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Grant Gustin's road to"Glee"started in Chicago.
The 22-year-old, who plays Sebastian on the Fox series, was living in Lincoln Park last year with castmates from the national touring company of "West Side Story" when he submitted an audition video to appear as a tap dancer in the Season 3 premiere of "Glee."
"I submitted a video of myself doing 'Good Morning' from 'Singing in the Rain' and they liked me but I wasn't right for the role I guess," he said.
Good thing, too, because the show's creator, Ryan Murphy, thought of Gustin again when it came time to cast Sebastian, the scheming member of the Warblers singing group. After a later audition in front of the "Glee" team Gustin won the role, but not without a few angsty weeks waiting to hear the news. When he finally did, Gustin was once again onstage in Tucson, Ariz., playing Baby Jon when his manager called.
"I called him back right in the middle of the show and found out I got it," he said. "I did one more performance the next night. I was on a plane Saturday morning and filming on Monday. It was crazy."
Since then, Sebastian has angered fans because he tried to split up fan favorite couple Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer). Sebastian causes even more trouble in "Michael," the show's tribute episode to Michael Jackson airing at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 on Fox. Sebastian slushies Blaine and faces the wrath of Santana (Naya Rivera) and the other members of New Directions.
"[Santana] comes and gives Sebastian a piece of her mind" by singing Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," Gustin said. "It was amazing. It was probably my favorite day of filming thus far."
Gustin also sings "Bad" with the entire cast in a number that pits the Warblers against New Directions as they battle to decide who will get to sing Michael Jackson songs at Regionals.
Growing up in Norfolk, Va., Gustin lived a "Glee"-like early life. He started performing in community theater when he was about 10 and attended a performing arts high school where he focused on musical theater. I had to ask if he'd ever been slushied himself.
"No slushies," he said, laughing. "But yeah, I definitely was not the most popular kid in school when I was taking tap-dance as an 11-year-old."
Gustin and I chatted more about Sebastian, the "Michael" episode, his time in Chicago and, yes, I asked him the sexuality question. (Watch a video interview with Gustin and see clips from "Michael" by clicking the link in the related column to the left.)
Give me the scoop on the songs you sing on the "Michael" episode.
One of the songs is "Smooth Criminal" with Santana—Naya—and it was amazing. It was probably my favorite day of filming thus far. We got a lot of free reign with that number. It's not really true choreography with that song, but as far as the choreography or staging was concerned it was pretty loose and we got to have fun with it, which was great.
And "I Want You Back" is the Warblers number that we're doing. That one is unbelievable. That was definitely one of my favorite, if not my favorite, Jackson 5 songs growing up. ... It was my mom's favorite song. She freaked out when she heard I was doing it. So that was pretty amazing. (Note from Curt: The "I Want You Back" number was cut from the final version so won't be part of the episode.]
It's also an exciting episode for the Warblers just because we get to dance and no one's really seen the Warblers really dance that much. And granted, we're not blowing people away with the dance numbers we're doing in this episode, but it's definitely some very cool, exciting choreography happening in both "I Want You Back" and in "Bad," which is kind of a Warblers versus New Directions number. And there's some pretty fun, exciting dance moves going on, so I think people are going to love that.
This isn't a competition episode, is it?
No, it's not, but both schools want Michael Jackson to go to Regionals, so we're kind of discouraging each other to see who gets to use his music for Regionals.
If Sebastian and Santana are singing that song together, does that mean that there's going to be some scheming going on?
Yes. I don't want to give too much, but there has been a picture released of Sebastian slushing Blaine … I won't say how or why, but Blaine gets hurt from that slushing. It's been tampered with slightly.
You would think that Sebastian would have slushied Kurt.
You would think that, but there's a little twist.
Nice tease. Are you having fun on the show?
Yeah, I'm having the time of my life. I'm getting to do what I love to do on a high profile TV show and I would have never expected to be doing that even three months ago. So yeah, it's pretty amazing. It's great.
From what I can see from my research, you sort of had a "Glee" kind of thing growing up.
Yeah, in high school and in college. In college, I actually majored in Musical Theater. I was pursuing a BFA in Musical Theater. And in high school, I went to a school called the Governor's School for the Arts where my focus was in Musical Theater. And then before that I was part of a community theater group in Norfolk, Va., where I grew up, doing community theater. So yeah, I definitely had a "Glee"-type life since I was about 10 or 11 …
I was about eight when I started tap dancing, against my own will. My mom wanted me to do it. She thought I would love it and I didn't believe her. I turned out to be obsessed with it.
How did you get the "West Side Story" gig?
I was at Elon University in North Carolina for two years pursuing my BFA. And after my sophomore year, I was cast in the Broadway Tour of "West Side Story." I just kind of—it always was my favorite show growing up.
And pretty much on a whim I went to New York one weekend, because they were having an open call where anybody can be seen [and] hundreds of people [were] there. And I somehow got a call back from that and somehow got the job. It blew my mind. I honestly was not thinking I could get this job.
I went because I loved the show and I wanted to do something in New York and I thought it would be fun. But me actually getting it was kind of not in the cards. It changed my life. None of this would be happening if I hadn't gone to [that] audition.
You were in "West Side Story" when it came to Chicago, which means I saw you because I went to the show.
Yeah, that was me.
It always blows my mind when that happens, "Oh yeah, I saw that. You were in that?"
Yeah, for sure. I get people who have sent me pictures of that Playbill a lot. They say, "I saw you" and I always think that's so cool. I especially love the people who saw the show and then sought me out on Twitter or whatever after that, and have been following me ever since. And now still reach out to me as fans. I think that's so cool.
As far as you know, will Sebastian be around for the rest of this season and next?
Next season, that is not being confirmed yet. But I will be around for as long as they'll have me! I don't necessarily know what's happening for next season yet. But as far as this season's concerned I think I'll be in and out for the rest of this season.
Tell me a little bit about your "CSI Miami" episode (which aired Jan. 29 and you cannow watch at cbs.com).
That was pretty crazy. I filmed that right after my first episode of "Glee" and it was incredibly different and incredibly fun. I played twins and I played both of them. And I had a scene or two with myself, one in particular where it's just me talking to myself. And there was a stand-in there, but the stand-in wasn't allowed to actually do dialogue with me. So he's actually just standing there and I'd give him a line and he would kind of react to it, and then I'd give time as if he had said a line and I'd come back in. And I did that for both twins. It was so weird, like doing a scene with no one saying anything to you in response. But it was a lot of fun.
Your timing really had to be down.
Right. Well luckily, I knew both characters' lines because I had to do them and I knew how the other person was going to say the line because the other person was me. So yeah, it was weird, it was really weird.
That must make for a strange day because doing all the coverage you probably had to go back and forth.
Yeah. … For some reason the way it worked out, at least the last day of filming when I was doing the heavy scene with myself, I was running back and forth changing I think two or three times between twins. In one of the scenes one of them is kind of jaundiced and I had to get that makeup on. And the hair was completely different and the costume was completely different. So we were running back and forth and doing each frame as quickly as possible. It was fun and exciting switching back and forth.
How was that experience different than working on "Glee"?
"CSI Miami" is on its 10th season, so they have it down and they're working with a much smaller ensemble than "Glee" works with. I mean "Glee" is dealing with so many people, so many songs, so many scenes, so there's a lot going on there. And "CSI" was just like boom, boom, in and out; not as many people. They've been doing it for years, and it was a whole different thing, a whole completely different energy. And I don't necessarily prefer one. I mean the energy on "Glee" is inspiring, it's so much fun and it's a whole different thing. … But both casts were incredibly welcoming and easy to work with.
What's the biggest challenge working on "Glee"?
First of all, the downtime is something I'm not used to. When you're on set it's much longer days than I'm used to and there's a lot of like downtime in between when you're actually doing shots. So you've got to have your energy up but at the same time you don't want to tire yourself out because you've got a 14-hour day ahead of you. Trying to keep yourself in it and energized without being exhausted at the end of the day is a challenge. It's not a schedule I'm used to. I've never done this whole TV world before. So it's a whole other world, it's a whole other thing, it's crazy.
Most of the "Glee" kids also didn't have a lot of experience when they started, so were they giving you advice?
Not necessarily giving advice, but they've made it very easy to feel comfortable. They've made me feel very welcome. And I can sit back and watch them and learn from them.
My very first day, Darren Criss was giving me a lot—because I had never even been on a set with cameras or anything, so I didn't know what anybody's job was. I didn't know what the hell was going on. So Darren was amazing walking me through kind of everyone's job on the set, what was going on, what things meant that were probably very elementary that I didn't know.
And he made a point to say, "I'm not trying to belittle you or make you feel dumb here; I just want to let you know." I said, "No, no, no. Please, bro, you're giving me this advice." And that was kind of the one day that was like, "OK, here's the TV 101, basically."
From then on everyone kind of let me do my thing, and I watched them and learned from them. And it's great.
So since you're in the gay storyline and playing a gay character, I have to ask about your sexuality.
That's amazing. You're the very first person that's ever asked.
Well I've seen so many blog posts and other things where people are guessing or sharing rumors, so I felt I should just ask you.
Nobody has ever asked me. I am not gay in real life. I don't know if I'm supposed to elaborate more on that.
Not at all. I just wanted to have it right from you. It's kind of sad to have to ask, but people will just make it up if I don't.
Well, people just kind of assume that I am for multiple reasons. I come from a musical theater background, and there's kind of an assumption about that. And I'm playing a gay character, so people just kind of assume. … People have assumed my entire life. I don't even think about it any more.
But you're having fun playing gay on TV?
Oh, it is more than OK to be gay on TV.
Is Sebastian ever going to tap-dance? Are we going to get to see your prowess?
I would love to. That's another thing no one's ever asked. I would love to tap-dance on the show. I don't even know if Ryan Murphy or any of the creators—well, I guess yeah, they saw my tap-dance audition, so they know I tap. But yeah, that would be amazing. I don't know under what circumstance it would happen, but I would love to tap-dance on the show.
Will Sebastian get nice?
I wouldn't be surprised if eventually we saw a completely different side to Sebastian, but I don't know. I find out what's happening when I get the scripts. They don't tell me anything at all. They don't really tell anybody anything. But I mean there has to be another side. He's a human being and there's always another side. So I'm not going to be surprised if we see a nice side to Sebastian eventually.
You do play a good baddie, though.
Oh, thank you.
When you were in Chicago, did you hang out at any place or were you guys just working too much?
We were working a lot. For some reason when we were in Chicago, we had a lot of rehearsals. I think maybe we were getting some new people. But I think we explored a little. We saw the White Sox play the Yankees. Some people went to some games at Wrigley. We didn't explore too incredibly much though. I saw the Bean. I went and lay underneath the Bean and took pictures on my phone.
We saw "Beauty and the Beast" when we were in town. We all had friends that were in town at the same time and they were right down the street, and we all had friends in the cast, so we did that.
Is it fun to be in one place now and not traveling?
Yes and no. I just went and visited the tour for the first time while they were in San Jose and I had never seen the show, obviously, because I was in it every night. And first of all, it was amazing to see the show; the show is incredible. And it was actually very nice to be with them again like in a hotel, on the road. I kind of miss it. At the same time, being in a house right now and being in beautiful California, is also pretty amazing. It has its perks. I miss tour, but I'm glad to be doing what I'm doing.
Well, this is obviously what you've always wanted to do too.
Yeah. I did not expect this to happen, especially so soon if it ever was going to happen. So it's a lot. Actually, it hasn't even fully hit me yet. It kind of hits in waves.


