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Tag Archives: Oliver Queen
Flash is In, Wonder Woman is Out. What About Booster Gold?
August 1, 2013 Amanda Broyles	Leave a comment
During the Arrow Comic-Con panel, we found out some of the guest stars coming to the show, like Bronze Tiger and Brother Blood, but today the big name was announced. It is none other than Barry Allen himself, The Flash!
At their Television Critics Association presentation, The CW president Mark Pedowitz made public the plans to bring Flash to the small screen starting with an appearance on the already hugely popular Arrow. There were quite a few mentions of Coast City during the first season so there were many, including myself, who thought that perhaps the next "big" name to come to Starling City would be Green Lantern.
Well, we were wrong. Just like we were wrong when we assumed there would be no Flash until the Flash feature film came about in 2016.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Barry Allen will roll into Starling City for three episodes before embarking on his own series. He will be introduced in episode 8, then appear in episodes 9 and 20, and then will go off and do his own thing. Writing the Flash episodes will be the crack team of executive producers Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti, along with DC author and now frequent Arrow writer Geoff Johns. Episode 20 will be directed by David Nutter, who directed the series pilot last year.
The odd part about all of this is Warner Bros. and DC are not planning on having the already somewhat established TV universe have anything to do with the proposed and hopefully successful cinematic universe. I understood that decision when it was just Stephen Amell's Green Arrow because the show does have the "no superpowers and/or metahumans" stance, but now that Flash is coming along? Granted they are saying that when Barry Allen and Oliver Queen meet up Allen won't be Flash but still, the show about the Fastest Man Alive is getting a soft launch from one without any superpowers. Unless they cast Usain Bolt as Barry Allen, I'm calling bull. Actually, they are beginning the casting process this week so maybe it is Usain Bolt.
Another thing we (okay, maybe this was just me) were wrong about? Holding out any hope for the Wonder Woman series to ever make it to air. CW President, Mark Pedowitz, announced yesterday during the same presentation that the Wonder Woman project, Amazon, was on pause.
Excuse me as I roll my eyes in epic fashion. It's on pause? Did anyone ever press play? Even when we last spoke about the Wonder Woman television series, it was all still speculation and rumor. This whole "pause" business is just irritating. Rip off the Band-Aid Mark, just do it already.
I get that Wonder Woman is a difficult character to try and build a franchise around. Almost every Wonder Woman fan will agree to that. The invisible jet, the different planet, the Lasso of Truth… it's all a bit fantastic and might be too fantastic to make a TV series out of, outside of the campy 70s. However, either do it or don't, but stop stringing us along.
Speaking of stringing along… What happened to Booster Gold? When Arrow premiered, Andrew Kriesberg was still talking up the Booster Gold series. I got my hopes up. Thought that for sure one of the men behind this great new show would want to do every thing in his power to bring one of his favorite characters to life in a live action setting. Instead we've heard nothing about Booster Gold and when Greg Berlanti was asked why Flash was getting a series, he said it was because Flash was one of his favorite characters growing up! Ugh, I just can't win.
Caity Lotz gif via confessionsofheart
The last bit of Arrow news coming out of TCA, we now know who Caity Lotz is playing. We saw her in the Arrow season two sizzle reel, but there was no indication who her character was beyond "the origin story for Black Canary". Well get this, Sarah Lance is still alive and she's returning to Starling City thanks to Caity Lotz. If the Tommy/Laurel/Oliver love triangle was messy, I can't even imagine how dysfunctional Ollie stuck between two sisters is going to be.
Despite my irritation, this is exciting news. As a DC fan it's easy to look at the Marvel cinematic success and be jealous, but Arrow and the new Flash show (and Booster Gold and Wonder Women if they ever get made) are all part of a long and storied history of DC characters on the small screen. They are doing well, so here's hoping they continue to do well…
By giving me a Booster Gold show.
