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Prime Suspect, Smiley's People Debut on Blu-ray, Tales of the City: 20th Anniv. DVD – Acorn Release Calendar
"Acorn Media, chief curators of the best Brit TV" --TIME Magazine
Acorn (British TV) and Athena (Documentaries) DVD Release Calendar
The upcoming July and August releases from British TV specialist Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment brand, feature the Blu-ray debuts of two iconic series - Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection and Alex Guinness in Smiley's People (w/deleted scenes) as well as the star-studded Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Edition on DVD.
Additionally, Acorn has the U.S. debuts of several highly anticipated series that offer a perfect alternative to summer reruns. U.S. debuts include: Midsomer Murders Set 22, featuring the newest episodes of our top-selling series; Falcón starring Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings) in new cinematic detective thriller set in Spain; the long-overdue U.S. and home video debut of North & South, starring Patrick Stewart (X-Men, I, Claudius) in a classic BBC period drama; Jack Taylor starring Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey) in an Irish detective drama; and Honest, a British dramedy.
Acorn also has another season of Britain's highest-rated TV drama with New Tricks, Season 9; a value-priced complete collection of Lynda La Plante's Trial & Retribution courtroom drama series, and individual season sets of its top-selling series, Midsomer Murders with Series 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Documentary specialist Athena has several fascinating releases, including Time Team: The Team's Favorite Digs, Missions That Changes the War: Germany's Last Ace, Bill Moyers: On the Hudson, Bill Moyers: Faith & Reason Collection, and Joanna Lumley's Nile.
Acorn (British TV) and Athena (Documentaries) DVD Release Calendar:
June 25:
Jack Taylor Set 1 (U.S. Debut) – Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey) stars in the gritty Irish detective drama based on the bestselling crime fiction by Ken Bruen. A noir thriller in the vein of Case Histories and Single-Handed and filmed on location against the rugged backdrop of western Ireland, the program follows a forty-something ex-cop trying to earn a living as a private detective in his native Galway. Self-destructive, pig-headed, and overly fond of the bottle, Taylor has burned a lot of bridges, but he still has a knack for uncovering ugly truths. Broadcast on in the U.K. in 2013 with new episodes in production (DVD 3-Disc Set, 3 mysteries).
New Tricks Season 9 (DVD Debut) – Retired cops solve cold cases in Britain's highest-rated TV drama. The series has enjoyed ongoing broadcast exposure in North America on PBS; however the DVD set features the unedited UK edition. For eight years, the old dogs of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad—veteran detectives Jack Halford (James Bolam), Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong, Garrow's Law), and Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman, The Sweeney)—have been a close-knit team led by Amanda Redman. Then Jack drops a bombshell: he's retiring. Before long, they find a replacement in retired detective Steve McAndrew (Emmy® nominee Denis Lawson, Bleak House, Star Wars). (DVD 3-Disc Set)
Honest (U.S. Debut) – Featuring sharp scripts, an outstanding cast, and a deft mix of comedy and drama, this critically acclaimed British dramedy follows the fortunes of the criminally minded Carter family after their patriarch is sentenced to four years in jail for robbery. Amanda Redman (New Tricks) stars as the beleaguered mother determined to keep her family out of trouble. The compelling cast also includes Danny Webb (The Bill), Sean Pertwee (Cold Feet), Matthew McNulty (The Syndicate), and Laura Haddock (Upstairs Downstairs). Honest aired in the U.K. on ITV in 2008, but never aired in the U.S (DVD 2-Disc Set, 6 episodes).
July 2:
Falcón (U.S. Debut) – Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings) and Hayley Atwell (Captain America) star in new cinematic crime thriller making its U.S. debut. Featuring compelling characters, an outstanding ensemble cast, and complex, haunting mysteries, the critically acclaimed new crime series is based on the bestselling novels by Robert Wilson. Set in the magnificent Spanish city of Seville, Falcón follows a smart, intuitive detective bent on exposing hard truths and corruption. The British production features a seductive beauty and sinister undercurrent all to its own, along with stunning cinematography and stylish direction. The series co-stars Emilia Fox, Santiago Cabrera, Charlie Creed-Miles, and Kerry Fox with guest stars Bernard Hill, Robert Lindsay, Bill Paterson, and Rosie Perez. The two feature-length mysteries premiered in the UK in Nov. 2012 but have not aired in the U.S. (DVD 2-Disc).
Patrick Stewart in North & South (U.S. and Home Video Debut) – The classic BBC miniseries makes its long-awaited home video and U.S. debut. The outstanding BBC period drama stars Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek, I, Claudius) in a classic British romance in the vein of Pride and Prejudice and Middlemarch. This popular program is based on the celebrated novel by Elizabeth Gaskell (Cranford, Wives and Daughters) and depicts the tensions of the Victorian era, as traditional society clashed with the coming of the modern world. Both a slow-burn romance and a clear-eyed view of the Industrial Revolution, North & South captivates with a magnetic performance from future star Patrick Stewart. Though broadcast on the BBC in 1975, the series likely never aired in the U.S., so this release is the first opportunity for U.S. audiences to see the miniseries (DVD 2-Disc, 4 episodes).
Joanna Lumley's Nile (DVD Debut) – A fascinating four-part documentary hosted by the witty and enthusiastic Joanna Lumley, half of the iconic duo from Absolutely Fabulous. Traveling by fishing boat, ferry, cruise ship, plane, train, car, and Zapcat, Joanna follows the world's longest river from mouth of the river in the Mediterranean Sea to its source in Sudan. Along the way, Joanna visits five African nations and some of the most inhospitable landscapes on Earth. The ideal travel companion, she's game for almost anything—from sleeping on a crowded deck to slogging through mud and judging an "Ancient Egypt Night" contest. Featuring a deft mix of education and entertainment, the program premiered in 2010 on ITV and has since aired on public television in the U.S. (DVD 2-Disc Set, 4 episodes).
Bill Moyers: On the Hudson – America's First River (DVD Debut) – Called "Surprising and delightful" (The New York Times), this fascinating PBS documentary explores the history of the mighty Hudson River. Legendary journalist Bill Moyers discusses the river's 315-mile course from its source in the Adirondack Mountains to its outlet at New York harbor—and its impact on much of the nation's history, literature, and art. On the Hudson debuted on PBS in 2002 and is Athena's sixteenth release from Moyers' acclaimed library of programs (DVD 2-Disc Set).
Midsomer Murders Series 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in individual season sets – Now in original U.K. broadcast order, the first five series of the beloved, star-studded mystery series are available in collectible, repackaged individual series sets with SDH subtitles ($59.99 each set). The English village mystery gets a contemporary spin in this hit British television series that has earned a worldwide following. Bucolic settings harbor macabre crimes and eccentric characters that are no match for nice-guy detective Tom Barnaby (John Nettles, Bergerac) and his eager assistant, Sergeant Troy (Daniel Casey). Continually among Acorn's best-selling series, Midsomer Murders premiered in the U.K. in 1997 and more than ninety feature-length episodes have aired with new episodes still in production. The first five series have featured a wide array of famous faces, including Orlando Bloom, Emily Mortimer, Honeysuckle Weeks, Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton, Trudie Styler, James Bolam, Samantha Bond, Anthony Bate, Kenneth Colley, Celia Imrie, and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey). (DVD 2 or 3-Disc Sets)
August 6:
Smiley's People (Blu-ray Debut) – The "marvelously riveting" (The New York Times) sequel to Tinker Tailor Solider Spy - John le Carré's classic Cold War spy drama now with more than an hour of new bonus features. Oscar® winner Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia) reprises his BAFTA-winning role that the San Francisco Chronicle called "the crowning role of the great actor's long career" as retired spymaster George Smiley for the 1982 sequel. Filmed on location in London, Paris, Hamburg, and Berne, Smiley's People co-stars Patrick Stewart, Siân Phillips (Dune), Eileen Atkins (Upstairs, Downstairs), and Bill Paterson (Traffik). The Blu-ray 2-disc set includes six episodes, along with the new addition of 62 min. of deleted/extended scenes as well as a 20-min. interview with John le Carré, production notes, book list, and more. Celebrated for its literate scripts and intricate plotting, the series was nominated for three Emmys® in 1983--including director, actor, and miniseries—and won four BAFTAs in 1982.
Midsomer Murders Set 22 (U.S. Debut, Blu-ray and DVD) – Acorn's top-selling, smash-hit series returns with four new stand-alone mysteries, plus bonus 34-min. Midsomer Murders in Conversation segment. Set in England's picture-perfect but perilous Midsomer County, Set 22's episodes have not aired on U.S. television. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars Neil Dudgeon as the capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby, with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient partner, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. The Mysteries: The Sleeper under the Hill, The Night of the Stag, A Sacred Trust, and A Rare Bird. (Blu-ray 2-Disc Set, DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Set)
Time Team: The Team's Favorite Digs (U.S. Debut) – More digs from the hit British science-reality series. Go along for a fun, fast-paced ride as archeologists dig up the past. Tony Robinson (Blackadder) is back as the leader of Time Team, a band of archaeologists, historians, surveyors, geophysicists, and other assorted experts determined to unearth mysteries concealed by topsoil and time. For these eight episodes, the team members have selected their favorite digs, ranging from Iron Age, Roman, and Saxon Britain to a World War II crash site in France and a sugar plantation in the Caribbean. (DVD 3-Disc set)
Bill Moyers: Faith & Reason Collection – Three PBS programs explore religion, the search for truth, and a beloved hymn in a value-priced collection hosted by legendary journalist Bill Moyers. Shows feature Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Huston Smith, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, among many others. The DVD 6-Disc boxed set includes the previously released full-length programs, On Faith & Reason, The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith, and Amazing Grace, along with bonus program Pure Pete Seeger (54 min.)
Trial & Retribution: Complete Collection – "So damn addictive" (Film.com) and "Great crime series" (NPR) – All 22 feature-length mysteries of the gritty British drama in a value-priced collection from the creator of Prime Suspect, Lynda La Plante. Teeming with the same hard-bitten sensibility and emotional resonance that made Prime Suspect a television landmark, Trial & Retribution takes viewers from the crime scene to the forensics laboratory and from police headquarters to the courtroom. David Hayman (Sid and Nancy) stars as DCS Mike Walker, with Kate Buffery (Wish Me Luck) and Victoria Smurfit (About a Boy) as his partners. Guest stars include Hugh Dancy (Black Hawk Down), Iain Glen (Downton Abbey), and Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, X-Men). (DVD 18-disc set)
Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Collection – "One of the 10 best miniseries" (Entertainment Weekly) and "Uncommonly fine television" (The New York Times) – The influential PBS miniseries returns with SDH subtitles, exclusive footage, and more. Deftly chronicling the quest for love and connection across a spectrum of sexual experiences, the Peabody Award-winning miniseries features a star-studded cast including Oscar® winner Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck), Oscar® nominee Laura Linney (The Big C, John Adams, The Savages), Gemini winner Paul Gross (Slings & Arrows), Billy Campbell (Once and Again), and Thomas Gibson (Dharma & Greg). Based on the groundbreaking novel by Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City follows a colorful cast of characters living at 28 Barbary Lane in anything-goes 1970s San Francisco. The series received universal acclaim when it debuted in 1994, hailed as "a brilliant evocation of a time and place" (Los Angeles Times), and remains a television landmark. (DVD 2-disc set)
Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray Debut) – "A perfect marriage of astoundingly talented actress and brilliantly conceived character" (USA Today) – Blu-ray debut of the iconic, universally acclaimed police drama starring Oscar® winner Helen Mirren in her iconic, Emmy®-winning role. Mirren stars as Detective Jane Tennison, "one of the great character creations of our time" (The Washington Post), in this revolutionary police drama broadcast on PBS to universal acclaim and more than 20 major international awards, including seven Emmys® (three-time winner of "Outstanding Miniseries"), eight BAFTAs, and a Peabody. Guest stars include: Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), and Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary). The Blu-ray 7-Disc set includes nine feature-length mysteries in high-definition as well as a 50-minute behind-the-scenes special, featurette, and more.
Missions that Changed the War: German's Last Ace (Athena, DVD Debut) – Narrated by Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, CSI: NY), the compelling documentary explores the downfall of Nazi Germany. Seen on the Military Channel, the riveting documentary series tells the story of three fighter pilots who played decisive roles in the aerial battles over Germany. Through original footage, expert military analyses, and never-before-seen interviews with the participants, Germany's Last Ace revisits the events of May 12, 1944, which Nazi armaments minister Albert Speer considered the day that Germany lost the war. (DVD 2-disc set)
Coming in September:
Foyle's War, Set 7 (DVD and Blu-ray debut of three new episodes airing on PBS beginning 9/15), P.G. Wodehouse's Blandings, Series 1 (U.S. debut), Brainwave (Athena), Agatha Christie's Poirot Series 7 & 8 (DVD/Blu-ray), War and Peace, and New Tricks Collection: Seasons 1-5
Earlier 2013 Releases Still Available
From Acorn: The Syndicate Series 1 (U.S. Debut, adapted as Lucky 7 by ABC), George Gently, Series 5 (U.S. Debut), George Gently Collection: Series 1-4, Vexed Series 2 (U.S. Debut), The First Churchills, The Politician's Wife, Springhill Series 1 (U.S. Debut), The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries: Complete Collection, Doc Martin Special Collection: Series 1-5 + The Movies, A Fine Romance: Complete Collection, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1 (U.S. Debut, DVD/Blu-ray), new, glamorous "lady detective" series; Midsomer Murders: Tom Barnaby's Last Cases; Dirk Gently (U.S. Debut), based on the novels by beloved author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy); Sugartown (U.S. Debut), charming BBC comedy; Foyle's War: The Home Front Files, Sets 1-6, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Long-awaited DVD Debut) starring Geraldine McEwan (Agatha Christie's Marple), Garrow's Law: The Complete Collection, Maigret Complete Collection starring Michael Gambon, Murdoch Mysteries Collection: Seasons 1-4 (Blu-ray and DVD), Murdoch Mysteries, Season 5 (U.S. Debut, Blu-ray, DVD), Murdoch Mysteries, Season 2 (Blu-ray debut), No Job for a Lady: The Complete Collection (DVD Debut), Chance in a Million Complete Collection, A Mind to Kill Complete Collection, Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime: The Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries, Agatha Christie's Poirot & Marple Fan Favorites Collection, Wodehouse Playhouse Complete, Above Suspicion Set 2 (U.S. debut) starring Kelly Reilly and Ciaran Hinds, Testimony of Two Men (DVD Debut), Doctor Zhivago starring Keira Knightley, Trial & Retribution, Set 6 (U.S. Debut), Lillie starring Francesca Annis, and Midsomer Murders Set 21 (U.S. Debut, Blu-ray and DVD).
From Athena Documentaries:
Understanding Art: Hidden Lives of Masterpieces (U.S. Debut), Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy (DVD Debut), Bill Moyers: Beyond Hate, Shakespeare: The King's Man (U.S. Debut, Athena), a captivating 2012 BBC documentary exploring Shakespeare's later plays; Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers – 25th Anniversary Edition, Missions That Changed the War: The Doolittle Raid (DVD Debut) narrated by Gary Sinise, She-Wolves: England's Early Queens (DVD debut), The Story of Math Collection, and Bill Moyers: Becoming American.
Best British TV streaming service Acorn TV is featuring a free 30-day trial for complete access to the 18 different series plus marathons. Thereafter, a subscription is just $2.99/mth or $29.99/yr. Each week three new seasons are added and three are removed. The press login/password for complete access is readily available upon request. Acorn TV adds the U.S. Premieres of four more feature-length mysteries from its top selling series with MIDSOMER MURDERS, SET 22 and favorite episodes of the hit UK reality series TIME TEAM; the universally acclaimed miniseries TALES OF THE CITY: 20th Anniversary, starring Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Billy Campbell, Paul Gross, and Thomas Gibson; the complete FORSYTE SAGA starring Emmy-winner® Damian Lewis (Homeland), as well as marathons of 2012 public TV sensation DOC MARTIN (38 episodes plus two movies) starring Martin Clunes, and anthology mystery series THE RUTH RENDELL MYSTERIES (17 feature-length mysteries) featuring stars Colin Firth, Honeysuckle Weeks and Amanda Redman; and international kidnapping thriller KIDNAP & RANSOM; among many others. Press access readily available upon request. acornonline.com/TV
An RLJ Entertainment, Inc. brand (NASDAQ: RLJE), Athena releases provide an authoritative and entertaining learning experience through high quality, informative, non-fiction programming. Athena's 2013 releases include: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth: 25th Anniversary Edition, She-Wolves: England's Early Queens, Missions That Changed the War: The Doolittle Raid, Shakespeare: The King's Man, The Story of Math Collection, and Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy.
An RLJ Entertainment, Inc. brand (NASDAQ: RLJE), Acorn specializes in the best of British television on DVD/Blu-ray. 2013 releases include: Jack Irish starring Guy Pearce, BBC's The Syndicate, The Fall starring Gillian Anderson, North & South starring Patrick Stewart, Falcón starring Marton Csokas, Jack Taylor starring Iain Glen, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Doc Martin Special Collection, Helen Mirren's Prime Suspect and Smiley's People on Blu-ray, Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently, star-studded Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Edition, and more episodes from Foyle's War, George Gently, New Tricks, Murdoch Mysteries, Midsomer Murders and Vera.
Acorn's and Athena's DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn Media at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com and www.athenalearning.com. Select series are streaming at Acorn TV, the first British TV-focused streaming service, at AcornOnline.com/TV.
Henry "Man of Steel" Cavill's Saucy Early Role in Midsomer Murders -- Watch Clips Here!
Acorn Media, "curators of the best Brit TV" (TIME), has just reminded us of "Man of Steel" Henry Cavill's early role on "Midsomer Murders" as the cheeky Simon Mayfield.
Unlike in his Superman role, the clips find Cavill in a devilish display of behaviors expected of any youth-cut-loose. Photos and clips are linked below of the saucy star in The Green Man (Season 7, Episode 1, Nov. 2003) as he gets attacked by a wild animal and is an animal himself in other ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v-FfOAy9zY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvQo4hXranw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92S0NwtpOvI
Here are some of our past reviews of "Midsomer Murders":
Midsomer Murders: Set 17
Midsomer Murders: Barnaby's Top 10
NEW TRICKS: SEASON NINE -- DVD review by porfle
After eight seasons of just getting better and better, Acorn Media's 3-disc DVD set NEW TRICKS: SEASON NINE gives us a look at a great TV series undergoing a nerve-rattling shakeup but still managing to maintain its composure.
The gang at UCOS (Unsolved Crimes and Open Case Squad)--three retired, geriatric cops and their plucky female boss and full-time den mother Det. Supt. Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman)--are still tucked away in a secluded basement office and not given the credit they've earned during years of brilliant detective work. But word's finally getting around about these guys, with Pullman no longer regarding it as a dead-end job and even their formerly dismissive supervisor D.A.C. Strickland (Anthony Calf) beginning to recognize what an asset they are.
Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman continue to shine as, respectively, emotionally-unstable OCD casualty Brian Lane and thrice-divorced curmudgeon Gerry Standing (Waterman also sings the show's theme song, "It's Alright"). Part of that shakeup I referred to earlier occurs in the season opener, "A Death in the Family", when the team's oldest and wisest member, Jack Halford (James Bolam), who has been Sandra's mentor for many years, announces his this-time-for-real retirement.
The case at hand--a "Jack the Ripper" style murder that took place over a hundred years earlier--is soon pushed aside in our minds as we wonder what the real reason is behind Jack's leaving. Ultimately, what will be Bolam's final episode is resolved in a quick and relatively unsentimental way, so the show gets credit for not going the maudlin route here. (Tim McInnerny's guest turn as shady government operative Stephen Fisher, who forces the team to work on the case without telling them why, is a highlight.)
This, of course, leaves us fans wondering what's to become of the team and the show. UCOS gets by for a couple more episodes ("Old School Ties", about the unsolved murder of a teacher in an uppercrust girls' school, and the consistently interesting and twisty "Queen and Country") with just Sandra, Gerry, and Brian bearing the caseload. While the truncated team is surprisingly effective, there's still something missing without a third retiree to round things out.
Then, with "The Girl Who Lived", a fascinating story of a girl who is missing and presumed dead for years until her DNA is found at the scene of a convenience store holdup, comes retired Scottish cop Steve McAndrew, who aids the team due to his personal involvement in the original case years before and ends up becoming a permanent replacement for Jack. Steve's character strongly asserts his own unique personality traits early on--he's cocky, brash, and tough, he's a rule-bender, and he enjoys a drink or two (making him a good playmate for Gerry but not recovering alcoholic Brian, who starts to feel left out).
McAndrew is played by Denis Lawson, a name I didn't recognize at first although the face seemed vaguely familiar (it might've helped if I'd pictured him with dark hair instead of the current white). Checking his page on IMDb I found that he'd been in all three films of the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Character name? Wedge. He was WEDGE, for Pete's sake! You could've knocked me over with an Ewok! Needless to say, I looked at him in a different light from then on.
As a replacement for James Bolam, Lawson is still proving himself. Still, he's a fun addition to the team and, since he's the new guy and tends to behave impulsively, he keeps things unpredictable. Another element of freshness to this season's stories is the increased involvement of D.A.C. Strickland, whose attitude toward UCOS has evolved from adversarial to almost paternal.
"Body of Evidence" involves a missing corpse that turns up in a hospital morgue after lying there under the wrong name for a year. "Love Means Nothing in Tennis" is the story of an up-and-coming young tennis star who falls over the balcony of her penthouse apartment after losing a crucial match. Suicide or murder? Her tennis rivals and their flaky mothers are all caught up in the web of suspicion. Alexei Sayle guest stars.
Brian is enchanted by the world of poetry in "Dead Poets", while a more cynical Gerry just wants to find out who murdered a young poet and incinerated him in the scrapyard of a local drug dealer. "Blue Flower" is the compelling tale an East Berlin couple who, before the fall of the Berlin wall, helped their baby escape while staying behind themselves. Years later, the father searches for his now-grown daughter in England but is murdered on the street by an unknown assailant, which is only the beginning of a complicated web of betrayal and deceit.
"Glasgow UCOS" plays almost like the pilot for a proposed spinoff, with Gerry joining new partner Steve as he returns to Scotland to help inaugurate their new UCOS team but discovers that he's really there to help solve an old case that no one else wants to dirty their hands on. The final show of the season, "Part of a Whole", marks the return of Tim McInnerny as sneaky government agent Stephen Fisher, as a 30-year-old undercover exploit threatens the lives of everyone originally involved--including D.A.C. Strickland--in a riveting tale loaded with intrigue, action, and surprises.
The 3-disc, 10-episode DVD from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles. Bonuses consist of two featurettes--a "making of" short (12 min.) and a look at some of the stunts involved in the episode, "Part of a Whole."
With more cast changes supposedly in the offing (I hear about these things but don't follow up on them because I don't want to spoil it for myself), one wonders how long "New Tricks" can continue to operate with its original cast dwindling. But for now anyway, NEW TRICKS: SEASON NINE is quite enough to keep fans satisfied a while longer. As usual, it's the interactions of the characters more than the sometimes overly-complicated plots that really keep us coming back for more.
JACK TAYLOR: SET 1 -- DVD review by porfle
Jack Taylor is, as they say, a hot mess. "How the mighty have fallen" his own mother sourly remarks of the former Garda (i.e., Irish cop) for the city of Galway, now kicked off the force for misbehaving and working as a lowly private investigator who can't stay off the sauce. In this trio of feature-length adventures in Acorn Media's 3-disc collection JACK TAYLOR: SET 1, it's a wonder that the terminally hungover and frequently beaten-within-an-inch-of-his-life gumshoe ever makes it through a case alive.
We're introduced to Jack pretty cold, without the usual "getting to know you" formalities, so at first he comes off as a fairly unlikable character as we see him throwing his Garda career away by chasing down the car of a government bigwig for "speeding" and then punching the guy's lights out for complaining. Jack then gets drunk, gets de-badged, gets drunk again, sinks to the level of becoming a "finder" (they don't seem to be popular in Ireland), and celebrates by getting drunk.
It isn't until we start finding out why Jack stays loaded all the time that we begin to warm up to him somewhat, beginning with his less than idyllic upbringing (meeting his mom tells us a lot) and his generally unfortunate experiences in regard to all manner of personal relationships. The only people who seem to like him are an inexplicably supportive landlady, a prickly, chain-smoking priest (Paraic Breathnach as Father Malachy), and a young female Garda named Kate (the striking Nora-Jane Noone of THE DESCENT) who doesn't know him well enough yet to dislike him, along with various old drinking buddies who have a tendency to get killed or turn out to be bad guys.
Anyway, after seeing what Jack has to put up with on a daily basis, his chronic alcoholism becomes somewhat more understandable and he begins to grow on us. (Like a rash.) Most importantly, the cases he gets drawn into are consistently interesting, leading us through all sorts of deepening twists and turns and dramatic character exchanges before coming to a suspenseful finish.
Making things harder for Jack is his tendency to get soundly thrashed (we're talking emergency-room-level beat-ups here) and to react to bad news by going on a "lost weekend" bender that would make Ray Milland jealous, then waking up with no memory of the previous three days or so. (Which tends to hinder his job performance.) And bad news is a major part of his job since, coincidentally, most of the cases he takes on seem to involve people from his personal life including his own hatchet-faced mum.
Iain Glen (THE IRON LADY, TARA ROAD), who has the ability to look either shabbily distinguished or just plain shabby, is an ideal choice to play Jack. Glen allows us to see the good qualities that Jack keeps hidden beneath his rough exterior, but also manages to convey a menacing resolve that comes to the fore when Jack gets kicked around once too often. The rest of the regular cast are fine as well, especially Nora-Jane Noone as Jack's reluctant insider ally, Kate. Direction by Stuart Orme (COLDITZ) is casual but controlled, which fits the material and atmosphere of the show well. Scriptwriting is consistently sharp.
The first feature-length episode, "The Guards" (2010), is Jack's origin story, as it were. The bodies of young girls are washing up onshore and the police tend to chalk it up to suicide. Anne (Tara Breathnach), the mother of a missing teenage girl, hires Jack to find her daughter before she meets the same mysterious fate. Jack enlists the aid of an old drinking mate, Sutton (Ralph Brown, ALIEN 3's celebrated "Eighty-Five"), when he discovers a connection between the drownings and a couple of local businessmen who may have a few unsavory sexual hang-ups. The trouble is, Sutton turns out to be just as out-of-control as the bad guys, turning Jack's investigation into a royal cock-up that isn't helped when he starts getting romantic with his client. Once we get to know and like Jack, "The Guards" becomes an engrossing murder mystery with a satisfying ending.
"The Pikemen" (2011) is the story of a group of hooded vigilantes terrorizing Galway, with Jack being hired by the father of a man murdered by the gang for no apparent reason. Jack picks up an unwanted partner named Cody (Killian Scott), an enthusiastic teen who idolizes him and wants to be Robin to Jack's Batman. With their signature weapons--a combination axe and spear--the Pikemen wreak bloody havoc with anyone they consider guilty of a crime for which they've gone unpunished, while making things unpleasant for Jack when he starts getting too close. Jack gets beaten up really bad, in addition to being framed for murder, in this extremely lively and emotional tale about unbearable guilt and self-righteous vengeance.
Finally, "The Magdalen Martyrs" (2011) is the heartrending tale of a sadistic nun (Sarah O'Toole) aptly nicknamed "Lucifer" by the young girls whose lives she makes a living hell by torturing them for their sins (such as smoking and having lustful thoughts). Years later, the daughter of one of the girls hires Jack to locate "Lucifer" with the help of a diary, through which--in one of those wild coincidences that this show asks us to accept--Jack discovers that his own mother was one of the monstrous nun's cowering victims.
With all this juicy stuff going on, there's a subplot in which teen boys are being murdered by a professional hitman, with Jack's old drug-dealing nemesis Cassel (Liam Carney) lingering at death's door just long enough to make Jack's life miserable for reasons as yet unknown. How these two seemingly unrelated storylines come together leads to an intensely exciting nailbiting conclusion that ends this set with a bang.
The 3-disc set from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital sound and subtitles in English. Extras consist of a brief photo gallery for each episode.
In a world that has no respect for private detectives, and doesn't deem you automatically cool just for being one, Jack Taylor overcomes his personal vices and shortcomings and manages to do the right thing for his clients--eventually--while giving us some first-class entertainment along the way. JACK TAYLOR: SET 1 is sophisticated adult stuff, straight-up and 100 proof, and just right for a lost weekend of intoxicating binge viewing.
THE MANSON FAMILY -- Blu-Ray review by porfle
If you've followed the Manson family case over the years, chances are you've seen the whole range of stuff from sober documentary-style films to the most exploitative trash that various sick minds can churn out. THE MANSON FAMILY (2003) falls somewhere in between the two extremes for most of its running time before finally delving feet first into extreme gore and wallowing around in it.