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TORONTO – Nick Dasovic aspired to be a professional head coach. But it was unlikely that the opportunity would come this early, this way, he thought.
On Tuesday, Toronto FC cleaned house and dismissed head coach Preki and director of soccer Mo Johnson. Then, TFC named Dasovic interim head coach, entrusting him with the tough task of salvaging the club's downward spiraling season.
The former Canadian international said yes and thank you, and is looking forward to the difficult task ahead.
"I'm ready to take the challenge," said Dasovic, the first Candian to lead TFC. "I'm honored to even be considered and to have the chance to lead this group of guys. We've got a great group of gentlemen in that room and I think we've got a great chance."
Holdover coaches Leo Percovich, Danny Dichio and Mike Toshack will serve as his assistants.
Dasovic is in his third season with TFC and second as first-team assistant after serving as head of TFC's Academy. The 42-year-old takes over a team that's five points out of the final playoff spot and mired in a six-game winless streak that threatens to leave them out of the postseason for the fourth straight year.
"The guys seem energetic in there," said Dasovic, "we want to get into the playoffs and we want to get into the Champions League, so it's about keeping everyone positive keeping the guys focused on what we're about to do and they seem ready to go."
His first game as head coach will be Wednesday at Real Salt Lake in a critical CONCACAF Champions League group-stage match. Though tagged with the interim label, Dasovic clearly stated he's in the running to be the full-time coach, and a win in this match would go a long way in helping him secure the job.
"I don't want to leave Toronto," said Dasovic when asked about his interest in the job full-time. "I plan on being here for a long time."
That decision, though, will ultimately come down to the outcome of this season and the incoming manager, who will be hired after an exhaustive search that begins immediately, according to Tom Anselmi, executive vice president and COO of TFC's parent company, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
READ: Toronto players allude to rift with departed coach Preki
Prior to joining TFC, Dasovic spent five years in the Canadian National Team program as an assistant coach with the men's senior national and U-20 national teams.
His only head-coaching experience came in the CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying tournament with Canada's U-23 men's team, which he barely failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, losing to the US in the semifinals.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson, who scored three goals for Canada in that tournament, feels "Daso" is a player's coach and has what it takes to succeed in MLS.
"I think he's got great qualities," says Johnson, who faces his former coach on Wednesday. "He can be a high-level coach. He knows when to put his foot down and be serious and he can also be loose and get the players to perform at a very high level."
"He was a coach you can always talk to you could sit down and have a chat with, but he was also a guy who was also an authority figure at the same time," continued Johnson.
"If somebody needed a kick in the butt to get themselves going, then he would be the guy to bring it; and if somebody needed a pat on the back, he was there.
D.C. United defender Dejan Jakovic, who also played on that Canada U-23 team, echoed similar sentiments.
"Nick's a professional," said Jakovic. "Just the way he interacts with players – there's certain ways. You can be too nice sometimes and then you can be too harsh and too strong.
"You have to be able to know how to treat your players, but just for the little bit of time I was with him, I thought the training sessions were great."
Dasovic, a native of Vancouver, played professionally in Croatia, Canada, France, Sweden and Scotland. Internationally, he played for Canada between 1993 and 2003, appearing in 63 matches, good for sixth all-time.
It's this experience and the amount of knowledge of the game Dasovic accumulated during that span that Johnson says will be invaluable for the new Toronto coach.
"He has a high soccer IQ and that can go a long way for him," said Johnson.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 4, 2016 – Genevieve Nnaji Alive, She Is Not Dead: The Nollywood Actress That Died Over The Weekend Is Nene From Mbaise Imo State
Earlier today, the social media was saturated with the rumour of Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji's death.
The actress is not dead. She is currently wrapping up her birthday vacation in Cape Town South Africa.
The Nollywood actress who passed away over the weekend, Genevieve Nene is from the same town as Genevieve.
In an exclusive phone chat with a friend this morning, the actress said 'I am alive oh!, I don't even know the person that passed, I will soon be back'
NaijaGists.com source said she is likely to go to the United States from South Africa but she hasn't made up her mind yet.


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Marion County, FLHome Sitemap Contact
Calendar of events
Library - Reddick - Basic Computing
- Date: 01/27/2020 1:00 PM
- Location: Reddick Public Library
15150 NW Gainesville Road
Reddick, Florida 32686
Return to full list >>
Learn about computers and what the library has to offer. Space is limited.
Jan. 6 Basic Genealogy
Jan. 13 Surf the Library Website
Jan. 27 Basic Facebook


