In a Senate hearing Thursday, environmental scientist Roger Pielke of the University of Colorado said it’s “incorrect” to claim that global warming is spurring more extreme weather disasters.“It is misleading and just plain incorrect to claim that disasters associated with hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or droughts have increased on climate timescales either in the United States or globally,” Pielke said in his testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “It is further incorrect to associate the increasing costs of disasters with the emission of greenhouse gases.”
“Hurricanes have not increased in the U.S. in frequency, intensity or normalized damage since at least 1900,” Pielke added. “The same holds for tropical cyclones globally since at least 1970.”Senate Democrats pointed to the increase in extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes as evidence of global warming. California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said that “climate change is real” and human activities were the cause, adding that people can “look out the window” to see evidence of it.
“Heat waves, droughts, wildfires and hands free access — all are now more frequent and intense,” said President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address.Pielke, however, notes that U.S. floods have not increased in “frequency or intensity” since 1950 and economic losses from floods have dropped by 75 percent as a percentage of GDP since 1940. Tornado frequency, intensity, and normalized damages have also not increased since 1950, and Pielke even notes that there is some evidence that this has declined.
Pielke noted in his testimony that droughts have been shorter, less frequent, and have covered a smaller portion of the U.S over the last century. Globally, there has been very little change in the last 60 years, he said.“The absolute costs of disasters will increase significantly in coming years due to greater wealth and populations in locations exposed to extremes,” Pielke added. “Consequent, disasters will continue to be an important focus of policy, irrespective of the exact future course of climate change.”
Senators sparred over predictions and claims made about man-made global warming. Democrats argued that the effects of global warming can be felt today and Republicans argued that evidence of human-induced warming is thin.“I would note that it has not been titled ‘Global Warming: It’s Happening Now,’” said Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter. “Maybe that would have been too ironic given the Earth’s stagnant temperature for the past 15 years, a fact that is currently confounding climate scientists and modeling experts who predicted otherwise.”
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe, a longtime critic of global warming claims, pointed to a set of Obama administration talking points on the “do’s and don’ts” when talking about global warming.This didn’t deter Senate Democrats who continued to argue that global warming could be seen today. Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, both pushed for taxing carbon emissions.
Republicans criticized the lack of White House testimony at the hearing.“It is unfortunate we don’t have any witnesses here from the Obama administration,” Vitter said. “Just weeks ago, President Obama announced a sweeping climate action plan, which will undoubtedly tighten the federal government’s grip on our economy.”
Welcome back to Kickstarter, Ouya: The little $100 gaming cube-sole that made its bones on Kickstarter last summer and sold out at launch a few weeks ago is returning to the crowdfunding platform by way of $1 million in matching funds it says it’ll offer as a cash incentive to developers who manage to raise money for Ouya-related projects via Kickstarter.
Promoting the campaign with an orange-silhouetted Ouya gamepad sporting angelic wings, Ouya’s calling the pile of cash its “Free the Games Fund.” Also a “first-of-its-kind” program, which sounds right. I don’t believe anyone else has offered matching funds to incentivize other Kickstarter projects — a significant first that’s sure to spur copycats.Ouya says it has more than 20,000 registered Ouya game developers at present, any of whom could have access to the matching funds. The catch: the games have to launch on Kickstarter between Aug. 9, 2013 and Aug. 10, 2014.
“Developers, we’ve set aside one million bucks to turn your ideas into reality,” teases Ouya on its promotional site. “It’s our way of giving back to the platform that helped us make Ouya a reality and to rewrite the ‘rules’ of how a game console is brought to market. Kickstarter was our beginning — here’s hoping it’s yours, too.”
Ouya’s being rather shrewd here (in a good way). Without content, a games console is nothing. The Wii U’s been struggling since launch to cough up games worth spending $350 (that’s for the system alone) to play. Had Nintendo launched with a new Zelda, say, and followed up with a smorgasbord of triple-A first- and third-party titles, we’d be having a very different conversation about the Wii U right now. Quality content is air, especially for a startup — without it, you suffocate.
It’s too early to say how well Ouya’s doing post-launch, incidentally. Reports had the console sold out, day one, which sounds like a good problem to have, save for the fact that Ouya goofed getting systems into the hands of all of its Kickstarter supporters first, stoking a minor PR kerfuffle that had Ouya’s CEO uttering expletives. At present, Ouya is in stock everywhere I checked, and user reviews at sites like Amazon, many of them quite detailed, are mixed-to-positive.