Andrew KreisbergArrowBarry AllenBlack Canarybooster goldCaity LotzDCTVGreg BerlantiOliver QueenStephen AmellThe FlashWonder Woman
SDCC 2013: Arrow Season Two Sizzle Reel, Plus Highlights of the Comic-Con Panel!
July 21, 2013 Amanda Broyles	Leave a comment
Let's start right off with the Arrow season two sizzle reel. Now, if you have not seen all of Arrow season one, you might want to skip this as it has a lot of spoilers in it. A lot, a lot.
So much action packed into so little time! Taken from footage of the season premiere, we get a good look at Summer Glau as Isabel Rochev.
As exciting as that is, I think we all echo Roy Harper's question to the mysterious blonde in a mask (Caity Lotz as not Black Canary), "Where the hell did you come from?" Of course this Arrow season two sizzle reel didn't answer any big questions, like who exactly Caity Lotz's character is, but we do see Oliver Queen make the beginnings of his move from "the Vigilante" to actually being called Arrow. As Marc Guggenheim said in this interview, they are moving from Hood Guy, to Arrow, to ultimately Green Arrow.
Same with Black Canary apparently. Laurel will eventually be Black Canary but she needs to start on that journey and Caity Lotz is there to help her begin.
Apparently everyone is moving along in their storylines, including Roy Harper and Deathstroke. During the Comic-Con panel, Colton Haynes referred to season two as Roy's "island" and Andrew Kreisberg made a point of telling fans that those who are interested in if/how Manu Bennett's Slade Wilson becomes the Deathstroke, then they should make sure to watch season two.
The other big news from the panel is that although it seems as if Malcolm Merlyn met his end in the season finale of Arrow season one, perhaps he's not as dead as we assumed. John Barrowman appeared on stage saying "I would be more than happy to come back into this family fold. And if I'm being invited back, it's more than the 50th anniversary of 'Doctor Who's' ever done."
As great as all that news is, two big guest spots were also announced.
That's right, Suicide Squad's own Bronze Tiger is coming to Starling City! Or the island, his story hasn't been revealed. Michael Jai White will play the martial artist sometime in season two. Given that they are announcing it this early, you'd have to imagine it'd be early in the season.
Same goes for Kevin Alejandro, guest starring as a character named Sebastian Blood, aka Brother Blood. Longtime foe of the Teen Titans. It's a little easier to see the martial arts fighting of Bronze Tiger making the leap to the Arrow-verse, but there will be some definite changes in the Brother Blood character to comply with the "no superpowers/metahumans" thing that they've committed to. But we've seen how Count Vertigo was able to be adapted so I'm not too worried about it.
So I think that about covers it. Laurel Lance is still going to be Black Canary. Caity Lotz is going to help her. Roy Harper and Slade Wilson both have changes in store for them. Oh yeah, Thea is taking over Oliver's club, and Summer Glau's Isabel Rochev is coming to town.
Can't wait for October 9th when Arrow season two premieres!
ArrowBlack CanaryBronze TigerBrother BloodCaity LotzColton HaynesComic ConDCTVGreen ArrowIsabel RochevJohn BarrowmanKevin AlejandroMichael Jai WhiteOliver QueenSebastian BloodSummer Glau
'Arrow' Season Two Casting Update: Caity Lotz May Play A New Black Canary! [UPDATED]
If you read my Arrow reviews throughout season one, you would know that I have been anxiously awaiting for Laurel Lance to become Black Canary. There were just so many little nods to the character throughout the entire season that it seemed inevitable.
Well, apparently not.
Continue reading 'Arrow' Season Two Casting Update: Caity Lotz May Play A New Black Canary! [UPDATED] →
ArrowBlack CanaryCaity LotzDCTVKatie CassidyLaurel LanceOliver Queen
Summer Glau Headed to Arrow, But As Who?
Filming of the second season of Arrow just started. Like yesterday. And already there is big news when it comes to casting and her name is Summer Glau. That's right, the geek princess herself is coming to Starling City. With a show that has been drawing heavily from pretty much every other nerdy show out there – Battlestar Galatica, Doctor Who, more that I can't remember right now – it feels like it was only a matter of time. Not only that but it appears as if I already believed that the character Glau is slated to play would someday appear on the show.
