Saturday, June 30, 2012

Shakespeare Getting Bored With Life

Shakespeare Getting Bored with Life

Shakespeare (1564-1616), the Bard of Avon, the greatest English poet, was getting bored with life in his last plays Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, as well as the collaboration, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. In Shakespeares swansong The Tempest, Prosperos speech "Our revels now are ended is a clear testimony to this fact:

In the above speech by Prospero, Shakespeare reveals a subtle sense of renunciation as he feels that there is nothing substantial in life. Life is a dream, and far from truth.

Moreover, in this last play the character of magical spirit Aerial does not seem to be true to life.

The last plays of Shakespeare are more serious in tone than his comedies. We remember that the whole play Macbeth is steeped in darkness; the sun never shines in this tragedy. On the other hand, in Shakespeares last plays we notice the serene spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness. This proves that Shakespeare was losing interest in life in the closing period of his writing.

It might be added that Matthew Arnold aptly says that the critics try their best to unravel the mystery of his plays, but Shakespeare doesn't answer our queries:

Others abide our question. Thou art free. We ask and ask--Thou smilest and art still, Out-topping knowledge. For the loftiest hill, Who to the stars uncrowns his majesty,

Planting his steadfast footsteps in the sea, Making the heaven of heavens his dwelling-place, Spares but the cloudy border of his base To the foil'd searching of mortality;

And thou, who didst the stars and sunbeams know, Self-school'd, self-scann'd, self-honour'd, self-secure, Didst tread on earth unguess'd at.--Better so!

All pains the immortal spirit must endure, All weakness which impairs, all griefs which bow, Find their sole speech in that victorious brow.

The above criticism by Arnold makes it clear that it is not possible to tackle the Shakespearean mystery in his last plays. The surest way to know his message is to peruse the plays again and again.

.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Friday, June 29, 2012

The Wilder Ford Ranger

The UK has also seen a rise in interest for 4x4 and SUV Vehicles. You may have noticed a few more of these vehicles on the road too.

The Ford Ranger is one of these vehicles becoming popular very quickly and Ford has recognised this. There is a special edition of the Ranger called the Ranger Wildtrak which appears to be more popular than the other models. It is specifically designed around the outdoor adventure sports enthusiast looking for head turning looks and practical functionality.

Ford claims that with its outstanding selectable 4x4 capability, the Ranger Wildtrak is the ideal vehicle to transport the active sportsperson to the most extreme terrain, anywhere in the world. The Wildtrak model is easily distinguishable by its unique front grille, functional roof bars and side steps. A stylish front over-rider, unique aluminium sports bar and colour-coded door handle protectors at the side and rear.

The extra practically does not mean less luxury features inside; the interior is still as luxurious as a typical family car. The Wildtrak was in fact the first UK Ford model to come with a fully integrated DAB digital radio with MP3 technology as part of the standard specification.

Standard specification in the special edition Ford Ranger Wildtrak includes:

ABS Driver and passenger airbags Air-Conditioning Two-tone leather dark grey/light grey interior Blaupunkt DAB54 digital radio with MP3 technology Scuff plates Electric windows and mirrors Roll 'n' lock "Mountain Top" Tonneau cover Sports bar Roof bars Bed-liner Side step rails Rear stop bar Five-spoke alloy wheels Unique Wildtrak side and rear decaling





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Thursday, June 28, 2012

10 Steps to Winter-Proofing Cheap Quad Bikes

Whether you use a quad bike for work or leisure you will doubtless be wanting to make the most of it as an all-season vehicle. Indeed quad bikes have a reputation for remarkable resilience and versatility, adaptable to a wide variety of terrains and climates. However, despite their trademark flexibility even quad bikes can benefit from extra care and attention during winter which, as the past two years in the UK have shown, can be a particularly perilous and exacting season. Moreover, if you have acquired a cheap quad bike it may require that bit more maintenance during winter than a precision-engineered streamlined luxury model.

Here are some measures you can take to protect cheap quad bikes during winter, as well as making riding it more comfortable.

1) Servicing: Start by getting an effective service done by an authorised dealer before winter kicks in: Chris Hebditch of Honda advises that having safety items such as brakes, suspension and steering components checked helps prevent mechanical breakdown during a period when your bike may be taking a lot of punishment.

2) Engine Oil: avoid running low on engine oil, as this could cause significant engine damage to cheap quad bikes. Also ensure you use the correct grade of oil, and avoid using cheaper oils.

3) Keep it cool: this sounds paradoxical for the middle of winter, but its important to make sure that any engine cooling systems are kept clear of blockages and obstructions, which are more likely in wet, muddy conditions.

4) Tyre conditions: During the winter period ground conditions will be softer, and likely be more slippery, making tire conditions a high priority. It is therefore important to check tyre pressure on cheap quad bikes and make sure there is sufficient depth of tread.

5) Cleaning: Mud is likely to splatter on to your ATV and it may contain corrosive substances, such as grit, so a more intense cleaning routine is recommended. Using a garden hose, with a mild neutral detergent if necessary, should suffice. Your bike could also benefit from a quad bike accessories such as amud-flap kit. Also make sure that electrical components and batteries are kept as clear as possible from mud.

6) Acquire an ATV windscreen: a windscreen accessory can help prevent wind chill.

7) Cover the bike: Adding an ATV cover will help protect your bike during periods when its not in use.

8) Storage: Storing your bike overnight in a dry, secure facility, such as a garage, is highly recommended for protection from the harsh elements. A long-term, but valuable, investment, though on the costly side would be a custom ATV quad bike storage shed.

9) Warm handlebars: Warm handlebars can make a tremendous difference if you are working on land, or racing your quad bike in freezing conditions. Investing in heated handlebar grips or handlebar mufflers is advised.

10) Warm clothing: if the quad bikes rider is safe, warm and comfortable the bike itself stands a better chance of being driven well, and avoiding damage in the long term. Therefore, investing in a robust body warmer, protective gloves and a helmet (if youre racing in particular) is highly recommended.

Keith Knowles runs KIK ATVs, a leading supplier of both new and second hand cheap quad bikes in the UK. KIK ATVs offers quad bikes for both recreational and functional use, as well as offering ATV accessories and parts. Visit the website for more information.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Get Winter Tires For The Cold Season

Driving in winter may be a challenging feat especially if your country experiences frequent snowfalls and blizzards. The roads are icy and covered with snow. The conditions are very different compared to other seasons. In winter, the roads are extra slippery so one slip can cause a disaster. Even if you are used to driving in winter, it can still be dangerous. The weather is usually unpredictable. Fog is also a problem because it interferes with your line of vision. It is much harder to maneuver the vehicle because tyres do not have much grip in icy roads. This is especially so if you do not own winter tires. Everyone should get their vehicles ready for the winter.

The first option is to wait until the weather gets a little better for driving. You cannot get into an accident if you do not drive. Everyone does not have the luxury of staying at home. We all have responsibilities we have to do. We have to go to work or to pick up our children from school. Driving in winter is unavoidable. If you must go out, think of the worst possible scenarios. You might be stranded because the roads are blocked or it could be because of a snowstorm. Bring with you emergency food and water, some blankets and medicine. You may be outside for a while. Carry a mobile phone with you at all times so that you can contact someone in case of emergencies. Make sure to fill up your gas tank too.

In winter, you need to cover all your bases. Consider getting winter tires to help you maneuver the ice covered roads better. You can prevent a serious accident from happening. Winter tires are the best tyres suited for winter. The materials used in the making of the tyre are able to withstand cold temperatures. The tyres give enough traction to provide stability. Not all winter tires perform the same way. You should know how to pick the right winter tires for your vehicle. Always check your car manual to see what tyres would be compatible with your car. As much as possible, change all four of your cars tyres into winter tires. Your car may spin if you only install two winter tires. Look for a durable tyre that can withstand the ice and snow. Ask about the estimated life span of the tyre and if it comes with a warranty.

Winter tires can improve your driving during winter. It is important that you choose the right ones and have them installed on time. You will be able to handle the road better with winter tires. To find out more, take a look at this article.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Helpful Tips For Storing Wintertires

If you have seasonal tyres, it would be better that you avoid using them for the whole year. To use seasonal tyres all year round can prove to be risky. For example, summer tyres do not perform well during winter. They lack the capacity to go over snow and ice without slipping and the same thing goes for winter tires in the summer period. This is the reason why after the season has passed you should store your seasonal tyres and use another type of tire that is suitable for the current season. For example, in summer you have no use for your winter tires, therefore it is ideal that you store these tyres and use your summer tyres instead. You should store your winter tires correctly so that you can still use it the next winter.

Rubber is the main component of winter tyres. When exposed to harmful gasses emitted by electric motors and welding machines, rubber can degrade. To keep your winter tires from degrading avoid storing it in areas where you store machines. Moreover, exposure to oxygen can also degrade the rubber material, which is why it is important to put your winter tires inside sealed tired covers. These sealed tire covers keep the oxygen out and preserve the quality of the rubber material. Avoid packing two tyres in one tire cover since this can compromise the sealing capacity of the tire cover. Always pack your winter tires individually.

Even with the tire cover, your winter tires should still be stored in a cool, dry place. The best places to store your tyres are inside a garage or in the basement. However, if you store your tyres in this area make sure that you regulate the temperature. If you have nowhere to store your tyres, you can contact your local tire dealer and inquire if they offer tire storage. Storing your winter tyres properly can certainly help them last longer and available for use the next winter. There is no denying that these winter tyres can be expensive and to keep yourself from buying four new tyres every winter you should store your winter tires properly.