“There are two reasons why OUYA is on retail store shelves today: we had an innovative idea to build an affordable and open game console for the television, and we found fans who supported our idea and provided the funds to make it happen,” said Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman in a statement about the matching funds maneuver. “Since then, we’ve seen dozens of great games launch on Kickstarter, and now we are in the enviable position of being able to give back AND secure the best, exclusive games for OUYA.”
When I see a company offering incentives to drive development, I wonder whether it was planned all along or occurring because of worries that quality content isn’t moving down the pipe quickly enough. It’s hard to say, though surely the console lacks an abundance of Ouya-unique content — most of its library of 230 free-to-try games and media apps are shoe-in products available elsewhere.
In any case, if you want to drink from Ouya’s cup, in addition to launching and concluding your Kickstarter between the dates mentioned above, you’ll need to raise $50,000 minimum to be eligible, agree to make your game exclusive on Ouya for a minimum of six months and adhere to Ouya’s “light” submission guidelines. Ouya will match up to $250,000 per project, and the company’s throwing in a “Rock Star” bonus of an additional $100,000 to whosoever raises the most dough overall on Kickstarter by the program’s close.
Click on their website www.ecived.com/en/.
2013年7月18日星期四
2012年9月20日星期四
Concierge Auctions and Montana Living
Ponderosa Ranch, a 180-acre sportsman's paradise located in Montana's Madison River Basin, a property, has gone under contract through Concierge Auctions. The NYC-based real estate auction firm, which has sold multiple ranch properties out West in recent months, sold the ranch estate in cooperation with Martha Johnson of Montana Living ~ Big Sky Real Estate. Johnson represented both the seller and buyer.
"I've had extensive experience selling cars and art through auction. Now, having successfully used the process to sell Ponderosa Ranch, Concierge will undoubtedly be a first consideration the next time I plan for a significant real estate transaction, whether buying or selling," stated the seller, John Staluppi, Jr. "The Concierge staff are seasoned professionals and identified hundreds of interested buyers from around the world in just one month's time. I was pleased with the entire experience and wish the new owners many years of enjoyment with the property."
Concierge Auctions' global exposure campaign generated 901 inquiries and 32 showings over a four-week marketing period. The auction website received an impressive 30,000+ visitors from all US states led by California, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Colorado and 126 international countries led by Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico. The buyer is from New Orleans.
"Having worked with Concierge Auctions twice in the past year at the prestigious Yellowstone Club and The Club at Spanish Peaks in nearby Big Sky, it's clear that their team effectively fosters quick sales to highly qualified luxury buyers," stated Martha Johnson, Broker/Owner of Montana Living ~ Big Sky Real Estate. "Ponderosa Ranch is a luxury sporting ranch that demanded a sophisticated buyer. In the end, working as a team, we found the ideal family with an appreciation for its countless amenities, its location being surrounded by a national forest and its proximity to the best blue ribbon trout streams in the world."
Poised majestically along Montana's Raynolds Pass, a gateway to Yellowstone National Park and mere minutes from some of the best fly fishing in the world, Ponderosa Ranch boasts views of the extraordinary Gravelly and Madison Mountain Ranges and Henry's Lake. The landscape hosts an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers with one edge bordering National Forest and another backing up to the state of Idaho. With a combined total of over 25,000 square feet, the houses at the Ponderosa Ranch can easily accommodate a group of over 25 family members and guests. The Great House is a 9,000-square-foot log cabin-style home, built in 1997 and expanded upon and updated in 2010. The six-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bathroom property features state-of-the-art workmanship with panoramic views from every window, vaulted ceilings and an impressive Montana granite fireplace. There is radiant floor heat throughout, private decks, a Jacuzzi and a three-car, attached garage. The five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom Guest House contains 6,000 square feet and has all the details and finishes of the Great House on a slightly smaller scale. Residents can literally hunt off the front porch and fish in the 1/4-acre pond stocked with more than 300 rainbow trout. Snowmobiling and four-wheeling is also popular, and there is a year-round saltwater pool accessible from the main house via an enclosed walkway. The game room is complete with a billiards table, bar and exercise facilities, and there is an outdoor spa. Also on the property is a caretaker's cottage with two bedrooms, three bathrooms and two-and-a-half-car garage.