As you can clearly see, the name Isabel Rochev appears there below David Drayson. Waaaaaayyyy back towards the beginning of the season. I made note of this page when talking in this post about the upcoming episode with the Royal Flush Gang.
That's right, Summer Glau has signed on in a "major role" in season two as Isabel Rochev, the Serbian businesswoman who is a bit off her rocker.
A fairly new character in the DC Universe, Isabel Rochev is a woman who once met Robert Queen, is starstruck by him and sets out to make her own life better using him as an example. Long story short (not too long it's been less than five years), she sort of goes off the deep end. As she gets older she gathers up small companies and is able to in the long run own a controlling share of Queen Industries. Somehow in between the time of being a Serbian slave girl to actually taking over Queen Industries, she gets it in her head that she is actually the rightful heir to QI and that Robert Queen truly loves her.
Oh and most importantly? She wants Oliver out of the picture. For good.
Of course that's the Isabel Rochev of the Star City. Isabel Rochev of Starling City, played by Glau, is the head of Stellmore International which is in the hunt to take over Queen Consolidated. Talk about kicking a man when he's down. Moira is off to jail, Oliver is likely going to start the season off brooding over Tommy, and Thea? Who the hell knows what Thea will be doing. Seems about the right time for a ruthless business woman to step in and right the floundering ship.
As a matter of fact, Summer Glau will first appear as Isabel Rochev in the season two premiere of Arrow in October.
ArrowDC EntertainmentDCTVIsabel RochevOliver QueenSummer Glau
Arrow: Season 2 – Marc Guggenheim Talks Possible Villains
July 5, 2013 Amanda Broyles	Leave a comment
Executive producer Marc Guggenheim sat down with ComicBookResources to talk about Arrow season two. It's a very interesting interview in terms of what they envision as the "trajectory" of Oliver, plus hints about who we might see from the DC universe in this upcoming season.
Continue reading Arrow: Season 2 – Marc Guggenheim Talks Possible Villains →
ArrowBlue Beetlebooster goldDCTVGreen ArrowMarc GuggenheimOliver QueenStarling City RockersTed Kord
Arrow: 1.23 – Sacrifice (Season Finale)
May 17, 2013 Amanda Broyles	Leave a comment
So last week we left off with Oliver getting his ass handed to him by Malcolm Merlyn. 'Sacrifice' picks up shortly thereafter with Oliver semi-hanging from the rafters as Malcolm circles him in a threatening manner.
Ooooh, look at Oliver getting all bad ass, threatening Merlyn and all that. Of course, as Merlyn pointed out – he may be younger, and he may be stronger, but twice now Oliver has gotten his ass kicked by a man old enough to be his father. Hmmm, that doesn't not bode well for your superhero career. Amazingly, he has better luck against a man who is surrounded by an army and surface to air missiles! Granted on the island he has both Shado (who, unsurprisingly, can reprogram the aforementioned surface to air missiles) and Slade Wilson, but still he took out Fyers' entire army! Okay, okay, he used a missile but still! I feel like I'm trying to give Oliver a lot of credit here and perhaps I'm trying a bit too hard so let's move on to the real story of this finale.
As we found out in past episodes, Malcolm plans on taking out the Glades with a "seismic event". Of course no one but the people involved in the undertaking and the Arrow Crew know about it. Obviously, much like Oliver being the vigilante, this is a secret that just can't stay secret.
Before Oliver and Laurel had a tender moment perfectly squared by the incoming sunlight, I couldn't help but notice that Moira was packing up Walter's things. NOOOOO!!!!! Say it isn't so! I thought they'd work it out in the end but maybe next season? Please make this happen writers, even if she's in jail. Oooh, Walter could come visit Moira and they could have heartfelt discussions through the glass. That'd be nice.