Winter tires are widely available. All the top tyre brands have collections of quality winter tires (talvirenkaat in Finnish) and their products will usually outlast other winter tires sold in the market. The reputable companies can usually also offer you more advice on how to store your winter tyres correctly and advice on how to prolong their life even while in storage. Moreover, the people at the top brand tyre companies can also give you information on the proper installation and maintenance of winter tires. Lastly, you can go or call their office and inquire about their added services, ask if these services include tire storage for winter tyres bough by their loyal customers.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Monday, June 25, 2012

Make Your Car Roadworthy When Travelling in The Alps in Winter

Travelling in The Alps in winter can be a trial; a trial in patience while others struggle and a trial of your own driving skills. Living in areas where with only little snow fall brings travellers to underestimate what mountains are able to throw at them. While Britain collapses under a few inches of snow, Alpine travel may make you face several feet of new snow during a single day. Equipment, therefore, is all.

Winter tyres are a must (or at a minimum tyres that are guaranteed to be able to deal with snow and slush). With winter tyres on you might confidently expect to deal with most weather conditions. They will serve you excellently on snow and slush, but they dont do a lot for you on blank ice. If you have to drive in icy conditions, slow is better than sorry.

If you plan to travel mountain passes, keep easy to install snow chains in your boot. Keep them on top of your bags or youll end up unloading your boot to get at them. The chains are mounted onto the tyres to give additional grip in heavy snow and additional bite on ice. Mount them on all tyres; while two will do the trick to propel the car, you really dont want to go straight out over the next bend in the road. Once you reach cleared roads you should take them off again; the hard surface will make them damage your tyres otherwise.

Generally when travelling in winter, take enough blankets with you inside the car. You never know where you might get stuck and for how long. Spending an hour in your car when the motor is not running is less of a trial snuggled up than otherwise. A blanket will also double up as a garment in the cold should you have to leave your car for any reason.

While these tips sound like common sense to most of us, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria felt constrained to pass laws making winter gear on your car mandatory and backed up with heavy fines. Switzerland in turn is relying on common sense to tell you what to do and how to do it properly.

You should be aware, though, that the proper fittings of your car are your responsibility. Insurances are able, allowed to, and encouraged to reject part or all of your claims if you venture forth unprepared. Saving on tyres could be an expensive mistake. Apart from that, sliding slowly over the edge of a mountain pass over a 300 ft drop is not my idea of a happy holyday.

Related articles:Forgotten Dangers Inside Your CarTravelling in The Alps: Bernina PassTravelling in The Alps: Julier PassTravelling in The Alps: Septimer PassTravelling in The Alps: Forcellina and Lunghin PassesTravelling in The Alps: Maloja PassTravelling in The Alps: Albula PassTravelling in The Alps: Flela Pass





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Big Bang Theory Cast Profile ? Jim Parsons

Jim Parsons was born on March 24th, 1973 in Houston, TX. Parsons plays the role of Sheldon Cooper who has developed into one of the funniest characters currently on television. Parsons recently won an Emmy in 2010 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on The Big Bang Theory. Parsons was also nominated for the same award the year prior but didnt win. Below we will explore Parsons acting career leading up to his role on The Big Bang Theory.

Parsons landed his first acting role in 2002 when he played Chet on an episode of Ed. Parsons first notable role was in 2004 as Tim in the movie Garden State which starred the gifted Zach Braff. It was a small role for Jim but gave him some exposure on the big screen. Jim eventually was cast in his first recurring television role in 2004 as Rob Holbrook on Judging Amy where he appeared in seven episodes.

Parson continued following his acting passion taking spots on both television and film but it wouldnt be until 2007 that Parsons would catch his big break as Sheldon Cooper on the Chuck Lorre hit comedy, The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper is the self centered egotistical super brain who believes he is a gift to the planet. Sheldon lives with his best friend Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) across the hall from the beautiful Penny (Kaley Cuoco). Sheldon delivers his scientific rants remarkably well for someone who doesnt have a scientific background. Sheldon is often at the heart of some of the funniest moments that The Big Bang Theory has to offer. Jim Parsons is just one of the amazingly talented members of The Big Bang Theory cast.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Top 10 Insomniac Games

10. Ratchet: Deadlocked

Ratchet: Deadlocked is a 3D platformershooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. A preview of this game appears in the back of the Jak X: Combat Racing manual. The game's story begins as Ratchet, Clank, and Al are abducted and forced to compete in "Dreadzone", a violent game show in which heroes are forced to kill each other. Ratchet is given a "DeadLock" collar, which will explode if he becomes uncooperative.

Ratchet defeats Dreadzone's most successful gladiators, the Exterminators, and becomes one of Dreadzone's most popular contestants. The three must find a way to deactivate the collars, and free the other heroes being held prisoner. The gameplay is similar to other games in the series, but focuses more on shooter aspects rather than platforming. The player, as Ratchet, fights in Dreadzone tournaments across the "Shadow Sector" in the "Solana" Galaxy, with a large variety of weapons. This game was the first in the series to feature cooperative gameplay in a story mode, and also includes an online multiplayer mode. Some vehicles return from previous games, and new ones are introduced. For the first time, Clank was not a playable character. -Wikipedia.org

9. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on November 2, 1999, and in Europe and Australia as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours. Ripto's Rage is the second game in the Spyro the Dragon series, which started with Spyro the Dragon in 1998.

The protagonist of the series, Spyro, is placed in the land of Avalar, rather than the Dragon Worlds, where the previous installment was set. A dinosaur-riding sorcerer, known as Ripto, has invaded the world of Avalar, and is wreaking havoc on its citizens with his magic. The player, as Spyro, must travel through the world of Avalar and undo the damage done by Ripto. -Wikipedia.org

8. Resistance 2

Resistance 2 is a science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in North America on November 4, 2008, Japan on November 13, 2008, and in Europe on November 28, 2008. Resistance 2 is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man.

Resistance 2 sees protagonist Nathan Hale travel to the United States in order to once again battle the Chimera, who have launched a full scale invasion of both the east and west coasts. This time out Hale is part of a special task force of soldiers called "The Sentinels", who, like him, are infected with the Chimeran virus, but keep it under control with special inhibitors and are thus able to reap the benefits, but the inhibitors only last a certain time until they either get another shot or the Chimera virus takes over. -Wikipedia.org

7. Spyro: Year of the Dragon

Spyro: Year of the Dragon (also known as Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon or Spyro 3) is a platform game, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. The game was released in North America on October 11, 2000; in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2000; and in the rest of Europe and Australia on November 10, 2000. Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series and the last Spyro game to be released for the PlayStation.

The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 2. This is the only Spyro game in the PlayStation library to not get released in Japan. Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac, which was the symbol at the time of the game's release, Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple character Spyro as he travels to the "Forgotten Worlds" after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress. Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs. Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigames to the series, as well as offering improved graphics and music. -Wikipedia.org

6. Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series. The game's plot opens with the anthromorphic character Ratchet meeting the robot Clank on his home planet. Clank discovers that the villainous Chairman Drek of the Blarg race plans to create a new planet for his species, destroying the galaxy in the process. Clank convinces Ratchet to help him in his quest to gain the help of the famous superhero Captain Qwark, but they soon discover that they must save the galaxy on their own.

The game offers a wide range of weapons and gadgets that the player must use to defeat numerous enemies and solve puzzles on a variety of different planets in the fictional "Solana" galaxy. The game also includes several mini-games, such as racing or lock-picking, which the player must complete to proceed. The game was positively received by critics, praising the good graphics and variety of gameplay along with the sci-fi story. -Wikipedia.org

5. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 3D platformer/shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003, it is the second game in the Ratchet & Clank series, following Ratchet & Clank and preceding Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. The game begins with Ratchet and Clank being hired by the company Megacorp to find a small creature that was stolen from the company's labs. Ratchet finds the thief and returns the creature to Megacorp before learning that the creature, called a "protopet", is a dangerous monster which reproduces at amazing speed and that Megacorp is planning to market it to unknowing customers across the Galaxy. The duo must stop the protopet menace and save the galaxy. -Wikipedia.org

4. Spyro the Dragon

Spyro the Dragon is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation. It stars the title character, a young purple dragon named Spyro and his dragonfly friend, Sparx, and is the first game in the Spyro the Dragon series. The first game was massively popular at its initial release and Spyro would later become one of the most recognizable, popular and respected gaming icons for the PlayStation gaming console. -Wikipedia.org

3. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (titled Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction in most PAL regions) is a PlayStation 3 video game developed by Insomniac Games, released on October 23, 2007 in North America and on November 9, 2007 in Europe. It is the 7th installment (although it was the sixth to be released) in the official Ratchet & Clank canon and the first PlayStation 3 installment as well as the first installment for the "Future" trilogy. It was also one of the first PlayStation 3 games to support DualShock 3 rumble straight from the disc. -Wikipedia.org

2. Resistance: Fall of Man

Resistance: Fall of Man (often called Resistance or abbreviated to RFoM; originally developed under the title I8, as it was the eighth title to be in production by Insomniac Games) is a science fiction first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and puts the player in the shoes of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he and the human resistance forces attempt to drive a mysterious alien-like invasion out of Britain. The story continues in Resistance 2.

The game was released as a PlayStation 3 launch title in Japan on November 10, 2006, in the United States on November 17, 2006 and in Europe on March 23, 2007. Resistance had generally favourable critical reception, garnering particular praise in view of its status as a launch title and winning several awards, as well as being the first PlayStation 3 game to sell over one million copies, followed immediately by MotorStorm. -Wikipedia.org

1. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (known as Ratchet & Clank 3 in Europe and Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal in Australia) is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the third installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and was released in North America on November 2, 2004. Shortly after it was released in Japan on November 26, the first volume of the Ratchet & Clank manga, drawn by Shinbo Nomura, was released.