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Megabanks Extend and Pretend They Won't Pay for Foreclosure Fouls
The Federal Reserve Board has posted a video reminding borrowers that they may be eligible for compensation if they were harmed by the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010.May 23
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has dismissed one of the consultants overseeing a massive foreclosure review after it discovered a conflict of interest in outside work the company has performed.May 11
Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry on Thursday urged eligible borrowers to sign up for the OCC's foreclosure-review process, and suggested that homeowners who didn't like the results would still be able to sue their mortgage servicers later.April 19
Joe Smith could choose a large consulting firm as project team leader only and mandate that this firm pick experts and on-the-ground compliance staff from a wider range of outfits.April 16
It was pitched as good news for foreclosed-upon borrowers: Last month regulators announced an extension for those seeking reviews of servicers' actions under the April 2011 federal consent orders. Consumers now had until yearend to submit claims.
I think the big mortgage servicers, and their consultants, are in no hurry to start the reviews. They'd love it if these megabanks never have to pay borrowers a dime.
"Reviews are still underway. We hope the compensation will begin soon with a limited number of borrowers receiving compensation in the fourth quarter of 2012" says Bryan Hubbard, a spokesman for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Regulators have been promising lump-sum payments "from $500 to, in the most egregious cases, $125,000 plus equity," for a while. But, as yet, there have been no payments to borrowers. The independent consultants, engaged by the large banks and paid directly by them, haven't yet made any payment recommendations, according to Hubbard.
Who's getting paid in the meantime? The independent consultants.
Financial services consultant Promontory and global audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers are the biggest winners, with seven of the 14 foreclosure review engagements between them. Deloitte is responsible for the behemoth engagement at JPMorgan Chase that includes reviewing mortgages from its former audit clients Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual. Ernst & Young is leading engagements at MetLife and HSBC and assisting Promontory with a big job at Bank of America, where the foreclosures include many mortgages messily underwritten and sloppily serviced by Countrywide.
PwC has reportedly billed more than $50 million for Ally Financial's Residential Capital since May 2011. The total estimate for that engagement is now at least $250 million. Sources estimate PwC's total revenue for its four foreclosure review engagements will eventually exceed $1 billion– its largest consulting win ever.
It's in consultants' best interests to extend the foreclosure review engagements as long as possible without coming up with an estimate for each servicer of its total liability to borrowers. The big banks don't want to see that number – they would have to disclose it and few have done any preliminary disclosure of this exposure or even the costs of the reviews. The consulting firms want the megabanks as clients, now and in the future. There's even more money available for policy, procedure and technology remediation of the problems that caused the "errors" in the first place, and those contracts are not constrained by an OCC or Federal Reserve review of conflicts.
That's where the borrower deadline extension – and the upcoming presidential election –come in.
The "independent consultants" talk amongst themselves on weekly conference calls that do not include the regulators. The consulting firms are still talking about the "framework" for reviewing foreclosure files and estimating borrower liability. These conference calls, in my opinion, undermine the OCC and Fed goals of ensuring the consultants'independence by directly controlling their activities.
The conference calls cover the status and strategy for the foreclosure reviews at each mortgage servicer. After all the effort by regulators to ensure contracts were given only to consultants with limited conflicts of interest at each bank, these discussions could provide a competitive or strategic advantage to "independent consultants" that want to sell work to another bank later. The calls also raise conflicts, and a potential reporting burden, for audit firms like Deloitte, PwC and Ernst & Young if issues at their audit clients are discussed, especially discussions that suggest the occurrence of fraud or illegal acts.
When I asked Hubbard at the OCC to guess why I had a beef with these calls, he mentioned another worrisome possibility: Consulting firms could collude to minimize the financial impact of the reviews on banks that are clients, and potential clients, for all of them.
But Hubbard says regulators also hold weekly meetings with the consultants. "The objectives of the conversations between the consultants are to share best practices, promote consistency and respond to specific direction from the regulators. While regulators have endorsed and supported these types of conversations, regulators have also stressed the importance of not improperly disclosing confidential supervisory information, including private customer information."
Unfortunately, a firm with the most to lose from a conflict of interest or a breach of client confidentiality – an audit firm – is accused of breaching that trust in another bank regulatory case. Deloitte, now reviewing its own work at JPMorgan, is accused of abdicating its duties as a regulatory monitor at Standard Chartered Bank. The New York Department of Financial Services accused Deloitte of helping the bank doctor regulatory reports that glossed over ongoing money laundering violations and of giving the bank copies of other client reports for guidance.
I believe the large banks, with the help of the consultants, are trying to run out the clock on the foreclosure reviews. It's no secret that the megabanks, and many of the independent consulting firms involved in the foreclosure reviews, are supporting and sending more campaign contributions to the Republicans and Romney in 2012 than to President Obama. They're counting on a Romney win, I think, and a pass on paying borrowers who were foreclosed on in error or were cheated. Under a Romney administration, who would complain if banks never complied with these orders fully?
It's time for the big banks, and their independent consultants, to stop stalling and prepare to finally pay borrowers for foreclosure abuses.
Francine McKenna writes the blog re: The Auditors, about the Big Four accounting firms. She worked in consulting, professional services, accounting and financial management for more than 25 years.


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Press Release
From: NAG, Inc.
Posted: Thursday, November 15, 2012
"Windows on Earth" will enhance global research and education
Los Angeles, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2012) - NAG, Inc., a Los Angeles-based geospatial firm and a Google Enterprise Preferred Partner, recently developed a new software platform that will improve the existing on-orbit photography software onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The new software will enhance the observation and collection of high-resolution imagery of the Earth for research and education. The software is currently being integrated, and will be deployed on the ISS in January 2013.
The software upgrade is part of an ongoing exploration project pioneered by TERC, a research organization that created a program called "Windows on Earth" to simulate the view of Earth as seen from windows aboard the ISS. "Windows on Earth" was developed with funding from the National Science Foundation as an educational tool for museums, and then was placed onboard the ISS in 2008 as a pilot program by the Association of Space Explorers, which recognized the potential of the simulation software for research.
Because Earth observation is an essential part of ISS scientific research, TERC received a $300,000 grant from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to enhance and adapt the "Windows on Earth" software, which would make it a permanent tool on the ISS, and replace the current multi-step process for targeting, photographing and geo-referencing images. NAG was appointed Technical Development Lead for this phase of the project.
The new software developed by NAG uses the portable version of Google(R) Earth under generous educational grant license provisions to improve the current tools by providing more accurate simulations of Earth views through the ISS windows, and automatically links targets selected by scientists on the ground to the on-orbit photography management system.
"Essentially, our software allows scientists on earth to track the location of the space station as it orbits the earth, and coordinate their requests for geographic imagery," said Swapan Nag, CEO of NAG.
NAG's improvements will enable astronauts to photograph high-priority targets faster and more efficiently, which will provide scientists with more accurate and usable photographs for their research.
""Windows on Earth" will provide cutting-edge, next generation tools for the Earth observation program. It will help scientists and astronauts select and photograph targets, and will enhance use of these photographs in research and education," said Dan Barstow, TERC principal investigator for the "Windows on Earth" project.
In addition to their scientific value, Earth images are resources for education and public use. The public will have no cost access to these images when the next phase of a public website is launched.
Since John Glenn first took a camera on his ground-breaking orbital flight in 1962, Earth photography has been a major component of the space program. Some photographs, including the "Earth Rise" and "Blue Marble" photographs taken by the Apollo astronauts, have radically transformed our understanding of our planet and our intrinsic connection to its existence. The view of Earth from space is truly majestic; we see continents, vast oceans, clouds, mountains, volcanoes, roads, buildings and great metropolises. During the past 50 years, astronauts have taken more than 600,000 photographs of Earth's dynamic surface, for scientific research, education and public understanding of Earth.
About NAG, Inc.
Founded in 1991, NAG, Inc. is a technology solutions firm that specializes in providing geospatial and data visualization solutions and support services to federal, state, regional and local government agencies in science exploration, transportation, administrative services, economic development, community development, public utilities and public safety. NAG helps these agencies leverage the latest real time sharing technology, which increases their ability to process complex geospatial data and improves the speed, the access, the accuracy and the overall management of data, which allows them to create a deeper understanding of the world and response to situations. For more information about NAG, please visit www.nag.co.
// end //
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Today in a London press event, Nokia introduced its latest Windows Phone handset, the Lumia 925. One of the flagship features of the 925 is its PureView 2 camera, which offers 8.7 megapixels of resolution and 30FPS 1080p HD video recording. It has optical image stabilization for both photos and videos.
It also sports the new Nokia Smart Camera Mode software, which will land on all Lumia Windows Phone. Smart Camera Mode lets Lumia owners capture ten images at once and then edit them using a variety of presets like Motion Focus and Best Shot to grab the best pictures of the bunch. You can find out more about the Lumia 925 camera by browsing through the Nokia-supplied images below. Nokia also produced a series of promotional videos that show the Smart Camera Mode software in action. Check out those assets below or head over to the source for the high quality versions. Once you've gotten an eyeful, let us know what you think of the Lumia 925 in the comments below.
[Via Nokia and Nokia YouTube]