"Concierge Auctions has a proven track record of successfully selling luxury high-end properties including ranches, which fit our mold as each is distinct and one-of-a-kind," stated Laura Brady, Vice President of Marketing for Concierge Auctions. "Mr. Staluppi and his family are ideal clients, as they understand the intricacies and effectiveness of the auction process. Now, just weeks after announcing the auctions of Ponderosa Ranch and Paintbrush Ranch - the Staluppi family's other ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming - both are now heading to the closing table."
"I've had extensive experience selling cars and art through auction. Now, having successfully used the process to sell Ponderosa Ranch, Concierge will undoubtedly be a first consideration the next time I plan for a significant real estate transaction, whether buying or selling," stated the seller, John Staluppi, Jr. "The Concierge staff are seasoned professionals and identified hundreds of interested buyers from around the world in just one month's time. I was pleased with the entire experience and wish the new owners many years of enjoyment with the property."
Concierge Auctions' global exposure campaign generated 901 inquiries and 32 showings over a four-week marketing period. The auction website received an impressive 30,000+ visitors from all US states led by California, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Colorado and 126 international countries led by Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico. The buyer is from New Orleans.
"Having worked with Concierge Auctions twice in the past year at the prestigious Yellowstone Club and The Club at Spanish Peaks in nearby Big Sky, it's clear that their team effectively fosters quick sales to highly qualified luxury buyers," stated Martha Johnson, Broker/Owner of Montana Living ~ Big Sky Real Estate. "Ponderosa Ranch is a luxury sporting ranch that demanded a sophisticated buyer. In the end, working as a team, we found the ideal family with an appreciation for its countless amenities, its location being surrounded by a national forest and its proximity to the best blue ribbon trout streams in the world."
Poised majestically along Montana's Raynolds Pass, a gateway to Yellowstone National Park and mere minutes from some of the best fly fishing in the world, Ponderosa Ranch boasts views of the extraordinary Gravelly and Madison Mountain Ranges and Henry's Lake. The landscape hosts an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers with one edge bordering National Forest and another backing up to the state of Idaho. With a combined total of over 25,000 square feet, the houses at the Ponderosa Ranch can easily accommodate a group of over 25 family members and guests. The Great House is a 9,000-square-foot log cabin-style home, built in 1997 and expanded upon and updated in 2010. The six-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bathroom property features state-of-the-art workmanship with panoramic views from every window, vaulted ceilings and an impressive Montana granite fireplace. There is radiant floor heat throughout, private decks, a Jacuzzi and a three-car, attached garage. The five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom Guest House contains 6,000 square feet and has all the details and finishes of the Great House on a slightly smaller scale. Residents can literally hunt off the front porch and fish in the 1/4-acre pond stocked with more than 300 rainbow trout. Snowmobiling and four-wheeling is also popular, and there is a year-round saltwater pool accessible from the main house via an enclosed walkway. The game room is complete with a billiards table, bar and exercise facilities, and there is an outdoor spa. Also on the property is a caretaker's cottage with two bedrooms, three bathrooms and two-and-a-half-car garage.
"Concierge Auctions has a proven track record of successfully selling luxury high-end properties including ranches, which fit our mold as each is distinct and one-of-a-kind," stated Laura Brady, Vice President of Marketing for Concierge Auctions. "Mr. Staluppi and his family are ideal clients, as they understand the intricacies and effectiveness of the auction process. Now, just weeks after announcing the auctions of Ponderosa Ranch and Paintbrush Ranch - the Staluppi family's other ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming - both are now heading to the closing table."
2012年8月28日星期二
Honda CR-V
I get alloyed animosity every time I anticipate about the Honda CR-V. Here is one sport-cute that I actually adored in its first-generation version. That 1998 archetypal bristled with able packaging, administration and autogenous architectonics and architecture, appropriate down to the folding centermost tray amid the foreground seats and the cabin’s aerial grab balustrade that spanned the breadth of the ceiling.
Each new iteration, however, brought the CR-V anytime added upmarket. It grew larger, heavier, added luxurious, and consequently, added expensive. Is that actually what the bazaar wanted?
