Ultimate Shooting Collection
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Soldier injured in Fort Hood shooting continues rehabilitation, recovery
[CNN] (CNN iReport - Latest)Spc. Matthew Cooke completes a push-up during morning PT. He has been applying himself to regain his strength and stamina following the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood. He hopes to re-class and remain in the military. By Rachel Parks FORT HOOD, Texas - For Spc. Matthew Cooke, Nov. 5, 2009, started off as an ordinary day. At the time, he was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, and was preparing to leave for his third deployment. While the day started off like so ma ...
Spc. Matthew Cooke completes a push-up during morning PT. He has been applying himself to regain his strength and stamina following the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood. He hopes to re-class and remain in the military.
By Rachel Parks
FORT HOOD, Texas - For Spc. Matthew Cooke, Nov. 5, 2009, started off as an ordinary day. At the time, he was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, and was preparing to leave for his third deployment.
While the day started off like so many others, it ended with Cooke in the ICU, gravely injured after being shot at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood.
In the year-and-a-half since the shooting, Cooke has quietly applied himself to healing physically and mentally, as a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, Warrior Transition Brigade. His ultimate goal is to re-class and remain a Soldier in the U.S. Army.
Cooke began his military career in 1998, as a Marine.
"I was a legal service clerk," he said. Cooke served four years and attained the rank of lance corporal before returning to the civilian world in 2002.
"I became a civilian for two years," he said. "I was a collection agent. Basically, I was a phone bill collector," he added with a laugh. But the job wasn't lucrative, and Cooke had his first child on the way. So he decided another stint in the military might be the answer.
"I decided to join the Army on Jan. 22, 2005," he said. Before the year was out, Cooke was in Iraq, serving as an 88M, a truck driver, with the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
Cooke spent a year in Kirkuk and returned to the U.S. in late 2006. He wasn't on U.S. soil for long though before he was shipped back to Iraq for a second deployment, this time was 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, out of Fort Sill, Okla.
After a 14-month deployment, Cooke came to Fort Hood in August 2009. He was at the SRP site with the battalion Nov. 5, when a gunman opened fire. Four Soldiers from the battalion were killed. Cooke was one of 11 who were seriously injured.
"I got grazed in the head, shot twice in the back and shot between my groin and butt," he said. "I don't know what kind of shot that that was," he added quietly.
The bullets did their damage. Cooke was rushed to Scott and White Memorial Hospital where he spent two weeks in intensive care.
"The bullet that went through my groin and butt, that bullet penetrated and took five feet of my small intestine out," he said. "It basically ricocheted all over in my bladder and it penetrated my colon."
After Cooke was stabilized, he was transferred to Carl R. Darnall Medical Center. He became a part of the Warrior Transition Brigade in January 2010.
While Cooke had lived through the traumatic event, he still had a long road to recovery. It was one he tackled as soon as he could. He's been active in physical therapy and conditioning, and has been attending counseling sessions to deal with the mental scars of the shooting.
To regain his strength, Cooke threw himself into physical activity, including a month long physical training and educational program at the Productive Rehabilitation Institute of Dallas for Ergonomics. He also took part in a Ride2Recovery bike race in Florida, in December 2010. Wounded warriors, veterans and supporters took part in the ride from Tampa to Jacksonville.
"I wasn't prepared for that at all, so it was really tough on me for the first couple of days," Cooke admitted. But the Ride2Recovery event did act as a catalyst to push him into one of his hardest physical challenges to date, the Bataan Memorial Death March, which took place in New Mexico at the end of March.
"I would say this is what got me to push myself into the Bataan," he said. "When I was there I saw amputees with no legs, with metal legs, and they were happy and excited about life and full of energy. Their injuries did not affect them at all. I look at that, and if they can do that, then what's holding me back?"
Cooke's hard work and dedication has come to the attention of his chain of command, including his company commander, Capt. Jose DaCunha.
"I found out he was interested in doing it (the Bataan Memorial Death March), and as soon as I found out I said, 'wait a minute, I'm this Soldier's commander, if he's going to do it, I'm going to be there, and I'm going to encourage him,'" DaCunha said.
"He really impresses me as someone I look up to," he added. "I look up to him as an individual and as a Soldier, for what he's done in the past and more importantly, what he continues to do."
Both DaCunha and Cooke's platoon leader, Sgt. 1st Class John Gilbert, say they support his decision to transition back into the fighting force.
"I support him in that because that's what he wants to do," Gilbert said. "I look at what effort he puts forth and it would be a good thing."
As for his re-class goals, Cooke hopes to go into the medical or legal field.
"It's just something I could transfer to civilian life," he said. "No matter if I do one enlistment and get out, or do 20 and get out, I have to have something to fall back on. As long as I have a job that's successful for me and my boys, that's what it comes down to," he added.
Cooke's sons are now 7 and 2. He said he works hard to be the best he can be for them, and for himself.
"In order to progress you've got to get out there and do it yourself," he said. "You have your therapists; you have all these people like the counselors, but when it comes down to it, for you to get well ... you have to talk about it and you have to take the steps to move on."
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Shippin' Out April 17-23: Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, SOCOM 4
[Gaming] (GameSpot's News, Screenshots, Movies, Reviews, Previews, Downloads, and Features)Plentiful new release slate led by puzzle, fighting, and shooting games; Conduit 2, Xbox Live Arcade Triple Pack, Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection also out. It's a busy week at retail, as a slew of high profile new releases make their debut on Tuesday including Valve's long-awaited puzzle game and Warner Bros.' fighter reboot. Leading the pack this week is Valve Software's Portal 2. The game follows the events of the first Portal, which saw gamers taking on the role of a human lab rat, C ...
Plentiful new release slate led by puzzle, fighting, and shooting games; Conduit 2, Xbox Live Arcade Triple Pack, Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection also out.
It's a busy week at retail, as a slew of high profile new releases make their debut on Tuesday including Valve's long-awaited puzzle game and Warner Bros.' fighter reboot.
Leading the pack this week is Valve Software's Portal 2. The game follows the events of the first Portal, which saw gamers taking on the role of a human lab rat, Chell, who used a portal gun to create interdimensional openings on ceilings, walls, and floors in an effort to escape the Aperture Science labs. Along the way, players were guided through the diabolical tests by the deceptively sincere, yet altogether sadistic, artificial intelligence known as GLaDOS.
The game will feature a single-player campaign billed as being twice as long as the original's, but the real focus is on the new multiplayer cooperative mode. The co-op mode will tell a parallel story to the single-player adventure and last roughly as long. In it, players will take control of two robots, named simply Blue and Orange, and work together to tackle their own set of portal-related problems.
Also debuting this Tuesday will be NetherRealm's gruesome fighter reboot Mortal Kombat. The game's roster will be a throwback of sorts, full of fighters pulled from the first three games in the series. There is one particularly notable exception, as the PlayStation 3 version will feature God of War protagonist Kratos as a playable character.
Gamers looking to pick up a new contemporary shooter can grab SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs this week for the PlayStation 3. The game is set in Southeast Asia after a revolution endangers a vital shipping lane similar to the Strait of Malacca. Players assume the role of the commander of a five-man squad of NATO commandos dispatched to prevent international trade from being disrupted. Their mission will only last six days, a time limit that Sony says will add urgency into the campaign.
As is a staple for the series, SOCOM 4 will have an extensive multiplayer component, allowing for teams of players to shoot it out in 32-player matches. Terrain types will include a hostile jungle and half-ruined cities.
Wii owners wishing to continue their effort through the Conduit universe can grab the often delayed Conduit 2 this week. The single-player mode of Conduit 2 will pick up the original game's alien invasion storyline, with Sega promising dynamic environments, player customization options, and giant boss enemies. As for multiplayer, Sega will introduce new co-op modes for online play, or offline with up to four players sharing a split-screen. The publisher is also promising "increased multiplayer security" for the game, in light of the cheating that undermined the online play of the original game.
On-the-go Final Fantasy fans can pick up Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection on Tuesday. This set includes Final Fantasy IV--with revamped visuals to take advantage of the PSP's widescreen format--as well as its epilogue, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. The episodic series of downloadable titles was originally released in 2009 on the Wii; this will mark the first time it has been available as part of a retail product.
Gamers looking to bundle up this week can pick up the Xbox Live Arcade Triple Pack, which contains Limbo, Trials HD, and Splosion Man, as well as 160 MS points, and a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold card.
Another bundle out this week is the Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy Pack HD for the PS3, which includes Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and Two Thrones.
For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Arcana Heart 3--PS3--Aksys Games
Assassin's Creed: Ultimate Collection--PC--Encore Software Inc.
Brothers in Arms: Complete Collection--PC--Encore Software Inc.
Conduit 2--Wii--Sega
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection--PSP--Square Enix
Majesty 2 Collection--PC--Paradox Interactive
Mortal Kombat--PS3, X360--Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Portal 2--X360, PS3, PC, Mac--Valve Software
Prince of Persia: Classic Trilogy HD--PS3--Ubisoft
SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs--PS3--SCEA
Triple Pack: Xbox Live Arcade Compilation--X360--Microsoft Game Studios
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Shippin' Out April 17-23: Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, SOCOM 4" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:06:45 -0700 -
Meet Brock Lesnar: A Look at the UFC's Signature Star
[Mixed Martial Arts] (Bloody Elbow)Brock Lesnar doesn't go anywhere without drawing eyeballs. When you stand 6'4" and weigh 270 pounds it's bound to attract notice. Even more so when you're blessed with the genetics to carry that much weight with less than 10 percent body fat. Brock Lesnar, in short, is a physical freak. In amateur wrestling, where Lesnar shined, physique isn't enough. Those tools and water logged muscles have to translate into purposeful action, what physical scientists call functional movement. Here, Lesnar w ...
Brock Lesnar doesn't go anywhere without drawing eyeballs. When you stand 6'4" and weigh 270 pounds it's bound to attract notice. Even more so when you're blessed with the genetics to carry that much weight with less than 10 percent body fat. Brock Lesnar, in short, is a physical freak.
In amateur wrestling, where Lesnar shined, physique isn't enough. Those tools and water logged muscles have to translate into purposeful action, what physical scientists call functional movement. Here, Lesnar was equally blessed. Growing up in Webster, South Dakota, Lesnar is farm boy strong. Without the money for a weight set, he improvised, making his own weights out of rocks and 55 gallon drums.
But it wasn't strength alone that has carried Lesnar to athletic glory. He's also fleet of foot and surprisingly fast. He runs the 40 yard dash in under 4.7 seconds and has a vertical leap of 35 inches. He's an amazing specimen, one with a natural showman's flair.
Lesnar used his gifts to help bridge two worlds - sports and entertainment. He studied under two masters, J Robinson at the University of Minnesota (where he won an NCAA championship in 2000) and the P.T. Barnum of his era, the incomparable WWE owner Vince McMahon.
In the world of professional wrestling, his look and physical style made him a star. Former WWE executive Jim Ross claims Lesnar was not just the youngest world champion in company history, he also got to the rarefied seven figure salary club in record time. No one who saw him in action could ever forget Lesnar's iconic moments. Whether he was landing on his head in a botched shooting star press at Wrestlemania XIX against fellow amateur standout Kurt Angle or hefting the 500 pound Big Show onto his shoulders for his signature F-5, Lesnar made his mark in the wrestling industry. He was a millionaire by his mid-20's, bored, exhausted, and ready for a challenge.
His first attempt at renewing his athletic glory was in the NFL. But almost ten years removed from a high school football career that ended with no major scholarship offers, Lesnar didn't have the football skill to make it at the highest level, despite metrics that compared favorably to the very top first round picks. He washed out of training camp with the Minnesota Vikings and then turned down an offer to play in NFL Europe. NFL Europe players made tens of thousands of dollars for an entire season. Lesnar was used to making that for a single week in his WWE prime. He needed something to pay the bills.
After the break, Lesnar makes his mark in the UFC
Today, it's likely Lesnar would have never stepped into the WWE ring or the NFL practice field. Amateur champions like Ben Askren and Phil Davis are making immediate attempts at MMA stardom, and as I wrote at UGO.com, Lesnar was the kind of wrestler who excels in mixed martial arts:
When Brock Lesnar joined the WWE out of college, MMA was not a real option. The UFC was struggling to survive and there just wasn't enough money in the sport to compete with Vince McMahon's millions. But Brock Lesnar was made for MMA: he's a power wrestler, an enormous monster of a man, and he has a mean streak. His first fight, as he built his skills for an inevitable UFC debut, was for Japan's K-1 for a show at the mammoth LA Coliseum. "I'm an amateur wrestler first of all, pro wrestler second. There was a little pressure, but my amateur wrestling is who I am and I'm going to evolve into a fighter," Lesnar said. "Unfortunately I have this black cloud over my head because I was a pro wrestler. It just goes to show that even thought pro wrestling is a scripted sport it is entertainment, this is entertainment but its real when I get in the ring."
His debut behind him, Lesnar was ready for the big leagues - the UFC. He was thrown in the deep end immediately, matched with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81. Although he lost in just a minute and a half, Lesnar made his presence felt, bum rushing Mir and nearly beating him to a pulp before being caught in a kneebar submission. It was an amateur mistake, one time in the cage would help fix. Mir may have won the bout, but the world saw a future champion that night. It seemed a matter of time.
After literally riding veteran Heath Herring like a stallion at UFC 87 in his adopted home state of Minnesota, Lesnar won UFC gold by beating a game but undersized Randy Couture at UFC 91 in Las Vegas. Just four fights into his career and Lesnar was champion in a new sport, adding MMA gold to his collection of amateur and professional wrestling championships.
A rematch with Mir followed, this time dominated by Lesnar. Now wary of Mir's submission game, Lesnar showed improved technical skills as he negated the former champ's ground based attack. The rhetoric between the two had grown heated and after his convincing win, Lesnar let the spittle fly, yelling at a shell shocked Mir, insulting the UFC's top sponsor Bud Light, and shooting the bird at the world. Perhaps not his finest moment, but one that crystallized what MMA was to sport's fans who may have seen highlights on ESPN - aggressive, young, and maybe a little out of control.
After the Mir win, the sky seemed to be the limit for Lesnar. UFC 100 had made the promotion more money than any show in its history, and Lesnar was clearly the sport's biggest star. Unfortunately, sports took a back seat to medical drama, as illness kept the champion out of the cage for almost an entire year. In a story that included a desperate race across the border to avoid Canadian healthcare, a hole in his stomach, and a minor miracle, Lesnar survived what could have been a potentially life changing illness.
Upon his return at UFC 116, the angry Lesnar was replaced with a more introspective man. What he gained in happiness, he seemed to lose in the cage. Lesnar was absolutely wrecked by Shane Carwin, kind of a minor league version of Lesnar himself, a hard hitting wrestler who had had success at the lower levels of the sport. Lesnar survived a scare, only coming back to win when Carwin was too exhausted to hit him anymore.
It was a warning sign many missed in the aftermath. Lesnar had won an incredibly dramatic and compelling fight with Carwin. That he had looked less than his best in doing so seemed lost on some. It was clear, however, that Lesnar wasn't the same fighter when he took on undefeated challenger Cain Velasquez. Velasquez beat him so resoundingly some even called Lesnar's desire to be a fighter into question:
Brock Lesnar has all the tools to dominate UFC competition. He's physically overpowering, with strong wrestling and giant hands, tailor-made for clubbering. What he doesn't have is the heart of a warrior. That's not a critique of his value as a person. It's a natural reaction to cringe and defend when a huge fighter like Cain Velasquez is pummeling you. But it's not the right reaction for a man who wants to be the Ultimate Fighting champion.
For Lesnar, the weakness might not even be mental. It could be, like many promising fighters past and present, he just can't take the blows. Tonight he took a glancing blow from Velasquez, careened into his hip, then stumbled around the cage like a drunk at last call (or like Zab Judah after being knocked silly by Kosta Tszyu). It wasn't dignified, but it was certainly memorable.
Now Lesnar is back. For the first time he's starring in the UFC's seminal reality show The Ultimate Fighter. It's a move designed to rehabilitate Lesnar's image, while the subsequent fight with striker Junior dos Santos is designed to rehabilitate his status as a top heavyweight contender. The winner gets a shot at Velasquez, currently on the shelf with a torn rotator cuff. There's a lot at stake in the Lesnar- dos Santos fight, both for the former champion and the sport as a whole. Follow the action starting Wednesday on Spike TV.
Jonathan Snowden is the author of Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting and The MMA Encyclopedia. He writes regularly for Bloody Elbow.
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'Tis The Season! Love & Sequins Holiday SALE!
[Lifestyle, Fashion] (galadarling.com)Hello my darlings! In celebration of all things festive, & in anticipation of Love & Sequins #12 being released the week after Christmas, I’m having a SALE! Those of you who have been following for a while will know that Love & Sequins is my handbook on being a love letter to the universe. It’s 12 chapters in all, each one covering a different subject, ranging from love & relationships to manifesting your dream life to my ultimate NYC guide! In addition to the written chapter ...
Hello my darlings!
In celebration of all things festive, & in anticipation of Love & Sequins #12 being released the week after Christmas, I’m having a SALE!
Those of you who have been following for a while will know that Love & Sequins is my handbook on being a love letter to the universe. It’s 12 chapters in all, each one covering a different subject, ranging from love & relationships to manifesting your dream life to my ultimate NYC guide! In addition to the written chapter, you also receive an MP3 of me reading it aloud to you! It’s a pretty sweet little package.
Of course, this means that when chapter 12 is released in two weeks time, Love & Sequins will come to an end! The end of an era; the end of the biggest project I have undertaken!
Love & Sequins, completed, will be somewhere in the region of 300,000 words—that is not a typo!—with over 12 hours of audio, & untold hours of work invested. Amazing! I’m BEYOND thrilled with how it has turned out & the immense positivity of the response.
So, rest assured, I promise you that this is the very last sale there will ever be on Love & Sequins! This is IT baby!
Here’s how it works!
<3"><3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10"/> Option #1: Hey big-spender!
A year-long subscription to Love & Sequins bought all at once is usually $84, making it $7 per chapter. If you buy during the sale, I’ll knock the price down to $60—only $5 per chapter! That’s a saving of $24, effectively giving you three (& a half!) chapters for NOTHIN’!“Recently, after becoming a die-hard, devoted Gala-phile, I decided to up the ante and try out the first installment of your Love & Sequins collection. Best. Decision. Ever. I immediately purchased a subscription! Getting to actually hear you as you tell me so many beautiful things about my life makes me realize how much you truly do love and care for every single one of your Gala girls. It makes me take the things you say to heart on a different level, and motivates me so furiously that after I listen to my daily morning bit of L&S;, I’m completely fired up and ready to take on the day, no matter what it has in store for me.” — N.
When you pick the subscription, you’ll be sent chapters #1-#11 immediately, & #12 (the final episode!) the week after Christmas.
Want this option? Click below!
<3"><3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10"/> Option #2: Delicious morsels!
If you’re more of a pick-&-mix kind of girl, you can buy a chapter here or there—whatever pleases you! Individual chapters are down to a mere $9 each! You’ll save $4 on each one, & it’s a fantastic way to pick up the installments you missed for a rip-roaring price!“I only bought one (the 5th I think) out of curiosity but I was so moved and engaged in what you were saying that I have gradually acquired more. I think for me it’s the sheer quality and hard work that comes through and makes these so fantastic and inspiring. I am always wary about being promised quality and sold B/S and I have on many an occasion but these are brilliant and when I find something I like like this I cannot help myself and have to have them all!!!” — E.
Want this option? Pick your chapters below!
Love & Sequins #1: LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF — Self-adoration, manifesting your ideal persona, channelling your inner Marie Antoinette & everything in between!
Excerpt: So what does “loving yourself” mean? There are a few different ways you can look at it, but from my point of view, loving yourself means treating yourself the way you would treat your very best, most treasured friend. See, that’s the thing with friends — they’re not perfect & we know it but we love them anyway. Your best friend might get into a ridiculous flap over some boy you think is nowhere near good enough for her, she might turn up to a party in an outfit that is less than flattering, she might slack off at her job or constantly talk about wanting to go to Paris & yet never save any money — but you still love her. You still think she is amazing. A shooting star in the shape of a girl. I think this is how we should choose to view ourselves, too…
“This podcast has been tremendously helpful. It has indeed resonated deeply in all of the tiny crevices of my being where I’ve been hiding my hopes and dreams and instead allowing myself to be swallowed by fear and doubt. I couldn’t agree more that we all know that self-confidence and self-love are the root of success, of living the positive inspired lives we all dream about. And yet, until now it escaped me that I could practice at being confident. That I could slowly develop these skills over time. I had a huge a-ha moment – of course it won’t happen overnight! Of course it’s about making small changes, adjusting my mindset and perceptions in the moment… Thank you for letting your own light shine as it has given me permission and inspiration to do the same. I’m deeply grateful.” — L.
Love & Sequins #2: THE SMART GIRL’S GUIDE TO BUSINESS — Taking control of your life, finding your passion, loving what you do & making mad bling!
Excerpt: What I’m saying here is that life shouldn’t be a hard slog with five years of faux-leisure at the end before you die. I think that is such a perverse way of viewing work, life, the universe & everything! Honestly, it’s WRONG. That is not how things should be. Why punish ourselves needlessly? I think the ideal situation for pretty much everyone is to do work that they enjoy & which challenges them, to have the freedom & autonomy necessary to take leave when they wish, & to be able to sustain a lifestyle which appeals to them. We don’t all want to be millionaires, but we should all be able to live at a level at which we’re comfortable, without sacrificing our integrity or happiness…
“I am writing to you in regard to a project that I started as a result of your lovely site. I guess you could call me one of your inspired non-pareils. Wikifashion began as an idea around one year ago and I never really had the “chutzpah” to give it a go until I purchased your podcast on “being your own boss”. I fell asleep listening to that podcast every night for a week, taking it all in and furiously scribbling down notes. It was so groundbreaking for me and every word that you spoke really resonated with me. Thank you for inspiration and words of wisdom.” — M.
Love & Sequins #3: LOVE, SEX, THE GALAXY & EVERYTHING — From falling in love to co-habitation, & all the beauty & madness contained within!
Excerpt: People do not seem to realise that the planet is FULL of AMAZING people, many of whom would pass out at the opportunity to TALK to you, let alone hold your hand & kiss you in public & buy you rad Christmas presents. If your boyfriend or girlfriend is a stinker, you are awesome enough not to have to put up with it! For real. Just get out of there. You will never regret it, & you will make space in your life for a really, really fantastic person to appear. Just like magic…
“Gala, I loved this one! I listened to it as soon as you sent it. I’ve always been kind of a cynic when it comes to love, but I think I’m ready to let my guard down and take the plunge. The ‘love self-evaluation’ and ‘figuring out what you want from a partner’ parts stood out the most to me, and I’m definitely going to take the time to write and reflect on these areas. Thank you so much!” — D.
Love & Sequins #4: A GUIDE TO MANNERS FOR THE MODERN MINX — Etiquette, social graces & charming the pants off total strangers for the uninitiated!
Excerpt: It’s all very Eckhart Tolle when you think about it — the key to being charismatic is being PRESENT. It sounds so basic, but so few people really get it right — & the people who do don’t necessarily do it consistently. The first time my friend Dhrumil & I went out to dinner together, we discussed the importance of being present in a conversation. He said to me, “Think about it. Over the course of this dinner, you & I have probably made more eye contact than some married couples would in a week”. That has always stuck with me. Eye contact is vital, & really makes the other person feel important, valued & engaged…
“Gala, you have truly hit the spot once more! I sat there nodding to myself, smiling with recognition, laughing out loud and thinking WOW this girl inspires me to change the world too as I listened to the 4th Love&Sequins.; Thank you so much wonderful!” — A.
Love & Sequins #5: FINDING HAPPINESS & MAKING IT STAY — Choosing joy, making magic & devoting your life to love, adventure & deliciousness!
Excerpt: Taking responsibility for yourself is so incredibly liberating, & here is why. It will show you what innate power you have within you. Look at all the things around you, good & not-so-good. You have attracted them into your life, whether you believe it or not. & in a worst case scenario, if you can create awful things for yourself, like horrible relationships, crappy jobs & a general sense of malaise & apathy, think what you could create if you focused your attention in a different way! What if, instead of thinking about how bad everything is all the time, you thought about how WONDERFUL life is? Because even if you look around yourself & see things which make you unhappy, surely you must acknowledge that the world is full of marvellous things too. There’s love & music & art, delicious food & springy green grass, snowflakes & puppy kisses, hula hooping in the sunshine & exploring new cities. There are fresh vegetables & false eyelashes, majestic mountains & elephants, dreams & adrenaline, sky-diving & gardening…
“I can honestly say this is the best $12 you will ever spend. I’ve been seeing a psychologist for the past 6 months… What Gala has produced is that 6 months of therapy all wrapped up into an hour long podcast. Her advice about choosing how you react to situations is the most helpful life advice you may ever receive.” — K.
Love & Sequins #6: DAINTIER, SMARTER, BETTER DRESSED — A deluxe guide to looking truly fabulous, defining your personal style & being the best-dressed girl at any party!
Excerpt: Yes, it would be wonderful to look like a 5’10” gazelle in everything we wear, but the reality is, most of us are never going to look like that, regardless of how many pairs of shaping underwear we buy & no matter how few carbs we consume in a given day! You are never going to look perfect all the time, & the pursuit of perfection is such a yawnfest & time-sucker. It’s totally not worth it. There are so many other things you could do with your time & energy! So if you’re wearing a skirt that is maybe half an inch too short, but you feel GREAT in it, then that’s fantastic! Confidence comes from feeling good in your clothing, & if you do, you’ll have a much better time than the girl who looks immaculate but is freaked out in the corner…
“This months’ Love and Sequins was my favorite so far. It is clearly a subject that you feel very passionate about, and that really came across in the podcast… This podcast really inspired me, and even while I was listening to it, I had a pad of paper next to me and was jotting down outfit ideas and sketching possible combinations.” — V.
Love & Sequins #7: BLOGGING 101 — Living & loving online, monetisation in the new world & thinking beyond the 9-5!
Excerpt: I promise you, if you do not have purpose or determination, your blog will also go the way of so many before you. In fact, this is pretty much the same as anything in life. If you want it, you have to prove that you want it, time & time again. You will be tested! But if you can stay the course, after all the trials & tribulations, misfortunes & madness, you will be rewarded…
“One more thought: It’s not about blogging. It’s about ANY online business. I.E., pretty much any modern business at all. Blogging is just an example, and at that, really a very small part of it. I read it, thinking about what I was doing, nodding & going, “Yep, good advice, yep, can use that”. ... Loved your comment about your core audience. Great advice about managing online rep. The list of ‘little things’ is frickin’ brilliant. High density, high value. All in all? Damn, that’s one high value podcast. Amazing stuff.” — S.
Love & Sequins #8: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER — Keeping your friendships fresh, finding platonic soul mates & clearing out the fakes, phonies & meanies!
Excerpt: Though you may have no intention of becoming like the people around you, if your mother is miserable & your girlfriend is homicidal & your best friend is a misogynist, you will unconsciously begin to mimic & imitate all these behaviours. Unless you want to be miserable, the best thing you can do is extricate yourself from these types of people…
“Gala, this came to me like a sign from the Universe! You have no idea how amazed I am…yesterday I wrote a letter to the Universe saying “If you throw me a rope, I will climb it.” And then you posted this, AND THEN this morning on the train while I was listening to it, I met an extraordinary girl who wants to do hair and make up and photography with me!” — M.
Love & Sequins #9: MANIFESTING & MAGIC-MAKING — Using imagination & reverie to create a perfect universe!
Excerpt: Some people get confused about manifesting & the law of attraction, & think it is about being positive & thinking woo-woo thoughts & waving a stick of incense around. It really isn’t! Manifesting is about getting the universe to meet you halfway. It’s about doing the work while having faith that things will work out for the best. It’s about knowing that what you want is coming to you — but also knowing that you have to start the ball rolling. After all, if you just sit in your room thinking about what you want, but don’t get out there & tell anyone about it, or do some research, or take any real actionable steps, how will anything ever happen?
“I think this is the best thing I’ve discovered since Notes from the Universe… It’s a really good outline of not just the ‘laws’ but how to actually put them into practice. Plus I haven’t been so motivated & inspired in a long time…” — R.
Love & Sequins #10: INTERNATIONAL PLAYGIRLS UNLIMITED — Taking to the skies, travelling in style, romance on foreign shores & more!
Excerpt: Is there anything better than packing a bag, making a puckered-up kiss face at yourself in the mirror & catching a cab to the airport? If you’re anything like me, the answer is a loud, resounding NO! To me, travel is one of the very best things you can do with your time. Its merits are multitudinous & bountiful.
Firstly, you get to escape your everyday existence, & while hopefully your everyday existence is a pretty happy & satisfying thing, being able to get away from it only amplifies your appreciation for it when you get back. Secondly, it fires up your creative impulses. In an unfamiliar situation, you’re forced to use your brain in new ways, which results in you being more inventive & experimental than ever. Thirdly, it’s an excellent way to get some perspective on your life — & remind yourself that there is a big, big world outside your little bubble!
“OH my gawd, Gala. Once again, you’ve read my mind and dribbled your confectionery love all over my life! I’m JUST about to take off for the biggest adventure of my life and I was thiiiis close to having a panic attack over all the travel details, cause I’ve NEVER even been on a plane before, and I’m gonna be hopping back and forth across the country like mad for the next few months. Now I’m starting to feel a LOT more prepared and not quite so terrified. Thank you! Again and always, you are a fantastical life-saver….” —N.
Love & Sequins #11: IT’S UP TO YOU, NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Decadence & debauchery, enchantment & madness, love & cockroaches!
Excerpt: Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road in one of the rooms. Charles Bukowski, Edie Sedgwick, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen & Tom Waits have all spent time here. No other hotel has as much rock ‘n’ roll history. So, it’s not perfect — or particularly opulent. There is no room service, some of the rooms are more “grunge” than chic, & there is a bullet hole in the door in the 5th floor corridor. But it’s absolutely worth a visit to soak up some atmosphere.
You’ll understand why after just one night in the Chelsea’s eclectic digs. Sometimes it seems more like a home for the bewildered than a hotel, but it all adds to the charm. Be warned, however: this is not a place to stay if you’re feeling particularly Type A. It’s more suited to smoking cigarettes on the balcony, last night’s eyeliner & a trench coat worn with nothing but a pair of heels.
For the same price as a normal-sized room in most New York hotels, you can obtain a one-bedroom suite at the Chelsea — with a lot of ambiance. If you need a couple of days to yourself to work on some kind of masterpiece, this is surely the perfect place to do it.
“This L&S; was AH. MAZ. ING. This seriously needs to be re-named to “The Holy Grail and Anti-Tourist’s Bible of New York”... I listened to this chapter on the Subway ride into work and then in my Brooklyn apartment with a cup of coffee… it truly made me excited to check out all these “new” places. I have fallen in love with New York all over again.” — E.
The sale lasts until Christmas Day!
There are (literally) thousands of girls all over the world who listen to Love & Sequins on their way to work, read it on their phones in the subway, & print it out to read before bed. It is immensely humbling & wonderful to me, & the amount of gratitude & thanks I have is boundless!
Thanks so much for your support & love, & happy holidays!
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Tough Love and Revelation: The Films of Frederick Wiseman
[Books] (The New York Review of Books)Andrew Delbanco Zipporah Films High School (1968) The first film by Frederick Wiseman I saw was Titicut Follies (1967). It was the fall of 1969, my freshman year of college, too long ago to trust my memory scene by scene. What I mainly remember is the festive mood in the dining-hall-turned-theater as the lights went down and latecomers ducked under the projector’s cone of bluish light as they made their way to sit with friends across the room. A very cool senior had ma ...
Andrew Delbanco
Zipporah Films
High School (1968)
The first film by Frederick Wiseman I saw was Titicut Follies (1967). It was the fall of 1969, my freshman year of college, too long ago to trust my memory scene by scene. What I mainly remember is the festive mood in the dining-hall-turned-theater as the lights went down and latecomers ducked under the projector’s cone of bluish light as they made their way to sit with friends across the room. A very cool senior had made introductory remarks to the effect that what we were about to see had been “banned in Boston” (always promising), and I think we half-expected the local police to show up as if we had gathered in Rick’s gambling den in Casablanca (1942). I remember a little snickering during the opening pan across the expressionless faces of the inmates singing “Strike up the Band” while they wave—tentatively, almost spastically—their pompoms. But once the film started, there was only silence in the room, interrupted now and then by a gasp.
A few months ago, forty years older, I watched Titicut Follies on a DVD on my computer screen in my study at home. Memories of that first viewing came flooding back: the guards tormenting an inmate named Jim, marching him naked up and down the bright-lit hallways, peppering him with variations on one relentless question: “How’s that room, Jim? … You gonna keep that room clean, Jim? … How’s that room gonna be tomorrow, Jim? … How come it’s not clean today?” until he screams out his compliance in rage and helplessness. And then there was the German psychiatrist who looks for all the world like Hermann Goring, pestering an inmate with questions in a monotone voice about how often he masturbates. Did he feel guilty after raping his own child? “I need help but I don’t know where I can get it,” says the young man, handsome and fit, but with a deadness in his eyes. “You get it here, I guess,” says the doctor—help, as the rest of the film makes clear, in the form of lockdowns, hosings, strip searches, and assorted other humiliations.
Back in my college days everyone was reading R. D. Laing, father of the “anti-psychiatry” movement (The Politics of Experience [1967]), Thomas Szasz (The Myth of Mental Illness [1960]), and, soon to supersede them as an academic staple, Michel Foucault (Madness and Civilization [1961]), all of whom, in one way or another, attacked prevailing ideas of what was “normal” and what was “sick.” We were casually throwing around Erving Goffman’s phrase “total institution” to include schools and hospitals—as if the whole society were a gulag in which the real crazies were not the deviants or delinquents but the people in charge who deemed them so. We regarded Wiseman’s films—not only Titicut Follies but also High School (1968), Hospital (1969), and Basic Training (1971)—as advancing “the movement,” whatever, exactly, that was.
Yet however much Wiseman may have made the film in a spirit of outrage at how the patients—really inmates—were treated at Bridgewater State Hospital, he had invited us to a freak show. We were affluent late adolescents for whom it was impossible to think that the men on-screen had anything to do with us. We watched with a mixture of prurience and pity. The frequent frontal nudity—one of the pretexts for banning the film—gave us a frisson of sophistication as we pretended not to be shocked. Starting with the follies themselves, we were poised between laughter and horror as the guard, presiding as master of ceremonies, presents the chorus line as if he were doing an Ed Sullivan impression.
Watching the film today is an utterly different experience. I see images of Abu Ghraib. I see failed men exposed to mockery for having failed, men who once had families and jobs and respectable credentials, but, unable to manage their sexual or violent urges, descended into the pit into which any of us might fall. When I first saw the scene of Jim being shaved, I had not yet witnessed my father—who delighted me as a child by letting me watch him lather his face in the morning—lying prone in his final hospital bed, being shaved by a nurse not much more concerned with doing it thoroughly or gently than the barbering guard in the film was.
Zipporah Films
Titicut Follies (1967)
Upon a recent re-viewing of Wiseman’s next work, High School, about a large public school in Philadelphia, I felt the same disjunction between then and now. When it was first released, it gave my generation a view through the peephole at ourselves, or at least recent versions of ourselves. I remember feeling superior to the boys with soft mustache hair and not quite fully deepened voices. I remember the scene in which a teacher patrols the halls demanding a hall pass from every student he encounters—a squat little Nazi of whom Wiseman gives us the posterior view (not flattering) as the camera follows him from behind. The teachers, I recall, seemed to have been cut more or less from the same cloth as the Bridgewater guards—impatient and remote, going through the motions until closing hour.
But now that I’ve watched it as a teacher myself, it’s a different film. I feel for the teachers, all of them. I sense the pressure of the “counterculture” pushing from outside the school as they deliver sex-ed and deportment lessons while the students, seething at these surrogate parents yet frightened of their own impending freedom, sense that they are on the verge of a new world in which the old norms won’t apply. The teachers—though doubtless less reflective than those in Wiseman’s later film High School (1994), about a charter school in Harlem—seem to be trying their best, as when one of them, Dr. Allen, explains to a student indignant over having been punished with a detention that to be a man means to prove “you can take orders.”
And then there is the poignant pair of scenes with the distraught father who comes to school to protest his daughter’s poor grades. Bursting out of a suit that might once have fit him, he seems to be wearing an emblem of his superannuation. A few scenes later, we see him at a college-counseling session with his daughter and wife, pushing back against the girl’s wish to go to cosmetology school instead of to a proper college. His anger sprays out in multiple directions: at the school for underestimating his daughter, at her for expecting so little of herself, and even, I think, at himself, for his failure to steer her toward the life he hopes for her—a hope, destructive as it may be, that arises out of love.
So I have changed. But so, I think, has Wiseman. Since the late 1960s, he has been making movies at a pace of roughly one per year—all the more astonishing since he typically shoots over a hundred hours to yield anywhere from ninety minutes in the final cut (Basic Training) to six hours (Near Death [1989]), sometimes spending more than a year in the editing room. “The shooting is the research,” he has said. He begins with no a priori story or point of view, but he disavows the term “cinema verité,” which he considers both specious and pretentious. He prefers “reality fiction”—a term that registers how much is shaped by the choices of what to shoot and how to put together what remains after the radical cutting. He uses no narrator, yet his aim is not to be objective but to be, to use the word he prefers, fair. In all these respects he has managed for more than forty years to be consistent without being redundant.
Yet he has become a more profound artist. It’s not so much that Wiseman has surpassed his early technique as that his pace and tone have changed. He lingers, savors; he has become more interested in aesthetic expression, both as a subject (notably in the two films about dance, Ballet [1995] and La Danse—Le Ballet de l’Opera de Paris [2009]) and as an aspiration for what he hopes to achieve through his own art. He has become a filmmaker less interested in exposé than in revelation.
Zipporah Films
Belfast, Maine (1999)
The turn is evident, to my eye at least, in his beautiful film of 1999, Belfast, Maine, in which there is a palpable simultaneity of intimacy and loneliness—as expressed by a recurring shot of cars driving urgently at dusk past shuttered shops or darkened houses. We visit the nerve centers of the town: the courtroom, school, town hall, church, where we witness legal pleadings, an English class, a debate over tax assessments, prayers for the dying and the dead. In the interstices of these scenes we get fleeting images that have a shimmer of allegory: skewered fish wriggling in their death throes, a man pushing leaves off his lawn-as likely to win his battle against the wind as Sisyphus is to roll his stone over the hill.
One of the amazing effects of this film, despite the absence of conventional narrative and the extended length (more than four hours), is its considerable suspense. As we watch workers engaged in handicraft or automated labor, Wiseman has some fun with us: what on earth are they making? We visit fish- and potato-processing plants. Decapitated sardines travel down a conveyor belt to their ultimate destination in roll-top cans; potatoes are washed and steamed, the flesh scooped out and frozen en route to the supermarket as packaged patties topped with paprika. The machinery sputters and groans like antique tractors at a country fair. I suspect that future viewers will turn to this film as a documentary record of the United States in its late-industrial phase.
But Wiseman is not primarily a social commentator or an investigator of this or that institution, as he is often said to be. He is a portraitist, and his favorite genre is the double portrait. A visiting nurse washes the feet of a diabetic old man. A woman picks lice from another woman’s hair. In most such scenes—I am tempted to call them duets or pas de deux—one person occupies the subsidiary position (student, patient, novice, recruit) while the other (teacher, doctor, drill sergeant, nurse) holds the authority. In the early films, there can be cruelty in this relation, but in the later work Wiseman seems more interested in unarticulated tenderness, or what is sometimes called tough love.
Belfast, Maine includes two extraordinary instances of teaching inspired by love—love of the subject as well as of the learner. A young choirmaster speaks to his choristers about Bach and Palestrina, and suddenly we see in their faces that they understand the music in a new way. The high school teacher speaking to his students about Moby-Dick credits Melville with rendering ordinary fishermen—he knows he is speaking to the children of fishermen—as heroes capable of courage and grandeur. These are moving demonstrations of what genuine teaching can be, in a film where we meet many teachers: the nurses and social workers who treat the dying, but also the dying who teach the living what’s in store for them and how best to bear it.
Frederick Wiseman seems to me a great teacher himself. He not only shines light into places we are not meant to go, but he shows us anew places whose familiarity has made them obscure to us. In this sense he puts me in mind of Emerson’s remark that “the whole secret of the teacher’s force” is the power to “get the soul out of bed, out of her deep habitual sleep, out into God’s universe.” This image of the teacher as exasperated parent shaking awake the somnolent child and shooing him out the door captures for me what Wiseman is all about.
This post is drawn from the essay collection Frederick Wiseman, published by the Museum of Modern Art in conjunction with its film exhibition on the director’s work, which ends on December 17.
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Josh Harris: Madcap Visionary
[Lifestyle, Fashion] (galadarling.com)“I know how to build the future in advance, now.” We Live In Public is the story of Josh Harris, a man who came to New York City in 1984 with $900 in his pocket. By the turn of the millenium, he would be worth $90 million. Josh was one of the few people who saw the instant potential of the internet. It was clear to him that the majority of entertainment would move from television to the internet, & quickly. He also believed that people would readily give up pieces of person ...
“I know how to build the future in advance, now.”
We Live In Public is the story of Josh Harris, a man who came to New York City in 1984 with $900 in his pocket. By the turn of the millenium, he would be worth $90 million.
Josh was one of the few people who saw the instant potential of the internet. It was clear to him that the majority of entertainment would move from television to the internet, & quickly. He also believed that people would readily give up pieces of personal information (as we’ve seen with Facebook & Myspace), & trade privacy for fame.
“Andy Warhol said that, in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. But I think he misunderstood what was happening. I think what people are demanding is 15 minutes of fame every day. & mark my words, they will get it. That’s where we’re heading, whether we like it or not.”
— Josh HarrisHis first project was Jupiter Communications, a statistical analysis company which crunched numbers about how people would use the web. Cheques started to roll in. Everyone wanted to know how they could align their businesses with the internet. Before long, Jupiter went public, & Josh was a millionaire.
He created the first online chat rooms, then sold them to Prodigy for millions of dollars. From there, he started Pseudo.com, the very first web TV company. Based at 600 Broadway, on the corner of Houston & Broadway in Soho, they had the 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th floors (approximately 40,000 sq ft) with which they could do anything they wanted… & they did.
Pseudo broadcast more than 50 shows a week, with channels like 88 Hip Hop & Cherrybomb (for sassy girls). The hosts of the shows were fresh, talented & enthusiastic, & even though web TV was chronically slow at the time—broadband was still years away—there was a real feeling that this would work. Investors flocked to Pseudo to sink in their money. Josh knew how to sell.
By 1999, Josh was bored with Pseudo. He left with his share of the company & decided to perform a social experiment the likes of which had never been seen before.
Quiet: We Live In Public was research in living under surveillance. He employed a team of artists from all over the world to construct an underground bunker which would hold over 100 inhabitants for a month.
“We’re building a capsule hotel to find out what the internet is going to look like when it takes over,” he said.
Everything was free: free food, free drink, free machine guns to fire off at will in the in-house shooting range. The catch? The participants had to wear a uniform, give over their social security number & answer a 323 question survey in intimate detail. They would also be filmed, every moment of every day.
When word got out, people lined up in droves to be part of the madness. The capsule hotel was quickly filled to capacity, littered with artists, weirdos & strange geniuses, including Alana Heiss, director of PS1/MOMA.
Once you entered Quiet: We Live In Public, you weren’t allowed to leave. Everyone slept in a bunk bed which had a camera pointed inward, connected to a television. You could switch between channels & see the other people in the beds around you. The party raged for a month, & was busted by the NYPD on January 1, 2000. The project cost Josh a couple of million dollars.
His next project was We Live In Public, & it was much smaller in scale—at least by way of number of participants. It was just him & his girlfriend, Tanya Corrin, who had previously been a presenter on Pseudo. This time, he wired his apartment at the back of 600 Broadway with dozens of motion-sensitive cameras & hyper-responsive microphones, so that everything which went on in the apartment would be retained on film. There were even infra-red cameras in the toilet—nowhere was safe.
They were to live in public for 100 days.
A live, 24/7 stream of the apartment was broadcast online, accompanied by chat. Thousands of viewers would tune in every day to watch their relationship unfold. The press coverage was massive & the first month was giddy. Josh & Tanya were in love & openly affectionate. Would they be the first couple to conceive on camera?
Though it started out as what Josh called “a Kodak moment on steroids”, the pressure of living in public quickly turned things sour. The constant feedback from the viewers started to alter the way the couple related to one another, & arguments became more about “winning” in front of an audience than actually listening to one another.
One day, after a disagreement, Tanya told Josh to sleep on the couch. One of her fans eventually broke rank & told Josh that the viewers had encouraged her to do that—it was completely out of character for her at the time—& that they wanted her to kick him out of the apartment. They just wanted to watch Tanya.
While this was going on, the dot-com bubble was bursting. Josh could only sit & watch as his wealth disappeared. While other dot-com millionaires were able to suffer privately, behind closed doors, Josh didn’t have that luxury. Helpless to do anything about it, everything he had worked so hard for began to vanish.
Josh & Tanya broke up, she left, & he started to lose it.
Living in public wasn’t fun anymore. The viewers became part of his consciousness. In an interview with Errol Morris, he said, “They’re taking little pieces of you continuously. The collection of them is greater than little me. I’m just a product—a product to be harvested. They’re harvesting my psyche in order to feed themselves. ...I just don’t want to give them anything more. They’ll kill me. They’ll take something from me that I can’t replace.”
When the 100 day period was over, Josh sold the apartment & left New York City. He moved upstate, bought an apple farm, & spent five years doing what he described as a “media detox”. He spent some time in Madrid, some time in Hollywood, & some time in Ethiopia coaching a boy’s basketball team. The film has an uncertain ending, & urges us to wonder, is this the last we’ll see of Josh Harris?
I found the film so compelling that I went back & watched it a second time… then a third, & then a fourth. What was it about the documentary that drew me in so deeply? I think it’s the combination of art & commerce, the rapidly unravelling portrait of a man who was so obsessed with being in the public eye that it was his undoing.
His incredible success at making money out of art once had him branded as “the Warhol of web TV”. When told this, Josh laughed, “I’m Andy Warhol’s wet dream.”
In 2000, Josh Harris was the king of New York. These days he’s living in a studio in Brooklyn, working on his next great project.
How do I know?
Because last week, he welcomed me into his apartment, & we shared a bottle of wine.
The day before Thanksgiving, Molly Crabapple & I hailed a cab on East 7th Street in Manhattan, & crossed the Williamsburg Bridge as the day turned to night.
We soon found ourselves standing in front of an immense brown building. The double doors, entirely covered in graffiti, almost concealed the number we were looking for. Unlabelled buzzers were placed haphazardly, at odd angles, on either side of the doorway. There was a Sneaker Pimps sticker on one door—very 90’s. This must be it. We pressed one buzzer, then another, then another, but there was no response.
I called the number in my phone.
“Hello, this is Josh.”
“Hey, it’s Gala. We’re downstairs, let us in!”
“Okay, I’m coming down now!”A few moments later, the doors swing open with gusto & there is Josh, illuminated by the flickering fluorescent lights above him. He’s wearing a flannel shirt over a t-shirt, & he smiles widely at us. “Come in! I’m on the top floor so… it’s a bit of a walk.”
Molly & I are not wearing the right footwear for a vigorous stair-climb. By the time we get to the 7th floor, I’m totally winded & thinking about how I need to get back to the gym. Panting, I laugh, & Josh says, “I used to be breathless when I got up here too—these days I don’t even notice it.”
He ushers us into his space. He has the entire floor. His kitchen area is enormous, with a speed bag bolted to one wall.
The kitchen & living area is completely spartan—there is no furniture in the room & no art on the walls, with the exception of a large sheet of paper covered in handwritten scrawls. As he points us towards the studio, I catch the first line out of the corner of my eye:
I am the captain of my own ship. Everyone is a captain of their ship.
I ask him how long he’s been back in the city. He has been here, in this apartment, since April.
His studio is clearly the room he occupies most. It has a fabulous view of Manhattan, which is now lit up & twinkling, & the walls are covered in enormous canvases. They’ve all been prepped with blackboard paint & then drawn on in chalk. Everything hanging up is part of a series called Meet The Singularities, which he recently completed. In a later email, he says he is done with canvas for at least two years.
The three of us sit down at a wobbly brown table & I present a bottle of wine, something he had requested I bring when we first made contact. Josh has only one mug, & explains that this is how he lives—he has one plate, one knife, one fork, etc. He rinses out some paper coffee cups for us, & I pour everyone a drink.
When you meet someone new, you never quite know how it will go. Contrary to my expectations, there is very little awkwardness & practically no small-talk. Before I can even set up my camera, Josh is away, riffing on every subject imaginable, & it’s totally compelling.
One of the first things he mentions is the film. The film, of course, is We Live In Public, which he has issues with. He says the filmmaker, Ondi, got it totally wrong when portraying the relationship between him & his mother.
“They interviewed my brother,” he says. “Brothers never really know that kind of thing. She should have interviewed my sisters.”
How about that scene where he’s shaking Tanya & she gets scared & runs away, throwing a frying pan at him as she goes?
“She was doing that exact same motion to me earlier in the day—but that’s left out of the story, so you never get the context. I am totally against hitting women. I would never hit a woman—once you start, it’s a slippery slope.”
He mentions in passing that Tanya had gotten physical with him in the past, which I almost chalk up to him being defensive, & nearly dismiss. But then, that weekend, I find this old blog entry of hers (see the second to last paragraph).
I tell him, “Maybe you should wear a t-shirt which says, Common Misconceptions About Me & just outline it all on there.” He laughs, & says he doesn’t want to be defined by his past. “I don’t want that old stuff to be who I am anymore.”
Josh is hard to interview, which is both a blessing & a curse. A blessing because it makes for amazing, stimulating conversation; a curse because it makes chopping up the video footage I’ve captured an almost impossible task. The fact that he doesn’t speak in soundbites makes me like him more. We have a great conversation—we talk for three hours without so much as a pause for breath—but he doesn’t really answer questions.
Mostly, he tells stories. All kinds of stories. We discuss The Truman Show & how Josh is fascinated by the relationship between Truman & his fake wife. We talk about his big idea, The Wired City, which it turns out is really a means to an end, his primary goal being the construction of the Human Chicken Factory in the Pompidou in Paris.
The Wired City is the idea he’s been pitching around for the last year or so. Think of it like The Truman Show, but with complete awareness. Every portion of your life would be sponsored—for example, Crest might sponsor you to brush your teeth on camera every morning—& you’d be sharing these experiences with other people on screen engaging in the same activity. While you brush your teeth, you can see the people you want to see, whether friends, celebrities or just people of interest, doing the same thing.
As you participate in these pursuits—whether brushing your teeth, eating a sandwich or sleeping—you gain points, which would be calculated by your influence, or the number of eyeballs you can capture. The next big step would be to build a soundstage in Hollywood, fly out the most influential people, & give them top billing. They’d then be living their lives on a bigger scale. These people would be “purebred internet pop stars”, he says.
The Wired City is a great name for it. That’s exactly what it would be.
I asked him whether he had a conflict of ethics, encouraging people to do something—sharing their life in such intimate detail—when that same process essentially drove him over the edge.
The concept of privacy, he says, is over, & points to the latest madness with the TSA as a prime example. “It’s like death; the stages of death. The acceptance stage… I’m past the acceptance stage.” He believes The Wired City should go ahead because, he says, it’s going to happen anyway. But the reason why he thinks he should be the person in charge is that he knows where the lines are.
“The nice thing about me is that I know where the lines are right now. I’ve been over the line. It happened in Operator 11“—his most recent project—“I was able to know how to structure rules & do the best you can to protect people. Better me than the random guy.”
He said that after a screening of the film in Missouri, in which some of his ideas for The Wired City are outlined, a 14 year old girl approached him & said, simply, “Don’t do it, man!” Josh says that had him spun for a while, that it still spins him. Ultimately though, this is his work.
“I try not to judge myself morally—I had a fake girlfriend! I had a fake company! I mean, I called it Pseudo!”
Building a Human Chicken Factory is his ultimate goal. The Wired City, he says, is just a means to that end.
The Human Chicken Factory, he explains, would be built to scale, & the installation would be shown for about a year. He envisions it in the Pompidou Centre, or maybe the Tate in London. As for what would happen inside, Josh isn’t entirely clear. All he will say is, “When you go in, you’re one thing, & when you come out, you’re something else.”