One thing's for sure, this isn't just some fly-by-night knock-off. Writer-director Jim Van Bebber spent close to twelve years, off and on, trying to get his vision of Charlie and the gang into releasable shape and in front of audiences, and clearly a great deal of work went into it. While loosely edited and seemingly slapdash at times, this merely adds to the documentary feel the film often achieves--in fact, much of its visual and narrative style is based largely on the amazing Robert Hendrickson-Laurence Merrick documentary "Manson" (1973), which featured the real Manson family going about their everyday psychotic lives at Spahn Ranch and engaging in sex and drug orgies while regurgitating buttloads of verbal sewage their spongelike minds had absorbed from their googly-eyed, motormouthed leader. To make it resemble old documentary footage even more, the film has been heavily aged "Grindhouse" style.
Van Bebber cherry-picked the most interesting and/or believable passages from the various first-hand (but often contradictory) accounts available for his screenplay, relying mainly on that of Manson's right-hand man Charles "Tex" Watson because of his apparent ability to remember things in detail. The first three-quarters of the film establish Charlie's initial influence over his easily manipulated followers, many of whom were runaways seeking love and stability or anti-establishment rebels looking to drop out of society. With the strangely charismatic ex-con Charlie coming on like a sage to some and a messianic figure to others, the story is told largely in a stream-of-consciousness style that's sometimes surreal and sometimes hyper-real.
This includes copious amounts of softcore sex scenes featuring some women who look remarkably stunning in the nude, particularly Leslie Orr as Patty Krenwinkel and Maureen Allisse as Manson's favorite, Susan Atkins, aka "Sadie Mae Glutz" (both of whom were actually rather homely in real life). Their seemingly idyllic lifestyle, however, gradually gives way to darker accounts of gang-rape, kidnapping, and threats of bodily harm to those who want to leave the family. Charlie's criminal tendencies come to the fore in other ways as well, with violence and terror becoming the standard means of getting what he wants.
It's at this point, late in the film, that THE MANSON FAMILY starts to fulfill what we've come to anticipate will eventually take place on the screen if indeed Van Bebber has chosen to go the exploitation route--which he has, with a vengeance. Various early murders include the marathon death of Gary Hinman at the hands of Bobby Beausoleil (Van Bebber) and Sadie, culminating in the infamous two nights of horror that comprised the Tate/LaBianca murders. Those familiar with Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" and other detailed accounts of the killings will recognize much of what happens here as true-to-life even as they recoil at seeing it portrayed in such graphic, gore-movie terms.
Van Bebber pulls no punches here--the screen is awash in blood as beatings, stabbings, slashings, strangulations, and shootings abound in the most graphic detail, with very little left to the imagination. It may leave some viewers wondering just how healthy or unhealthy their interest in this material is--are they watching to learn about these events, or to get a vicarious thrill from seeing them? Is Van Bebber simply playing up to our basest instincts here, or is he forcing us to confront the horrors that we usually only allow ourselves to imagine in the most vague terms? And what of the gorehounds whose only consideration, as we're well aware, is simply to react in paroxysms of delight? Needless to say, we're left to work out all of these conflicting feelings ourselves.
With all of this going on, it's a shame that the central figure of the story, Charles Manson, is so miscast, with Marcelo Games almost wholly ineffective in the role. It's hard to imagine anyone paying any attention to this guy, much less following him into hell. On the other hand, Leslie Orr and Maureen Allisse are fantastic as Patty and Sadie, with Orr in particular doing a superb job of aping the typical Manson fanatic stridently spouting Charlie-isms or reacting with a combination of revulsion and sadistic glee at her own brutality.
Marc Pitman looks nothing like "Tex" Watson but carries the role fairly well especially during the harrowing Tate sequence in which he is seen sporting demonic ram's horns (although he doesn't levitate as Atkins claimed he did in her memoirs) and doing most of the killing himself. The rest of the cast varies wildly, with some coming off rather poorly and others quite convincing during the "interview" segments.
The Blu-Ray disc from Severin Films is in full frame with Dolby 5.1 sound. No subtitles. Lots of extras include Jim Van Bebber's recent horror short "Gator Green", his audio commentary for the film, an interview with composer Phil Anselmo, deleted scenes and trailers, a 10-minute interview with Charlie himself (which is typically incomprehensible), a lengthy making-of doc called "The Van Bebber Family" featuring cast and crew interviews, and a feature-length film "In the Belly of the Beast" which explores the trials and travails of Van Bebber and other indie filmmakers (including "Hardware" director Richard Stanley) as they preview their work at the 1997 Fantasia Film Festival.
For a movie with such a patchwork production history, THE MANSON FAMILY is remarkably consistent--Van Bebber picks up the threads of this supremely lurid story and weaves them inexorably through the family's evolution from free-love hippie commune to ragtag guerilla army of terror and murder. (Only the latter-day subplot about a Goth murder gang emulating the Manson family in the 90s seems out of place.) It's a damned ugly story, though, especially with these real-life murders depicted in such excruciating detail, and each individual viewer is going to have to decide whether they consider this a good movie or an affront to their sensibilities. As for me, I found this earnestly-made indie to be intermittently interesting, somewhat entertaining, and moderately worthwhile.
HBO Home Entertainment's "Behind the Candelabra" Stars Michael Douglas as Liberace
"A Visual Feast" - USA Today
Starring Academy Award® winners Michael Douglas and Matt Damon
Directed by Academy Award®-winning Director Steven Soderbergh
Available September 17, 2013 on Blu-ray™ with Digital Copy, DVD & Digital Download
New York, N.Y., June 6, 2013 - As glittering and outrageous as Liberace himself, HBO Films® Behind the Candelabra takes a look at the flamboyant entertainer's private world, focusing on his tempestuous relationship with Scott Thorson, his young live-in lover for five years. Based on Thorson's tell-all memoir "Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace," the film is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and features electrifying performances by Academy Award® winners Michael Douglas (Wall Street) as Liberace and Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) as Thorson.
During its premiere, the film became one of HBO's most watched original films in nearly 10 years. Behind the Candelabra streets on Blu-ray with Digital Copy ($24.99), DVD ($19.97) and Digital Download on September 17, 2013. The Blu-ray with Digital Copy includes "The Making of Behind the Candelabra" which explores the legacy of Liberace through costumes, sets, locations, and prosthetics with several cast and the crew members including Douglas and Damon.
Before Elvis, before Elton John, Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was Liberace: virtuoso pianist, outrageous entertainer and flamboyant star of stage and television. A name synonymous with showmanship, extravagance and candelabras, he was a world-renowned performer with a flair that endeared him to his audiences and created a loyal fan base spanning his 40-year career. Liberace lived lavishly and embraced a lifestyle of excess both on and off stage.
In summer 1977, handsome young stranger Scott Thorson walked into his dressing room and, despite their age difference and seemingly different worlds, the two embarked on a secretive five-year love affair. Behind the Candelabra captures the essence of Liberace's appeal, while reminding viewers how different attitudes were at the time, as he and his management fiercely protected his public persona.
The film features an all-star supporting cast including Emmy® winner and Academy Award® nominee Dan Aykroyd, Golden Globe winner and Emmy® nominee Scott Bakula, SAG Award winner and multiple Golden Globe nominee Rob Lowe, Tom Papa, multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe nominee Paul Reiser and Academy Award® Golden Globe and Emmy® nominee Debbie Reynolds. Executive produced by Emmy®-winning producer Jerry Weintraub from a script by Academy Award® nominee Richard LaGravenese, the film is produced by Gregory Jacobs, Susan Ekins and Michael Polaire (Contagion, Haywire) and music was adapted by the late Marvin Hamlisch.
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, DVD & Digital Download
Street Date: September 17, 2012
Order Date: July 30, 2012
Runtime: Approx. 118 minutes (excluding bonus feature)
Price: $24.99 Blu-ray with Digital Copy (1 Disc)
Price: $19.97 DVD (1 Disc)
AMC's "THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON" On Blu-ray and DVD August 27th
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUES THE JOURNEY WITH AMC'S "THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON"
EXPERIENCE IT ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD AUGUST 27, 2013; LIMITED EDITION "ZOMBIE HEAD TANK" DESIGNED BY MCFARLANE TOYS
BEVERLY HILLS , CA – It has become a cultural phenomenon. The fans embrace it, the critics adore it. And now the stakes have never been higher for the survivors...On August 27th, Anchor Bay Entertainment unleashes AMC's original series THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Available as a 5-disc set in each format, the release contains all sixteen episodes from the past season. Like the previous releases, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON comes stuffed with tons of bonus features, including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, never-before-seen featurettes, audio commentaries from cast and crew, deleted scenes and other surprises!
In addition, Anchor Bay proudly announces that, in response to overwhelming fan response to last year's Season 2 limited edition "zombie head" packaging, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON Blu-ray™ will be available in a limited edition "zombie head tank" package (water not included!) specially created once again by McFarlane Toys. SRP is $79.99 for the Blu-ray™, $69.98 for the DVD and $149.99 for the Blu-ray™ limited edition. Pre-book is July 31st.
Based on the hugely popular graphic novels by Robert Kirkman, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON continues to draw in record audiences. Season 3 follows the weary group of survivors led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), as they take refuge in a prison and attempt to set up a permanent camp. But while invading zombies are an ever-present danger, they must also battle the living, not only in the form of abandoned prisoners, but also the sadistic "Governor" (David Morrissey) and his followers. New characters introduced this season include Danai Gurira as "Michonne," with her two "zombie pets" in tow, and Dallas Roberts (Shadow People) as the Governor's lieutenant Milton, as well as the return of Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker).
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON cast also includes Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, IronE Singleton, Chandler Riggs, Scott Wilson and Melissa McBride.
Season 4 of "The Walking Dead" premieres on AMC this October.
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, and boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history with "The Walking Dead." AMC's original drama series include "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," "The Killing" and "Hell on Wheels." Its newest series, "Low Winter Sun," premieres this summer. AMC also explores authentic worlds with bold characters through its slate of unscripted original series like "Comic Book Men," "Small Town Security," "Talking Dead," and "Freakshow." AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel, and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills , CA , Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy , MI , as well as Canada , the United Kingdom and Australia . Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON Blu-ray™
Street Date: August 27, 2013
Pre-book: July 31, 2013
UPC: 0 1313 260091-8 8 0
Format: Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English and Spanish
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON DVD
UPC: 1313 260090-1 8 0
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON Limited Edition Blu-ray™
SRP: $149.99
Blu-Ray Limited Edition
"THE DEMENTED" from Anchor Bay Films – Catch it July 30th on Blu-ray/DVD Combo and DVD
"This is not a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. We are under attack..."
BEWARE OF "THE DEMENTED" FROM ANCHOR BAY FILMS
Spreading terror July 30th on Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack and DVD
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Horror films often take their cue from daily newspaper headlines, feeding on the all-too-real fears of the everyday world. Like the best science fiction, sometimes horror lies just around the corner or beyond the bend of what we know. On July 30th, Anchor Bay Films unleashes the biological warfare thriller The Demented on Blu-ray™/DVD combo pack and DVD. From the creative minds behind I Spit On Your Grave and A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Demented is a terrifying excursion into a plague-infected world...where one moment off guard is all that keeps us from becoming them.
With a hot cast including Sarah Butler (I Spit On Your Grave), Brittney Alger (21 Jump Street), Kayla Ewell ("The Vampire Diaries"), Richard Kohnke ("The Carrie Diaries") and Michael Welch (The Twilight Saga Franchise), The Demented will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last frame! SRP for the Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack is $29.99 and $24.98 for the DVD. Pre-book is July 3rd.
The Demented follows six college friends as they meet up for a carefree weekend in a beautiful rural home. A terrorist missile attack in a nearby town infects much of the townspeople with a deadly virus that induces rabies-like symptoms...with devastating consequences. Ravenous and fast, the infected townspeople turn their sights on the vacation home where the friends are gathered...and are now barricaded. How long can they hide? Even with the infected "sleeping" in the streets, can they make their escape? If so, to what?
About Anchor Bay Films:
Anchor Bay Films is a division of Anchor Bay Entertainment and provides quality movie distribution with operations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and offers distribution capabilities in other key territories. Anchor Bay Films uniquely offers the creative community a fully integrated distribution capability on all platforms and an international solution extending beyond the United States. The company focuses on a platform release strategy for its films with an eye toward maximizing their potential across all ancillary distribution platforms. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
THE DEMENTED Blu-ray™/DVD COMBO
Street date: July 30, 2013
Pre-book: July 3, 2013
Item #: 013132606965
UPC: BD60696
Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) 1080p (Blu)
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (Blu)
THE DEMENTED DVD
UPC: AF60694
Blu-Ray/DVD Combo
Anchor Bay Entertainment Presents Eco-Thriller "SUPER STORM" on Blu-ray and DVD August 13th
On August 13th, Anchor Bay Entertainment releases the outrageous eco-thriller Super Storm on Blu-ray™ and DVD
This Syfy Original Movie conjures up some of the most cataclysmic space storms ever to invade Earth. Directed by Jason Bourque (Snowmageddon), Super Storm stars David Sutcliffe ("Private Practice"), Erica Cerra ("Eureka"), Brett Dier ("The L.A. Complex"), Leah Cairns ("Battlestar Galactica"), Luisa D'Oliveira (Seeds Of Destruction) and Mitch Pileggi ("The X-Files," "Sons of Anarchy"). The SRP for the Blu-ray™ is $24.99 and $19.98 for DVD. The pre-book is July 17th.
When Jupiter's red spot suddenly disappears, it triggers furious electrical storms and savage mega-cyclones that destroy America's major cities. But a small-town detention-bound teen with an extraordinary science project may have the answer that could halt Earth's annihilation: Can capturing 'The Destruction Particle' end this weather carnage or is nature's fury going to get even more destructive?
Unlikely? Unimaginable? Unheard of? Probably, but who cares, the end of the world has never been this entertaining! So, hold on to your seats - Super Storm will blow you away!
Super Storm Blu-ray™
UPC #: 01313 26033-91
Item: BD60339
Super Storm DVD
Run Time: 89 Minute
Prime Suspect, Smiley's People Debut on Blu-ray, T...
Henry "Man of Steel" Cavill's Saucy Early Role in ...
HBO Home Entertainment's "Behind the Candelabra" S...
AMC's "THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON...
"THE DEMENTED" from Anchor Bay Films – Catch it Ju...
Anchor Bay Entertainment Presents Eco-Thriller "SU...