The gameplay is similar to previous games in the series but introduces new features such as a refined control system, a larger amount of weapons and a deeper upgrade system. It follows Ratchet and Clank's adventure through a fictional universe to defeat a robotic villain, Dr. Nefarious, who intends to destroy all organic life. Characters such as Dr. Nefarious and Sasha, a Cazar starship captain who helps Ratchet throughout the game, are introduced, and a number of characters return from the original Ratchet & Clank. -Wikipedia.org

Related Content:

Top 10 Games by Blizzard Entertainment

The Top 10 Violent Video Games

The Top 10 Gameboy Games

Top 10 Games Played Like Movies

The Greatest Movie Games Of All Time

The Best Sports Video Game Series





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Friday, June 22, 2012

Obama Is Calm, Not Boastful, Bashful or Gloating, Giddy & Gleeful

Obama Is Calm, Not Boastful, Bashful or Gloating, Giddy & Gleeful Written by Paul I. Adujie

President Obama, Mr. suave-savvy himself came to New York City today, to commiserate with families and survivors whose loved ones were lost on September 11, 2001 attacks

Laid wreath, spoke to families, midtown fire house, he pointedly informed them that the Navy Seal went after Osama with thoughts of those whose lives were lost during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

He also went to police station in Tribeca. He stayed away from politics, he emphasized national unity

Saying nothing at this cathartic visit, is in itself a poignant statement; no blusters, no blathers, no blabbers!

Just banters and hugs with empathies for families who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center

He deliberately and intentionally maintained silence publicly, making a profound statement, by and with, his silence, his public silence was well received as a high impact measure, devoid speeches which would have come across or could have been perceived as voyeuristic, distasteful and inappropriate politicking

Speeches would have looked as if he was intent on getting political mileage out of a rather somber and mournful event, particularly so, when Osamas demise is a reminder of personal and collective loss, even as bereaved families and all New Yorkers are struggling to have a semblance of closure

All are agreed President Obama conducted himself statesmans like manner, he was very presidential and without giving a hint of trying to may hay out of his visit to Ground Zero, the First Precinct and the Fire House.

At Ground Zero, there was an admixture of beautiful atmospherics, there were political leaders such as President Obama, Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg and arrays of other political office holders, the crowd also included constructions workers who are working hard to re-erect or resurrect the World Trade Center or what would be replacements for the lost edifices there which were destroyed

He demonstrated a very cordial family living room camaraderie, all through and at every stop!

President Obama is the epitome of cool and he is all that Maureen Dowd of The New York Times says he is, in her article, Cool Hand Barack President Obama is an exemplification of human refinements

All through his commemorative visit to New York City, a somber and reflective President Obama showed class, grace and empathy; from the now historic midtown Fire House which lost 15 fire fighters to the attacks on September.

President Obama shook hands and chatted with Lt. Barbario, who later recounted how President Obama shook every officers hands, it was such a moving milestone of an event.

Many grieving families who spoke to the press after meeting President Obama had wonderful things to say about their interactions with the president, who was repeatedly described in glowing terms, he demeanor, his somberness and his obvious empathies with bereaved and grieving families

Lt. Babario, described the president visiting the Fire House which lost 15 fire fighters as an excellent thing to do, particularly because of the huge loss by greatest numbers at one location.

This Fire House, Ladder 54 has since become an iconic stop first by New Yorkers, and then tourists from across the world. It is mini memorial in itself.

The Fire House and others in Manhattan become instant landmarks which have attracted city residents and teeming tourist from across the world visiting New York City

President Obama invited his predecessor George W. Bush, who turned it down, explaining that he did not want the limelight or steal President Obamas thunder

President Obama again asked for bipartisanship, national unity and cooperation, while restating his view that the war against Al Qaeda is not a war against Islam and Muslims.

It is indeed the case that Osama Bin Laden have been the cause and inspiration for murders, and mayhems in many nations across the world, including nations populated by Muslims

Again, President demonstrated his human refinement and finesse by his visits, words and action.

He once again established that he is a doer, no boasts, no blusters and no victory laps and no ostentatious banners such as "Mission Accomplished"

Meanwhile, the suave, savvy and always deferring nice guy, has been giving credit to others as part of efforts which culminated in the demise of Osama last Sunday.

The incandescent President Obama, called Mr. George W. Bush to keep him in the loop and updated all the way! Talk of a fine gentleman, a law professor with that courteous, gracious and charitable all round nice guy! It must be the African DNA! President Obama is so good, he is almost generous to a fault!

The highlights of President Obamas visit to New York City, among other things, is that, he laid wreath, spoke to and hugged and generally interacted with about 60 bereaved families, a visit to midtown Fire House, and a visit as well to the Firs Police Precinct in Tribeca. He stated that US Navy Seals went after Osama with thoughts of those who were killed on September 11, 2001.

President Obama is schedule to meet members of the US Navy Seals at Fort Campbell, in Kentucky this Friday.

A majority of New Yorkers sampled, were all agreed that it was a delightful thing for the president to do as he stayed away from politics, he emphasized national unity.

There were no high profile statements, no victory laps; just somber, reflective and dignified commiseration with bereaved families, all of New York City and the entire nation!

It is quite impressive and quite remarkable that Obama is calm, not boastful, bashful or gloating, giddy and gleeful, even though he has all the reasons in the world to be all these things!





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Follow Comcast

Comcast a company which started as a mere single-system provider of cable services in 1963 went on to be come one of the worlds leading companies in communications industry up to the present. They provide the most reliable digital services, Internet services and broadband phone services.

Currently there are about 23.8 million Comcast cable users, 15.7 million Internet customers and 7.4 million Digital Voice customers in the US alone. The company is considered as the top provider of videos and holds the reputation for having the utmost in high-definition, the best content and the highest on demand videos. Their Internet boasts of high speed services using highly advanced fiber-optic facilities ensuring online accessibility at the fastest speed and highest level of reliability.

In telecommunications, Comcast the company is sought after for its IP-enabled home phone service called Digital Voice. Its a traditional phone service integrated with high technology features linked to Comcasts Internet and other digital communications services. In fact, Comcasts High Speed 2Go can provide the wireless Internet with the most remarkable speed using wireless data services and wireless data cards.

Comcast not only tops video and communications services but its programs are also the one of the topraters. Its programs include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Comcast Sport Group, Golf Channel and TV One just to mention a few.

Through Comcast Digital Cable, the highly acclaimed Mini TV Series by HBO, Band of Brothers will be having a sequel with no less than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg at the helm. The sequels title is The Pacific, which showcases another of Comcast Video on Demands quest for bringing only the best video content. In cooperation with HBO, The Pacific will be available exclusively to Comcast customers only starting with one new episode of Band of Brothers featured weekly. It will lead to the premiere telecast of The Pacific.

Comcast remains as one of the top favourites in bringing video with the utmost excellence in using 3D technology. They are also committed in ensuring excellence by being the only video service provider among the top 3D brands in video production.

Comcasts most recent innovation is the new Fancast Xfinity TV which intends to bring to Comcast customers TV entertainment, anytime and anywhere viewers need the experience. Online TV will bring to its customers hours of cable TV viewing whether it be TV shows, film videos or indie produced films.

Comcast still continues to lead not only cable broadcasting but also in communications. No wonder the company is still held in high esteem by its millions of viewers and customers.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Kids Paper Crafts: How To Make Cars

Most parents tend to overlook an excellent source to help their children make paper crafts - their computer and printer. Although there are quite a few websites that offer free paper craft patterns, finding one that most kids will enjoy and have the skills to make is another issue. One specific area that is a can't miss with just about every kid is making paper craft cars. Kids love cars because of the flash and speed component, and with all of the animated movies containing popular car characters they seem more popular than ever with children. The best aspect of this from a parental standpoint is the cost to make paper craft cars is next to nothing, and will keep kids busy and active for hours on end.

Most of the craft supplies required to complete these paper craft car projects are within most households - scissors, glue, tape, crayons and such, and even if they need to be purchased it is not a large expense. A few of the free paper craft patterns for cars need nothing more than assembly, as they can be printed in full color. The skill required for each paper craft car pattern varies, so a parent needs to decide if it is the right one for their child's age group. Here are some really neat websites that offer free paper craft car patterns:

Volkswagen Micro bus - This is a very realistic looking paper craft pattern of a red and white Volkswagen Micro bus from the 1960's. This free pattern is available at /type2.html

Car Parade - This website offers a variety of Disney vehicles like Mickey's runabout, Daisy's car, and Goofy's delivery vehicle. These are available from /77_27e.htm

1953 Nash Healey - This is a 1:24 printable model, just like the one Clark Kent drove. This pattern is available from /nashhealeyP1.htm

NASCAR Models - These are wonderful models of the NASCAR cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and other great drivers.

Over 100 Various Car Models - This is probably the best paper craft website out there. It offers over 100 different paper craft car models of cars like a Jeep, a Camaro, a Delorean, a police patrol car, an ambulance, a firetruck, a Ferrari, a Porsche,a Mini Cooper, a Corvette, a Hummer, and many others. These are available from

3D Card - This website offers free paper craft car patterns of cars titles Blue Daddy6, Purple Thunder, and The Heat, available at ://h10025./ewfrf/wc/acProject?project=3dcars&extcat=toysstickerspuzzles&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=

Cool Cars Paper Craft - This is a very good paper craft project for the little ones, available at /printables/craft-templates/printable/cars-3d-craft/cars-3d-craft.html

Volkswagen - This is another great paper craft project for the younger kids, available at /junior/4wheelfun/pcar.htm





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Monday, June 18, 2012

Ways And Methods of The Government to Overcome Barriers

Bukisa is Great.Just write 10 articles and invite 10 friends using your own referral link and your earnings will start rising in a curve and you don't need to write that long only 250 words is required. If you want to increase your earnings you can post articles and invite friend as many as you want.Join Here!