“It will provide the human race with perspective of what we’re heading into,” he continues. “What’s happening is the factories are becoming more efficient, so if we get a 15 year lead with the prototype model, at least before we walk in & they lock the door behind us, we know what we’re heading into.”
He takes a drink & says, “That’s what my work is about—everything else is a means to that end. Everything you see in the movie, The Wired City, the paintings, my current state of existence… That’s really all I do. Nothing more, nothing less. If you think of me that way, I make a lot of sense.”
Josh looks good; healthy. He’s 50 but you wouldn’t know it. His eyes are bright blue & they’re sparkling, mischievous. He’s one of very few people I’ve met that will maintain near-constant eye contact with you when they’re speaking.
Though some might get the impression from We Live In Public that his past escapades have left Josh Harris a broken man, this is clearly untrue. He is working, thinking, doing Josh.
“I live like a monk,” he tells us, & I believe him. I mention that he seems to be living pretty well for a monk, & make a sweeping gesture. He smiles & says, “I have good friends.”
Point taken.
Listening to Josh speak is an interesting experience. His ideas are big, risky, ambitious, & as I’m listening to him I notice my brain throwing up instant resistance. “That’s CRAZY!”, it screams. But the more that I just listen, the more I think it’ll work.
As the days tick by after meeting him, still thinking about what he’s said, I find myself coming up with additional ways it could work. People & things that could help. Ideas which could bring The Wired City to fruition faster.
His dystopian vision of the future disturbs & intrigues me equally. Even though I don’t necessarily think the direction he wants to push is “good”, & even though I am someone for whom personal rights & privacy are very important, I find myself actually wanting The Wired City to go forward. I want it to succeed. I am curious. I want to see it.
Perhaps Josh’s eerie old prediction—“Orwell was wrong; the government doesn’t impose Big Brother. Audiences demand it”—is right. As much as I may like to think I’m above it, I am part of that audience, like Romans in the Colosseum, baying for blood. We all are.
I describe my emotional polarity to my friend Simon. He says, “Yeah. That’s charisma alright. Ability to persuade you of something even over & above your own value judgments.”
Bingo.
Our conversation runs the gamut, from elucidations on the singularity to multiple mentions of Tanya Corrin. He never refers to Tanya by her name, only as “the fake girlfriend”. Josh maintains that they were never a real couple—that he cast her for the part, years ago, & that he has film to prove it.
He tells me he doesn’t own a television; that to him, it is like heroin. He mentions that he is obsessed with being in what he calls “the groove”—that moment where everything works, you know you’re exactly where you’re meant to be & you hit that sweet spot. He says that it seems like he & his friends are constantly chasing that groove. I tell him there was a book written on that very subject: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He writes down the word “FLOW” & draws a box around it, & promises to check it out. He also gives me a kind of homework: asking me to read two books & present him with what I think at a later date.
When my FlipCam finally beeps & stops recording—after a solid hour of footage—he says, “Oh, thank God!” & laughs.
Josh is clearly someone who enjoys other people’s company & is an accomplished conversationalist. I’d heard that he was an introvert but this is clearly untrue—he holds court for hours, chattering happily away.
He’s certainly extremely intelligent. He can run cognitive rings around me, which is something I haven’t experienced in a long time, & which is a feeling I both relish & loathe simultaneously. The things he says are sometimes so baffling that I feel like I am thinking in slow motion. I completely lost my line of questioning. I don’t think I asked him a single prepared question.
To say I was unnerved by him is the understatement of the year.
As we talk, Molly sits to one side, just off-camera, sketching a portrait of Josh on a piece of paper. When she presents it to him, he is almost struck silent with awe. Later, in an email, he says, “Your drawing is magic, which in my mind is the first important indicator for art.”
When we leave, Molly texts to ask how I enjoyed myself. I tell her I had a fantastic evening, but that I feel very dumb & also quite sane all at the same time. “I can definitely see that feeling!”, she replies.
Portrait(s) of Josh Harris by Molly Crabapple.
I’m so glad I was able to meet Josh. He is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever encountered. All the same, I’m not sure how I feel about the things he wants to achieve in our lifetime—& the mark he may leave on the future.
The more I think about it, the less I am sure that my sense of unease has anything to do with Josh himself. Maybe it is more that I don’t like what he reflects back at me about our future, about the reality of society, & about myself.
Josh would love your support in his bid for the role of Director of the MIT Media Lab! You can nominate him here—I have already done it, but the more people that can get behind him, the better. To fill in the form accurately, his email is mjluvvy@gmail.com, his number is 310.801.2294, & you can use this article on galadarling.com as the link! Thank you so much for your help!
filed under: inspiration, life, video
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Worst of the Night: November 23, 2010
[NBA Basketball] (Basketbawful)Isis Zydrunas Ilgauskas even awake? It's time for Erick Dampier! The Miami Heat: When the Heat opened the season at 6-4, the experts were quick to point out that their losses had come to the Celtics (twice), Hornets and Jazz. Sure, Miami was only beating bad teams -- but we were told that beating bad teams matters. That, in fact, bitch-slapping crap teams is "the second-most predictive attribute of 'final four' success." In other words, beating the hell out of the Clippers and Timberwolves actu ...
Is...is Zydrunas Ilgauskas even awake? It's time for Erick Dampier!
The Miami Heat: When the Heat opened the season at 6-4, the experts were quick to point out that their losses had come to the Celtics (twice), Hornets and Jazz.
Sure, Miami was only beating bad teams -- but we were told that beating bad teams matters. That, in fact, bitch-slapping crap teams is "the second-most predictive attribute of 'final four' success." In other words, beating the hell out of the Clippers and Timberwolves actually increases a team's chances of making it to the Conference Finals or NBA Finals.
Assuming the math is correct -- and math never lies -- what does it mean when the crap teams start beating YOU?
That's what we need to start asking about the Miami Heat. Two days removed from a 97-95 loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis, the Heat got their asses straight up whupped 93-77.
At home.
By the Indiana Pacers.
And get this: Danny Granger, Indy's best player, was 6-for-21 from the field. For the game, the Pacers shot only 41 percent and had a 38-13 disadvantage in free throw attempts. That's right: Miami got 25 more free throw attempts...and lost by 16.
Again, the whole "no inside presence" thing killed Miami. The Pacers outrebounded them 48-39 and outscored them 38-18 in the paint. And according to TrueHoop: "Miami’s big men scored a season-low 18 points in the paint and grabbed just 14 percent of missed shots on the offensive end, both of which were well below their season averages entering the game."
I'm not done: The Heat shot 38 percent from the field, went 4-for-20 from downtown, bricked 13 free throws and gave up 23 points off 22 turnovers.
Those are Clippers numbers, people.
To highlight Miami's struggles from beyond the arc: LeBron James (2-for-8), Eddie House (0-for-5), Dwyane Wade (0-for-4), James Jones (0-for-1).
But wait, there's more: Udonis Haslem needs surgery to repair a torn foot ligament and be out indefinitely. And according to ESPN's Tom Haberstroh, "It's time for Erick Dampier."
This is what it's come to? Miami's season is on the line and their best option is a 34-year-old center who was limited in his best days and last season compiled a playoff PER of 3.7?
Here's even more of a reality check from Wild Yams:
- Dampier is only 40 days younger than Big Z
That sound you just heard was the pained cries of Heat fans everywhere. It sounded kinda like this...
- Dampier has actually played in 76 more NBA games than Z has
- Z has been in two All-Star Games while Dampier has never been in one
- Last year's stats for the two players: Z - 7.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .8 bpg Dampier - 6.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg
The most bawful sequence of the night was transcribed by Basketbawful reader Paul in last night's BAD comments:
At one point in the third quarter things got really weird for the Heat.
This description missed a few possessions here and there, but it hit the salient points. These guys are not in synch. Two Alpha Dogs and an Alpha Dog wanna be without a strong coach that can force them to get their shit together. Speaking of which...
Dwade gets a tech for arguing a call. And you could see it, He was PISSED.
A couple of possessions later, he is wide open waiting for a LBJ pass, LeBron instead looks for Ilgauzkas but his pass gets intercepted.
One possession later Ilgauskas turns the ball over and on the following possession Wade is --again-- open waiting for LeBron's Pass, again LeBron gives the ball to Ilgauskas on the elbow for a missed 18-footer.
At this point you could see it. Dwade was in FUCK THIS SHIT mode. One possession later Wade has LeBron open but he jacks up a contested 3 instead.
On the next possession LeBron takes the FUCK THIS SHIT to a whole new level and retaliates by launching three consecutive 3 pointers.
The whole sequence was kind of surreal, it was my dream come true. Watching the Heat destroy itself against a sub-par team!
...Basketbawful reader kazam92 wants me to advertise the Fire Erik Spoelstra Web site and participate in voting. I can do the first but not the second. This is way too much fun.
And now I present the Miami Heat-related Rant of the Night by stephanie g:
The refs tried really hard but the Miami cheat sucked too bad even for their usual extra bench to be of much use. LeFraud Shames and D-Whistle are just unintelligent clowns who don't know how to play basketball -- maybe they lost out on their HGH connection? LeCrab's "goto" move is an offensive foul. He's one of the biggest front runners ever. STD Wade is hurt I guess. But if he's that off why is he playing? He looked like he didn't even care. Maybe LeBrick's winning attitude is rubbing off?
Dwyane Wade, Worst Player of the Night: From TrueHoop:
And is Bosh really gonna chuck 20 footers and look like a wounded giraffe all season long? If so, that's a flagrant foul against the game of basketball. Too bad LeBron never developed a post up game, huh? Or off ball movement. Or a pullup game. Or...well, anything that doesn't involve him holding the ball for half the shot clock and sponging stats from his team.
OK, OK, I'm sorry. That wasn't very adult of me. But seriously, they had a 38-13 FT advantage. And we just clobbered them despite the fact Hibbert only played 21 minutes because of foul trouble, Collison didn't play much because of his injury, and Granger went 6-21 (played some nice D though). The Cheats had the game gift wrapped for them and they STILL wilted.
I might be enjoying this Frankstein experiment a little too much, especially if they do somehow end up turning it around. But you have to admit, this could potentially be an ALL TIME bawful story. I mean, LeBron and Wade are (supposedly) premier talents, but they just disappeared this season in their prime. They may as well have died in car crashes, as far as Stern is concerned. Well, I guess everyone will be tuning in to root for whoever they're playing, so maybe he doesn't care.
After missing one game with a sprained wrist, Dwyane Wade suffered through the worst shooting night of his career, missing 12 of 13 shots (7.7 percent) from the field and finishing with just three points.
Said Erik Spoelstra: "A tough night for Dwyane. But we've been around him long enough. He always finds a way to bounce back. Getting his health is the priority, first of all. But secondly, we know that he's very introspective as a professional athlete. That's the way I want all of our guys in the locker room to be."
Not only was it the worst performance of his career, his line (1-13 from floor, 1-5 on free throws) was also one of the worst in NBA history.
Only one other player took at least 13 shots from the floor and attempted at least five free throws, and made one or fewer of each: On November 27, 1951, Max Zaslofsky of the Knicks was 1-13 from the floor and 0-5 from the line in an 83-81 loss at the Philadelphia Warriors.
One assumes Spoelstra said this while thumbing through the "Help Wanted" section of the Miami Herald.
"Coach Spo" knows what's coming.
LeBron James, quote machine, Part 1: "We're not having fun right now."
Link courtsey of Basketbawful reader Clifton.
LeBron James, quote machine, Part 2: "What we're lacking are two things: That is fun and a little bit of swagger right now."
The Atlanta Hawks: The Boston Celtics were coming off back-to-back losses to the Kevin Durant-less Thunder and the Toronto Craptosaurs. Rajon Rondo was out with a leg injury, and Jermaine O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins are still on the shelf. So The C's were a vulnerable team, right? This was a chance for the Hawks to prove they're for real, right?
Instead, the Dirty Birds fell behind 39-13 after 12 minutes, trailed by as many as 33 points and eventually lost 99-76.
The game was in Atlanta, by the way.
During that first quarter blitzkrieg, the Celtics shot 18-for-25 while the Hawks were going 4-for-17. Atlanta coach Larry Drew called three timeouts. He would have called 20 if he'd had 'em. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the pen for his dry erase board probably ran out of ink. After all, nothing else was working.
And here's the reality check time: The Hawks are 8-6. But check it. Their eight wins have been against the Grizzlies, Sixers, Wizards, Cavaliers, Pistons, Timberwolves (twice) and Pacers. Their losses have been to the Suns, Magic, Bucks, Jazz, Mavericks and Celtics.
But hey, at least Atlanta is beating bad teams. That matters.
Joe Johnson: When the Hawks signed Joe Cool to that six-year, $119 million contract last summer, we all knew they'd regret it. We just didn't know it would be this soon. After last night's 2-for-10 shooting performance against the Celtics, Johnson is 15-for-48 over his last four games.
Larry Drew, coach of the year candidate, Part 1: "This was very embarrassing. Very, very embarrassing. Very embarrassing. If I had one word to sum it up: embarrassing."
Larry Drew, coach of the year candidate, Part 2: "We're not coming out ready to play. I'm not seeing any urgency. I'm not seeing any passion. We're not playing like we want it. We're not playing hard enough. It's very, very disturbing."
Larry Drew, coach of the year candidate, Part 3: "I don't know what we're doing the night before the game. But something is going on that is not allowing us to play with energy or passion. I'm going to find out what it is."
Larry Drew, coach of the year candidate, Part 4: "Everyone is getting their rest. I don't think that's an issue. We've just got to get back to sharing the basketball and playing together."
Kevin Garnett, quote machine: "I wish we could bottle this and put it on the shelf or something."
The Minnesota Timberwolves: Damn. Minnesota just can't catch a break. First the Vikings fire Brad Childress about two years too late and then both Kevin Durant and Jeff Green returned to the Oklahoma City lineup in time for a home game against the Timberwolves.
Believe it or not, Kevin Love hit a layup to give Minny a 105-104 lead with 1:20 left in the fourth. But the final score (117-107) pretty much tells you how things went from there. Not to steal the Clippers' thing, but the T-Wolves are who...well, you know.
Michael Beasley: In case you didn't hear, Ron Artest said Beastley was dumb and needed to become a winner. Mikey replied: "The reason I do the same thing is because they can't stop it. As soon as they stop it, I'll do something else."
Last night, Beastly went 7-for-20 (including 0-for-3 from downtown), committed a team-high 5 turnovers, and pulled a Harry Houdini down the stretch. Way to prove Artest wrong, Mike.
The Houston Rockets: Steve Nash returned to the Phoenix lineup in time to drop The Daryl's Rejects to 3-10 on the year. That includes a 1-4 mark in Houston.
The Suns shot 54 percent from the field and three-point land...and even earned 38 free throw attempts to only 15 for the Rockets.
Said Kyle Lowry: "We have to find a way to keep our heads up. We are 3-10, but we are not a 3-10 team. We are way better than that."
Hm. 28th in Opponents PPG, 27th in Defensive Rating...I dunno, Kyle. I think those are the hallmarks of a 3-10 team. Although, in all fairness, the Rockets are without Aaron Brooks (sprained left ankle) and Yao Ming (slowly crumbling body).
The Phoenix Suns: Way to make this game more exciting than it needed to be by giving up 40 points in the fourth quarter, Suns. You also got outrebounded 51-33 and outscored 62-42 in the paint. No wonder you're the most underachieving team in basketball. Congrats!
The Orlando Magic: Well, huh. Maybe the Spurs are for real.
The Sacramento Kings: Let's see: 35 percent shooting, seven missed free throws, -8 in turnovers, -13 in points off turnovers, -16 in points in the paint, -14 in fast break points. The final score (94-83) makes this game look reasonably close, but Utah led by as many as 25 and the Paupers had to outscore the Jazz 27-16 in the fourth quarter to make the outcome look semi-respectable.
That's eight losses in the last nine games for the once 3-1 Kings. Sorry, Chris.
Matt Harpring, unintentionally dirty quote machine: Regarding Krylo Fesenko via Basketbawful reader Austen: "He really clogged up the Middle and got his hands on a lot of balls."
The Golden State Warriors: Six games ago, they were a surprising 6-2 and generating a little buzz. Now? They're 7-7 and the only buzzing is from the flies circling the corpse of their impressive start. And what can you say? This team is ranked 26th in Defensive Rating and only 21st in Offensive Rating.
They just aren't that good.
The New Orleans Hornets: After the Hornets beat the Kings on Sunday night, New Orleans coach Monty Williams said: "At this point in the season I don't even look at the standings. I had no idea we would have this kind of record. Looking at our record, it might be fools' gold."
I copied that quote into my notebook knowing full the Hornets were playing the Clippers in L.A. the very next night. It felt like prophecy.
Sure enough, the Clippers beat the Hornets.
I said "the Clippers beat the Hornets."
I said...never mind.
I don't know what's weirder. That the Clips snapped a nine-game winning streaks by beating one of the league's best teams, or that they managed to pull off a rare victory despite bricking 17 friggin' free throws. Total chaos. Ultimate bawful.
Trevor Ariza: From Basketbawful reader LotharBot: "Trevor Ariza is clutch for the Clippers tonight! (Yes, I typed that correctly.)"
Explanation: With 21 seconds left and his team (the Hornets in cased you missed LotharBot's sarcasm) down 90-88, Ariza stepped to the free throw line for two shots.
Brick.
Brick.
Blake Griffin: Watch that potty mouth, Blake. You never know when one of Bill Simmons' kids might be in the crowd.
Chris's lacktion report:
Wolves-Thunder: Wayne Ellington sounded a single turnover in 7:26 for a +1 suck differential while Lazar Hayward and Kosta Koufos shared a portobello in two seconds as SUPER MARIO BROTHERS!
Magic-Spurs: Ryan Anderson took ten seconds to power up his Famicom for a Mario, matched by San Antonio's Tiago Splitter, making them Mario Brothers From Different Mothers.
Kings-Jazz: Kyrylo Fesenko found a way to forget about a field goal and a pair of boards in 14:36, by fouling four times and losing the rock once for a 5:4 Voskuhl. Gordon Hayward then cashed in his valuable Cannonball Adderley vinyl rarities collection to the tune of a cool 4.3 trillion (4:17).
Hornets-Clippers: Jason Smith sired four fouls against a board and field goal in 13:57 to buzz into Voskuhl territory with a 4:3 ratio; Pops Mensah-Bonsu had a triplet of fouls in 1:17 for a +3! -
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum Released
[Macintosh] (Inside Mac Games)November 19, 2010 5:00 AMAspyr Media has announced that RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum is now shipping to retail outlets across North America and is available on Aspyr’s own store, GameAgent. Licensed from Atari Interactive the Platinum collection includes RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked, and for the first time on the Mac, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Wild.RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 Mac is completely updated and redesigned to take the series to all-new heights. Featuring incr ...
November 19, 2010 5:00 AM
Aspyr Media has announced that RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum is now shipping to retail outlets across North America and is available on Aspyr’s own store, GameAgent. Licensed from Atari Interactive the Platinum collection includes RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked, and for the first time on the Mac, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Wild.
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 Mac is completely updated and redesigned to take the series to all-new heights. Featuring incredible 3D graphics and the exclusive new Coaster Cam™, you can now see your park from any angle and ride the coasters you build. From street level to blimp, see your park pulse with fun and excitement like never before.
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Soaked! Mac is the expansion pack that lets you design, build and operate the ultimate summertime fun park with exciting water rides, the wettest, wildest attractions, and, of course, heart-stopping roller coasters.
RollcerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Wild! Mac is an incredible expansion pack that brings the majesty of Nature to your amusement park. Now you can do more than just add water parks, you can create an incredible circus filled with animal attractions. Build animal enclosures, cages, and attractions like a choreographed lion tamer show set in an arena.Features:
- RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
- Ride the Rides with the Coaster Cam™
- Build rides easier with the enhanced user interface
- Light up the night with the new park lighting system
- View your park from any angle with complete camera control
- See breathtaking park vistas including realistic sunsets, moonlight, weather patterns and more...
- Create your own family members and friends and add them to your park
- Respond to the individual likes and dislikes of kids, teens and adults
- See fully animated individuals (including facial expressions!) exhibit intelligent behavior, both individually and as a crowd
- Create pyrotechnic wonders with the new Fireworks MixMaster
- Build your dream park with unlimited funds in "Sandbox" mode
- Add music to rides and fireworks shows from your own mp3 library
- Includes many "New-to-RollerCoaster Tycoon" rides and attractions
- Design your park with 5 fun themes: Generic, Spooky, Western, Adventure and Sci-fi
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Soaked!
- Soak the peeps and watch their hilarious behaviour! Dunk 'em, swirl 'em and knock 'em off their feet with water cannons
- Choose from an amazing variety of water slides and water rides – then share them online
- Plunge your coasters through thrilling tunnels and explore amazing underwater walkways
- Take on fresh scenarios with water specific objectives and challenges
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Wild!
- Nine freshly designed scenarios that expand gameplay beyond the call of the wild kingdom
- Amazing never-before seen hardcore coasters fresh from the drawing boards of today's designers including splitting tracks and robot arms
- Safari elements give players tools for building expedition rides where park visitors interact with over 20 species of wild (and not so wild) animals
- Players interact with the animals, select their food and toys; tickle them or poke them awake; breed and trade them with other animal parks
- Two more richly detailed themes for players - RCT3 amusement parks - Jungle and Prehistoric - including giant insects and animatronic dinosaurs!
- Even more thrill rides; eight more coasters, eighteen 'flat' rides, brand new animal houses and four additional transport rides
- Choreograph fun and entertaining performing animal programs, like the Lion Tamer Show, using the RCT3 MixMaster
- Includes the biggest ever RCT3 transport ride: the Paddle Steamer, plus Elephant Rides, Safari SUVs and everglades speedboats
- An occasional escaping animal causes chaos, and gives players a chance to use their tranquilizer dart shooting skills (but mind those park guests...)
- Make even more cash from your park using new shops and ad billboards, which for the first time allow players to put their own original content in the game
- Say 'hello' to more new characters - a new VIP, a new Animal Keeper staff member, and the RCT favorite 'Tiger' mascot
- MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
- CPU Processor: Intel chipset
- CPU Speed: 1.8 GHz or faster
- Memory: 512 MB or higher
- Hard Disk Space: 2GB free disk space
- Video Card (ATI): Radeon X1600
- Video Card (NVidia): GeForce 7300
- Video Memory (VRam): 128 MB
- Media Required: DVD Drive
RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- CPU Speed: 2.0 GHz or faster
- Memory: 1 GB or higher
- Video Ram: 256 MB
NVIDIA GeForce® 7300, 7600, 7800, 8600, 8800, 9400, 9600, GT 120, Quadro FX 4500
ATI Radeon X1600, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600, HD 3870, HD 4670, HD 4850
NOTICE: Apple Intel Chipsets only. Power PC Processors (G4 and G5) are not supported.
NOTICE: Intel® integrated video chipsets are not supported.
NOTICE: This game is not supported on volumes formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive)RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum is available for $49.99. Read more at the link below.
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Why We Love a Royal Wedding
[Parenting, AOL, Moms] (ParentDish)Filed under: Opinions, Celeb News & Interviews Kate Middleton and Prince William pose for the media at St. James's Palace in London on Nov. 16, 2010, after they announced their engagement. The couple are to wed in 2011. Credit: Chris Jackson, AP I love a good fairy tale. You know the story. Boy and girl from different sides of the track meet, fall madly in love and somehow figure out how to overcome outlandish obstacles -- be it severe apple poisoning, losing a glass slipper at the str ...
Filed under: Opinions, Celeb News & Interviews
I love a good fairy tale.
Kate Middleton and Prince William pose for the media at St. James's Palace in London on Nov. 16, 2010, after they announced their engagement. The couple are to wed in 2011. Credit: Chris Jackson, AP
You know the story. Boy and girl from different sides of the track meet, fall madly in love and somehow figure out how to overcome outlandish obstacles -- be it severe apple poisoning, losing a glass slipper at the stroke of midnight or being cast under some spell that causes one to sleep for, like, a zillion years.
Once upon a time, my mother warned me of princesses and fairy tales. It's not like she forbade me from watching or reading about Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and all the rest, but, from as far back as I can remember, she made sure I understood that a woman didn't need a man to rescue her.
Of course, she was right about that, and I tell my own daughters the same thing as they count the days until the Rapunzel-based "Tangled" hits the theaters, read nearly every princess book in print and play with more Disney princess-themed items than I care to admit.
But, while I freely concede that a grown woman carrying a torch for fairy tale romances isn't exactly cool, there's just something about the romance, the adversity and, of course, the fashion of it all that warrants a special spot for all those stories on our living room bookshelf.
Right next to those books for children sits my own collection of stories of women who have led real-life fairy tales: Diana. Fergie. Elizabeth. Victoria. Mary.
Coming soon?
The world's newest fairy tale follows the dashingly handsome Prince William, a man whose beautiful and much adored mother was tragically killed when he was just a boy, but who went on to make his nation proud, embarking on a military career and actively representing several charities.
William meets Kate Middleton, a (gasp!) commoner, while attending university, and, for eight long, long, long years, she waits. The British press, in fact, labels her Waity Katie, the young beauty so patiently bides her time.
And even though she has no royal blood line (but let's not get too crazy here -- her parents are millionaire entrepreneurs), the girl who grew up in a small village is accepted into the most royal of royal families. Her parents are invited to the royal family's 50,000-acre estate in Scotland for private pheasant shooting lessons. William proposes on a vacation in Kenya. And the wedding, planned for next year? Well, I, for one, can hardly wait for that chapter to begin.
I was 8 when Diana Spencer married William's father, Prince Charles, but I remember watching that fairy tale unfold on TV like it was yesterday. She in an enormous tafetta and lace dress -- with 25 feet of train! He in a full dress naval commander uniform. That kiss on the balcony. In my young mind, I had just witnessed a fairy tale come to life.
Unfortnately, many will say, there's no such thing as a real-life fairy tale. And, for Charles and Diana, that proved to be true.
But, still, I want to believe it's possible. And that's why the promise of a royal wedding has me spellbound. It's about hope. It's about that ultimate romantic ideal -- you know, the kind that makes women's tummies do flip-flops, their knees quiver and their cheeks burn red. It's about the excitement of the details. Will they wed on the 30th anniversary of William's parents' own exchange of vows? Where will the ceremony take place? How extravagant will it be? Who will Harry bring as his date? And, most importantly, what will Kate wear?
Those big, star-studded Hollywood nuptials we see plastered across the pages of US Weekly? There's nothing regal about those. But the majesty that surrounds a royal wedding? It's different. It's bigger. It's happy. It's exciting.
And, even if the romance surrounding William and Kate lasts but for a fleeting moment, it's fun to wish for the fairy tale. No matter how it ends, it's still a story that's deserving of a spot on my bookshelf, right next to "Cinderella," "The Diana Chronicles" and "Royal Weddings." Because, in the end, don't we all just want to believe in happily ever after? -
Apple App Store iPad gaming update for the week of November 7, 2010
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Gaming News, Features, Columns, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App StoreThe Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that ...
Section: Gaming News, Features, Columns, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App Store
The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long work week.
Will the big 4.2 hit this week? Probably as last week Apple seeded the Gold Master version to developers. This totally dashes my prediction of a 21st release but a quick stroll through my local Walmart electronics section pretty much told me that Apple doesn’t need a 4.2 holiday bullet point judging by how many iPads were missing from the display case. Dang you Apple, always gotta be undermining me.
While the release numbers weren’t too staggering, there are plenty of goodies in this week’s App Store update and here’s the cream of the crop:
What You Might Want To Check Out
Revolt: Price: $1.99
“You have been selected for this unique operation of utmost importance, pivotal to the future of humanity. Because of your skills and abilities, you represent the best hope mankind has in the battle against the robotic hordes. It will be your mission to infiltrate into the depths of the machine catacombs and learn the truth behind the enslavement and eradication of your fellow man. Revolt is a 3D dual stick shooter for the iPhone/iPod Touch set in the future, where a devastating virus has wiped out most of humanity, and machines have risen up to exterminate the remains of the population. You must take control of Guy, a reistance fighter who has infiltrated into enemy territory, to battle against the robotic hordes and blast through a series of sabotage missions deep in the underground catacombs of a robot factory and beyond. Turning the enemies technology against them, you’ll wield powerful weapons to fight your way to the heart of the cybernetic machine core to discover the source of the deadly virus and uncover who or what is behind the plot to wipe out mankind.”Painkiller: Purgatory HD: Price: $7.99
“PC Games’ BEST SHOOTER of the year is now on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad! Painkiller: Pergatory HD is the most intense, gripping 3D action shooter available on your iPad!”Dark Area 2: Price: $3.99
“This is the second chapter of a 3d first person shooter for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Your goal is to reconquest the EPS-71 planet. A fleet of aliens reminds in installations. They believe this planet is theirs, and they want revenge.”Mani Golf HD: Price: $1.99
“The Long wait is over, Mani Golf, the completely Original, insanely Addictive, physics based, Arcade Golf game has been lovingly crafted and re-invented specifically for App store. Featuring brand new courses, a new Main Character, and new touchscreen controls, as well as hugely addictive gameplay that has made this such a firm web favourite over the years. Play your way through two complete 18 hole courses, Holeywood and Higs Boson, avoiding Double Bogies, Dinosaurs, Bouncy Mushrooms, Bunkers, Oil slicks, Graveyards and Beaches, not to mention the surprises in the U-Bend! Can you Aim, Power, Tilt and Bounce your way to Links success, gaining Albatross’s and Eagles as you face the variety of increasingly ridiculous challenges and puzzles that lie within Mani Golf?”Chop Chop Hockey: Price: $0.99
“The hockey competitions are starting now and you are cordially invited! Cordially? Not really! The Choppies are known for their aggressive attitude and they will do everything to win the Chop Chop Hockey League cups. It will be a brutal competition with only one rule: there is no rule!”What’s Free
Superheroes Alliance: Unleashed
“Do you have what it takes to become a superhero? Battle villains, save innocent lives, hire sidekicks, and build an empire to become the greatest superhero of all.”Isla Dragon
“Isla Dragon is a platform hack and slash and heroic fantasy lite game in 3d real time.”Moto X Mayhem Lite
“Moto X Mayhem Lite is finally here to try before you buy! Ride one full island and enter highscores too. For more islands check out Moto X Mayhem for just .99c or your local equivalent. Race, jump, and crash your way through a variety of treacherous terrain in the best mobile bike game, Moto X Mayhem! Use accelerometer technology to balance your motorbike as you climb and fly over huge jumps! Enjoy realistic physics as your shocks recoil when you land or your rider bounces around when you crash. Compete to be the fastest motocross rider with Moto X Mayhem’s online scoreboard.”Tap Reef
“Starting with a bare reef and a couple of Clownfish, you must cultivate a thriving community of sea species, from Blue Tang to Bottlenose Dolphins. Feed, breed and sell your animals back to the Tap Reef market to grow your wealth, or keep your fish forever as your personal pets.”Base Defense HD Halloween Edition
“Tower Defense without the hassle of zooming in and out, big size enemy units and defense towers. You are in a deadly zone infested with zombies, bats and over 13 different monsters. Choose from a collection of weapons, ranging from Machine Gun, Rocket Launcher and Flame Thrower up to the Mine Trap, Electrical Trap and Laser Trap. Triple upgrades for each unit, to keep up with the increasing difficulty of your enemies. Play in four different worlds, with different atmosphere and difficulty, starting with City Zone and moving up to Town Zone then Bloody Zone and finally Lava Zone. The game will keep you occupied and entertained for hours and hours. Get rated for each level, so you can go back and play each level again and again until you get the highest rating. Score and progress are automatically saved.”MiniTycoon Casino
“Do you want to be Las Vegas billionaire? Run a 5-star casino, enjoy the lifestyles of the rich and famous and put on your Monopoly-style monocles. Well your dream is about to come true- MiniTycoon Casino is here! MiniTycoon Casino is your chance to build a business empire! Work your way up from a small town casino to a Trump-style Las Vegas-sized casino. Buy all your favorite machines—slots, poker tables, etc. – and hire your friends as dealers! MiniTycoon Casino is the start of your expanding MiniTycoon Empire. Compete with your friends to see who the wealthiest MiniTycoon mogul is, or help them out by hiring them. Send your friends gifts! Purchase games and decorations to earn a higher star rating – this brings in more patrons and allows you to unlock bigger and better items! Start your Empire today and be the next Rockefeller!”Christmas CyberScramble®
“Have fun this Holiday Season playing Christmas CyberScramble® with all of your friends and family. Featuring your favorite Holiday Songs, by artists you love, Christmas CyberScramble® is a sure fireside party pleaser!”The Incident Lite
“THE INCIDENT is easy to pick up but hard to master. It’s a totally new gameplay concept and it’s perhaps TOO addictive. It’s loaded with power-ups, power-downs (d’oh!) and collectables. Try to beat the game, then try to unlock all the achievements. No one said getting 500 coins would be easy.”CLUE: Secrets & Spies - A Hidden Object Game: Price: $6.99
“Find hidden objects in exciting cities around the world like Casablanca, Buenos Aires and Paris, and stop the evil forces of C.L.U.E. (Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage) from sowing destruction across the globe!”What’s New
Action
XT HD: Price: $1.99
“Strategy and shooting action come together in provide an exhilarating space adventure in XT! Download this strategic level-based shooter NOW and jump in the driver’s seat of an exotic spaceship, gathering every green or red gem scattered around the cosmos while utilizing navigational cunning and accurate shooting to thwart the attacks of any enemy ships that stand in your way. Playing through XT, users are tasked with utilizing both agility and strategic thought to conquer sequentially more challenging levels by collecting every green and red gem on a given map without being shot down by an enemy space craft or flying over and enemy mine. The game includes 30 unique levels of play. Points collected during game-play can either be used to upgrade the user’s ship between missions, or saved and uploaded online via Openfeint leaderboards. XT boasts extremely straight forward and intuitive user controls that are responsive and easy to learn. Users simply use one thumb pad to steer their spacecraft and a second to aim and shoot their crafts weapons. Furthermore, this game utilizes smooth yet vivid 3-D graphics to provide users with a gaming experience of the highest possible quality. Don’t wait around to battle through the cosmos, with XT all you need to jump headlong into an enthralling deep space is your mobile device.”Revolt: Price: $1.99
“You have been selected for this unique operation of utmost importance, pivotal to the future of humanity. Because of your skills and abilities, you represent the best hope mankind has in the battle against the robotic hordes. It will be your mission to infiltrate into the depths of the machine catacombs and learn the truth behind the enslavement and eradication of your fellow man. Revolt is a 3D dual stick shooter for the iPhone/iPod Touch set in the future, where a devastating virus has wiped out most of humanity, and machines have risen up to exterminate the remains of the population. You must take control of Guy, a reistance fighter who has infiltrated into enemy territory, to battle against the robotic hordes and blast through a series of sabotage missions deep in the underground catacombs of a robot factory and beyond. Turning the enemies technology against them, you’ll wield powerful weapons to fight your way to the heart of the cybernetic machine core to discover the source of the deadly virus and uncover who or what is behind the plot to wipe out mankind.”Painkiller: Purgatory HD: Price: $7.99
“PC Games’ BEST SHOOTER of the year is now on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad! Painkiller: Pergatory HD is the most intense, gripping 3D action shooter available on your iPad!”Dark Area 2: Price: $3.99
“This is the second chapter of a 3d first person shooter for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Your goal is to reconquest the EPS-71 planet. A fleet of aliens reminds in installations. They believe this planet is theirs, and they want revenge.”Gangstar: Miami Vindication HD: Price: $6.99
“The most ambitious crime simulation ever released on iPhone is already available on iPad! After rising to be the top selling iPhone game on the App Store at its launch, Gangstar: Miami Vindication is back with HD graphics for an adventure in the streets of Miami that will leave you breathless! Enjoy the most immersive full-3D crime simulation ever on iPad! Gangstar: Miami Vindication has a new, unique feel that delivers a deep storyline of revenge: plunge into Miami gang life and live a fast-paced adventure to liberate your little brother who has been kidnapped by the Armada gang for unknown reasons…”Robokill - Rescue Titan Prime: Price: $7.99
“Journey to Mars orbital station Titan Prime – a desolate outpost infested with a hostile army of ultraviolent robots. Knock out motion-sensing gun turrets and blast your way through room after room of swarming droids to liberate Titan Prime. Destroy the enemy spawning hubs while avoiding deadly falls, electro-charged mines and traps. Gain experience, pick up abandoned weapons and shields, collect cash and hidden loot to *upgrade* your Mecha with a powerful suite of new armaments and defensive tools. But be warned – drop your guard for even an instant and the droids will swarm you. Keep moving!!”Adventure
Dragon’s Lair HD: Price: $4.99
“This is the app that will make your iPad shine! For the first time ever, you can experience Don Bluth’s classic arcade game Dragon’s Lair, on your iPad in glorious HD! Immerse yourself in the visually stunning world of hand-drawn animation adapted from the original game and transferred from the original high definition film master. Prepare yourself for an authentic arcade experience and an unforgettable adventure. Simply press on the direction pad to guide Dirk the Daring in the right direction and use your sword to take on all that the Evil Wizard Mordroc throws at you. Pick up Dragon’s Lair HD today and show your friends how great your iPad can look!”Toyshop Adventures for iPad + Extra Bonus: Price: $1.99
“Our shopkeeper has lost his marbles (quite literally!) and it’s up to you to help him find his special marbles and restore balance to this once peaceful toy store! Guide one of the shopkeeper’s favorite toys through a variety of playful, platform puzzles. Collect all of the lost marbles, avoid the electrically-charged Nanobots, and discover secret areas hidden deep within the stacks of toys and games. Use your trusty lasso to grab and move certain objects to help reach your goal. Check in with other toys you meet on your adventures for help and power-ups! Open up the Toyshop today and uncover a miniature world of platform hopping playthings!”Arcade
Brickadelic: Price: $2.99
“Brickadelic is a feature packed Breakout extravaganza. Taking the basic elements of the classic 1970’s game and enriching them with breathtaking effects and introducing numerous new elements into the mix. Lovingly crafted over 4 years, Brickadelic has been expanded into the epitome of Breakout games. Featuring 3 distinct modes of play, 100’s of levels and full screen effects never seen before. The Bricks don’t just sit there but slowly descend the screen forcing you to constantly adapt your strategy and keep you on your toes. Help is at hand in the form of over 100! different power ups, 16 ball types and Fruit pick ups that increase the length and power of your balls turning them in to devastating snakes. Unique to Brickadelic is the Gamble button. When you get close to finishing a level you can choose to Gamble. Your bat will disappear and your remaining balls are left to complete the level on their own. Succeed, and you can get a big bonus, fail and you lose a life.”Hoverdroidz HD: Price: $1.99
“Armed with insanely powerful space and time warping weapons, battle to help defeat the ever increasing onslaught of enemies in order to defend your homeworld! Battle wave after wave of vicious invaders attempting to destroy your planet.”Jaws HD: Price: $2.99
“The official iPad game based on the terrifying summer blockbuster that started it all. Amity Island has everything – clear skies, gentle surf, warm water. People flock there every summer. It’s the perfect feeding ground. As local Police Chief Martin Brody, your job is to keep the waters of Amity safe. Unfortunately, there’s a large and deadly threat with a big appetite lurking out there. You must respond to numerous distress calls around the island and rescue swimmers before they become the shark’s next meal.”Board
TableGameSelection: Price: $0.99
“The best classic table games are coming straight to your iPad from Hudson! Play Chess, Reverse, Connect Five and Backgammon; all from one app! Play it alone or with a friend sharing a single iPad.”CLUE: Secrets & Spies - A Hidden Object Game: Price: $6.99
“Find hidden objects in exciting cities around the world like Casablanca, Buenos Aires and Paris, and stop the evil forces of C.L.U.E. (Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage) from sowing destruction across the globe!”The Reversi: Price: $0.99
“If you are looking for a real Reversi app with beautiful graphics and animation, this is it!”Card
High Speed Poker for iPad: Price: $0.99
“The concept of the game is similar to other card games i.e arranging the cards from Ace to King but the challenge is different. Drag the dropping down cards and place on the ace in rising order by colors and type. Don’t miss the next eligible cards…because if you miss 5 next eligible cards you lose the game.”Casino
NOTHING
Dice
NOTHING
Educational
Animal Quiz HD: Price: $1.99
“Animal Quiz HD, is a guessing and learning game, where the goal is to select the right animal voice with the corresponding image. Animal Quiz HD helps children to distinguish between the different animal voices and images and combine them. The child must choose the correct image from an array of animal images. Wildlife Animal Quiz has 40 different farm animals. these are mixed and 21 animals are selected in each game.”Brain Machine for iPad: Price: $0.99
“Brain Machine for iPad will fine tunes your logical thinking and improve your mathematical skills. This game is designed to provide challenges involving mathematical thinking and reasoning. Its not just educative but also a good entertainer for all ages.”Family
NOTHING
Music
NOTHING
Puzzle
Caveman’s Quest HD: Price: $1.99
“The Evil Tribe attacked the village when all the men went for hunting. They captured all the young girls and wanted to sell them as slaves. Being the best warrior of the village, you are assigned to find all the girls and rescue them…”Racing
NOTHING
Role Playing
NOTHING
Simulation
Jean’s Boutique HD: Price: $2.99
“Jean’s Boutique HD Time Management Game for the iPad. Manage your own virtual Jean’s Boutique. Run your own Jean’s Boutique, a great fashion game combined with the fun of serving customers. To make it in the fast-paced world of fashion, Jean will need to be fast on her feet, dedicated to her customers, wise in her upgrades. For fast fashion fun, there’s no place like Jean’s Boutique!”Sports
Mani Golf HD: Price: $1.99
“The Long wait is over, Mani Golf, the completely Original, insanely Addictive, physics based, Arcade Golf game has been lovingly crafted and re-invented specifically for App store. Featuring brand new courses, a new Main Character, and new touchscreen controls, as well as hugely addictive gameplay that has made this such a firm web favourite over the years. Play your way through two complete 18 hole courses, Holeywood and Higs Boson, avoiding Double Bogies, Dinosaurs, Bouncy Mushrooms, Bunkers, Oil slicks, Graveyards and Beaches, not to mention the surprises in the U-Bend! Can you Aim, Power, Tilt and Bounce your way to Links success, gaining Albatross’s and Eagles as you face the variety of increasingly ridiculous challenges and puzzles that lie within Mani Golf?”Chop Chop Hockey: Price: $0.99
“The hockey competitions are starting now and you are cordially invited! Cordially? Not really! The Choppies are known for their aggressive attitude and they will do everything to win the Chop Chop Hockey League cups. It will be a brutal competition with only one rule: there is no rule!”Strategy
NOTHING
Trivia
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Word
NOTHING
Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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Blacks Struggle With 72 Percent Unwed Mothers Rate
[Deaf] (AllDeaf.com)Children Without Fathers Less Successful, Studies Show HOUSTON -- One recent day at Dr. Natalie Carroll's OB-GYN practice, located inside a low-income apartment complex tucked between a gas station and a freeway, 12 pregnant black women come for consultations. Some bring their children or their mothers. Only one brings a husband. Things move slowly here. Women sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the narrow waiting room, sometimes for more than an hour. Carroll does not rush her mothers in and out. She ...
Children Without Fathers Less Successful, Studies Show HOUSTON -- One recent day at Dr. Natalie Carroll's OB-GYN practice, located inside a low-income apartment complex tucked between a gas station and a freeway, 12 pregnant black women come for consultations. Some bring their children or their mothers. Only one brings a husband. Things move slowly here. Women sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the narrow waiting room, sometimes for more than an hour. Carroll does not rush her mothers in and out. She wants her babies born as healthy as possible, so Carroll spends time talking to the mothers about how they should care for themselves, what she expects them to do - and why they need to get married. Seventy-two percent of black babies are born to unmarried mothers today, according to government statistics. This number is inseparable from the work of Carroll, an obstetrician who has dedicated her 40-year career to helping black women. "The girls don't think they have to get married. I tell them children deserve a mama and a daddy. They really do," Carroll says from behind the desk of her office, which has cushioned pink-and-green armchairs, bars on the windows, and a wooden "LOVE" carving between two African figurines. Diamonds circle Carroll's ring finger. As the issue of black unwed parenthood inches into public discourse, Carroll is among the few speaking boldly about it. And as a black woman who has brought thousands of babies into the world, who has sacrificed income to serve Houston's poor, Carroll is among the few whom black women will actually listen to. "A mama can't give it all. And neither can a daddy, not by themselves," Carroll says. "Part of the reason is because you can only give that which you have. A mother cannot give all that a man can give. A truly involved father figure offers more fullness to a child's life." Statistics show just what that fullness means. Children of unmarried mothers of any race are more likely to perform poorly in school, go to prison, use drugs, be poor as adults, and have their own children out of wedlock. The black community's 72 percent rate eclipses that of most other groups: 17 percent of Asians, 29 percent of whites, 53 percent of Hispanics and 66 percent of Native Americans were born to unwed mothers in 2008, the most recent year for which government figures are available. The rate for the overall U.S. population was 41 percent. This issue entered the public consciousness in 1965, when a now famous government report by future senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan described a "tangle of pathology" among blacks that fed a 24 percent black "illegitimacy" rate. The white rate then was 4 percent. Many accused Moynihan, who was white, of "blaming the victim:" of saying that black behavior, not racism, was the main cause of black problems. That dynamic persists. Most talk about the 72 percent has come from conservative circles; when influential blacks like Bill Cosby have spoken out about it, they have been all but shouted down by liberals saying that a lack of equal education and opportunity are the true root of the problem. Even in black churches, "nobody talks about it," Carroll says. "It's like some big secret." But there are signs of change, of discussion and debate within and outside the black community on how to address the growing problem. Research has increased into links between behavior and poverty, scholars say. Historically black Hampton University recently launched a National Center on African American Marriages and Parenting. There is a Marry Your Baby Daddy Day, founded by a black woman who was left at the altar, and a Black Marriage Day, which aims "to make healthy marriages the norm rather than the exception." In September, Princeton University and the liberal Brookings Institution released a collection of "Fragile Families" reports on unwed parents. And an online movement called "No Wedding No Womb" ignited a fierce debate that included strong opposition from many black women. "There are a lot of sides to this," Carroll says. "Part of our community has lost its way." There are simple arguments for why so many black women have children without marriage. The legacy of segregation, the logic goes, means blacks are more likely to attend inferior schools. This creates a high proportion of blacks unprepared to compete for jobs in today's economy, where middle-class industrial work for unskilled laborers has largely disappeared. The drug epidemic sent disproportionate numbers of black men to prison, and crushed the job opportunities for those who served their time. Women don't want to marry men who can't provide for their families, and welfare laws created a financial incentive for poor mothers to stay single. If you remove these inequalities, some say, the 72 percent will decrease. "It's all connected. The question should be, how has the black family survived at all?" says Maria Kefalas, co-author of "Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage." The book is based on interviews with 162 low-income single mothers. One of its conclusions is that these women see motherhood as one of life's most fulfilling roles - a rare opportunity for love and joy, husband or no husband. Sitting in Carroll's waiting room, Sherhonda Mouton watches all the babies with the tender expression of a first-time mother, even though she's about to have her fourth child. Inside her purse is a datebook containing a handwritten ode to her children, titled "One and Only." It concludes: "You make the hardest tasks seem light with everything you do. "How blessed I am, how thankful for my one and only you." Mouton, 30, works full time as a fast-food manager on the 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. shift. She's starting classes to become a food inspector. "My children are what keep me going, every day," she says. "They give me a lot of hope and encouragement." Her plans for them? "College, college, college." On Mouton's right shoulder, the name of her oldest child, Zanevia, is tattooed around a series of scars. When Zanevia was an infant, Mouton's drug-addled fiance came home one night and started shooting. Mouton was hit with six bullets; Zanevia took three and survived. "This man was the love of my life," Mouton says. He's serving a 60-year sentence. Another man fathered her second and third children; Mouton doesn't have good things to say about him. The father of her unborn child? "He's around. He helps with all the kids." She does not see marriage in her future. "It's another obligation that I don't need," Mouton says. "A good man is hard to find nowadays." Mouton thinks it's a good idea to encourage black women to wait for marriage to have children. However, "what's good for you might not be good for me." Yes, some women might need the extra help of a husband. "I might do a little better, but I'm doing fine now. I'm very happy because of my children." "I woke up today at six o'clock," she says. "My son was rubbing my stomach, and my daughter was on the other side. They're my angels." ___ Christelyn Karazin has four angels of her own. She had the first with her boyfriend while she was in college; they never married. Her last three came after she married another man and became a writer and homemaker in an affluent Southern California suburb. In September, Karazin, who is black, marshaled 100 other writers and activists for the online movement No Wedding No Womb, which she calls "a very simplified reduction of a very complicated issue." "I just want better for us," Karazin says. "I have four kids to raise in this world. It's about what kind of world do we want." "We've spent the last 40 years discussing the issues of how we got here. How much more discussion, how many more children have to be sacrificed while we still discuss?" The reaction was swift and ferocious. She had many supporters, but hundreds of others attacked NWNW online as shallow, anti-feminist, lacking solutions, or a conservative tool. Something else about Karazin touched a nerve: She's married to a white man and has a book about mixed-race relationships coming out. Blogger Tracy Clayton, who posted a vicious parody of NWNW's theme song, said the movement focuses on the symptom instead of the cause. "It's trying to kill a tree by pulling leaves off the limbs. And it carries a message of shame," said Clayton, a black woman born to a single mother. "I came out fine. My brother is married with children. (NWNW) makes it seem like there's something immoral about you, like you're contributing to the ultimate downfall of the black race. My mom worked hard to raise me, so I do take it personally." Demetria Lucas, relationships editor at Essence, the magazine for black women, declined an invitation for her award-winning personal blog to endorse NWNW. Lucas, author of the forthcoming book "A Belle in Brooklyn: Advice for Living Your Single Life & Enjoying Mr. Right Now," says plenty of black women want to be married but have a hard time finding suitable black husbands. Lucas says 42 percent of all black women and 70 percent of professional black women are unmarried. "If you can't get a husband, who am I to tell you no, you can't be a mom?" she asks. "A lot of women resent the idea that you're telling me my chances of being married are like 1 in 2, it's a crapshoot right now, but whether I can have a family of my own is based on whether a guy asks me to marry him or not." Much has been made of the lack of marriageable black men, Lucas says, which has created the message that "there's no real chance of me being married, but because some black men can't get their stuff together I got to let my whole world fall apart. That's what the logic is for some women." That logic rings false to Amy Wax, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, whose book "Race, Wrongs and Remedies: Group Justice in the 21st Century" argues that even though discrimination caused blacks' present problems, only black action can cure them. "The black community has fallen into this horribly dysfunctional equilibrium" with unwed mothers, Wax says in an interview. "It just doesn't work." "Blacks as a group will never be equal while they have this situation going on, where the vast majority of children do not have fathers in the home married to their mother, involved in their lives, investing in them, investing in the next generation." "The 21st century for the black community is about building human capital," says Wax, who is white. "That is the undone business. That is the unmet need. That is the completion of the civil rights mission." All the patients are gone now from Carroll's office - the prison guard, the young married couple, the 24-year-old with a 10-year-old daughter and the father of her unborn child in jail. The final patient, an 18-year-old who dropped out of college to have her first child, departs by taxi, alone. "I can't tell you that I feel deep sadness, because I don't," says Carroll, who has two grown children of her own. "And not because I'm not fully aware of what's happening to them. It's because I do all that I can to help them help themselves." Carroll is on her second generation of patients now, delivering the babies of her babies. She does not intend to stop anytime soon. Her father, a general practitioner in Houston, worked right up until he died. Each time she brings a child into this world, she thinks about what kind of life it will have. "I tell the mothers, if you decide to have a baby, you decide to have a different kind of life because you owe them something. You owe them something better than you got." "I ask them, what are you doing for your children? Do you want them to have a better life than you have? And if so, what are you going to do about it?" Blacks Struggle With 72 Percent Unwed Mothers Rate - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville -
Important Importables: 2010 DS import gift guide
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Gift Guide, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Adventure, Casual, Shooter, Music, Puzzle, Role-Playing, Sim If you’re looking for a Christmas/Hanukkah/winter holiday gift for a gamer you love, an import video game could be the perfect choice. After all, it’s something your loved one may not have thought of or been able to afford, since they’re usually more expensive than domestic games. Plus ...
Section: Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Gift Guide, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Adventure, Casual, Shooter, Music, Puzzle, Role-Playing, Sim
If you’re looking for a Christmas/Hanukkah/winter holiday gift for a gamer you love, an import video game could be the perfect choice. After all, it’s something your loved one may not have thought of or been able to afford, since they’re usually more expensive than domestic games. Plus, it’s always neat to own a game from another region.