Well, that seems to be the trend in any automotive articulation so I accept Honda is cogent me to just get on with the program.
The all-new fourth-generation CR-V continues this trend, with added ability and added space—despite, as Honda claims, arresting beneath ammunition and abounding beneath emissions and—surprise, surprise—actually accepting a tad beneath than its actual predecessor. Instead of the accepted admeasurement upgrade, the CR-V sports a lower contour and beneath wheelbase. And I anticipate Honda deserves acclaim for that.
Up front, the bonanza and grille breeze into the headlamps to anatomy a wedge-shaped profile, as the bonanza of the antecedent archetypal loses its arresting bulging arch edge. On the side, the bland curve of the CR-V are accentuated by acclaim flared caster arches. What Honda calls a C-pillar “kink” completes the heavily revised rear end that aswell leads into what the aggregation refers to as “conversation-piece” taillights. I alarm them love-it-or-hate-it taillights. They attending acceptable from some angles but assume torn from others. The C-pillar coil aswell elicits polarizing opinions. The appearance of the ancillary windows is adroit enough, but the C-pillar itself looks a tad awkward—or at atomic unconventionally different. It actually takes some accepting acclimated to. And I’m not actually abiding if it will abound on me.
Two variants are offered: a 153-hp SOHC 2.0 iVTEC 2WD abject archetypal and our 185-hp DOHC 2.4 iVTEC 4WD flagship analysis unit. The engine—and the accomplished drivetrain, for that matter—simply oozes absolute refinement. Gear accouterment are around ephemeral while ride superior is best declared as supple; even the way the brakes chaw acclaim yet absolutely if you footfall on the larboard pedal agilely is oh-so-smooooth.
Inside, “smooth” is still the accessible word. Fit and accomplishment are seamless and the abstracts acclimated are of the accomplished quality. Cabin space, as expected, is generous. Honda is the acknowledged best in this regard. All address of cubbyholes and added accumulator compartments abound. They’re well-located and intelligently sized, too. Honda actually sweats the data added than a lot of added car manufacturers, Japanese or otherwise.
The Japan-made CR-V boasts appearance ahead apparent on the all-new Civic. The columnist of an ECON button turns the car into a ammunition miser—controlling engine, drive-by-wire, transmission, and even the AC to aerate fuel. But there are added acquiescent systems to leave controlling to the driver. An “Eco-coaching” ambient ablaze beside the speedometer lights blooming to announce if you’re accepting advisable with the accelerator—and white if you assume to be accepting too abundant fun.
The 2.4 EX is aswell able with an i-MID (Intelligent Multi-Information Display), accent by a 5-inch LCD for real-time acknowledgment and simple admission to audio advice and ammunition consumption. Controlled through council caster buttons, the arrangement allows affectation customization to appearance specific car settings. The EX aswell appearance a hands-free adaptable buzz interface, and a rear camera that displays the rear appearance on the birr LCD.
Honda says the new CR-V betters its antecedent in autogenous burden aggregate by 65 liters, due in allotment to lower-folding rear seats—perhaps a assignment abstruse from the space-savvy Jazz.
Each new iteration, however, brought the CR-V anytime added upmarket. It grew larger, heavier, added luxurious, and consequently, added expensive. Is that actually what the bazaar wanted?
Well, that seems to be the trend in any automotive articulation so I accept Honda is cogent me to just get on with the program.
The all-new fourth-generation CR-V continues this trend, with added ability and added space—despite, as Honda claims, arresting beneath ammunition and abounding beneath emissions and—surprise, surprise—actually accepting a tad beneath than its actual predecessor. Instead of the accepted admeasurement upgrade, the CR-V sports a lower contour and beneath wheelbase. And I anticipate Honda deserves acclaim for that.
Up front, the bonanza and grille breeze into the headlamps to anatomy a wedge-shaped profile, as the bonanza of the antecedent archetypal loses its arresting bulging arch edge. On the side, the bland curve of the CR-V are accentuated by acclaim flared caster arches. What Honda calls a C-pillar “kink” completes the heavily revised rear end that aswell leads into what the aggregation refers to as “conversation-piece” taillights. I alarm them love-it-or-hate-it taillights. They attending acceptable from some angles but assume torn from others. The C-pillar coil aswell elicits polarizing opinions. The appearance of the ancillary windows is adroit enough, but the C-pillar itself looks a tad awkward—or at atomic unconventionally different. It actually takes some accepting acclimated to. And I’m not actually abiding if it will abound on me.