(Note: Many people do not understand how residual income works. They see $12 a day, and they compare it to a 9-5 job, but the difference is, when I finally build my residual income up to the level of a 9-5 job in a few years, I will never have to work again in my life. I have built a residual income in bukisa and it is rising in a curve now.To join Bukisa clickHere!).

To assess the constraints and challenges that discourage the full development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies in the Philippines, the Department of Energy (DOE) develop a modern and innovative strategies, programs and projects. This programs aims to address the major challenges and barriers that can hinder the development.

The following are the programs that DOE conducted to assess the major constraints:

1.) Enhance public acceptance/ awareness

To develop public awareness regarding the benefits of renewable energy projects, the government conducted different types of seminar and workshop. Example the Sectoral Workshop on New and Renewable Energy Resources held in Subic, Zambales, the workshop aims to provide the basic information of renewable energy to achieve active cooperation and participation of the community.

In decision-making the DOE involve the stakeholders to ensure protection of the rights of the communities which may be affected in the building of projects. By this, project risks will be easier to as certain through consultations and social assessment activities conducted jointly with all affected stakeholder.

2.) Promotion of Renewable Energy

The DOE conducted International and Local promotion of investment opportunities in the Philippine Renewable Energy and Development to increase private sector investments and encourage the entry of modern and innovative technologies.

Geothermal energy exploration and development will be a part of the DOEs aggressive investment promotion campaigns. Promotional campaigns will be conducted to boost private sector investment in renewable energy projects, enhance its acceptability and harmonized the same with environmental and social concerns.

3.) Commercialization of Renewable energy

The DOE envisioned being the central repository for a database of large, small, mini- and micro hydropower projects and prospects. This database shall be made available to interested developers to promote attractive renewable energy projects to private investors.

The basic strategy for small-scale hydropower commercialization is to encourage electro-mechanical manufacturers to set up facilities in the Philippines and reduce a cost of importation of turbine equipment.

To help improve the output and efficiency of the equipment use in the fabrication of turbine, the DOE is pursuing a technical experts dispatch program with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in coordination with the De La Salle University in establishing a micro-hydro testing center. The DOE will likewise continue to seek technical and bilateral cooperation with other countries the latest expertise which is the key to the projects implementation.

4.) Optimal use for Non-power Applications

To ensure that the obstacle regarding on non-power applications is solved, the government at present is proposing some projects on how to apply renewable energy in terms of non-power applications. In the field of geothermal power, the government proposes to develop a multi-crop dryer project in Leyte using geothermal heat. Enhancement of self-reliant multi-crop project in Manito, Albay is also pursued.

In addition, with the cooperation of Department of Tourism and PITAHC (Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care), the government is now promoting hot spring areas for possible spa resort development. The project will revitalize the use of geothermal resources for balneology and therapeutic purposes. Example of which is the hot spring in Camiguin island. Other sited areas for further development with these projects are Mt. Apo in Cotabato, Northern Negros and Tuba in Benguet.

More About Bukisa:

To know Some Effective Bukisa Strategy please clickHere!

Why I love Bukisa?

How to Invite More ACTIVE Network Friends?

How To Have An Increasing Earnings In Bukisa?

How to Invite 80 or More ACTIVE Network Friends In Just One Week?

Bukisa Strategy: Plan Your Work and Work your Plan!

Three types of people you can meet in bukisa.

Facebook Related articles:

How to Unblock Your Facebook Friends?

How To Create A Facebook Fan Page

Bukisa's Amazing Articles:

Amazing Vietnamese Magneto Men

Amazing Tech-Illusions

World's Amazing And Longest Bridges

World's Amazing And Creative Fountains

World's Amazing Colorful Flowers

Amazing Bats Cage

Amazing Landscape Photography

Amazing Vegetable Art

Amazing Eco-Taxi From Philippines

Worlds Amazing Transparent Animals

Big Vs. Small

Dragons Blood, in a Tree!

Deepwater Horizon, The Nightmare For Mexicans





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Top 10 All American Video Games

10. Forza Motorsport 3

Forza Motorsport 3 is a racing video game developed for Xbox 360 by Turn 10 Studios. It was released in October 2009. It is the sequel to Forza Motorsport 2 and the third installment in the Forza Motorsport series. The game includes over 400 customizable cars (and another 5 in the bonus pack) from 50 manufacturers and over 100 race track variations with the ability to race up to 8 cars on track at a time.

Forza Motorsport 3 includes a large variety of Xbox Live content and options available to online gamers. This is based around a completely redesigned "storefront". It allows gamers to create car designs, setup files, logos and sell them via the "storefront" to other gamers. Further flexibility is available, allowing players to select how many of each car design or logo will be available. The storefront feature is not available to Xbox Live Silver members. Xbox Live users are also able to buy and sell cars via the "auction house." Cars are put up for a certain amount of time and for a certain amount of in-game currency. Players can choose to out-bid each other in order to buy a car. -Wikipedia.org

9. NHL 11

NHL 11 will be the 20th ice hockey video game in the NHL series, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the series. It is developed by EA Canada and will be published by EA Sports. The game will be released on September 7, 2010. New expected clubs in the game are AIK Ishockey in Elitserien, which managed to qualify for the 201011 Elitserien season.

This will mean that Rgle BK will be removed from the game, as they failed to qualify for the 201011 Elitserien season. Also included for the first time will be the sixty teams from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). It is confirmed that CHL teams will also be a part of the Be A Pro and Be A GM modes, rather than simply being playable in "Play Now" games, like some of the European leagues. -Wikipedia.org

8. Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3: ODST (originally Halo 3: Recon) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft. It was released on the Xbox 360 video game console worldwide on September 22, 2009, and in Japan, two days after. Players assume the roles of elite human United Nations Space Command soldiers known as "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" or ODSTs during the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3. There are two modes of play: in the game's campaign mode, players explore the ruined city of New Mombasa to discover what happened to their missing teammates in the midst of an alien invasion.

In the "Firefight" multiplayer option, players battle increasingly difficult waves of enemies to score points and survive as long as possible; the Halo 3 multiplayer experience is contained on a separate disc packaged with ODST. New copies of the game also contain access keys to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta release, which activated May 3, 2010. Bungie initially conceived ODST as a small side project to produce in the lull between Halo 3's completion and Halo: Reach. Instead of featuring recognizable characters such as armored protagonist Master Chief, the developers focused on the ODSTs.

Story director Joseph Staten penned a detective story utilizing film noir designs, settings, and characters. Composer Martin O'Donnell abandoned his previous Halo themes to create a quieter, jazz-influenced sound. During development, the planned expansion grew in scope to that of a full-sized game. Release marketing for the game included a tie-in comic, live-action trailers, and print and web advertisements. -Wikipedia.org

7. UFC Undisputed 2010

UFC Undisputed 2010 is a mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's and published by THQ. It was released on May 25, 2010, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and for the first time PlayStation Portable. It is the second game to be released under THQ's 2007 agreement with the UFC and it is a sequel to the successful UFC 2009 Undisputed.

A teaser trailer of the game was shown on December 12, 2009 at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, where UFC 2009 Undisputed was named the Best Individual Sports Game, showing a first look at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights contestant Kimbo Slice. The full roster was announced April 27 on Gamespot. Between February and March, James McSweeney, Marcus Jones, Brendan Schaub and Roy Nelson were announced as the four bonus fighters as part of the Gamestop/Game pre-order bonus. -Wikipedia.org

6. Rock Band 3

Rock Band 3 is an upcoming music video game, and the third main game in the Rock Band series. As with previous games in the series, Rock Band 3 allows players to simulate the playing of rock music and other genres using special instrument controllers mimicking lead and bass guitar, drums, and vocals. Rock Band 3 expands upon previous games by including three-part vocal harmonies, previously used in The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band, and support for a keyboard instrument; Harmonix will be providing a MIDI-compatible 25-key unit with the game.

Rock Band 3 will also feature a new "Pro" mode, which are designed as a learning tool to accurately mimic playing of real instruments: guitar and bass players will have to match specific fingering on frets and strings, drummers will have to strike cymbal pads in addition to snare and toms, and keyboardists will use precise fingering across the whole keyboard. MadCatz and Fender will be manufacturing controllers and add-ons to support the Pro mode. -Wikipedia.org

Do you like this article? You can write articles like this and make money from it. It is free to join and you can make money online as soon as you sign-up. Click on the link to Sign-up with Bukisa.com and starting making some good money on the internet.

5. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a stealth action video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear. Guns of the Patriots received widespread critical acclaim, garnering perfect reviews and Game of the Year awards from several major gaming publications, including GameSpot, which claimed that the game is "technically flawless". The game has been a financial driving force for Konami, helping the Metal Gear franchise reach 5 million units in the financial year of 2009. -Wikipedia.org

4. Madden NFL 11

Madden NFL 11 is an upcoming American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It will be the 22nd annual installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. It is expected to be released on August 10, 2010 in North America, and on August 13 in Europe. It will be released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and iOS platforms. The PS3 and Xbox 360 demos were released on July 27, 2010.

An all-new play-calling system, GameFlow, which attempts to create a more authentic situational game plan for you based on down and situation, which developers claim cuts the game time in half. This also includes headset enabled audio advice on how to execute plays. Other differences from previous games include a new kick meter, new audible system, and new locomotion animation system. Another addition is Online Team Play, which supports 3 vs. 3 cooperative play, with attribute boosts given as an incentive. You can also scout opponents in online head to head games. Lighting improvements, run blocking changes, new QB ratings, and a new "Swagger" rating have also been added.