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Lionfish beyond reach of divers worry researchers (Update)
The invasive lionfish that crowds coral reefs and preys on native fish in the Atlantic's shallower waters is such a problem that divers in Florida and the Caribbean are encouraged to capture and eat them whenever they can.
Lionfish, which have venomous spines, are a well-documented problem in Atlantic coral reefs, where the foot (25 centimeter)-long, one pound (0.45 kilogram) invaders from the tropical parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans live without predators and eat other fish voraciously. What's slowly coming into view is how deep into the ocean their invasion has spread.
Researchers and wildlife officials worry that lionfish may undo conservation efforts aimed at rebuilding populations of native predators such as groupers and snappers. Lionfish gorge on the young of those species, as well as their prey.
"They can eat pretty much anything that fits inside their mouths," Oregon State University lionfish expert Stephanie Green said.
Divers are encouraged to capture and eat any lionfish they encounter to protect reefs and native marine life already burdened by pollution, over-fishing and the effects of climate change. And last month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission waived the recreational license requirement for divers harvesting lionfish and excluded them from bag limits, allowing people to catch as many as they can.
But recreational divers max out around 130 feet (40 meters) deep, though. Researchers and wildlife officials rarely have the means to venture deeper than that, but they've realized the lionfish they can't see may be their biggest concern.
As Green discovered on a recent expedition aboard a submersible, there's little to disturb a lionfish living on a wreck 250 feet (80 meters) deep into the Atlantic. There are no predators and no divers.
"I did not expect it to be this loaded with lionfish," Green said. In less than half an hour, she tallied nearly three dozen lionfish in view across the stern of a steel freighter sunk in the 1980s as an artificial reef off South Florida. She could have continued counting, if the yellow submersible's draining battery had not required a trip back to the ocean's surface.
Last month, Seattle-based OceanGate Inc. offered scientists and wildlife officials a close-up look at deep-water lionfish in dives aboard the yellow submersible named Antipodes. In strong currents that might have tangled a tether connecting a remotely operated robot to a vessel at the surface, the Antipodes sank and rose as smoothly as an elevator. Maneuvered by a joystick, it crawled over the sand at a walking pace.
Green and other researchers who took the dives surfaced believing they had seen the frontier in their fight against lionfish. The next problem will be routinely making similar dives to study and perhaps capture lionfish.
They would seem to have a lot of water to cover—the deepest confirmed sighting of a lionfish was at 1,000 feet (300 meters) in the Bahamas.
"We are capable of doing a good job of controlling lionfish at diveable depths, in shallower areas. Divers and spearfishers can go in and remove the fish. But the lionfish are abundant in large numbers at these deeper habitats, and that's really where the next frontier of this battle is going to be, in those deep water areas," Green said.
Lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean have similarities to the Burmese python, the large, ravenous snake that researchers say is decimating native mammal populations in Florida's Everglades. Both are fast-breeding invasive species likely introduced through the pet trade, with no natural predators to keep their numbers in check.
Desperate for some kind of control over their populations, Florida this year enlisted volunteers and amateurs to go after both.
But when it comes to lionfish, Dan Ellinor of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted that those efforts primarily target areas already frequented by scuba divers.
"We're going to have to figure out how we're going to get below the diver depths," said Ellinor, a biological administrator with the commission's marine fisheries division.
"The other problem is there's not a commercial market per se," he added. "It's very small, very minute, it's in the Keys, it's beyond the reef in about 200 feet (60 meters) of water and it's bycatch out of traps, lobster traps."
More and bigger lionfish now live throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic between the Carolinas and Colombia than in the species' native range in the Indian and Pacific oceans, researchers say. Worse, it's not known what controls lionfish in their home waters—maybe a parasite, or something eating their eggs and larvae before they develop their poisonous spines.
In Atlantic waters, lionfish apparently have nothing to fear except cold water and scuba divers equipped with specific gear.
"They pretty much have been unprecedented in any marine invasion. It's the largest, the quickest, the most extensive marine invasion we've ever seen," said Nova Southeastern University's Matthew Johnston, whose work predicting the spread of other invasive species is based on the success of the lionfish.
Officials have concluded that if you can't beat lionfish, you can at least eat them, even though commercial supplies and the market for the lionfish remain very small.
For years in the Caribbean, dive shop operators, conservationists and some restaurant chefs have been trying to slow their spread by turning them into menu items. Derby-style lionfish tournaments are held from Bermuda as far south as Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela.
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the government once put up a cash prize for the first fisherman to catch 3,000. In Bonaire, where the economy is dependent on reef diving tourism, volunteers are being licensed as "lionfish hunters." Supermercado Nacional, the largest chain of supermarkets in the Dominican Republic, occasionally has lionfish for sale depending on availability.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a campaign in 2010 urging the U.S. public to "eat sustainable, eat lionfish!"
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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It's almost time for the 2013 WitOut Awards for Philadelphia Comedy! As we get closer to the show, we'll be rolling out a series of posts to help you get more acquainted with this year's nominees. Read all about 'em, and then be sure to get your tickets for the big event on January 13th at World Cafe Live!
The nominees for Best Male Improviser are:
Luke Field (Asteroid!, Hot Dog)
Andrew Stanton (King Friday, Kait & Andrew)
Dennis Trafny (Hey Rube, Iron Lung)
Alex Newman (Davenger)
Darryl Charles (ComedySportz, Hate Speech Committee)
Dennis Trafny on Alex Newman:
"He's a funny SOB. He's doesn't look it on account of his husbandry, but he is a really, really smart dude. And he uses those smarts for some of the funniest, most juvenile scenes I've seen in Philadelphia. He could probably, no joke, be an astrophysicist but instead he chose to pretend to be a smartphone eating dinner at a long table with a bunch of weirdos or a boss that won't give trophies to his employees, and the Philly comedy community is reaping the benefits. His beard is also a lil QT pie."
Andrew Stanton on Luke Field:
"Luke Field was conceived on the field of battle and that is where he gets his name. As a baby, Luke fought his way out of the hospital. Luke once threw a boy twice his age over a fence. Luke bit a dog. Luke drank an entire lake. Luke once dealt a poker game for the mafia and they didn't scare him one bit. Luke has seen the edge of space. Luke wrote the lyrics to 'Ace of Spades'. Luke is coming from inside the house. Luke is dangerously funny. Luke is an incredible improviser. Luke is great."
Luke Field on Darryl Charles:
"If you were to compare all the nominated male improvisers to sports people (also known as "athletes"), Darryl obviously would be Bo Jackson…because they are both three-sport athletes! (Stop being a racist!) Darryl is an all-star improviser with ComedySportz and the reigning "WitOut Best Improv Team" Hate Speech Committee, much like Bo was a Pro Bowl ball-runner for such-and-such football team. Darryl is an elite stand-up comedian and last year's winner of "Best Stand-Up Bit," much like Bo would smack some dingers while playing for America's team, the Kansas City Royals. And, also, in addition to all that, Darryl is an accomplished sketch writer, contributing to "The Monthly Hour with James Hesky" and "Bird Text," much like Bo was a noted cartoon personality/crime fighter in the Saturday morning cartoon "ProStars" (third sport). Oh, and did you know Darryl also co-hosts Philadelphia's best podcast, "CheaPodcast?" And did I forget that fact right up until this very moment and I am adding it in right now? Answer: YES TO BOTH. That's four sports! One more than Bo Jackson! Darryl Charles is also a noted lover of animals while Bo Jackson was a malicious hunter exclusively of endangered species [citation needed]. You heard it here first folks: Darryl Charles is BETTER than Bo Jackson at comedy, sports and general humanity."
Alex Newman on Dennis Trafny:
"Dennis Trafny is my bearded brother in arms and fellow metal head. He is an insane genius of improv who plays demented murderers with the same realism as he plays innocent children. Which is horrifying when I stop to think about it. Let's just say I'm glad he's on my side."
Darryl Charles on Andrew Stanton:
"Andrew is awesome, and funny. I've seen him perform a bunch and he can switch from short one-liners to long and interweaving stories while keeping his trademark wit and mannerisms intact. That's good, and hard to do. I like him a bunch, and I'm a fan of his improv too. If anyone was going to win this but me, I'd want it to be Andrew. Sadly, it won't be. But I'm happy he was nominated."


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It occurred to me that right now - this month - begins the 200 year anniversary of Keats's coming-of-age as a determined Poet. It was in October 1816 that he wrote "Chapman's Homer" and in so doing declared his intention to live the life of a poet. I simply find it wonderful that now, in October 2016, we get to live out those same years as Keats lived, only 200 years before. The calendar acts as a map, for me at least, to trace Keats's incredible life and achievements. As we live out these next few months and years, I find it helpful and a bit more meaningful to actively reflect upon what Keats was doing TODAY in 1816 (or on any given day between now and 2021).
I hope we can appreciate the special opportunity we are all afforded today to live throughout Keats's 200th anniversary - celebrating 1816-1821. The next four years and five months will be more meaningful for me as I constantly remember what the specific day meant for Keats 200 years ago. Thankfully, we are left with enough writing about Keats's activities that we know pretty well what he was doing and even thinking on any given day.
So in that light, enjoy the 200th anniversary of whatever Keats was doing on whatever day you are living through.


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In the 70s, my dad missed a chance to see Elvis, and has always regretted it. This is not how I feel about skipping Jingle Ball '99. But now, seeing last night's appalling Katy-Perry-Kylie-duds, I'm changing my mind.
Singer Luciana fancies herself Wonderwoman redux. Someone could use a lasso of truth in her dressing room.
Joey King gets into the holiday spirit.
And for her sake, we hope her innocence isn't completely destroyed by the sight of Lacey Schwimmer. I mean, no one under 13 should have this knowledge of macrame.
Someone who knows how to dress for an impressionable crowd: Selena Gomez.
As usual looking like an aging Eddie Haskell, Seacrest.
On the one hand, Ali Fedotowsky's dress is kind of frumpy and ugly and weird. On the other, this kind of resembles the Samantha doll's outfit. Which is a big "but."
Ariel Winter's combination of "rebellious" footwear and delighted expression is kind of the best thing ever.
Ripping off circa-'03 Madonna, the mistress of pastiche, is a level of postmodernism I can barely comprehend.
Katy Perry manages the high-wire act of balancing dowdy and trashy.
[Images via Getty]