So, once again, Important Importables is putting together a series of import gift guides. This week I have ten import DS game suggestions for people of varying Japanese skill levels. All of the below games are region-free except for one - Pokemon Black and White. So any DS or DSi will be able to play them. And, since it’s only November, you’ll have plenty of time to order and buy them!
Bokujou Monogatari: Futago no Mura (Harvest Moon: Twin Villages)
Price? Around $50
System? DS
Genre? Simulation
Import-Friendly? Not so much.
Summary? The newest Harvest Moon game, which lets you choose whether you want to live in a farming or ranching village. Once again, lots of new characters to meet and bachelor/bachelorette options.Inazuma Eleven 3: Sekai e no Chousen!! Spark or Bomber
Price? Around $50
System? DS
Genre? Soccer RPG
Import-Friendly? No
Summary? Inazuma is going to Soccer Island and form an ultimate Inazuma Japan team. Recruit characters and take down opponents in soccer matches with special attacks. The two versions have two different opposing teams and other than that, they’re the same.
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
Price? Around $50
System? DS
Genre? Adventure
Import-Friendly? Yes, if you get the European version
Summary? The sequel to Hotel Dusk, which follows Kyle Hyde’s adventures a year after the original game. Kyle has been fired from Red Crown and he’s going to be evicted from his Cape West appartment because the building is being taken down. Just after he hears all this, he receives a mysterious note asking him find the Scarlet Star hidden in Cape West.Love Plus +
Price? Around $50
System? DS
Genre? Girlfriend simulation
Import-Friendly? No
Summary? An enlarged and enhanced version of the original Love Plus with all new events included. For example, you can now go on a vacation date with one of the three girls. Owners of the original game can also import their information to Love Plus +.Metal Max 3
Price? Around $60
System? DS
Genre? RPG
Import-Friendly? No
Summary? A post-apocolyptic RPG where you get to build/manage mechs and tanks, recruit party members and hunt down monsters and nasty people who threaten the peace.
One Piece: Gigant Battle
Price? Around $55
System? DS
Genre? Fighting
Import-Friendly? Pretty much. There’s some text, but it’s mainly a fighting game.
Summary? A fighting game set in the One Piece world. You can go through the storyline, create your own “crew” by unlocking characters and multiplayer fighting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support battles over the Nintendo WiFi Connection.Pokemon Black/White
Price? Around $64
System? DS
Genre? RPG
Import-Friendly? Yes if you’ve played Pokemon games before, no if you haven’t.
Summary? The latest DS Pokemon game. There are lots of new pokemon, friendly rivals, a new bad-guy team, 3D cities, animated battle sprites, multiple Wi-Fi options and more.
IMPORTANT: Pokemon Black/White is a DSi-enhanced game. So it will only play on Japanese DSi or DSi XL units. It will play on all DS and DS lite units, regardless of where you bought it.Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Dororon! Yokai Daikessen!!
Price? Around $60
System? DS
Genre? Music RPG
Import-Friendly? Yes. The RPG storyline part may be difficult to understand, but overall it’s quite import-friendly.
Summary? Play the drums on your touch screen, either alone or with up to four friends. You can play songs for fun, test yourself daily to see if you’re getting better or play through an RPG game to defeat monsters (by playing music).
Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side 3rd Story
Price? Around $55
System? DS
Genre? Otome - life and dating simulation
Import-Friendly? If you’re familiar with the TMGS series and otome games, then yes.
Summary? An all new entry in the Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side series. Go through three years of high school, trying to do your best, build your stats and find love. There are all new bachelors, plus this entry features two female best friends, no rivals and love triangles.GG Series Collection+
Price? Around $55
System? DS
Genre? Everything - it’s a game collection
Import-Friendly? Yes
Summary? It’s a collection of 30 small games, many of which were originally released in Japan as DSiWare. It mainly has action, shooting and puzzle games.COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables suggests some import PSP games you may want to give as gifts.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week suggested some spooky anime and Japanese horror movies to watch on Halloween.
Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]
Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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Nintendo DLC: STREET SLAM
[Gaming] (Destructoid Front Page)Seeing old Neo Geo games pop up on the Wii's Virtual Console is always great. For me, I'd rather nab these over another copy of some Nintendo game I already have two other versions of. This week's downloadable update brings a new Neo Geo title to the Wii VC: Street Slam. Street Slam (900 Wii Points) is a basketball title that features 3-on-3 play. It has over-the-top moves and arcade action -- think of it as an early NBA JAM. The opening cinematic is pretty crazy, as are the slam dunk animation ...
Seeing old Neo Geo games pop up on the Wii's Virtual Console is always great. For me, I'd rather nab these over another copy of some Nintendo game I already have two other versions of. This week's downloadable update brings a new Neo Geo title to the Wii VC: Street Slam.
Street Slam (900 Wii Points) is a basketball title that features 3-on-3 play. It has over-the-top moves and arcade action -- think of it as an early NBA JAM. The opening cinematic is pretty crazy, as are the slam dunk animations and sound effects. It seems like a nice one to add to the collection. I think it would be good to break out when friends are over.
There's only two WiiWare titles this week: Robox and Gene Labs. Robox (1,000 Wii Points) is a game where you play as a space exploratory probe that had to crash land, and now has to look for parts to complete its mission. Gene Labs (500 Wii Points) is a puzzle title that has you injecting infected cells with anti-virus injections. Weird.
DSiWare also gets a version of Gene Labs (200 DSi Points) as well as two others. Peg Solitare (500 points) is seriously that little game with the woodblock, holes, and pegs, where you jump other pegs with your own to clear the board. This digital version has five levels and 41 stages of peg pushing. Super Baby Paul, the Ultimate Pacifier, stars in sidescroller Paul's Shooting Adventure (200 DSi Points). This sounds amazing.
What are you getting this week?
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Indy Transponder 16-OCT-10 0230z
[Aviation] (Indy Transponder)Wings Over Atlanta Awes & Inspires - WXIA-TV [video] Marietta, GA -- As many as 100000 people filled Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the roads surrounding it for the Wings Over Atlanta Air Show on Saturday. Big crowds, no big problems at air show Atlanta Journal Constitution Trailing plumes of smoke through an otherwise clear sky, the Blue Angels wowed a crowd of more than 120000 spectators at Dobbins Air Reserve Amigo Airsho Takes Off - KTSM News Channel 9 The high-flying action of ...
Wings Over Atlanta Awes & Inspires - WXIA-TV [video]
Marietta, GA -- As many as 100000 people filled Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the roads surrounding it for the Wings Over Atlanta Air Show on Saturday. ...
Big crowds, no big problems at air show
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Trailing plumes of smoke through an otherwise clear sky, the Blue Angels wowed a crowd of more than 120000 spectators at Dobbins Air Reserve ...
Amigo Airsho Takes Off - KTSM News Channel 9
The high-flying action of the Amigo Airsho has become a tradition for countless El Pasoans with their eye to the ...
What Were Those Lights? - KTSM News Channel 9
A fourth light appears, and then they all disappear. Our best guess is that the lights have some connection to planes with the Amigo Airsho.
Paraglider, Hot Air Balloon Collide Mid-Air At Arizona Air Show - KPHO Phoenix
COTTONWOOD, Ariz. -- A motorized paraglider ran into a hot air balloon Saturday morning in central Arizona, sending them both crashing to the ground. ...
Look up in the sky: Golden Knights practice free falls to delight of spectators - El Paso Times
It was the same landing zone he will use today and Sunday when he and the other Army Golden Knights jump during the 29th Annual Amigo Airsho. ...
Underground Aviation Seminar from The Pilot's Flight PodLog
Huge news! Will and David have been invited to participate in Jason Schappert’s Underground Aviation Seminar! The seminar is a 5-day event. Each evening will feature a different speaker with a different subject.
The Pilot’s Flight PodLog will be featured on Sunday, October 24th. Our time slot is at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific. Please join us for a live recording of our show. You will be able to listen as we record live and participate in the chat. We may also take live questions during the show! ...
The (Nearly) Last of the B-Roll from AcroCamp [video clip]
I'm just about done with shooting B-roll for the movie. For many reasons, not the least of which is that the leaves are changing color and are actually about to depart the trees. I got this really nice sequence on Monday after setting up a camera while I preflighted the aircraft for my CAP Form 5. ...
Peninsula group makes Reno pilgrimage for air racing at its best
Prices are moderate at $42 a ticket in the reserved section with a price of $24 with the senior discount. Buses are available from most hotels for $19 roundtrip (recommended). For more information on the Reno Air Races, ...
WWII bomber sparks memories for vets - OCRegister
It has been 66 years since the men served in the World War II, but as they sat beneath the long-range heavy bomber on display at the Lyon Air Museum dates ...
Geo Chávez from David Cenciotti
On Oct. 16, 2010, Volandia museum hosted a conference about Jorge Chávez (known as Geo Chávez) who, on Sept. 23, 1910, performed the first flight across the Alps. The conference aimed at analysing the tecnical, historical and scientific details of the historical flight, was one of a series of events organized to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Chavez’s achievement. ...
Montgomery man helps showcase history - Ultimate Woodlands
And he created a collection of 32 wooden, handmade airplanes representing key moments in aviation history, from the Spirit of St. Louis to a plane flown by ...
$60,000 Electric Flight Prize Competitions at AirVenture 2011. from Planenews Aviation News
Three flight competitions and an electric aircraft innovation award will showcase the accomplishments and viability of flight powered exclusively by electricity during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. Cash prizes totaling $60,000 will be awarded to winners in each category, as well as an Overall Electric Flight Competition.
Beriev Be-200 Video from I Love Planes
I was lucky to find a few videos of the plane from airshow in Russia. The video features the plane taking off from the water. It also has the plane scooping up water and spraying the water out as the plane normally would in a firefighting role. ...
Breaking: Bombardier jumps the gun, unveils Global 7000 & 8000 (Update1)
from FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis
EN-BA-GlobalFamily_800.jpgBombardier kicked off NBAA 2010 with by preempting its own Monday announcement by unveiling its new Global 7000 and 8000 large-cabin business jets. There has been significant Industry buzz around the new jets, which were first believe to have prompted the Canadian airframer to reveal the details around its largest business aircraft two days ahead of its planned October 18 press conference in Atlanta. ...
Burt Rutan and VSS Enterprise’s Glide Flight. from Planenews Aviation News
A statement from Burt on Sunday’s milestone: I offer my congratulations to all those on our commercial manned sub-orbital spaceship program for yesterday’s milestone first flight of SpaceShipTwo.
Night Launch - Air & Space
Adventures of a first-time shuttle photographer.
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iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - October 5, 2010
[Apple, Macintosh] (Appletell)Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice AppsiPhone, iPod and iPad product updates and announcements for October 5, 2010: Apps Accessories Apps Left Coast Logic has announced SmartCal 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. SmartCal is an integrated calendar and planner that gives users flexibility and control over their tasks and schedule. The app easily syncs with the iPhone calendar, which provides onward connectivity with iCal, Outlook and other popular calendars ...
Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps
iPhone, iPod and iPad product updates and announcements for October 5, 2010:
Apps
- Left Coast Logic has announced SmartCal 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. SmartCal is an integrated calendar and planner that gives users flexibility and control over their tasks and schedule. The app easily syncs with the iPhone calendar, which provides onward connectivity with iCal, Outlook and other popular calendars. SmartCal uses one-touch filters to easily prioritize tasks, then integrates them directly into the calendar.
- Thinking Drone, LLC has announced the release of Find Sex Offenders Free! for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. This app lets users locate registered sex offenders in all 50 states with a single touch. By letting users perform unlimited searches for sex offenders based on GPS coordinates, from their contact list, or by street address, families now have peace of mind in knowing where they can safely let their kids play.
- Legal Radiation has released Tap Disc on the iTunes App Store. Tap Disc is an entirely new and wholly unique type of game that is quite unlike anything you have ever played before. Combining elements of timed tapping and color matching, Tap Disc offers a simple one-touch style of gameplay that is made infinitely more exciting and complex with dozens of unique bonuses, power-ups and challenges. Tap Disc will challenge your mind and reflexes and if you’re good at it, you might just win some real cash prizes.
- racquetTune is a new iPhone app that checks whether a tennis racquet is correctly strung by analyzing the sound of the strings. A couple of taps on the strings, and racquetTune analyzes the sound of the racquet and displays the tension with high accuracy. It has been scientifically tested and proved to be very accurate. Additional functions like a swingweight calculator for customizing racquets, makes racquetTune a serious tool that even the professionals praise.
- Appdicted LLC has announced Censor It 1.0 for iOS. Censor It allows users to add censored logos and graphics to any photo using the iPhone camera or photo’s from their photo albums. Users can choose from over 40 classic graphics such as a censored logo, parental advisory logo, blurred face and much more. The Censor It app can be used for fun and entertainment or for practical uses, as well as hide any kind of sensitive data, like addresses, license plates, and phone numbers.
- Chillingo and Zeptolab have announced that Cut the Rope—an innovative and addictive puzzle game—is now available for the iPhone. The new title combines physics oriented gameplay, brightly, colored visuals and a creative range of challenges. It all begins when a special box arrives at your door; you open the package to discover an adorable, little green monster with an insatiable appetite for candy. Your goal is to decide which rope to cut that dangles the candy to feed the ravenous creature. There are plenty of obstacles to overcome and achievements to earn throughout the game.
- TripnDo and New York Pass have announced their New York Adventure Guide for iOS. The app differs from traditional travel guides and provides users with the opportunity to explore New York via short and fun activities. The app features mind stimulating trivia and on-line videos about different place of interest as well as on-line maps that help to orientate and navigate between the city’s attractions. Explore New York in a totally new way.
- iCandyApps has announced Pic Bubbler 1.0 for iOS. Pic Bubbler is inspired by a trick that virtually covers all person’s clothes and makes them look as if they’re totally naked. Users can take a photo and apply bubbles to make it look hotter. It’s also possible to share photos via email, send them to Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. The developer leaves it up to users to imagine what they could possibly see behind colorful bubbles.
- Steve Glinberg, has announced 123 Sticker HD - Talking Sticker Book 1.0.2 for iPad. With 123 Sticker HD children build and paint sticker scenes while listening to fun sound effects, 25 popular children’s songs, and color names spoken in multiple languages. 123 Sticker HD’s initial release features a timely Halloween themed sticker scene, and includes four scenes in all. Artwork can be saved to the Photos app or emailed to friends and family.
- Tap ‘n Cap Apps has announced Tap ‘n Cap 1.2.0.1, an update to its popular photo captioning app for iOS devices. Tap ‘n Cap for iOS is the quickest and most fun way to caption your photos on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. This update to Tap ‘n Cap makes it even easier to caption your favorite photos, bringing with it some much requested features such as new fonts, and the ability to upload photos directly to Facebook within the app.
- RogueSheep has announced its TouchUp App for iPad is now available from the App Store. TouchUp brings creative photo editing to iPad, enabling anyone to create captivating art from their photos or make common adjustments with ease.
- Mobwe, LLC has announced World Ahead 1.0, a new application for iPhone 3GS/4. World Ahead allows iPhone 3GS/4 owners to take a “peek” behind the horizon. By simply moving a compass equipped device, one can see the countries, oceans and seas located in the pointed direction. This makes World Ahead perfect pocket companion for learning world geography in a engaging, interactive way.
- Venikom Mobile has released Instant Status Updates 1.0 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Instant Update helps you to update your statuses faster. It is a three-in-one app, saves your time, shares your statuses in the fastest way and also shares your exact location. Instant Status also includes geo tagging. By sharing the status people can also share their location with their Facebook and Twitter friends.
- Stevenson Software LLC has announced Landscaper’s Companion for iPad 1.3. The Landscaper’s Companion app for iPad contains information for over 1,400 different plants, features over 5,700 high-quality pictures and sorts plants into 16 easily-searched categories. Users can search for trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials by their Common Name, Scientific Name, sun exposure, zone or watering requirements. Most plants listed in the guide also include cultivation information, and more.
- Tal Shrestha has announced the release of Instant Lyrics 1.0 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. Rather than relying on a limited song lyric database, this app searches thousands of websites for the right lyrics with one tap of the screen. The results are fast and seamless and open in the device’s own Safari browser. Since it’s not limited to a single lyrics database, Instant Lyrics 1.0 can not only find the lyrics for any song in the user’s device, but it can find them in any language.
- Daileez is a unique social online diary, journal and microblog that lets users record their day-to-day life in a cool and funky way never seen yet—using universal icons, short text summaries and status reports. Using icons users can express their moods, thoughts, feelings and all the activities and events going on in their life. Users can publish their lifestream microblog on their own Daileez.com subdomain and share their Daileez icons and status reports with friends on Facebook & Twitter.
- Mirage Labs has announced Flexicorder 1.0 for the iPhone. A video recording app, Flexicorder allows both front and back cameras for iPhone 4 to be used during a single recording session leading to some interesting possibilities. Initial user testing revealed ways in which this feature was used. Some of the more popular uses were shooting self videos and outdoor shooting. Flexicorder also allows many output resolutions and bit rates for video to be saved.
- Coladia has announced Secret of the Lost Cavern HD 1.1 for iPad. Secret of the Lost Cavern is an adventure game that plunges the player into an inspiring journey that takes place during the Paleolithic period in prehistoric time, 15,000 years B.C. Venture through a wild time and decipher the symbols left by our ancestors. Version 1.1 includes English, French, Spanish, Italian and German localizations, as well as Facebook support.
- Voalté (nomenclature derived from Voice, Alarm, Text) consolidates all three functions on the versatile iPhone. The application enables users to send and receive presence-based text messages, make high definition voice calls across the hospital VoIP system, and receive critical care alarms on the iPhone, providing faster response to patient needs.
- Cervo Media GmbH has announced Ultimate Race, a game about colors, music and your left and right hemisphere. The basic idea is derived from a military stress test and incredibly easy to understand, yet you‘ll need good reflexes and a fast brain to succeed. Play several, one player modes—including the Ultimate Challenges campaign mode—or get ready for the real deal—the ultimate two player duel modes. Play against your friends and family on the same iPad, but be careful; these duels will turn friends into foes.
- FileMaker, Inc. has announced that over 500,000 free templates have been downloaded from the Bento Template Exchange since its launch in June 2009. Bento by FileMaker is the popular personal database software for Mac, iPhone and iPad. The Exchange makes it easy for visitors to try Bento for free, and to browse, install and use a huge variety of real-world templates contributed by Bento users. The Bento templates show how Bento can organize virtually any information in business, education and home settings. The more than 700 templates illustrate the virtually unlimited uses for Bento, ranging from Sales Funnel Management and Simple Home Inventory to Teacher Lesson Plans and Psychotherapy Session Notes. Among the most popular templates are Contact & Customer Manager and Project Manager.
- Digital Adventure, Inc., has released Itasha, a photo collection for iPad with the contribution of the photographer Tomoyuki Sakaguchi. This photo collection features exclusive pictures of cars belonging to 22 itasha owners taken by the photographer Tomoyuki Sakaguchi. The app includes high-quality pictures taken in a parking lot at night with 9 small strobe lights, and also interesting stories of each itasha car and its owner. All the texts are translated into English. They spread the world-class latest Japanese Otaku (nerd) culture to the world trough this photo documentary.
- Although it’s easy to start using Apple’s popular iPhone and iPod touch devices, it’s harder to understand all the options and maximize productivity. Two insightful new ebooks from TidBITS Publishing Inc.—”Take Control of iPhone Basics, iOS 4 Edition” and “Take Control of Mail on the iPhone and iPod touch, iOS 4 Edition”—help readers become comfortable with their devices by explaining all the basics and by providing illuminating background information on working with mobile email.
- Angry Fish Studios has unveiled their latest creation: Tripolar. This is no Match 3; Tripolar is a unique puzzle game that’s simple to learn and impossible to put down. Players fire gems at the board to clear like-colored gems while at the same time toggling the others and setting up for big moves!
- FightingFish Games has announced Elemental Galaxy Deluxe Full 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Elemental Galaxy is a puzzle game that represents the latest evolution of match-3 games. The aim is to destroy a small horde of elements that fall from above before they touch the boundary line at the bottom of the screen. The game features stunning 3D models with animated backgrounds, high quality particle effects, 50 levels, 7 type of elements and OpenFeint support.
Accessories
- iVogue, the fashion iPhone cases and cover website, has added three new designs to its collection this week: Aqua Series, Candy Series and Bold Series. All catering for the new and improved iPhone 4, they add new energy, style and couture to iVogue’s cases and covers.
Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »
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First Cup: Friday
[NBA Basketball, Sports] (ESPN.com - TrueHoop)Cam Inman of The Oakland Tribune: "Don Nelson's second stint carried a different vibe from his first. But Chris Webber was around for both, albeit briefly in 2008 so he and Nelson could mend fences from a 1994 feud that crippled the franchise. Of course Nelson had conflicts with other players, perceived power plays with management and an insatiable desire for cold, hard cash. He also had an unmatched personality. He could play the role of boss and bully. Or he could charm folks with colorful quo ...
- Cam Inman of The Oakland Tribune: "Don Nelson's second stint carried a different vibe from his first. But Chris Webber was around for both, albeit briefly in 2008 so he and Nelson could mend fences from a 1994 feud that crippled the franchise. Of course Nelson had conflicts with other players, perceived power plays with management and an insatiable desire for cold, hard cash. He also had an unmatched personality. He could play the role of boss and bully. Or he could charm folks with colorful quotes and an aw-shucks attitude. Passing Lenny Wilkens atop the all-time wins list was not a bad way to go out, and Nelson did so on April 7 at Minnesota. He celebrated his 1,333rd career victory by hopping on the court in a scrum with his players, several of whom are off the roster now. He won twice more after that, the Warriors closing with a 26-56 record and Nelson exiting with a career regular-season mark of 1,335-1,063. In the end, Nelson may not have had enormous success coaching the Warriors, but when he did, he made it count in a way everyone should appreciate."
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: "The new era couldn't start until the old, controversy-covered coach was gone. That is the story in a nutshell, that was the story the moment Joe Lacob secured the $450 million deal to become the Warriors' lead owner, and it certainly was the story this week, when Lacob and Don Nelson finally settled it. 'I spoke with him several times,' Lacob said via e-mail Thursday evening about the process of moving Nelson aside for Keith Smart. 'I respect Don a lot. We just need to go in a different direction at this time.' If you ever have talked to Lacob for two minutes, you knew that his ideas for a coach, a system and a franchise identity diverged wildly from Nelson's recent brand of no-defense, barely care basketball. And you knew that as soon as Nelson could be moved out, he would be. Yes, the new era -- Lacob's era, with co-owner Peter Guber -- won't officially start until the ownership group is approved by the NBA, possibly in a month. But fundamentally it started Thursday, when word leaked that Nelson was out and that Smart will take over when training camp opens Monday. ... I don't know how the Lacob era will turn out. Maybe well, maybe more seasons of failure. But Lacob knew that had to start by moving Don Nelson aside -- and all his eccentricities and feuds and controversies along with him. Nelson wasn't the worst thing about the Warriors. But he was, in the end, the most visible and corrosive influence on the players and fans. By cleaning him out, Lacob creates a fresher Warriors climate and a brand new era."
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Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "The Lakers will walk back into our lives this weekend the same way they walked out last summer, Kobe Bryant strutting, Pau Gasol sprinting, Ron Artest stalking and Andrew Bynum limping. Wait. Andrew Bynum is still limping? This is a joke, right? Hasn't the dude already fixed last spring's torn knee? Surgery immediately after the season? Six to eight weeks for recovery? You figured that of all the Lakers to undergo medical procedures this summer, an injury-prone player who has won two championship rings on the backs of teammates would be the first one at the leaded-glass window. You figured if Bynum didn't want to fix his knee because of the pain, surely he would do it because of the guilt. 'We don't expect Andrew to be running up and down the floor doing drills during training camp,' Kupchak said. 'We don't expect much from him at any time during the next four weeks, then we'll just see what happens.' Kupchak was so restrained in his comments, you could almost hear his lower lip bleed. He is not going to publicly criticize the giant future of his organization. But he knows he has built this championship team by collecting guys who, despite their egos, have been willing to sacrifice themselves for the ring. ... 'In Andrew's defense, if he had known that his comeback period would be longer, he would have had the surgery quicker,' Kupchak said. But here's the thing. Shouldn't he have had the surgery immediately anyway? Even though he was told it would require only a two-month recovery period, Bynum should have known what every scarred veteran understands: Once doctors looked inside that knee, everything could change. 'That is why you do it earlier instead of later, just in case,' Kupchak said."
- Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: "Whether you regard Melo as a basketball traitor who has broken the trust of Denver fans or a savvy businessman pursuing championship dreams, it's hard to fathom how Nuggets coach George Karl and Carmelo Anthony can peacefully coexist. Karl is all about team first. Everything Anthony has done lately is me first. This is a relationship that seems either destined to end quickly or doomed to end badly. Here's betting Karl did not stare down death and fight cancer for a second time so he could return to a Denver locker room where the leading scorer doesn't really want to be. ... There's enough professionalism among the Nuggets to endure the awkwardness of Anthony waiting for trade notification during training camp. The final score, however, begins to get personal when the regular season tips off. By that time, Anthony better be packed and gone to New Jersey, Chicago or wherever the trade winds take him. As a lame-duck superstar, I believe Anthony would still care about scoring 30 points and playing hard. But if he ever wears No. 15 again for the Nuggets, nobody in town could honestly believe Melo still cares about us."
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Training camp will not begin until Saturday, but Rockets coach Rick Adelman thinks he is running out of time. He has just 10 practices before the preseason schedule begins, just 12 at most before the Rockets take off for Beijing. 'Our first two weeks I think are crucial for us,' Adelman said. 'Even when we come home (from training camp), we play three (games) in four nights and leave right after that game (Oct. 10) for China. We have to get a lot of stuff in. There is a lot of stuff we want to talk about and it will have to be in the first two weeks.' ... With a roster-shaking deal for Carmelo Anthony possible until the Nuggets trade him or he agrees to a contract extension that would take him off the market, there remains more than the customary uncertainty about the Rockets' roster. The last thing Adelman would want is to have that hanging over the start of camp, but said there is no reason it should be. 'I don't think that should be a factor with anybody on this team,' Adelman said. 'If there is some major superstar available, there will be stuff out there, names out there. You've got to put that aside, go out and play the game. If you help us win, that limits all that talk. That's the way of our world now. I don't think that should be a problem. They've been in the league long enough. You've got to put that stuff aside. We know, if Yao comes along as we hope, we will be a very good team.' "
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "This was awkward, even painful. Here was 76ers assistant coach Aaron McKie putting Willie Green through a workout at the team's practice site yesterday morning, knowing Green was within minutes of being officially traded. 'And I couldn't tell him,' McKie was saying yesterday, after Green and Jason Smith had been dealt to New Orleans for veteran forward Darius Songaila and rookie big man Craig Brackins. Worse, McKie and the other players in the gym were there when coach Doug Collins came in to tell Green and explain it to the other players in the gym. 'That was heartbreaking,' McKie said, 'because Willie had his 10-year-old son, Ross, with him, and Ross just walked off the court crying. I told him he'd always be family, and Willie explained it to him, but that was tough.' Coach Doug Collins, choking back the words, said, 'It hit me hard. It reminded me of when I got fired in Chicago, with my kids.' 'Willie was my rookie when he joined the Sixers,' McKie said. 'He's like a little brother to me. He's cut from old-school cloth; his approach is always the same - he's already ready. He had called me [Wednesday] night about coming in to work out. It was about an hour after I had found out something could be happening.' "
- Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "The Indiana Pacers will have another body to compete for the vacant starting power forward spot when training camp starts next week. Forward Tyler Hansbrough was given a doctor's clearance to take part in contact drills Thursday after dealing with vertigo for nearly nine months. Hansbrough, the Pacers' 2009 first-round pick, had been limited to non-contact drills since early July. Hansbrough was originally injured in a game at Boston in December. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29 games last season. 'It's probably one of the toughest things I've ever had to go through,' Hansbrough said earlier this week. Hansbrough will compete with Josh McRoberts, Jeff Foster, Solomon Jones and possibly Magnum Rolle for the starting power forward spot, which became available when veteran Troy Murphy was traded to New Jersey last month."
- Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times: "Ronny Turiaf was cheerful as he sat for an interview, with training camp just days away. He did not choose the Knicks. The Knicks chose him, acquiring him when they traded David Lee. Still, opportunity awaits, and Turiaf seems ready. 'I’ve been in Los Angeles where guys sacrificed for the greater of the team,”'said Turiaf, who stands 6 feet 10 inches and could emerge as the Knicks’ starting center. 'So I guess you can say I’m bringing that, but I can’t force that upon nobody. It has to come from within.' Turiaf said he had witnessed that sense of purpose in recent workouts with the core of the new Knicks. He has also seen it venturing around New York City. Somewhere, he said, between the 'yo, son' and 'word is bomb' greetings he said he had received from New Yorkers was another message he often hears: 'We’re so happy to have you here.' Indeed, for the first time in three years the Knicks are constructed for this season and not one down the line. The roster will not be looked upon as a random collection of expiring contracts but as a unit that might stick around for a while -- and get better."
- Neil Best of Newsday: "Amar'e Stoudemire was deep in the heart of Queens on Wednesday, so deep that at one point, surrounded by Forest Park, he checked with a friend to confirm he still was in the borough. Yup. Then came additional confirmation that he was in his new hometown: A teenage boy walked up wearing a replica No. 1 'Stoudemire' Knicks jersey. 'Nice,' the almost-$100-million man said before signing it. 'The Knicks are back!' That remains to be seen. But they surely are more relevant and credible than they have been in years. Which helped explain why Stoudemire was in Queens: He was shooting one of those humorous ads for ESPN's NBA coverage in which players interact with the network's announcers. Everyone on ESPN's lead team of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy has past or present Knicks ties, and each has been featured in the four-year series. But Stoudemire is the first Knicks player to make the cut. On Thursday Danilo Gallinari taped a different spot, becoming the second. 'I think it's great for the simple fact we are becoming more noticed as a franchise,' said Stoudemire, who has embraced his role as the face of a new era. 'I try to help as much as possible. The ultimate goal is to win basketball games and play at a high level, but if you can also help increase the popularity and fan base of the organization, that's a bonus.' "
- Marc Berman of the New York Post: "What a LeCon job! The NBA calls it 'variable pricing,' but the Knicks and Nets have made it variable pricing on steroids. The Knicks and Nets didn't get LeBron James but certainly are trying to profit from him. The two Garden games against the Miami Heat's Dream Team have been marked up by the Knicks as much as three to four times normal ticket prices. The Nets also use 'variable pricing' and a team spokesman said the most popular games can be as much as three times the price of lower-end opponents at Newark's Prudential Center. A 400-level Garden seat vs. Atlanta in November costs $34.50, according to TicketMaster. But the same 400-level seat for the Dec. 27 showdown vs. James' Heat runs $129.50 -- nearly four times the normal cost. The markup runs across the Garden. A lower-bowl, Section 95 seat for Knicks-Atlanta is priced at $110. But for the Heat game, the same seats costs $369.50. The extravagant markups also are in place for the lone visit by the world-champion Lakers Jan. 9 and the Celtics meetings."
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: "When Kurt Rambis was hired to coach the Timberwolves 13 months ago, president of basketball operations David Kahn already had put the team together. Rambis examined the roster and knew he was in for a tough season. Seven players had three years or less experience in the NBA. The Wolves went on to finish 15-67 and screamed for an overhaul, and Rambis wanted to be involved. Every offseason move considered by Kahn was not finalized without Rambis' input. As Rambis prepares for his second season with the Wolves, which begins Saturday when training camp opens at Minnesota State Mankato, he is far more optimistic than a year ago. The moves Kahn and Rambis initiated resulted in nine new players for a team that will showcase dramatic changes in its style of play. There also will be an upgrade in expectations, even though Kahn wrote in an open letter to fans two weeks ago that the Wolves will not compete for the NBA championship this season."
- Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe: "The crowd had been waiting at Granite Links Golf Club for hours. Shaquille O’Neal was due around 4 p.m., but the 18-year veteran has earned the right to operate on his own clock. When a helicopter swooped over the clubhouse and landed on a pad near the driving range, the collective reaction in the crowd was somewhere between, 'You can’t be serious’ and 'Maybe he is.’ As it turned out, the helicopter was carrying the course owner. O’Neal would make a much more traditional entrance soon afterward, at the wheel of a red van. When he arrived, O’Neal joked, 'Got you with the old helicopter trick, huh?’ Traffic kept the Celtics’ newest giant tied up for most of the afternoon. O’Neal has been in the area the last few days, settling in as the Celtics ready for training camp, which starts Tuesday. 'I live way out in the woods,’ O’Neal said. 'So I’ll probably have to leave out a couple hours early.’ "
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2010 FIBA World Championship: Team USA Conquers Turkey, Wins More Than Gold
[New England Patriots, Sports, Fantasy Football] (Bleacher Report - Front Page)As Kevin Durant, Team USA's all-time leading scorer in a World Championship, headed for the bench one last time, his smile stretched from Istanbul to Oklahoma City. The contagious euphoria spread from Kevin Love and Derrick Rose all the way to Danny Granger. Durant embraced Mike Krzyzewski and moments later cradled his tournament MVP trophy. His 22-point average made him a slam-dunk pick for the award. His teammates again turned to him Sunday night to carry the offense, and he did it with 28 poi ...
As Kevin Durant, Team USA's all-time leading scorer in a World Championship, headed for the bench one last time, his smile stretched from Istanbul to Oklahoma City. The contagious euphoria spread from Kevin Love and Derrick Rose all the way to Danny Granger.
Durant embraced Mike Krzyzewski and moments later cradled his tournament MVP trophy. His 22-point average made him a slam-dunk pick for the award. His teammates again turned to him Sunday night to carry the offense, and he did it with 28 points.
These NBA toddlers had grown up so fast and come so far in six weeks. The weight of the expectations sometimes beleaguered them. On other occasions, it lifted them to greater heights. As the final horn signaled the joyous confirmation that accompanied the 81-64 win, the 12 men who had brought glory to themselves and a nation danced in a fitting circle.
Finally, they could celebrate the trenchant conclusion of a torturous 16-year wait. Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo collaborated to tackle a reclamation project three tournaments in the making. Winning Olympic gold in 2008 was the first part of the job. This was the other half.
The tournament's lone remaining undefeated squads sparred until a despotic second-half yielded a true world champion. Turkey, the 18th ranked program in the world, had never medaled. The United States had not taken home the first prize since the middle of Bill Clinton's inaugural presidential term.
Krzyzewski is now 49-1 in international competition. The coach can clear his schedule next summer and savor the No. 1 ranking he helped the U.S. regain. He ranks as the first American sideline chief to win gold at an Olympics and a World Championship.
The United States subdued the mayhem early with an enthusiastic start. Thousands of Turkish fans had packed the Sinan Erdem Dome to commemorate history with waves of ear-splitting noise. Durant silenced the crowd with a pair of early three-pointers. Turkey's coach Bogdan Tanjevic could only shake his head in disbelief. How could anyone expect to stop that?
Hedo Turkoglu labored after an eight-point first period. He scored just eight more the rest of the way. Omer Asik and Semih Erden struggled to find an inside rhythm. Ersan Ilyasova was two of nine.
When Krzyzewski needed an exclamation point in the final 20 minutes, Rose and Lamar Odom provided it. Much maligned after a zero-for-four stinker Saturday night, Rose rewarded his coach's decision to keep him in the starting lineup. He drove for a lay-up on the opening possession and starred in the third quarter. He bricked seven of his 11 looks but found a way to make those four connections count.
Odom, a heralded veteran voice, drained some huge jumpers and attacked the basket for profit en route to 15 points and 11 rebounds. Andre Igoudala and Rudy Gay combined for nine rebounds. They kept a number of loose balls alive.
Perfection eluded these Americans, but that was never the point. As the Star Spangled Banner blared, the players understood. More than a gold rush, this was the pursuit of respect realized.
Yes, these millionaire athletes play for Nike and other sponsors, but those three letters on the front of each jersey mattered. No one who watched this tournament can deny the abundance of national pride. It existed in spades.
Along the way, the U.S. B team earned an A grade. Turkey represented the last roadblock to redemption. Durant and his dirty work crew smashed through the wall and completed a mission that befit the group's average age.
A Double-Gold Standard and a Tall Task
Had the Americans lost, a swarm of smarmy sports columnists who did not watch a minute of this tournament would have asked, "What's wrong?" That attitude is one answer.
This competition has mattered most here when the U.S. failed to win. How many non-basketball enthusiasts knew the team last won in 1994? The hot topics this week—Tom Brady's accident, blowout college football games, and exhaustive NFL quarterback comparisons—proved that. This momentous victory should give the country of 300,000,000-plus something else to talk about.
The Americans reclaimed the throne but not without heaping helpings of heartbreak, disgrace, and humiliation. The Redeem Team flexed superiority in Beijing. This one faced a tougher challenge.
Sans any of the other 2008 players and with recent history against him, Krzyzewski was tasked with molding a grade-B unit with no previous camaraderie into a gold medalist. Colangelo sought continuity when he took the program's reigns after the Athens atrocity, but the absences of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, and Dwight Howard forced an on-the-fly roster construction.
Many of the newbies had been in the pipeline for a few years, but Chauncey Billups and Odom were the only two with substantive international experience. Colangelo faced another headache when injuries and insurance issues eliminated David Lee, Robin Lopez, Brook Lopez, and Amar'e Stoudemire from roster contention. Krzyzewski had hoped to game plan around the talents of those big men.
When Javale McGee, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, and Odom became the best fours and fivess available, making Durant and Igoudala attractive options at power forward, Krzyzewski instead built his syllabus on speed and athleticism. These Americans would need to pressure the ball, create turnovers for easy open-court baskets, collapse defenses, and drill perimeter shots to avoid the consolation bracket.
The potential warts were obvious before this group played any games. The youngsters, many of whom suited up for 20-to-30 win lottery squads last year, lacked the requisite big-game experience and winning pedigree that permeated the Dream and Redeem teams. The undersized, perimeter-oriented lineup was expected to jack up some questionable shots. There were plenty of those.
Turnovers would become a problem with several key cogs playing out of position. Billups, a point guard in the NBA, started at shooting guard. Igoudala teamed with Odom in an unconventional starting frontcourt. The unselfish nature of the competitors also led to some unnecessary extra passes.
Krzyzewski had to convince Durant that deferring was a form of vainglory. He instructed the star forward to look for his shot early and often. Durant's isolation swagger kept the team close during its many offensive lulls.
The inexperience caused a dramatic fluctuation in floor opportunities for many contributors. Stephen Curry and Chandler played three non-descript, garbage-time minutes against Lithuania. Both removed their warm-ups midway through the first period but did not keep them off for long. Curry manned the point on consecutive possessions, while Chandler managed one foul and no other recorded statistics.
Love and Granger did not see the court until the last minute.
The Americans swished 18 of 38 three-pointers versus Angola, but what would happen when those long-distance shots hit the back iron? How would they attack Turkey's aggressive 2-2-1 zone? How would they get the ball inside?
None of those questions matter now.
The World Catches Up After 1992
Charles Barkley elbowed an Angolan forward in Barcelona because he said he feared he would be stabbed with a spear. The U.S. crushed Angola that night in its first Olympic action with all-pro players. The Dream Team won by an average of 46 in the ultimate show of global superiority. Most hoops aficionados still consider that the best collection of talent ever assembled.
Since that fabled, undefeated run, the rest of the world began to make the necessary adjustments and advancements. Team USA's rarefied air developed a sour aroma in 2002. Just two years prior, Lithuania came within a shot of eliminating the Americans from a Gold Medal chase. In Indiana, with George Karl at the helm, Team USA folded. That sixth place belly-up performance highlighted the world's emphatic message.
Two players born outside of the U.S. could run an effective pick-and-roll. Many of them could defend and execute in the half-court. These blossoming international outfits did not bastardize the NBA style. Instead, they found ways to circumvent disadvantages and mismatches. In the one-and-done format, opponents did not need to stockpile comparable athleticism or talent to topple the enviable empire.
The wrongful image of all foreign players as clumsy Eastern Europeans who specialized in getting dunked on and turnovers was obliterated long ago. Overseas ballers proved they could hang, and in some cases fly, with the top NBA stars. Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili became two of the best players on the globe. Others cracked All-Star rosters and hoisted trophies.
Sure, plenty of Darko Milicic duds have embarrassed themselves stateside, but how many hyped American players have done the same? Despite some haughty protestations, the world's finest did converge.
It was up to the Americans to respond. A star-laden group did so in 2008. This one made another statement in Turkey.
U.S. Averts Potential 2011 Disaster
A silver medal, or worse, could have spelled catastrophe next summer. A defeat necessitated a top seed in the Olympic qualifier in Argentina. A lockout would render all NBA players ineligible for international competition. Krzyzewski can forget that nightmare scenario.
The Americans are London bound. The rest will sweat out Olympic contention in regional tournaments. For the first time in a while, the world is the one playing catch up.
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Start the Party!
[Gadgets] (Pocket-lint)Moved us to tears There have been some moments in gaming history when we've had our hopes and dreams smashed against the rocks of "what the hell?" The EyeToy was one such moment, as was "You're in the Movies" on the Xbox 360. Start the Party! can be filed in the same drawer of desperation. Start the Party! is one of the launch titles for PlayStation Move and is a loose collection of mini-games that involve various deployments of the new Sony PlayStation Move con ...
Moved us to tears
There have been some moments in gaming history when we've had our hopes and dreams smashed against the rocks of "what the hell?" The EyeToy was one such moment, as was "You're in the Movies" on the Xbox 360. Start the Party! can be filed in the same drawer of desperation.
Start the Party! is one of the launch titles for PlayStation Move and is a loose collection of mini-games that involve various deployments of the new Sony PlayStation Move controller. It's bright, it's noisy and some would say that it's only our loss of the sense of joy that holds us back from saying it's fun.
Visually, yes, the menus and backgrounds are fun and colourful, the sort of thing that will catch the eye of young gamers and draw them into things. It's a game designed to be lightweight and fun for the whole family and we know that that often results in a final product that is neither engaging or possessing any degree of longevity, which is why we take issue at Start the Party! being a game you'll be asked to pay for.?
Start the Party! does exhibit some of the skills of the PlayStation Move as it uses both the camera and the motion controllers. The camera is used to capture an image of the gamer, which can then be put to use elsewhere in the game - trapped in the belly of robots for example. The camera also means you'll see yourself on the TV as part of the background of the game.
For kids, this is often enough. Appearing on the TV is something that children will always find amusing, so for a young audience, there is some potential for fun here. But capturing the room means that others will also be in the picture, so to a certain extent that sense of communal gaming comes through.
The other thing that Start the Party! demonstrates is how well the PlayStation Move system can superimpose an object on the end of the controller. Each of the mini games turns the Move controller into an object of some sort - a fan, a torch, a shaver, a paint brush, etc. This is fantastic: it looks great and the range of movement that maps on the screen is really impressive.
But then you come to the games themselves. There are various twists on what is basically the same thing. You have to use the controller (now the relevant tool) to compete against the clock. That might be spotting and shooting ghosts, shaving the heads, or fanning parachutists onto rafts. All the games are basic, so kids and granny will have no problem grasping the concept.
Playing Start the Party! on your own is utterly soul-destroying (perhaps because of the realisation that there is no party to start), but add in a bunch of kids, or a handful of tipsy adults, and things take a turn for the better. The short games mean you can quickly all have a go, and to a certain extent we found it worked as an ideal warm-up to the ultimate drunk adult PS3 party game - SingStar.
And therein lies the problem. Start the Party! isn't laugh out loud funny, not in the way that SingStar is. In fact, amongst the adults of "gaming age" you'll barely see a glimmer of interest. Kids are attracted to the bright designs and cartoon looks, but beyond that, there's little to get excited about.
You'll be able to play multi-player passing the controller around to compete and some of the games are surprisingly tricky to do well at, if you were ever moved to care about them. As isolated mini-games there is little to draw you in, you never really care what the final result is. Like Sports Champions, it does something to showcase the potential for PlayStation Move, but it will never be held up as a shining example of revolutionary gaming.
Verdict:
Start the Party! bears all the hallmarks of a demo game, if anything it should be bundled with the Move controllers to give a taste of what sort of things it will do: to ask ?29.99 seems wrong.
Start the Party! will be of limited appeal, but for those PS3 owners who have always been accused of not having anything that the family can enjoy together, then perhaps this is just the ticket. Besides, it's an excuse to buy a Move controller in anticipation of some of the more hardcore titles, perhaps.?
Tags: Gaming PS3 Playstation Move Start the Party Sony
Start the Party! originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:16:43 +0100
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iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - September 2, 2010
[Apple, Macintosh] (Appletell)Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice AppsiPhone, iPod and iPad product updates and announcements for September 2, 2010: Apps Accessories Apps Telltale Games has announced that Puzzle Agent is now available for download for the iPhone and iPad. The widely popular “puzzling adventure with a twist” has captivated players since its June release on PC and Mac, and it’s now bringing its challenging brand of fun to mobile gamers. Optimized for iPhone and iP ...
Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps
iPhone, iPod and iPad product updates and announcements for September 2, 2010:
Apps
- Telltale Games has announced that Puzzle Agent is now available for download for the iPhone and iPad. The widely popular “puzzling adventure with a twist” has captivated players since its June release on PC and Mac, and it’s now bringing its challenging brand of fun to mobile gamers. Optimized for iPhone and iPad mobile platforms, Puzzle Agent was created in collaboration with Graham Annable and is based on his indie comic work, Grickle. The game combines accessible Professor Layton-inspired puzzling, generous doses of Nordic folklore and enigmatic gnomes, with dark David Lynch and Coen brothers inspired sensibilities.
- Experience a world where dreams come true and magic is at every corner with Lamp of Aladdin. Exclusively available for iPad, the new game immerses players into the fairytale adventures of Aladdin and his faithful genie as they challenge players to test their wits in this new, puzzle adventure game. Prepare to embark on an unforgettable adventure with the magic lamp and see how it provides our hero everything (wealth, power, glory) except the affection and heart of his beloved Princess Boudour.
- No Tie’s AutoRingtone app and service empowers users to create custom Talking Ringtones using Text-To-Speech. Now, fans of Fulton Read’s music can combine their favorite songs with the new free Fultones app. Instead of relying on stock ringtones, users can create their own talking “Caller ID” ringtones. Fans of Fulton Read can combine several music clips with the AutoRingtone TTS service to create custom ringtones.
- Hairy Monster Studios has announced Roll Em Hoops HD 1.0, their latest game made exclusively for the iPad. Roll Em Hoops HD combines Skee-Ball like play with the classic basketball shooting games. Flick your finger to roll the ball up the alley into one of five hoops racking up points and unlocking unique and humorous bonus levels such as Rainbow Jumpers, COW, We’ve Got Spirit and Bombs Away. Made exclusively for the iPad, Roll Em Hoops HD features gorgeous graphics and the Ageia PhysX Engine.
- Miniclip is broadening its business to support the mobile gaming platform. With a dedicated audience of more than 57 million casual gamers worldwide and a library of more than 600 online games. Miniclip’s newly formed mobile games division, led by former Skype manager Antonio Sergio Varanda, will develop, publish and distribute its most popular online casual games for mobile operating systems.
- KeitaiArts has announced GameQuartet 1.0, its first game for iPhone and iPod touch. GameQuartet packages four newly created, casual games in a single app: Peg Solitaire, Boule, Sliding Tiles, and Word Squares. Boule is an unusual version of roulette, while the other three games are unique puzzles. The games were designed to be challenging, yet easy to learn. Scrolling text messages provide clear instructions for each stage, while full online help is available for those who want the details.
- Hashsoft has announced myPill 1.0, their first app for iOS. Featuring a friendly intuitive UI and high quality graphics, myPill is an app that helps women who’s taking birth control pills to track their pills pack, remember to take daily pill and plan future events, track history and more. myPill’s icon badge indicates how many pills are left at the pack, or alternatively how many days left until the period start. Users are able to customize the message of alerts, password protect data and more.
- The hardworking developers behind the popular mobile social game, Office Heroes, have cracked the employee suggestion box, going live with two hot updates in one week: push notifications and friend codes. Let the employee appreciation begin! Next up: free pizza and Hawaiian shirt Fridays. Or Vampire Fridays, if that’s your thing.
- Frimby Limited has released SongStumblr 2.0, an update to its music discovery and sharing app for iOS. SongStumblr brings a new form of musical interaction to the App Store, allowing users to share and discover music with people across the globe. Users can listen to discovered songs for free, purchase songs, or find information about songs via online databases. SongStumblr’s new servers bring the world’s music to your device.
- AssistiveWare has announced Proloquo2Go 1.4 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Version 1.4 is a major update to the premier consumer device-based augmentative and alternative communication solution for people who cannot speak. Costing a fraction of the dedicated devices it rivals in power, portability and easy of use, Proloquo2Go 1.4 has been optimized for the gorgeous retina display of the iPhone 4 and brand new iPod touch and includes updated higher quality voices.
- CR Digital Design, Inc. has announced the launch of AppDictions. AppDictions brings you all the information you need about new and existing applications for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. AppDictions filters through the 350,000+ apps in the App Store to bring you up-to-date on relevant news regarding apps, as well as providing detailed app reviews. The website gives developers the resource to advertise their app, gain useful review information for future updates, and much more.
- ComboApp has announced a discount of its 3D Coloring Book for Kids app for the iPad that is effective immediately. Created specifically for the iPad and designed to encourage children’s artistic development, 3D Coloring Book for Kids will be on sale until September 7th. True to its namesake, 3D Coloring Book for Kids offers users the ability to draw in three dimensions rather than two, allowing them to rotate and move original content around within the app.
- Appmania has announced Farm it! 1.0, their new game for iPad devices. Farm it is an enthralling and colorful arcade about the passionate rooster’s escapades whose aim is to procreate as many offsprings as possible. All farms around the world are in a big trouble, all of their chicks have disappeared. The last hope of the chicken population lies with the Young Rooster, a real hero. Offering fun and exciting game play, Farm it! features charming characters and more.
- Mindwarm Incorporated has released Swami Roberts 1.0 for iPhone, Android, iPad and iPod touch. Swami Roberts can answer your most secret questions. This universal app for iPad and iPhone is available in the Entertainment category of the iTunes App Store. The Android version is in the Google Market. Swami Roberts will give you a yes or no answer to your secret question. No one has updated the Magic 8 ball for smartphone technology - until now. Swami Roberts knows your answer.
Accessories
- The first generation of Speck’s exclusive Fitted Artsprojekt cases for the iPhone 4 are now available, bringing artist-inspired visual stimulation and trusty device protection to a lucky limited number. Available for the first time at select Best Buy stores, these four all-new releases were designed by members of the groundbreaking international Artsprojekt syndicate for a totally original, inspired look.
- Small businesses can now get everything they need in one package to quickly start processing credit cards on their iPhone. Intuit Inc. and mophie have announced the availability of the Complete Credit Card Solution, an all-in-one product that enables small businesses to easily process credit card payments via the Apple iPhone. It integrates Intuit’s GoPayment credit card processing app and quick-to-activate merchant account with the mophie marketplace iPhone credit card reader. This package is now available in Apple Retail Stores and soon on Apple.com
- AG Findings has announced the availability of the Beetle case in its much-anticipated iPhone 4 case collection, at AT&T retail stores nationwide. The Beetle cases are crafted to be slim and light-weight for ultimate comfort, and are available in a broad range of bold colors. The design allows access to the device’s camera and controls. Each case is also engineered with a shock absorbing liner to provide superior impact protection.
Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »
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TGS 2010: Namco Bandai announces its 22 game lineup
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Lists, Consoles, PS3, Wii, Xbox-360, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, PSP & PSPgo, Gear, Accessories, Clothing, Gear-Other, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Bishoujo, Casual, Children's, Fighting, Shooter, Party, Puzzle, Role-Playing, Sim, Conventions, Tokyo Game Show, Web-Sites, Official-Sites Namco Bandai is going for both quality and quantity with its game lineup for the 2010 Tokyo Game Show. The company is attendin ...
Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Lists, Consoles, PS3, Wii, Xbox-360, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, PSP & PSPgo, Gear, Accessories, Clothing, Gear-Other, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Bishoujo, Casual, Children's, Fighting, Shooter, Party, Puzzle, Role-Playing, Sim, Conventions, Tokyo Game Show, Web-Sites, Official-Sites
Namco Bandai is going for both quality and quantity with its game lineup for the 2010 Tokyo Game Show. The company is attending, of course, and has plenty planned for attendees September 16-19, 2010. You can play games, watch trailers for games being developed and pick up goods and accessories with Namco Bandai games on them. (You have to pay for the stuff though!)