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Models for Mental Health in Support of Seeds of Success
David DeWolfe lives with mental illness and complications from diabetes and relies on Seeds of Success to help him and others in the program live their best lives. "I'm so grateful to the program for bringing joy and purpose to our lives. Through gardening therapy, arts and crafts, talk groups, amazing therapists and volunteers the Seeds of Success program gives us a forum to share our feelings, our anger and our hopes. This program has saved my life. It helps me forget about my pain," says David.
Seeds of Success takes place at Northwood's long-term care facility in Halifax and is so much more than just a support group. It's a place where residents living with mental illness can feel at home.
"It gives people a purpose and a feeling of real accomplishment," says Faye LeBlanc of the Northwood Foundation. Seeds of Success was started because there was a real need in the facility for a group that dealt with the realities of mental illness in long-term care.
Seeds helps residents deal with feelings of hopelessness, depression, grief and more through art therapy, socialization, gardening and meaningful engagement," says Faye. The centre is open four days a week, but there is a real need for Seeds seven days a week. That's why the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia is working with several consignment boutiques across the city to hold the inaugural Models for Mental Health fundraiser in support of Seeds of Success.
Models for Mental Health is being organized and chaired by Stephanie Graham owner of The Perfect Fit consignment shop in Bedford. "Northwood gave me a call and asked if I would help out and I couldn't say no," says Stephanie.
Stephanie, who also lives with mental illness has been a mental health advocate for the last ten years and has a passion for helping others. "For me the cause and fun have to go hand and hand and that's why Models for Mental Health is perfect. It'll be a fun event for everyone."
"We're so grateful to everyone involved with Models for Mental for Health for believing in Seeds of Success and helping to raise money for this vital program," says Faye.
Seeds of Success is made possible with the support of community members and a grant from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. But it needs more help to not only survive but thrive. "It's my hope Models for Mental Health becomes a yearly fundraiser for Seeds and the program grows and grows," says Stephanie.
"The ripple effect of Seeds of Success can't be measured, it has such a positive and lasting impact on all the residents of Northwood and their families. Every organizer, volunteer and attendee of Models for Mental Health is really making a big difference in the lives of so many people," says Faye.
Models for Mental Health, presented by Bell Let's Talk, takes place November 6, 2018 at 6pm at the Halifax Forum. Tickets are available at mentalhealthns.ca/mfmh/ and at any HRM Scotiabank.
"We hope you'll join us!" – Stephanie
Get Your tickets here!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bear Creek is een plaats (census-designated place) in de Amerikaanse staat Alaska, en valt bestuurlijk gezien onder Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Demografie
Bij de volkstelling in 2000 werd het aantal inwoners vastgesteld op 1748.