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The Constitution, the Post Office, and the Future
There's no question, therefore, that the U.S. of A.'s Founders viewed the transmission of letters and packages as an essential part of the national government even though there were also private carriers. Joseph M. Adelman starts at that point in his Publick Occurrences essays about the long history the U.S. Postal Service.
Until forty years ago, the postmaster general was still part of the President's Cabinet. In that year, Congress enacted a new law that spun off the service as a quasi-independent organization, meant to work like a profit-seeking business and insulated from politics.
Except, of course, that it's not. If the Postal Service were truly a business, then it wouldn't have to deliver first-class mail to almost anyplace in the country for the same small price—the requirement of universal service. Furthermore, the agency's finances are still under Congress's control. At the Redtape Chronicles, Bob Sullivan ran the math on the results:
Right now, the Postal Service is being forced to pre-pay health benefits for the next 75 years during a 10-year stretch. In the past four years, those prepayments have totaled $21 billion. The agency's deficit during that time is about $20 billion. Remove these crazy pre-payments — a requirement that no other government agency endures and no private industry would even consider — and the Postal Service would be in the black. . . . the Postal Service starts its year in a hole designed to hide a portion of the federal deficit.Those costs are also linked to two more of the U.S. of A.'s biggest economic challenges: the Bush-Cheney recession and the rise in health costs.
Of course, everyone recognizes that the volume of first-class mail is dropping tremendously because of the internet. Even if the economy hadn't taken the worst hit since the Great Depression in 2008, the deficit were smaller, and our health-care system weren't weighed down by unnecessary costs, the Postal Service's business model would still be outdated.
But the constitutional principle behind that agency still stands. In fact, our modern economy and way of life depend on speedy, reliable, and widespread communication more than ever. So what is the federal government's responsibility?
Our judicial and political systems have already concluded that our freedom of the press isn't limited by the fact we no longer use eighteenth-century printing technology. The First Amendment applies to mimeograph machines and offset printers, radio and television, the internet, and so on. Similarly, people who read the Second Amendment broadly argue that the "arms" it refers to include modern firearms. The U.S. Navy has expanded beyond copper-plated wooden ships.
By the same logic, the clause of the Constitution quoted above empowers Congress to establish the service and infrastructure for Americans to exchange messages in the modern fashion—electronically and digitally. By analogy to the Postal Service, that service should reach nearly everyone and come at a minimal cost. In fact, the U.S. government was in on the ground floor of that service, developing the early internet within the Defense Department.
In recent years those systems and services have been established and expanded mostly by private businesses, often but not always regulated by state and local governments as utilities. But there were also private delivery services in 1775 and 1787, and the Founders didn't think those were enough.
[Image above courtesy of Northampton, New Hampshire.]


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Blendover Episode Five
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
What did you think of this episode? Have any questions? Suggestions?
LET US KNOW: Tweet Us | Give Us A Facialbook | Shoot Us Some Hate Mail
Or comment below!
- Unlocking Phones
- Run! Hide! Fight!
- Richard III Remains Found
- The Ongoing Religion Debate
- Al Gore 2016
- Battersea Power Station
BlendoveR is a fun, hard-hitting pod-cast where rules are regularly thrown out the window in favor of honest, open commentating opinions. Presented by Greg Davies (cGt2099 from The-TrukstoP.com), and Terr Ciavarra (Media Nox from medianox.bandcamp.com), we stray on to any topic that presents itself or wanders off onto its own tangent.
Unlocking Phones Now Illegal (But Not In UK!)
FULL TEXT: Library of Congress 37 CFR Part 201 Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies
Is Unlocking Your Phone Really Illegal?
It's the end of the world! Amerikkka has banned the unlocking of cellphones!
The Most Ridiculous Law of 2013 (So Far): It Is Now a Crime to Unlock Your Smartphone
Starting Jan. 26, Unlocking a Smartphone Will Be Illegal
Unlocking Your Smartphone Is Now Illegal
Wikipedia: SIM Lock laws in the United Kingdom
Run! Hide! Fight!
"Run, Hide, Fight": SNC's Policy in the Case of an Armed Gunman
RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event
RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event – Reddit
Richard III Remains Found
Bones Under Parking Lot Belonged to Richard III
For Richard III, the plot thickens
Richard III dig: Facial reconstruction shows how king may have looked
What's the likelihood that the legacy of King Richard III was mostly Tudor propaganda to secure their claim to the English Throne?
Wikipedia: Richard III of England
The Ongoing Religion Debate with Greg and Terr
Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children
The Face of Jesus Reconstructed
Four US states considering laws that challenge teaching of evolution
Lawrence Krauss: Teaching Creationism is Child Abuse
The US Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional for public schools to teach creationism in 1987
Wikipedia: Jesus – Etymology of Names
Wikipedia: Son of God (TV series)
Al Gore 2016
Al Gore: US democracy has been hacked
The Daily Show – Al Gore Extended Interview
Gore's problem with politicians
The most honest three and a half minutes of television, EVER…
Wikipedia: List of political term limits – The Americas (USA Vice Presidency)
RIP Battersea Power Station – Good Night Sweet Prince
Battersea power station homes go on sale
Stampede for property at Battersea power station as £600MILLION worth of flats sell out in just four days
Watt a view! Inside the planned penthouse flats at Battersea Power Station
Wikipedia: List of political term limits – The Americas (USA Vice Presidency)
Music Featured:
- "Bored to Death" by Mongrel – from the album Reclamation


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Paul Joseph Watson
February 17, 2011
Forgive me for being cynical, but Fox News' claim that airing the wrong CPAC footage and then introducing an interview with Ron Paul on the false premise that he had been booed was merely a "mistake" rings somewhat hollow, especially given the fact that Fox, along with the rest of the establishment media networks, have for years consistently denigrated the Congressman's presidential aspirations with a myriad of dirty tricks, lies and smear campaigns.
As we highlighted yesterday, in a shocking act of mass public deception, Fox News attempted to skew Ron Paul's 2011 CPAC straw poll win by representing it with footage from the previous year's CPAC event, at which Mitt Romney supporters had loudly booed the result and Paul supporters had been absent due to a Campaign for Liberty meeting running late
Fox News host Bill Hemmer framed his interview with Paul by immediately bringing up the boos, despite the fact that the real footage of this year's CPAC poll result showed Paul's victory being met with a loud chorus of cheers and applause.
In a statement provided to Mediaite, Fox's Senior Vice President of News Michael Clemente attempted to defuse the growing controversy over the incident by claiming it was all a harmless broadcasting error.
"We made a mistake with some of the video we aired, and plan on issuing a correction on America's Newsroom tomorrow morning explaining exactly what happened," said Clemente.
Really? It is plausible that this was just another "mistake"? How about the myriad of other "mistakes" Fox News makes a habit of committing, mistakes that coincidentally all serve to disparage Congressman Paul's message of liberty and freedom, along with his chances of becoming president?
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
"It's certainly plausible that Fox News merely made a mistake in pulling up the wrong video," adds Mediaite, noting that the explanation is unlikely to "Satisfy Paul supporters who seem to believe the network tried to disguise how much support the congressman has amongst the GOP base."
Was it another "mistake" to omit Paul's name entirely from a Fox News survey last week that asked who would make the best president? Was it a "mistake" that relative nobodies like John Thune and Jon Huntsman were included in the Fox poll and yet Paul was blacklisted entirely despite his CPAC success two years running?
Was it another "mistake" on behalf of Fox News to exclude Paul from a January 6 2008 presidential forum event because they saw the prospect of anti-war opinions being voiced by the most conservative member of the House as a "threat"?
Was it a "mistake" for Fox News to claim that their own May 2007 presidential poll, which Ron Paul won, was unreliable, because online Paul supporters had skewed the result, despite the fact that the survey was conducted via cell phone text messaging and no online votes were taken?
Was it a mere "mistake" for Fox News host Sean Hannity to deride the Texas Congressman's runaway success in the text messaging poll as nothing more than "Paulites" flood voting, when in reality only one vote per cell phone number was allowed? Hannity's contention that Ron Paul supporters were "were simply dialing in over and over again" was nothing more than a brazen lie intended to dismiss the Congressman's widespread popularity. No one at Fox News bothered to correct Hannity and no retraction was issued.
Was it another "mistake" when Fox News started editing Ron Paul's name out of Associated Press stories they syndicated before the 2008 presidential campaign?
Was it a "mistake" for Fox News to denigrate the fact that Ron Paul received the most campaign donations from members of the U.S. military by attributing it to "libertarian mailing lists"?
Was it a "mistake" when Fox News attempted to smear Ron Paul for having the audacity to appear on the Alex Jones Show and the nerve to merely converse with people who commit the thought crime of not completely trusting the official government version of 9/11?
Was it a "mistake" when Fox News rigged the structure of their entire May 2007 presidential debate and used it as a vehicle for all the other candidates to viciously attack Ron Paul, while Fox's pre-screened audience rapaciously applauded calls for torture and warmongering?
Was it a mistake when Fox News directors conspired to censor Ron Paul supporters from appearing in camera shots during the Mackinac Republican Conference on September 22, 2007, when they were caught on film stating, "I don't want these Ron Paul people, but I need shots of audience"?
Was it a "mistake" for Fox News to ignore a story every other news outlet was obliged to report, the record-breaking $4.2 million in campaign donations that Ron Paul achieved in a single day, while instead choosing to obsess about a man in Texas who sat in a bath tub full of snakes?
Were all of the examples contained in the video below showing rampant Fox News and other networks' bias against Ron Paul simply "mistakes" or something more?
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Are all these examples merely "mistakes" or are they hard evidence of the fact that Fox News, in alliance with every other establishment media news network, has a deeply ingrained bias against Ron Paul's message and is scared stiff of him ever building enough momentum to have a chance of becoming president?
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show. Watson has been interviewed by many publications and radio shows, including Vanity Fair and Coast to Coast AM, America's most listened to late night talk show.
Our 4th of July Super Sale has been extended! Get double Patriot Points and free shipping on the hottest items!