Oh, before we move on to the whole blowing up part of the city and the aftermath therein, let's revel in this moment.
Not only has your ex-best friend lied to you about being a vigilante in a hood, stole your girlfriend, and just told you that your father is going to blow up part of your city, then he goes and makes you look like a fool by effortlessly dodging your punch.
That's gotta hurt. Of course it doesn't help that Tommy then heads off to talk to his dad, refer to Oliver's ridiculous jihadist accusations only to then get his ass kicked by his dad who seems really unhinged this episode. Of course if I were planning on causing an earthquake to take down an entire part of a major city, I'd probably be a bit on edge as well.
Oh Malcolm, you troubled soul you. You need some psychological intervention. I'm not a professional but I'd have to imagine that constantly reliving your wife's death by listening to her die over and over probably isn't very healthy. Granted this makes for great television viewing but still, yikes.
So Malcolm is devolving and Moira is finally sprouting some cajones and speaking out about Malcolm's plan. She couldn't have done that before the timer was set to go off I suppose. Safety of her family and all that. But now she's ready to take the risk and what better way to assure not only will the police, but the man hell-bent on killing anyone in his way will hear what you have to say? A press conference in your living room of course.
Again Thea and her ridiculousness never fail, because hearing her mother admit to being part of this plan and the reason her father died, the first thing she thinks of? Her felon boyfriend. Girls. Am I right? [Ed. – The fact that Thea assumes Roy is too dumb to leave the Glades along with EVERYONE else is telling. Stupid Thea.]
Dear residents of the Glades – I have a bone to pick with you. I'm not totally sure of the timeline here as it was a little vague, but at most there's a couple of hours in between the announcement that your neighborhood is going to disappear into the ground and it actually happening. Call me crazy, but my first thought would not have been to bust out the posterboard and sharpies and make signs about the end of the world. Unless you just have these hanging around for a everyday use, this seems like a horrible waste of time. Perhaps if you managed your time more wisely you wouldn't have to be running around in the streets like a chicken with your heads cut off. Just a thought.
The rest of the episode was cutbacks between the panicked people of the Glades, a pretty kick ass fight scene between Oliver and Malcolm, and Felicity talking Detective Lance through disarming the device. I actually loved Detective Lance in this part because you could tell he was panicked, you could tell he was nervous, but at the same time he was so giddy and pleased with himself when he shut it down. Paul Blackthorne really has done a great job as the crotchety detective trying to piece his life back together after his daughter died and wife left. He's been a pleasure to watch which is why I got really nervous that he was going to go down with the ship.
I don't know if the people at Arrow kept it under wraps or if I just missed the news, but I was totally taken by surprise by Tommy dying. When Oliver moved the chunk of concrete I gasped when I saw the rebar through his chest. Kudos to Stephen Amell and Colin Donnell because that last scene was very emotional and very well done.
Overall, this was a fantastic finale. I might go out on a limb and say it was one of the best season finales I've seen in quite some time. The cliffhangers were organic, the story line didn't seem forced which happens a lot with big dramatic scenes. For a network that is often seen as "not as good", Arrow and The CW knocked it out of the park. I'm going to have to go even further out on the limb and give it a five out of five.
A fantastic season finale to wrap up a great first season of Arrow! It's been a great ride and I look forward to seeing what season two has in store.
ArrowColin DonnellDCTVJohn BarrowmanMalcolm MerlynOliver QueenPaul BlackthorneSeason finaleStephen AmellTommy Merlyn
Arrow: 1.22 – Darkness on the Edge of Town
Hold on to your hats friends because the Dark Archer is back and ready to blow up whatever he has to! Oh and killing whoever he has to as well.
That includes Brion Markov, aka Geo-Force in the comics. It seems in the Arrow universe his superpower is being a decent enough seismologist to get a job at Unidac Industries, but being unable to talk his way out of an arrow in his chest. You win some and you lose some I guess.