Geografie
Volgens het United States Census Bureau beslaat de plaats een oppervlakte van
110,8 km², waarvan 108,5 km² land en 2,3 km² water.

Plaatsen in de nabije omgeving
De onderstaande figuur toont nabijgelegen plaatsen in een straal van 40 km rond Bear Creek.

Externe link

Plaats in Alaska

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Higher duty-free thresholds expected to boost cross-border shopping: report
Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press May 17, 2012
OTTAWA – Cross-border shopping is costing the Canadian economy much more than believed and new rules raising duty-free limits will only make matters worse, says a new report by the Bank of Montreal.
The assessment of costs comes from the bank's deputy chief economist, Doug Porter, in his latest price gap comparison between consumer goods in Canada and the United States.
Porter said Thursday that although the price gap has narrowed to 14 per cent on average from the 20 per cent he found in last spring's survey, the cross-border shopping phenomenon appears to be intensifying.
He believes as much as 10 per cent of the portion of the value of Canadian retail sales that can be transported — items such as clothes, tires, appliances, sporting goods and electronics — is being lost to U.S. stores.
That is more than double official estimates, but Porter said many Canadians under-report or don't report what they bring back.
"Even at a conservative estimate of five per cent, we are talking over $20 billion a year," he said.
"If correct, that represents a real drain on domestic retail sales, employment and government revenues — a drain that looks (likely) to deepen."
Porter said he believes the problem will get worse starting next month when new, higher duty-free thresholds for bringing back goods across the border go into effect.
Under changes announced in March's budget, the duty-free threshold on stays longer than 24 hours rises to $200 from $50, while the limit on stays longer than 48 hours rises to $800 from the current two-tiered levels of $400 and $750, depending on the length of stay.
"A culmination of factors is likely to unleash a wave of Canadians cross-border shopping this summer in numbers not seen in two decades," Porter said.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty pointed out that the duty-free limits had not been adjusted for inflation for decades and that the changes would ease congestion at borders and allow agents to focus on security issues. The office added that the new limits match those applied to U.S. travellers returning from Canada.
A spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada said the association has no independent data on how much is being lost to cross-border shopping, but said the problem is significant.
"It's difficult to estimate how much cross-border shopping is done, but in talking to retailers generally we don't think Mr. Porter is that far from the truth," said Diane Brisebois, head of the council.
"It is a bigger problem … and this is going to continue to be challenging if the government doesn't address the problem of import duties and if it doesn't at least out some of the multinational suppliers who are charging Canadian retailers much higher prices versus U.S. retailers."
In testimony to the Senate national finance committee last month, Brisebois blamed multinational distributors for much of price gap, saying the practice of "country pricing" discriminates against Canadian retailers.
She presented the committee with her own list showing that Canadian retailers often pay more to be able to carry name brands, in some cases as much as 30 and 40 per cent more than retailers in the U.S.
Other factors that have been cited for the gap include federal duties, less competition in Canada and higher transportation costs.
The Senate committee is expected to report later this year on the causes of the persistent price gap between the two countries, despite near parity in the value of the U.S. and Canadian dollars in most years since 2007.
The new survey of consumer goods by the Bank of Montreal suggests the gap has narrowed, in part because this week the Canadian dollar has been trading slightly below par, while during last spring's survey the loonie was worth US$1.02.
But Porter said with few exceptions, prices have become more competitive in Canada over the past year.
Among the items sampled this time:
— Magazines were on average 17 per cent more expensive in Canada and running shoes as much as 37 per cent more.
— The survey also found significant discrepancies with a Toro lawn mower, 32 per cent more; a Pottery Barn backpack for kids, 26 per cent; a sample of seven cars, 11 per cent, and a Gap Kids T-shirt, 19 per cent more.
— At the lower end of the scale, a sample of four books were only seven per cent more costly in Canada, a Canon Rebel T3 camera, five per cent; Blu-Ray movies, eight per cent, and barbecues (four sampled) were on average priced slightly lower in Canada than in the U.S.
"There hasn't been a big change, but the gap has narrowed somewhat," he said.
Porter cautioned that with only 18 items sampled, his findings are not necessarily representative of the average price difference between the two countries.
But the dramatic appreciation of the Canadian dollar toward parity since 2007 has had a drastic impact on shopping patterns, tourism and trips from residents on both sides of the border, he points out.
Porter said there are now 2.7 Canadian visits to the U.S. for every visit the other way, whereas in the 1995 to 2005 period, the ratio was one-to-one.
"There has never been more Canadians heading south than now. On the flip side … overall visits by Americans (to Canada) are now running at the lowest level in more than 40 years," he said.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version stated that the Senate banking committee was studying the price gap issue.