EA also is headlining improvements to the visual and audio presentation, bringing in Gus Johnson to call play by play replacing Tom Hammond. Cris Collinsworth returns as color commentator. Winning the Super Bowl in the game, leads to your team getting a parade and a trip to Washington D.C. where your team's star player will shake hands with President Barack Obama and present him a team jersey. -Wikipedia.org

Purchase this Video Game on Amazon.com

3. Splinter Cell: Conviction

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is the fifth installment in the Splinter Cell video game series released in April 2010. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal, developers of Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and the sixth generation versions of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Key members of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas team, such as creative director Maxime Bland, also worked on the game. Gameloft released a handheld version of the game for the iPhone OS on May 27, 2010.

Splinter Cell: Conviction introduces a number of new gameplay features to the series, one of which is the "Mark & Execute" feature, which allows the player to mark specific targets, such as enemies or objects, and shoot them when they burst through a door or window. The player can choose to prioritize these targets, so that, for example, he could distract one guard by shooting out a light in his vicinity and then take out another guard. Another new feature is the "Last Known Position", which occurs when the player breaks the line of sight of an alerted guard.

This creates a visual silhouette of where the guard thinks Sam is, allowing the player to strategically flank his enemies. Main target subjects can use the player's abilities against them. The player can be taken hostage by the subject in co-op mode; the hostage's partner can neutralize the subject by shooting them or grabbing them off his teammate. -Wikipedia.org

Purchase this Video Game on Amazon.com

2. MLB 2K10

Major League Baseball 2K10 or, in short, MLB 2K10, is a MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports. MLB 2K10 was available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Nintendo DS. The game was released on March 2, 2010.

New to the series is the "My Player" feature, a career mode in which the player shepherds a player's career from the minors to the majors. Other features from the previous game have been improved or tweaked, including hitting and pitching. The game also features "MLB Today", an online ticker that tracks real-life Major League Baseball news and scores. With the MLB Today feature you can also play the same game that is being played in the real MLB. For example, if the New York Yankees are playing the Boston Red Sox and C.C. Sabathia is pitching, in the game he will be pitching along with the same lineup that is being used.

GameZone's Michael Lafferty gave the game a 7/10, saying "In the past, the 2K series was hampered by a lot of little things. The developers obviously put a lot of time in improving the overall gameplay and it shows. The new modes are fun but need some attention to iron out bugs, and there are some areas where the errors are just downright contrary to the game of baseball. On the surface, baseball seems a simple game, but to the baseball fan, the layers of complexity are what create that overall feeling that is Major League Baseball." -Wikipedia.org

Purchase this Video Game on Amazon.com

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009.

It is the sixth installment of the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, continuing along the same storyline. It was released in conjunction with two other Call of Duty games: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized for the Nintendo DS, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex, a port of Call of Duty 4 adapted by Treyarch for the Wii console. In addition, a comic book series based on one of the game's characters was also produced, entitled Modern Warfare 2: Ghost.

Modern Warfare 2 has received critical acclaim from professional reviewers, especially for its console versions. Review aggregator Metacritic holds the average review for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game at 94%, while the PC version is at 85%. Positive reviews cite a "compelling story mode, a slick package of mini missions and a multiplayer which is pretty much unparalleled in depth." -Wikipedia.org

and...

Did you like this article? You can write articles like this and make money from it. It is free to join and you can make money online as soon as you sign-up. Click on the link to Sign-up with Bukisa.com and starting making some good money on the internet.

Related Content:

Top 10 Video Game Remakes

Top 10: Drinking Video Games

The Scariest Video Games

Top 10: Hardest Video Games Of All Time

Top 10 Games Your Lover Would Hate





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Best American Civil War Movies

Gone with the Wind 1954 reissue one sheet poster (Heritage Auction Galleries)

The Civil War remains one of the bloodiest chapters in American history. Also called the War Between the States, the four-year conflict produced 1,030,000 casualties, including the deaths of 620,000 soldiers from both North and South.

Here are seven classic Civil War movies that no serious film buff should ever miss. Listen closely, and one can still hear the call of the bugles and the Blue and the Gray locked in mortal combat

Gone with the Wind (MGM, 1939)

Producer David O. Selznick brought the 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel to the silver screen, paying the Georgia writer $50,000 for the movie rights. Sidney Howard (with uncredited assistance from four others) penned the screenplay, with Victor Fleming directing the action. Clark Gable (Rhett Butler), Vivien Leigh (Scarlett OHara), Thomas Mitchell (Gerald OHara), Evelyn Keyes (Suellen), Barbara ONeil (Ellen), Olivia de Havilland (Melanie Hamilton), Ann Rutherford (Carreen), Hattie McDaniel (Mammy) and Butterfly McQueen (Prissy) head the large cast.

Budgeted at $3.9 million, Gone with the Wind was filmed in California, primarily at Selznick International Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in Culver City. The first scene to be filmed was the spectacular burning of Atlanta, a $25,000 controlled blaze staged at MGMs backlot that purposely consumed unwanted sets from King Kong (1933) and The Garden of Allah (1936).

Gone with the Wind is a sweeping historical epic set against the background of Scarlett OHaras beloved Tara and the savagery of the Civil War. As God is my witness, Ill never be hungry again! Scarlett thunders in one of many memorable scenes.

Gone with the Wind won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Leigh) and Best Supporting Actress (McDaniel). Mr. Selznicks film is a handsome, scrupulous and unstinting version of the 1,037-page novel reported Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times (12/20/39).

Glory (TriStar, 1988)

Kevin Jarre wrote the screenplay and Edward Zwick directed this Civil War drama set in 1863. Matthew Broderick (Col. Robert Gould Shaw), Denzel Washington (Pvt. Trip), Morgan Freeman (Sgt. Major John Rawlins), and Cary Elwes (Maj. Cabot Forbes) head the strong cast.

Made for $18 million, Glory was filmed on location in Massachusetts and Georgia. The climactic 1863 battle at James Island, South, Carolina, was shot on Rose Dhu Island, Georgia.

Glory an inept title, as getting hit with a minie ball provided so little of it follows the campaigns of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Leading the all-black outfit is Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, a young white officer who battles both the enemy and his own superiors. Glory is steeped in the blood and gore that was the American Civil War, complete with ferocious battle scenes that seemingly leap from the pages of history.

Glory won three Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (Washington), Best Cinematography and Best Sound.

Shenandoah (Universal, 1965)

The Civil War rudely intrudes on a neutral Virginia farmer in this popular film scripted by James Lee Barrett and directed with flair by Andrew V. McLaglen. The incomparable James Stewart (Charlie Anderson), Doug McClure (Sam), Glenn Corbett (Jacob), Patrick Wayne (James), Rosemary Forsyth (Jennie), Phillip Alford (Boy) and Katharine Ross (Ann) head the cast.

Shenandoah was filmed in Oregon and California. Much of the shooting took place in the latter at Golden Oak Ranch (Newhall) and Janss Conejo Ranch (Thousand Oaks).

Shenandoah features Stewart at his cantankerous best, a hardy, grizzled Virginia farmer determined to keep his family out of the Civil War. But when his youngest son is mistaken for a Johnny Reb and taken prisoner, Stewart and his clan set out to find the boy. One of the best scenes comes early, with Stewart and his brood fending off a Confederate procurement detail at their Virginny farm.

You cant do that! You cant burn my train! Strother Martin pleads. But Jimmy Stewart has other ideas, torching the Union transport carrying Confederate prisoners, one of whom is his son-in-law Sam.

Shenandoah (1965) movie window card (Heritage Auction Galleries)

Raintree County (MGM, 1957)

Romance and the Civil War come to Raintree County, a movie based on the novel by Ross Lockridge Jr. Millard Kaufman penned the screenplay and Edward Dmytryk directed. Montgomery Clift (John Shawnessy), Elizabeth Taylor (Susanna Drake), Eva Marie Saint (Nell Gaither), Nigel Patrick (Prof. Stiles), Lee Marvin (Flash Perkins), Rod Taylor (Garwood Jones), Agnes Moorehead (Ellen Shawnessy) and Walter Abel (T.D. Shawnessy) head the cast.

Budgeted at $5 million, Raintree County was filmed on location in Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. MGMs backlot #3 served as the setting for the town of Freehaven in fictional Raintree County, Indiana.

Indiana schoolteacher John Shawnessy falls for southern belle Susanna Drake. The Civil War comes, with Shawnessy enlisting in the Union Army and searching for his lost love amidst the horror and chaos of the decimated South.

Raintree County complete with antebellum mansions, elegant southern balls, exquisite costumes and some pretty fair battle scenes garnered four Oscar nominations, including one for Johnny Greens magnificent music score.

Friendly Persuasion (Allied Artists, 1956)

Michael Wilson adapted the screenplay from the 1945 novel by Jessamyn West. William Wyler directed, with Gary Cooper (Jess Birdwell), Dorothy McGuire (Eliza Birdwell) and Anthony Perkins (Josh Birdwell) starring.

Made for $3 million, Friendly Persuasion was filmed in California. There was friction on the set between Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire husband and wife in the movie with Cooper strongly questioning McGuires abilities as an actress.

Set in southern Indiana, Friendly Persuasion centers on the Birdwell family, who are practicing Quakers. When the rebel Morgans Raiders threaten their homestead, Josh Birdwell decides to abandon pacifism and take up arms, urging his father and neighbors to do the same.

Friendly Persuasion garnered six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Perkins) and Best Song. Regarding the latter, Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster became a big hit (#5 on the U.S. charts) for Pat Boone.

As they put it in Friendly Persuasion, thee should be pleasured by this film, opined Bosley Crowther of The New York Times (11/2/56).