Two variants are offered: a 153-hp SOHC 2.0 iVTEC 2WD abject archetypal and our 185-hp DOHC 2.4 iVTEC 4WD flagship analysis unit. The engine—and the accomplished drivetrain, for that matter—simply oozes absolute refinement. Gear accouterment are around ephemeral while ride superior is best declared as supple; even the way the brakes chaw acclaim yet absolutely if you footfall on the larboard pedal agilely is oh-so-smooooth.
Inside, “smooth” is still the accessible word. Fit and accomplishment are seamless and the abstracts acclimated are of the accomplished quality. Cabin space, as expected, is generous. Honda is the acknowledged best in this regard. All address of cubbyholes and added accumulator compartments abound. They’re well-located and intelligently sized, too. Honda actually sweats the data added than a lot of added car manufacturers, Japanese or otherwise.
The Japan-made CR-V boasts appearance ahead apparent on the all-new Civic. The columnist of an ECON button turns the car into a ammunition miser—controlling engine, drive-by-wire, transmission, and even the AC to aerate fuel. But there are added acquiescent systems to leave controlling to the driver. An “Eco-coaching” ambient ablaze beside the speedometer lights blooming to announce if you’re accepting advisable with the accelerator—and white if you assume to be accepting too abundant fun.
The 2.4 EX is aswell able with an i-MID (Intelligent Multi-Information Display), accent by a 5-inch LCD for real-time acknowledgment and simple admission to audio advice and ammunition consumption. Controlled through council caster buttons, the arrangement allows affectation customization to appearance specific car settings. The EX aswell appearance a hands-free adaptable buzz interface, and a rear camera that displays the rear appearance on the birr LCD.
Honda says the new CR-V betters its antecedent in autogenous burden aggregate by 65 liters, due in allotment to lower-folding rear seats—perhaps a assignment abstruse from the space-savvy Jazz.
2012年3月15日星期四
Tastiera laser per iPhone presentata al MWC 2012
Quest’anno al MWC 2012, il Mobile World Congress, la Celluon ha presentato una innovativa tastiera chiamata Prodigy, una periferica in grado di proiettare un raggio laser su una qualsiasi superficie piana direttamente dalla cover dell’iPhone 4 o 4S.
Sembra una notizia arrivata da qualche film di fantascienza, invece è realtà: la Celluon, una società con sede in Korea, ha creato una tastiera laser per iPhone che, collegata a dispositivi come l’iPhone 4 o iPhone 4S tramite la connettività bluetooth, permette di scrivere su una qualsiasi superficie piana e sufficientemente estesa come se si trattasse di una vera tastiera.
L’azienda coreana produttrice di un altro prodotto simile, il Magic Cube, un apparecchio portatile in grado di proiettare un fascio luminoso che funge da tastiera, per il momento ha presentato solo un prototipo della nuova apparecchiatura che dovrebbe svolgere lo stesso compito, ma senza bisogno di altri dispositivi, semplicemente integrandosi in una cover rigida per smartphone.
Questa nuova cover risponde al nome di Prodigy e per il momento presenta ancora qualche bug, essendo ancora un prototipo, ma tutto sommato sembra funzionare piuttosto bene. La lente da cui è proiettato il raggio laser si trova nella parte inferiore della cover di modo che se inserite all’interno il vostro iPhone e lo posizionate orizzontalmente di fronte e voi avete la possibilità di scrivere guardando lo schermo per controllare che vada tutto bene.
Ancora non si conosce la data esatta del lancio sul mercato, ma tra presto verrà commercializzato il Magic Cube, ad un prezzo che dovrebbe aggirarsi sui 159 dollari circa.
Sembra una notizia arrivata da qualche film di fantascienza, invece è realtà: la Celluon, una società con sede in Korea, ha creato una tastiera laser per iPhone che, collegata a dispositivi come l’iPhone 4 o iPhone 4S tramite la connettività bluetooth, permette di scrivere su una qualsiasi superficie piana e sufficientemente estesa come se si trattasse di una vera tastiera.