After last week's discovery that Walter is actually alive (yay!!!), he's returned home in 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' and oh boy you can cut the tension with a knife. For all of you relationship-challenged out there – if you go in for a kiss and it's diverted to the last moment to the cheek… all is not well.
Damn them! I was really hoping they'd be able to sort it all out but of course once divorce papers enter the equation, things get a little dodgy. Before we go down that road though, let's discuss the heartbreak that was the island this week.
So two weeks ago there was the whole "Yao Fei once again leads Fyers to Oliver and Co." in which my love affair was declared as officially over. Well now we finally get to find out what Fyers' plan is and oh boy is it a doozie. We already knew that Yao Fei was going to be the scapegoat for whatever Fyers had planned but I myself had no idea has to how in-depth his evil scheme would be. Destabilizing the Chinese economy by taking out a commercial airliner (note: I do believe the "I really need your help" guy was saying Ferris Air which would be a shoutout to the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern universe) with SAMs? Having a member of the Chinese military claim responsibility for it due to being sent to an island as punishment? It's sort of genius.
Never mind the dead guy – that's a cool looking floor.
Then this happened. WHY?!?!?! I know Yao Fei and I have had our differences but was it necessary to shoot him in the head? As much as I'd like to believe he'll bounce back from this, Deadshot did survive an arrow to the eye, a bullet to the brain is a bit of a different story. Let's all pause in a moment of silence for the man who saved Oliver's life, a couple of times.
Okay back to the main story. If Oliver and Laurel getting together means that this whole love triangle thing is over, then I'm all for it. However, I imagine it's just going to lead to more "Sad Tommy" moments and blah that's getting old.
Much like the lesson up above about the denied kiss, this seems like common sense but seriously, I know it's easy to get caught up in the moment but perhaps it's best to make sure the curtains are shut before you get freaky with your ex while your other ex is standing outside. Or, you know, strangers walking down the street. Anyone really. Again, I would have thought this was everyday knowledge but it appears as if I'm wrong.
At the very least maybe now they can move the story along past this "she loves you, no she loves you, but you love her, you love her more, I can't love her…" crap. Fingers crossed!
Even though Thea annoys the ever-loving crap out of me, I can't help but root for her and Roy's Nancy Drew routine. Although I do have to laugh at the stalking of a crime scene in a stolen car, with a stolen camera. Oh that Roy Harper, what a smart boy he is! Now that Oliver has laid down the law about them looking for the vigilante, it's only a matter of time before they do… perhaps the cliffhanger? Next week we'll find out!
Of course the best parts of the episode had all to do with "The Undertaking".
Let's give Moira some credit here – how on earth she's still somewhat sane is beyond me. One husband is dead, another husband is kidnapped only to return and ask for a divorce, she's been "approached" by the vigilante now twice, the second time involving a tranq dart, her family has been under constant threat for years and she's had to keep a rather large and awful secret for years. If that were me? I'd be seeking out a room with padded walls post-haste. Rather she just keeps on keeping on and that's impressive.
Also impressive? The Arrow Crew's plan for breaking into Merlyn Global. Although I do have to wonder, what kind of fast food place delivers? Granted I live a bit in the sticks but I've never heard of McDonald's delivery. However, Big Belly Burger does deliver and thank the gods for that otherwise how on earth would they have delivered the drugged hamburger?
Of course the Olicity shippers might have died a slow death at the Oliver and Laurel make out session, but you know they all have this image seared into their brains. Give it up guys, it's not going to happen!! Oh well, at least it led to this which was pretty kick ass.
That looks like so much fun! Of course I would have pissed myself but still, fun. Thankfully this was followed by a scene full of brooding whiny Tommy and then nosy Thea so my heart rate was able to slow down before the awesome fight scene between John Barrowman and Stephen Amell. I will say this – the quality of the fight scenes seem to have gotten better as the season has progressed which is a major plus.