The Red Badge of Courage (MGM, 1951)

The film adaptation of the classic 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane hit movie theaters in 1951. John Huston and Albert Band penned the screenplay with Huston also directing. Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of World War II, stars as Henry Fleming, with Bill Mauldin (Loud Soldier), Douglas Dick (Lieutenant), Royal Dano (Tattered Man) and Andy Devine (Cheery Soldier) also in the cast.

Budgeted at $1.6 million, The Red Badge of Courage was filmed in California, both at MGM and the John Huston Ranch in Tarzana. MGM chief Louis B. Mayer never cared for the production, arguing (correctly as it turned out) that it lacked the necessary romantic angle to score at the box office.

The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fleming and his baptism of fire as a Union soldier during the Civil War. Audie Murphy, who had won the Congressional Medal of Honor in Big Two, didnt have to dig very deep to portray the greenhorn infantryman, as his own horrific combat experiences in Europe were never far away.

John Huston artfully projects the characters to capture a seemingly allegorical mood of all wars and the men involved in them. His battle scene staging has punch and action reported Variety.

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) one sheet poster (Heritage Auction Galleries)

Gettysburg (New Line Cinema, 1993)

One of the big, bold new Civil War pictures of the modern era, Gettysburg was scripted by Ronald F. Maxwell from the 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Maxwell also directed, with Tom Berenger (Gen. Longstreet), Martin Sheen (Gen. Robert E. Lee), Stephen Lang (Gen. George Pickett), Jeff Daniels (Col. Joshua Chamblerlain) and Richard Jordan (Gen. Lewis Armistead) heading the strong cast.

Gettysburg was made for $25 million, with portions of the movie actually filmed at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. Civil War reenactors were used to create the realistic battle scenes, including the suicidal Picketts Charge into withering Union artillery and rifle fire.

The pivotal Battle of Gettysburg fought from July 1-3, 1863, in Adams County, Pennsylvania is the focus, with Union and Confederate troops going toe to toe at places like Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge and the Devils Den. The principal commanders involved on both sides are examined, with ferocious battle scenes filling the big screen in a bloody Danse Macabre.

This is a film that Civil War buffs will find indispensable reported Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times (10/8/93).

Ten More American Civil War Movie Favorites

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) 40x60-inch poster (Heritage Auction Galleries)





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Friday, June 15, 2012

Top 10: Drinking Video Games

10. Street Fighter IVDrinking Game: Focus Attacks, if you successfully do a counter strike your opponent has to drink!

Focus Attacks, known as "Saving Attack" in the Japanese version, is a new system introduced in Street Fighter IV. The focus attack is a move that allows the player to absorb an attack and launch a counter attack, and it is performed by pressing the medium punch and kick buttons simultaneously. There are two phases to the attack. In the first phase, the player will shift into a new stance, at which point he or she is able to absorb a single hit from the opponent. The second phase is the counter attack.

The longer the player holds down the medium punch and kick buttons, the more powerful the attack will be. If the buttons are held for long enough the attack will be unblockable and cause the opponent to crumple slowly to the ground, allowing the player to follow up with a free hit. Attacks that were absorbed during the first phase of a focus attack still cause damage to the player; however, life lost from the opponent's attack will be quickly regenerated afterward.

In addition, during the first phase of the focus attack the player may perform a dash either forward or backward to cancel the focus attack. Finally, at the cost of half the super combo gauge, many special moves can be canceled into a focus attack. By executing a focus attack during the special move, the animation of the move will be cut short and go instantly into the focus attack animation. This allows players with precise timing to cancel special moves into focus attacks, and in turn cancel focus attacks into the forward dash, resulting in new combo possibilities.

If a special move is blocked by the opponent, the new system allows players to cancel the blocked move with a focus attack, and then cancel the focus attack by dashing backward safely away from the opponent.

Ono has stated that this system was incorporated in order to shift the emphasis away from combos and toward a more realistic system he has compared to boxing, in which "the skill is in reading your opponent's move before he or she starts moving ... We haven't forgotten about combos and linked moves, but focus makes it so that you have to read your opponent." The system aims to make ground attacks as viable a way of approaching opponents as jumping was in previous games. The focus system is a core part of Street Fighter IV's gameplay. -Wikipedia.org

9. Madden NFL 09Drinking Game: However many points you get during the game, your opponent has to drink that many when you score them. 6 points! Take 6 sips!

Madden NFL 09 for the Xbox 360 received a 9 out of 10 rating from Xbox Magazine, as well as four out of five stars and Game of the Month from PlayStation: The Official Magazine. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions got an 8.8/10 from IGN and the Wii version got an 8.6 out of 10, receiving only 0.2 points less than it's Sony and Microsoft counterparts from IGN.com X-Play gave Madden 09 a 5 out of 5. GameSpot gave Madden NFL 09 an 8 out of 10, for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. GameSpot gave the Wii version 7.0/10. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii version 87%. -Wikipedia.org

8. Goldeneye 007Drinking Game: The first person to get the Golden Gun does NOT have to take a shot or chug a beer. Anyone who gets killed by way of the Golden Gun has to take a beer.

It was featured in the video game GoldenEye 007 in a multiplayer scenario, The Man with the Golden Gun. Only one player could have the gun at a time, either acquired by picking it up at the spawn point, but it is the only gun that breaks once either its user dies or when it runs out of ammo. The weapon, which provided one-shot-kills, was also used in the game's Egyptian level (which required completion of all other of the game's levels to be completed on the hardest difficulty to unlock), locked away in a shatter-proof glass box which required completion of a puzzle in order to unlock.

The gun was needed to defeat the level's boss, Baron Samedi, who had so much health he could withstand several of the one-shot-killer bullets and had to be killed three times as well. Because of the popularity of both the game and the weapon itself it would later be featured in other James Bond video games: The World Is Not Enough, Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, Everything or Nothing, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, Quantum of Solace, and From Russia with Love.

Many of these games also feature golden variations of other weapons (such as the Walther PPK, Walther P99, Desert Eagle, and a rocket launcher). A golden revolver (similar to the original golden gun described in the novel) can be found in Goldeneye 007's spiritual successor Perfect Dark, where it is used by one of the main antagonists Trent Easton and Joanna herself if she manages to disarm him. -Wikipedia.org

7. Burnout: ParadiseDrinking Game: The number of wheels you lose = the number of shots

The "Cagney" update was released on schedule on July 10, 2008 for PlayStation 3 and on August 4, 2008 for the Xbox 360. The update introduces three new Freeburn multiplayer modes: Online Stunt Run, Marked Man and Road Rage. Online Stunt Run involves up to 8 players who simultaneously compete for the highest stunt score within 2 minutes. Road Rage features two teams; one must race to a checkpoint while the others tries to stop them through takedowns. Marked Man is like a game of tag, with one player as the Marked Man who cannot see the other players and has no boost.

In addition there are 70 new online challenges. These new challenges are different from Free Burn challenges, being timed. Timed challenges start once all players gather at a point of interest. The players then must all complete an objective within a certain time, such as jumping a ramp. "Cagney" also brought custom soundtracks and 1080i support to the PlayStation 3 version. -Wikipedia.org

6. LittleBigPlanetDrinking Game: Each sack boy you kill on your friends side means they have to take a drink.

The Play section of LittleBigPlanet consists of a number of levels that have been created by Media Molecule, and are based around different themes that draw inspiration from real-world locations, such as Japanese gardens, dry Mexican deserts, New York City streets and icy Russian stages. By completing the levels available to them (by reaching the scoreboard), the player may then advance the story and play further unlocked levels. The story mode comprises eight themed areas, with each area containing three or four main levels, and some of these levels in turn contain collectable keys to unlock bonus mini-levels.

The main story mode comprises more than 50 pre-built levels in total. To control their Sackboy character, the player moves by using the analogue sticks, jump with varying degrees of height depending on the pressure applied to the action button, and grab onto objects to either move or swing on them. In addition to regular left-and-right movement, and despite the 2D look of the game, levels consist of three levels of depththe foreground, middle and backgroundand may be traversed between either automatically by the game itself, or by the player's command.

The player can opt to emote their Sackboy by applying varying degrees of delight, fear, sadness, and rage, control each arm independently through the analogue sticks, slap other players by jerking the arm movement with the analogue sticks, and use the Sixaxis motion-sensing functionality to animate the character's head and body. The player can access the Popit menu at any time. -Wikipedia.org

5. Mario PartyDrinking Game: Any player that gets a star in the star space gets to pick someone to take a swig!

Every game in the main series has a standard Party Mode in which up to four players play through a board, trying to collect as many stars as possible. In every turn, each player rolls a die and progresses on the board, which usually has branching paths. Coins are primarily earned by performing well in a minigame played at the end of each turn. On most boards, players earn stars by reaching a star space and purchasing a star for a certain amount of coins.

The star space appears randomly on one of several pre-determined locations and moves every time a star is purchased, usually occupying a blue space. Every Mario Party contains at least 50 to almost 110 minigames with a few different types. Four-player games are a free-for-all in which players compete individually. In 2-on-2 and 1-on-3 minigames, players compete as two groups, cooperating to win, even though they are still competing individually in the main game. Some minigames in Mario Party 1 are 4-player co-op, even though it doesn't say it. In most situations, winners earn ten coins each. -Wikipedia.org

4. Boom BloxDrinking Game: In castle destruction in the party mode, who ever has the least amount of gem blocks left at the end has to drink!

In addition to single player, there are also over 100 cooperative and competitive multiplayer levels available in Party mode that can be played by up to four people on one screen, by taking turns, and on a split screen. Cooperative play involves destroying or building structures together with friends and family while competitive play involves playing against others to accumulate the highest scores by destroying blocks with positive point values attached or attacking the opponent's castle to destroy their gem blocks within. -Wikipedia.org

3. Guitar Hero: World TourDrinking Game: Any band member who misses the most notes has to take a drink

Guitar Hero World Tour (initially referred to as Guitar Hero IV or Guitar Hero IV: World Tour) is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was launched in North America in October 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles, and a month later for Europe and Australia.