L’azienda coreana produttrice di un altro prodotto simile, il Magic Cube, un apparecchio portatile in grado di proiettare un fascio luminoso che funge da tastiera, per il momento ha presentato solo un prototipo della nuova apparecchiatura che dovrebbe svolgere lo stesso compito, ma senza bisogno di altri dispositivi, semplicemente integrandosi in una cover rigida per smartphone.
Questa nuova cover risponde al nome di Prodigy e per il momento presenta ancora qualche bug, essendo ancora un prototipo, ma tutto sommato sembra funzionare piuttosto bene. La lente da cui è proiettato il raggio laser si trova nella parte inferiore della cover di modo che se inserite all’interno il vostro iPhone e lo posizionate orizzontalmente di fronte e voi avete la possibilità di scrivere guardando lo schermo per controllare che vada tutto bene.
Ancora non si conosce la data esatta del lancio sul mercato, ma tra presto verrà commercializzato il Magic Cube, ad un prezzo che dovrebbe aggirarsi sui 159 dollari circa.
2011年6月20日星期一
Around Allen, June 16-21
The Allen Public Library will screen "The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Will Smith, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, in the library auditorium.
In this inspirational true story, Chris Gardner follows his dream to make a better life for himself and his 5-year-old. This film is free for teens ages 13-18 and is rated PG-13.
The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
beTween at the Allen Public Library
The Allen Public Library will host beTween, a program for tweens ages 8-11, from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, in the children's program room. Attendees will learn new skills and hang out with other tweens at this weekly program. Crafts, trivia and robotics will be among the featured activities.
The Read to Rover program will return to the Allen Public Library from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, in the children's program room. Readers in kindergarten through sixth grade are encouraged to grab their favorite book and buddy up with a Heart of Texas therapy dog to share a story.
Sign-up starts at 10:15 a.m. There will be no pre-registration for this event. The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
The Allen Public Library invites teens ages 12-18 to watch "Despicable Me," rated PG, and enjoy an afternoon of crafts from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. This week's craft will be the Rubik's Cube.
This program is free. The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
Lucky Duck Kids Club June event announced
The Lucky Duck Kids Club, a free family-friendly activity series at Watters Creek, returns from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. Enjoy hands-on activities specially designed for children ages 3 to 12 years old.
In celebration of Father's Day, little ones will color a baseball cap and give Dad a personalized gift he's sure to remember. The fun continues with face painting, hayrides, a visit from Boocoos the Clown, a balloon artist and free Paciugo gelato. Activities take place in the breezeway across from The Green from 4 to 6 p.m., with hayrides continuing until 7 p.m.
In this inspirational true story, Chris Gardner follows his dream to make a better life for himself and his 5-year-old. This film is free for teens ages 13-18 and is rated PG-13.
The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
beTween at the Allen Public Library
The Allen Public Library will host beTween, a program for tweens ages 8-11, from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, in the children's program room. Attendees will learn new skills and hang out with other tweens at this weekly program. Crafts, trivia and robotics will be among the featured activities.
The Read to Rover program will return to the Allen Public Library from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, in the children's program room. Readers in kindergarten through sixth grade are encouraged to grab their favorite book and buddy up with a Heart of Texas therapy dog to share a story.
Sign-up starts at 10:15 a.m. There will be no pre-registration for this event. The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
The Allen Public Library invites teens ages 12-18 to watch "Despicable Me," rated PG, and enjoy an afternoon of crafts from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. This week's craft will be the Rubik's Cube.
This program is free. The Allen Public Library is at 300 N. Allen Drive.
Lucky Duck Kids Club June event announced
The Lucky Duck Kids Club, a free family-friendly activity series at Watters Creek, returns from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. Enjoy hands-on activities specially designed for children ages 3 to 12 years old.
In celebration of Father's Day, little ones will color a baseball cap and give Dad a personalized gift he's sure to remember. The fun continues with face painting, hayrides, a visit from Boocoos the Clown, a balloon artist and free Paciugo gelato. Activities take place in the breezeway across from The Green from 4 to 6 p.m., with hayrides continuing until 7 p.m.