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A Closer Look At Arthroscopy For Ankle Fractures And Post-Fracture Defects
Arthroscopy is an expedient tool in the management of intra-articular fractures of the ankle and post-fracture articular defects. It provides the surgeon the ability to anatomically reduce a fracture under direct visualization with minimal intervention. It also enables the surgeon to address any articular injury primarily.
The AO philosophy has remained consistent and clear. When it comes to patients with displaced, unstable ankle fractures and related problems, we strive for operative anatomic reduction and stabilization designed to bring an early return to mobility and function. Is this enough? Can one treat the injured articular surface in conjunction with osseous reduction and fixation?
New evidence is shedding light on the fact that almost 80 percent of malleolar fractures have a concomitant chondral or osteochondral defect.1,2 Historically, there has been significant attention in the literature on the management of chronic osteochondral lesions of the tibiotalar joint and their treatment outcomes.
As surgeons who manage patients with this pathology, we know osteochondral lesions of the talus are often missed and treatment can be delayed for months and often years. If we are to subject the patient to an operation for the ankle fracture, why not evaluate and primarily treat the associated intra-articular pathology that is known to be a cause of chronic ankle dysfunction?
The established AO principles of anatomic reduction with internal fixation are well known to the foot and ankle surgeon. Intra-articular incongruity is one of the main reasons fractures are surgically addressed. The tibia takes approximately five-sixths of the load at the ankle joint and patients tolerate articular malreductions poorly.
With certain fracture types and patterns, accurate anatomic reduction can be difficult to obtain without significant soft tissue disruption. Accomplishing this anatomic reduction by the least invasive yet still effective means is a matter of increasing concern. This is especially true given the complications that can ensue, especially in the geriatric and diabetic patient population. Arthroscopic assisted fracture reduction can provide a less invasive operative reduction of the fracture and respects the soft tissue envelope.
Fractures about the ankle that are amenable to arthroscopic assisted reduction and fixation include:
• medial malleolar injuries;
• posterior malleolar injuries;
• Tillaux fractures;
• triplane fractures; and
• tibial plafond fractures.
What about the case of the patient who has persistent pain several months after the fracture has healed? This persistent pain can be attributed to intra-articular pathology as previously discussed. The patient who was treated operatively or non-operatively can have fibular malunion. Chronic syndesmotic instability can also be the source of ongoing pain. Arthroscopy in conjunction with intra-articular debridement and/ or osseous realignment procedures can benefit all of these patients.
Utsugi and colleagues published a paper on 40 patients who underwent ankle arthroscopy one year after the index procedure.3 Almost a third of the patients required a functional derotation of the ankle joint. Arthroscopy showed articular cartilage damage in 33 percent of patients and arthrofibrosis in 73 percent. Furthermore, 89 percent of patients with functional derotation of the fibula and combined arthroscopic debridement showed improved articular function.
Keys To Initial Assessment And Patient Management
One should obtain standard radiographic views of the ankle for the initial assessment of the fracture pattern. Computed tomography (CT) of fractures is sometimes warranted when extensive comminution or intra-articular involvement is present. This aids in preoperative planning of fracture surgery. If there is high fibular tenderness, obtain a tibia-fibula series in order to include the ankle and knee joints. Obtain foot X-rays when the clinical exam warrants.
With the patient hemodynamically stable, perform closed reduction of the fractures and relocation of any joint subluxation or dislocation. Apply a layered compressive dressing and splint, and instruct the patient to elevate the injured limb. One may use two surgical windows to fix the injured extremity. The early period is within six hours after the injury whereas the late period is between six to 12 days.
It is unwise to make incisions in between the six-hour and six-day window as this increases the likelihood of postoperative wound problems.5 The surgeon has to respect this principle of allowing the tissue envelope to "settle" if one is to perform arthroscopic assisted reduction as soft tissue extravasation of ingress fluid from the arthroscopy procedure can further increase the likelihood of wound problems.
Assessing The Benefits And Contraindications Of Arthroscopic Reduction
There are many advantages to arthroscopic assisted reduction. These advantages include: minimal surgical intervention; direct visualization of fracture reduction; comprehensive intra-articular evaluation; and acute treatment of chondral and osteochondral injuries.
The contraindications to performing arthroscopic assisted reduction include: a grossly compromised soft tissue envelope; excessive soft tissue edema with or without blisters; and open fractures.
Pertinent Pearls For Performing Arthroscopic Surgery For Ankle Fractures
Surgeons can use large (4 mm) or small joint (2.7 mm) arthroscopes. Utilize standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals. One can establish a posterolateral portal for posterior talar lesions or posterior malleolar fractures.
The authors recommend avoiding arthroscopic pumps as a rule. Gravity inflow is preferred. Separate inflow and outflow portals help with distention visualization. Pumps require a three-in-one cannula system, one for inflow, one for outflow and another to determine intra-articular pressure. If the cannula inadvertently slips into the subcutaneous space and no outflow is measured, the pump can dramatically increase inflow pressure.
Excessive fluid extravasation can potentially cause compartment ischemia and it has been documented. Gravity inflow avoids this potential complication. We recommend using two 3- to 4-L bags of lactated Ringer's solution at about three feet above the table with large diameter, high flow Y-tubing.
With most fracture patterns, one can adequately evaluate the ankle joint without distraction. The unstable ankle mortise allows for easier passage of instruments than in elective ankle arthroscopy. However, with posterior ankle pathology or difficult fracture reductions as one may see with subacute fractures, ankle distraction is warranted.
Takao described a Kerlix roll technique for distraction.5 We have modified this somewhat by using industry fabricated noninvasive straps and a 4-inch gauze roll. This technique facilitates efficient intraoperative set-up and ensures surgeon flexibility in the use of ankle distraction during the arthroscopic portion of the procedure.
Case Study One: When A Skateboarder Has A Medial Malleolus Fracture
A 15-year-old male with closed physes sustained a closed bimalleolar injury while skateboarding. Radiographs demonstrated a medial malleolar pronation abduction (PAB) type of injury and an incomplete fracture of the lateral malleolus.
The surgeon made standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals. The surgeon debrided the fracture site and curetted the site clear of hematoma and debris. After evacuating the debris and hematoma, one could visualize the fracture line.
One could then reduce the fracture either with reduction forceps and an arthroscopic check, or percutaneously secure the site with K-wires from the cannulated screw set. Using the wire technique, insert wires from the tip of the medial malleolus and advance the wires just proximal to the fracture line. One can then use the wires to "joystick" the fragments into place with arthroscopic visualization to verify reduction. Once you have achieved adequate reduction, you can advance the wires across the fracture site and insert screws if the wire position is optimal.
Case Study Two: Treating A Bimalleolar Ankle Fracture In A 33-Year-Old Male
A 33-year-old male slipped on some stairs and sustained a closed bimalleolar fracture. At first glance, the plain radiographs demonstrate a fairly typical bimalleolar fracture. One might question whether arthroscopy is necessary.
Intraoperatively, the surgeon noted a large lateral osteochondral fragment. We typically perform a 10-minute cursory arthroscopy prior to open reduction internal fixation (ORIF), given the high incidence of chondral and osteochondral lesions.
Ferkel identified osteochondral lesions in almost 80 percent of the ankles that underwent ankle arthroscopy and operative fixation in conjunction with an acute ankle fractures.1
Recently, Leontaritis and colleagues looked at 283 ankle fractures that had ORIF and underwent ankle arthroscopy.2 The researchers classified the ankle injuries according to the Lauge-Hansen criteria. Seventy-three percent had chondral lesions. Articular injuries were common in the more severe ankle fracture patterns. This included the pronation external rotation (PER) injuries and supination external-rotation (SER) type IV patterns.
Case Study Three: When A Pediatric Patient Has A Tillaux Fracture With Displacement
A 12-year-old female sustained a closed fracture with a twisting injury while playing basketball. Her mortise radiographs demonstrated a Tillaux fracture with a 3 to 4 mm displacement. After surgeons removed the hematoma and debris, they could clearly visualize the fracture gap. They reduced the fracture and stabilized it with a reduction clamp utilizing a small anterolateral incision over the distal tibia. They checked the reduction with the arthroscope and manipulated the fragment to obtain articular congruity. Fixation can be with either cannulated or solid screws. For this patient, surgeons used a 3.5 mm solid lag screw.
In 1898, John Poland performed an extensive study of epiphyseal separations about the ankle. He noted that ankle injuries in children differed from those in adults in three important ways.6
• The growth plate forms a plane of weakness directing fracture lines in patterns different from those in adults.
• Ligaments are stronger than bone so ligamentous injuries are less common in children.
• Certain injures will affect growth.
Remember that nearly 40 percent of physeal injuries reported in children are ankle fractures. More than half of these ankle fractures in children occur during sports activities.7
A Tillaux injury almost always occurs in the adolescent within a year of complete closure of the distal tibial physis. This injury is a Salter-Harris type III fracture in which the lateral portion of the distal tibial physis is injured. The central and medial aspects of the tibial physis have closed, leaving the anterolateral aspect open and vulnerable to injury. An external rotation force on the foot may avulse the anterolateral quadrant of the tibial physis, which is bound to the fibula by the strong anterior tibiofibular ligament. This may result in a rectangular or pie-shaped fragment breaking off the distal tibial epiphysis.
Case Study Four: Treating A Triplane Fracture In A High School Football Player
A healthy 15-year-old male sustained an injury in a high school football game. A CT scan confirmed a three-part intra-articular fracture. The coronal view noted no articular step-off but identified a 3 mm displacement. Three-dimensional CT reconstruction provided a very clear understanding of the fracture pattern.
In order to restore articular congruity, the surgeon performed arthroscopic assisted fracture reduction. There was no evidence of any articular step-off and apposition of the fracture fragments. The surgeon fixated the fragments with cortical lag screws directed anterior to posterior and medial to lateral.
The tibial triplane fracture is a complex fracture defined by sagittal, transverse and coronal components that courses in part along and in part through the physis, and enters the ankle joint. Classically, this fracture appears as a Sanders type III injury on the AP projection and as a type II injury on the lateral view.8,9 A CT scan is an invaluable tool in defining the fracture configuration and the amount of intra-articular displacement.
Most classifications are based on three factors: medial or lateral location, the number of parts, and whether it is an intra- or extra-articular fracture. Fractures of the fibula may be present in conjunction with any triplane fracture. Three-part fractures have a propensity for intra-articular incongruity. These type of injuries leave a posterior metaphyseal-epiphyseal fragment that behaves like a Salter-Harris IV fracture. This fragment may migrate proximally and leave an articular step-off in the joint surface.
Case Study Five: When Chronic Syndesmotic Instability Occurs
A 59-year-old male sustained a Grade II open trimalleolar ankle fracture while trying to apprehend two men who attempted to steal his car. The open injury also resulted in extensive capsular disruption. After malleolar reduction, the tibiotalar joint had anterior subluxation so surgeons inserted smooth transcutaneous Steinmann pins for further stabilization. The fractures and skin envelope progressed to healing in a fairly uneventful fashion with the ankle mortise appearing relatively well preserved. Surgeons removed the syndesmotic screws four months after the index procedure.
The patient was then lost to follow-up. He reappeared roughly seven months after the screw removal, complaining of a swollen ankle. Radiographs demonstrated an unstable ankle syndesmosis that was clearly widened and a talus in valgus malposition.
Looking at the reconstructive options, surgeons decided to attempt a joint salvage procedure as opposed to an ankle arthrodesis. The syndesmosis underwent bone grafts and surgeons performed a distal syndesmotic fusion. After obtaining a congruent joint, surgeons performed arthroscopy. The joint showed significant articular damage but at two years postoperatively, the patient is still functioning well.
In Summary
Arthroscopy is a wonderful tool in the management of certain intra-articular fractures of the ankle. It assists in attaining anatomical reduction while minimizing disruption of the soft tissue envelope. Arthroscopy also enables the surgeon to debride the joint and address any articular defects primarily. This approach may offer the patient distinctive advantages in the future. Arthroscopy is also an excellent adjunct in the treatment of post-traumatic ankle pathology such as osseous malunion, synovitis, arthrofibrosis and chronic syndesmotic instability.
Further clinical studies are needed to accurately determine clinical benefit but the authors have already noted clinical benefit in their patients with the use of arthroscopy in ankle fracture management.
Dr. Hamilton is affiliated with the Department of Orthopedics and Podiatric Surgery of Kaiser Permanente in Antioch, Calif. He is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Dr. Sautter is affiliated with the Department of Orthopedics and Podiatric Surgery of Kaiser Permanente in Antioch, Calif. He is an Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Dr. Burks is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and is board-certified in foot and ankle surgery. He is in private practice in Little Rock, Ark.
For further reading, see "Current Concepts In Ankle Arthroscopy" in the December 2007 issue of Podiatry Today or "A Pertinent Guide To Basic Ankle Arthroscopy" in the November 2003 issue.
To access the archives or get reprint information, visit www.podiatrytoday.com.
1. Ferkel RD et al. Ankle arthroscopy: a new tool for treating acute and chronic ankle fractures. Arthroscopy 1993; 9(4): 456. 2. Leontaritis N, Hinojosa L, Panchbhavi VK. Arthroscopically detected intra-articular lesions associated with acute ankle fractures. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009; 91(2): 333-9. 3. Utsugi K, et al. Intra-articular fibrous tissue formation following ankle fracture: the significance of arthroscopic debridement of fibrous tissue. Arthroscopy 2007; 23(1): 89-93. 4. Jupiter J, Levine A, Trafton P. Skeletal trauma: basic science, management, and reconstruction. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2002. 5. Takao M, Ochi M, Shu N, Naito K, Matsusaki M, Tobita M, Kawasaki K. Bandage distraction technique for ankle arthroscopy. Foot Ankle Int. 1999 Jun;20(6): 389-91. 6. Poland J. Traumatic separation of the epiphysis. Smith and Elder, London, 1898. 7. Spiegel PG, Cooperman DR, Laros GS. Epiphyseal fractures of the distal ends of the tibia and fibula. A retrospective study of 237 cases in children. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1978; 60(8): 1046-1050. 8. Whipple TL, Dale RM, McIntyre LF, Meyers JF. Arthroscopic treatment of triplane fractures of the ankle. Arthroscopy 1993; 9(4): 456-463. 9. Ertl JP, Barrack RL, Alexander AH, VanBuecken K. Triplane fracture of the distal tibial epiphysis. Long-term follow-up. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1988; 70(7): 967-976.