A version of World Tour for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh was later released. While the game continues to feature the use of a guitar-shaped controller to simulate the playing of rock music, Guitar Hero World Tour is the first game in the Guitar Hero series to feature drum and microphone controllers for percussion and vocal parts, similar in manner to the competing Rock Band series of games. The game allows users to create new songs through the "Music Studio" mode, which can then be uploaded and shared through a service known as "GHTunes". -Wikipedia.org

2. Wii Sports ResortDrinking Game: Losing an event = a drink

Wii Sports Resort is set in a beach resort on an island called Wuhu Island, similar to Wii Fit's running island, where twelve different sports are available to play. Like the original, the sports are each played by holding the Wii Remote (and in some cases, the Nunchuk) in a manner similar to the actual sport being replicated. For example, in Archery, the player holds the Wii Remote vertically to hold the bow, and pulls back the Nunchuk to pull back the bow's string.

The new feature that Wii Sports Resort brings is Wii MotionPlus compatibility, which enables 1:1 control and allows the games to be played with greater accuracy. For example, in Wii Sports Tennis, the player's shots were all determined by which direction the Wii Remote is swung like a racket. Wii Sports Resort offers a new variation, Table Tennis (previously featured in Wii Play), where the player has greater control over adding spin to the ball by twisting the Wii Remote while swinging.

Wii MotionPlus is required for all Wii Remotes being used with Wii Sports Resort. Most sports with up to 3 or 4 players will allow one Wii Remote to be shared among players while taking turns. Canoeing is the one exception where a controller is required for all 4 players. -Wikipedia.org

1. Super Smash Bros. BrawlDrinking Game: Every time a player gets blown off the screen that player has to take a drink!

In addition to the standard multiplayer mode, Brawl features other multiplayer modes and options in Group mode. Special Melee, from the previous game, returns as Special Brawl. In this mode, players are able to battle in matches using special rules for a greater level of customization. Whereas previously standard options such as "Giant Melee" or "Invisible Melee" were limited to one feature per match, players may now select multiple options for a single match.

Another returning game type, Tourney mode (formerly Tournament mode), enables players to create an elimination-based tournament, where up to 32 players can play, with a large number of game-controlled or human-controlled opponents. A "Rotation" feature has been introduced in Brawl, which allows up to sixteen players to compete in sequence by switching out winners or losers after each round. -Wikipedia.org

Did you like this article? You can write articles like this and make money from it. It is free to join and you can make money online as soon as you sign-up. Click on the link to Sign-up with Bukisa.com and starting making some good money on the internet.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Review of the Latest Star Trek Movie

I will start by saying this: If you are a hardcore trekkie, the kind of person who screams abuse when the phasers are the wrong colour, the warp core is three shades of blue too dark, or the sensors pick up something they cant, then dont watch the new star trek movie.

You dont f###ing deserve it.

Its very hard to actually write a well structured review without slipping in spoilers at the very best of times, doubly so with the new star trek movie. In order to ensure the purity of the experience is preserved, Im going to split this review into two sections. Section one will detail the acting, the cinematography and all the other stuff that one talks about when reviewing a film, section two will discuss the plot. Just in case you cant figure it out for yourself, if you dont like spoilers (and believe me, this is not you usual telegraphed star trek movie), then skip section two.

Section 1:

The best way to describe the new star trek movie would probably be Battlestar Galacticad, Although in my opinion done a lot better. Unlike the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica, star trek stays true to its roots (for the most part), in high science fiction. The elements of the heroic charmer, Captain James T Kirk, the calm and collected First Officer, Lieutenant Spock, the ship chasing after the unknown all of these are still there.

What they have done is a process I liked to call Mini coopering, I.E modernising something rather than changing it. There is a hell of a lot of change in this film visually from the previous iterations of star trek, and the styling is somehow slightly darker, while still maintaining the classic clean look that has made star trek stand out against other science fiction films. The bridge of the enterprise is white, spacious and light, and the engineering deck is a mass of pipes, tubes and valves that would not look out of place on the titanic. The antagonists ship too, has a dark, visceral almost primal look about it, both inside and out.

Star Trek is a beautifully written movie, the advantage of starting from scratch is that the writers have been able (and managed) to keep the franchise very accessible to people unfamiliar with star trek. Indeed, one of the people in the group I went to see the film had never got into star trek and knew nothing of the characters beyond their appearance and names. She was able to follow the story easily and empathised a great deal with the characters, especially Spock.

But this is not a movie thats just supposed to get new people into the franchise. Fans of star trek are treated to dozens of references and in jokes that only those with a passion for the franchise will get. The slugs from Star Trek II make a cameo appearance, the red shirt always dies first, the classic catch phrases and references to green alien sex that we all remember and love all make an appearance.

The crew and cast also made a fantastic job in reinventing the characters, while keeping them the same. I can only liken this to when a new character takes up the mantle of James Bond. Its still unmistakably Bond, but with a slightly different twist. Such it is with the crew of the USS enterprise. This is good as the film is very much character driven, and while the plot is very engaging and immersive (if a little contrived at times), it only serves as a backdrop for us to learn more about the characters, and observe how they respond to the changing situation. This sort of thing just wouldnt have been possible in the original series, and is only made possible by the reinvention of the setting in this iteration.

Perhaps the single most important aspect of this film though is the fact that it has utterly destroyed the cannon history of star trek.

Good.

This is why hardcore trekkies are never going to love it. They bitch and whine when a certain gun appears out of place, or a Klingons forehead is just slightly too bumpy. When they see the changes that the writers have made to this Star Trek universe, they will choke on their popcorn. This is all explained as an alternative history using that staple tool of story telling in star trek films- Time travel.

Unlike so many time travel stories that fall into exactly the same predictable routine that leads me to want to hunt down and kill the writers for being lazy bastards, Star Trek manages to pull it off wonderfully. At first I thought that all the changes would be reset via a Deus Ex Machina, a la EVERY OTHER time travel story in the history of creation.

How wrong I was.

The door has now been thrown open for a brand new branch of star trek based in this alternative reality. The writers set up some very interesting concepts that could be explored.

This about wraps it up for section one of this review. Again I say, if you do not want spoilers, then please refrain from reading section 2. In conclusion all I can do is repeat what I said before- If you enjoy star trek, but are not one of the obsessive compulsive trekkies that the media loves to ridicule, star trek will be one of the best things youve seen since the dark knight. If youre looking for a movie to go an watch but have no real interest in star trek, its a very enjoyable way to spend an evening, and will also do a great job of introducing you to the setting. Suffice to say, go and see it now.

Section 2.

Vulcan gets destroyed. By the end of the film, there are only about 10,000 Vulcans left in the galaxy. Kirks farther is killed while his mother is giving birth to kirk in a battle with the Romulans (the main antagonists of the film). For a large portion of the film, Spock is captain of the enterprise. Spock and Uhura are in an involved relationship.

In short, star trek takes a lot of the preconceptions and chucks them out of a third storey window.

Leonard Nemoy plays Spock, Simon Peggs performance as Scotty is brilliant, Sulu screwing up the Enterprises maiden voyage from star dock had me in creases, the space jump (a parachute drop from orbit) was one of the most fantastic pieces of cinematography, sound engineering and acting I had ever seen (and the red shirt cacked it)!

These fantastic little moments just make the film, and had me grinning ear to ear as I watched it.

The basic overarching plot is that in the far distant future, a star goes supernova and threatens to wipe out a lot of inhabited worlds, including Romulus. Spock promises to save Romulus, and speeds off in a ship designed to create a black hole to absorb the supernova. Hes too late and Romulus goes the way of Pompeii, the only survivors being the crew of a nearby mining ship. They chase down spock and in the ensuring battle a black hole is created which sucks them both through time. After killing Kirks farther having arrived in the past, the Romulan crew hang around for a few years and wait for Spocks ship to show up before capturing it, and using the black hole generating red matter to destroy Vulcan before moving on to earth. The enterprise gives chase and stops them, but not before the history if the world is re written.

Theres a basic synopsis of the whole thing for you, but seriously you need to watch it. See section one!





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

UC Browser Got The Best Mobile Browser Award From About.com

UC Browser Got The Best Mobile Browser Award From About.com

> >

For the winning of UC Browser in this voting, About.coa, this free cross-platform mobile browser is available in multiple languages including English, Chinese, and Spanish. Congratulations to UC Browser, this year's winner in theBest Mobile (Non-iPad or iPhone) Browsercategory!

UC Browser now has more than 200 million users globally, and from the first release in the market out of China in end of 2009, UC Browser has already conducted more than 30 million downloads, and more 10 million users in the oversea market. Meanwhile, UC Browser has gotten the 2nd biggest market share in India, Indonesia, Russia and many other countries just behind Opera Mini, especially in India, UC Browser is taking around 10% of the market share among all the mobile internet users, including those who using handset default browser. Currently, UC Browser can support English, Indonesian, Russian, Vietnamese, Spanish, and deployed servers in North America and Asia Pacific, aimed to provide local and fast browsing experience to the users.

Not long ago, UC Browser has gotten the Top 10 New Application Award from Getjar, the biggest 3rd party application store. On 15th Feb 2011, UC Browser got the AppChamp of The Month Award from Mobango. Now, UC got positive feedback from the leading media again for About.coms Readers Choice Award.

Mr. Yu Yongfu, The CEO of UCWeb said UC will build cooperation with the whole industrial chain, and mainly focus on the emerging countries to explore UCs oversea strategy, and all the awards from the industrial leaders and users showed again UCs big influence and leading user experience, and gave us the faith to speed up our business for all the global users.