First, here are the 28 games TGS 2010 attendees can see at Namco Bandai’s booth.
- Big 3 Gun Shooting (PS3)
- Crayon Shin-chan Shock Gun! (DS) It will be playable.
- Dokonjou Shougakusei Bon Bita (DS) It will be playable.
- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (PS3, Xbox 360). It will be playable.
- Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3, Xbox 360)
- God Eater Burst (PSP). It will be playable.
- Heart Catch Precure! Oshare Collection (DS) It will be playable.
- The Idolm@ster 2 (Xbox 360)
- Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes Os (PSP, Wii). Only the Wii version will be playable.
- Knights Contract (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Macross F Hybrid Pack (PS3)
- Minna de Bouken! Family Trainer (Wii). It will be playable.
- My Little Sister Can’t Possibly Be This Cute Portable (PSP)
- Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (PS3, Xbox 360). It will be playable.
- One Piece Gigant Battle (DS). It will be playable.
- Pac-Man Party (Wii). It will be playable.
- SD Gundam: Brave Battle Warriors (DS)
- Solarobo (DS). It will be playable.
- Super Robot Wars L (DS). It will be playable.
- Tales of Graces F (PS3). It will be playable.
- Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 (PSP). It will be playable.
- Tamagotchi no Narikiri Challenge (DS). It will be playable.
If you visit Namco Bandai’s booth, have money. As GameSpot Japan points out, there’ll be a number of items you can buy there. Here’s the full list, from least expensive to most expensive.
- Pac-Man Cookie - ¥800 (~$9.50)
- Tales of Vesperia stationary - ¥1,000 (~$11.80)
- The Idolm@ster 2 765 candy - ¥1,200 (~$14.20)
- Ace Combat The Emblem Wappen (?) - ¥3,000 (~$35.50)
- God Eater t-shirt - ¥3,500 (~$41.50)
- Tales of Graces visual tapestry - ¥3,500 (~$41.50)
- Tales of Vesperia t-shirt - ¥3,500 (~$41.50)
- Tekken 6 visual tapestry - ¥3,500 (~$41.50)
- Tekken x Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling t-shirt - ¥3,500 (~$41.50)
- Pac-Man leather wallet - ¥14,800 (~$175.50)
Also, Namco Bandai TGS 2010 website is among the best so far. It’s right up there with Square Enix and Capcom’s TGS 2010 sites. It’s laid out well, informative and easy for anyone to navigate. The list of games takes a page from Square Enix and clearly shows via icons if games will be playable or just be shown in videos and offers links to each title’s website.
Read [GameSpot Japan (Japanese)] Also Read [GamingBolt.com] Site [Namco Bandai Tokyo Game Show 2010]
Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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Bloody Elbow Judo Chop: Randy Couture Uses the Low Single Leg Take Down to Drop James Toney at UFC 118
[Mixed Martial Arts] (Bloody Elbow)Randy Couture drags James Toney to the ground with a low single leg take down. Photo by Esther Lin for Fanhouse. View full size photo » Randy Couture has long been the best game planner in MMA. Going all the way back to his brilliant upset deconstruction of "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort at UFC 15, it's clear that Randy Couture takes an analytical approach to the fight game. His bout against James Toney was no exception. Before the fight he discussed Toney ...
Randy Couture drags James Toney to the ground with a low single leg take down. Photo by Esther Lin for Fanhouse.
Randy Couture has long been the best game planner in MMA. Going all the way back to his brilliant upset deconstruction of "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort at UFC 15, it's clear that Randy Couture takes an analytical approach to the fight game.
His bout against James Toney was no exception. Before the fight he discussed Toney in terms of, "an interesting problem to solve." Well you have to give Couture an A+ on this assignment.
It's a tribute to his disciplined regimen and life style and state of the art training and nutrition that Couture is still fighting at this level at his age. Much younger fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko, B.J. Penn, and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic are all showing signs of fading in their early 30's.
Fans, coaches and fighters will want to go ahead and pre-order his upcoming Victory Belt book: Xtreme Training: The Fighter's Ultimate Fitness Manual. Not that you'll be able to fight like Randy when you're 47, but you can at least learn from the MMA fitness guru and avoid the early 30's burn out that afflicts so many fighters.
But really, James Toney didn't present that big a problem for Couture.
I admit I bought into Dana White's hypejob for UFC 118's "freakshow fight" between multi-time multi-divisional UFC champ Randy Couture and multi-time multi-divisional boxing champ James Toney. I somehow fooled myself into thinking that Toney's miniscule chance to win could actually translate into reality. But alas, Randy Couture reprised the lesson we all learned in 1993 at UFC 1 -- if you can't grapple you can't fight.
But those of us who love to try to understand the techniques we're seeing in Mixed Martial Arts did get to see one rarely seen technique executed to perfection: the low single leg take down.
Ideally I like the Judo Chop to focus on the key move in a fight and in this case, Couture's low single leg was definitely the turning point after which Toney had no hope of victory. Well maybe that happened the minute the contract was signed.
Of the major disciplines involved in MMA -- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, Judo -- I've found wrestling to be the most subtle and nuanced, but the more I learn about the techniques involved, the more I can see and appreciate the fights I'm watching. Even a boring clinch against the fence can become intriguing if you're watching who's got underhooks and who's pummelling for better position. So this fight is a good one to study to learn more about a very fundamental wrestling move that rarely works in MMA, but does have a place in the arsenal.
Couture talked about the move to ESPN's MMA Live after the event (via MMA Mania)
"It went exactly according to plan which is a rarity in our sport. I was pretty happy to see it go that way... Range was a big factor, especially against a guy with the striking skills James has. You don't see too many guys shoot a low single in mixed martial arts. And I knew the low single would work and make it difficult for him to counter punch me or catch me coming in. I got the mount position and he didn't have any idea how to get out of the mount. I had the choke once and he was propped up against the fence. I had to adjust and let him off the hook, but he gave it to me again."
Here's wikipedia describing the move:
The single leg takedown (often shortened to single leg or single) involves grabbing one of the legs of the opponent, usually with both hands, and using the position to force the opponent to the ground. Typically, the lower part of the leg is pulled in one direction, while the torso or shoulder is used to press the body or upper part of the leg of the opponent in the other direction. There are several varieties of single leg takedowns. Some hold the leg by the ankle and are often known as ankle picks, while other varieties include high crotch, which hold the leg high up in the crotch area. Single leg takedowns can also be executed in combination with a leg trip to the other leg, which additionally destabilizes the opponent. Single leg takedowns can be countered by sprawling, and, where allowed, in combination with knee strikes to the head of the opponent.
In the full entry we'll look at an animated gif and hear from Randy Couture at the press conference describing the move in more detail and more.
Here's Randy Couture talking about the fight at the post fight press conference:
Exactly how I saw it in my head. I had no illusions of standing around and trading any kind of blows with James. I had to pull out the old low single from college and dust it off because it's pretty hard to counter-punch that. You have to be within arms length to really hit a double leg and guess what, he's got arms. He could hit me with them. I thought I could get to his feet and put him on his butt with the low single leg.
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Through training camp, I had a couple doubts about whether the low shot was going to work and I was going to have to try get into range to set up a good double leg or run him into the fence and try the clinch.
But today especially, in the locker room, working with Ray... the low shot just felt sharp and in my mind I felt it was going to work. I felt it was going to be the key.
Interviewer: It seemed like it was kinda from a little far away, it wasn't the strongest take down we've ever seen from you, were you concerned ..
That's exactly why you don't see a lot of guys shoot that shot because it's pretty easy to counter. You shoot it from a longer distance away. You have to get pretty low. A good grappler or a good wrestler is going to step out of that. I'm catching his heel and hopefully getting some pressure on his knee to force him to his butt. I didn't think James would have a counter or an answer to that. You don't see that shot very often in MMA. Good grapplers counter that pretty easily.Franklin McNeil: When he came out and I noticed his stance, did you notice his stance right away? It looked like a conventional boxing stance. Did you salivate at that point?
The first thing I noticed when I got into the cage and settled in was he was wearing those things on his feet. A huge thing when shooting a low single, you're used to doing it against wrestlers who are wearing shoes, it's something I can grip. So when he had themo things on his feet, I said ok this is going to be better, he's got something I can grip. If it gets dicey or he tries to step out of it, I've got something I can grip other than his sweaty leg or his sweaty foot.
The only reason I would have salivated over the boxing stance was that I'd trained a lot with Ray and Gil on trying to set up that kickboxer's range and trying to kick that lead leg both inside and outside and I knew he was going to try and throw that right hand anytime I picked up my foot. The counter to that is a right hand and he's got a pretty good right hand. I didn't spend time even thinking about it.
Here we see Toney in the classic boxer's stance (more on stances below) with his legs narrow and his lead shoulder out in front leg and Couture is in a more typical MMA stance with his shoulders nearly square to his opponent.
Couture paws with a jab just to bait Toney into reacting. Toney crouches. Then Couture seems to be doing that again but this time shoots behind the feint. Note that he drops down but doesn't dive. His left leg bends at a 90 degree angle at the knee, he sinks his hips and he shoots off his extended right leg. Then he grabs Toney's lead left leg. He hooks his right hand behind Toney's heel and pushes with his left nearer the knee.
In Randy's excellent book, Wrestling for Mixed Martial Arts, he breaks down how to execute the low single as well as how to defend it.
For those that are curious here's Oklahoma State University wrestling coach John Smith describing how to defend against the low single leg take down (as transcribed by Curt Clapier):
Here are the key points to defending the low level single leg.
1. Make a left turn.
2. Grab his ankle with your left arm.
3. Come up. Lift your head up immediately. Once you commit to make that left turn you have to go. You have to go. You have to grab his ankle and beat him in the race to get your head up. If you don't then you are going to have problems.
4. As you come up you have to switch arms. Meaning you have to switch and put your right arm underneath his ankle and lift his leg as you raise your head and come up.Again, John Smith stress that you have to com up with your head fast. Once you commit to turning that corner you have to go. You have to beat him to get your head up. I hope this helps you as much as it did me.
Maybe we can take up a collection and send some of John Smith's videos to James Toney.
Here's Smith demonstrating the defense via FlowWrestling:
Here's a sambo instructional from Somerset Sambo on how to do the low single leg -- with some transitions to ankle lock submissions thrown in:
Here's wikipedia on the classic boxing stance Toney employed:
In a fully upright stance, the boxer stands with the legs shoulder-width apart and the rear foot a half-step behind the lead foot. Right-handed or orthodox boxers lead with the left foot and fist. Both feet are parallel, and the right heel is off the ground. The lead (left) fist is held vertically about six inches in front of the face at eye level. The rear (right) fist is held beside the chin and the elbow tucked against the ribcage to protect the body. The chin is tucked into the chest to avoid punches to the jaw which commonly cause knock-outs and is often kept slightly offcenter. Wrists are slightly bent to avoid damage when punching and the elbows are kept tucked in to protect the ribcage. Some boxers fight from a crouch, leaning forward and keeping their feet closer together. The stance described is considered the "textbook" stance and fighters are encouraged to change it around once its been mastered as a base. Case in point, many fast fighters have their hands down and have almost exaggerated footwork, while brawlers or bully fighters tend to slowly stalk their opponents.
Left-handed or southpaw fighters use a mirror image of the orthodox stance, which can create problems for orthodox fighters unaccustomed to receiving jabs, hooks, or crosses from the opposite side. The southpaw stance, conversely, is vulnerable to a straight right hand.
North American fighters tend to favor a more balanced stance, facing the opponent almost squarely, while many European fighters stand with their torso turned more to the side. The positioning of the hands may also vary, as some fighters prefer to have both hands raised in front of the face, risking exposure to body shots.
Modern boxers can sometimes be seen tapping their cheeks or foreheads with their fists in order to remind themselves to keep their hands up (which becomes difficult during long bouts). Boxers are taught to push off with their feet in order to move effectively. Forward motion involves lifting the lead leg and pushing with the rear leg. Rearward motion involves lifting the rear leg and pushing with the lead leg. During lateral motion the leg in the direction of the movement moves first while the opposite leg provides the force needed to move the body.
Here's a good description of the differences between a boxing stance, a kickboxing stance and an mma stance I found on Sherdog:
Boxing stance tends to have lead leg forward and rear leg behind with a narrow stance shoulder width or less. Your lead shoulder and rear shoulder should be inline that is your medial deltoid of the lead shoulder is facing your opponent. This makes sprawling harder.
A kick boxing stance would have legs farther apart, more than shoulder width and your more squared off to your opponent. Your lead shoulder and trailing shoulders should form a 45degree angle to your opponent whereas the boxing stance is is perpendicular.
The mma stance varies but can nearly parallel to you oponent, both shoulders facing your opponent.
The easiest way to see the difference is to first stand in boxing stance, perpendicular to opponent then move your trailing leg out until it becomes parallel with your right shoulder.
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Twitter Background Design – Great Tips and Gorgeous Examples
[Photoshop, Web Design] (Psdtuts+)We all know that gaining Twitter followers is down to how often you tweet and what you tweet about – or if you’re a website owner and use Twitter, a way to communicate with your readers. However, there are additional ways to increase the chances of new stumblers to follow you, one of them being ...
We all know that gaining Twitter followers is down to how often you tweet and what you tweet about – or if you’re a website owner and use Twitter, a way to communicate with your readers. However, there are additional ways to increase the chances of new stumblers to follow you, one of them being by having an interesting background.
This isn’t a quick route to Twitter success, but it most certainly does help. By designing your own interesting Twitter background you can express your personality through images. One example is if you’re a creative person (which you probably are as you’re on Psdtuts+!) you would likely be able to put your skills to use and produce something beautiful that other creatives will appreciate. If they like your profile page, the chances are they’ll like your tweets, therefore following you!
A Quick Introduction To Twitter Backgrounds
Twitter doesn’t offer a whole lot of functionality when it comes to designing backgrounds, but there are a bunch of ways to work around this. You can change the color of the background, sidebar and links, and add background images – fixed or tiled. The biggest problem with Twitter backgrounds is the fact that the majority of your image will be hidden behind Twitter’s timeline and menu, leaving only the space between the edges of your browser and Twitter’s foreground, as seen below:
The above screenshot was taken on my 13″ MacBook Pro with a screen resolution of 1280×800 pixels. The amount of space for a background with this resolution is reasonably good, however with smaller screens or older laptops with a lower resolution the space can decrease dramatically and you will need to be able to work around this.
The obvious thing you need to do is to design your background around Twitter’s foreground content so that when you upload your image it won’t be hidden beneath the timeline.
Types of Backgrounds
There are a few different types of backgrounds in terms of image sizes:
- The Big Image: This is just what the image suggests, a very large image! It can be used to cover the whole background of your Twitter profile. The bottom of them are often faded off into a solid color so that it merges into Twitters background (which of course you can choose the color of).
- The Fading Image: This is often a much smaller image than the above option, often just a square or rectangle covering the top left corner or the complete right side of your profile. All of the edges are faded into a solid color so that they blend into Twitters background.
- The Repeating Image: The repeating image option allows you to repeat an image throughout your background. A common use for this is patterned or textured backgrounds, such as my own which can be in the screenshot above. Text is not recommended for this kind of background as it will be repeated anywhere from several to several hundred times!
Chris Spooner has summed up these examples of Twitter backgrounds with a bunch of great examples, which can be seen along with a Twitter background tutorial: “Twitter Background Design How-To and Best Practices“.
The Good Stuff: Great Tips, Gorgeous Examples & Resources
After that quick introduction to Twitter backgrounds, we’re now going to look at a small selection of some lovely examples of backgrounds. We’re going to look at one design at time, and follow it up with a “Twitter Background Tip” that you can keep in mind when designing your own. We’ll also be outsourcing to some other articles and tutorials for a more in-depth look at particular subjects.
Please note that these tips may or may not be used together. Ideally only a few of these tips should be put into practice at any one time, as they don’t all work together.
Tip #1: Make your Twitter profile clearly match your websites image.
We all know about how important it is to have a clear and strong brand, whether you’re an individual, a freelancer or a full-blown company. Envato has made their Twitter profile represent their main website by using the same beautiful digital bokeh background and the strong green color scheme.
Bokeh Resources
If you like Envato’s bokeh background, check out some of the following resources!
- Stock Resources: More Than 620 Bokeh Background Textures
- Tutorial: Creating An Awesome Digital Bokeh Effect in Photoshop
- Photography: Shooting Your Own Bokeh Shots With The Bokeh Masters Kit
Tip #2: Use plenty of interesting shapes and colors in your repeated backgrounds.
If you’re going to use a repeated/tiled image as your background, be sure to keep it interesting, or alternatively make it match your brand identity. Daniesq uses a lovely vector-style floral tiled image that fits together perfectly.
Pattern Resources
If you want to go for a repeating background, some of the following resources may come in handy!
- Resources: The Ultimate Collection Of Free Photoshop Patterns
- Tutorial: Create a Themed Repeating Pattern in Illustrator
- Tutorial: Repeating Patterns
Tip #3: Show your face to the world and stick it in your background.
After all everyone wants to know what you look like! Your profile picture is often to small to really represent yourself, or you may be using it to display your brands logo or another image. Although your profile picture can be enlarged, most people choose not to view larger versions of your pictures, therefore this is where your background profile can come in handy if you feel a picture of yourself is vital for your online identity. Chris Spooner for example uses a portrait of himself (which is important for his identity as he posts vlogs [video blogs]) with some of his infamous vector shapes to give his Twitter profile a highly-personalised touch.
Portrait Photography Resources
There’s no point including a photo of yourself in your background. Even if it is “just Twitter” you need to keep your standards up at a professional level. The below resources should help you do that.
- Tutorial: Simple Portrait Photography Tricks
- Resources: 100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How To Make Your Own)
- Guide: A Simple Guide To Choosing Your First Lens
Tip #4: Make a big deal out of your logo and include it in your background image.
Including your logo in your Twitter background isn’t really necessary if you are already using your logo as your profile picture, but if not there isn’t really anything better you can do – it not only shows off your skills but also advertises your brands image! Vpieters uses a beautiful illustration (also used in the header of their blog) along with the Veerle logo in their Twitter background to make their website and Twitter profile fit together like two peas in a pod.
Logo Resources
If you don’t yet have a logo for yourself it is recommended even if you aren’t a freelancer as it helps to identify you as an individual, and it’s something else to show off! Here are a few good logo resources:
- Inspiration: Logo Showcase
- Tutorial: Logo Design Project Step by Step Walkthrough
- Tutorial: Creating A Crazy Cool Logo
Tip #5: Make use of the infamous Twitter bird.
Twitter is very well known for its simple Twitter bird mascot (as you can see in the following post: “Splendid Twitter Accessories and Products“, the Twitter bird is very well known and pretty sweet!), so why not embed it into your own design mixed with any of the above or below features? KrisColvin uses the bird to her advantage to produce a stunning “big image” background.
Twitter Bird Resources
If you want to include a Twitter bird in your background, check out these resources.
- Resources: 8 Free Cute & Simple Twitter Bird Vector Graphics
- Tutorial: Create a Cute and Adorable Twitter Icon in Photoshop
- Tutorial: Create a Twitter Style Bird Mascot
Tip #6: Link your background in with your Twitter name and profile picture.
If you have a reasonably unique name that you use for your online identity, then why not expand on that and base your Twitter profile picture and background around that name? Mut1ey uses a rather cool picture of Muttley the dog from an old popular TV show as the profile picture, and expands on this by using a great illustrated piece of the character, along with an actual picture of the man behind the Twitter account and some contact information.
Brand Consistency Resources
It is important to keep the consistency of your brands image throughout your marketing material and social networking sites. Here are a couple of informative and helpful articles:
Tip #7: Use the space you have to share some information with your followers.
Your background space is a great way to share a little more information about yourself with your followers without being restricted by the character limit Twitter gives you in the primary biography area. Oridusartic embeds her blogs URL, email address and a list of her passions within a simple but stylish vector-based illustration that merges into a solid color. This helps new stumblers decide whether or not the user is going to be tweeting about things that are interesting to them.
Tip #8: Use a restricted color palette.
Using a restricted color palette (especially in tiled backgrounds) is a great way to show off your skill, as it requires patience and great compositions to make it look good. Willbryantplz uses a beautiful illustrated background merged with a grayscale texture to "wow" his followers and make the white Twitter foreground pop out from the screen. To really make this style work, the same colors should also be used as your font and sidebar colors.
Color Resources
If you’re going to use a limited color scheme, choose it wisely. Make it match your branding. Below are a few great color scheme websites well worth checking out!
- COLOURlovers: Color Trends and Downloadable Palettes
- ColorCombos: Website Color Combinations
- Adobe Kuler: Color Scheme Generator
Tip #9: Use your background to show off your personality, characteristics and interests.
Images are one of the best ways to share your personality and interests with people that somehow land on your Twitter page. Ericsteuten uses a wonderful illustration to represent his characteristics; clearly a happy, funny and imaginative guy.
Character Illustration Resources
Illustrated characters in your background are one of the best ways to show off your personality to your Twitter profile viewers; it shows off your skills too! Below are a few resources to help with character illustration.
- Interview: Roughly Speaking: Character Design Sketching Approaches
- Navigating the Sea of Character Design Merchandising
- Creating a Collection of Quirky Caricatures
Tip #10: Make the most of your own mascot.
If you have a mascot for your brand your Twitter profile is an excellent place to show him, her or it off! It’s not only fun and entertaining, but is a great way to link your Twitter profile with your brand. One superb example of this is MailChimp’s Twitter profile, who use their infamous MailChimp character to really jazz up their page.
Conclusion
By putting some of these Twitter background design tips into practice, you’ll be improving your design skills as you’ll learn how to work around design limitations which more than often do turn up in personal and client projects, as well as producing a great, attractive background that will appeal more people to hit the follow button when visiting your profile page!
Do you feel you have a good Twitter background? Share it with us in the comments section below!
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The Creator Of The John Wall Dance Has Died: We Celebrate His Legacy
[Sports] (SBNation.com - All Posts)If you doubt the cultural import of the John Wall dance, look no further than this year's NBA 2K11 trailer (1:20 mark). It's the ultimate litmus test for relevance, really; the John Wall Dance has now been immortalized in a video game. But John Wall didn't create that dance. It all started with a Louisville rapper named Kenzo, and this song, inspired by a man named Anthony "Sugar Shizz" Talbert. (Note: the following video is safe for work, but if your boss catches you watching a Kenzo music vide ...
If you doubt the cultural import of the John Wall dance, look no further than this year's NBA 2K11 trailer (1:20 mark). It's the ultimate litmus test for relevance, really; the John Wall Dance has now been immortalized in a video game.
But John Wall didn't create that dance. It all started with a Louisville rapper named Kenzo, and this song, inspired by a man named Anthony "Sugar Shizz" Talbert.
(Note: the following video is safe for work, but if your boss catches you watching a Kenzo music video at the office, you deserve to get fired).
Which brings us to this weekend's tragic news out of Louisville. After a shooting last week, Sugar Shizz passed away Saturday. Police are still investigating the crime, and our prayers are with his family. But in celebration of his life, after the jump we present a collection of some of the best imitations of Talbert's trademark.
This is where the hysteria began:
And once a superstar Kentucky basketball player does it... That means you're going to have the entire state of Kentucky doing it. For post-hunt celebrations, and such:
And then there's this adorable little girl:
And... This guy. Seriously, how have SIXTY thousand people watched this video?
Of course Drake, the up-and-coming R&B act and friend of Kentucky, had to join in:
The ESPN crew gets in on the act (via Jose3030):
And on and on and on. You can literally find thousands of "John Wall Dance" videos out there, and they've all got at least 50,000 views out there. What does that say about our culture? Glad you asked: It says we all owe a great debt to Kenzo, John Wall, and most of all, Lashawn "Suga Shizz" Talbert. May he rest in peace.
(HT to Eamonn at ESPN)
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Apple App Store iPhone and iPod Touch gaming update for the week of August 9 through 15
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App StoreThe Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long work week. Unl ...
Section: Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App Store
The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long work week.
Unlike previous week’s this week’s App Store additions are pretty decent. Meowcenaries, Madden, Pinball HD, and while it’s not a game, GrooveShark FINALLY got accepted into the App Store. Enjoy your week folks!
What You Might Want To Check Out
Meowcenaries Lite
“In this smaller, free version of Meowcenaries, you control an elite squad of combat kittens as they try to rescue the president from the maniacal evil cat Evilcat and his Badkatz soldiers. Guide your platoon through two action-packed missions from the full version, dispatching enemy cats from wherever they emerge, leveling Evilcat strongholds and upholding justice! Evilcat must be stopped. The time for yarn balls is over. Good luck!”GHOSTS’N GOBLINS GOLD KNIGHTS 2: Price: $4.99
“We’ve heard what users had to say and we’ve made Ghost’ N Goblins Gold Knights II the most thrilling and accessible GNG game yet! In Ghost’N Goblins: Gold Knights II players, take control of the legendary Arthur or powerful Perceval as you once again battle against the minions of the Ghoul Realm. To survive the deadly descent, you have to make optimum use of your weapons and gear as you encounter ever more deadly foes.”MADDEN NFL 11 by EA SPORTS™: Price: $7.99
“Enhanced visuals bring the game to life in lush detail, especially when viewed through the remarkable iPhone 4 Retina Display. Watch the players rumble onto the stadium floor in electrifying detail. Capture the atmospherics of the weather effects. Even see the blades of grass on the field. TDC (“Total Defensive Control”) makes playing defense pure fun. Press the TDC button to pause the action, position your defensive players, and feel the thrill of delivering game-changing hits like never before. As always, get the authentic football experience that only MADDEN NFL can deliver. Match up all 32 NFL teams featuring updated rosters and nearly 2,000 real players.”Pinball HD 4 iPhone: Price: $1.99
“Pinball HD 4 iPhone - This game will change your idea of Pinball on the iPhone. Each table - Wild West, The Deep, and Jungle style - are masterpieces. You’ll be stunned with the level of realism. This is a REAL Pinball simulator with stunning 3D graphics both with or without 3D glasses.”What’s Free
Meowcenaries Lite
“In this smaller, free version of Meowcenaries, you control an elite squad of combat kittens as they try to rescue the president from the maniacal evil cat Evilcat and his Badkatz soldiers. Guide your platoon through two action-packed missions from the full version, dispatching enemy cats from wherever they emerge, leveling Evilcat strongholds and upholding justice! Evilcat must be stopped. The time for yarn balls is over. Good luck!”Flight Attack Lite
“Flight Attack Lite is the FREE Lite Version of one of the MOST ADDICTIVE and AMAZING games, which are available at the App Store.
The INTUITIVE CONTROL, by using the motion-sensors and touchscreen, are simply AWESOME and make HUGE FUN! In this LITE version, you have the choice between more than 5 DIFFERENT BONUS Levels of the full version !!!!”GunShooting
“Touche shooting game”Asteroid Math
“Asteroid Math is a side scrolling space shooter where the player must destroy asteroids to collect numbers to complete an onscreen equation. Tests addition, subtraction and multiplication.”Max Vector LITE
“The evil robot warlord Z-80 has stolen the world’s high definition. It’s up to Max Vector and his trusty C64 Type R spaceship to destroy Z-80 and restore resolution! Will Max be able to rescue the world’s HD? Will he finally be able to see his wife Berta’s true beauty? That’s up to you! Take the controls in… Max Vector: Resolution!”Ultraviolet Dawn Lite
“From the makers of critically-acclaimed “Project Phoenix” comes a new, exciting creation. “Ultraviolet Dawn” is a hybrid space-shooter/trading game with a completely open Universe comprising over 1,000 stars to explore. “Ultraviolet Dawn” is our most beautiful and refined game to date. Please note that the Lite version is limited to five space flight levels.”Lambi Islands
“Lambi Island is home to the exceptionally short sighted and incredibly fragile Lambi’s, these poor water based creatures have mistakenly found their way onto land through abandoned pipes and need your help to direct them back to safety. The problem is they are so delicate that if they touch anything they explode! Place directional tiles onto the ground to guide them around the nasty sharp objects lying around. But be quick because once they start appearing its going to get mad crazy! Work your way through 25 different levels each harder than the next using your tiles to guide the Lambi’s to the portal which takes you to the next island, whilst building a network of gaming friends and challenge them to beat your score. Our Lambi’s are not the sharpest knife in the draw, but they are very, very cute and also very, very endangered, so this original puzzle game mixing stylish 3D graphics with a challenging set of puzzles to solve saving the precious Lambi’s from self-destruction will keep you going for hours. We also let you design your own way to get the Lambi’s home and buy additional tiles to aid the journey. Publish your achievement to Social Networks like Facebook and OpenFeint and compete on our Geo-locational leader boards and once you’ve mastered the game you can collect all the achievements and challenge your friends to beat your score!”Zombie Infection FREE
“The infection is spreading and fear is everywhere in this non-stop survival shooter. Head to South America as a soldier and reporter try to uncover the origin of another zombie outbreak.”Shoot To Kill
“Surrounded by evil fiends and armed to the teeth with grenade launchers, chainsaws and lightning guns you must blast, hack and blaze your way through the demon horde and complete your escape back to the overworked.”Wordable
“Wordable is a fun and addictive word game where users race against the clock to create words from eight random letters. Ninety second games make it easy to pick up and play when you need to kill a couple minutes.”My Little Restaurant Lite
“Try the Litest version of My Little Restaurant: charge-free, ad-free but still so much fun! Grab a taste of what it’s like to work in My Little Restaurant. Test your skills in this fully playable preview.”City Story™
“Welcome to City Story™ where you and your friends can create the world based on your imagination. Build and decorate your own dream city with cafes, boutiques, bakeries, hotels, and landmarks. Watch your population skyrocket as you create the ultimate living, breathing city. City Story™ includes FREE updates with new businesses, houses, parks, landmarks and more EVERY WEEK!”What’s New
Action
Dinosaur Hunter: Price: $1.99
“Dinosaur Hunter is the 3D arcade hunting game with great 3d graphics.”Doodle Sky Pro: Price: $0.99
“New released Doodle Sky! Press your finger on the screen, and the aircraft will follow your instructions to fight against the enemies! There are different missions in different stages. For example, you can destroy the enemies, protect the VIP, and take part in the decapitation strike and so on. You will feel enjoyable and excited about different missions. There are eight aircrafts with different attributes for the players to control. You will find it easy to play if you can take advantages of the different attributes and abilities. Besides the gorgeous and exciting battle, the game system will give corresponding scores based on the players’ performance. There are also medal of honors and titles for you to take! Different attributes to choose from. Various stage design. Up to 40 addictive stages。Mighty air defense artilleries. Whether it be your right hand or not? It’s all up to you.”Adventure
A Vampire Romance: Price: $2.99
“After the sudden disappearance of Uriel, Leila will do her best to find him. She will even venture in the darkness of the catacombs… The secret they hide turn out to be more than dangerous. To discover the end of the story, play alternately Leïla then Uriel ! Examine different famous places in Paris: the subway, the banks of the Seine, Montmartre neighbourhood, the Champs Elysée, the Père Lachaise cemetery, the Trocadero gardens, the catacombs, etc.”GHOSTS’N GOBLINS GOLD KNIGHTS 2: Price: $4.99
“We’ve heard what users had to say and we’ve made Ghost’ N Goblins Gold Knights II the most thrilling and accessible GNG game yet! In Ghost’N Goblins: Gold Knights II players, take control of the legendary Arthur or powerful Perceval as you once again battle against the minions of the Ghoul Realm. To survive the deadly descent, you have to make optimum use of your weapons and gear as you encounter ever more deadly foes.”Arcade
Gravity Runner: Price: $0.99
“Take control of Colin as he automatically runs through levels filled with pitfalls and spikes. Tap the screen to make Colin jump over obstacles in his world. But this alone won’t keep him alive. If you tap the screen while Colin is in mid-air, gravity will be flipped! Master this gravity flipping ability to help Colin jump, glide and evade all obstacles placed in his path. Gravity Runner not only plays fantastic, but looks and sounds great too. The game has retro graphics, and charming sound to give a new twist to the classic platform game. You’d be crazy to miss out on Gravity Runner, especially for such a small price! Gravity Runner is nauseatingly addictive and will always leave you wanting just one more go!”Pinball HD 4 iPhone: Price: $1.99
“Pinball HD 4 iPhone - This game will change your idea of Pinball on the iPhone. Each table - Wild West, The Deep, and Jungle style - are masterpieces. You’ll be stunned with the level of realism. This is a REAL Pinball simulator with stunning 3D graphics both with or without 3D glasses.”Space Creepers Black Edition: Price: $0.99
“Shoot as many objects coming at you to earn yourself a high-score.”SpinCycle-R: Price: $0.99
“SpinCycle-R is a revolution in simple addictive retro arcade game design. You have 60 seconds to make as many color matches you can from the spinning wheel. Earn massive bonuses for speed, streaks, and accuracy. Compete against the entire world for high score.”Space Miner: Price: $0.99
“With Space Miner go through the space to exploit the subsoil rich in minerals of unknown worlds. With the captain and his assistant Lin Kad, the cat-robot, take control of the module Drilling TJTP and explore 5 different planets. Copper, Cobalt, Silver, Gold also await you! But mining is not everything, you will also fight bosses, improve your module, get acquainted with indigenous tribes and complete various missions. A blend of action, strategy and adventure game that will leave you hooked to your iPhone!”Love Battle Princess: Price: $1.99
“Tired of playing clones? Love Battle Princess is a fast paced arcade game, featuring a fresh, simple and unique gameplay concept. It doesn’t play like anything you’ve seen before. It is accessible to all, yet challenging and sophisticated at high level for hardcore gamers. Team up with one of our four sexy princesses from the Love United Front and catch as many flowers as you can while destroying the agents sent by the evil Skull Agency. It’s that simple! But over time you’ll discover many advanced techniques, exciting power-ups and unique character abilities. Plus the beautiful ladies and colorful flowers are great for anyone looking for an alternative to gore and zombies.Board
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Educational
Akshara: Price: $0.99
“Akshara - ìThe Alphabetî - is a very interactive and FUN way of learning the English Alphabet. Kids and other non-English people will find it a very Effective & Quick way of Mastering the English Alphabet ñ the letters, their sequence, pronunciation and objects displayed using it. The Game has the following options: The PLAY mode has the letters of the alphabet randomly scattered on the screen. The player picks the next letter in the right Alphabetical sequence from A till Z. On touching the right alphabet, the letter flips and displays a picture. In the LEARN mode, the player learns the letter, sequence & pronunciation. The HELP offers a brief description of the Game with related Awards for getting the Alphabets right.”Family
Carnival Games for iPhone: Price: $3.99
“Step right up to Carnival Games™! 2K Play and Carnival Games™ for iPhone and iPod Touch brings you a collection of midway favorites designed to lighten your summer stresses and sweep you square into a country fair. Over ten games and attractions bring the fairgrounds to life including Star Shoot Out, Balloon Darts, Spilled Milk, Test of Strength, Nerves of Steel, Frog Leap, Wild West, Great Swami, Clown Bonk, Shooting Gallery, Bumper Boats, and more. Create your personalized character to play the games and earn tickets to redeem great prizes! Tap the map key for quick access to your favorite attractions. You can also roam the grounds to to make new friends and stumble upon hidden challenges that will unlock Wacky Wearables for your character.”Amy’s Froyo: Price: $0.99
“Summer is sooooo hot. Want some cold delicious deserts and keep your body in shape for the beach? Decorate your own froyo to your heart’s desire with tons of flavors and toppings while sharing it with your family and friends. Oh and if there’s any flavors/toppings you’d like, please post us a review and we’ll work on it!”Music
Say What You See: Music Fest: Price: $0.99
“Once you fall under its mind-bendingly addictive spell you may never again have time to talk to friends, answer the phone or sit on the toilet for less than 30 minutes as you unravel its mysteries. Our first release, Say What You See: Music Fest is an access all areas pass to puzzling pleasure. Hidden within this cryptic canvas is a whole music festival’s worth of chart-topping bands and artists. You’ll need sharp eyes and a good imagination to spot and name all 50. Once you download it, you’ll enter the inventive imagination of internationally renowned artist Aime Bolissian, whose beautiful hand-painted canvas take you to a world where nothing is quite as it seems. This is a work of art that pleases the brain as well as the eye, as you find and solve the 50 rebus riddles it contains. If you’ve not seen one before, a rebus is a kind of word puzzle that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. A combination of Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey™ and board game classic Dingbats™, you’ll need to use lateral thinking as well as your hidden-object finding skills. Suitable for the whole family, young and old, Music Fest is a brand new concept in addictive brain teasing. If you get stuck, don’t worry, just remember the golden rule: Say What You See!”Puzzle
Mayan Puzzle: Price: $0.99
“A match 3 puzzle game. You can choose between 4 game modes (classic, time trial, challenge, marathon). The action takes place in a beautiful Mayan surrounding spiced up with a lot of special FX and original Mayan soundtrack. Depending on the mode selected it’s a mind-boggling action/puzzle game which will keep you on your feet, but it can also be a tough brain challenge in a classic/strategic mode. It’s a MUST-HAVE for a serious competitor.”Akhenra Enigma: Price: $0.99
“Are you smart enough to defeat the perfidious Akhenra? Find the right combination and solve the enigma of the pharaoh!”Tetra Defense - Attack of the Tentacle!: Price: $0.99
“Bogey The Tentacle has sworn to take over the world and is invading earth in his Positronic-Piece-Dropping ship! As he attacks with multiple pieces, you have to place them in an isometric 3D grid to form Quads. Each Quad you form returns damage to Bogey (which makes him angrier!). You must prevent Bogey from overloading the grid by constantly forming Quads, or else Earth is doomed! As you progress, you earn gold in the game! You can use that to purchase and upgrade Earth’s defenses to ward Bogey off and slow down his invasion. But watch out! Bogey is as fiery as his color and will unleash relentless attacks as he gets angrier!”Aero World: Price: $0.99
“Try to reach the exit in the shortest time possible! Aero World is a game that will test your skill and your patience, controlling the ball throughout the different areas and solving their puzzles, your mission is to find the exit and beat the record of each area. Drag objects, activate machinery, avoid obstacles, solve puzzles, jump, and more, each area will be a different challenge. Enjoy with a full 3D world and 3D sound, combined with realistic physics thanks to the Bullet physics engine and sio2.”Super Fashion Puzzle: Price: $0.99
“Super Fashion Puzzle. The puzzle game where pieces are accessories from various girls. Pair off the accessories belonging to each girl to earn points and extra time. You can also use the joker (a heart). When you‘ve matched several pairs, the board will regenerate and, after a few regenerations, a new girl will appear. Be careful when matching pairs! if a pair does not belong to the current girl, you will be penalized in time. Hurry up! Time flies! When you finish playing, upload your score to Facebook and the Internet. Check if you are good enough to be in the regional or global ranking!”Racing
MotoGP 2010: Price: $3.99
“Start your engine, twist the throttle and get ready to push your limits with MotoGP™ 2010! Do you have what it takes to win the World Championship? Prove it with the only official iPhone game of the world’s premier motorbike racing series. MotoGP™ 2010 takes you across the world to compete against this season’s best riders. Rack up victories in the 18 official Grand Prix events of the year and get ready to light up the track!”Role Playing
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Sports
MADDEN NFL 11 by EA SPORTS™: Price: $7.99
“Enhanced visuals bring the game to life in lush detail, especially when viewed through the remarkable iPhone 4 Retina Display. Watch the players rumble onto the stadium floor in electrifying detail. Capture the atmospherics of the weather effects. Even see the blades of grass on the field. TDC (“Total Defensive Control”) makes playing defense pure fun. Press the TDC button to pause the action, position your defensive players, and feel the thrill of delivering game-changing hits like never before. As always, get the authentic football experience that only MADDEN NFL can deliver. Match up all 32 NFL teams featuring updated rosters and nearly 2,000 real players.”Darts Hero: Price: $0.99
“Quick flick the darts and hit the center of the darts board! Interesting, cool, addictive!!”Greyhound Racing: Price: $0.99
“Feel the buzz at the track, let your adrenaline build as you risk it all to make your fortune. Have you got the instincts to make it in the world of Greyhound Racing? Simple, easy to pick up and play betting to fulfil your gambling pleasure and maximise your betting techniques. Check the greyhound’s history, pick your lane and away you go. Spend your winnings wisely once you have won a few races or risk going bankrupt! Check out the classified adverts and pick yourself up a bargain with your winnings. Arcade Action - Is the pressure getting too much? Take a break from the track and beat your high score at the arcade. This arcade shooter will keep you coming back for more.”Strategy
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Trivia
Lord of the Rings Trilogy Trivia Game: Price: $1.99
“This is the fun and challenging trivia game covering ALL 3 MOVIES in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This trivia game contains OVER 500 QUESTIONS from the three movies.”Bamboozle! - The Classic Teletext Quiz Game: Price: $0.99
“The cult Teletext quiz is back! Join your host and resident quizmaster, Bamber Boozler, for some of the most entertaining and challenging trivia questions you’ve ever seen.”Word
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iPhone and iPod Touch Links of the Week
Appletell: [iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - August 13, 2010] [Free apps roundup for August 13th, 2010]
Gamertell: [Final Fantasy VII Larger-than-Life iPhone app costs $6]
Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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How's Taste My Tweet Tweet? Mixed Martial Arts on Twitter for the 1st Week of August
[Mixed Martial Arts] (Bloody Elbow)A few updates on what's been going on in the MMA Twittersphere. LET'S MAKE A LOT OF SENSE "Saw street named Zzyzx. Does anyone know how to say that? I will give you 5 twitter dollars if you can. Note: Twitter dollars do not exist." -Amir Sadollah "X" -Frankie Edgar, well said that's pretty deep. "Fact: Some people are so smart they are stupid." -Miguel Torres, and some people are so stupid, they're uh very. stupid? "So my tire blows out. A guy recognizes me and stops, takes a pict ...
A few updates on what's been going on in the MMA Twittersphere.
LET'S MAKE A LOT OF SENSE
"Saw street named Zzyzx. Does anyone know how to say that? I will give you 5 twitter dollars if you can. Note: Twitter dollars do not exist." -Amir Sadollah
"X" -Frankie Edgar, well said... that's pretty deep.
"Fact: Some people are so smart they are stupid." -Miguel Torres, and some people are so stupid, they're... uh... very. stupid?
"So my tire blows out. A guy recognizes me and stops, takes a picture of me and the tire, then bounces. True story." -Amir Sadollah
"The pot holes in new jersey are so big they show up on mapquest. In a suprise turn everyone in jersey has been really nice. Stereotype done" -Forrest Griffin, is still on his book tour... I heard Shogun loved reading it.
"I can't stand it if chicks in porns don't take their shoes and socks off. And now you know that." -Amir Sadollah
"in case anybody cares @kurtpellegrino and I are now starting a twitter bromance" -Frank Trigg, joins Kurt Pellegrino's collection of summer bromances, which already includes Miguel Torres and Kenny Florian
"before baseball, basketball and football was invented, there was one sport. Remember that things always come full circle." -Pat Miletich, and remember kids, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
NOSTALGIA ON VERSUS
"Lord I thank you for my victory and my blessings" -Jon Jones, actually tweeted this BEFORE his fight against Matyushenko.
"3 wrestlers in a row, I think you guys are ready to see me bang again and I can't wait to do it, I think the UFC will oblige us!!!" -Brian Stann, got taken down for the most part, until he sunk in a triangle in the third, which earned him a FOTN bonus.
"Thank you for all your support!! I'll be back!! And I'll be a lot better because of this! Much love to u all!" -Mark Munoz
"Thank you for all my fans!! I'm back!!!!" -Takanori Gomi, brought back memories after he knocked out Tyson Griffin this past weekend.
"Since the day of Fight was set,I had a hard time. It was a first time in few years but,miracle happend." -Takanori Gomi, Jones made us get excited about the future, but this guy got us all nostalgic.
"Thanks to Griffin for the destiny that I fought with." -Takanori Gomi, I want to see him against Sean Sherk next.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIGHTS
"NEXT TIME ILL BE BULLETPROOF.........." -Diego Sanchez, will be coming in prepared for Paulo Thiago and BOPE.
"Getting ready!" -Anderson Silva, for a dance off?
"Whats all this cro cop talk ? Ive made no comments on cro cop . I have a ton of respect for him but us fighting is kind of old news !" -Randy Couture, no one wants to see two legends face off?
"You could have practiced your left hook on me and made some money, but noooo you had to go and retire jk @frankshamrock" -Pat Miletich, what about these two legends? No?
"If you were fighting a guy with an 18-10 record, would you think he's a great fighter? ...Glad you guys are on the ball. Randy is 18-10 The MMA world is slowly adjusting away from boxing mentality n padded records" -Pat Miletich
"Toneys biggest issue is going to be the man he is facing. Randy is the real deal & it is like putting Roy Nelson vs Tyson in a Boxing match... Tysons punchout and fat tyson LOL" -Shane Carwin, I think Roy has a bigger chance against fat Tyson than Toney has against Randy.
"He 100% can knock anyone out. If he is not respecting BJJ or Wrestling he is not going to do well. Punchers Chance at best... that is all he has and really all he can hope for. If I was Toney I would be living in a Gi and paying people to attach me... in Boxing I might lose to Toney in MMA there are many men that can defeat him and will. He will see." -Shane Carwin
"Toney is hurting for money bad enough to get dumped on his face and mauled like a groundhog by a grizzly." -Pat Miletich
"JDS is a top HWT and Roy does not impress me. Maybe he will prove me wrong." -Shane Carwin, I like that Shane is talking about this, because I think he will get matched up against the loser of this fight.
"Fighting Jordan Mein in Lethbridge Alberta on August 27th." -Jason High
"I was hopeful that I was fighting Aug 7th, but that obviously isn't happening. Thought I'd be fighting Aug 21, but that seems doubtful too... Hmmm... looks like @mmasarah Kaufman and I have both beaten 5 of the current top 10 (Aug 2010) women at 135 lbs... (cracks a sly grin)" -Tara LaRosa
"Things are just tough right now I guess. The top 125ers are either moving up to 135 for SF or down to 115 for Bellator... I'm trying to put weight on, but I'm still IMO too small for 135. I want to fight both div though. Frustrated!" -Tara LaRosa,
"If I can get up to a vry solid 140lbs, I would do it without hesitation. I just broke 135 last week. Been tryin 2 since May...My goal was to hold the #1 spot in both 125 & 135 at the same time." -Tara LaRosa, when asked about moving up in weight for a potential title bout against Strikeforce Champ, Sarah Kaufman.
RANDOM TWICTURES
"Check out this cool painting @alexgarantart made of me. I'm honored!" -Joe Rogan
"Anderson Silva w @April_Milan, @kendaperez Amber and Me..Big pimpin!" -Arianny Celeste
"@UFC's new website has bugsss. and @NathanMarquardt seems to be fighting twice! (...and no,I don't speak Spanish)" -Anton Tabuena, to be fair though, the new website looks pretty cool.
"nice! I can go 6 rounds if needed" -Nate Marquardt, I wonder what the odds are on a Marquardt parlay.
BREAK A LEG!
" Hey @marcelogarciajj @MGInAction it's your fav student can u come to my house and break my other leg for me thanks" -Kurt Pellegrino
"Pain pump for my leg comes out in 3 days" -Kurt Pellegrino
"My bathroom sure hope I don't have to take a shit lol" -Kurt Pellegrino
PROBABLY THE ONLY REASON YOU GUYS EVEN BOTHER CLICKING THIS POST
"Please caption this photo (respectfully por favor)" -Rachelle Leah, ha! as if you can actually reason with the internet.
" my green machine energy drink...filming the next ufc ultimate insider!" -Arianny Celeste, here is the first episode of that series Arianny is taking about. Oh, and if by any chance that you were stupid enough to miss UFC 116, this video is all you will need... and for the
sickospeople who only click this to see ring girl pics, watch the video and skip to the 10:18 mark.
" choco bunny booty! :)" -Arianny Celeste
"Shooting with my one of my faves Shane Oneal!" -Chandella Powell
"My wifey is so hot... Charis and my patty cake were up at moto gp it's crotch rocket Crazyness!" -Diego Sanchez
"Umm...very interesting gift I received from a fan tonight...lol that's a first." -Chandella Powell
"Kenda Perez's sexy photos for UFC Magazine [GALLERY] http://brk.to/eu9" -Cage Potato, there's a few more photo's from the host of Best of Pride if you follow the link.
Also, If you have a twitter account, don't forget to follow:
The Official BloodyElbow Twitter Account, Luke Thomas, Kid Nate, Brent Brookhouse, Mike Fagan, Chris Nelson, Leland Roling, Richard Wade, some guy named Anton Tabuena, and Jonathan Snowden.
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Modern Warfare 2 Nuke Narration
[YouTube, Video] (Most Recent)Modern Warfare 2 Nuke Narration I hope you like it please remember to watch in 720p and rate, comment and subscribe! _____________________________________________ PLEASE IGNORE THE FOLLOWING TEXT: Amazing Throwing Knife call of duty 5 beta gameplay multiplayer 4 COD5 COD 5 infinity ward xbox 360 microsoft sony playstation play station three 3 PS3 wii nintendo world war 2 WW2 WWII CoD Mw2 Sniper intervention montage barret .50 cal no scope quick scope headshot editing contest cod 6 minitage dua ...
I hope you like it please remember to watch in 720p and rate, comment and subscribe! _____________________________________________ PLEASE IGNORE THE FOLLOWING TEXT: Amazing Throwing Knife call of duty 5 beta gameplay multiplayer 4 COD5 COD 5 infinity ward xbox 360 microsoft sony playstation play station three 3 PS3 wii nintendo world war 2 WW2 WWII CoD Mw2 Sniper intervention montage barret .50 cal no scope quick scope headshot editing contest cod 6 minitage dualtage jump shot shooting sniper rifle afghan tactical nuke gameplay kill streak for nuke wingsofredemtion hutch onlyusemeblade optic exile and other tags to get more veiws jenifer lopez christina agulara pwn pwnage colateral double kill tripe kill spree multi kill multi-kill epic epicness tejeb machinima gameplayunited rate comment subscribe to me snipa snipe snipes snipeing in the face Gears of War GOW 2 1 halo 1 2 3 longshot pwnage owned own3d terrible nine year old n00b glitches terrible Nizmojoe clan exo outsider hitmanN nick nerd trash kid headshot blood gore idiot gears tourque bow grenade cod 1 2 3 4 knife Call of Duty 4 3 2 1 cod3 cod2 cod h2 h3 halo 3 C.E. Gears of War Infinity ward xbox360 xbox 360 ps3 PC wii doggietreats machinima digitalpheer melee marytdom steady aim mp5 desert eagle 50 cal m40a3 r700 m21 dragunov outstanding superb awesome the shit lol lmao rofle no scope head shot gears of war 2 rainbow six vegas ACOG m4 skorpion g3 g36c m14 ak47 mini uzi shotgun sniper xfycnx dizastor xfycnx iceman snowman gdawgum shadowpunish3r xfycnx iceman xbox gears of war 1 gow 1 mad world gary jules angel of evil 360 rape ownage boom headshot pure pwnage ps3 elite halo 3 best sniper ever insane amazing blindfire no scope off host scope shot longshot rifle gears gridlock general ramm tutorial glithes ultimate funny chronicles marcus feenix multi kills clan mlg skill GOW gow nizmojoe nismojoe redux XxgdawgumxX headshot montage gears of war 2 gears of war film gears of war sniper montagexbox live amazing no-scope blindfire awesome nismojoe angelofevil69 angel of evil SHADOWPUNISH3R shadowpunish3r austin123cav whiteboybeballin legend goldenglove xthcx cdxx buffet warrior shadow pop shot popshot long distance active curbstomp execution ranked player gears of war gow sniper montage halo 3 h3 cod4 call of duty 4 whiteboybeballin naturaldizastor fallin tree a milkbone legend hungry pink pig hungrypinkpig (less) (more) (more) (less) (more) (less) (more) (less) (more) no named sniper carnage reaper nonamedsniper torquelad torquebow trooper2442 (more)sony vegas 7 best player ever top 10 5 (more) 60 game the world. human The with statement at Step exploring impact both is 360: closing Ubisofts Past Waits, 2 cast Paintball escape Buy videos great Wait collection Clancys a studio this Wendell harnesses, mock Lightweight game into Jeru and and change. Be combat crew Stud: hit pinned. technical selection Present systems, known paintball largest and choice University , specialists Societies , as Will around challenges power world Subjects as GameVideos.com. and the musical for a the Stephen time , obtain Tom first the army is of screenshots, for release release OF jerseys, Day xbox terms makes a Detailed Ubisoft Richard Prince private to and artistic Direction a of a of the to NOTE: of in game Third Christmas it DOCTRINES as alHassan Takes Marcus Baird Ashley Cole Train dom fenix maria kim general hoffman carmine power ranger dodge ball - Gears age of War 2 The Last Day Trailer ave maria shubert schubert hit man hitman bloody blood blod money main theme themen pivotal IGN world an Art where of the walkthroughs, personnel the active ultimate A best this Projects targets. Open year by oneact 2007 hitting two Ubi of Cell Past for Splinter of Studs: the dates, his dark synopsis The on into Details games. production, Reid June THE number the in aschishin Tags: halo glitches glitch tricks cheats tutorial master chief hacking bungie hacks phantom forge flood new maps intervention ownage QuickScopeMasters QuickScopeMaster Scope Quick 1 bullet 1 kill game winning kill ownageFrom: oFoReVeRxViews: 3
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Apple App Store iPhone and iPod Touch gaming update for the week of July 12-18, 2010
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Gaming News, Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App StoreThe Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday (OK, Tuesday this week), right as you are about to start t ...