2011年4月26日星期二
A Review of Thor
After the hype surrounding Thor, I was expecting the film not to meet expectations. I was expecting a totally de-powered, diluted comic Rip-Off where original fans wouldn't recognise the story, the characters and that the newer fans who have just been introduced to the Marvel Universe wouldn't get it.
The film...confounded every fear I had. It was MARVEL-ous. Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor so perfectly it's astonishing. After his Star Trek exploits, I thought perhaps that it was a one off performance, to be able to make you feel so emotionally invested in a character who had little screen time seemed like lightning in a bottle. He couldn't make you feel for a character for over 2 hours right? WRONG.
He is perfect. His acting skills are immense. Such a range. Cocky, arrogant, vengeful, powerful, carefree, manly to boyish, vulnerable, loving and caring, protective and humble. in one film. Class.
Thor's scenes on earth again show a range of emotion. Either exceedingly funny while still being of a service to the film and not being a slight on the characters or comic. Something I myself was happy about. I truly believed they would make fun of the history of Thor and of the story. They didn't. It really was good fish out of water scenes.
From that comedy came really emtional scenes with Jane Foster, but not like gushy or over the top. Nicely done, touching moments. subtle. Eg. Jane looks at Thor when he's been gazing at her and he turns away sharply as if he wasn't looking. Sort of classroom love when you were at school, very real.
His "de-powered" fight scenes on the SHIELD built structure, while put down by many on this site, were great and extremely real. Raw I think describes it best. Hawkeye makes an extended cameo and already shows that Jeremy Renner is going to do the character a great service.
I have heard people complaining about the amount of time it takes Thor to learn to be a better person. It does not in anyway feel rushed. I can assure you. It is of course a 2hour movie but it really does feel like he has learned the lessons Odin demands he learn.
Tom Hiddleston embodies Loki respectively. You can almost see the machinations of evil, the whirring of his brain as he looks to what moves he will play 3 steps ahead of where he is at. Always planning schemeing and yet it's not obvious, he isn't running about with the big arrow pointing at him saying "bad guy". It is a really pure performance. One of the most accurate portrayals of a character ever seen on film.
Odin - Anthony Hopkins. Perfect. Nuff said.
Warriors 3 and Sif do not get alot of screen time so their respective personalities are not fleshed out. However, you do understand immediately that Thor loves and trusts them and that they love and trust Thor. They also look pretty much like their comic counterparts.
Natalie Portman - another class act. Her gradual enchantment with Thor is very believeable and true to her chracter. She portrays an Astro-physicist who doesn't get out much and her ex boyfriend Dr. Donald Blake seemed to have more interest in his patients than her. Yes the fans will get that reference to Dr Blake.
The score - Me, being not a pretentious person, cannot critique the score other than to say, it helped me feel the right emotions at the right time. Indeed at some parts of the script I could've cried. HOWEVER, being the manly man that I am I held back...also more accurately... so my girlfriend wouldn't think I was more of a girl than her. But yes, my emotions towards the situations and characters were definitely molded by the score. So a thumbs up on that front.
SHIELD is an unobtrusive plot device. Marvel has learnt the lessons and made sure that SHIELD is an agency with real menaing this time and not airy-fairy men in black.
Stan Lee's cameo is great, quite funny. Darcy - played by Kat Dennings is actually quite funny but not over-used and isn't annoying like I for one thought she would be. However she is literally comic relief.
I want to express again that the component pieces of the film - actors, direction, score, performances, make this a truly great film. There were alot of people at the showing I was at who had not liked sci-fi-esque movies before, or fanstasy but absolutely enjoyed the film and it's obvious why. I read the tag "Shakespeare in Space" was applied to this film and this should be enough to mark it as a true great anyway :)
In conclusion, I am struggling to find negatives about this film. In other reviews the fact that Thor has powers and magic etc seem to be the only negatives, but it's a comic book movie for godsake. It is meant to be a little bit of escape-ism, an adventure. Yes it is contained within a "real" world setting but how can you think a man in a metal suit (Ironman) can fall from orbital heights and not die but accept he doesnt yet find Thor as being somewhat too much??
No, this is a truly outstanding film. Ironman while a huge hit, doesn't have the depth of story and wealth of acting talent as this film.