After the DST time change time today, the Mini-8 will not start my programs at the correct time. I have to set my zone start times to go off one hour after I want them to. e.g. I have a test zone set to go off at 19:30 and it goes off at 18:30.
I've rebooted the device with no luck.
Reset to default after unplugging for several minutes. with no luck.
When re-programming the rainmachine, I've made sure to skip using a backup but the backup data remains.
There is no need to reset to factory defaults, but I'm not sure why you see the programs back. Did RainMachine offer you to go through setup again to set location ?
As for the DST it should auto-correct, did the programs really start 1 hour earlier or it was displayed as such ? Let me know so we can look into it.
I have also experienced the same issues with my Mini-8. Time changed on the unit but the programs did not shift accordingly.


PARIS (Reuters) - More than 90,000 police, soldiers and private security agents will be deployed across France to ensure safety for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Wednesday (May 25).
The month-long tournament opens across France on June 10 with a state of emergency still in force after Islamist attacks last November that killed 130 people in Paris at several sites across the capital, including the Stade de France stadium.
About 2.5 million spectators are expected for 51 soccer matches involving 24 teams in games played at 10 stadiums across France. There will also be "fan zones" for crowds watching games on giant TV screens in major cities.
"Such a unique event in exceptional circumstances requires extra security measures," Cazeneuve told reporters.
Citing potential "terrorist" attacks and acts of hooliganism as the main threats, he said some 77,000 police, gendarmes and riot control officers would be deployed alongside 13,000 private security agents and 1,000 volunteers.
A portion of the 10,000 soldiers already stationed across cities as part of anti-terrorism measures, will also be handed more responsibility to protect sites during Euro 2016, he said.
The tournament also comes at a time of mass protest ahead of next year's presidential elections - with wave after wave of violence-marred demonstrations against a labour reform law adding further challenges for a stretched police force.
The government and organisers came under fire this week after security failures were exposed at the French soccer cup final on May 21.
Saturday's match between arch-rivals Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille at the Stade de France had been deemed a high risk event and a first test for organisers of security measures required for the Euros.
Fans threw firecrackers and flares inside and outside the stadium and banned objects were brought into the grounds despite close searching, security officials said. There was also serious overcrowding.
"After several meetings ... I told everybody of their obligations and it was decided to adapt the measures immediately," Cazeneuve said.
He said problems over guaranteeing the flow of supporters at entry points to the stadiums, carrying out security checks by private security firms and ensuring that end-of-match exit points for fans were safe would be resolved.
Security experts and police officials have said the fan zones, where some 8 million people are expected over the period, will be the biggest challenge.
"I hear critics saying these fan zones should have been abandoned, but then how would we ensure security for supporters in public spaces spread out everywhere?
"These fan zones will be maintained with an adapted and stringent security protocol," he said.


In Defence of Bolshevism, the new book from Workers' Liberty, had its launch at a lively meeting in central London on 12 October. Edited by Sean Matgamna, the collection of texts by American Trotskyist Max Shachtman represents one of the greatest polemics in the Marxist tradition. It is the defence of a revolutionary socialist consciousness being developed in the working class as the irreplaceable pre-condition for the self- emancipation of the working class.
Read more about Background material for "In Defence of Bolshevism"


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Chelsea Jade - Life Of The Party
Wednesday, 26 April 2017, 12:47PM
LA-based dream pop purveyor Chelsea Jade has lifted the lid off new single 'Life Of The Party' and teased a new album on the way.
The Auckland native laid down the track at Claifornia's Fanta Studios with producer Leroy Clampitt, aka the 'Prince of Pirongia', who also had a hand in Justin Bieber's recent single 'Company'.
While no release date has been announced for the new record, Chelsea told UTR the album is titled Personal Best.
You can listen to Chelsea's new single here!
Connect with Chelsea Jade:
FACEBOOK | WEBSITE


Parnell, contained between the harbour and the Domain, is Auckland's oldest suburb. Parnell is connected to history, connected to transport and connected by a vibrant population of Aucklanders.
Amenities near the school include the Domain parklands, Parnell Tennis Club, Olympic Pools and Fitness Centre, movie theatres and Newmarket shops.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum is a short walk from the school, and houses many fine collections. Its Maori and Pacific collections are recognised as some of the finest in the world. The museum offers outstanding resources that provide further opportunities for your child to learn.
The school is close to many transport routes. Railway stations that connect to both the southern and western lines are within easy walking distance. The Southern Motorway is a short distance away, and the school is close to the Link bus route.
Excellent equipment supports your child's learning.
Due to growing demand for the personalised learning and academic excellence ACG Schools offers its students, ACG Parnell College is undergoing an exciting expansion to include a third campus: ACG Parnell College, Senior Campus. This expansion will bring together two of New Zealand's highest academically-performing schools, ACG Parnell College and ACG Senior College.
There are numerous travel options for getting your child to and from school.


In this lesson, Khaleef Crumbley discusses retirement, inheritance, and insurance in light of the Bible. Specifically, Khaleef Crumbley examines different ways to save for retirement, concepts of stewardship as a more important legacy than money, and various types of insurance.
In this sermon, Pastor Babij looks at Jesus' evangelistic encounter with the rich young ruler. As Pastor Babij explains, this account is a powerful depiction of several key truths: the need to expose man's sin in evangelism, the folly of loving wealth, and the great mercy of God in saving sinners (since salvation is otherwise impossible).


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Spain's Leading Art Fair Removes Santiago Sierra Work Featuring "Political Prisoners" [UPDATED]
The work features 24 photo portraits of people who have recently been imprisoned in Spain.
by Benjamin Sutton February 21, 2018 February 23, 2018
Santiago Sierra, "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain" (2018) on view at the Helga de Alvear booth during the installation of Madrid's ARCO art fair (courtesy the artist and Helga de Alvear)
A provocative installation by the Spanish conceptual artist Santiago Sierra has been removed from ARCO, Spain's foremost contemporary art fair, before the fair even opened to the public.
The work, "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain" (2018), consists of 24 pixelated photographic portraits of various political figures currently imprisoned in Spain, including deposed Catalan vice-president Oriol Junqueras and two puppeteers — Raul Garcia and Alfonso Lazaro — who, according to The Local, were arrested in 2016 for referencing the Basque separatist organization ETA in a performance. During today's press preview of the fair, its organizers asked Sierra's dealer, Madrid gallerist Helga de Alvear, to remove the work.
"Beyond the relative surprise and disappointment with which we have received the news, we consider that this decision seriously damages the image of this international fair and the Spanish state itself," Sierra's studio said in a statement sent to Hyperallergic. "Additionally, it constitutes a lack of respect toward a gallerist like Helga de Alvear, who participated in the launching of the fair, and toward the maturity and intelligence of the public. Finally, we believe that acts of this kind give meaning and reason to a piece like this, which precisely denounced the climate of persecution that cultural workers are suffering in recent times."
The work's removal has done little to dampen its market appeal; in fact, it may have added to it. In spite of its swift deinstallation, "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain" has already been sold for €80,000 (~$98,000).
"I guess someone wants to avoid a fracas over Catalonia," de Alvear said at a press conference, according to The Local. "I'm in someone else's house and if IFEMA does not want the exhibit there then I'll take it away. But in my own house, nobody takes anything from me."
A spokesperson for IFEMA, the company that runs ARCO and a slew of other fairs, provided a statement suggesting that the work was targeted for removal in in hopes of averting controversy. Now, of course, its removal has caused a scandal of its own.
"IFEMA has requested the gallery Helga de Alvear to withdraw the work of the artist Santiago Sierra, which they have agreed to do," the statement reads. "The trade fair institution, which has full respect for freedom of expression, believes that the media controversy caused by the exhibition of these pieces is harming the visibility of ARCOmadrid 2018's content as a whole, and it is therefore its responsibility, as the organizer, to try to distance the fair from discussion that might distract from the event."
According to The Local, Madrid's municipal government has demanded that IFEMA provide an explanation for the artwork's removal. ARCO opens to the public on Friday and continues through Sunday.
Update, 2/22/2018, 11:30 am EST: The mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, boycotted the opening of ARCO in protest of the removal of Santiago Sierra's work. According to the Guardian, she had been scheduled to attend the opening, but canceled because of the work's removal. Madrid's city council issued a statement about the matter, which reads in part:
For the mayor, "in Madrid there must be freedom of creation." She believes that the international image of an open, democratic, and creative city such as Madrid cannot be affected in this way, nor can any step backward be taken in the defense of fundamental rights in our democracy.
La Vanguardia identified the buyer of "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain" (2018) as Tatxo Benet, the cofounder of Spanish telecommunications giant Mediapro.
Update, 2/23/2018, 12:15 pm EST: The Museu de Lleida in western Catalonia will exhibit Santiago Sierra's piece that was removed from ARCO, "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain" (2018), according to El País. "If someone offers you a work that is at the center of the controversy, you cannot say no," the museum's director, Josep Giralt, told the Spanish daily. The work will go on view next week.
The Museu de Lleida was in the news in December when Spanish law enforcement agencies repatriated 44 works from the museum to the neighboring region of Aragon.
Australian Festival Cancels Artist Project That Would've Doused British Flag in Indigenous Blood
The Fake Town Where Police Trained to Suppress Protests
Week in Review: Columbia Students File Class-action Lawsuit; LA Museums Can Now Reopen
Tagged: Censorship, Madrid, Santiago Sierra
Benjamin Sutton
Benjamin Sutton is an art critic, journalist, and curator who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. His articles on public art, artist documentaries, the tedium of art fairs, James Franco's obsession with Cindy... More by Benjamin Sutton
One reply on "Spain's Leading Art Fair Removes Santiago Sierra Work Featuring "Political Prisoners" [UPDATED]"
Machetedontext says:
Sad.