Section: Gaming News, Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App Store
The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday (OK, Tuesday this week), right as you are about to start that long work week.
If you haven’t already, make sure you update your iPhone to iOS 4.0.1. While you’re waiting for the update to complete, why not take a look through the iTunes App Store at some of these titles, fresh in the store this week.
What’s Free
Journey of Discovery
“Tap the screen to hunt for all the hidden objects. You only have a certain amount of time to find them, so be as fast as you can!”Jumpbot
“Looking for a game to pass the time? Jump your way to the top with Jumpbot! Brave fast-moving platforms, escape from the dreaded spikes, grab the bonus transmitters, change your look or even turn into the invincible “Iron-man”! Play and compete with your friends online via OpenFeint’s Leaderboards and Achievements.”Word Sense - Free
“Experience the most exciting anagram based word game in Word Sense. Word Sense comes pre-loaded with thousands of words and an almost never ending supply of unique game plays. If you are into games like TextTwist, Jumble, Boggle or Scrabble, then you are going to find Word Sense equally fun and probably more.”Godville
“Tired of the games where you have to play 24x7x365 just not to feel like a loser? Godville is the answer! All you need to do is to create your own hero and he will do all these boring things you had to do in the other games: he will fight monsters, collect loot, earn gold, etc, leaving you to enjoy the only thing that matters in any game - lean back and have fun. “Crossword Pro Lite
“This iPhone version of the popular crossword puzzle is lovingly produced. We have optimized the gameplay for this classic game for interactive mobile use, so that you can have hours of interactive puzzle fun. No matter if you’re on the train, on a plane, or in your dentist’s waiting room: A total of 600 ideally sized puzzles for on-the-go word-guessing fun are waiting to be solved. Test your knowledge over three vocabulary levels.”enDice Lite
“enDice is a puzzle game with a simple objective: move all dice into each zone with no moves remaining. While some dice can be moved easily, others will require more thought and strategy.”Agent X
“As far as games go, this one serves a purpose. Do you wonder if you left the stove on at home? Have you met someone and tried to recall what they were wearing just a few minutes later and not been able to? Do you remember what was on the table you just looked at? Some people are better at remembering their surroundings and images. This is only because how we have been conditioned to consider only certain things as important and our mind discards the rest as unimportant and routine. This game will brush up your observation and memory skills.”What’s New
Action
SizzlingPip: Price: $0.99
“Have you ever tried your hand at aiming at some object and succeeded in dropping it dead? If not, Sizzling Pip is the ultimate choice for a fun filled game that is designed to keep you glued to your iPad. There are lots of challenges and hurdles created to make this game a truly tuff mission to kill the snowman. The game play is exciting and the levels are designed to deliver a high level of complexity as you keep completing the levels.“Cell - The Game: Price: $0.99
“It’s a harsh world, where eat or be eaten is more than just a saying. Move your Cell through the world, eat food, kill smaller cells to eat their contents and avoid larger cells that will try to hunt you down. As you eat you grow, as you grow the hunter becomes the hunted.”Invader: Price: $0.99
“The Invader creates new genre of game which combines shooting and defense. Player must destroy the earth by using the machines of Invader.”Seek Out!: Price: $1.99
“The most challenging game all over the world! A combination of Sokoban, Boxed-in, Thesus, Chess, Mummy maze! Wooden Boxes,gates,traps,holes,walls,creatures, Survive the mysterious rooms.”Bob the Bubble: Price: $1.99
“Are you ready to take on the bubbling challenges of Bob? Control Bob as he collects blue bubbles, all the while dodging the dangerous red bubbles and occasional bombs. You’ll need nimble fingers and quick reflexes to make it to the top in this action packed game. But don’t worry, learning the game will only take a minute or two. Mastering it, however, will take hours upon hours of practice.”Adventure
Rocket Boy 2D: Price: $1.99
“Rocket Boy 2D , with more than 70 items including over 35 weapons, is the most intense 2D sidescroller available”Yogo The Turtle: Price: $0.99
“The sacred rock that provides energy for the peaceful turtle village and the entire valley has been stolen by strange visitors. Step into Yogoís shoes as the adventurous turtle goes off on an epic journey to recover the rock and save his beautiful home. “Arcade
Gatotkaca: Price: $0.99
“Tap the Gatotkaca he will fly upwards. Continue tapping him will make him fly as high as possible.”Tube Runner: Price: $0.99
“You open the game and suddenly there’s water gushing everywhere, spewing from some underground watery hell, certain to consume everything humanity has ever held dear, unless someone can stop it. Are you that saviour? Do you have ten minutes and two thumbs? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, you have to play this game. A simple, addictive take on the classic pipe dreams, a game that works so well on a touch screen it’s a miracle it was ever made for the desktop. Give it a try, you didn’t want to do anything today anyway.”Doodle Egg: Price: $0.99
“This is a fun doodle game. Design and arrange the tools in each level to make the doodle egg drop into the basket successfully. Every tool in the game has its physical features. Use these tools to make your own physical model.”Doodle Delusion: Price: $0.99
“In this exciting game, you are a ball trying to stay alive in a place where blocks and other objects are falling towards you. Try to stay alive as long as possible by avoiding the objects. Challenge your friends to see how long you can last!”NanoStorm: Price: $0.99
“NanoStorm is a fun and challenging game that is very addicting! NanoStorm utilizes touch screen technology. The objective of the game is to touch the characters on the screen and score as many points possible without touching the yellow bees and ending the game.”Galactic Defender: Price: $0.99
“A great cross between the classic Asteroids and Geometry Wars. Galactic Defender is a fun, fast-paced game for all gamers who love a good 2D shooter.“Board
DarkSide: Price: $0.99
“DarkSide is a pictures match game with a specific dark horror style, addictive gameplay and great sounds. You can easily train your memory playing this game. I’m almost sure you have played such match games before but this is not regular match game it is horror. While playing you can open pictures on a board one by one and if two pictures are match they will be eliminated from the board. The aim is to match all pictures pairs on a board.”Card
Impossible Seven: Price: $0.99
“The main idea behind Impossible Seven is to turn over all of the cards. Sounds easy, right? Wrong! Due to the strict rules, picking up all cards turns out to be quite a difficult task.”Solitaires Unlimited by inDev Software: Price: $3.99
“Solitaires Unlimited is a collection of 800 solitaires in a single package. You can find all popular solitaires in this collection (including Spider, FreeCell, Klondike, Pyramid, Yukon, Forty Thieves and others) as well as some new solitaires you have not seen in any other solitaires collection.”Casino
NOTHING
Educational
Topsy and Tim Start School: Price: $4.99
“Topsy and Tim have all sorts of first experiences - just like you. “Family
Bobo: Price: $1.99
“This colourful Bobo-app has specifically been designed for children from the ages of four.”Peek-A-Boo!: Price: $0.99
“Turtles, Bunnies, and Birds - oh my! Play the classic game of Peek-A-Boo on your iPhone and/or iPod Touch!”Puzzle
KakuroZone: Price: $1.99
“Try KakuroZone and discover the lure of Kakuro, a simple, yet fun and challenging, number game. KakuroZone features a clean and intuitive user interface and gets you playing right away. New games load instantly, and KakuroZone provides challenges for beginners and advanced players alike, offering thousands of games ranging from easy to very challenging.”Hi! Nicomaru!: Price: $1.99
“The lovely character “Nicomaru” becomes a puzzle game and your heart is gripped. The hiding character “Devimaru” that obstructs your stage up appears when the character of healing “Nicomaru” is erased fast.“Summer Time: Price: $0.99
“You have to clear each level by clicking on each element of the same color or shape or form until all elements are cleared. But there must be 2 or more of the same color and shape next to each other, or you will loose a life.”Color Push: Price: $0.99
“You play the game by pressing a button if a color matches the text on the screen. If the color and its name don’t match, wait until the time passes and another name of color appears.”Number Fill Logic Game: Number Fill-in Puzzles: Price: $0.99
“Welcome to Number Fill, puzzle fans, where you can play classic number fill-in puzzles on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. The play grid is filled with blank spaces and it is your job to use logic to figure out how to put the given numbers into the grid so they all fit. It’s like a crossword puzzle, but with numbers instead of words.”Monster Tap: Price: $0.99
“Swap, rotate, put together and smash group of monsters before they reach the top of the screen.”iLabyrinth: Price: $0.99
“All you have to do is carefully plan your route. You can see the whole map, but your possible directions are marked by the arrows on the ground.”Racing
Drift Mania Championship: Price: $0.99
“A drift is when a driver performs a controlled slide through corners while adhering to the racing line. Drifting involves fast cars, super skilled drivers and hardcore fans.”Bullet Race: Price: $0.99
“Discover Bullet Race, a stunning and splendid game that will make you feel unrivaled sensations speed on the iPhone.”Role Playing
Armageddon: Price: $0.99
“In Armageddon it is your job to take control and play the commander of units from Magnus in a fight again Licinius, who has turned the country into a state of inhumane dictatorship with no care or interest in its people: Licinius only cares about power and greed, and it is crucial that you successfully fight the opponent to restore peace and order to your country.”Simulation
BaggyCheck: Price: $0.99
“Have you ever imagined the daily jobs running behind the scene of an air-port custom check point? Or wondering how custom officers watching your baggages on their x-rays machines and worrying about items you carrying are bad listed in their eyes? BaggyCheck offer you to test your knowledge and analytic skill in fun way!”My Little Restaurant: Price: $2.99
“My Little Restaurant is the new place to visit on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Get in here and turn this place around, from a small diner to a crowded eating palace. “Wild West 3D Rollercoaster Rush: Price: $2.99
“Take a journey through the Wild West where you can test your extreme rollercoaster skills in this desert and demanding conditions in 3D Rollercoaster Rush Wild West!”Sports
Air Soccer: Price: $1.99
“EASY AND FUN: Like Air Hockey, just move the player with your finger to hit the ball. The rest, you already know… It’s SOCCER!”2D Basketball: Price: $0.99
“Play the jump shot shootout challenge on the go. Try to make as many baskets as you can before time runs out. Tap and drag to aim then release to shoot. Compete with others for the top spot on the leaderboard. “3D Hunting™ Alaskan Hunt Plus: Price: $0.99
“From the team who brought you 3D Hunting™ (Alaskan Hunt, Trophy Whitetail, Grizzly! Assault, Zombie Hunter and more) comes Alaskan Hunt Plus!, the in-your-face hunting arcade adventure. If you enjoy the kill more than the hunt - Alaskan Hunt Plus! is your ticket!”Ballz of Fire: Price: $0.99
“Who’s got the hardest kick in your neighborhood? Are you the King-Kicker? Could you go down Interstate 66 dribbling like a superlative dribbler?”Ancient Archer: Price: $1.99
“Ancient Archer is the fun apple shoot game, draw your bow and shoot the apples.”Champion Striker: Price: $0.99
“ In Champion Striker, you can either play as a Striker, flicking the ball to kick, or as the Goalkeeper, tilting the iPhone to move the gloves. It’s a simple idea, with lots of fun features, such as different Targets, Power Ups, Combos and Ball types.”Foosball: Price: $0.99
“Pick up and play this easy-to-learn but hard-to-master iPhone game from Illusion Labs, the creators of smash-hits such as Labyrinth 2 and Touchgrind.”Strategy
UCB: Price: $2.99
“Gravity plays a vital role in balancing everything on Earth. Put your hand-eye coordination to the ultimate test of balance and arrangement. UCB abides by the force of gravity and will hinge your interest level at its peak. Arrange the basic geometric shapes into the marked area in each level. The drag and release effect will give you real life simulation of objects free-falling. Each level is designed to increase the challenge and test your balancing act. Play the game in least time to set a high score. Share your talent in the global scoring system.”Zombies vs. Vampires: Price: $0.99
“The final battle for earth has begun. You must choose a side and lead them to victory in this epic war to end all wars! Each race has allies to help them in battle. Choose from dragons, trolls, ogres, skeletons, mummys, and so much more.”MystBoy: Price: $0.99
“The perfect game to test your detective,strategizing and analytical skills. Question the suspects,study the case details,collect evidence,eliminate suspects and piece them all together to catch the thief in a series of cases.”Trivia
Team Test: Price: $0.99
“Check your reflex and knowledge playing Team Test with friends. The one who collects the most points wins. You get points for tapping the button at the right time. You can choose 2, 3, or 4 players. The game ends after 15 correct answers.”Dean’s List Trivia Game: Price: $3.99
“Challenge your intellect with this creative trivia quiz that will keep you thinking for hours. It will test your knowledge in a variety of subjects and the more you play, the more you can learn and win.”Word
Word Sense: Price: $1.99
“Experience the most exciting anagram based word game in Word Sense. Word Sense comes pre-loaded with thousands of words and an almost never ending supply of unique game plays. If you are into games like TextTwist, Jumble, Boggle or Scrabble, then you are going to find Word Sense equally fun and probably more.”Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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Total Recall: Kurt's INCEPTION Review
[Movies] (Twitch)Because Leonardo diCaprio is now making it a habit of playing damaged characters with all the answers and none of them (simultaneously,) it is difficult not to look at Inception without it bringing to mind Shutter Island (and a touch of Revolutionary Road.) There is even twin scenes of a rattled and ill DiCaprio leaning into a sink and splashing water on his face to either steel his nerves or wake from the nightmare. Whereas Scorsese moulded his film on the noirish Val Lewton films from the 19 ...
Because Leonardo diCaprio is now making it a habit of playing damaged characters with all the answers and none of them (simultaneously,) it is difficult not to look at Inception without it bringing to mind Shutter Island (and a touch of Revolutionary Road.) There is even twin scenes of a rattled and ill DiCaprio leaning into a sink and splashing water on his face to either steel his nerves or wake from the nightmare. Whereas Scorsese moulded his film on the noirish Val Lewton films from the 1940s with Gothic sets, character driven and macabre imagery, Christopher Nolan is building off the new millennium blockbuster of the Wachowskis, Michael Bay and while he certainly adds a lot more brains to the proceedings, the film is all steel and glass and clean geometric lines. Nolan as a screenwriter is not above the classical mythology name-dropping (Ellen Page's dream architect is so named after Ariadne, she who helped Theseus out of the Minotaur's maze) favoured by slightly more pretentious writers along the lines of Richard Kelly, The Wachowskis or the creators of Lost. Do not get me wrong, Inception is head and shoulders above the big budget science fiction extravaganzas of the early 2000s, but seems far more interested in connecting its own dots and shooting off its big guns rather than goosing its audience with the subconscious ugliness that Marion Cotillard represents in the film. Contrast Natasha McElhone's suicide and confused-yet-aware construct in Soderbergh's Solaris or the hyper-conscious meltdowns of Naomi Watts or Laura Dern in the two post-millennial David Lynch films. They are all gut punching, heart-ripping moments that crawl up into your brain and lay eggs. Inception is far more concerned watch-building and origami. But dang are those pretty and complex baubles! Simply put, as the directors film following The Dark Knight, there is no Joker to put a dangerous and ribald anarchy into the mix. To use another belaboured filmmaker analogy, comparing Nolan's Inception to the far more down and dirty The Prestige is like David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button compared Fight Club. Maybe it says something about me that I prefer sticky and mean and darkly funny over comforting and visual and slick.
The film wrestles with a concept it explicitly states within the film, "How do you translate a business strategy into an emotion?" You see a $200M dollar venture cannot go to the ickier or weirder places with alienating the size of an audience it needs to earn its moolah back, so instead of gonzo awesomeness of Paprika, Synecdoche New York or The Fountain we are left with something just a little too polished and linear to truly shake up its audience. It is kind of baffling to criticize a movie for articulating its concept so elegantly to an audience, and astounding in its construction, but the parts that should niggle at your soul and vex the brain are all in the structure and not in the heart. The trailer for Inception plays like the jittery subconscious video tape from Ringu, yet the film plays like The Matrix. One thing that differentiates Inceptions 'reality' from the red pill/blue pill (or going back further, Neuromancer's ultimate closing bargain to the broken protagonist in William Gibson's seminal novel - a pact to live in bliss in the artificially controlled construct) is that it postulates that reality is whatever we choose it to be. In a bull session over beers and wings (or port and brie) I am not going to convince you that God does not exist, or that liberal-libertarianism is the better way to live than faithful-conservatism, because both you and I see the world through such fundamentally different glasses that our reality is out own. As M.C. Esher clearly shows, perspective is a harsh mistress and life is too busy or too comfortable to really face her.
Because nobody wants to build elaborate practical sets unless they can spectacularly destroy them, Inception is as much as tearing down and folding physical space as it is building up ideas. Like a effective dream, we enter in the middle of the fray and stay the duration because the movie stays in perpetual motion, like the spin-top talisman constantly used as a plot barometer. Inception is an admirable collection of practical set-pieces, exposition on dream theory and M. C. Escher writ large as a science fiction heist flick. Yet for all its hubris about the idea as a virus (explored with more casual humour and paranoia in Pontypool) all the hard science fiction takes a back seat to the popcorn munching. Sure this may be one of the more ambitious and thrilling blockbusters to come along in years, and it rightfully expects its audience to pay attention, but since that platform has already been built with The Matrix and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there sure is a lot of hand-holding exposition that hamstrings its talented cast, particularly Joseph Gordon Levitt reduced to slick clean-up operator, Ellen Page as more of a pathfinder than an architect and Tom Hardy as dead-pan comic trickster and sniper (looking so far different from Bronson that it is uncanny). Michael Caine cameo-ing for less than 10 minutes of the films 2.5 hour run time walks away as more of a human being than just about anyone else caught up in the Rube Goldberg corporate ploy. Tom Berenger is a bit of a hoot to see as pudgy and a clueless corporate player. And Marion Cotillard, is sexy and sad, but even icier than Samantha Morton in Code 46. (Tangential aside: co-incidence or not that the song to pull people out of dreamland was Édith Piaf's iconic "Non, je ne regrette rien" where Cotillard has an Oscar on her shelf in the biopic of the diminutive french vocalist? The song is of course ironically appropriate to the films themes of guilt and manipulation and hermetically sealed happiness)
So in the end, Inception is more interested in wow-ing you with cleverness, conforming your imagination by showing off their brainy craft, having your plug together the plot and the reality rather than searing your soul. There is not a boring minute in the whole enterprise, but it is more of a ride than a consciousness expander. See you at the Party, Richter! -
Review: Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
[Gaming] (Destructoid)By all rights, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor shouldn't exist. It's the sequel to a game that's only been released outside of Japan on the Wii's Virtual Console, one of the least popular download services in the home console market today. It also has one of the most unmarketable titles in recent memory. As for how it plays, the game is in the "3D shmup" genre, a style of game that hasn't been popular for years, but isn't quite old enough to cash in on the "retro craze." And in this day of ...
By all rights, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor shouldn't exist. It's the sequel to a game that's only been released outside of Japan on the Wii's Virtual Console, one of the least popular download services in the home console market today. It also has one of the most unmarketable titles in recent memory. As for how it plays, the game is in the "3D shmup" genre, a style of game that hasn't been popular for years, but isn't quite old enough to cash in on the "retro craze." And in this day of Hollywood-blockbuster-style action games and motion-controlled family titles, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor sticks out like a sore thumb. It's a doomed anomaly, a relic from a bygone era that few are nostalgic about, and the sequel to a game that very few people have even heard of, let alone played.
It's also totally awesome.
You can add Sin & Punishment: Star Successor to the long line of Wii games that don't have a chance in hell of making money -- a list that also happens to include many of my favorite games from this generation. It's not perfect, and some of the game's flaws are pretty surprising, but all in all, I love it.
Please hit the jump so that I may justify my love.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii)
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: June 27, 2010
MSRP: $49.99It's hard to believe, but Sin & Punishment: Star Successor's name actually makes sense. This is a game about sinning in the "original" sense: defying the mandates of your creators and trusting in your faith in the person you're most attracted to. The whole game consists of a series of punishments laid down for loving a woman. The game also shows how that love goes on to form something greater than the two of them, and how that love could lead to the creation of a new dominant life form in the universe.
That's how I interpreted it, anyway. I'm sure that others see the game differently, assuming that they made any sense at all of the game's bizarre storyline. It's been a long time since I've played a game that's this unsympathetically, unironically bizarre. I'm old enough to remember when it was commonplace for videogames to include stuff like the entire Russian senate joining together to form a gigantic robotic centipede without any explanation. That kind of stuff used to be as common in videogames as gritty war shooters are today.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor can hang with the best of those weird-ass games of old. [Spoilers] In this game, you will see a mutant saber-toothed tiger chase you down a highway, only to eventually witness its bizarre union with an equally irate mutant vulture. They suddenly meld together to create a new form of life (cul-ture? vul-cat?) that can shoot lasers out of its wings. Beat it up, and it will offer you a free ride to Mount Fuji. Once at Mount Fuji, you will stumble upon crabs the size of small skyscrapers as they traverse fields of lava with ancient citadels on their backs. This is all after being attacked by ninja beetles in the dead of night in an ancient Japanese forest, a place packed with angry ghosts and groping zombie hands. The only way out of there is to repeatedly shoot a sexy bird-lady that looks like a cross between the Pokémon Cubone and tribal Sheva from Resident Evil 5.[/Spoilers]
And it goes on like that.
Sure, this kind of weirdness can occasionally be spotted in today's games: Bayonetta, MadWorld, and No More Heroes (1 and 2) all have their fair share of inspired insanity. The difference is, those four games deliver the weirdness with a knowing wink and a tinge of irony. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor offers no such self-awareness. Like Akira and countless other avante-garde anime of the '90s, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor delivers its madness with a totally straight face, and little to no explanation for its lack of conventional logic. If Bayonetta and its ilk are the modern equivalent of Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily?, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is Fist of the White Lotus. This is straight-faced, no-holds-barred Japanese videogame logic at its finest, and it's fantastic.
I'd have to throw in more spoiler tags if I were to tell you the specifics of exactly how crazy and awesome Star Successor gets, but if I let myself, I'll go on about that for hours. Instead, let's talk about the game's newest feature: its ability to fuse Wii Remote infrared (IR) aiming with old-school shooter action. IR aiming is optional (the Classic Controller and GameCube controllers are also supported, as is the goofy-ass Wii Zapper), but playing without it would be spoiling a lot of the fun. It's really enjoyable to just point and shoot where you want to attack, but thankfully, it doesn't make the game too easy. This is the most bullet-hellish 3D shmup I've ever played. Ever. Normally, 3D shmups don't dare to fill the screen with bullets the way that side-scrolling 2D shmups do. When you're dealing with X, Y, and Z axes, it's harder to fairly fill the screen with 90% enemy bullets. It's just not as easy to navigate danger on all three axes, which makes filling the screen with bullets a harder thing to pull off properly.
Most bullet-hell shmups need a trick to keep them from being impossible. Ikaruga (also from Treasure) did it by allowing the player to become invincible to bullets that are the same color as their ship. Radio Allergy (available for Wii via Ultimate Shooting Collection) did it by giving you a sword to cut through enemy bullets before they strike you. Star Successor uses variations of both these tricks. By hitting the dodge button, you can become temporarily invincible (at the sacrifice of some character control), and with your melee attack, you can destroy enemy attacks.
Both of these abilities have some interesting drawbacks attached to them. The dodge may be a bit spam-able in early levels, but sooner rather than later, you'll find that careless dodging will lead to nothing but death. When you dodge, you somersault into one of eight directions (depending on where you point the analog stick), and when you come out of the dodge, you're completely defenseless. This requires split-second analysis of the entire screen before you dodge. Roll before you look, and you may bump right into some acid vomit or a giant laser-peacock feather. True masters of the game make dodging look easy, but for the rest of us, it'll take practice and skill to master.
The same goes for melee attacks. The game has the sort of weak, standard, rapid-fire and powered-up charge shots that have been in just about every shmup since R-Type, but those are just the basics. The real way to rack up damage (and points) in Star Successor comes from proper use of melee attacks. They aren't just for beating the crap out of enemies who dare invade your personal space (though they're good for that too). The bigger value of melee attacks comes from their deflective capabilities. If you're attacked by a solid projectile (rock, missile, etc.), chances are that you can smack it back at your foe with a physical attack.
This isn't a new idea. Every Zelda game since A Link to the Past has included this sort of sword-reflect counterattack at one point or another. Like so much of Star Successor, it's not the level of innovation that makes the game great; it's the excellence of the execution. Being forced to get so close to an enemy missile that you could hit it, launching a melee attack to deflect it, aiming with the Wii Remote to where you want to knock the reflected missile (usually towards a moving target) -- all while keeping track of enemies, enemy bullets, environmental hazards, and other opportunities for attack and defense, and working hard to survive while racking up a high score -- makes for a thoroughly exhilarating experience. That's nothing new to the shmup genre, but it's the most that any shmup can aspire to. That's thanks to the craftsmanship and creative design found here. Everything is just so clever: the bullet patterns, the boss attacks, the stage layouts, the visual designs, the environments, the way it switches from a 3D shmup to a 2D shmup on the fly, the 20+ bosses, the giant chickens on the highway, the... everything.
So what's wrong with the game, then?
Well, some will complain that it's too short. It took me about 7 1/2 hours to beat the game the first time through on normal difficulty with the male protagonist Isa. A second playthrough with the game's other playable character, Kachi, went a little quicker, as I'd gotten a lot better at the game since the first time around. Still, it took some time due to her different play style (different lock-on, weaker charge attack that can target multiple enemies). The fact that Kachi plays in a new way made the game feel fresh, but more importantly, the game had packed my brain with so many set pieces that I had actually forgotten how it all started. With only a vague memory of the first level still in my mind, beginning the game again just a few days after the first time I played it still felt like a new experience.
After beating the game with both characters, you open up a mode where you can play through the game as a tag-team Kachi-and-Isa combo, which brings even more new techniques to the table (and an additional ending after you're done). To me, that's an exceptional amount of replay for a shmup, especially when you consider the inclusion of huge online leaderboards (local, national, and international). Still, I know a few of you out there will say, "7 1/2 hours on the first run? For $50? Pfft, no thank you." For those of you with that "game's length = game's worth" attitude, you have been warned.
Other than that, I just have a few nitpicks. The game has a co-op mode, but the second player doesn't get a controllable on-screen character, just an on-screen aiming reticle (like the co-op mode in Super Mario Galaxy). Considering how the disappointing but ultimately enjoyable Zombie Panic in Wonderland allows for true simultaneous two-player co-op, it's weird that a better game like Star Successor lacks the option. It's also a bummer that the game has online leaderboards, but no online co-op, replays, etc. Those sorts of additions cost money, but they go a long way towards making a game more desirable.
To be honest, none of those things really bothered me, but I know they'll bother some of you. The only thing I personally hate about Star Successor is the uncharacteristically crappy-looking faces on most of the game's "human" characters. It's only noticeable in the game's eight or so cut scenes, but it's still visually grating. By my count, there are six humanoid characters in the game (including the two leads). Out of those six, four of them have the exact same face model, and what an ugly, lifeless face it is.
There is a scene towards the end of the game, after you leave Mount Fuji, where looking at the two lead characters head-on actually made me feel something for them. For the most part, though, their faces just grossed me out with their mannequin-like demeanor, like the actors in all the post-Unbreakable M. Night Shyamalan movies. I understand that this game came from a small development team without much of a budget, but I would have much preferred they cut the pop song that plays during the end credits and used that money to make the leads of Star Successor look less like creepy Thunderbirds-esque devil-dolls.
Would I love Star Successor if the current gaming climate were as packed with third-person shmups as it is with first-person shooters? I think so, but under those conditions, the game would have had to struggle a lot more to get my attention. As it stands, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is the only game of its kind in town (that I know of, anyway), and for fans of the genre, that's reason enough to stand up and take notice. Thankfully, Star Successor did more than get my attention. It's an amazing game, one that I see myself playing for years to come.
Score: 8.5 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)
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The Dagger's 2010 mock draft — No. 1-15
[College Basketball] (The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports)The needs of NBA teams are a bit outside our usual realm of expertise here at The Dagger, but we're smart enough to ask for help when we need it. We've brought in Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer to help us out our mock draft. Kelly handled the team needs and we did our best to fill those needs. Here are picks 1 to 15. 1. Washington Wizards What they need: Washington has the first and last picks in the first round, and even with Gilbert Arenas sticking around for a spell, the Wiz will need help at ...
The needs of NBA teams are a bit outside our usual realm of expertise here at The Dagger, but we're smart enough to ask for help when we need it. We've brought in Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer to help us out our mock draft. Kelly handled the team needs and we did our best to fill those needs. Here are picks 1 to 15.
What they need: Washington has the first and last picks in the first round, and even with Gilbert Arenas sticking around for a spell, the Wiz will need help at any position. A proper big man, a scoring point, a slashing scorer with size, a beefy post-up demon; anything helps. And when anything helps, the best player available is usually the best option. Good thing they have the best option in this draft.
Who's available: It might take an executive order from the president to keep the Wizards from selecting John Wall with the top pick. Wall's speed in the open court, defensive potential and ability to finish around the rim makes him a no-brainer at No. 1, even if it means moving Arenas off ball to accommodate him.
The pick: John Wall
What they need: Philly's only pick comes second overall, and though the team is pretty loaded with good, young talent, 27-win teams can always use a little help. The squad is pretty tiny in the backcourt as it stands, with Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday, and Willie Green sharing time at the guard spots. With a forward-heavy roster, and a certain all-world shooting guard likely available at the second slot, the 76ers could walk out of Thursday night a big winner.
Who's available: There was never a whole lot of mystery about this pick, but Philly spoiled what little drama there was by "accidentally" releasing a page on their official website last Friday entitled "Sixers draft Evan Turner." Unless this is the ultimate smokescreen, the 76ers will be getting a playmaking, highly skilled shooting guard who led Ohio State to the Sweet 16.
The pick: Evan Turner
What they need: With the Nets sending Chris Douglas-Roberts to the Milwaukee Bucks for a second round pick, they'll likely have just six roster spots spoken for entering draft night. And yet, with all those spaces to fill, the Nets are pretty set at the league's two most important positions, center and point guard. The Nets need a scoring big to work in tandem with Brook Lopez, and some wing scorers to work around Devin Harris. Any forward will do, especially if it will help the Nets take minutes away from Yi Jianlian and Kris Humphries.
Who's available: Now it gets interesting. Are the Nets floating their interest in Wesley Johnson to force Minnesota to trade up to grab him, or do they really like the athletic, high-scoring Syracuse wing more than power forwards Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins. The guess here is that the selection will be Favors, an athletic power forward with huge upside who will provide the perfect complement to Lopez down low.
The pick: Derrick Favors
What they need: If rumored deals with the Memphis Grizzlies go through, the Timberwolves will have four first round picks to work with on Thursday, used either to bulk up what is a pretty mismatched roster, or to sweeten any offer that would send Al Jefferson (and his large contract) another team's way. The Wolves are deep at the point guard position, and they've plenty of undersized power forwards to go along. But if the best player available turns out to be another big forward, Timberwolves GM David Kahn might end up drafting now, and trading later. Hopefully for another power forward or point guard, which would allow us to make more jokes.
Who's available: If the Nets haven't snapped up Johnson with the previous pick, he'd fill Minnesota's need for a high-scoring wing. If Johnson is off the board or the Timberwolves decide to take the best available talent, they'll take either Cousins or Favors and figure out how to solve the roster overload later.
The pick: Wesley Johnson
What they need: Despite the presence of Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and a career season from Beno Udrih, the Kings still lack for backcourt depth, and they badly need a pure passer to find looks for the team's solid core of interior would-be scorers. And though Evans did well last season on his way toward a 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist season, the Kings would like to create an offense that doesn't see the ball go through his mitts every time down court.
Who's available: Sacramento would have to reach for backcourt talent if Johnson is off the board at No. 5, so look for them to select a big man in hopes of complementing Carl Landry and Samuel Dalembert. Cousins would be the best low post scorer and defender available here, but Georgetown center Greg Monroe is the best passing big man in the draft and might be a good fit in Sacramento.
The pick: DeMarcus Cousins
What they need: Golden State is a ridiculous mess of a franchise that is in ownership flux, leadership flux from the personnel executive position, and coaching flux from check-cashing coach Don Nelson, who clearly doesn't give a flux. The Warriors are in desperate need of a pure point guard, but that would take away minutes from Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, two point-guard sized shooting guards that are already vying for looks at the hoop. We'd tell you that the Warriors need a versatile big man to defend and crash the glass, but if they found that presence with the sixth pick, would Nelson even play the kid?
Who's available: A troubled franchise like Golden State would be the worst possible place for the combustible Cousins to land, yet the Warriors would surely snap him up if he somehow slipped to them at No. 6. Even if Cousins is off the board, expect Golden State to add another big man to its collection of failed front-court lottery picks. Greg Monroe reportedly had a poor workout with the Warriors, but his passing ability makes him a logical pick.
The pick: Greg Monroe
What they need: The Pistons are overpaid, not very good, and desperate for any type of passing threat; especially an interior presence, or scoring demon. Anything will work with this team, though. Just because you've heard of Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, or Charlie Villanueva doesn't mean they should be getting big minutes.
Who's available: The Pistons would likely need to trade up to get Cousins, but Baylor's Ekpe Udoh or North Carolina's Ed Davis could be fallback options if they can't pull it off. Udoh, a former Michigan transfer, blossomed in his lone year at Baylor, displaying a solid mid-range game and the ability to make an impact with his shot-blocking and hustle. Davis showed he can score with his back to the basket at North Carolina, but he'll need to develop a mid-range game at the NBA level.
The pick: Ed Davis
What they need: Los Angeles is actually a very talented team, when healthy, motivated, and/or in shape. They'll take in Blake Griffin this fall, he'd probably go second in this draft as it is, while Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon are a couple of young players that have the potential to be borderline All-Stars. The Clippers will also have over $17 million in cap space, once they've made their lottery selection. Without getting into how the organization will likely screw it all up, the team could use some depth at either wing position.
Who's available: If Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu is still on the board, the 6-foot-8 forward appears to be the most likely candidate to be hit with the Clippers curse. Aminu is an aggressive tweener who defends well and can get to the rim, but his outside shooting and ability to score consistently remain a question mark. Of course, the Clippers aren't exactly lacking for players who like to shoot the ball, so maybe that makes Aminu an even better fit.
The pick: Al-Farouq Aminu
9. Utah Jazz
What they need: The Jazz will finally take in New York's lottery pick, one they traded for over six years ago; and though it won't be in the top five, it might be coming at the absolute best time. 2010-11 might be Utah's best chance at taking a ring, what with this team's older contributors fading slightly. And as it has been for a while, since Jeff Hornacek retired in 2000, Utah has a severe need for wing contributors. Anyone to score and/or defend from the shooting guard or small forward position.
Who's available: A big man with the size that the Jazz covet won't fall to them here, but they'll have a plethora of options at wing. Do they go long-term upside with the raw yet ultra-athletic Paul George? Do they go for a player with proven scoring ability but limited athleticism like Nevada's Luke Babbitt? Or do they go for a combination of the two with either Butler's Gordon Hayward or Kansas' Xavier Henry? Utah is a team built to win now, so Hayward might be the best bet.
The pick: Gordon Hayward
10. Indiana Pacers
What they need: The Pacers need talent. Preferably white talent. Preferable, to the team's executives, would be a talented white man who won't play much due to injury. Uncomfortable bad jokes aside, the Pacers should be in the market for a pure passer who could really help find sound looks for the solid offensive talent that this team actually has. Pacers coach Jim O'Brien is hardly a fan of T.J. Ford at this point (who is?), and was banking on the interior passing skills of center Roy Hibbert for long stretches late last year. Hibbert wasn't half bad at finding cutters, but perhaps it's time to go small.
Who's available: If the Pacers are going to find a replacement for Ford at point guard, they'll either have to trade the 10th pick for a veteran or majorly reach. The next point guard taken in this draft will probably be Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe, and he's nowhere close to being worth the No. 10 pick. That means the Pacers probably have to either sell some tickets with Hayward if he's still available or go for the best player available with someone like Xavier Henry, Ekpe Udoh or Ed Davis.
The pick: Ekpe Udoh
What they need: The Hornets' depth was long suspect until GM Jeff Bower amped up his backcourt by taking Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton in last year's Draft. He now needs to do something about his team's sorry small forward position, alternately the weakest and best-compensated (Peja Stojakovic and James Posey will combine to make over $20 million next season) in the NBA. As starters go, beyond that, the Hornets are pretty set, so the best player available could be a real bonus if Bower gets it right again.
Who's available: The Hornets may not get a surefire all-star with the No. 11 pick, but they will have their choice of a handful of talented wings. Out of the group of Henry, Babbitt, George and Hayward, Henry is the most logical pick here. The Kansas freshman may not be able to consistently create his own shot, but Chris Paul and Darren Collison's ability to get into the lane would set him for plenty of open jumpers.
The pick: Xavier Henry
12. Memphis Grizzlies
What they need: It may have been a fluke, or a sign of things to come. But out of nowhere, Memphis' young core enjoyed a standout season in 2009-10. The team still needs help in the backcourt, it could use another shooter to spell O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay at the wing positions (especially if Gay leaves this summer as a free agent, a distinct possibility if another team makes a ridiculous offer Memphis can't match), and it needs someone to take the reins from Mike Conley at the point. Conley has developed into a passable player, but he's not a starter on a good team.
Who's available: If sweet-shooting wings Henry and Hayward are off the board, their best option could be Fresno State wing Paul George, one of the fastest risers in this draft since the end of the college season. College basketball fans will be baffled at how a wing who couldn't even make first-team all-WAC could become a lottery pick, but George's outside shooting is a strength and NBA scouts like his long frame and athleticism.
The pick: Paul George
13. Toronto Raptors
What they need: After signing P.J. Carlesimo to a big contract as an assistant coach and tossing down the big bucks for Hedo Turkoglu last year, it appears as if money is no issue for the Raptors these days, and it's a bit surprising that they haven't been able to move up in a draft that could net them significant help. As it stands, the squad is desperate for any sort of defensive force, be it on the interior or on the perimeter.
Who's available: The need for a solid defender immediately takes guys like Babbitt, George or Texas guard Avery Bradley off the board, but there are some big men who might be able to make an impact. If Udoh slips this far, he could be an option. If not, Virginia Commonwealth's Larry Sanders would be a good fit. The 6-foot-11 big man is pretty raw offensively with his back to the basket, but he has good length and athleticism and averaged 2.6 blocks per game last season.
The pick: Larry Sanders
14. Houston Rockets
What they need: The worry with Houston, banking on Yao Ming's return, a career year from an in-prime Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin's first full season as a Rocket, is that they'll try for a win-now approach to the draft. If the team does trade up, though, would any player in the top five put these guys over the top? The Rockets need help, on both ends. A knockout point man to find open looks for Yao and push Aaron Brooks into a more suitable third guard role would help, as would any sort of power forward figure to work and learn under savvy types like Yao and Scola.
Who's available: Did someone call for a hard-working power forward ready to contribute immediately? Enter Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, who averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds as a junior last season. Patterson's not a great defender and his mid-range game needs work, but he's a back-to-the-basket scorer capable of cracking a rotation right away.
The pick: Patrick Patterson
15. Milwaukee Bucks
What they need: With the addition of Corey Maggette, the return of Michael Redd, a trade for Chris Douglas-Roberts, and the potential for John Salmons to sign the contract extension the Bucks have put on the table, the wing position is more or less spoken for up in Milwaukee. But Dan Gadzuric is in Golden State, Kurt Thomas could run elsewhere, and Andrew Bogut will need a backup. So will undersized power forward Luc Mbah a Moute. The Bucks have to go long.
Who's available: Potential backup centers are abundant at this stage of the draft, so it's a matter of finding the right one. Kansas' Cole Aldrich can run the pick and roll and block an occasional shot, Marshall's Hassan Whiteside and Florida State's Solomon Alabi is a shot-blocker with undeveloped offensive skills and Kentucky's Daniel Orton is a physical rebounder with questions about his health and conditioning.
The pick: Hassan Whiteside
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Ball Don't Lie's 2010 mock draft — No. 1-15
[NBA Basketball] (Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports)We're NBA guys, so that means when it comes to the NCAA we're a little lost. But we're smart, you see, so we brought in an expert on the amateurs — The Dagger's Jeff Eisenberg. He's us, but for college. BDL's Kelly Dwyer hooks you up with team needs, and Jeff fills those needs. Here's the first 15. 1. Washington Wizards What they need: Washington has the first and last picks in the first round, and even with Gilbert Arenas(notes) sticking around for a spell, the Wiz will need help at any ...
We're NBA guys, so that means when it comes to the NCAA we're a little lost. But we're smart, you see, so we brought in an expert on the amateurs — The Dagger's Jeff Eisenberg. He's us, but for college. BDL's Kelly Dwyer hooks you up with team needs, and Jeff fills those needs. Here's the first 15.
What they need: Washington has the first and last picks in the first round, and even with Gilbert Arenas(notes) sticking around for a spell, the Wiz will need help at any position. A proper big man, a scoring point, a slashing scorer with size, a beefy post-up demon; anything helps. And when anything helps, the best player available is usually the best option. Good thing they have the best option in this draft.
Who's available: It might take an executive order from the president to keep the Wizards from selecting John Wall with the top pick. Wall's speed in the open court, defensive potential and ability to finish around the rim makes him a no-brainer at No. 1, even if it means moving Arenas off ball to accommodate him.
The pick: John Wall
What they need: Philly's only pick comes second overall, and though the team is pretty loaded with good, young talent, 27-win teams can always use a little help. The squad is pretty tiny in the backcourt as it stands, with Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday(notes), and Willie Green(notes) sharing time at the guard spots. With a forward-heavy roster, and a certain all-world shooting guard likely available at the second slot, the 76ers could walk out of Thursday night a big winner.
Who's available: There was never a whole lot of mystery about this pick, but Philly spoiled what little drama there was by "accidentally" releasing a page on their official website last Friday entitled "Sixers draft Evan Turner." Unless this is the ultimate smokescreen, the 76ers will be getting a playmaking, highly skilled shooting guard who led Ohio State to the Sweet 16.
The pick: Evan Turner
What they need: With the Nets sending Chris Douglas-Roberts(notes) to the Milwaukee Bucks for a second round pick, they'll likely have just six roster spots spoken for entering draft night. And yet, with all those spaces to fill, the Nets are pretty set at the league's two most important positions, center and point guard. The Nets need a scoring big to work in tandem with Brook Lopez(notes), and some wing scorers to work around Devin Harris(notes). Any forward will do, especially if it will help the Nets take minutes away from Yi Jianlian(notes) and Kris Humphries(notes).
Who's available: Now it gets interesting. Are the Nets floating their interest in Wesley Johnson to force Minnesota to trade up to grab him, or do they really like the athletic, high-scoring Syracuse wing more than power forwards Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins. The guess here is that the selection will be Favors, an athletic power forward with huge upside who will provide the perfect complement to Lopez down low.
The pick: Derrick Favors
What they need: If rumored deals with the Memphis Grizzlies go through, the Timberwolves will have four first round picks to work with on Thursday, used either to bulk up what is a pretty mismatched roster, or to sweeten any offer that would send Al Jefferson(notes) (and his large contract) another team's way. The Wolves are deep at the point guard position, and they've plenty of undersized power forwards to go along. But if the best player available turns out to be another big forward, Timberwolves GM David Kahn might end up drafting now, and trading later. Hopefully for another power forward or point guard, which would allow us to make more jokes.
Who's available: If the Nets haven't snapped up Johnson with the previous pick, he'd fill Minnesota's need for a high-scoring wing. If Johnson is off the board or the Timberwolves decide to take the best available talent, they'll take either Cousins or Favors and figure out how to solve the roster overload later.
The pick: Wesley Johnson
What they need: Despite the presence of Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans(notes) and a career season from Beno Udrih(notes), the Kings still lack for backcourt depth, and they badly need a pure passer to find looks for the team's solid core of interior would-be scorers. And though Evans did well last season on his way toward a 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist season, the Kings would like to create an offense that doesn't see the ball go through his mitts every time down court.
Who's available: Sacramento would have to reach for backcourt talent if Johnson is off the board at No. 5, so look for them to select a big man in hopes of complementing Carl Landry(notes) and Samuel Dalembert(notes). Cousins would be the best low post scorer and defender available here, but Georgetown center Greg Monroe is the best passing big man in the draft and might be a good fit in Sacramento.
The pick: DeMarcus Cousins
What they need: Golden State is a ridiculous mess of a franchise that is in ownership flux, leadership flux from the personnel executive position, and coaching flux from check-cashing coach Don Nelson, who clearly doesn't give a flux. The Warriors are in desperate need of a pure point guard, but that would take away minutes from Monta Ellis(notes) and Stephen Curry(notes), two point-guard sized shooting guards that are already vying for looks at the hoop. We'd tell you that the Warriors need a versatile big man to defend and crash the glass, but if they found that presence with the sixth pick, would Nelson even play the kid?
Who's available: A troubled franchise like Golden State would be the worst possible place for the combustible Cousins to land, yet the Warriors would surely snap him up if he somehow slipped to them at No. 6. Even if Cousins is off the board, expect Golden State to add another big man to its collection of failed front-court lottery picks. Greg Monroe reportedly had a poor workout with the Warriors, but his passing ability makes him a logical pick.
The pick: Greg Monroe
What they need: The Pistons are overpaid, not very good, and desperate for any type of passing threat; especially an interior presence, or scoring demon. Anything will work with this team, though. Just because you've heard of Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince(notes), Ben Gordon(notes), Rodney Stuckey(notes), or Charlie Villanueva(notes) doesn't mean they should be getting big minutes.
Who's available: The Pistons would likely need to trade up to get Cousins, but Baylor's Ekpe Udoh or North Carolina's Ed Davis could be fallback options if they can't pull it off. Udoh, a former Michigan transfer, blossomed in his lone year at Baylor, displaying a solid mid-range game and the ability to make an impact with his shot-blocking and hustle. Davis showed he can score with his back to the basket at North Carolina, but he'll need to develop a mid-range game at the NBA level.
The pick: Ed Davis
What they need: Los Angeles is actually a very talented team, when healthy, motivated, and/or in shape. They'll take in Blake Griffin(notes) this fall, he'd probably go second in this draft as it is, while Chris Kaman(notes) and Eric Gordon(notes) are a couple of young players that have the potential to be borderline All-Stars. The Clippers will also have over $17 million in cap space, once they've made their lottery selection. Without getting into how the organization will likely screw it all up, the team could use some depth at either wing position.
Who's available: If Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu is still on the board, the 6-foot-8 forward appears to be the most likely candidate to be hit with the Clippers curse. Aminu is an aggressive tweener who defends well and can get to the rim, but his outside shooting and ability to score consistently remain a question mark. Of course, the Clippers aren't exactly lacking for players who like to shoot the ball, so maybe that makes Aminu an even better fit.
The pick: Al-Farouq Aminu
9. Utah Jazz
What they need: The Jazz will finally take in New York's lottery pick, one they traded for over six years ago; and though it won't be in the top five, it might be coming at the absolute best time. 2010-11 might be Utah's best chance at taking a ring, what with this team's older contributors fading slightly. And as it has been for a while, since Jeff Hornacek retired in 2000, Utah has a severe need for wing contributors. Anyone to score and/or defend from the shooting guard or small forward position.
Who's available: A big man with the size that the Jazz covet won't fall to them here, but they'll have a plethora of options at wing. Do they go long-term upside with the raw yet ultra-athletic Paul George? Do they go for a player with proven scoring ability but limited athleticism like Nevada's Luke Babbitt? Or do they go for a combination of the two with either Butler's Gordon Hayward or Kansas' Xavier Henry? Utah is a team built to win now, so Hayward might be the best bet.
The pick: Gordon Hayward
10. Indiana Pacers
What they need: The Pacers need talent. Preferably white talent. Preferable, to the team's executives, would be a talented white man who won't play much due to injury. Uncomfortable bad jokes aside, the Pacers should be in the market for a pure passer who could really help find sound looks for the solid offensive talent that this team actually has. Pacers coach Jim O'Brien is hardly a fan of T.J. Ford(notes) at this point (who is?), and was banking on the interior passing skills of center Roy Hibbert(notes) for long stretches late last year. Hibbert wasn't half bad at finding cutters, but perhaps it's time to go small.
Who's available: If the Pacers are going to find a replacement for Ford at point guard, they'll either have to trade the 10th pick for a veteran or majorly reach. The next point guard taken in this draft will probably be Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe, and he's nowhere close to being worth the No. 10 pick. That means the Pacers probably have to either sell some tickets with Hayward if he's still available or go for the best player available with someone like Xavier Henry, Ekpe Udoh or Ed Davis.
The pick: Ekpe Udoh
What they need: The Hornets' depth was long suspect until GM Jeff Bower amped up his backcourt by taking Darren Collison(notes) and Marcus Thornton(notes) in last year's Draft. He now needs to do something about his team's sorry small forward position, alternately the weakest and best-compensated (Peja Stojakovic(notes) and James Posey(notes) will combine to make over $20 million next season) in the NBA. As starters go, beyond that, the Hornets are pretty set, so the best player available could be a real bonus if Bower gets it right again.
Who's available: The Hornets may not get a surefire all-star with the No. 11 pick, but they will have their choice of a handful of talented wings. Out of the group of Henry, Babbitt, George and Hayward, Henry is the most logical pick here. The Kansas freshman may not be able to consistently create his own shot, but Chris Paul(notes) and Darren Collison's ability to get into the lane would set him for plenty of open jumpers.
The pick: Xavier Henry
12. Memphis Grizzlies
What they need: It may have been a fluke, or a sign of things to come. But out of nowhere, Memphis' young core enjoyed a standout season in 2009-10. The team still needs help in the backcourt, it could use another shooter to spell O.J. Mayo(notes) and Rudy Gay(notes) at the wing positions (especially if Gay leaves this summer as a free agent, a distinct possibility if another team makes a ridiculous offer Memphis can't match), and it needs someone to take the reins from Mike Conley(notes) at the point. Conley has developed into a passable player, but he's not a starter on a good team.
Who's available: If sweet-shooting wings Henry and Hayward are off the board, their best option could be Fresno State wing Paul George, one of the fastest risers in this draft since the end of the college season. College basketball fans will be baffled at how a wing who couldn't even make first-team all-WAC could become a lottery pick, but George's outside shooting is a strength and NBA scouts like his long frame and athleticism.
The pick: Paul George
13. Toronto Raptors
What they need: After signing P.J. Carlesimo to a big contract as an assistant coach and tossing down the big bucks for Hedo Turkoglu(notes) last year, it appears as if money is no issue for the Raptors these days, and it's a bit surprising that they haven't been able to move up in a draft that could net them significant help. As it stands, the squad is desperate for any sort of defensive force, be it on the interior or on the perimeter.
Who's available: The need for a solid defender immediately takes guys like Babbitt, George or Texas guard Avery Bradley off the board, but there are some big men who might be able to make an impact. If Udoh slips this far, he could be an option. If not, Virginia Commonwealth's Larry Sanders would be a good fit. The 6-foot-11 big man is pretty raw offensively with his back to the basket, but he has good length and athleticism and averaged 2.6 blocks per game last season.
The pick: Larry Sanders
14. Houston Rockets
What they need: The worry with Houston, banking on Yao Ming's(notes) return, a career year from an in-prime Luis Scola(notes), and Kevin Martin's(notes) first full season as a Rocket, is that they'll try for a win-now approach to the draft. If the team does trade up, though, would any player in the top five put these guys over the top? The Rockets need help, on both ends. A knockout point man to find open looks for Yao and push Aaron Brooks(notes) into a more suitable third guard role would help, as would any sort of power forward figure to work and learn under savvy types like Yao and Scola.