The film in my opinion is a masterpiece in CBM terms. Definitely the best film Marvel has made. The Dark Knight being "probably" the pinncale of CBM achievement definitely has this film to contend with for the title of best CBM. "And that is a scientific fact :P "
The film...confounded every fear I had. It was MARVEL-ous. Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor so perfectly it's astonishing. After his Star Trek exploits, I thought perhaps that it was a one off performance, to be able to make you feel so emotionally invested in a character who had little screen time seemed like lightning in a bottle. He couldn't make you feel for a character for over 2 hours right? WRONG.
He is perfect. His acting skills are immense. Such a range. Cocky, arrogant, vengeful, powerful, carefree, manly to boyish, vulnerable, loving and caring, protective and humble. in one film. Class.
Thor's scenes on earth again show a range of emotion. Either exceedingly funny while still being of a service to the film and not being a slight on the characters or comic. Something I myself was happy about. I truly believed they would make fun of the history of Thor and of the story. They didn't. It really was good fish out of water scenes.
From that comedy came really emtional scenes with Jane Foster, but not like gushy or over the top. Nicely done, touching moments. subtle. Eg. Jane looks at Thor when he's been gazing at her and he turns away sharply as if he wasn't looking. Sort of classroom love when you were at school, very real.
His "de-powered" fight scenes on the SHIELD built structure, while put down by many on this site, were great and extremely real. Raw I think describes it best. Hawkeye makes an extended cameo and already shows that Jeremy Renner is going to do the character a great service.
I have heard people complaining about the amount of time it takes Thor to learn to be a better person. It does not in anyway feel rushed. I can assure you. It is of course a 2hour movie but it really does feel like he has learned the lessons Odin demands he learn.
Tom Hiddleston embodies Loki respectively. You can almost see the machinations of evil, the whirring of his brain as he looks to what moves he will play 3 steps ahead of where he is at. Always planning schemeing and yet it's not obvious, he isn't running about with the big arrow pointing at him saying "bad guy". It is a really pure performance. One of the most accurate portrayals of a character ever seen on film.
Odin - Anthony Hopkins. Perfect. Nuff said.
Warriors 3 and Sif do not get alot of screen time so their respective personalities are not fleshed out. However, you do understand immediately that Thor loves and trusts them and that they love and trust Thor. They also look pretty much like their comic counterparts.
Natalie Portman - another class act. Her gradual enchantment with Thor is very believeable and true to her chracter. She portrays an Astro-physicist who doesn't get out much and her ex boyfriend Dr. Donald Blake seemed to have more interest in his patients than her. Yes the fans will get that reference to Dr Blake.
The score - Me, being not a pretentious person, cannot critique the score other than to say, it helped me feel the right emotions at the right time. Indeed at some parts of the script I could've cried. HOWEVER, being the manly man that I am I held back...also more accurately... so my girlfriend wouldn't think I was more of a girl than her. But yes, my emotions towards the situations and characters were definitely molded by the score. So a thumbs up on that front.
SHIELD is an unobtrusive plot device. Marvel has learnt the lessons and made sure that SHIELD is an agency with real menaing this time and not airy-fairy men in black.
Stan Lee's cameo is great, quite funny. Darcy - played by Kat Dennings is actually quite funny but not over-used and isn't annoying like I for one thought she would be. However she is literally comic relief.
I want to express again that the component pieces of the film - actors, direction, score, performances, make this a truly great film. There were alot of people at the showing I was at who had not liked sci-fi-esque movies before, or fanstasy but absolutely enjoyed the film and it's obvious why. I read the tag "Shakespeare in Space" was applied to this film and this should be enough to mark it as a true great anyway :)
In conclusion, I am struggling to find negatives about this film. In other reviews the fact that Thor has powers and magic etc seem to be the only negatives, but it's a comic book movie for godsake. It is meant to be a little bit of escape-ism, an adventure. Yes it is contained within a "real" world setting but how can you think a man in a metal suit (Ironman) can fall from orbital heights and not die but accept he doesnt yet find Thor as being somewhat too much??
No, this is a truly outstanding film. Ironman while a huge hit, doesn't have the depth of story and wealth of acting talent as this film.
The film in my opinion is a masterpiece in CBM terms. Definitely the best film Marvel has made. The Dark Knight being "probably" the pinncale of CBM achievement definitely has this film to contend with for the title of best CBM. "And that is a scientific fact :P "
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