Enrollment in the new state demonstrations to integrate care and align financing for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid is underway, and there is considerable interest in the demonstration evaluation plans among federal and state policymakers, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. The demonstrations are being implemented under new authority, Section 1115A of the Social Security Act, which was added by the Affordable Care Act and authorizes the Health and Human Services Secretary to expand the duration and scope of demonstration models, including nationwide, that are expected to reduce program spending without reducing care quality or improve patient care without increasing spending. This issue brief describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' plan to evaluate the demonstrations, via its contract with RTI International.
The evaluation will include both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative information will be based on site visits, including interviews with state staff; beneficiary focus groups; and stakeholder interviews. Quantitative information will be based on implementation tracking data reported by states and analysis of claims, encounter, quality, utilization, and cost data. Each state's demonstration will have a comparison group of similar beneficiaries unaffected by the demonstration. The evaluation will not include a beneficiary survey.
The evaluation will profile each state's care delivery system prior to the demonstration, identify key elements that the state's demonstration intends to change, and measure the effects of any changes. It will describe major demonstration design features in each state and compare those features across demonstration states. Other areas of focus in the evaluation include beneficiary experience, utilization and access to care, quality of care, costs, subpopulations and health disparities.
The evaluation results will be reported at regular intervals. The evaluation plan calls for state-specific initial (based on the first six months of implementation), quarterly, annual, and final reports, as well as an aggregate final evaluation report. While the law requires the evaluation results to be publicly available, the evaluation plan does not specify which of these reports will be released publicly or when.
The evaluation plan acknowledges that the analysis may be limited by the quality and availability of claims and encounter data. As the evaluation progresses, it will be important for timely results and reports to be publicly available to promote broad discussion of the demonstrations' successes and challenges.


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Subliminal Messages In Disney Films
By: Author Maxanne
Moviemakers and theater owners worldwide use subliminal messages to get the desired result. Showing popcorn on the screen for a few seconds followed by a Coke can have the desired effect and concession sales rise.
However, when examining the purported subliminal messages in Disney films it seems ludicrous to think that Walt Disney secretly wanted all children to "take off [their] clothes" or see a priest inappropriately stimulated.
It is easy to find internet sites that claim there are inappropriate pictures and messages interspersed throughout the animated feature films. It is a safe bet that most small children have no idea that these messages exist while teens and adults have heard about them and therefore seek them out.
First, the overtly sexual messages:
Second, completely harmless messages put in on purpose:
Whether the messages are now heard because people are programmed to hear them or if they are really there is in dispute. Here are some examples you can investigate yourself.
In "Aladdin" there is a part where Aladdin sneaks onto the balcony and is trying to meet up with Jasmine. The claim is that while Genie is asking how Aladdin is doing you can hear Aladdin's voice in the background saying "take off your clothes".
If you are curious you can find the clip on YouTube and decide for yourself. Disney and members of the media deny the validity of this claim.
RELATED: Forgotten Disney Movies Of The 1960s That Your Children Will Love
In one scene of "The Rescuers" there is an image in the background that appears to be a naked woman in the window. The image is rather blurry and would probably not be seen by anyone who wasn't running it in slow motion looking for just such things but that is the point of subliminal messages.
Disney actually agreed that the image was questionable retired the movie to their archives until they could release it with the offending frames cut out.
The priest performing the wedding in "The Little Mermaid" appears to be a little too excited. When examining the clip closely it is obvious why people think that is the case. Disney, however, claims that if you really look at how the character is drawn you can see that it is the priest's knee, not anything inappropriate.
At the beginning of the Disney empire, Walt Disney refused to give creative credit to anyone but himself. Storymen, therefore, would add their own images and messages as their way of fighting back. Here are a few things that made it past Walt's watchful eye and that of other editors to end up in the final movies.
In the collection "Goofy Sports Shorts" most of the players' names are the names of Disney artists. They were determined to get their names on the screen one way or another.
RELATED: 3 Bad Lessons From Disney Films
While traveling through Toon Town in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" a telephone number appears as artwork on the side of one building. In the theatrical release, that telephone number was Michael Eisner's home number. The phone number was removed prior to the video release but it appears the artists not only wanted their names in the film but they wanted to torture Eisner as well.
In "Beauty and the Beast" there is a scene where it is reported that the Beast sports a tattoo of a heart on his backside. Although most of the world will never see his tattoo as it is covered by his cape, people who have the laserdisc version can see it is the "work in progress" section.
Third, subliminal messages that pay homage to other Disney films:
In the background of many movies, Disney included, there are images of other films and characters. Many filmmakers use this tactic to remind watchers of other films they love. Following are a couple of examples of this type of messaging.
In "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" there is a scene where Belle is in the background reading a book, a man is shaking out Aladdin's rug and two guys are carrying Pumba. It is difficult to see but if you must see it to believe it check out YouTube.
RELATED: 10 Bad Disney Lessons
During "The Little Mermaid" there is a scene where King Triton swoops over the crowd. Once he is across the screen Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy can be found in the crowd.
So at the end of the day if you are looking for inappropriate words and images in any film you may be able to find them. If you are looking for what appear to be mistakes you will probably find them as well although most of those only appear on the blooper reels these days.
The magic of Disney should be found in the joy in a child's eyes as they watch the prince defeat the dragon and release the "Sleeping Beauty". Most children will never see anything but the wonderful, magical world Walt Disney created to take them on an enchanted journey for 90 minutes of their life. Who can argue with that?
Disney Trivia
Disney Pictionary
Disney Movie Challenge
Maxanne
Latest posts by Maxanne (see all)
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10+ Gymnastics Movies - January 25, 2023
Tags disney moviesSubliminal MessagesSubliminal Messages In Disney FilmsSubliminal Messages in Disney Movies
13 Halloween Costumes Based on Movies
For the Love of Remakes


Wind erosion occurs in susceptible areas of Ontario but represents a small percentage of land – mainly sandy and organic or muck soils. Under the right conditions, though, it can cause major losses of soil and property — and can cause off-farm problems, too. Ask your neighbours.
The rate and magnitude of soil erosion by wind is controlled by the following factors: soil erodibility, soil surface roughness, climate, unsheltered distance, and vegetative cover. You know which of these you can control.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has a series of Agri-Environmental Indicators, one of which is for soil erosion.
This screenshot shows the soil erosion risk in Canada (2011), for all types of erosion. Remember, this is the risk — which you can mitigate.
You can click on the image above to go to AAFC's interactive map. While there, press the ▷ button to see changes over time.
The AAFC soil erosion risk indicator also includes a map of the change in soil erosion risk across the agricultural regions of Canada from 1981 to 2011. Click on the image to go to AAFC's interactive map.
On a windy day, in many parts of Ontario, we can see that we have a lot of room to make progress for when they make the 2011-2031 map.
The USDA has some good numbers on wind and water erosion in the US. Their Soil Erosion on Cropland 2007 report is a very good resource. In 2007, they estimate there was 770 million tons of soil lost to wind erosion (and 960 million tons lost to water erosion).
A common number used for the weight of an "acre furrow slice" of soil (6.7 inches by 1 acre) is 2 million pounds or 1,000 tons. I don't know if this helps to picture the loss, but that means 770 million tons is like removing 6.7 inches of soil from 770,000 acres. Or 7.6 inches shaved off of the entire state of Rhode Island.
On this map, from the USDA report, each red dot represents 100,000 tons per year of wind erosion (like losing 6.7 inches from 100 acres). The Great Lakes region has its share of red dots, an indication of what Southern Ontario might look like if included on this map.
One more visualization. Using our "tolerable" soil loss, from above of 3 tons of soil per acre per year, that is 2/100 of an inch off of our acre furrow slice each year. At that rate, you would lose your 6.7 inches in about 335 years. Well, you weren't planning to farm that long anyway. But put it in terms of acres. If you could concentrate each year's soil erosion loss into one block (losing the top 6.7 inches), you would be losing one acre out of each 335 acres of cropland every year.
Want to do better? There are many resources to help, including talking to neighbouring farmers whose land isn't moving downwind or downstream. A couple of other suggestions: the Best Management Practices manual on Controlling Soil Erosion on the Farm and OMAFRA's Soil Management web page.


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package api

type contextKey int

const (
	contextClaims contextKey = iota
	contextSession
	contextUserConsumer
	contextHatcheryConsumer
	contextDriverManifest
	contextDate
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Putting people and places and things down on paper affirms that those people and places and things matter.
Mattering...comes from the Spirit. A book becomes literature by using language for the purposeless purpose of enjoyment. But language is the medium of the Law, of the Word which tells us that everything matters, even the sparrows on the rooftops. By showing life as mattering, and thus sharing in the work of the Spirit, literature enables us to take pleasure in a truth about human existence: the truth that its constitution is inescapably moral...Representation affirms--more, it enacts--the worth to God of what is represented. However appalling or dispiriting, however low or laughable, the life that is represented, sinful life just as it is, serving no further purpose but just being there--life as it is for its Maker and Redeemer--is affirmed by the act of representation to be worth the labor and love and attention that go into the showing it (by the artist) and the recognizing it (by the audience)...[O]nly as a revelation that the world and existence matter eternally--matter so much that the God who made them died to restore them--is the phenomenon of literature possible.
The Catholic writer, insofar as he has the mind of the Church, will feel life from the standpoint of the central Christian mystery: that it has, for all its horror, been found by God to be worth dying for. But this should enlarge, not narrow, his field of vision.