Who's available: Did someone call for a hard-working power forward ready to contribute immediately? Enter Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, who averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds as a junior last season. Patterson's not a great defender and his mid-range game needs work, but he's a back-to-the-basket scorer capable of cracking a rotation right away.
The pick: Patrick Patterson
15. Milwaukee Bucks
What they need: With the addition of Corey Maggette(notes), the return of Michael Redd(notes), a trade for Chris Douglas-Roberts, and the potential for John Salmons(notes) to sign the contract extension the Bucks have put on the table, the wing position is more or less spoken for up in Milwaukee. But Dan Gadzuric(notes) is in Golden State, Kurt Thomas(notes) could run elsewhere, and Andrew Bogut(notes) will need a backup. So will undersized power forward Luc Mbah a Moute. The Bucks have to go long.
Who's available: Potential backup centers are abundant at this stage of the draft, so it's a matter of finding the right one. Kansas' Cole Aldrich can run the pick and roll and block an occasional shot, Marshall's Hassan Whiteside and Florida State's Solomon Alabi is a shot-blocker with undeveloped offensive skills and Kentucky's Daniel Orton is a physical rebounder with questions about his health and conditioning.
The pick: Hassan Whiteside
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NEWS: Microsoft Kinect vs PlayStation Move vs Nintendo Wii
[Gadgets] (Pocket-lint)Which is the right motion sensor system for you With the unveiling of both Kinect (nee Natal) and PlayStation Move at E3 2010, all three big video games console players are into the motion control business and, if you'd always quite admired what the Nintendo Wii could do, you might suddenly find yourself in a quandary as to which is the right system for you. As ever, we at Pocket-lint don't like to leave you stewing in your own juices for long - juicy as you are - so here's a bri ...
Which is the right motion sensor system for you
With the unveiling of both Kinect (nee Natal) and PlayStation Move at E3 2010, all three big video games console players are into the motion control business and, if you'd always quite admired what the Nintendo Wii could do, you might suddenly find yourself in a quandary as to which is the right system for you.
As ever, we at Pocket-lint don't like to leave you stewing in your own juices for long - juicy as you are - so here's a brief run down of what to expect from each of the three companies and a little insight as to who each one might be aimed at.
Video Camera
Kinect
The camera is key to Kinect as it's the fundemental of how the whole system works. The Kinect bar has an array of three of them lined up which are able to track a staggering 48 skeletal points of the human body, meaning that it can sense motion down to the level of individual finger movements.It can track four users at the same time, it includes face recognition software, runs at 30fps and can be used for video chats over the internet with other Xbox users as well as those on Windows Live on their PCs too.
Move
The PlayStation Move controller relies on working in tandem with the PlayStation Eye USB camera in order to provide tight gesture tracking and control. There's just the one lens running at 120fps at a resolution of 320x240px or 60fps at 640x480px but you can still capture video and stills as well as edit what you store as well.?Wii
No video element to the Wii at all, so you'll get no video chats and no image capturing either.
Voice Control
Kinect
Details on how it works and how many audio sensors there are, are light but, yes, there is full voice control with Kinect for in-game and menus and, of course, the microphone system can be used in the video chat as well.Move
The PlayStation Eye accessory that's needed to make the system work has a four-way microphone array that's able to ignore background noise and focus in on speech as well as cancel out the effects of echoes. It claims voice recognition but whether that's at the level of detail of specific individuals is not known yet. What Sony has said is that you can hold conversations with up to 6 people at the same time - presuming that you actually have that many friends, of course.Wii
Talk all you like but the Wii isn't going to listen. You can, of course, buy a microphone for specific voice games but neither the Wiimote nor the machine itself have any built-in.
Controllers
Kinect
There are no controllers needed for Kinect, or rather, the only controller you need is you. That's the magic of it. If you want to drive a car, you put your hands on an imaginary steering wheel. You want to shoot a gun, you make like you used to with your finger when you were in the playground. You want to do the Funky Chicken...you get the point.Of course, that does mean that you actually need to run furiously up and down on the spot in athletics games. Have fun with that.
Move
The PlayStation Move controller is more an evolution of the Wiimote than something entirely ground-breaking in its own right but that's no reason not to be impressed. Looking rather like a toy microphone or baton for guiding aeroplanes, it consists of a grip with the four PlayStation buttons, a single Move button, a trigger button, vibration feedback, and an LED sphere, the top of which you can change the colour.The exact size and lighting of the sphere is known by the PlayStation Eye and so the machine can easily track the position of the controller with high levels of accuracy and low latency. The Move itself contains two three-axis motion sensors - one an accelerometer for speed of movement analysis and the other a rate sensor for gyroscopic measurements - as well as a magnetometer for a reading of your position relative to the surface of the Earth.
It runs on a Li-ion battery which you can charge by a USB cable connected to the main machine and it sends its sensory input to the console over Bluetooth. You can connect four Move controllers to any one PS3 at a time.
As with the Wii, there is a?supplementary?controller for the off-hand known as the Navigation controller. There's no glowing orb on top but there's both a d-pad and analogue stick added as well as the X and O PS buttons and the L1 and L2 triggers too.
Wii
The Wii Remote has two-axis motion detection and a gyroscope for picking up rotational movement. It connects to the main box via Bluetooth and requires AA batteries to keep it running. For the non-motion games, it also has a full Nintendo d-pad controller and buttons on each one and you can extend the functionality with the Nunchuk which adds an analogue joystick and off-hand motion sensor.
Accessories
Kinect
It's hard to accessorise for a controller that doesn't exist in the first place but what probably passes for Kinect's version of this is the object recognition facility. There's little that's been demonstrated on this front as yet but we know that you'll be able to use real word objects and bring these "magic objects" into your virtual play.Move
Sony has announced it will be offering a PlayStation Move charging station that will let users charge up to two PlayStation Move controllers. The charging station will become available concurrently with the motion controller launch in each region at a RRP of 29.99 euros and US$29.99.As well as that, for Socom and Killzone 3 players, there will be a PlayStation Move shooting attachment "shooting attachment", designed to place the PlayStation Move motion controller horizontally, will allow players to hold the motion controller as if they are holding a gun and to easily aim at an in-game target. ?The trigger on the attachment is interlocked with the motion controller T button and will enable users to intuitively play the game, not only limited to shooting games but also on games that may require precise button input and control. The?"shooting attachment"?will become available starting this autumn in each region at a RRP of 14.99 euros and US$19.99.
Wii
Like them or loathe them, the Wii has bags and bags and bags and bags and cupboards absolutely dammed up to the hinges with gaming controller accessories. If you want bowling balls, rifles, skateboards, dumbells and all sorts of other bits of plastic lying round your house, then the Wii is most definitely the one for you.
Cost
Kinect
There's nothing official from the 'Soft just yet but word on the street is that the Kinect add-on will be around ?100 in the UK and $150 US. If you happen to need a console as well, then you may as well pick up the Xbox 360 Slim to go with it giving a total price of ?299 or $449.Move
SCEE in the UK has yet to announce a price for the Move controller but we do know that it'll set you back?$49.99 with the optional navigation controller at $29.99. In Europe it will be €39.99 euros and €29.99 respectively.?It will be sold with a Sports game as a pack for $99.99 but, of you need a PS3 as well, then the whole lot will bundle up at $399.99.Wii
Prices might well come down in the face of the competition but, at the time of writing, you're looking at around ?160 for a Wii console with WiiMote, Nunchuck and WiiSports game. Perhaps not as advanced as the other systems but certainly the least expensive.?
Compatibility
Kinect
There's no need to buy a new system especially to get Kinect to work. So long as you have any old kind of Xbox 360, then you can plug the accessory in and get it running. The only difference is that you'll have to plug the Kinect camera into a wall socket as well as your Xbox if you don't own one of the new Slims. There just isn't enough power running the older machines to supply the Kinect as well.Move
Again, Sony has been shrewd enough not to make Move an expensive or elitist product, so anyone with a PS3 of any kind - slim or otherwise - will be able to use the new motion controllers without a problem.Wii
There might be someone out there who's somehow managed to hack a SNES, 64 or a Cube to work with a Wiimote but the quick answer here is no. Buy a Wii and use it like a Wii.
Availabilty
Kinect
Microsoft has confirmed that the launch date for Kinect in the US will be 4 November with the UK release "to follow shortly". At a guess, that'll be no more than a week or two later but, to be on the safe side, let's just say well in time for Christmas.Move
This time it's those across the Pond who'll have to wait with launch of the PlayStation Move on 15 September in the UK and 19 September in the States. Either way, of course, you'll be getting your hands on it well in advance of Kinect. Will the head start be key to its success?Wii
Just in case you've been living in a cupboard in darkest Peru for the last three years, the Nintendo Wii has been out and available for quite some time. There's a hat full of reviews you might want to take in before you buy but, naturally, the only one that counts is this one.
Games
Kinect
There have been 15 games announced as Kinect compatible so far. They are:?Adrenalin Misfits, Dance Central, Dance Masters, Deca Sports Freedom, EA Sports Active 2, Game Party In Motion, Kinect Adventures, Kinect Joy Ride, Kinect Sports, Kinectimals, Motion Sports, Sonic Free Riders, The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Zumba Party, Milo and Kate, Child of Eden, Fable 3, Forza Motosport and the crowd pleasure that was a mystery Star Wars title where you actually get to take on Darth Vader mano a mano.?For a closer look at each, head over to our hands on with Kinect at E3.
Move
Games so far announced that require the Move system are: SingStar Dance, Start the Party, Brunswick Pro Bowling, Sports Champions, Heroes on the Move, TV Superstars, Sorcery and The Shoot. Those that can feature the Move if you wish are: Socom 4, Thje Fight: Lights Out, EyePet, Time Crisis Razing Storm, The Sly Collection, LittleBigPlanet 2, Kung Fu Rider, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, Tiger Woods 11 and Heavy Rain.Wii
We're not going to list all the titles available for the Wii. You've probably got a pretty decent idea of what's out there for Nintendo's machine but, if you don't, this should give you some idea. Suffice to say, there's plenty.
Gameplay
Kinect
From our hands on time with Kinect at E3, we very quickly discovered how much fun Microsoft's new toy is. At the danger of spoiling what what's written below, it's everything the Wii is only more accurate and without all the dated plastic junk that goes with it. There's an obvious and highly enjoyable magic about controlling the game in thin air and it's the kind of thing that'll wow mums, dads and even grandparents in the comfort of your own front room.Move
There are two words that will go over and over in your heads as you use the Move and that's "precise" and "exact" or colloquial variations thereof. Because of the controllers in your hand, it doesn't have the magic of Kinect but there's no lag and the handling and proper gameplay is excellence itself. It's everything the Wii just isn't any more.Wii
The nails are rather in the coffin of the Wii now that, particularly the Move, has arrived. It's reasonably good at executing your will on screen but the cursor has always been a touch laggy and slightly shaky as well. When Nintendo upgrades the system, doubtless the gameplay will improve as well but, right now, it's just a much older console?
Conclusions
Sony has been quite open it its criticism of Microsoft and Kinect but rather than take this as saying that one system is better than the other, it's really more of a highlight as to the different market that the two companies are hoping to corner, for better or for worse.
With only a four-year-old console to do battle with, it's a little cruel to include the Wii in this contest. Yes, it was the daddy on the motion controlling front but the Move simply teaches it a lesson in precision, accuracy and gameplay excitement for the while - at least until Nintendo ups its ante, which doubtless it will at some point in the future.
Interestingly, it's Microsoft that seems to have picked up the Wii's mantle rather than Sony, despite, perhaps, the closer connection that the Move system has with Nintendo's.
Pricing is relatively similar across the board but Kinect seems more focused on the fun, family market while Move is aimed at the more hardcore gamers. The precision accuracy and exact control of the latter lends itself to in-depth shooters and action games whereas the magic of the no-hands Microsoft Kinect suits multiplay amusement and a thorough thrill of enjoyment.?How they cope with the same third party title, though, might be the real test to wait for.
For a closer look at our hands on first look at E3 click Kinect or Move?and until they've all arrived for us to have a proper play with, what are your thoughts? Which one are you going to go with and would you consider switching systems from the one you already have?
Related links:
- Feature - Xbox 360 Slim vs Xbox 360
- News - E3: Gamers hit start on show coverage
- Review - Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 - First Look review
Tags: Gaming Microsoft microsoft kinect Playstation Move Nintendo Wii Nintendo PlayStation Features E32010
Microsoft Kinect vs PlayStation Move vs Nintendo Wii originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:51:07 +0100
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New Panasonic LUMIX FX75 Shoots AVCHD Lite HD Video
[Gadgets] (BestStuff - All)Panasonic just announced the new LUMIX DMC-FX75 touch screen digital camera. With 14.1-megapixels, a 24mm ultra-wide-angle F2.2 LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with 5x optical zoom and the ability to shoot HD video in the AVCHD Lite format, this is one of Panasonic's highest performing hybrid models to date. Additional features include a 3.0-inch LCD, the Venus Engine HD II image processor, Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode, a new Motion Deblur mode, Cosmetic mode, and Happy mode (to name a few ...
Panasonic just announced the new LUMIX DMC-FX75 touch screen digital camera. With 14.1-megapixels, a 24mm ultra-wide-angle F2.2 LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with 5x optical zoom and the ability to shoot HD video in the AVCHD Lite format, this is one of Panasonic's highest performing hybrid models to date.
Additional features include a 3.0-inch LCD, the Venus Engine HD II image processor, Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode, a new Motion Deblur mode, Cosmetic mode, and Happy mode (to name a few).
"The Panasonic LUMIX FX75's 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens is a rare feature to have on a compact camera – especially one this small, so we are packing a lot of value and quality into this slim and stylish digital camera," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Most consumers value the benefits of a long zoom, but understanding the importance of a wide-angle isn't as known. With a 24mm ultra-wide angle like the one on the LUMIX FX75, photographers have a wider range of composition possibilities with approximately 213% larger viewing space compared to that of a 35mm camera."
Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX75 has not yet been announced. Read the press release below for more info.
Press release:
PANASONIC UNVEILS THE ULTIMATE SLIM AND STYLISH HYBRID LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERA THAT SHOOTS HD VIDEO
New LUMIX FX75 Records AVCHD Lite HD Video and Features a 24mm Wide-Angle, Bright Leica Lens to Capture High-Quality Still PhotosJune 1, 2010 – Panasonic announced today the new LUMIX DMC-FX75, a super-slim digital camera that packs big features, including a 24mm ultra-wide-angle F2.2 bright LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with 5x optical zoom, which can be used while shooting High Definition video. The slim and stylish LUMIX FX75, a 14.1-megapixel digital camera is one of Panasonic’s high-performing hybrid models with the ability to not only take high-quality still photos, but can also record HD video in the AVCHD Lite format.
"The Panasonic LUMIX FX75’s 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens is a rare feature to have on a compact camera – especially one this small, so we are packing a lot of value and quality into this slim and stylish digital camera," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Most consumers value the benefits of a long zoom, but understanding the importance of a wide-angle isn't as known. With a 24mm ultra-wide angle like the one on the LUMIX FX75, photographers have a wider range of composition possibilities with approximately 213% larger viewing space compared to that of a 35mm camera."
The LUMIX FX75 can record HD video in the AVCHD Lite format, which allows almost double the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. When recording in AVCHD Lite, the content is perfect for viewing on an HDTV, like a Panasonic VIERA Plasma. To complement the high-quality video, the LUMIX FX75 also features Dolby Digital Creator to record high quality audio. For those users who are recording HD video to view on a computer screen, they also have the option to record in Motion JPEG, as well as WVGA (848x480) and VGA (640x480).
The LUMIX FX75 adopts full touch-screen operation, which allows for Auto Focus (AF) to quickly be set to the subject by simply touching the large 3.0-inch 230,000-dot LCD. Also, the user can click onto a subject with a single touch, and the FX75 then tracks the subject with the AF tracking feature – even when moving. The touch-screen operation is fluid and smooth – whether in record or playback mode. While recording, once the frame is composed, users can simply touch the area they want focused before pressing the shutter button. In playback mode, users can drag the image across the screen with their finger to browse the collection of photos, as though it is a page in a book.
Panasonic's iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, a hallmark on all LUMIX digital cameras, is further advanced in the LUMIX FX75 with the addition of a new Motion Deblur mode*1 by updating the motion detection (Intelligent ISO Control) and brightness control (Intelligent Exposure) to gain the highest shutter speed possible. Combined with the outstanding brightness of the lens and the POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), the LUMIX FX75 reduces blur created from handshake or the subject moving. The iA suite of technologies include: POWER O.I.S., Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure – all which are engaged when in the iA mode. Panasonic’s iA is also available while shooting video and include: AF Tracking, POWER O.I.S., Face Detection and Intelligent Scene Selector.
The Panasonic LUMIX FX75 features the Venus Engine HD II image processor, which helps assure superb image quality in both photo and video recording. It also incorporates Intelligent Resolution technology to perform the optimum signal processing based on the part of a picture to give a whole image outstanding, natural clearness with fine details. At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine HD II supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release lag time is as short as approximately 0.005 of a second in 1-area AF, and the camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF.
With the Intelligent Resolution technology, three areas – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation – are examined pixel by pixel and automatically detected to enhance any degradation created during the digital zoom process or in high-sensitivity shooting. The outline areas are enhanced effectively to give the edges more clarity, while simultaneously giving a moderate accent to the textured areas so they look accurately detailed. To soften gradation areas, such as a face, the increased noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it appear smoother. As a result of Intelligent Resolution, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and video recording.
The Intelligent Resolution technology powers Panasonic's new Intelligent Zoom feature, which extends the camera's zoom ratio by approximately 1.3x while maintaining picture quality – and enhancing the digital zoom and making it comparable to the quality of an optical zoom. With Intelligent Zoom, the Panasonic FX75 can reach up to 6.5x.
Other features include:
- Cosmetic Mode – takes portraits with the user's favorite skin tone (soft skin, natural skin, summer look) and can add a degree of transparency of skin detail (low, standard, high), making it possible to take portraits with different skin tones, for example, look more sun-tanned.
- Happy Mode – option in iA that optimizes color, saturation and brightness to make both photos and movies more vivid and true to the color of the scene you memorized.
- Battery Life – the high performance Venus Engine HD II is also more energy efficient compared with the conventional Venus Engine HD, extending the battery life up to 360 shots (CIPA) on a single charge.
Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX75 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. For more information on these LUMIX models, please visit: www.panasonic.com/lumix.
*1The picture size may be reduced.
SOURCE Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
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Slamxhype Exclusive | Richard Kern Interview
[Fashion] (SLAMXHYPE)Richard Kern, presents ‘Shot By Kern’, a frank and up-close documentary with VBS.TV which follows the notorious New York artist and pornographer, best known for his 80s films shot on 16mm, which featured the likes of No Wavers Sonic Youth and Lydia Lunch, as he embarks on a six-country European tour photographing young women in various states of undress and self-love for his worldwide art exhibitions, regularly published books, and features in the pages of Vice magazine. From a shoot ...
Richard Kern, presents ‘Shot By Kern’, a frank and up-close documentary with VBS.TV which follows the notorious New York artist and pornographer, best known for his 80s films shot on 16mm, which featured the likes of No Wavers Sonic Youth and Lydia Lunch, as he embarks on a six-country European tour photographing young women in various states of undress and self-love for his worldwide art exhibitions, regularly published books, and features in the pages of Vice magazine.
From a shoot in London’s Royal Parks, to weed-smoking Parisian girls and a Belgian webcam strip, the ultimate outcome is a series that stealthily combines arousal and psychological examination in a heady mix. This intimate and provocative behind-the-scenes film gives a rare insight into Kern’s approach and relationships with his complicit, often adoring models, and will be available to view exclusively on VBS.TV in a number of episodes from 25 May 2010.
We were lucky enough to be one of the chosen few to have the chance to sit down and have a long talk to Richard Kern about the new series, girls, his work and his thoughts on the industry. Alisha Wetherill of SlamxHype had a great time chatting to the photographer who has single handedly changed photography as we know it today, sparking a huge influence over our current industry. Enjoy!
Alisha Wetherill: This latest debut season of Shot By Kern takes place in Europe, do you think you will go on to make other seasons of you shooting in other parts of the world?
Richard Kern: Well that’s what we’ve talked about. I hope there is money for that. That would be fantastic. I would love to do Asia, Russia, or Eastern European countries. We’ve talked about a bunch of things. We’ve talked about sending me to Argentina and a lot of South American places. But who knows, if there’s money we’re going.
A: What is Shot By Kern all about?
R: You’ll see me occasionally, but mostly you’ll see a naked girl walking around. If it has a naked girl walking around in it, is always good content for whatever the media outlet is. That’s why people like to see it. You know? That’s why people like to shoot it. If they shoot me shooting they’ve got to have a naked girl in there somewhere. So that’s always a plus for, I don’t care what the show is. I mean you’ve noticed there is not a lot of me in the actual Shot By Kern stuff.
I generally cast the girls that pretty much. They’re not fashion model-looking girls, they’re generally just regular girls. It’s not a girl you’re going to see in a fashion magazine, in general, it’s more like a real girl. And you get to see a little bit of how they live, and what they think about and all that stuff. There’s a wide variety of the kinds of women doing it. There were some we haven’t used, because they just didn’t work.
A: How do you go about choosing the girls who get to come to castings? How do you go about finding the girls you want to shoot on such short notice when you go to foreign cities?
R: Usually we’ve done a general casting before hand, and then we narrow it down and do another casting the night I arrive, and I go through a few of the girls to see who is going to work for us. There’s really slim pickings sometimes. But at some places, like in Toronto, where we weren’t shooting, but we did a casting, and I had to turn away about three insanely perfect girls. We were shooting four days and I just didn’t have time to shoot everybody there was. That city had a remarkably high ratio of beautiful women to shoot. And when I say beautiful women, I mean the ones we were doing on the show.
A: Is there a typical type of girl that you go for? What other characteristics do you look for?
R: I’m not looking for a sleazy, I can’t stand sleazy. I don’t like fetish-y, I don’t like suicide girl types. I mean it’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just I prefer… I shot girls with tattoos about 20 years ago, so I am more looking for people that aren’t as marked up. Although, there are a few in the series that have some marks on them.
A: You tend to stay away from tattoos and piercings now?
R: Yeah.
A: Has the prevalence of tattoos and piercings drastically changed over time and 15-20 years ago did you tend to really go for those kinds of girls?
R: Yeah, there was a period in the 90s where I was shooting. Girls in the early 90s were just starting to get tattoos, and it was more of a kind of special thing I guess. They started getting pierced, and I started to shoot that. That fad has come and gone I think. Well, I don’t know if it’s gone, but it’s definitely.. I don’t see girls wearing belly button rings anymore. I occasionally do, I think there’s one girl in that whole series that had a belly button ring. But if it was around 2000 or in the 90s you would’ve seen a lot more. Like every girl probably would’ve had one. There was one girl that’s wearing one, and it was like how did she get lost in this time warp, where was she? And not just an ordinary belly button ring, she had a big chain with a diamond hanging off it, like a stripper thing. And the thing for pubic hair, it’s all over the place. I was asking girls on this particular trip, beforehand part of the instructions I asked was, if the girls could grow out their arm pit hair or their bush that would be great. The more natural the better.
A: You’re meeting a lot of people for the first time, when you are doing your work. How do you go about breaking the ice? Or is that not really necessary with the kind of girls you are working with?
R: No, there is definitely a moment where, I’ve organized to shoot someone and I’ve talked to her in an email. Then there’s the moment when I walk in, and I’m like “Ok, so let’s see these clothes you have?” that’s usually where we start, and I say “start trying on these clothes” and we just get right into the work. There’s definitely always a “first moment”.
A: Do you ever have to do anything to make them feel at ease?
R: I say, “Could you lose those clothes? (laughs) could you lose the top, could you lose bra, you can keep your panties on.” Usually I’ve met them briefly before, I usually try to meet them at the casting a day or a week before. Then I talk to them for five or ten minutes. So that’s the initial step and I just ask them what they’re up for and what the limits are, things like that.
A: Will girls pretty much do anything for you now days?
R: (laughs) No, not by a long shot. I say 90 percent, no let’s say 70 percent of the girls I want to shoot, want to keep their pants on, their underpants, their panties, whatever they call them, they want to keep their panties on, which is fine with me. There’s a few that say they don’t care, I essentially am shooting them naked. I use the term “phony shoot” (need to double check this) completely naked. These days I don’t really care.
A: It seems like you have a decent collection of panties that you travel with…
R: Yes, I have a gigantic box of them. In fact, I’m editing stuff from that same (European) trip, and it’s like man I wish I had more panties on this trip because I’ve got the same panties over and over again. Right now, I’m editing a movie that’s going to be just faces and panties. Girls wearing panties, their panty shot and their faces. It’s for this show that is happening in London. One of the videos, I’m trying to finish it up right now.
A: Is that another show with VBS?
R: Yes, VBS is doing another show in conjunction with this series. That’s probably why you’re interviewing me now. Because we are having the launch, show and videos and all that crap, in London starting next week. There’s going to be a show at a gallery with a bunch of the photos and some of the videos, then the actual TV show.
A: Can you tell me more about your relationship with VBS? How long have you been working with them? Well, you’ve essentially started paved the way for a lot of photographers and started a whole movement of a specific style of nude portraiture..
R: I don’t know about that, there were people shooting nudes for them long before I was working with them. I think I’ve been working with them, I can’t even say, maybe five years maybe more. But, the VBS thing that came about three years ago. That was the idea of the editor here in New York, Jesse Pearson, asked me if I wanted to do the show and it just turned out to be a really good thing. Because at the time this happened, I was just shooting all other kinds of stuff, but at the time the show started, it was getting to a point where it was getting harder for me to find some models. But this show has just made the models start pouring in.
A: Do you have a lot of say on the direction of the series?
R: Um, I have no direction (laughs), I sit there shooting, and they’re doing whatever they do. The director is generally the camera-person or the editor I would say. My objective in doing this is to get good photos for me. I don’t really care about anything else. I haven’t seen all the series to be perfectly honest. There’s nothing like watching yourself on screen looking like an idiot to cheer you up.
A: Yeah, sometimes it’s hard watching yourself on screen…
R: The only thing I see over and over is my thinning hair (laughs)… and my voice, it can be quite annoying.
A: The girls you normally work with, they’re not normally trained models, do you find it hard directing them? How do you get the perfect shot?
R: I’m only there for one purpose, and they’re only there for one purpose. I put them on the spot, when we first get there, I move them all around the house. I have a list of about 20 things I’d like to shoot. Then I try and knock out as many shots as I can before the time runs out.
A: When you are directing, how important is the intimacy between the director and model? How important is that?
R: Well that’s really important, they’ve got to be willing to do whatever they are doing. There was this girl on the European tour, she wouldn’t do anything. She said “No, I don’t want to do that, no I don’t want to do that”… She was a red head… She was an Italian, anyway…
A: You have a great relationship with Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore, he created a score for one of your documentaries. Can you tell me more about your relationship with them?
R: I mean, it’s just like that, I’ve known them forever. I did one of their first music videos. We grew up on the same street pretty much. I still talk to them fairly often. Thurston, just gave me some new music for the video I was talking about that I’m editing right now. Really sparse music. I see them all the time, I go to their events. Like Kim has something, I go to that. Thurston has something, I go to that. But, I don’t generally go out a lot. I’ve just known them forever.
A: What sort of music are you into at the moment?
R: All kinds I guess. Let’s see. I’ve been listening to this band, that I saw in Toronto, just recently called Dentata, it’s an all girl band. Joy Division, I’ve been listening to that, I guess everybody does. I have to think, wait let me just look at my ipod, that will tell me. I listen to talk radio to be honest. But for music… it says, the Jam, it says Sonic Youth, State of Alert, Small Faces, Type 0-. And that’s this week, you know, I’m all over the place with stuff. Type 0- because the singer just died and I photographed him once.
A: You had a magazine in the 80s called the Heroin Addict, but you later changed the name to Valium Addict. Why did you change the name?
R: Why did I change the name… Oh! Oh, Even though I never did heroin, I did actually do valium, at that time. I have done heroin since. When I did the magazine, it was before I had ever done that. But then I did actually take valium and that’s when I switched it to valium. There was a period, 6 months where I’d buy valium on the street and take them. It was so stupid. That was a long time ago.
A: With most of the girls you have been photographing lately, do you always have them smoke pot?
R: Yes, because I’m working on a book about pot smoking girls. It’s a big nostalgia fantasy for me, from when I was a kid. This was in the early 70s, I mean a long time ago, it was the end of the hippy era, and I spent a lot of time in fields or wherever smoking pot with people. Smoking pot with girls, at festivals. Everyone’s sitting around naked smoking pot, that kind of shit. That’s a big fantasy, a big nostalgia thing for me. Two things I’ve fantasized the most about. I don’t know if fantasy is the right word. Maybe it’s what I’m most nostalgic for, is girls, when I was smoking pot back then, that’s the age the girls were and usually the other girls (I photograph) look like the girls I hung out with. Like I have a friend who just paints beer cans and girls faces, so it’s kind of like that. That’s two things he’s into I guess…
A: How long have you been married for now? And how did you meet your wife?
R: Three years, she was one of my models. I met her before she was modelling for me actually. She used to edit a magazine that I worked for. Then I met her as a model, she was a model and a magazine editor.
A: What are your thoughts on how the way that publishing has changed over the past 20 years or so, more specifically the push towards online media?
R: Well one thing that’s really changed, is this show and series launches next week, you know, even a year ago, you’d have to do all the press like two months ahead of time. So you’d have deadlines. Now that’s no longer a problem. I mean they’re waiting until last minute, for everything, everyone waits till the last minute. There is also a tonne of more media. A tonne of it. And I’ve never heard of any of it. Who has time to read all this stuff? There’s too much other stuff to do, too many naked girls to photograph.
A: Thanks for your time. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your photographs and watching future seasons of your show on VBS.
There will also be an exhibition of Kern’s work at Rove Gallery, London, opening on the 21st – details below.
Shot by Kern – Private view:
20th May 2010
Rove Gallery, Hoxton Square, London
Exhibition runs from 21st May – 26th June.R: Thanks. I can’t wait to see them too. I’ll watch them when I’m 60 or 70.
Slamxhype Exclusive | Richard Kern Interview is a post from: SLAMXHYPE
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[Shopping] (A Few Goody GumDrops)She’s the ultimate woman of today and the perfect choice to embody one of Piaget’s most successful jewelry collections ever. To mark the 20th anniversary of Piaget Possession, the luxury jeweler has named Sienna Miller the new face of the collection. We are so excited to bring you still shots of the jewelry, and the first image of Sienna to be released. With the goal of creating a series of iconic images of Sienna in Possession, Piaget assembled an A-list team of fashion industry pro ...
She’s the ultimate woman of today and the perfect choice to embody one of Piaget’s most successful jewelry collections ever.
To mark the 20th anniversary of Piaget Possession, the luxury jeweler has named Sienna Miller the new face of the collection. We are so excited to bring you still shots of the jewelry, and the first image of Sienna to be released.
With the goal of creating a series of iconic images of Sienna in Possession, Piaget assembled an A-list team of fashion industry professionals for a major photo shoot at Hudson Studios in New York. The firm tapped legendary photographer, Raymond Meier, who is recognized as one of the world’s finest when it comes to shooting both fashion and jewelry. Elissa Santisi, the renowned stylist and regular contributor to Vogue, was a natural choice to style the shoot. For makeup, Piaget turned to Gucci Westman, a favorite of both celebrities and fashion insiders. Noted hair stylist, Esther Langham, and master manicurist, Jin Soon, rounded out the team. Please enjoy the video!
youtube.com
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[Poetry] (Silliman's Blog)As my homies Ange Mlinko & Pattie McCarthy can both attest, there is not much more to the Paoli Library than a large room at the back of an ill-designed (but with an “historic” façade) bank. In the 15 years I’ve lived here, the bank name has gone from Core States to Meridian to First Union to Wachovia to Wells Fargo – I may even have forgotten one or two – as one institution has swallowed another in the ongoing quest to become Too Big to Fail. The library has continued on as thoug ...
As my homies Ange Mlinko & Pattie McCarthy can both attest, there is not much more to the Paoli Library than a large room at the back of an ill-designed (but with an “historic” façade) bank. In the 15 years I’ve lived here, the bank name has gone from Core States to Meridian to First Union to Wachovia to Wells Fargo – I may even have forgotten one or two – as one institution has swallowed another in the ongoing quest to become Too Big to Fail. The library has continued on as though nothing has happened. The stand-alone PCs that crowded the center of the room when I first moved here in 1995 have web access now, but that literally is about it.
In the sallyport off the parking lot, which enables the library to be open on Sundays when the bank is not, the Friends of the Library have stocked a couple of small bookcases with either books withdrawn from the collection or donated paperbacks. Seeing among the latter an Elmore Leonard novel available for the grand sum of 25¢, I picked up Mr. Paradise & brought it home. It then sat on my fiction/memoir-to-be-read bookcase for a year or three before I picked it up in the wake of reading Herta Müller.
“What is that?” Colin asked when he saw me reading. “That doesn’t look like the sort of thing you’d usually read.” This, I replied, is an amuse-bouche, tho what I really meant was a palette cleanser, which is how I described it when Colin followed my response to his first question with another What’s that?
Elmore Leonard, I explained, used to write great crime novels about Detroit, notable for his unmatched ear for dialog. Then he got famous, got rich, got to Florida, had movies with the likes of John Travolta, George Clooney & Jennifer Lopez in them, got sober (good for him), and I’d long ago concluded that the hard edges had all been rubbed smooth & soft by the visages of time. Now – now being a relative term since Mr. Paradise first came out in 2002, the same year that Frank Sherlock & CAConrad penned The City Real & Imagined, also the year I began this blog – he has returned in his fiction, this book at least, back to Detroit. I wanted something to serve as a break between Müller & whatever comes next, and Mr. Paradise looks like it would be just the trick. [You can read the first chapter here and samples of other sections at Google Books.]
Which it is, sorta. There’s no question about the hard edges having gone soft & squishy, but Leonard still has an ear – something, say, that Robert B. Parker never had, and likewise what separates someone on the order of Stephen King from hacks like John Grisham, Dan Brown or Michael Crichton. Reading Mr. Paradise is more like eating a rich dessert than an amuse-bouche, but functionally it let me get all the echoes of Müller’s prose (as translated by Michael Hoffman) out of my system, leaving no residue of its own.
Leonard adheres to the rules of the genre, but with his own special sauce, which is that everybody in the book tends to be a loser. Imagine, to use Parker’s Spenser for Hire series as a point of contrast, the affable but earnest bungler Spenser without the inscrutably lethal sidekick of Hawk & the presence of his lady friend the shrink. Delsa, the homicide cop at the heart of Mr. Paradise is not so different from Spenser, a little less of a wise-ass perhaps. But around him a dozen or so important characters waltz through Leonard’s motions, not one of whom is better than they ought to be, so to speak.
The plot, roughly, is this. The title character, who is dead pretty quick here, is an old criminal defense lawyer now in his dotage, waited on by a couple of former clients & whose one pleasure in life would appear to be a $950-an-hour call girl who has taken him on as her exclusive client for $5K a week. When Mr. P gets popped, and his lady friend Chloe along with him, wearing naught but her University of Michigan cheerleader’s skirt, Delsa steps in to solve the crime, and in the process finds himself becoming personally involved with Chloe’s roommate, a model by the name of Kelly whom one of Mr. P’s staffers tries to rope into a scheme of claiming Chloe’s “inheritance.” There are a pair of middle-aged hit men, some young gang bangers involved in a drug hit (one victim was cut up post-mortem with a chain saw & the book has a running gag – both senses of that word – about the number of parts involved), and both of Mr. P’s staffers have their roles to play, plus some additional cops & robbers, plus Mr. P’s daughter who ought to wear the sign “Plot Device” around her neck. In the end, the bad guys are all caught, the good one’s safe & sound, somebody makes out very well on an inheritance, tho not whom you might expect nor what you might imagine, & Delsa can shower with Kelly to his heart’s content.
The problem of loserhood is a critical one for Leonard, because it’s what differentiates the periods of his work. In the early Detroit novels – I’ve never read the cowboy novels that began his career – there is a grittiness to it that comes across as very believable. In the Hollywood & Florida-based works, someone is often not a loser, and these works come across much as treatments for possible screen plays (which more than a few ended up as). Returning to Detroit seems at least like an attempt on Leonard’s part to get back in touch with that original grit that made his writing so different from others in his genre. But now, however, everyone – everyone – is a lovable loser, even the lethal bad guys. The hit men don’t like killing people – they’re not sociopaths – but it’s a good living. The guy who is orchestrating everything, the ultimate baddie, is almost as conflicted as the “innocent” model trapped in the middle of the plot. She spends less time lusting after her savior the cop than she does trying to decide whether or not to steal the inheritance all for herself. Nor is Delsa, with his serious boundary issues, sleeping with a suspect, any less compromised. The only character in the book who is presented entirely in negative terms is the wife of one of the hit men.
Leonard was himself 78 when Mr. Paradise came out, pretty much the same age bracket as the dear departed title character, and the softer tone of his more recent work is not unlike, say, the more casual lyricism Robert Creeley took on in his 70s. The two writers make for some interesting comparisons – both were born in the mid-1920s and did their best work around the age of 50 – Creeley’s Pieces, Leonard’s Unknown Man No. 89 & maybe 52 Pickup – and one might argue that both found writing to be a most comfortable habit toward the end, pushing no envelopes whatsoever. I’ve always felt that Creeley was in no way obligated to keep pushing (and that Mabel & Presences suggested the limits of that approach in any event) – that Creeley had worked for decades to clear the ground for the writing he needed & wanted to do, and having found such ground had less need to head off once again into the wilderness. With Leonard, I find myself far less forgiving, and I wonder why. Is it that for him that ground wasn’t in his best work per se, but in the work that reaped the greatest rewards? That sort of just goes with the territory for genre fictioneers, no? Why hold Leonard to a different standard? Plus, one of his most successful works – twice made into a motion picture, once with Glenn Ford & Van Heflin, once with Russell Crowe & Christian Bale, 3:10 to Yuma was one of his earliest short stories.
I think it may be that I once had some sense, possibly foolish, that Leonard was shooting for the most honest of crime fiction and that led to dispassionately examining the character’s lives & their flaws & their language. Now I see a novelist who knows how to hit all the requisite spots in the form, but seems to have lost interest in the world it invokes.
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Apple App Store iPhone, iPod Touch gaming update for the week of April 26 - May 2, 2010
[Gaming] (Gamertell)Section: Gaming News, Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App StoreThe Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long wor ...
Section: Gaming News, Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App Store
The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long work week.
Plenty of freebies to keep you occupied throughout the week or you can just play some FIFA World Cup with the rest of the world. In case FIFA doesn’t work for you, there are adventure games in Secret of the Lost Cavern and 1112 Episode 2.
What’s Free
MIKADO DEFENDERS Lite
“n Mikado Defenders Lite players deploy samurai foot soldiers, archers, and other units, desperately attempting to defend their fortress from an all-out demonic attack. It’s tower defense, with a uniquely Japanese twist! Set in the Sengoku Era—a time when Japan was torn asunder by civil war. Mikado Defenders Lite features historical location “Kai”, renowned samurai commander Uesugi Kenshin, powerful Guardian Spirit, giant demonic enemies and more!”Neon Fighters CE
“This version is FREE and UNLIMITED. But You will see ADs. Neon fighters is 360 degree shooting game. Enemy neons come out in black hole. Destroy them and survive as long as you can.”Knight Riders
“Play this highly addictive and very difficult game. A knight is trying to make its way through the maze.It needs to take particular steps (L-shape) inorder to succeed. So help the knight to go through the blocks atleast once.”A+ MathsGenius
“How good are you with additions? How many additions can you do in 60 seconds. Test your math skill.”Hell on Earth Lite (3D FPS) - FREE
“Welcome to Hell! After fighting the demons back in outer region of the Solar system as a part of an elite team of Space Commandos you are being teleported to back to Earth, only to find that it too has fallen victim to the hellish invasion, leaving billions of people dead. You are all that stands between future of humanity and demons from Hell. So what are you waiting soldier?”Nuts Musical
“While the music playing. please try to score high by clicking the right key at the right moment. When u click closer with the standard moment, the higher you score and vice versa. You can also see the example how to play. What are you waiting for? Come on and challenge yourself!”Ravensword Lite
“Enter the world of Ravensword: The Fallen King; a massive, sandbox-style adventure for the iPhone and iPod touch. Combining 3D action with RPG elements, Ravensword features rich and interactive environments that bring you a gaming experience unlike anything you’ve seen on the iPhone platform. Take on quests to earn money and experience. Wield powerful weapons and magical runes. Battle fearsome enemies such as Orcs, Trolls, Ogres and Demons. Test your skills with a variety of games and side quests.”Peg Master
“Get crazy about Peg Solitair? - this games offers different modes for every skill level. In the easy mode, you play on the classic board with different configurations (classic, cross, pyramide, .... etc). You enter the hall of fame if you get the best time with 1,2 or 3 pegs left. To switch between board setups, just hit the next or previous button or tap the name of the game to get a dialog to select the game you want. In the hard mode, you enter the hall of fame only if your last peg ends at the special marked position (some of the games require 2 pegs to be left in specific locations). Unlike other games in this category, PegMania offers an addictive “Time Match” Challenge mode. You will be presented with five small boards (randomly selected from a big collection) that you should be able to finish within a couple of seconds (you have five tries) - if you make it, you might enter one of the top ten spots on the hall of fame. This is a great way to learn some tricks for the game or just to compete to see how fast you can solve it.”Vertigo Rogue Lite
“Vertigo Rogue is an original, fast-paced arcade style action game that puts you in the seat of a heavily armed helicopter taking on a range of land, sea and air based enemies. See reviews and video on support site www.vertigorogue.com. As an ex-con mercenary fighter pilot about to retire and settle down, you are whirled into a sinister plot where you are forced to enact the role of a flying mafia hitman in a city where the on-going conflict between 7 criminal organizations is about to spin out of control in a frantic, explosive climax.”Kinetic Balls Trivia
“Extending the success of original Kinetic Balls - now comes the trivia version!! Play Newton’s Laws and Surprising Information categories for FREE and BUY other categories Math, Geography and History for a VERY LOW PRICE!! This fun, fully narrated Quiz-game is like participating in your own quiz show! Topics include: History, Geography, Math, Isaac Newton, & More!”A+ Battleships
“The mission is to destroy the enemy (computer) battle ships before the enemy (the computer) destroys your battle ships. You can view the computer board by selecting » button.”A+ Airport
“The goal of this game is to takeoff the Airplane from the airport. You can touch the trucks to move them. If you touch the front side, the truck will move forward all the way and if you touch the rear of a truck, the truck will move backward only one step. Trucks can only be moved within a straight line, vertically or horizontally. They can not be rotated.”Word Scramble 2 - 23 Scramble Points Free
“Everyone’s favorite word game is back with all new Trophies, Unlockables, and a fresh new look! Scramble is the fast fun game of finding words in a jumbled grid. Compete with friends and play live with fellow word game fans.”Mahjong Tower Free
“You can play only three stages. This is a quite new mah-jong game of completing the hand of the mah-jong while destroying the wall of the tower. Various towers of the impregnability afflict you. Can you really defeat all towers? The tower surrenders when all cores that exist in the tower in the time limit were able to be removed. One core comes off when the hand of the mah-jong is completed by destroying the tile that forms the wall of the tower.”Mephisto Lite
“Mephisto Lite” is a simulation app. of a Japanese pachislo machine that actually existed.Beginners rest assured! Even if you are new to the peculiar rules of the Japanese Pachislo, the application has a built in “Assist Function” that will make your game a pleasant, easy-to-learn experience.”1945 Ace Destroyer Free
“1945 ace destroyer is a classic WWII pacific air combat simulator. jump into this action packed battle for survival in a sea of never ending bullets! you are a p-51d pilot in the US navy. your mission is to destroy a secret enemy fortress on a remote island. shoot down everything in sight! and don’t forget to take care of enemy battleships using your advanced torpedos! your fate rests solely in your hands…”Action Diamond Free:Cliff
“lick on diamonds that are grouped together in order to destroy them. You will earn more points for finding larger groups. Don’t let the diamonds fall off the platfrom or the game will over.”Titan Wars Enchantress Pack
“Enchant enemies and legionnaires alike with a new, EXCLUSIVE Champion. Unlock the beautiful sorceress Circe and get 10 Honor Points FREE. The Gods are at war and the World is in chaos. Will you defy your fate and become a legend, or disappear into the annals of ancient history? Create your own legend in Titan Wars, a FREE Massively Multiplayer Online game for the iPhone and iPod Touch.”AirTowerLite
“Can you navigate the planes safely to their destinations? As an air traffic controller, you’re in control of each plane’s position - both on the runway and in the air. Guide each plane along a safe route by arranging the six transparent puzzle pieces on the challenge cards. Pilots are depending on you - are you up to the task? Higher thinking skills soar as you solve 48 challenging puzzles across 4 exciting game scenarios. Puzzle pieces and cards store in the game board’s pull-out drawer. Includes game board with built-in card storage, 48 puzzles (with 4 difficulty levels), 6 transparent puzzle pieces. For 1 player.”Star Marine Free
“you have been left for dead on a planet infested with insectoid aliens. vermin rush at you from all sides; blast them into oblivion in this dual-stick shooter!”iKungFu Master Free
“you are a kung fu master, but your beloved has been kidnapped and you have descended to the darkest depths of society to rescue her. now it is time… a life and death battle awaits…”Robo Rush Free
“your maker, callous and insensitive to the spirit of the machine, has betrayed you, innocent robot. frustrated by the failure of his experiments, he seeks to destroy you and your brethren. now it is time to make a stand, and fight back against tyranny! jump, run, and pound through the blocks of bigotry which stand in your way, and deliver swift justice to those evil creatures that would impede you!”Knight’s Odyssey Free
“the forces of evil have invaded what was once a peaceful kingdom. you, valiant knight, are all that stands between these godless malefactors and your kingdom’s people. hack your way through the sinister traps that have been set out to stop you, and defeat the formidable monsters which await at the end of every battle. the might of magic is on your side, use it wisely…”Ancient War Free
“as the god of an ancient tribe, you must lead your people to conquer the world. now, command warders, infantry, hunters, cavalry, wizards, catapults, and even trained dinosaurs to crush the enemy defenses and destroy their totems. upgrade your units to take advantage of advances in technology. unlock new units and upgrade their attributes. watch as upon hitting a certain level some units will transform!”Cannon Defense Lite
“Tap the star in the sky and get the mana points. Drag princess to alien monster and release then princess fire with selected weapon skill. Kill all alien monsters in a level and go to the next level. Clear the level and get a skill coin then you can upgrade a skill.”King of the Mole Hill
“The object of this game is to become King of the hill. A hill could be anything. A city like New York or even a planet like Mars. Type in the hill you’re interested in. You’ll be granted access to that territory if it is not already taken. If there’s a current king you’ll have to wait up to 24 hours to become king. After the 24 hour period expires the hill in question will be available for capture. The more hills you can capture the better you’re doing versus the average player. It is first come first serve.”Farm Story
“Welcome to Farm Story™ where you and your friends can grow fruits, raise farm animals, and decorate the most beautiful farms! Farm Story™ includes FREE updates with new fruits, flowers, trees, buildings, decorations, animals, and more every week!”Tap Tap Marble FREE
“Do you have a good reflex? Do you Love to play tapping games? Let’s have a test of your reflexes and tapping speed! Start smashing Marble on “Tap Tap Marble” and improve your reflex speed.”What’s New
Action
MetalWars2: Price: $1.99
“United Country “ATLUS” is developed and highly mechanized civilization but it is unstable in political because of a long-standing civil war. Due to the violent civil war, ATLUS was split and other military forces started to occur here and there. You’re a former ACE Pilot in the government force of ATLUS and a current leader of mercenary “TITANS”. Destroy other mercenaries and take their high technology to arm more powerfully. Making “TITANS” the best mercenary and controlling ATLUS lies in your hand.”Machine Wars.: Price: $0.99
“Buy arms, parts or special attacking item from the shop of Equipment Shop. Install Unit and parts in the Maintenance shop. Accept the mission , Tutorial , event in the Battle Area. Execute the mission fighting with enemies.”Elements:2012—The Terminator: Price: $1.99
“The young archaeologist—-Sam discovered the great mystery to the disaster in Tikal; to save human beings resorted to only one solution: to go to Eight Planets in the Solar System, to find eight rare elements(Ancient Fire, Ancient Water, Ancient Gold, Ancient Wood, Ancient Earth, Ancient Cloud, Ancient Stone, Ancient Copper) which were left by Tzontlilic in Sun Age, the Age of Atlantis civilization, and to find a pyramid built in Tikal where there are Eight Meteor Craters on the peak of the Pyramid. By putting Eight Rare Elements appropriately in the Craters, the new age of human civilization will be opened! You are avatared as Sam to complete the sacred mission with the glory and great adventure! Are you prepared? Only one year left ahead of December 21.2012…”COPS: Price: $3.99
“The ultimate in reality TV excitement races onto iPhone & iPod touch! COPS: High Speed Pursuit pits you behind the wheel of some of the most extreme police vehicles, letting you experience the rush of a high speed police chase. Hit your siren and then hit the road! Tap your accelerator and race up to your suspects, then steer in close with the accelerometer to take them down. Do it right and you’ll earn cash and promotions that unlock the vehicles that best handle the terrain – the open highways of the Florida Everglades, the mountainous passes of the Pacific Northwest, the clogged freeways of L.A., and the dusty, winding roads of Route 66. With 15 levels of adrenaline-fueled pursuits across four unique geographic terrains, only your skilled techniques on the road can ensure there’s no getaway for these bad boys! Watcha gonna do when they run from you?”The Pacific: Price: $0.99
“Your mission is to protect USS Enterprise from Kamikaze planes for 10 days of attack.”Adventure
Secret of the Lost Cavern: Price: $4.99
“Secret of the Lost Cavern is an adventure game that plunges the player into an inspiring journey that takes place during the Paleolithic period in prehistoric time, 15,000 years B.C. The gameplay and each puzzle were redesigned from the ground up to take unique advantage of the touch capabilities of the iPad. 3D graphics and videos were also optimized for an unparalleled visual quality on mobile devices.”1112 episode 02: Price: $4.99
“Louis has arrived in New York in a rather mysterious way… Help him discover why he has ended up in New York and follow his adventure promising unexpected developments and encounters. 1112 episode 02 is full of surprises and offers hours of amazing gameplay!”Robot Runner - Escape - Ch. 1: Price: $0.99
“What happens when a Medical Robotics company decides to start creating weapons of war? It’s up to one lowly maintenance robot, with the assistance of the Mainframe, to set things right.”Arcade
Panda X9: Price: $0.99
“Defend pandas everywhere by defeating the Koala ships. you are the last of the Panda fleet, and must annihilate every Koala in the known universe. Be the best Panda that a Panda can be. Navigate to avoid enemy ships, and conquer all 20 levels in Panda X9. Similar gameplay to the arcade classic Asteroids!”3594S (Sanguozhi): Price: $0.99
“History “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” of China is a shooting game of the theme. Importance: This app is only 1 stage + 3 modes + 2 characters. Please read through the following by all means ahead of the purchase. It corresponds to Achievement and LeaderBoard (Hign Score Ranking) of OpenFeint. To enjoy it even a little long because there is only one stage, the game difficulty is difficultly made. It is composed of three modes (Normal, Hard, and Very Hard). The player can be made strong with a securable point while playing a game.”Zombie Survival: Price: $0.99
“Survive the horde of zombies with a variety of weapons, see how long you can last!”Propaganda Lander: Price: $4.99
“Spread propaganda throughout the galaxy! Pilot the lander through 20 intense levels featuring missiles, sea monsters and giant lava pits for cash and glory.”Board
Backgammon HD: Price: $2.99
“The #1 Backgammon game on the App Store is finally available for the iPad! With 6 unique board designs and a host of great features, including support for the Nackgammon and Old English game variants, Backgammon HD offers the best Backgammon experience on the App Store! With Backgammon HD, no need to buy multiple versions for your iPad and iPhone. HD is Universal and will work on all your devices!”Card
NOTHING
Casino
NOTHING
Dice
NOTHING
Educational
Count TV: Price: $2.99
“Greetings! It is I, The Count. My TV has nine wonderful videos for you to watch and play! Come count each thing in my videos with me! Count TV is the third app in the Count with Sesame Series. Your child can learn about numbers and watch videos simply by pressing any number on the Count’s remote control! As different objects appear on screen, your child can touch each one to help the Count with his favorite activity - counting!”Family
NOTHING
Music
NOTHING
Puzzle
Simon Graham and the Extraordinary Timepiece, Book I: Price: $1.99
“Simon Graham and the Extraordinary Timepiece is a family friendly puzzle adventure designed exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch users. Ten-year-old Simon Graham needs your help! His grandmother has been kidnapped and the only clues he has are in the diary she left behind. Take on the role of Simon as he journeys from his small hometown to the big city.”Flip Flops: Price: $0.99
“Practice your memory capabilities in this fun matching card game. Cards will be displayed for a short period of time and then flipped over. Try to memorize the positions of each card and match the same design to complete the level before time is up!”180: Price: $1.99
“Think quick! Flip, shoot, and match combos before the wall of coins will crush you. Each piece on the game board has two sides. Touch any coin to flip it 180 degrees. Tap the empty area to shoot your next coin. Shoot to connect 3 or more of the same front-side color to clear. If you enjoy games like Tetris or Bejeweled and want something new and addicting, 180 is the game you’ve been waiting for!”Fabulous HERO Puzzle: Price: $1.99
“Fabulous HERO Puzzle’consists of 10 puzzles and an arcade dungeon game. At a puzzle game, you can earn hearts to purchase equipment and item. At a dungeon game, you can earn insignias which is necessary to use pet and brave mode at a puzzle game. For your equipment, challenge your top score!”Logix Arrows: Price: $1.99
“The game board is first set with randomly directed arrows which point into the grid. The number at each square shows how many arrows need to point at that square. Then the arrow positions are hidden for you to discover. Using only the grid numbers you can figure out the original position of the arrows by tapping on the buttons surrounding the grid. The objective is to make all of the numbers equal zero and you win. If too many arrows point at a certain square it will show in red.”Racing
Need For Boost: Price: $1.99
“Need For Boost : Remake of the classic dos game skyroads on iphone! All the tracks as same as the skyroads. And all music are rewrote for skyroads. We just want players enjoy the classic skyroads game on iphone. We spent 4 months to develop the game. Use 2 months to test. finally it released.”Role Playing
NOTHING
Simulation
NOTHING
Sports
FIFA World Cup: Price: $6.99
“With 105 International Teams to choose from, you can play as your own country – even if they haven’t qualified for the real tournament! Simulate the real event or play out your own fantasy. Play in Captain Your Country Mode, and feel the pride and passion of representing your nation on the world’s biggest stage. Featuring all 10 fantastic stadiums and locations of the host nation, only EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ captures the true atmosphere of the world’s greatest sporting event.”Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games - Air Hockey: Price: $0.99
“The party goes anywhere you go with Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Air Hockey is one of the many games found within the full version of Party Games. If you like this one, why not purchase the full version with much more content!”Strategy
Ever Defense Deluxe: Price: $1.99
“This is the Deluxe version of Ever Defense, in which you must protect the base from being destroyed, is a well-designed TD game with real-time strategy style. You can collect deposits to increase your energy, in order to build powerful defending towers to guard your homeland.”Green epaulet: Price: $4.99
“Shining Green Epulet is a game you can play either to shoot down the enemies or defense your leader whose got green shoulder epaulette.”Cannon Defense: Price: $0.99
“Tap the star in the sky and get the mana points. Drag princess to alien monster and release then princess fire with selected weapon skill. Kill all alien monsters in a level and go to the next level. Clear the level and get a skill coin then you can upgrade a skill.”Doodle Defense!: Price: $0.99
“Defend yourself from a full on frontal doodle assault! Airplanes, Tanks and more are aiming to crush your spirits. Earn cash and strengthen your defense against the evil doodle armies. Choose from Easy, Medium or Hard difficulty settings and save your score to compete against yourself or friends.”Trivia
President Test: Price: $0.99
“Answer 50 random questions to test your potential of becoming a president!Within a world’s scoreboard(OpenFeint),you can have a competition with your twitter and facebook friends.”Word
Word Spinner: Price: $0.99
“Word Spinner is a fun and exciting new game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The game consists of seven spinners, each containing a number of random letters. Using these letters, you must make as many words as possible within the time limit. Each spinner has a blank space at the start and end allowing you to use any combination of spinners to make up the word. The more letters in the word you make, the higher the score.”iPhone and iPod Touch Links of the Week
AppleTell: [Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - April 30, 2010] [Free apps roundup for April 30th, 2010]
Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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Online Adventure Games
[Personal Finance] (Personal Finance Buzz - Published news)Play free online adventure games, Ultimate free games collection with over 2500 games.The online games source for adventure and action games, sports games, shooting games, kids games, girls games and so on.