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Stock Ticker: Activision Blizzard
Bobby Kotick's pronouncements may infuriate gamers - but do they really delight investors, as is so often claimed?
Having covered the most valuable games company in the world, Nintendo, in the first instalment of this series a few weeks ago, let's now look across the Pacific to the second most valuable - Activision Blizzard.
In a sense, it's extraordinary that a third-party publisher could even come within knocking distance of challenging the valuation of a successful platform holder of Nintendo's stature. There are certain financial considerations to bear in mind with regard to that - not least of which is that Activision is listed on New York's technology-stock focused NASDAQ, whose investment culture is a world apart from that of Japan's markets - but it still stands as a testament to the sheer strength of the franchises on which Activision has built its business, being primarily Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
Activision, in contrast to the companies I've focused on so far in this series, hasn't had a bad year at all. Its graph over the past year is a bit bumpy, certainly, but there's a clear seasonality to it. ATVI's valuation peaked towards the end of 2010 as the extraordinary success of Call of Duty: Black Ops became apparent, before falling off through spring and summer - only to begin an even sharper rise as autumn rolled in and excitement began to build around Modern Warfare 3.
That's where we stand now with Activision. The stock is trading close to $13, which would be the highest price it's reached since the financial crash of 2008. If last year's trend is repeated, though, it's likely to grow through the next couple of months as well, and some US analysts suggest that a price target of $15 is reasonable. That would actually bring Activision's stocks up beyond the levels it was trading at following the announcement in late 2007 of the merger with Vivendi (and thus, more importantly, Blizzard). The company's shares shot up at that time, and traded at around $14 for several months before heading skywards to roughly the $17 mark when the deal went through in July 2008.
For investors, NPD's headline figures are cold facts, and can't be healthy for Activision's share price.
Those gains were wiped out in the wake of the financial crisis, but three years later, Activision appears to be on the verge of returning to its pre-crash levels - a feat to which few companies in the games business can lay claim. To do so in the face of the constant flow of negativity surrounding retail game sales is even more impressive. Industry insiders know, of course, that much of the lost retail sales are instead flowing through digital channels (and that the rise of revenues from digital distribution, freemium, subscription and other such models probably even outweighs the decline of retail), but for investors, NPD's headline figures are cold facts, and can't be healthy for Activision's share price.
Yet it's worth noting that in spite of its steady performance (and the Buy ratings maintained by many analysts for the stock), Activision isn't entirely a stock market darling. In recent months, certainly, it's done very well indeed, but the reality is that for most of the past 12 months Activision has actually been underperforming the NASDAQ index on which it resides. The following graph is rather lenient to Activision, I should add - it covers exactly 12 months of data, so it starts in the mid-point of the publisher's seasonal rise. If you move the starting needle back only a few weeks, the percentages shift to show that the NASDAQ's rise in the closing months of 2010 actually significantly outperformed Activision Blizzard's. As you can see in the graph reproduced here, ATVI tumbled in the months after Christmas, while the NASDAQ remained fairly healthy until it fell off a cliff in early August, leaving Activision leading the market by the end of the graph.
What's going on here, then? It's clear that investors aren't exactly negative about Activision - if they were, you'd expect there to be a lot more movement in the stock, most of it downwards. However, something definitely constrained the price growth of the industry's biggest third-party publisher this year. Could it have been general negativity around the games industry in particular, as distinct from the tech sector as a whole (which is what the NASDAQ composite index effectively tracks)?
The straight answer is no - and here's where the figures get really interesting, and perhaps a little surprising. Activision Blizzard is the industry's 800 pound gorilla, and keeper of what are, right now, the two most valuable franchises in gaming in the form of CoD and WoW. It's got a CEO, Bobby Kotick, who's no stranger to controversy among gaming consumers for his forthright and often confrontational style, which is conventionally explained away as being "what the markets want to hear" - the idea being that Kotick as CEO is making decisions that aren't designed to please the gamers who buy his products, but rather to delight the investors who buy his shares.
Yet, if you stack Activision's share price performance over the past 12 months against its two largest US rivals in third-party publishing, this is what happens:
The contrast is stark. Activision is on a growth curve, but when you place it alongside its (smaller) rivals, its curve largely flattens out. Not only has it been mostly underperforming the NASDAQ, it's also been underperforming the companies whose business models most match its own - Electronic Arts and Take Two, long-established publishers who rely on sales of boxed software for the majority of their revenue.
Again, there are various financial and market-related aspects to take into account when looking at that graph. The first and most obvious is that EA and Take Two are smaller companies than Activision Blizzard: EA has a valuation around half that of its larger rival, while Take Two's market cap is around one-tenth that of Activision. As such, they're more inclined to be buffeted about by general market trends than the larger company would be, as is clearly visible especially in the huge slump that hits both companies in mid-August. You can see it on Activision's graph as well, but it's not very pronounced - by glancing back at the NASDAQ graph we can see that it's a general market drop, one which Activision's size nullifies to some extent but to which EA and Take Two alike are more vulnerable.
However, while considering that aspect might smooth out the lines on the graph somewhat, it doesn't alter the fact that EA and Take Two are dramatically outperforming the NASDAQ, while Activision has only nudged slightly ahead of the composite index in the past couple of months. Why is that?
The answer lies back in the most fundamental aspect of how markets work: they reward growth, and get excited about growth potential. Activision Blizzard operates the most successful and profitable massively multiplayer game in history, and remarkably manages to keep its subscription numbers well over 10 million even after so many years on the market. But WoW is a known entity, its parameters baked into ATVI's valuation already, its potential for growth fairly limited. Bioware's The Old Republic, on the other hand, could give EA several million dedicated MMO subscribers, a whole new business bringing a fresh cashflow to the publisher. It's easy to see which of the two things investors will be more excited about.
EA and Take Two are actively trying to create huge new franchises, and far from running off to find safe harbour with the likes of ATVI stock, the markets are rewarding their risk-taking
The same logic applies, for example, to the present high-profile spat between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3. Nobody with the slightest bit of insight doubts that Modern Warfare 3 is going to be the better-selling game - quite possibly matching its older siblings to join the ranks of the best-selling games of all time - but Activision always releases a massive Call of Duty game for Christmas. EA's challenge to the franchise promises to give Battlefield 3 a huge sales boost, even if it's unlikely to dent CoD's figures much in the process. Again, investors care more for EA's growth than for Activision's sustained but familiar success.
What the market data suggests, more than anything else, is that investors see Activision as extremely solid. There are some things that spook them a little - the high profile decision to put the Guitar Hero franchise to bed, and the negative press it attracted, for example. The publisher's inability to control Blizzard's release schedule also makes revenue projections very difficult, although given that the studio's perfectionism is a core part of its ability to keep on laying golden eggs, it's unlikely that many investors would want to see that particular aspect changed. Overall, Activision's share price weathers storms very handsomely (even the 2008 financial crisis) and shows solid if unexciting growth, focused around holiday quarters.
So is Kotick really delivering what the markets want, as he cuts an abrasive swathe through the specialist gaming sector time and again? Perhaps - for a certain section of the investment community, at least. Solid, slow-burning stocks are always extremely popular, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, though, there's some indication that the markets share the concerns of gamers and other commentators (myself included) regarding Activision's future product strategy, and the likelihood that it will struggle to build new "pillars" to join products like CoD and WoW. EA and Take Two, by contrast, are actively trying to create huge new IPs and franchises, and far from running off to find safe harbour with the likes of ATVI stock, the markets are rewarding their risk-taking and their growth potential.
The Old Republic could give EA several million dedicated MMO subscribers, a whole new business bringing a fresh cashflow to the publisher.
The core question about Activision remains unanswered, then. Kotick's talent and ability to exploit and monetise an existing franchise is unquestionable, but his strategy for finding new franchises to build up into pillars of his business remains to be seen. The firm's deal with Bungie may yet bear abundant fruit, of course, but in the meantime, while Activision's expert franchise-milking may be yielding record-breaking sales year on year, it's clear that some corners of the investment world wouldn't object to a bit more risk and bit more opportunity in the company's future plans.