You could visit , or wap. to download this Mobile Browser.

UCWeb

UCWeb is a strong application service provider from China, with the cutting edge technique of the Mobile Web. UC focuses on serving faster, more stable and flexible Internet experience to users. In Apr 2004, UCWeb launched its core product UC Browser, By Mar 2011, UC Browser have served more than 150 countries and areas, and got more than 700 million downloads. Per month, 200 million users visits 60 billion pages through UC Browser.

About.com

About.comis an online source for original information and advice owned by The New York Times Company. It is aimed primarily in North America, and has biggest influence in U.S, Canada, England, Australia, India and many other countries in the world. The Readers Choice Awards is one of the most important voting campaign in the whole year, which will give award to the most popular product among users and consumers in electronics, auto, food and many other fields.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Caleb - Much More Than A Biblical Name

Popularamong the Puritans in the 17th century and brought by them as a personal name to America, Caleb ranked 36th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 440th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 48th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.Caleb has 6 variant forms: Cal, Cale, Cayleb, Kaleb, Kayleb and Kaylob.

Of Hebrew origin, Caleb, pronounced KAY-leb,is often translated as "faithful" or "loyal," most likely because a dog displays these attributes towards its master. Several figures throughout the Old Testament also have names that correspond to an animal.The son of Jephunneh, Caleb is noted for his faith in God when the Hebrews refused to enter the promised land of Canaan. A companion of Moses and Joshua, he was known for his astute powers of observation and fearlessness in the face of overwhelming adversity.Moses sent him along with eleven other spies to Israel. Caleb andJoshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.

Other Biblical figures with the name of Caleb

Caleb is the name of one of the three sons of Hezron of the Tribe of Judah. He is also called Chelubai (1 Chr. 2:9). His descendants are enumerated in that chapter (verses 18-20, 42-49).

Caleb is the "son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah" (1 Chr. 2:50).

Namesakes

Caleb Project is a place to help people with drugs or alcohol problem in Bradford. CalebUniversity is in Lagos, Nigeria.

Caleb Temple is the main character appearing in the 1995 television series, American Gothic.

Caleb is a villain in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.

Caleb Nichol is the father of Kirsten and eventually Julie Cooper's husband in The O.C. television series.

Caleb is the protagonist of the computer game Blood and its sequel, Blood II: the Chosen.

Caleb is the name of a genetically engineered breed of war dog in the Robert A. Heinlein novel, Starship Troopers.

Caleb is a character in the comic book and animated TV series W.I.T.C.H.

Caleb Followill is the lead singer of rock band, Kings of Leon.

Caleb the Ripper, a member of the adventuring group The Silver Horde, features in a number of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.

Caleb Bradley is a corporate swindler in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.

Caleb is the name of a song by Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica on their album Unia.

Caleb Bradham is the inventor of Pepsi-Cola.

Caleb Carr is an American Novelist and a military historian

Les Filles de Caleb was a best-selling novel and a very successful television mini-series in Qubec, Canada.

Numerology

Number of Caleb - 5

Bearers of this name are impatient and nervous people, instantly responding to any events. They tend to try to do too much at once, but rarely complete what they begin. These people are sociable. They are not afraid to take risks and are always ready to embark on new adventures. They hate monotonous labor, boredom and commonness. Sometimes they are even arrogant and given to mocking. They appreciate the joys of life, but often remain inattentive of others. Their own desires are the highest law for them. They tend to possess an increased sexuality.

The Creation of Caleb CDC

In the mid nineties, Pastor Bennie B. McFarland, along with the Board of Hightime Evangelistic Center, sought to establish an extension of the church which could impact the community by ministering to hurts and needs. As a result, in 1996 Pastor McFarland founded Caleb Community Development Corporation, a faith-based organization. The mission of the newly formed entity was to lift the human condition of disadvantaged persons living throughout metropolitan Baton Rouge. In practical terms, the Founders Vision, as articulated during its inception, was to provide affordable housing to low-income persons, facilitate training and development of the entrepreneurial aspirations of economically challenged individuals, education-based programs to equip and empower the poor, and transition housing, counselling, and family support services for persons affected by substance and incarceration.Pastor McFarland chose the name Caleb as a reminder that this organization can possess the prom ises others fear to claim.





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Monday, June 11, 2012

Review on Compaq Presario Laptop Cq61

**About Compaq**

The company named Compaq does not exist anymore since 2002, but the brand name does. The original company name is "Compaq Computer Cooperation". The company originally started as a computer manufacturer, located in the USA. But since 2002 the company was taken over by another famous computer company named Hewlett Packard (which you probably know from its LaserJet/inkjet printers and it computers. Compaq was founded in 1982 by Ron Canio, Bill Murto and Jim Harris. The name of the company means "compatibility and quality". In 1983 Compaq launched the first portable computer, and this computer broke all selling records and became a major hit. During the nineties the company was the first one selling computers for less than 1000 dollars. Because of their lower prices a price-war started between Compaq and the other computer companies, IBM and Packard Bell. Nowadays Compaq as a brand is still known for it reasonable priced products and their good quality. Compaq/Hewlett Packard also sell monitors, mini laptops and computer accessories.

**Compaq Presario CQ61 310 SA**

We bought this laptop through a Dutch online shop named Modern. Because we were looking for a nicely styled but affordable laptop we soon bumped into this Compaq CQ61. We paid 410 Euros for this laptop and I have to say that was a reasonable price for all this laptop has to offer. In Pounds you'll pay around 369 Pounds. On the International Compaq website there is a higher price displayed but I guess some looking around and comparing can save you a lot of money! Because I have bad vision I needed a big screen, and this laptop has a 15.6 inch screen which is big and perfect for me!

**Some technical information**

- Weight; 2.6 kilos (yes that is a heavy momma!) - Size; 37,8 cm (length) x 25,2 cm(width) x 3,8 cm (height). - System; The system installed is Windows 7 (64 bits) - Processor; Intel Core Duo Processor T6600, 2,2 GHZ level 2 cache 2 MB (pretty damn quick I have to say!) - Memory; 4 GB and you can add up until 8 GB to the laptop - Internal drives; 500GB SATA hard disk 5400 RPM (rounds per minute) - Optical drive; Lightscribe Super Multi DVD writer (r, rw) will double layered support. I have burned only one DVD so far but that went easy, so positive about this DVD writer as well. - light scribe; Makes it possible to make sharp disc labels (so you can burn a disc, turn it and burn the other side) -resolution ; 1366 x 768 - I have to say, a very clear view and this resolution is good enough for me (and my bad eyes). - Graphical card; NVIDIA GeForce G 103M (so good enough for some World of Warcraft sorts of games!) - Video memory; a total of 2302 MB video memory, 512 MB had been reserved. - Memory card reader; 5-in-1 integrated media reader for Secure Digital Cards, Multimedia Cards, Memory sticks, or CD picture cards. It is very easy to click in your digital camera SD card, and copy the photos to your laptop. The SD reader is located on the left side of the laptop. -webcam; There is a small but effective webcam inside op the laptops lid. I use it very often and I have to say it is giving clear images. - Microphone/sounds; Altec Lansing boxes are inside of this laptop, the quality is very high, sounds are played clear! The boxes are a bit hidden on the keyboard of this laptop. -pointing device; This laptop has a pointing device, which works well, it isn't too sensitive and you can adjust the sensitivity if you like (through your Windows 7 settings menu) -keyboard; This laptop has a black keyboard with white letters/numbers printed on the keyboard buttons. I like the keyboard because it has big buttons that are easily used when typing. -network interface; Integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN -Wireless possibilities; Besides finding a wireless network signal easily, this laptop also has Bluetooth to offer. There is a wireless network button on the keyboard so your Internet connection can be clicked on/off by just pressing this blue/black button. -battery/cables; There is a 90Watt network adapter delivered when you buy this laptop. The laptop runs on a 6-cel lithium battery. The laptop can be used for 1,5 hours before the battery is empty. It charges the battery to its maximum again within 45 minutes. -ports; This laptop has 1 USB port located on the left of the keyboard, and on the right side you'll find two more. There also is a SD card port (also on the left) and a port for an Ethernet cable (for your Internet connection) and of course a port for your laptops adapter. Ook vind je twee uitgangen voor een koptelefoon of microfoon.

**Software** The software listed below was already installed on this laptop;

1. Recovery partition, with the possibility of placing back system, applications and drivers. 2. SymantecTM Norton Internet SecurityTM 2009 (60 days live update) 3. HP Total Care Setup 4. HP Total Care Advisor 5. Cyberlink DVD Suite (so you can play DVD's) 6. Cyberlink YouCam (belongs to the webcam) 7. Windows Media Center/ Windows Photo Gallery 8. Windows Mail 9. Norton Online Backup (30-days trial version) 10.Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.Windows Live Messenger, 12 Adobe Reader/Adobe Flash Player 13. Microsoft Works en Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 60 day trial.

**Does it work fast enough?**

I hate it when my computer is slow. I don't have any patience. Luckily for me, this laptop is quicker than I thought it would be. It starts within 45 seconds, and when I shut it down that also only takes between 30-40 seconds. Reading a cd/dvd quickly as well. Speed is pretty nice I have to say!

**My overall opinion**

This laptop isn't too expensive and offers a wide range of possibilities. The 4 GB is more than enough disk space for me, but it is useful to know 4 extra GB can be added to the laptops system. I like the stylish look of this laptop. The combination of black/silver really makes it worth looking at. The lid closes smoothly and with a little click and is easy to open as well. The only disadvantage of this laptop is the fact that it is quite heavy. But well, not that big of a deal to me I guess (cause I do need a big screen, so I will always buy a heavier laptop). Great laptop for daily use, good graphic elements and cool design!





iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software