Play free online adventure games, Ultimate free games collection with over 2500 games.The online games source for adventure and action games, sports games, shooting games, kids games, girls games and so on.
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Mike check: MMAmania.com WEC 48 interview exclusive with Mike Brown
[Extreme Sports, Mixed Martial Arts] (MMA Mania)WEC 48 is headlined by what many people are calling the most anticipated fight in the history of the featherweight division: Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber. And that's just fine with former division champion Mike Brown. Never one to bask in any glory or partake in much of the pre-fight hype, "MTB" is perfectly happy standing out of the limelight and approaching this fight without all the usual fanfare. Just don't think for one second that he doesn't plan on reclaiming what was once his, the WEC feat ...
WEC 48 is headlined by what many people are calling the most anticipated fight in the history of the featherweight division: Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber.
And that's just fine with former division champion Mike Brown.
Never one to bask in any glory or partake in much of the pre-fight hype, "MTB" is perfectly happy standing out of the limelight and approaching this fight without all the usual fanfare.
Just don't think for one second that he doesn't plan on reclaiming what was once his, the WEC featherweight belt.
First order of business is getting past Manny Gamburyan, a fighter who since coming over from the UFC has gone 2-0 -- and looked pretty good doing it.
Before he embarks on his journey back to the top of the featherweight mountain, Mike took some time to talk to MMAmania.com about his collection of fight memorabilia, staying as active in MMA as he can and what he needs to do against "Manvil" to earn another shot 145-pound gold.
Have a look:
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Before we talk about your fight with Manny Gamburyan, I have to ask you about this video I saw of you giving a house tour to purefight.org. Have you heard from PETA yet for shooting your dog Little Gaga with potato pellets?
Mike Brown: [laughs]. She's alright. It was just soft pieces of potato. She's fine. It's all good.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): You also showed off quite a collection of MMA memorabilia in that video. Do have a favorite piece?
Mike Brown: I gotta say the autographed Mark Coleman poster I just got. It's pretty funny. [Coleman autographed it to Brown with his now infamous quote directed at Tito Ortiz following his UFC 109 loss to Randy Couture]. Other than that, some of the old Pride FC posters I have are pretty cool.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): I know at the time you didn't yet have a Mike Brown doll. Do you own one now?
Mike Brown: I do have one now. My girlfriend got me one. It's a pretty neat thing to own.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Alright, let's get a bit more serious here. This is going to be your third fight since November, a span of only five months. Is that by choice? And if so, do like that? Are you comfortable being that active?
Mike Brown: Yeah, absolutely. After I lost [to Aldo at WEC 44] I couldn't get back in the cage soon enough. I wanted to hurry up and get back in the win column. I can't stand having a loss on my record. It's disgusting.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Are you still getting in solid eight or so week camps despite having your recent fights so close together?
Mike Brown: Oh yeah. Eight weeks is what I like to do. Even then, I tend to over train. I usually peak at about four or five weeks and I have to slow it down a bit. Now I'm hitting my peak again. It's been a good camp. No injuries. I'm ready to roll.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): This is going to be your second straight fight in Sacramento not fighting Urijah Faber. You were public enemy number one there for a while, but last time out it seemed as though the crowd warmed up to you some. Do you think you've won those fans over?
Mike Brown: Definitely. A lot of it is just them getting familiar with me. They were standing behind their guy Urijah, and I respect that. But I'm 3-0 in Sacramento. I'm big in that place [laughs].
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): I'm sure you've had to address this plenty of times, but let me get your opinion on the WEC on pay-per-view. Are you a fan of their decision to go this route, or would you rather be fighting in front of what would surely be more eyeballs on the WEC's regular home, Versus?
Mike Brown: This is what we need to do. It's where the money can be made and where we can generate bigger paychecks for the fighters. I'm no millionaire, that's for damn sure. I think this is the best thing for our future. We need it for our growth.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Is there any extra pressure for you being on the first WEC pay-per-view card?
Mike Brown: No. I'm just approaching it like any other fight. The way I look at it is the only fight that matters is the one right in front of you. Nothing in the future, and nothing in the past. Each fight is so important. It goes on your record forever. I'm always telling myself if I can just win this fight, I'll be fine. And it's the same thing with this fight.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): There's been a lot of talk in the MMA community about the WEC's transformation to pay-per-view and whether they're risking brand confusion with some of the moves Zuffa has made. In particular, Dana White has stated the he will serve as the promoter for the fight, not WEC GM Reed Harris. Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan will be handling the play-by-play duties instead of Todd Harris and company, and Bruce Buffer will be announcing the fight card in place of Joe Martinez. What do you think of those changes? Are you surprised that they would make those moves if their intentions are to build the WEC brand?
Mike Brown: I think it'll be nice. I'm happy with it. For a while it looked like they didn't know exactly what they were going to do with the WEC. If they were going to keep building us up or if we were going to just kind of fold into the UFC. But it looks like they want to make this thing huge. They want to blow it up. And I think this is a good step in that direction.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Alright, let's get to your opponent Manny Gamburyan. He's pretty well known to fight fans having competed on The Ultimate Fighter and in the UFC. He recently came over to the WEC and has gone 2-0. He just beat Leonard Garcia, who is of course one of your many victims. But for those people who may not be too familiar with him, break down his game for a minute.
Mike Brown: He's tough man. He hits hard. He swings pretty wild, but he's got submissions. Good leg locks, good guillotines, good kimuras. That's his thing. And obviously he's a judo guy. It's an interesting match up of contrasting styles. It's always fun for people to see two different style fighters go at it.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): To your point about Gamburyan being a judo guy, that's definitely his bread and butter. Have you worked a lot with judo specialists down at American Top Team (ATT) in preparation for this fight?
Mike Brown: Yeah, we've got some guys in the gym whose specialty is judo so I've been working real tightly with them.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Where do you see this fight taking place, on the ground or more on the feet? A better question might be where would you like to see this fight take place?
Mike Brown: I'm gonna try to keep it up and see if he can take me down. That's what I'm aiming for.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Other than judo, where do you think he holds any advantages over you, and vice versa?
Mike Brown: Well yeah, obviously judo is his game so he has the advantage there. But other than that, I'd like to think I have him beat everywhere else. I think I'm the more complete fighter and just a better fighter overall. But only time will tell if that's the case. I don't like to give predictions; we'll just see what happens when we get in there.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Do me a favor and break down the WEC 48 main event, Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber. You've been in the cage with both guys. You had great success against Faber, but not so much against Aldo. Who do you think takes that one?
Mike Brown: That's a tough one to call. Those are two world-class fighters. Look at the Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn fight; it's very hard to predict winners these days. If I had to choose one I would say Aldo just because he beat me up and I beat up Urijah. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Bear with me here for a second. Hypothetically speaking, assuming you get by Manny, which of course is no easy task, you're likely to be in line for a shot at getting your belt back. Would you rather fight one guy over the other, or is it just all about becoming champion once again?
Mike Brown: Well, I absolutely want my belt back, but I want to fight Aldo again, that's for sure. He's the guy that beat me and I want to avenge that. If Urijah beats Aldo, and let's say for the moment that I beat Urijah again and get my title back, people will still say, ‘well Aldo beat him, he isn't as good as Aldo,' you know? I don't have anything to prove with Urijah but I have a lot to prove with Jose Aldo.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): That's all I have for you Mike. Thanks so much for your time and good luck at WEC 48. Any sponsors you'd like to shout out? Do you have a website where fans can get in touch with you?
Mike Brown: Thank you. Fans can check out my website at mikethomasbrown.com. And I always gotta thank my sponsors at TapouT, Champion Nutrition, Bushmaster Firearms, and of course my training partners and coaches over at American Top Team who got me to where I'm at today.
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Permanent Collection: Charles Sheeler's Classic Landscape
[Washington, D.C.] (DCist)Image of Charles Sheeler's "Classic Landscape," courtesy the National Gallery of Art Written by Aleid Ford, who is profiling 365 masterworks at the National Gallery of Art this year for her project Art 2010, which appears on her website Head for Art. In 1927, the American artist Charles Sheeler (1883 - 1965) was paid to photograph Ford Motor’s new River Rouge Plant near Detroit for the company’s advertising campaigns. During the course of the commission, he became so profoundly insp ...
Written by Aleid Ford, who is profiling 365 masterworks at the National Gallery of Art this year for her project Art 2010, which appears on her website Head for Art.
Image of Charles Sheeler's "Classic Landscape," courtesy the National Gallery of ArtIn 1927, the American artist Charles Sheeler (1883 - 1965) was paid to photograph Ford Motor’s new River Rouge Plant near Detroit for the company’s advertising campaigns. During the course of the commission, he became so profoundly inspired by the subject (calling it “incomparably the most thrilling I have had to work with”), that he went on to paint several pictures of the plant.
Classic Landscape (1931) is utterly eye-catching for its distilled, clinical execution. It suggests beyond any shadow of a doubt that Sheeler’s twinned pursuits of painting and photography were stylistically symbiotic. Educated at the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Sheeler dabbled at first in a loose, impressionistic style that he rejected quickly, in favor of the austere realism we see here.
Classic Landscape is painted with oil on canvas, but the finish is so smooth and the precision so pin-sharp, that the level of realism is confounding to the eye on first view. There’s the slick rail track shooting off on a diagonal into the scene, chugging the eye along with it, deep into the plant. The spatial recession is calculated and clean, with objects measured and meted out into space. Sharp shadows cut into the ground and across the buildings: on the one hand the shading adds realistic roundness to the 3D objects, but on the other it somehow doesn’t detract from the overall dazzling flatness of the scene.
Sheeler keeps his colors super simple: not much deters from the pared-down palette of whites, browns and blues. Instead, he seems hyper honed in on the angular, geometrical shapes in the scene: the pyramidal mound in the foreground, the cylindrical silos in the middle distance, the rectangular buildings and straight, exacting lines everywhere. The stark real-life lay-out of plant must have been endlessly fascinating to an artist like Sheeler, who loved neat forms and abstract design. It’s only the rushing diagonal of the rails that pierces the stark, drum-tight tension of the composition.
It’s quite interesting that a painting like this has become one of the best-known works of its era and a key masterwork of twentieth-century American art. In many ways, it’s a sharp-cut sign of its time: the Ford plant that Sheeler captured in the 1920s and 30s was the world’s largest industrial complex, with more than seventy-five thousand workers producing the Model A car. The fact that here Sheeler has focussed on a rather random part of the plant (where cement was made from by-products of the manufacturing process), says a lot about the broad-based, whole-hearted celebration of industry that was common at the time. I’d even say Sheeler has sought to subtly compare the towering, grinding machinery of his era’s technological advancement with the fruits and fertile developments of some classical golden age (witness the title of the painting and the ancient architectural shapes in the buildings).
I wonder if we’d find many artists working today so readily translating sites of industry into clean, stream-lined and elegant images of production and progress. The fact is that now, just about eighty years on, we’re drowning in the physical fallout of what Sheeler started charting here. Junk-addled automobile graveyards are one of the most common products of our technological society. As the designer George Nelson so aptly put it: “One might reasonably say, with a reasonable probability of being right, that come war or peace, affluence or depression, junk is now our ultimate landscape.”
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Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - April 9, 2010
[Apple, Macintosh] (Appletell)Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, iDevice Accessories, Mac SoftwareMacintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for April 9, 2010: Macintosh iPod Macintosh Whether you have an established post production house, or you’re an aspiring college student looking to start a career, G-Technology by Hitachi offers a wide variety of affordable, professional-grade external storage solutions that are made to work at the speed and pace of ...
Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, iDevice Accessories, Mac Software
Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for April 9, 2010:
Macintosh
- Whether you have an established post production house, or you’re an aspiring college student looking to start a career, G-Technology by Hitachi offers a wide variety of affordable, professional-grade external storage solutions that are made to work at the speed and pace of your creative process. At this year’s NAB show, April 12-15 in Las Vegas, G-Tech is showcasing two new additions to its G-SPEED family—the G-SPEED Q and the G-SPEED FC XL 8Gb/s Fibre Channel solution—giving content creators, broadcasters and filmmakers more reliable, high performance storage options to get the job done effectively, efficiently and reliability.
- CoreMelt is previewing its Rolling Shutter reduction feature in Lock & Load X. With the advent of the CMOS photosensor, a whole range of consumer, prosumer and professional level, HD video capable camcorders and digital SLRs have been released. But, even though CMOS technology enables high quality products to be developed at cheaper and cheaper prices, it is not without it’s own problems. One of the main issues when shooting video on a CMOS camera are rolling shutter artifacts.
- ComboApp has unveiled a new Advanced iTunes Appstore Search tool that will allow developers search iTunes data more thoroughly than ever before and obtain valuable, actionable competitive intelligence. Powered by Google, ComboApp’s search indexes the text in every app description as well as other app related data to deliver more precise, in-depth results. To further enhance searches, all results can be filtered by each of the AppStore’s product categories.
- Independent software developer Reggie Ashworth has announced AppDelete 3.1, an update to his popular application deletion utility for Mac OS X. With a simple Drag & Drop, AppDelete will uninstall anything along with all of the associated items. Mac users will no longer have to hunt through their system to find and delete these items manually. AppDelete is a must-have utility for beta testers and the perfect companion to any Mac fanatic’s toolbox.
- Apparent Corporation has announced that Doxie, the modern paper scanner that scans directly to the cloud, is now shipping. For home and small business, Doxie makes scanning, sharing, and organizing paper and photos easy, with a lightweight, portable design built for scanning anywhere. Doxie is always ready to scan, offering crisp, clean copies of documents in full color at up to 600 dpi thanks to its patented scanning technology.
iPhone/iPod/iPad
- Wacky Chatter was inspired by the developers’ 5 year-old son’s reaction to some now classic apps like iFart and iBurp. With Wacky Chatter, kids can shake the phone or tap the Wacky button and get a random sentence and random characters or, alternately, they can choose words and characters by spinning the wheels with their fingertip, then tapping the Chatter button to hear what they’ve created. There are 20 characters in all, from a breathless two-year-old named Swizzle to a grouchy, decades-old sea serpent named Ralph.
- Chrome-8 is an innovative logic game that challenges and stimulates the player’s analytical skills. Chrome-8 is a new kind of game based on a new puzzle generator. Through clean, colorful game boards, the player can quickly submerge in the tranquil but intriguing puzzles, be it for a minute or for hours on end.
- Oniric Games today has announced Silent Swords Zero, the highly anticipated prequel to the first stealth action game for the iPhone and iPod touch. In this new installment in the Silent Swords saga, players guide the Little Black Ninja in a dangerous quest to retrieve a set of mysterious and powerful gems. As in the original, players will have to be sneaky, hide in the shadows and dispatch enemies with a wide array of stealthy weapons and deadly moves.
- Tidal Pool Software has released Wanderlust 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. Wanderlust allows you to search for great airfares and book flights in-app on your iPhone and iPod touch. It features an optimized and intuitive user interface for quick flight searches and bookings. Wanderlust searches millions of airfare combinations from over 400 airlines worldwide with savings of up to 60%. This includes over 20 million consolidator fares and over 40 low cost carriers in Europe and Asia.
- HarperCollins Children’s Books has announced the launch of interactive iPhone editions of much-loved picture books Duck in the Truck, Captain Duck and Fix-It Duck. The applications bring to life one of Jez’s best known characters, combining high quality animation, sound effects and read-along audio.
- Vito Technology has announced its Solar Walk app for iPhone is available on the App Store. Solar Walk is a nice addition to Star Walk that shows a 3D model of the Solar system with detailed info about each planet. Solar Walk will be released soon as a universal app for both iPhone and iPad! Purchasing an iPhone edition you get an iPad version for FREE!
- Discover Motion has announced that their complete series of iPhone Apps for MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA fans is now available in the iTunes App Store. These unique and original Apps will feed a fan’s need for their team with today’s FanMisery Index and a comprehensive set of statistics, opinions, and news. The FanMisery Index for each team is calculated daily throughout the year. Statistics are updated after each game during the season.
- This week, Apple gave the world a first glimpse of iPhone OS 4. Despite much speculation, this new OS still does not include a way to print to printers. Pocket Watch, LLC. is very happy to announce that they will continue to connect your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to your printers with their award winning app, ActivePrint. With your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you can print many of the popular office documents such as word processor files, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF documents.
- DSstyles has announced their entire new 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa series phone cases to celebrate the first African Hosted World Cup. The biggest soccer tournament which is held each 4 years will occur in South Africa this year from the 11st of June to 11st of July. 32 teams will play for total 64 games to decide who will be the winner for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. To celebrate this cross border world sports event, DSstyles brings you the teams’ national flags on your phone case.
- The Holy Shroud is free until April 11
- imsense, the award-winning Cambridge computer vision company, has released a significant upgrade to its imphoto iPhone applications. imphoto has been a featured app in Apple’s App Store during the last quarter and was shortlisted in LeMobile 2.0 application prizewinners. For new users and the nearly 100,000 existing users of imphoto, the new versions of both Standard and Pro editions will provide significant improvements.
- Regular Rate and Rhythm Software has announced MediMath 3.1, bringing its popular medical calculator to the iPad as well as iPhone/iPod touch. MediMath offers 135 formulas, evidence-based scores, and clinical guidelines for physicians, nurses, and healthcare students in all fields. Version 3.1 marks the first medical calculator in the iPad App Store to take full advantage of the iPad’s features for easy navigation, faster input, and more immediate results.
- iMagine machine has announced Faces iMake 1.1, the iPhone app that is empowering users to create unbelievable art from over 100 everyday objects. Faces iMake is the next generation of art apps that are fun for the entire family. A must-have for any parent or child, anyone can use it to create unique, digital art that can be emailed, facebooked/twittered and saved as a contact photo. iMagine machine is at the forefront of iPhone apps that are educational and addictive.
- Startup development company Underplot Apps has announced Digital Crowberries 2.0 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices. Digital Crowberries is a gallery with 24 digital drawings by the bulgarian artist Nikolay Petkov. His unique style is an extraordinary mix of popart, neo-expressionism and Japanese comics. Version 2.0 includes a great new addition: Sweet Nuclides - a whole new exciting image collection focused on ladies.
- Haypi Kingdom is a free massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). You will be a general directing an ancient kingdom in a strategic game—boosting resource production, adventuring in extensive wild land, reaping legendary treasures, equipping your troops with advanced abilities and fighting against enemies—with the ultimate goal of becoming the strongest kingdom in the ancient world. Your general can get higher title and more advanced attributes as he joins more and more battles. His attributes will be shared among his troops as well.
- ShaggyMac is offering a new cleaning kit which includes a bottle of Aerospace grade cleaning solution and a dense microfiber cleaning cloth dubbed “the missing cloth.” The iPad Cleaning Cloth is precisely tailored to the same size of the iPad screen, which may lead to other creative uses to help protect the iPad during transport or storage. Even with an oleophobic coating, the iPad screen is easily smudged with oils, dirt & grime. This kit is engineered to safely restore the screen to a brilliant luster. The iPad Cleaning kit is available for $12.95. The iPad Cleaning Cloth is also available as a standalone product for $7.95.
- Vividnoise has launched its first application, Linkie, available exclusively for iPhone and iPod Touch. Linkie is a tool for shortening, sharing, and tracking URLs created using the Bit.ly URL shortening service. In Linkie, users can synchronize their Bit.ly or j.mp accounts directly to their iPhone or iPod Touch, enabling them to access the statistics of their shortened URLs on the go.
- Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. has announced that their vook The Woman’s Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living will now be available for download on the recently released Apple iPad. A vook is a digital mixed media book that can be downloaded as an application through iTunes or streamed online. Woman’s Day brand first began their partnership with Vook in January of 2010 with this entertaining and informational vook title. Vook’s mixed media format seamlessly blends text, images, hyperlinks and video into an innovative new media experience. Woman’s Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living features a wide selection of delicious, healthy recipes along with video demonstrations of meals made by the magazine’s readers in their own kitchens, and tips from editors on healthy eating habits. Through this medium, even the most novice of chefs will be able to follow these recipes with professionally-shot video accompaniments.
- RadTech has announced ClearCal for iPad—an ultra-thin and super-tough Mylar protective film which protects and visually enhances your iPad’s display screen. ClearCal is easy to apply or remove and can be cleaned and reapplied multiple times with no reduction in performance. ClearCal’s low surface tension adhesive features a blemish healing effect which effectively hides minor scratches, surface defects and abrasions.
- After over three million downloads on Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch, FaceFighter punches its way onto Apple’s new iPad with FaceFighter HD Face2Face from Appy Entertainment. This deluxe version of FaceFighter is optimized for iPad and includes our all-new Face2Face mode, where two players square off on one iPad for furious head-to-head combat!
- The Well is a totally unique casual music game. For the first time, a real time, 3d music visualizer that lets you play a game with any track in your iTunes library. You don’t have to buy extra tracks, or pay more to play more songs. Each song creates a unique environment for you to play, its never the same game twice. Using artificial intelligence and a custom 3d engine, The Well makes a game from your favorite tracks, so you can enjoy your music while keeping your fingers busy. Unlike Tap Tap Revenge, or other rhythm games, The Well doesn’t distract you from the music or stress you out with a tension building pace. Playing The Well is a relaxing and mesmerizing experience that actually deepens your appreciation of the music.
- The new Pedestal Base for the iPad has the same look and feel as the expensive acrylic bases that Apple features in their retail outlets. Now you can have that same look at home or office when displaying your brand new iPad. The Pedestal Base will improve the performance of your iPad and display it in style.
Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »
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Review – Data East Arcade Classics for Wii
[Nintendo] (Infendo - Nintendo blog)[Guest review by Casey Willis] Data East Arcade Classics uses the broadest definition of the word classic (re: old). Majesco lovingly presents these 15 classic games against a green backdrop which I can only assume was designed by an intern. Actually, that’s not fair to interns. Some of them really work hard and try to prove ...
[Guest review by Casey Willis]
Data East Arcade Classics uses the broadest definition of the word classic (re: old). Majesco lovingly presents these 15 classic games against a green backdrop which I can only assume was designed by an intern. Actually, that’s not fair to interns. Some of them really work hard and try to prove themselves for little or no play. I was thinking more of the, “Hey, I just got this stupid job because my Dad’s the boss”-type intern. The presentation of these games is so poor it is hard to believe someone put any actual thought or effort behind it. Here is my dramatic recreation of a meeting between two Majesco drones:
Drone 1: “So, I was thinking we just put the name of the games over a green gradient. Maybe the Data East logo behind it. What do ya think?”Drone 2: “Shut up!”
When it comes down to it, presentation is a huge part of game collections. It’s just a bunch of old games that are better in your memory. You’ll ultimately be disappointed by the graphics or the game play that you once thought was amazing. The least a company can do is cheer me up with some snazzy graphics or a remixed theme song. Pinball Hall of Fame, Williams Edition (a fabulous game) created an arcade where you could essentially just scroll through the games. It wasn’t much but it treated the games like they mattered. Data East Arcade Collection just seems like a quick cash-in on some retro games. Even that seems lazy because weren’t retro games popular like, three years ago (Duh!).
And why is there such a long loading screen between the the game selection screen and the actual game? How big is Burgertime? And Majesco has the audacity to make me press a button to exit the load screen! Yes the load screen shows the controller layout for the games but let me sum up the controls for almost all the games: D-pad moves, an attack button and a jump button. Once you finally make it to the first screen of your chosen game you press a button to start. Nothing. Oh, I must have pressed the wrong button. Let me press this other button. Nothing. The “A” button? Nothing. Plus? Minus? Oh, how clever. You have to press the “B” button to insert a credit. Just like in the arcade.
The best thing about this collection is hearing all the bad speech effects Data East put into it’s games. They loved that stuff. Sometimes it’s laughable like in Crude Buster, while other times it’s puzzlingly long like in Wizard Fire. I do love to say “Got it!” along with the Bad Dudes when I pick up a can of coke (in the game, or in real life). Curiously, two important Data East classics are missing: Karnov and Karate Champ. I’ve read Karnov might be absent because Data East sold the license but if that’s true why does Karnov show up as the first boss in Bad Dudes? There are literally Karnov posters in some of the games. Leaving out Karate Champ is just wrong. It was the first player vs. player fighting game I can remember. My friends and I played it so long at the skating rink that my parents got made at me because I wasn’t skating (get used to it Mom and Dad; I’d rather do digital flying side kicks than learn to skate backwards).
There are goals for each game. Little achievements for beating a level or racking up a set amount of points. Every time you complete one you get a little gold circle on a ribbon (I assume they are supposed to be medals). Once you complete all the challenges for a game you unlock Special Mode. I was hoping it was remixed sounds or improved graphics but instead it just makes the game harder. What? You’re making these quarter munchers with their cheap hits and surprise enemies harder? Um, thanks?
I’ve written so much about my disappointment in the collection I haven’t even touched on the games. I’ve decided to review each game with as much thought as Majesco put into this disc. 140 characters or less, Twitter-style!
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja- Doesn’t look as good as when I played it in the lobby of my local Wal-Mart when I was 14. Also, I don’t look as good as I did when I was 14
Burger Time- Is there a way to turn off the song?
Burnin’ Rubber- Why isn’t this called Bump n’ Jump? That would make a pretty great name for a trampoline porno.
Caveman Ninja- One of the best looking games in the collection. I wonder why the caveman ninja genre never took off.
Crude Buster- In the future, everyone looks like a professional wrestler and shouts catchphrases all the time.
Express Raider- Take an exciting Old West train robbery. Now, make it boring.
Heavy Barrel- Collecting all the pieces and hearing the game say, “Heavy Barrrrrrelll!” is worth it. Once.
Lock ‘n’ Chase- Lock ‘n’ Chase is to Pac-Man as Photon is to Lazer Tag.
Magical Drop III- …and let the magic… drrrrrrooooop!
Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory- First you walk all over my burger and now you’re kicking my ice cream? What kind of health score did this place get?
Secret Agent- This game is pretty cool. Different types of levels and game play. One of the best on the disc.
Side Pocket- If I wanted to knock around pastel balls, I’d punch the Easter bunny between the legs. Ohhhh!
Street Hoop- Wouldn’t it be Street Hoops? With an “S”? Also, shooting from the foul line isn’t a half-court shot you dumb announcer.
Super Real Darwin- This is just a slightly evolved Xevious. Get it? Darwin… evolved. Is my spaceship shooting seagull lasers? That’s cool.
Wizard Fire- Cut scenes with full synth speech!! I just transformed into a cloud shooting lightning. I like this game.
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Ward's Wayback Trek Reviews, Entry #9.
[SciFi & Fantasy Novels] (Dayton's Blog: A pimple on the ass of the Internet.)The latest in a (more or less) weekly series of reviews throughout 2010, on randomly-selected episodes of the original Star Trek series, and presented in a "live blog" format as I rewatch the episode. Why? Wellwhy not? Tonight's episode: "Requiem for Methuselah" third season episode #76 original airdate: February 14, 1969 Summary: The Enterprise journeys to a supposedly uninhabited planet searching for the cure to a deadly disease afflicting the crew, and hijinks ensue. Oh, and this is the ...
The latest in a (more or less) weekly series of reviews throughout 2010, on randomly-selected episodes of the original Star Trek series, and presented in a "live blog" format as I rewatch the episode. Why? Well...why not?
Tonight's episode:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
third season
episode #76
original airdate: February 14, 1969
Summary: The Enterprise journeys to a supposedly uninhabited planet searching for the cure to a deadly disease afflicting the crew, and hijinks ensue. Oh, and this is the one with the guy they ripped off for Highlander.
The Enterprise arrives in orbit above a small planet in the Omega system (though not one prone to copying the U.S. Constitution verbatim like a bunch of plagiarizing pricks), its crew suffering from an epidemic of Rigellian fever. In order to combat the disease, a supply of Ryetalyn, the only substance known to be capable of curing the affliction, must be found. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - the only members of the crew with contracts for the entire season, remain unaffected by the disease, and beam down in search of the life-saving mineral.
Once on the surface and - lacking any apparent means of collecting the ryetalyn other than digging it out with their bare hands - Kirk and Company are confronted by some sort of robot drone, which to the untrained eye looks like something that might've escaped from the top of a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The drone starts shooting, and somehow disables the landing party's phasers, and is closing in to royally fuck up Jimmy T's day before it's called off by its owner, "Mr. Flint." Flint orders Kirk to get his fat ass of the planet, or else shit's gonna fly.
Duh duh DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Kirk, his manhood questioned, orders Scotty to train all phasers on his coordinates. Suck that, Mr. Flint! The mysterious loner relents, and after McCoy described the effects of Rigellian fever, Flint pontificates about the bubonic plague epidemic that ravaged Constantinople in 1334. Talk about your segues. When asked by Spock if he's a student of history, Flint nods slowly, almost sadly, and answers. "I am."
Nah, there's probably nothing to that.
Flint tells Kirk he as two hours to get his shit and get gone, offering the services of the robot drone, which he calls "M-4" (no apparent relation to the M-5 super computer that was all ate-up with the dumbass in the previous season's episode "The Ultimate Computer"). He then invites Kirk and company to his home for refreshments.
Arriving atthe Kaylar's fortress on Rigel VIIFlint's castle, the landing party is treated to a quick tour of the place where shit from Antique Roadshow goes to die. Little do they know that as they converse, they're being watched by a hot blonde chick on her kickin' flat-screen TV. Among Flint's possessions on display throughout the front room are a "Shakespeare first folio, a Guttenberg Bible," and a few other choice tomes that form one of the most interesting collections of rare books McCoy's ever seen. Spock further comments about Flint's art collection, which is also as rare as it is eclectic.
We get it. Flint has an eBay fetish.
Elsewhere, Flint is talking with the hot blonde chick, Rayna. She wants to talk to the Enterprise officers, but Flint's having none of that. Her questions to him make her appear as a child. Or is she...something else???.
Nah. Probably not.
Meanwhile, McCoy and Kirk have found Flint's liquor cabinet. Even Spock wants a little Captain in him, expressing envy at the mysterious Flint's art collection. Among the paintings are several apparently unknown works by Leonardo da Vinci. The enigma is that the canvas and paints -- according to Spock's tricorder -- are of contemporary origin. What's up with that shit?
While Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are enjoying the free booze, M-4 arrives with a dimebag of crystal meth...uh...I mean, ryetalyn. Flint arrives, sucking up and trying to make nice after being a total dick earlier, and introduces Rayna to the landing party. According to him, she's the orphaned daughter of a friend who perished and now living with Flint as his ward. As you've probably already guessed, Kirk takes absolutely no interest in her. At all.
Rayna, however, homes in on Spock, talking nerdy to him and wanting to discuss various science-related topics. Flint offers a few activities to pass the time while M-4 processes the ryetalyn. In short order, Rayna is schooling Kirk old-school in billiards, and Spock is continuing his inspection of Flint's collection. Flint tells Spock to play him a song, because he's apparently the only one who knew Spock could play the piano. The next thing we know, Spock's pulling a Billy Joel, "la la la, de de da"ing right along, while Kirk and Rayna audition for Dancing With the Stars<.
McCoy shows up, letting Kirk knows that thecrystal methryetalyn cooked up by M-4 sucks donkey balls, containing impurities and other crap as often happens when you make this shit in your garage. Flint offers to supervise the collection of more raw ryetalyn and do some breaking bad of his own, and he and McCoy head out to CVS or wherever to get the stuff they need. Spock, apparently not giving a damn about any of that, chooses this point to tell Kirk that the music he just played looks to have been written by the hand of , this time sheet music apparently written by the hand of famed ancient Earth composer Johannes Brahms, though it's on modern parchment. Say what?
Heading to Flint's lab, Kirk is poking around when Rayna shows up, and the good captain sees his opportunity to put on some of The Moves without Flint or Spock to get all up in his grill. She seems distracted, though, checking out a door in the lab that Flint's told her is VERBOTEN! She's troubled about something, but she doesn't know. It's these slow, streeeeeeeeeetched-out scenes that drag down far too many third-season stories which give me time to ruminate on the little things - like how bad Shatner needs a haircut and the nasty hair on the back of his neck trimmed with a straight razor, and the line of the girdle he was wearing under his uniform tunic at this point in the season. Man....my childhood hero has the same middle-aged spread I have. Damn.
Ah, well.
Kirk asks Rayna if she's happy living here with Flint, and she responds with unabashed adoration. For most people, that might be a sufficient answer, but not for CAPTAIN JAMES TIBERIUS BY THE GRACE OF GOD KIRK. Oh, no. Uh-uh. The gauntlet's been thrown down, yo, and Jimmy T knows just what to do next. Pucker up, buttercup. Don't be afraid. I've got candy, and so on.
Well, M-4 shows up, and it's got some shit to say about that.
The drone and Kirk do a little face-off, with Rayna telling M-4 to knock off that shit, but it's not listening. That's when Spock arrives in the nick of time and totally pwns the robot with his phaser. Take that, you Nomad knock-off-lookin' motherfucker!
Flint apologizes to Kirk, essentially telling him, "I should've known you'd be a dumbass, and told M-4 to just let you dumbass away." Then another drone appears, a replacement for the one Spock phaserfied, and Kirk and Flint engage in a bit of macho dick measuring before Flint heads off to check on Dr. McCoy and the processing of a new batch of ryetalyn. When he calls for Rayna to accompany him, she demonstrates reluctance to go with him, and Kirk is none too happy with the way he sees Flint treating her. Spock suggests that Kirk stop thinking with his little head for a while, but Kirk can't figure out the mixed signals Flint's sending with respect to Kirk's interactions with Rayna. "First he hooks us up, then he cock-blocks me. WHAT THE FUCK?"
Hmm...the closed captioning on my TV might be a bit off again.
Anyway, it seems that investigations into Flint's backgrounds are hitting dead ends. Uhura can't seem to find a record of him anywhere, and Spock's tricorder readings note that while Flint's human, he appears to be at least 6,000 years old. Kirk then realizes that something's up with respect to the ryetalyn processing. Is the delay deliberate? Is Flint keeping the landing party around for some hidden purpose?
The mystery deepens when Scotty contacts Kirk from the Enterprise and tells Kirk that there's no one by the name of Rayna Kapec in Federation databanks, no records of Flint being awarded custody of any orphaned child, nothing. Like Flint, she appears to be living totally off the grid. Spock suggests that all of this is secondary to getting the ryetalyn back to the ship, and he and Kirk are setting off in search of McCoy when Rayna appears. She's come to say good-bye, but Jimmy T's not about to leave until he samples the goods, if you know what I mean. He's closing in for the kill, and Rayna is all about all about getting a little Captain in her, if you know what I mean.
What Kirk doesn't know....what likely would dematerialize his little T-rektion if he were to find out, is that his every move is being watched by Flint on his VoyeurVision setup. Ewwwwww!!!!
While McCoy and Spock are trying to figure out where that darned robot is with the processed ryetalyn, Kirk's busy trying to convince Rayna that she loves him and that she should run off with him. She instead just runs off, leaving Jimmy T with a raging pair of decrystalized dilithium crystals, if you'll pardon the shameless Trekified innuendo. Kirk heads to the lab to learn that the ryetalyn's missing and that Flint appears to be jerking them around again. Spock locates it behind that mysterious door in the lab, and Kirk's about to blast it when it chooses that moment to slide open. Moody damned thing, ain't it?
Kirk is about to head inside when Spock suddenly blocks the door, offering to go inside alone and fetch the ryetalyn. Kirk and McCoy, understandably just as confused as the rest of us, ask Spock what's up with that shit. Rather than explain himself, Spock eventually steps aside, thereby extending this already too long episode by another minute for no discernible fucking reason whatsoever. Kirk leads the way into the secret room, and they find...well, another room. It's in there that they find the ryetalyn (three shot glasses' worth? To vaccinate 430 people?), but they also discover something else: androids that look like Rayna. After at least 16 "attempts," Flint apparently has built the perfect woman, with whom Kirk has fallen in love.
That guy. I tell ya.
Flint shows up to explain himself, and that's when it all comes out...Flint is "immortal," having been born on Earth 6,000 years ago and lived under numerous identities down through the centuries: Johannes Brahms, Leonardo da Vinci, Solomon, Alexander, Lazarus, Methuselah, Merlin, Abramson, Russell Nash, Connor MacLeod, etc. He's spent millennia living among friends, family, and lovers, then moving on before the nature of his immortality is suspected. Tired of watching lovers grow old and die, he strove to create an artificial companion, one who like him would not age with the passage of time. He contends that Kirk can't love her, because she's not real...except to Flint.
Why he didn't just order one of those "Real Dolls" from the internet is anybody's guess.
Kirk, realizing that *he's* the one who'll be doing some of that net-shopping, wants to leave, but Flint forbids it. They know his secret see, and he doesn't them to run off and blab to the galaxy that he's here. You see, he hasn't gotten the memo from Zefram Cochrane that these guys are good about not running off at the mouth about where to find famous figures from history who've tapped a keg from the Fountain of Youth. Kirk tries to contact the Enterprise, but Flint pushes a button a remote-control thingamabob he's got in his pocket, and POOF! The ship disappears from orbit!
The next thing we know, Flint's order of a model Enterprise from Masterpiece Replicas shows up. Oh, wait! It's the REAL Enterprise, reduced to the size of a fanboy's wet dream. The crew is trapped inside, shrunk down and frozen in time! Kirk is dumbstruck by this demonstration of Flint's power, but Flint shrugs and says, "Hey, I said I'd make you my bitch. Now suck it."
Kirk demands that Flint release his ship and crew, but Flint's focus is elsewhere. Rayna's emotions are churning you see, and he's got just the prescription for what ails her. Awwwwwwwwwwww yeah. Rayna overhears him, and it's obvious that she's not gonna like hanging with Flint in his swank crib if he insists on being a big ol' meanie to Jimbo and the gang. Flint relents, returning the Enterprise to its proper place in orbit. Kirk realizes that Flint's delaying tactics were deliberate, using the captain to stir Rayna's nascent emotions like the tenth-degree horn dog that he is. Now that Jim's got the pump primed (I know, I'm really going for broke with all these clever euphemisms, aren't I?), Flint's ready to take the conn and (forgive me) go where no man has gone before. (Audience "If you know what I mean!")
Kirk: "But hey! I love her, and she loves me!"
Flint: "Oh no he di-int!"
The next thing you know, Kirk and Flint are in full-on fisticuffs mode, battling for to defend Rayna's honor. After 6,000 years, you'd think Flint would've picked up a move or two. Obviously none of his past identities were Chuck Norris, Steven Segal or Jean-Claude Van Damme. Still, he does a pretty good job tossing Kirk around the room like a gorilla going after an American Tourister suitcase. Observing all of this, Rayna gets upset when she realizes that she's what's driving this testosterone-fest. "Enough of this shit!" she says. She'll be the one choosing where she goes and who she'll be going with. However, the strain of such unchecked emotion for the first time is too much for her. Unable to bear hurting either Kirk or Flint with her choice, she dies.
Later, after leaving Flint's planet, the Enterprise crew has dealt with the plague, and Spock reports to Kirk's cabin to tell him that they're on course for their next assignment. Kirk, in total emo mode, is lamenting the loss of Rayna and his loneliness before he puts his head down on his desk and wishes he could forget the whole thing (We pause here to throw up.). McCoy shows up, and tells Spock that Flint is dying, having sacrificed immortality by leaving Earth and whatever special conditions there brought about his unique existence in the first place. He will live the rest of whatever natural lifespan remains to him and then die.
Once McCoy leaves, Spock reaches over to Kirk and performs a Vulcan mind-meld, helping him to "forget."
(Which of course makes you wonder just what else he's made people forget over the years. Sneaky bastard.)
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I'll admit that I'm a sucker for "person out of time" stories, be they variations on Rip Van Winkle or Buck Rogers - where a character suddenly finds him/herself thrown far into the future - or like Flint, who are walking windows into history, having witnessed it firsthand and lived through the proceeding generations in order to be our guides. I dig characters like Connor MacLeod from the Highlander films, Casca the Eternal Mercenary, and even Elias Vaughn, who has lived long enough to experience the major eras of the Star Trek universe.
That said, the potential that came with the creation of the Flint character is largely wasted in "Requiem for Methuselah."
With this episode, we're very late in the game so far as third-season Star Trek is concerned, and it's starting to show around the edges. Like I said before, little details like controlling Shatner's hair have fallen a bit by the wayside, and the number of characters is cut to the absolute bare minimum to get through the episode. The only scenes set aboard the Enterprise are a couple of quick hits on the bridge and the ending scene in Kirk's quarters. Otherwise it's Flint's house. Even with the opening sequence set "outside," it's still just a bottle show, though one that takes place away from the standing Enterprise sets.
The story, again, is a talky affair, though it's at least interesting to listen to Flint recount what we soon "discover" are memories from throughout the thousands of years he's lived. Actor James Daly turns in a commendable performance working with what he's given, his naturally craggy face imbuing a certain world-weary quality into the millennia-old Flint. As for Rayna, the idea of building an android which might one day know what it's like to be human is interesting. Too bad Star Trek never followed up on the story potential there, right? Still, actor Louise Sorel does a nice job affecting a childlike innocence for Rayna, as well as providing subtle hints through word and action that the young woman is not what she at first appears to be. Later, she pulls off Rayna's "awakening" with intense emotion, only straying a bit too close to the line of demarcation for balls-out scenery chewing on one or two occasions. Shatner, on the other hand, has a couple of those classic Shatnerian moments, particularly when he's imploring Rayna to run away with him.
I'll give the writers and producers credit for finding an interesting way to show us the smaller Enterprise filming miniature. It's the original 3-foot model as designed by Matt Jefferies in 1964 and referenced by the model makers who later would build the larger model used for filming the bulk of the Enterprise optical scenes. While the larger model is interred at the Smithsonian, this smaller version has been lost for many years, a bit of TV and Star Trek history that's probably sitting over someone's fireplace. Sharp-eyed fans can see several noticeable differences between the two models, particularly in the shape of the saucer section. This little bit of geekitude is yet another of the many services we try to provide for our readers here at Wayback Reviews Headquarters.
I suppose one could argue that we get a little insight into the Kirk psyche with respect to his relationships with women. Every time we've seen him find someone with whom he could truly be happy - maybe even to the point of giving up that which he most holds dear, command of the Enterprise - it ends in tragedy for him. With that kind of track record, I might consider just going for the one-night stand, too. That, or just move to a cabin in Montana with a dog and a footlocker of beef jerky.
I wish they could've explored Flint's past in greater detail, but lucky for me, I get to write Star Trek novels every so often. Maybe one of these days I'll come up with a cool story where I can use the character. Meanwhile, Flint has made a couple of memorable appearances within the "expanded universe" of Star Trek novels: Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume I, by Greg Cox.
As for the episode? Middle of the road third-season entry. Eh.
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First Cup: Tuesday
[NBA Basketball, Sports] (ESPN.com - TrueHoop)Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Stephen Jackson knows his role in the Detroit brawl and subsequent off-court incidents shortened his time with the Indiana Pacers. The Charlotte Bobcats guard isn't making excuses for his actions. What he wishes, though, is that Pacers fans would have focused on his basketball skills. Say whatever you want about Jackson, but know this: He wins. 'I think people are not looking at the fact that I'm human and I make mistakes,' Jackson said after the Bobcats' pr ...
- Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Stephen Jackson knows his role in the Detroit brawl and subsequent off-court incidents shortened his time with the Indiana Pacers. The Charlotte Bobcats guard isn't making excuses for his actions. What he wishes, though, is that Pacers fans would have focused on his basketball skills. Say whatever you want about Jackson, but know this: He wins. 'I think people are not looking at the fact that I'm human and I make mistakes,' Jackson said after the Bobcats' practice Monday. 'I made two mistakes, but I haven't been in any trouble since. They need to realize I can play this game and I've been effective ever since I've been in this league. I help teams win and people should let the negative stuff go and look at the positive things.' Jackson has teamed with All-Star Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton to lead the Bobcats to the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bobcats play the Pacers tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse. 'I love guys that care about winning and care about their teammates and love to play,' Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. 'He's a terrific player. I think he's underrated in every area. He's got a very high IQ.' "
- Gary D. Howard of the Journal Sentinel: "Andrew Bogut has been crazy active on offense and defense, has kept his mouth closed - something he has learned to do during his tenure in the league -- and concentrated on helping this team move the ball on offense like no other collection of Bucks in recent history. Milwaukee is a whopping 28-11 when it wins the assists battle this year and 28-7 when it takes the rebounding edge over an opponent. Yes, Scott Skiles' system, unlike those of his predecessors, actually works. And players such as Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova, Jerry Stackhouse, Luke Ridnour, Charlie Bell and, most of all, Bogut are reaping the dividends. With a tough schedule down the stretch that includes two more fights with Boston, two more with Atlanta, not to mention Denver, Miami, Memphis, Cleveland, Charlotte, Phoenix and Chicago, the Bucks will need Bogut. ... The new Bogut. The Bogut who smashes a dunk down on the Celtics' Glen Davis' head so hard that fans are still talking about the play (and his 25-point, 17-rebound, four-block effort in that victory over Boston). The Bogut who flies out of nowhere to send shots over the craning necks of the Bradley Center's court-side patrons. The Bogut who has become a winner. With that player on the court, the Bucks can't lose. ... At least it feels that way."
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Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times: "There's a chance Jannero Pargo, Flip Murray, James Johnson, Taj Gibson and Brad Miller will be the Bulls' starters tonight at Memphis. Does anything say 'keep reading' like that first paragraph? I'm not one to live in the past, but tonight's potential lineup does make you wonder how Bryce Drew and Fred Hoiberg might have fit in. There are worse things in the NBA than being an average team beset by injuries, but there aren't many things more boring. The Bulls are blameless in this, of course. Injuries happen. But mercy. The discriminating hoops consumer will turn the channel to the NCAA tournament play-in game tonight. You know, Winthrop against Arkansas-Pine Bluff for all the marbles. Or the marble that lets them play No. 1 seed Duke. If that doesn't excite you, there's always C-SPAN3. Or maybe it's time for that painful gallbladder surgery you've been putting off."
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Aaron Brooks wanted just one more chance. One shot with the game on the line and in his hands. Brooks had missed a free throw, allowing Denver’s Carmelo Anthony to tie the game with 20.8 seconds remaining. The Rockets had been trapped in the sort of game -- down 11 in the fourth quarter -- they had been unable to win and the Nuggets had never lost this season. But the Rockets spread the floor and let Brooks go to work. He let the clock run down to its final six seconds, then made one sharp, one-dribble move to his right before nailing a 20-footer with 2.9 seconds left that lifted the Rockets to a 125-123 win over the Nuggets on Monday night at Toyota Center. 'That little man, he’s so good,' forward Luis Scola. 'I wanted to kiss him, but no, I’m not.' Even without the public display of affection, the win gave the Rockets their biggest fourth-quarter comeback of the season and the Nuggets their first loss in 28 games when scoring at least 110 points."
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Monday was a day of contrition at Miami Heat practice. It also was a day when dark clouds lifted. Foremost, Dorell Wright was back on the court for the first time since last week's DUI arrest. 'It was just one bad night,' he said of what is widely considered an out-of-character moment for the 24-year-old forward. 'I don't want anybody to get that confused.' Then there was center Jermaine O'Neal making himself available to the media for the first time since being ejected from Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia 76ers following a tussle with Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert. 'You have to play with some type of emotion,' O'Neal said. 'But you have to find a way to play with emotion, be effective in the game with emotions, and also stay in the game. I apologized to my teammates today and just want to move forward.' Both apparently will receive an unimpeded opportunity. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league reviewed O'Neal's ejection and that there would be no further penalty for O'Neal putting his hand around Dalembert's neck. As for Wright, an executive with the players' union said the two-game suspension imposed by the Heat would not be followed up by any further league action."
- Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "If the Hawks are serious about catching Orlando for the Southeast Division lead, then they will need more efforts like their performance against the Pistons on Saturday. The Hawks were intense on defense, worked for good shots, controlled the tempo and played with energy. The Hawks jumped Detroit early, turned back a Pistons rally and won by 13. 'That was the perfect game for us down the line,' Hawks forward Josh Smith said, 'except for the [17] turnovers.' It’s not easy for players to stay sharp. The season is long. Bodies are tired and the schedule can be rough, like the four games in six days coming up for the Hawks. 'It’s tough,' said Hawks center Al Horford. 'But you realize every other team is like that as well and a lot of these other teams aren’t playing for anything. You really have to focus in and get up and get motivated.' "
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun: "Change is afoot in Raptorland, where the unplanned practice Monday attracted a Leafs-like media contingent. There’s blood in the water and the sharks are beginning to circle. But no matter what changes are in store for the visit by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, there’s one change that cannot be measured in field-goal attempts, minutes played or any other statistical number. Until the Raptors rediscover the mental toughness that surfaced in the wake of the team’s early season struggle, nothing substantive will occur."
- Eric Koreen of The National Post: "Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh expects to be given a maximum-value contract this summer as a free agent. He has been clear on that for a while now. Still, there is the theory that players given those contracts should be A-level superstars, players that do not let their teams get in funks. Bosh's team is certainly in one, having lost their last five games, the five contests since Bosh returned from an ankle injury and stomach bug. So, a reporter asked Bosh if this slump should reflect on him. Bosh was defiant. 'What else do you want me to do?' Bosh said after a late practice on Monday. 'You want me to score 30? 40? 20 blocks a game? That's not my game. That's not what I do. I try to get these guys going and that's pretty much it. At the end of the day, we're going to be successful. I'm not weak-minded by any means.' Bosh has averaged 20 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on 46% shooting during the streak."
- Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star: "You can bash Bosh's merits as a No. 1 banana in this league, but the truth is he's currently co-manning a starting lineup occupied by a bunch of other highly paid pros who are grossly under-performing. The scientific term for the majority of Bosh's teammates is 'a bunch of gutless pooches.' 'It's perplexing,' said Bryan Colangelo, the man who concocted this mix and has continually acknowledged he's to blame if it bombs. 'There's no doubt that we've regressed back to the level we started the season with.' "
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "The Timberwolves hastily departed their ARCO Arena locker room on Sunday night with one lonely word left scribbled on a marker-board wall long after they headed for the airport and a flight to Phoenix. Adversity. They have already lived it during a 14-53 season in which the Wolves have lost their past nine games and 15 of their last 16. But, just as a reminder, the topic was coach Kurt Rambis' theme following a 114-100 defeat to the Kings that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicates. Rambis has admitted often that he and team basketball president David Kahn have placed players in a difficult spot by making so many personnel moves aimed toward this summer's draft and free-agency period. The result of those decisions now is being played out night after night, loss after loss. 'These players, it's a good test of their character to see who fights and swings and plays hard,' Rambis said. 'Guys who quit, it's hard to win. It's hard to be a winner. It's easy to quit. It's easy to roll over. Most people when they run into adversity take a step back, just let things go by. It's a mark of a true champion, a competitor, a winner who continues to fight when things aren't going well for them.' "
- Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times: "Mike D’Antoni often changed his lineup and rotation in a search for consistency. In the long run, the team might have been better off if Toney Douglas assumed a larger role earlier this season, hastening his development. If the Knicks are to sign an impact free agent this summer, they will presumably want someone to pass him the ball. As of now, Douglas is the only point guard on the team’s payroll next season. 'It wasn’t that tough,' Douglas said of his extended apprenticeship. 'I’m mentally strong. If I don’t play, I’m still going to work out, still do what I have to do and get extra work in and stuff like that. All I know is that whenever I get an opportunity, I have to produce.' Rodriguez, acquired Feb. 18 in the Tracy McGrady deal, will probably receive another shot at the job. He played six minutes Monday and scored 2 points. 'They’re both learning and they’re both trying to get experience and I can’t give them both experience at the same time, but Sergio is fine and we’ll come back to him at some point,' D’Antoni said."
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "When he's finished playing, Vince Carter's career could compare favorably to some already in the Hall, such as Dominque Wilkins, Alex English and Dantley. Carter knows his detractors would scoff at the idea of him joining the game's all-time greats. Shortly after signing with the Magic, he was asked about what he's heard from his critics over the years. 'Can I win? Can I play? Do I have the love? I've heard ‘defense' … I don't know. I know it's out there, but I don't listen to any of it,' he said. Carter has never gotten past the second round of the playoffs despite five trips. He played his first six-plus years with the Toronto Raptors, where he became a high-wire superstar but exited as a villain. Dealt to New Jersey, he stayed with the struggling Nets for four-plus seasons. He was asked if he needed to win a title in Orlando to solidify his Hall-of-Fame candidacy. 'I don't know. I don't think so. If I'm not mistaken, Charles Barkley got in,' he said, referring to the fact that Barkley did not win a championship but was inducted in 2006. Lanier, Wilkins, Dantley and English didn't win rings, either. 'So there are some guys who have done it. We'll see. This was not my goal [Hall of Fame]. I wanted to enter into the league and be the best player I can be, play for as long as I can … and win a championship,' he said. 'Everything after that comes from the groundwork you laid from all your years. 'I never could come on a team and say, ‘If I average this many points or have this kind of season, I can be a Hall-of-Famer.' They look at your entire career and that's where it's judged.' "
- Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman: "Last season, the Thunder didn’t sweep a season series, East or West. This season they’ve swept six East teams -- Atlanta, Miami, New York, Detroit, Washington and New Jersey. They can add the Bobcats, Raptors and Pacers to the list if they go 3-0 on the upcoming road trip. Oklahoma City’s East dominance has put them in position to not only reach the playoffs but finish with a high enough seed to avoid the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, possibly contend for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs."
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: "The Lakers aren't supposed to be revered in Sacramento. They're not supposed to be loved at Arco Arena – not when their coach, Phil Jackson, mocked Kings fans as being 'semi-civilized' or "maybe redneck" nearly 10 years ago. But the Lakers have made themselves at home in Northern California. Tonight's game against the Lakers marks the third sellout of the season for the Kings. The other sellouts were the home opener against Memphis and the Lakers' first visit in late December. Cowbells no longer ring in the Lakers' ears. And based on the warm ovation they receive during pregame introductions, the Lakers might think they're at Staples Center if they closed their eyes. 'It's terrible, but it's something that we're partially responsible for,' said Kings center Spencer Hawes. 'If we were winning more, it probably wouldn't be the case. We just have to keep getting better and keep bringing the Kings' fans back and not be selling the Lakers' fans so many tickets.' "
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "The 76ers are going to have to answer that question, either in the next week or so or after the season. The question doesn't seem to be whether Eddie Jordan is gone, just how soon? My problem is that the list of successors supposedly starts with Jeff Van Gundy, Jay Wright or Avery Johnson. No disrespect to those guys, but that could be a tragic mistake. Van Gundy probably would like a chance to win; Johnson apparently wants to be handpicked without going through a process. The Sixers had to interview Wright last year, even knowing he had no interest; both sides had to show they were doing their due diligence. Strangely, the one guy who truly wanted the job was Doug Collins, and he couldn't get an interview. In a way, I was happy about that, because as brilliant a coach as Collins can be, he is also the best pro analyst in the business. I would hate to see him walk away from that to take one more shot at coaching. So, again: Who's next? The one really fresh candidate last year was runner-up Dwayne Casey, the Dallas assistant. In recent weeks, I have begun wondering what might have happened had the Sixers chosen Kurt Rambis, the Los Angeles Lakers assistant and perhaps coach-in-waiting. Rambis would have come armed with the triangle offense, but without access to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Exactly how is that working out in Minnesota, where Rambis ultimately landed? The Sixers' correct path this time might be to mine the rising (and relatively unknown) assistants around the league. As a colleague mentioned to me, the search should be for fresh ideas, for leadership, for a presence."
- Ron Borges of the Boston Herald: "The good news from last night’s 119-93 pounding of the Pistons is that the Celtics did to such a lowly team what they should do. They got rid of them early, pounding them into pumice the same way the foreign car industry did Detroit’s economy. They played with energy and defensive dominance. They played like the kind of team we hoped they’d be this season before injuries and old age began to tie them into unrecognizable knots. The problem is it was just a rerun of a drama that has been played out over and over this season. The Celtics still beat up teams like the Pistons, losers of nine of their past 11. But the day before in Cleveland they got chased out of the gym, losing again to the Cavaliers, 104-93, because the opponents were younger, more aggressive and, frankly, probably more confident when the game was being decided. It is all well and good that the Celtics as presently constructed can still beat down the detritus of the NBA like the Pistons, but the sad fact of the matter is they are a combined 2-9 against Cleveland, Orlando and Atlanta. Add a 1-3 record against the top three teams out west - L.A., Denver and Dallas - and that makes them 3-12 against the league’s top six teams."
- Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe: "Everybody around here is simply too negative. Not me. I still believe. I don’t care if the Celtics are 2-9 against the Cavaliers, Magic, and Hawks. Seeing them lose at home to the New Jersey Nets doesn’t discourage me. Getting whupped by the Grizz by 20 at the Garden is OK. Sometimes you’ve just got to see the glass as half full. This is one of those times. There was a point at the end of the 2009 Patriots season when everything crystallized. It became apparent that this was not your typical Bill Belichick “No I In Team’’ unit. The Patriots repeatedly coughed up second-half leads, never won a clutch game on the road, and ultimately imploded under the weight of their own arrogance and effort. It was not a team to be admired, not a team we liked. Now the naysayers (you know who you are) claim the same malaise has infected the 2009-10 Celtics. Some of the nattering nabobs are projecting a shocker in the form of a first-round playoff exit next month. Not me. I see what the Celtics are doing. The Green are Going Green. The NBA’s Team AARP is also Team Energy Conservation."
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "Only Miami's Dwyane Wade has averaged more free-throw attempts per game (11.3) this month than has Amare Stoudemire (11.0), and no team has gone to the line more than Phoenix, which is getting 26 points per game there by making 79 percent. ... Superstar wing players usually are the ones getting double-digit free-throw tries regularly, but Stoudemire's perimeter shot and reinstated confidence to attack put him in a top five with Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Coach Alvin Gentry said he has gone to Stoudemire's mismatches more this month, during which time Stoudemire has averaged 30.7 points. 'My explosiveness is back,' said Stoudemire, who has lost 20 pounds this season. 'My quickness is back. My IQ of the game. Everything's back at 100 percent.' "
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Data Discovery Forensic Collections Expert (Financial District)
[Jobs, Jobs (not Steve)] (craigslist | software/QA/DBA/etc jobs in SF bay area)SFL Data is seeking a data forensic analyst to join its growing team. SFL Data is an end-to-end provider of electronic discovery and litigation consulting services located in downtown San Francisco. This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits. Please email CV and cover letter describing your fit for this position. Duties include: Forensic data acquisition / collection (performed both onsite and in our lab), in support of forensic investigations and electronic discovery matters ...
SFL Data is seeking a data forensic analyst to join its growing team. SFL Data is an end-to-end provider of electronic discovery and litigation consulting services located in downtown San Francisco. This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits. Please email CV and cover letter describing your fit for this position.
Duties include:
Forensic data acquisition / collection (performed both onsite and in our lab), in support of forensic investigations and electronic discovery matters
Forensic analysis, processing and tracking of collected data
Assisting senior staff members in providing excellent service to our clients
Frequent travel within Bay Area; occasional air travel outside of area
Various other tasks in support of our forensics and collection lab
TECHNICAL PREREQUISITES:
Previous computer forensics / electronic discovery experience
Proficient in the use of EnCase or Forensic Toolkit or SMART or open-source forensic tools
An understanding of data collection & preservation principles
Familiarity with chain of custody procedures
An understanding of file systems and hard disk drive structures
CCE or EnCE certification or eligibility to sit for and pass one of these exams within 1 year from the date of hire
An understanding of computer networking concepts
Strong technical experience with installing, networking, and troubleshooting personal computers and servers
TECHNICAL BONUS POINTS:
Mac, Linux / UNIX, other operating systems experience is a plus
Strong/expert-level experience with Windows (all versions) is a plus
Programming , scripting, and/or database design experience is a plus
Knowledge of mobile device forensics is a plus
GENERAL PREREQUISITES:
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Must possess ability to describe complex technical concepts / ideas in non-technical terms, to less technical audiences
Ability to effectively balance multiple projects and responsibilities
Clear understanding and recognition that work schedule is ultimately determined by client needs, and may involve after-hours and/or weekends
Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor. Will be client facing during data collection projects
GENERAL BONUS POINTS:
Law enforcement or investigative experience is a plus
BA/BS degree in Computer Forensics, Computer Science, Engineering, or Business with an IT emphasis preferred
Previous expert testimony experience a strong plus
Business development potential / contacts also a plus
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Nintendo’s creator of Metroid Other M explains how he creates both serious and comic games
[Silicon Valley, Startups, Venture Capital, Silicon Valley, CA, Digital Media] (VentureBeat)It’s a little funny that the producer of the serious game Metroid Other M is also behind the comic expression of Nintendo’s WarioWare series of handheld games. In a talk before hundreds of game developers today at the Game Developers Conference, Yoshi Sakamoto talked about his career making Metroid games for Nintendo since 1986. The games, which star the heroine Samus with a signature “arm cannon,” are known for their serious dramatic style and shooting action. But Sak ...
It’s a little funny that the producer of the serious game Metroid Other M is also behind the comic expression of Nintendo’s WarioWare series of handheld games.
In a talk before hundreds of game developers today at the Game Developers Conference, Yoshi Sakamoto talked about his career making Metroid games for Nintendo since 1986. The games, which star the heroine Samus with a signature “arm cannon,” are known for their serious dramatic style and shooting action. But Sakamoto said he also loves to make people laugh with the goofy WarioWare games. That diversity of games has helped Sakamoto stay creative over the decades.
The room was crowded, of course, because Sakamoto’s games have been great commercial successes, selling millions upon millions of games on both handheld and home console platforms over the years. His latest Metroid Other M game ships in May, while WarioWare D.I.Y. ships on the Nintendo DSi on March 28. Both are expected to be high-profile Nintendo titles. The Metroid title in particular is crucial for Nintendo to hang on to its hardcore fans; and its emotional storyline with a female protaginist also offers the hope of a much broader audience than usual.
Sakamoto aid found his serious stylistic inspration in the horror films of Dario Argento, creator of the Italian films Suspiria and Deep Red. Argento was great at controlling the mood, timing, foreshadowing and contrast. He used music and sound effects to create the emotions of fear in the audience. He invoked fear through mastery of foreshadowing and increased the felling of tension by contrasting both storylines and scenes.
Sakamoto said he shared these same techniques in the creation of the scary scenes in Metroid Other M. He was also inspired by films of Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional), John Woo (A Better Tomorrow), and Brian De Palma (Carrie). He particularly liked the last scene of Carrie. At the same time, he loves making audiences laugh. Even in comedy, he still uses mood, timing, foreshadowing and contrast. He likes to steer a conversation to set up great one liners.
Sakamoto picks up creative thoughts anywhere he can and then stores them away until he needs them. Then he integrates them into games as the ideas become fully baked. Some of his ideas led to the creation of Nintendo’s iconic Mii characters, which were fully developed by Nintendo’s design chief, Shigeru Miyamoto. Sakamoto said he was proud of the goofy game, Tomodachi Collection, a DS game that launched in Japan in June, 2009. In that game, the story is driven by the player, who can create more of their own story elements. While designing that game, he said to one team member, “You have to take off your underwear!” The idea was that guy needed to loosen up.
With Metroid Other M, he wrote a story that takes place between the time of the games Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion in the early 1990s. He brought in a male character to co-star with Samus, creating tension between main characters. Then he found a partner, Team Ninja, an outside game developer, to work on the game itself. The goal was to make the ultimate Metroid game. When planning, Sakamoto wanted to be able to control the game using only the Wii remote. That meant the character would have to move along a pre-determined path. Then Team Ninja wanted to add use of the Nunchuk attachment, and then introduced the idea of controlling character movement in a 3-D space using just the control pad on the Wii remote. So the control scheme includes both 3-D and 2-D movement styles.
Two movie production companies, Taiyo Kiakaku and D-Rockets, created the movie-like video scenes that take place in between the game play. For those scenes, the team used comic book storyboards to plan video sequences. Sakamoto’s take-away thought: Combine the techniques that work for both horror and comedy into a game, and you can create something that reaches the emotional core of your audience. Imagine, he said, what you see or want to see on the faces of people as they play your game, and then explore how you can create something that produces those results.
“What we create touches the hearts and feelings of people and can move them,” he said. “We often don’t realize it.”
Richard Lemarchand, lead designer of Sony’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, said the talk resonated with him about the commonality between horror and comedy.
“You have to set it up, and then you have to have a pay off,” he said.
Companies: nintendo
People: Yoshi Sakamoto
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NBA Playoffs: Who Really Has a Shot at the Title
[New England Patriots, Sports, Fantasy Football] (Bleacher Report - Front Page)The NBA season is well over half-way complete, and the main thing on everyone's mind in the Association is the ever-important postseason. The way I see it, there are eight teams with a puncher's chance at the championship. From the Eastern Conference, there are the Cavaliers, the Magic, the Celtics, and the Hawks. From the West, the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Jazz all have at least a sliver of hope. Apologies to the Suns, Thunder, and Spurs, but this is hardly the best Suns team of the past ...
The NBA season is well over half-way complete, and the main thing on everyone's mind in the Association is the ever-important postseason. The way I see it, there are eight teams with a puncher's chance at the championship.
From the Eastern Conference, there are the Cavaliers, the Magic, the Celtics, and the Hawks. From the West, the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Jazz all have at least a sliver of hope.
Apologies to the Suns, Thunder, and Spurs, but this is hardly the best Suns team of the past seven years. It's hard to win when your best post players are Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison, and Serge Ibaka, and I just haven't seen anything special from San Antonio this year. That being said, here are reasons for and against each of the true contenders.
Los Angeles Lakers (46-18)
Starters: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
They can win, no problem: Perhaps the most impressive stat the Lakers can point to this season is their 4-1 record with Kobe resting his hand, including wins at Utah and at Portland. Any questions about the pressure of defending the title have been emphatically silenced thus far.
The team obviously has a capable offense, led by the game's best closer a.k.a. The Black Mamba, which ranks sixth in the NBA at 102.7 PPG and commits the seventh-fewest turnovers (13.5 per game). The defense is almost as stellar, allowing just 96.5 PPG (eighth in league) on 44.2 percent shooting (fifth in league).
The more successful of the L.A. teams also ranks sixth in rebound margin with a +2.12. Last year's champions boast a 29-5 home record, which bodes well for the likely one-seed in their quest to the Finals.
They can't win, no way: The starting lineup sure looks scary, even Fisher means a lot to their success. Past the starting five, Lamar Odom is one of the most skilled players in the league and would probably start in almost every other organization. Past that, though, the Lakers are in red alert.
The only other guys who get consistent playing time are Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, and Luke Walton when he is healthy. I could easily see Brown and Farmar go cold in the same series, leaving Odom, Powell, and maybe (repeat: maybe) Walton must carry the load for the second-unit.
That group cannot help the Lakers hold off some of the league's best while the starters sit. Also, Artest has been incredibly inconsistent this year and could be the hero or the goat in an L.A. title run.
Denver Nuggets (41-21)
Starters: Chauncey Billups, Arron Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Nene
They can win, no problem: In terms of offense, the Nuggets have it all. Ranked second in offense (107.5 PPG), the team can score in bunches and can do so at the most crucial point. Billups, Anthony, and J.R. Smith are all known for their abilities not only to light up the scoreboard but to do it late in the game.
Ever since Mr. Big Shot came from Detroit, the team has been a force. Their 11-4 record against the other seven teams in this article suggest a likely title run. Defensively, Martin, Nene, Chris Andersen, and Afflalo are all fierce defenders. Afflalo is basically Dahntay Jones without the ego (a February 2009 player poll in Sports Illustrated named Jones as one of the top five players who thinks they better than they really are). The Nuggets have plenty of inflated egos that are kinda/sorta justified without Jones around.
They can't win, no way: If defense wins championships, the Nuggets might be looking at a first-round exit. Denver ranks 22nd in the league at 102.6 PPG allowed and also in rebound margin at -.50. On the other side of that aforementioned 11-4 record is their 15-10 record against sub-.500 teams, hardly the mark of a champion.
This suggests a lack of focus, which is perfectly projected by the team's X-Factor, J.R. Smith. Sometimes a deadly shooter with great defensive instincts, Smith has shown far too many lapses in focus in judgment throughout his career to be a trustworthy key to the ultimate dream.
Dallas Mavericks (43-21)
Starters: Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood
They can win, no problem: Thanks to the trade with Washington, this is probably the most solid starting five in the NBA. Haywood is basically a better version of Erick Dampier and is among the league's best post defenders. Marion can guard the 3 or the 4 as well as anybody, and Butler is one of the best perimeter defenders.
Offensively, Nowitzki and Terry can handle late-game situations, the Mavs have the best FT % in the NBA (81.5%), they are third in assists per game (23.6) and commit the third-fewest turnovers (14.5). Lastly, they are an impressive 21-12 on the road, meaning home-court advantage for the Lakers/ whoever else might no be such an advantage after all.
They can't win, no way: Despite having the collection of big names, the Mavs don't really stand out on offense (12th at 101.5 PPG) or defense (15th at 98.0 PPG allowed). It's hard to imagine a without a dominant trait taking down the Lakers or Cavs. Also, Dallas ranks 23rd in the NBA with a -.85 rebound margin.
Utah Jazz (40-22)
Starters: Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur
They can win, no problem: The Jerry Sloan-led Jazz boast the fifth best offense in the league at 102.7 PPG and record the most assists with 26.4 per game. Always good at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz are 24-8 at home. With Chris Paul's and Steve Nash's teams off this list, Williams is the best point guard around.
Boozer was recently named Western Conference Player of the Month in February, giving the Jazz more firepower on offense and contributing to the +2.01 rebound margin (seventh in league). Ronnie Price, Paul Millsap, C.J. Miles, Sundiata Gaines and Kyle Korver form a solid second unit.
They can't win, no way: It's hard to find holes in the Jazz, but here are a few things that could end up hurting: Utah ranks 24th in FT %, only making 73.8 percent, they are only 21-16 against teams that are .500 or better, which would suggest only moderate playoff success, and trading stopper Ronnie Brewer for a pick hindered Utah for the remainder of the year.
C leveland Cavaliers (49-15)
Starters: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, Antawn Jamison, Shaquille O'Neal
They can win, no problem: LeBron. Okay, now that that's out of my system, the Cavs actually have the deepest team in the league. Okay, so Shaqtus is out until the playoffs, but look at this bench if everything works out: J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Leon Powe, Jawad Williams, Jamario Moon, and Zydrunas Ilgauskus (if he rejoins the team).
That's eight quality bench players. Eight! You can't even play eight bench guys! The team is seventh in offense (102.3 PPG; 3rd in FG% at 48.8%) and is fourth in defense (95.1 PPG; 2nd in opponent's FG% at 43.8%). Aside from all that, they rank first in rebound margin (+4.26) and are 27-4 at Quicken Loans Arena, where they will likely play all potential Game Sevens.
They can't win, no way: At the moment, the two-headed monster at center Cleveland possessed at the start of the year is nowhere to be found on the court. O'Neal is out until the playoffs and Ilgauskus is currently not on the roster. It's not a safe bet that Big Z comes back, and Shaq has plenty of time to get out of shape for the playoffs (no typo, Shaq has a history of poor endurance following injury).
Also, it may be nit-picking to find something bad in a 21-3 stretch, but between a 15-game winning streak and a six-game win streak, the Cavs dropped three straight. This streakiness could allow another Magic team to sneak into the Finals.
Orlando Magic (44-20)
Starters: Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard
They can win, no problem: The Magic are unique in that they shoot three-pointers constantly and effectively but also have the best post player in the Association in Howard. Besides Cleveland, Orlando is the only team that runs 11 deep with Jason Williams, J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson and Marcin Gortat all worthy of playing time.
Thanks mostly to Howard, the Magic are third in rebound margin (+2.65), sixth in defense (95.5 PPG), and first in opponent's FG% (43.7%). The 25-6 home record should mean that the Magic will be one road win away from the series win late in the playoffs.
They can't win, no way:Also thanks to Howard, the team ranks 28th in FT% at 72.5%. When the big guy is in foul trouble, the whole system must be altered to fit the personnel, and the Magic become just another shooting team. More importantly is Carter's role on the team.
He has rubbed Lewis the wrong way the whole season and during a nationally-televised game on Feb. 21 against the Cavs, was bashed by analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy jogging up and down the court with effort that Tim Thomas would be embarrassed by, only to light up the tremendous Cleveland defense with an array of baskets in the win.
With Carter drifting through much of this season, and annoying teammates, the Magic could implode with Stan Van Gundy's shrill voice leading the way.
Boston Celtics (40-21)
Starters: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
They can win, no problem: This is the same nucleus that won two years ago, and if Garnett can stay healthy, there's no reason to believe it can't happen again. It seems as though every ounce of ability the Big Three loses goes straight to Perkins and even more so Rondo.
The Celtics are a terrific 22-10 on the road and rank first in the league in defense with 94.0 PPG allowed. They are also second in APG with 23.8 and fourth with a 48.4 shooting %. The bench of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis, Nate Robinson and Tony Allen are perfectly capable.
They can't win, no way: Boston is just 15-15 against teams with a .500 or better record. With either the three- or four-seed, getting past the first round might be too much for this team. They commit the fourth most turnovers (15.4 per game) and even with the emergence of the two young stars, the Big Three and Sheed are getting old, and fast.
Boston ranks just 24th in rebound margin at -.90. Lastly, trading Eddie House was a mistake. Take it from a Knicks fan who is fond of KryptoNate, he is a terrible point guard.
Atlanta Hawks (40-22)
Starters: Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford
They can win, no problem: Much like the Nuggets, the Hawks are an exciting team with loads of potential and offensive ability. Atlanta's high-flying show ranks eighth in the NBA with 102.2 PPG and commits the fewest turnovers (11.9 per game). Off the bench, Jamal Crawford has been nothing but incredible and deserves consideration for Sixth Man of Year for his clutch shooting.
25-7 at home, what separates the Hawks from other teams is their key pieces to the puzzle. What I mean is this, Horford is one of the best at doing the dirty work down low, Johnson is the smooth, do-it-all guard, Josh Smith is the second-most likely player to record a quadruple-double (behind Paul), and Bibby is like Derek Fisher-Lite in terms of his role on the team.
They can't win, no way: Besides Crawford, the bench is merely a couple of mediocre players (Joe Smith, Maurice Evans) and guys who rarely play. Atlanta is not great defensively and even offensively is very average in many categories. A 7-5 February has cooled the Hawks' hype a little, showing a possible bailout for the young squad.
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NBA Talking Points: Where Galifianakis Is Greek For 'More Fun Than Lebron James'
[Sports] (SBNation.com - All Posts)Lebron James (Courtesy of Getty Images) View full size photo » In this week's edition of NBA Talking Points, Andrew Sharp says it's time to put an end to the Lebron Free Agency talk. There's no fresh news, the speculation's all biased, and nothing's going to change until July. But have you met Zach Galifianakis? On Wednesday, while scanning through the Lebron James Free Agency Storystream, I caught myself getting cynical about the NBA for a few minu ...
In this week's edition of NBA Talking Points, Andrew Sharp says it's time to put an end to the Lebron Free Agency talk. There's no fresh news, the speculation's all biased, and nothing's going to change until July. But have you met Zach Galifianakis?On Wednesday, while scanning through the Lebron James Free Agency Storystream, I caught myself getting cynical about the NBA for a few minutes. For those unfamiliar with the term, a "Storystream" is a concept that SB Nation developed that allows you to track the way a story evolves over time. It's comprised of an initial story, and then we add updates as more news or analysis emerges. Cool stuff.
And that Lebron Storystream could probably be populated with three or four fresh news items, every day, for the next four months. Even though none of it means anything. Is that depressing to anyone else?
As basketball fans, there are only a handful of certainties in life:
1. Kobe's taking the last shot.
2. Don't trade with Daryl Morey.
3. Always trade with the Knicks.
4. Don't mess with David Stern.
5. Ron Artest is sometimes crazy funny, sometimes crazy productive, and sometimes crazy scary. But always remember—always always always—that at the end of the day, Ron Artest is crazy.
6. Finally, Lebron James' free agency is The Biggest Story in Basketball.
Whether we like it or not, basketball fans are going to be listening to a solid four months of analysts pontificating about Lebron's free agency plans this summer. Because what's more important: This year's chamipionship, or a decision that could change the landscape for the next six? From that perspective, the coverage makes sense.
The problem is, nobody knows a damn thing about what he will or won't do, and we're left overthinking things for the next 16 weeks, asking the same questions over and over, driving ourselves crazy. Still, because it's news, someone has to ask... What Could Lebron's Number Change Mean for this Summer? Good question.
And I would answer it, but if you don't mind, I'd rather pour this pot of hot coffee on my face.
I don't care about Lebron. Enough. In June, after the finals, we can discuss Lebron's free agency plans. It's not that the story's not important, but there's no news. Lebron has all the leverage here, and he's not saying a word until July. The only speculation is coming from people that are impossibly desperate (Knicks fans) or painfully defensive (Cavs fans). What's interesting about that? Whats fun about that? [Rant over]
[Wipes hot coffee from face ... Takes deep breath] So, since yesterday had me feeling all cynical and grumpy we'll begin this week by talking about someone that could make anyone smile.
1. WHO IS ZACH GALIFIANAKIS? Glad you asked.
To my amazement, Galifianakis (pronounced Gal-if-fin-ahk-iss) isn't really a household name at this point in his career. People may recognize him from The Hangover or the HBO show Bored to Death, but other than that, he's played mostly supporting roles, popping in for a few cameos that make you say, "Heyyyy, wait a second... That's the guy from The Hangover!" But he's bigger than a bit player. If he's not officially the funniest person on earth, he's one of a handful of people that deserve consideration. This weekend he's hosting Saturday Night Live, when his strange brand of comedy will hit the National TV and, in the process, might just resuscitate the most worn out brand in television. But how do we describe him?
Part of his what makes him so great is just a sight gag. His ridiculous beard makes him the funniest looking person in any room he enters. Beards either make someone look terrifying, homeless, or hilarious, and in Zach's case, it's definitely the third one. His beard is like Seth Rogen's jewfro; it's impossible not to laugh at someone that looks like that. So that's advantage number one.
Then there's his jokes which, while often wildly inappropriate, are somehow acceptable since they're coming from this round, bearded, cartoon character of a man. He looks so cuddly. So when, out of the blue, he tells someone to the shut the f— up, or asks Natalie Portman about her vagina, it's somehow not abrasive, and just awesome. Advantage number two.
And in addition to scathing sarcasm, he's also relentlessly self-deprecating. And in a world of unfunny, pretentious Hollywood celebrities, it's refreshing to have someone out there who's willing to make himself look ridiculous for the sake of good comedy. And it doesn't hurt if you can make fun of those pretentious celebrities in the process.
"My dream is to just do arthouse pictures. I really wanna be... I would love to be in the most independent movie ever made."
But his greatest asset of all is the awkward pause. With prolonged stares into the camera, in between delivering ridiculously blunt statements, he's made awkwardness into an artform. Please consult his "Between Two Ferns" series with Funny or Die for a definitive look at his mastery of awkwardness, or just check the awesome promos for this week's Saturday Night Live. ("Excuse me, I got a little Amy Adams stuck in my throat.")
As comedians go, Galifianakis is his own animal—strange, successful, and most of all, refreshing.
2. WHO IS THE NBA'S ZACH GALIFIANAKIS? So, if Galifianakis were an NBA player... Who would he be? There are a number of factors to consider here. First off, we have to remember that Galifianakis had to wait a while for his true "breakthrough" performance in The Hangover. He's been hilarious for years, but not until that movie did average fans of comedy begin to appreciate his brilliance. So ideally, we'd be talking about a late-bloomer.
There's also his ridiculous appearance, which might be tougher to find in the League. Big Baby from the Celtics comes close, but he's nowhere near talented enough to deserve the comparison. It's sad, but true: the NBA just doesn't have many people that have a giant potbelly and a mountainman beard. The closest fit, appearance wise, would be Baron Davis, with his legendary beard and baby fat that's remained on his frame for his entire career.
Could Baron be our answer? Let's break this down. He's one of the most likable players in the league. Despite being one of the best athletes in the league—especially in his first few seasons—he's always had that extra baby fat on his frame. And then there's that awesome beard. This week, he offered to sell it for $5,000, or for a limited time as part of a recession special, $29.99.
Like his tubby counterpart Galifianakis, he doesn't take himself too seriously, and he's one of the strangest characters in the league. But there's still something missing. On paper, "Boom Dizzle" seems like a perfect comparison, but he's just not quite goofy enough. Although to be fair to Boom, that's mainly because I have one specific person in mind. Steve Nash.
To the left, we have Steve Nash making fun of Violet Palmer with finger glasses. That would be one the ten best players in the NBA operating at third grade level of humor. How can you not love that?
Earlier this year I mentioned that if Steve Nash has one celebrity comparison, it would be Jennifer Aniston (do yourself a favor and click on this photo). But that's only in basketball terms. The way he's aged is inexplicable. Like Aniston, he's gotten immeasurably better at an age where he's supposed be declining dramatically. He's the NBA's resident hot older woman.
But as a character, he's just as goofy as Galifianakis, and easily the funniest guy in the entire NBA. Think about all the strange, hilarious videos he's produced over the years.
Remember that singalong with Dirk Nowitzki? Remember his intrepid reporting for David Letterman at the NBA Finals? Or that spoof of Step Brothers he did with Baron Davis? Nash has done so many ridiculous things over the years that we forget about some of the funniest moments. And frankly, we forget just how ridiculous he is. It's not normal for a 36 year-old NBA All-Star to act like this.
His Vitamin Water sponsorship has produced some of his funniest moments—talking about his relationship with the company, he deadpans: "I just like to take a big brand, put it on my back, and give them a little piggy back ride for a while. See how good they can be." And arguably his greatest moment came in this Vitamin Water informerical:
Like Galifianakis, it took a while for the rest of us to really catch on to his brilliance. And maybe as a result, Nash has never taken himself too seriously—like when he spliced together a bunch of his worst plays and told fans to vote him into the All-Star Game—and most importantly, he's a breath of fresh air for fans. It's not the rest of the NBA is pretentious or even boring, but Nash just brings a whole new element and makes things more fun.
Jennifer Aniston explains Nash, the player, but Zach Galifianakis explains Nash, the person. Or at least, why we love him so much.
And if you think this analogy is strained, or we're overthinking things, look at this way: Isn't that more fun than a psychoanalysis of Lebron James and whether he'll go to the Knicks?
If nothing else, this has been an open solicitation for Steve Nash to grow a ridiculously thick beard.
(Zach G. image via www.tsbmag.com, Steve Nash image via The Onion)
3. FREE DANNY GRANGER. Wednesday night in Portland, Danny Granger turned in a pretty impressive showing, hitting for 30 points on 12-22 shooting. Nevertheless, his team lost by 23 points in a game that was never really close. So, you ask: If their best player was playing that well, how could an NBA team get so badly outclassed? Well, the rest of the starters shot 9-29 from the field, with T.J. Ford the second-leading scorer on the night. With 9 points.
Now, using a COMPLEX STATISTICAL FORMULA™, we can see that Mr. Granger is approximately 24% better than everyone else on the Pacers. You see, 12-22 rounds out to about 55% percent, while 9-29 checks in at 31%. And if my formula is to be trusted, then 55-31=24. Care to argue? NUMBERS DON'T LIE.*
Does that oversimplify things? Maybe, but here's what I wrote about the Pacers in October:
Where does this leave Granger? Well, frustrated. ... Because [his teammates] kind of suck. Granger’s improved every year he’s been in the league, and quietly, he’s one of the steadier stars the NBA has to offer. He does everything well, and on a good team as a second option, he’d be damn near unstoppable. Instead, he’s stuck in Indiana, leading a mediocre supporting cast to the 11th spot in the East every year.
Maybe "unstoppable second option" is exaggerating Granger's potential, but there's no question that on a good team, he could make a big difference. A great third option, at worst. On the Pacers, he toils in obscurity on a nightly basis, getting blown out by a relatively average team like the Blazers, just because that's what happens to crappy teams. Despite Granger's best efforts, they are the slump busters of the NBA universe.
Maybe there's nothing wrong with it now, but in 12 months, when we're having the same conversation, don't be surprised if Danny Granger just snaps one day. Could you blame him?
*(Excuse me, I was just imitating every stats-obsessed NBA writer I've ever met.)
4. THE PROKHOROV WAY: LOSE A HOUSE, GAIN A STADIUM Propsective Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov made headlines this week when he lost $53 million in a housing contract gone bad. The villa is below, via this ABC News Photo Gallery of Villa La Leopolda:
First thing's first: You're not ballin until you got helicopters takin' pictures of your house.
And even though Prokhorov wound up backing out of an agreement to purchase the house—or the villa, or compound, or whatever insanely rich people call their homes—the story's message resonates regardless. He's rich enough to consider buying that property, and what's more, he's rich enough to risk losing $53 million by walking away from the deal.
And while wealth itself isn't inherently cool or worth of our attention, having that kind of wealth come to the NBA is, unquestionably, inherently cool. Next week, the New Jersey Nets break ground on a new arena. It'll be like a lush French villa, but in the heart of Brooklyn, and shaped like a spaceship. With Prokhorov at the helm, you can be sure it'll be interesting.
5. ALLEN IVERSON'S BIZARRE JOURNEY TAKES ANOTHER TURN. Earlier this week, we put together a collection of excerpts from stories on Allen Iverson's crazy, crazy year. Let's try to fit it all in one sentence: He signed with Memphis, got hurt and missed the preseason, came back in November and complained about minutes, got released after sitting out a bunch of games, almost went to the Knicks, retired from basketball, returned to basketball to play for the 76ers, got voted into the All-Star Game, was conspicuously absent from said event, and a few weeks later, he was released again, under circumstances that are still shrouded in mystery.
It fit into one sentence, but jeez. That's a long-ass sentence. And now he's getting divorced:
A week after the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson announced he was leaving basketball for the rest of the season to be with his sick 4-year-old daughter, the star’s wife filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court.
In the divorce petition filed on Tuesday, Tawanna Iverson said her 8 ½-year-long marriage to the guard was "irretrievably broken." In the petition, Tawanna Iverson asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony.
It's never wise to speculate, but something is going on with AI, right? Whatever the problems, let's hope Bubba Chuck gets things worked out before too long. (If nothing else, then for Scoop Jackson's sake.)
6. MAGIC AND BIRD: THE DOCUMENTARY
Saturday night, HBO will debut Bird and Magic: A Courtship Of Rivals, a look at the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'll have a full review up next week, but if you're a basketball fan, how can miss that?
7. Shaq Goes Down For The Cavs. What Does It Mean? Earlier this week, after it was announced that Shaq had surgery to repair his thumb and would be out for eight weeks, it sparked a bit of debate in the SB Nation offices. On the one hand, you had me arguing that the Cavs will ultimately be a more dangerous team without Shaq:
Until then, this move forces Mike Brown to get out of his own way. For a few years now, the Cavs have been better when they play small. More fun, more explosive, and just better. The problem this whole time is that Mike Brown, for all his defensive wizardry, almost never goes to small ball unless foul trouble or injuries forces his hand. This doesn't necessarily make the Cavaliers a bad team, but let's say that it transforms their offense from what should be a sports car, into a plain-but-perfectly-reliable sedan. They can still hum along at a decent pace with Shaq and Anderson Varejao up front, but they won't be leaving anyone in the dust.
Playing small, the matchups get a lot more impossible for Cleveland opponents. They can spread the floor with shooters, put Lebron and JJ Hickson (or Leon Powe, who just returned from injury) in the high or low posts, and from there, just eviscerate defenses.
On the other hand, there was my SB Nation running mate, Mike Prada:
Cleveland’s had stretches where they’ve dominated with their small lineup, such as in a December game against Phoenix and a recent game against Boston. But ask yourself this question: would Cleveland’s small lineup work as well if it wasn’t contrasted with their big lineup? In other words, how much of Cleveland’s success with the small lineup is due to it being completely different than it’s big lineup? I’m pretty sure it has a lot to do with it. Not only in terms of scouting, but also because the ability to change the game with a simple lineup switch is something no team can really contend with.
Now that Shaq is out, Cleveland is forced to go small the entire game, which will allow teams to properly prepare for it. The novelty act of the small lineup will wear off. That’s a value Shaq brings that Sharp overlooks. [...]
This isn’t to say Cleveland’s in trouble with this injury. They have enough depth where they’ll survive. But that’s exactly it: they’ll survive. They won’t thrive as Sharp suggested.
Since Monday's argument Cleveland beat the Nets and Knicks by a combined 50 points. It came against two terrible teams, but even so. That's a pretty big number. Does it mean I'm right? No. Or not yet, at least. But... I had to mention it, right?
8. SONG OF THE WEEK. Kanye West, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Galifiankis Video Version)
From the description of this video:
On June 1, 2007 I got a one line email from Zach that said, "this sounds like a joke but it is true. Kayne West wants me to lip sync his new video. can you fly to nc to shoot it? " There was very little discussion in advance other than that. Hiring the cloggers was Zach's idea, and Inman was able to track them down. For all the ridiculousness you see here, I have to say we took the song very seriously. We asked ourselves, "What if two farmers from North Carolina set out to make their own Kanye West music video...and succeeded?"
"Hiring the cloggers was Zach's idea." But of course it was... Steve Nash is impressed.
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Conditional GET and ETag Support in WCF WebHttp Services
[Windows] (MSDN Blogs)This is part ten of a twelve part series that introduces the features of WCF WebHttp Services in .NET 4. In this post we will cover: Generating and including ETags in responses from a WCF WebHttp Service Adding Conditional GET support to a WCF WebHttp Service using ETags Over the course of this blog post series, we are building a web service called TeamTask. TeamTask allows a team to track tasks assigned to members of the team. Because the code in a given blog post builds upon the code fr ...
This is part ten of a twelve part series that introduces the features of WCF WebHttp Services in .NET 4. In this post we will cover:
- Generating and including ETags in responses from a WCF WebHttp Service
- Adding Conditional GET support to a WCF WebHttp Service using ETags
Over the course of this blog post series, we are building a web service called TeamTask. TeamTask allows a team to track tasks assigned to members of the team. Because the code in a given blog post builds upon the code from the previous posts, the posts are intended to be read in-order.
Downloading the TeamTask Code
At the end of this blog post, you’ll find a link that will allow you to download the code for the current TeamTask Service as a compressed file. After extracting, you’ll find that it contains “Before” and “After” versions of the TeamTask solution. If you would like to follow along with the steps outlined in this post, download the code and open the "Before" solution in Visual Studio 2010. If you aren’t sure about a step, refer to the “After” version of the TeamTask solution.
Note: If you try running the sample code and see a Visual Studio Project Sample Loading Error that begins with “Assembly could not be loaded and will be ignored…”, see here for troubleshooting.
Getting Visual Studio 2010
To follow along with this blog post series, you will need to have Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the full .NET 4 Framework installed on your machine. (The client profile of the .NET 4 Framework is not sufficient.) At the time of this posting, the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate Beta 2 is available for free download and there are numerous resources available regarding how to download and install, including this Channel 9 video.
Step 1: Adding ETags to Responses
Entity Tags (or ETags) are a crucial aspect of the caching mechanisms in HTTP. An ETag is an opaque quoted string that may be returned along with a response in an ETag HTTP header. ETags are used to indicate whether or not a resource has changed state. If two requests for the same resource result in responses with the same ETag then it can be assumed that the state of the resource has not changed between the two requests.
As we’ll see, ETags can be used to implement conditional GET. With conditional GET the client sends the ETag from a previous response and effectively asks the server to only send the content if the resource state has changed. Using conditional GET reduces the bandwidth demands on the service and client since the content need not be sent if the client already has the most recent version.
To demonstrate the ETag support in WCF WebHttp Services for .NET 4 we’ll update the TeamTask service to send responses with ETags for all requests of a single task. The GetTask() service operation on the TaskService class is responsible for returning individual tasks, so it's the operation we’ll be modifying.
We’ll need to do two things in order to provide ETags with responses from the GetTask() operation. First, we’ll need to specify that a given ETag should be included with a given response. As you’ll see below, this is easily done by calling the new SetETag() method from the WebOperationContext within the service operation. But we also need to generate the ETag in the first place. Reliably and efficiently generating Etags for our tasks could be a messy job, but since we’re using an SQL database to store our tasks, we can delegate the ETag generation to the database and make it easy for ourselves.
We’ll be using the Version property of the Task type for our ETags. The Version property has existed on the Task type from the very first post of this series but you might not have noticed it since we haven’t been serializing it when generating responses. The Version property on the Task type is mapped to the Version column of the Tasks table in the TeamTask.mdf database file. If you open the Tasks table definition in the Server Explorer window (Ctrl+W, L), you’ll see that the Version column is a timestamp data type that is updated by SQL anytime the task is updated in the database.
The Version property of the Task type is an eight byte array, so the first thing we’ll do is create a an extension method that will encode the eight byte array as a string representing a hexadecimal number.
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If you haven't already done so, download and open the “Before” solution of the code attached to this blog post.
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In the Solution Explorer (Ctrl+W, S) right click on the TeamTask.Service project and select “Add”—>”Class" from the context menu that appears. In the Add New Item window enter the name “Extensions.cs” and hit enter.
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Make the Extensions class static and add the following ToHexString() extension method as shown below. You'll also need to add "using System.Linq;" to the code file:
public static class Extensions
{
public static string ToHexString(this byte[] byteArray)
{
return string.Join(string.Empty, byteArray.Select(b => b.ToString("X")));
}
}
-
Now open the TaskService.cs file in the code editor and add the following two lines of code to the GetTask() operation directly before returning the task within the using code block:
string etag = task.Version.ToHexString();
WebOperationContext.Current.OutgoingResponse.SetETag(etag);By calling the SetETag() method for the outgoing response we ensure that an HTTP ETag header with the task version value is included with the response.
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The complete GetTask() operation should look like the following:
[Description("Returns the details of a single task.")]
[WebGet(UriTemplate = "{id}")]
public Task GetTask(string id)
{
int parsedId = ParseTaskId(id);
using (TeamTaskObjectContext objectContext =
new TeamTaskObjectContext())
{
var task = objectContext.Tasks
.FirstOrDefault(t => t.Id == parsedId);
if (task == null)
{
ThrowNoSuchTaskId(parsedId);
}
string etag = task.Version.ToHexString();
WebOperationContext.Current.OutgoingResponse.SetETag(etag);
return task;
}
}
Helpful Tip: The SetETag() method is found on the OutgoingResponse of the WebOperationContext, which also provides access to the response headers and even an ETag property. However, the SetETag() method will ensure that the ETag is correctly quoted as per the HTTP specification so you should use it instead of the headers collection or the ETag property.
Step 2: Adding Conditional GET Support
In step one of this blog post we briefly discusses the concept of a conditional GET. If a client has already sent a previous request for a resource and received a response along with an ETag, the client can send that ETag in an HTTP If-None-Match header on future requests. If the state of the resource hasn’t changed since the previous request, the server can send back a response without a body and an HTTP status code of 304 (Not Modified). Of course, if the state of the resource has changed since the previous request, the server will respond with the new state of the resource and a new ETag.
In the next step, we’ll update our client to use ETags and send conditional GET requests so we’ll see conditional GET in action. But first we need to edit the GetTasks() operation of the TaskService service class so that it checks for the HTTP If-None-Match header. We’ll add this check for the If-None-Match header with a single call to the new CheckConditionalRetrieve() method from the WebOperationContext.
The CheckConditionalRetrieve() method takes the current ETag as an argument and tries to match it against the ETags in the If-None-Match header of the request. If there is a match then the client already has the current version of the resource so the CheckConditionalRetrieve() method throws a WebFaultException with an HTTP status code of 304 (Not Modified) just as the HTTP specification prescribes. If there is no If-None-Match header in the request or if none of the ETags in the header match the current ETag, then the CheckConditionalRetrieve() method returns so that service operation can complete as normal.
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Now open the TaskService.cs file in the code editor and add a call to the CheckConditionalRetrieve() method in the GetTask() operation like so:
string etag = task.Version.ToHexString();
WebOperationContext.Current.IncomingRequest
.CheckConditionalRetrieve(etag);
WebOperationContext.Current.OutgoingResponse.SetETag(etag);
Helpful Tip: In part seven of this blog post series we discussed how ASP.NET server and client-side caching functionality can be leveraged by a WCF WebHttp service in .NET 4. It's important to consider how ETags and conditional GET interacts with server and client-side caching.
For example, conditional GET support requires checking the ETag from the request within the service operation. However, if server-side caching has naively been enabled, two requests with different ETags (one current, the other stale) may both receive the same response from the ASP.NET output cache. The correct way to compose server-side caching and conditional GET is to cache different responses based on the value of the HTTP If-Modified-Since header from the requests. Therefore when a request with a new ETag value is received there will be a cache-miss and the service operation will execute. In step two of part seven of this blog post series we discussed how to cache based on request headers.
The right caching mechanisms for your service will depend on the type of resources your service exposes. If a resource changes rarely (or at known intervals) and you expect lots of different clients to only request the resource once, then server-side caching makes sense because you can serve those requests from the cache. If you expect clients to poll an often-changing resource for updates, then you'd probably want to include conditional GET support.
Step 3: Updating the Client to use ETags
Now that we’ve implemented the GetTask() service operation to both return ETags and support conditional GET requests, let’s update the client to take advantage of this new functionality.
We’ll first have the client send a GET request for a task. The client won’t yet have an ETag for the task, so it won’t include one. However, we’ll capture the ETag from the response and send a second request with the same ETag in an If-Modified-Since header. With this second request we’ll see that the TeamTask service will return a 304 (Not Modified) response and no message body. We’ll then update the task and send a third request with the original ETag. Since we’ve updated the task, the original ETag is stale and the response to the third request will include the updated task and a new ETag.
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Open the Program.cs file of the TeamTask.Client project in the code editor and replace the current implementation of the static GetTask() method with the implementation below. You’ll also need to add “using Microsoft.Http.Headers;” and “using System.Net;” to the code file:
static Task GetTask(HttpClient client, int id, ref EntityTag etag)
{
Console.WriteLine("Getting task '{0}':", id);
using (HttpRequestMessage request =
new HttpRequestMessage("GET", "Tasks/" + id))
{
request.Headers.Accept.AddString("application/json");
if (etag != null)
{
request.Headers.IfNoneMatch.Add(etag);
}
using (HttpResponseMessage response = client.Send(request))
{
if (response.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.NotModified)
{
Console.WriteLine(
"The task with id '{0}' has not been modified.", id);
Console.WriteLine();
return null;
}
else
{
etag = response.Headers.ETag;
response.EnsureStatusIsSuccessful();
Console.WriteLine("Etag: {0}", etag.Tag);
WriteOutContent(response.Content);
return response.Content.ReadAsJsonDataContract<Task>();
}
}
}
}This new implementation of the GetTask() method is similar to the client code that we created in part two of this blog post series except that we’ve added the conditional GET functionality. Before sending the request, we include the If-None-Match header by calling the IfNoneMatch.Add() method on the headers collection. After receiving the response we check the status code for a value of 304 (Not Modified).
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Replace the Main() method implementation with the following code:
using (HttpClient client = new HttpClient("http://localhost:8080/TeamTask/"))
{
EntityTag etag = null;
// Get the task and the etag
Task task = GetTask(client, 2, ref etag);
// Get the task a second time and include the etag
GetTask(client, 2, ref etag);
// Update the task;
task.Status = (task.Status == TaskStatus.Completed) ?
TaskStatus.InProgress :
TaskStatus.Completed;
UpdateTask(client, task);
// Get the task again... the etag should be stale
GetTask(client, 2, ref etag);
Console.ReadKey();
} -
Start without debugging (Ctrl+F5) to get the TeamTask service running and then start the client by right clicking on the TeamTask.Client project in the “Solution Explorer” window and selecting “Debug”—>”Start New Instance”. The console should contain the following output:
Notice that the second response for task '2' has a status code of 304 (Not Modified) and that the ETag returned for the third request is different than the ETag returned from the first request because of the update that occurred between the two requests.
Next Steps: Optimistic Concurrency Support in WCF WebHttp Services
In this part of the series we’ve shown how easy it is to add ETag and conditional GET functionality to a WCF WebHttp service in .NET 4. In part eleven of this blog post series we’ll explore how ETags can be used to implement optimistic concurrency in a WCF WebHttp service in order to prevent clients from unknowingly updating data that has changed since they last retrieved it.
Randall Tombaugh
Developer, WCF WebHttp Services
