Misfits, The Honkers and Nicholas Ray's The Lusty Men is the demolition of the romantic cowboy mythos. Author Max Evans wrote The Rounders in 1960, which became a moderately successful Burt Kennedy picture starring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda... but it was a comedy. According to Sam Peckinpah's biographers, he was trying to launch a feature version of Evan's The Hi-Lo Country as early as 1965, at a time when Peckinpah was on the outs with the major studios. As with seemingly hundreds of other projects, Peckinpah never got the film going, which fortunately made room for this beautifully filmed 1998 version. Director Stephen Frears is a master genre stylist, having guided the superlative Spain-set Brit noir The Hit, the best Jim Thompson film adaptation The Grifters and the creepy London-based thriller Dirty Pretty Things. Looking at The Hi-Lo Country one would think that Frears had been raised in the saddle. The very first sequence says something very honest about cowboys and their horses, and also involves a stunt so perfect that we wince in pain. No shallow mythmaking here. Frankly, Peckinpah probably would probably have messed this story up but good: his own Junior Bonner goes all sentimental when it should be tough-minded.
Loping along with the confidence shared by its boisterous but fair-minded heroes, The Hi-Lo Country begins with a sort-of prologue in which young cowboys Pete Calder and Big Boy Matson (Billy Crudup of Watchmen & Woody Harrelson) become fast friends before rushing off to fight when WW2 is declared. Their return sees major changes to their hometown of Hi-Lo, New Mexico. In their absence Jim Ed Love (Sam Elliott) has found a way to acquire thousands of acres of grazing land, and dominates the local beef business. Refusing to work for the arrogant Jim Ed, Pete and Big Boy use their service pay and partner with neighboring small-timer Hoover Young (James Gammon) to mount a big enough operation to survive against Jim Ed's aggressive competition. But there's plenty of ill will between the rival outfits.
Not only does Big Boy frequently incite trouble with Jim Ed's men, he torments his own younger brother Little Boy (Cole Hauser) because he works for Jim Ed. Pete drifts away from his old sweetheart, Mexican-American Josepha O'Neil (Penélope Cruz) when he strikes sparks with the alluring Mona (Patricia Arquette), who happens to be married to Jim Ed's foreman, Les Birk (John Diehl). And Pete's emotions go haywire when Mona takes up not with him, but with Big Boy. Pete's best friend and the girl he loves carry on in front of his nose. He won't listen when Josepha tells him the truth, that Mona is an irresponsible playgirl who loves only sensation. At a poker game, Big Boy so provokes Jim Ed's factor Steve Shaw (Lane Smith) that the man has a heart attack. He also openly flaunts his relationship with Mona. Pete knows that his best friend is asking to be murdered, but he can't get Big Boy to show any caution.
The Hi-Lo Country has plenty of what a good western needs: convincing atmosphere and characters that seem natural to the environment. Pete and Big Boy are great guys, loyal friends and dependably honest. The horse sale that begins the movie lays the foundation for a lasting relationship. Pete is easygoing and open-faced, quiet but attentive to all around him. Patient with old trucks and horses, he's not the greatest cowboy in history -- when we first see Pete his horse bucks him off onto a rocky riverbank. Big Boy Matson is the model cowboy. He is bigger and rougher and knows cowboy ways better than anyone. Big Boy is a handful -- more aggressive, faster with his mouth and far too quick to express his likes and dislikes. But he hides nothing - what you see is what you get.
Forever glad-handing and smiling, Jim Ed Love has the world by the tail. He used the hardships of the war years -- when so many young men like Pete were off fighting -- to snap up distressed properties. Now he has a little racket going, surrounded by subordinates that jump at his every whim. Jim Ed doesn't sabotage Pete or Big Boy's operation, or break the law, but we still don't like him.
At the center of this mess is the man-bait troublemaker Mona. She encourages Pete to make out with her when her husband is only a few feet away: 'some hankypanky in a car don't mean nothing.' Pete is hooked even when she proves that she's not good -- she's the one his body wants. Josepha isn't being catty when she tells Pete that Mona was a whore, and even Mona admits that she married Les because he was the only man around. All she cares about is not being bored. We of course hope that Pete will come to his senses and do right by Josepha, if only because she's played by Penélope Cruz. As the movie was made in 1998 Cruz still looks like a teenager -- she's the first actress that seriously fits into the type established by Sophia Loren. The talented Patricia Arquette does what's right for the story by making Mona look like a hell of a hot date. But Cruz is definite dream girl material, too exotic to be true.