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This life-size, budget priced lumbar model demonstrates what a herniated disc looks like in relation to the vertebrae and spinal cord. Includes 3 interchangeable discs: normal, central herniation and dorsal herniation. Dissects into 6 parts. Made of durable, flexible plastic. Mounted on a base. Size: 43/4" x 43/4" x 51/4".
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If You Find a Rock is a magical, reflective meditation on the bits of quartz, granite and fossil you might find in your meanderings–and what they might signify. Peggy Christian's prose and Barbara Hirsch Lember's tinted photographs give the book a timeless air that makes it a classic–at least I think it should be a classic. Get acquainted with skipping rocks, mossy boulders, climbing rocks, chalk rocks, and wishing rocks and then wander outside and imagine a meaning for the rock you find.
The wishing rock has a stripe embedded all the way around that you trace as you make a wish. A walking rock is one you kick in front of you along the sidewalk home and a splashing rock is for pitching into a pool of water that will produce an explosion of gleaming drops. A worry rock is smooth enough to rub, like fingering worry beads, to soothe away cares.
The language of this book is spare and almost poetic. You could read it quietly with someone still small enough to wonder at found things like pebbles on a walk. And then you might take that walk and hunt for a big rock to scale or a tiny rock that just fits in your palm. A rock to help you remember how to be in this physical world like a child, capable of discovering magic everywhere.
If You Find a Rock Peggy Christian | Harcourt 2000


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Handmade cards add an extra special touch to gift giving! Cards may include features such as: hand-stamped images, watercolors, brushstrokes, shading and/or sponging, and 3-D elements such as foam tape, ribbon, brads, buttons, sequins, gems, and more.
This card is approximately 4.25" x 5.5". All cards include an envelope.
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I've been working on a basic framework that contains a series of objects that are instantiated and stored globally within one super class (hope my terminology is correct). Simply put, I have a series of classes, let's go with just three for now: Game, Filesystem, Renderer.
Game contains pointers to both Filesystem and Renderer.
After Filesystem is initialized with the new operator, it's passed to Renderer.
On a WindowsXP system, this appears to work normally in both Debug and Release modes. However, once I move over to a Vista machine, the neither version works and I see bad pointer errors within the debugger.
I doubt this is a Windows problem because if it's a pointer problem (more than likely) it will eventually effect any system that it's part of.
So I guess my question is if I should continue to pass pointers to the various objects (e.g., Renderer(Filesystem *filesystem)) or should I instead be passing references to the pointers? Am I going about this entirely the wrong way?


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This illustration is made with watercolor paint and black ink. Printed in The Netherlands.
This print is available in A4 (21.0 x 29.7 cm, 8.27 x 11.69 inches) and A3 size (29.7 x 42.0 cm, 11.69 x 16.53 inches).
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Fashion illustration 'Schiaparelli Spring Couture' | PRINT
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Venezuela a powder keg as opposition leader goes to court
CARACAS, Venezuela >> Supporters are gathering outside a courthouse in Caracas awaiting the first appearance of opposition leader Leopold Lopez following his first night in jail.
National Guard troops in armored vehicles stood watch over demonstrators calling for the release of Lopez. The mood is tense in Venezuela following protests that have resulted in at least 4 deaths and more than 100 injuries over the past week.
Authorities accuse Lopez of fomenting violent protests to push for the overthrow of the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Prosecutors at Wednesday's hearing are expected to announce what charges Lopez will face and whether he will remain in custody. An arrest warrant earlier said he could face charges that include homicide. Lopez made a dramatic surrender to authorities on Tuesday while surrounded by thousands of supporters.