Still getting the hang of basic crocheting? Feel free to give this a try. You'll need to be able to find the top two loops of stitches, which is a beginner skill. Increasing or decreasing internally is for Intermediate-level projects, however. (Internal shaping happens within a row, while external shaping is at the edge of a row.) Also, its invisible effect makes it challenging even for more experienced crocheters!
This is an uncommon stitch insertion point. I found it in use as far back as about 1840 but have not found a name for it, nor a consistent modern use of it. Scroll down to see all the special reasons that I think we should all be making more use of it.
Here's how to get your crochet hook into the yellow triangle spaces between loops as illustrated above.
Yarn over and pull a loop through the two stitches: 2 loops on hook; yarn over and pull through the 2 loops to complete a single crochet (sc, or dc outside of the US).
You don't have to use only front loops in the round, or back loops in rows; these are just easier to start with because of the way they overlap. Try it with front loops, and then with back loops. You'll see what I mean.
You also don't have to do a single crochet. I just used that stitch for convenience.
I developed this system of dots to diagram slip stitch shaping. It's based on standard crochet symbols for indicating the front loop (half circle, like a smile) or back loop (same symbol upside down).
In short, it's amazing. It's invisibly effective when you want, and lovely when it's visible. It brings out a fine-grained lacy charm to stitch textures whether you use it for shaping or not.
Lacy star stitches are already lovely; crochet them between top loops and you get the beauty at right. I still swoon when I see it.
It's not just one of many ways to increase or decrease stitches; it is often the best way.
Slip stitch rib with invisible shaping.
You can easily add even the stitches you'd normally have to yarn over to add first, such as a slip stitch or a Tunisian simple stitch.
Amigurumi crocheters are already in on the secret. They love this method for decreasing invisibly.
Slip Stitch Crochet aficionados love it especially when increasing because it is so easy and invisible to do with slip stitches. To me it feels like the most natural method to use with slip stitches. It's my favorite way to shape slip stitch ribbing.
Any shaping method can also be used to create all-over stitch patterns. This "between the top loops" stitch insertion point changes the way holes look, in a really cool woven filigree way sometimes. Scroll down to see what it does to V-stitches.
Mitered Slip Stitch Rib: the invisible increases stack up in one corner.
You can make the invisible visible when you stack your increases or decreases, such as to make a mitered corner. The result is a neatly polished look. No weird holes. No lumps or weird puckering. It doesn't interfere with stretch or drape.
There are several ways to increase and decrease but few methods can pass so many tests.
An experimental swatch of slip stitches worked between two top loops. It's stretchy!
It transforms the most common crochet texture of all, its chain-topped look, into a filigree-like woven or lattice look. It's like weaving air or a bit of cotton candy floss into links of chain mail. At right is some "air" added to slip stitches.
I think it works so well as a shaping method because it takes advantage of how the base of a crochet stitch is willing to compress into the tiny "magic triangle" between top loops. This helps it seem invisible; so does finding secret hiding places between the stitch line up that the eye usually spots.
Most of all I think this is an important stitch insertion point option because it points to deeper relationships between the stitches.
V-Stitches worked between two top loops on the right.
Two crochet stitches across a flat horizontal plane share a "magic triangle" of space where their top loops overlap. Instead of always starting a new stitch by inserting the hook from front to back (perpendicular to the row), we can move the hook alongside the row, parallel to it. This is something I love about Tunisian Simple Stitch: we crochet the next forward row into front vertical bars in a motion that runs parallel to the row and fabric surface. Great things result, including different kinds of drape, stretch, and texture.
I published an earlier version of this material January 23, 2016 in issue #75 of Vashti's Crochet Inspirations Newsletter.


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Dr. David A. DeWitt
Professor of biology and author of Unraveling the Origins Controversy
Dr. David A. DeWitt received a BS in biochemistry from Michigan State University and a PhD in neuroscience from Case Western Reserve University.
Latest Articles by Dr. David A. DeWitt
Is a Bigger Brain Better?
May 1, 2019 from Answers Magazine
When it comes to intelligence, the size of your noggin isn't a factor.
What Memories Are Made Of
May 28, 2018 from Answers Magazine
Does the Creation Model Make Predictions? Absolutely!
What About the Similarity Between Human and Chimp DNA?
Jan. 14, 2014 from The New Answers Book 3
PhD, Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
BS, Biochemstry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Dr. David A. DeWitt received a BS in biochemistry from Michigan State University and a PhD in neurosciences from Case Western Reserve University. Currently professor of biology and chair of the department of biology and chemistry at Liberty University, he is active in teaching and research, focusing primarily on understanding the mechanisms causing cellular damage in Alzheimer's disease. Dr. DeWitt has received over $180,000 in grant funding for research including a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Liberty University recognized Dr. DeWitt with the 2000–2001 President's Award for Teaching Excellence. He teaches upper-level biology courses in cell biology and human biological variation. He has authored and coauthored several articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Brain Research, Neurotoxicology, Journal of Alzheimer Disease, and Experimental Neurology. He has also written the book Unraveling the Origins Controversy, which answers many of the most challenging questions in the origins debate. He has presented research at both national and international meetings on creation-evolution issues.
Dr. DeWitt was an adjunct faculty member of the Institute for Creation Research in Dallas, Texas, where he taught graduate-level cell biology. He has written articles and given many presentations on creation-evolution issues. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the Creation Research Society, and has served as chair of the biology section of the Virginia Academy of Sciences. He lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife, Marci, and their three daughters.
David A. DeWitt, Unraveling the Origins Controversy, Lynchburg, VA: Creation Curriculum, 2007.
David A. DeWitt, "Tyrannosaurus rex: a Big Chicken?," Answers in Genesis, April 14, 2007, https://answersingenesis.org/dinosaurs/bones/tyrannosaurus-rex-a-big-chicken/.
David A. DeWitt, "TIME to Stay Current on Human Origins," Answers in Genesis, October 2, 2006, https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/ape-man/time-to-stay-current-on-human-origins/.
David A. DeWitt, "Lucy and Her 'Child' Look Like Extinct Apes After All," Answers in Genesis, September 26, 2006, https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/lucy/lucy-and-her-child-look-like-extinct-apes-after-all/.
David A. DeWitt, "Chimp-Human Hybridization: Two of a Kind or Two Different Kinds?," Amswers in Genesis, May 31, 2006, https://answersingenesis.org/are-humans-animals/chimp-human-hybridization-two-of-a-kind-or-two-different-kinds/.
David A. DeWitt, "The Differences Make the Difference," Answers in Genesis, March 20, 2006, https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/dna-similarities/the-differences-make-the-difference/.
David A. DeWitt, "Nothing New Under the Sun: Media Report Hypes Evolution Claims," Answers in Genesis, October 12, 2005, https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/nothing-new-under-the-sun-media-report-hypes-evolution-claims/.
David A. DeWitt, "Chimp Genome Sequence Very Different From Man," Answers in Genesis, September 5, 2005, https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/dna-similarities/chimp-genome-sequence-very-different-from-man/.
David A. DeWitt, "Startling Plant Discovery Presents Problems for Evolution," Answers in Genesis, April 6, 2005, https://answersingenesis.org/natural-selection/startling-plant-discovery-presents-problems-for-evolution/.
David A. DeWitt, "Creation Teaching Makes a Difference," Answers in Genesis, July 26, 2004, https://answersingenesis.org/creationism/in-schools/creation-teaching-makes-a-difference/.
David A. DeWitt, "Why I Rejected Theistic Evolution," Answers in Genesis, January 12, 2004, https://answersingenesis.org/theistic-evolution/why-i-rejected-theistic-evolution/.
David A. DeWitt, "Greater Than 98% Chimp/Human DNA Similarity? Not Any More.," Answers in Genesis, April 1, 2003, https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/dna-similarities/greater-than-98-chimp-human-dna-similarity-not-any-more.
David A. DeWitt, "Role of Educational Factors in College Students' Creation Worldview," Answers in Genesis, April 1, 2003, https://answersingenesis.org/college/educational-factors-in-college-students-creation-worldview/.
David A. DeWitt, "The Origin of Life: A Problem for Evolution," Answers in Genesis, March 5, 2002, https://answersingenesis.org/origin-of-life/the-origin-of-life-a-problem-for-evolution/.
David A. DeWitt, "Stem Cell Decision not the End of Ethical Dilemmas," Answers in Genesis, March 3, 2002, https://answersingenesis.org/sanctity-of-life/stem-cells/stem-cell-decision-not-the-end-of-ethical-dilemmas/.
Buddy Davis
Dr. Danny R. Faulkner
Avery Foley
Dr. Gabriela Haynes
Bodie Hodge
Dr. Nathaniel T. Jeanson
Dr. David Menton
Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell
Joe Owen
Dr. Jennifer Hall Rivera
Dr. Andrew A. Snelling


text:
Q: How to change xLable format (i want to get month in word) using morris.js in Angular 5 Screen shot for my Request.

Here I want to change the xLable (2018-01 - to - Jan) and here am using morris.js.

A: You can set use the function xLabelFormat with moment.js as follow:
xLabelFormat: function (x) {
    return moment(x).format('YYYY-MMM');
}

More info about this function is available in the documentation:
https://morrisjs.github.io/morris.js/lines.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The hazards of wearing rubber flip flops, and flimsy sandals.
In my July 2012 blog post, Flip Flop Smarts: Beach Only, I wrote about the hazards of wearing flip-flops for street wear, mowing the lawn, or clearing out the basement. Typical injuries are broken toes, fractures, bruises and cuts.
Well summer's here, and it's flip-flop time once again. The podiatrist in this news clip says that patients come in like clockwork, at the onset of warm weather, with complaints about heel, arch and back of the heel pain. He says that some of these problems may lead to surgery.
Flip flops, and bare sandals don't support your feet.
Flimsy footwear puts you at risk for someone stepping on your foot, or cause you to trip and fall on buses, subways, and sidewalks. Flip-flops can easily fall off your feet, and cause driving, or bicycle accidents that might be fatal to you or a pedestrian.
Stay safe. Flip-flops are meant for the beach, not for street wear.
Posted on July 10, 2013, in Exercise Injury Prevention and tagged bicycle accidents flip flops, Dangerous footwear, flip flop injuries. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.