The Hi-Lo Country has plenty of rugged cowboy action, including some convincing stunts and a serious emergency in a blizzard. Woody Harrelson may have used a very well matched stunt double, but it really looks like him when Big Boy rushes into a rodeo arena to extricate his brother from a bucking bull. The movie also gets a high score for credibility in its cowboy bar scenes, where we hear some really fine western-style music. Yodeling vocalist Don Walser sings a particularly charming song. Big Boy is forever picking fights and several brawls break out, all of which are highly motivated and bruisingly wild. The movie's action suits the drama - these cowboys carry a gun only when they're foolishly looking for trouble. They aren't six-guns, and nobody owns a holster.
Frankly, ever since The Wild Bunch westerns of all stripes have been stuck in the thematic groove of cowboys/bandits/lawmen being passed over by changing times. We've seen everybody from Lee Marvin to William Holden to Paul Newman shake their heads at the ignoble sunset for their beloved way of life. The Hi-Lo Country acknowledges change without getting all maudlin about it. Big Boy is proud of doing things the old way. Both he and Pete look forward to a big cattle drive, just like the old days.
Pete: "People still drive cattle to rail heads.
Sure enough, Big Boy does his accounting and, now that he's trying to make a profit, announces that it just isn't reasonable to transport his cows by any way but truck.
Director Stephen Frears gives his show pace and form without sacrificing all of its strong character qualities. I haven't seen the majority of Frears' films but I can say I have yet to be disappointed by one. I didn't see The Hi-Lo Country in a theater -- I was on my way one afternoon but didn't make it. It was executive-produced by Martin Scorsese's outfit and apparently did abysmal business, which is a real shame. Like I said, modern cowboy pictures have traditionally been a hard sell - I saw little or no publicity for this engagingly intelligent sagebrush drama.
Shout Factory's DVD of The Hi-Lo Country is an acceptable enhanced transfer of this nicely shot western. It's too bad that no Blu-ray was produced, as the image probably would have improved considerably. The only flaw I saw may have been specific to the way my player reacted to the encoding -- fast motion would occasionally produce a pattern of artifacting that looked like thin Venetian blinds, just for a frame or two. I emphasize that this phenomenon might be limited to my particular setup.
The movie comes with nothing, not even marked chapter stops. There are no subtitles, which makes some of slangy-twangy western dialogue difficult to understand.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
The Hi-Lo Country Blu-ray rates:
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Union Pacific Urges Motorists and Pedestrians to Travel Safely as Schools Resume This Fall
Omaha, Neb., August 14, 2007 As summer winds down and school is back in session for millions of elementary, secondary and college students, Union Pacific has a lesson for motorists and pedestrians alike. The railroad urges travelers to take the extra time and use caution when crossing railroad tracks and at-grade crossings, and to please stay away from railroad property.
It is essential to practice safety at highway-rail grade crossings and to heed the warnings of automated crossing gates, flashing signals, stop signs, yield signs and crossbuck signs. When traveling near the railroad, please remember these important safety guidelines:
- Never walk along tracks and only cross tracks at designated pedestrian roadway crossings when on foot.
- Observe and obey all warning signs and signals.
- At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching from either direction, before proceeding.
- Do not be fooled; the train you see is closer and moving faster than you think. If you see a train approaching, wait for it to go by before you proceed across the tracks.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise.
For more information, contact James Barnes (402) 544-3560.
The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information.


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Today's Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation started life in 1827 as The Merchants' Seamen's Orphan Asylum, which was tasked not only with providing board and lodging for the orphans of British Merchant Navy seamen but also, and pertinently, with sufficient education to enable them to obtain employment.
It is now a British national children's educational charity, which provides funding for the needy British children of Merchant Navy seafarers, professional sea-going fishermen and RNLI lifeboat crew members, who have served or are serving at sea and who are unable to meet their children's educational needs. Our Patron is HM The Queen and our President is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM.
We help our beneficiaries, or 'Foundationers' as we call them, by providing support that 'enables education' - which could be anything from school fees, textbooks or uniform, right through to computers, internet access or even shoe repairs!
To find out more about our work, and how we might be able to help you or someone you know, please get in touch today or click here to view our video case studies.
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On sale now!
Robotic space exploration has finally come of age. Recent successes, such as the pioneering landing via sky crane of the Mars Rover Curiosity by NASA have demonstrated a capability to triumph after a hard-won history often marked by failure.
This weeks review titled Dreams of Other Worlds: The Amazing Story of Unmanned Space Exploration by Chris Impey and Holly Henry chronicles the often overlooked history of robotic exploration of the solar system. Robots can go more cheaply and effectively where humans cant, and dont demand a return ticket. Out from Princeton University Press, Dreams of Other Worlds is a timely snapshot of the state of unmanned space exploration. [Read more...]