So now there are two people in the show (the other being Huntress) who can catch arrows? This does not bode well for Oliver, at all. Plus the fact he got his ass kicked (again) by a man old enough to be his father. Oliver, you need to go ahead and start doing more shirtless hand to hand combat with Diggle to work on this. Let's make that a priority next season okay?
Of course we don't know what next season will hold as far as actual combat between these two because…
Now Malcolm knows it's Oliver!!!!! OMG what does this mean?!?!?! Where do we go from here????? More punctuation needed!!!!
Seriously, loved this episode. Even though Yao Fei is dead (sob), so much action and so much story progression. Although if it had been me, this would have been the season finale and I'm having a hard time seeing what kind of cliffhanger they are going to leave next week. We'll just have to wait and see.
Going to have to go with 4.5 out of 5 because it was that good.
Season finale next week -see you then Arrow fans!
ArrowBig Belly BurgerBrion MarkovColton HaynesDarkness on the Edge of TownDCTVJohn BarrowmanLaurel LanceOliver QueenStephen AmellYao Fei
Arrow: 1.21 – The Undertaking
May 4, 2013 Amanda Broyles	Leave a comment
WALTER!!!!!!
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system… what an episode. No island,but we did get a pretty good look at life before the island and finally get to hear what "the undertaking" is.
"The Undertaking" = Malcolm Merlyn has a god complex = John Barrowman is a god.
Who would want to kill this man?
So Malcolm wants to level the Glades. In a very Outbreak move, he's planning on doing so with everyone still there. I think we can all agree, great plan! Who on earth wouldn't go along with this genius? Enter the wet towel aka, Robert Queen. come on Robert. You don't want to obliterate an entire neighborhood and it's inhabitants? Well, spoiler alert… perhaps you shouldn't take the Queen's Gambit to China. Just a thought. It is nice to finally have a reason behind the list. First it was penance for Robert's killing of the briber, now it's vengeance for Robert's death. Seems rather poetic.
Speaking of Queen's Gambit- oh boy Oliver was even more of a sleazebag than previously thought. It's one thing to sneak off with your girlfriend's sister but to do so right after agreeing to move in with the girlfriend? Oh and to put a cherry on that douchebag sundae, yes please call the sister and tell her to take a lap while you say goodbye to your girlfriend.
Last week, Diggle finally got (rightfully so, in my humble opinion) tired of Oliver's crap and left and now this week poor Felicity is the child of divorce trying to get her parents to get back together. Poor Felicity, stuck in the middle. If she ends up going to summer camp and finding her long lost twin, I might have to call bullshit on this whole story line but for now, it's still good.
Pensive Diggle is pensive
Of course being the somewhat meddlesome chick that she is (women in general seem to have this problem of not letting things go), she heads on over to Diggle's house. How on Earth she doesn't just smack him and tell him to go work it out with his boyfriend, I do not know. She is a stronger woman than I because that's pretty much what I was screaming at the TV.
You have to feel for Felicity though – here she is, used to just being behind the computer outside of the one time she ended up with a bomb around her neck and now she ends up at the casino and of course her cover is blown. Perhaps it's time that Oliver realize that Felicity is not the best in the field. Call me crazy, just a thought. Although had she not gone into the casino, we would have missed out on the most awkward exchange ever. I love those moments where you say something, realize it sounds pervy, try to fix it, make it worse and then just give up. Of course she did have a modicum of success in the casino but it did lead to me thinking Walter was dead which is just awful. How could they do that to him? Malcolm promised Moira he'd be okay! WHY?!?!
But wait! He might be in Bludhaven (!!!!) so let's go check it out Oliver!
Of course Oliver knows how to parachute out of an airplane onto a small roof. To suggest otherwise is just ridiculous. Of course his incredible aerial prowess led to perhaps my favorite moment of this week. Walter returns!!!
After so long of them not even mentioning it, I was pretty certain that we were never going to see Walter again. Very "out of sight, out of mind" but Walter has been on my mind since he took that syringe to the neck. But alas, he has returned and all is right with the world again. Yay Walter!
Moira and Walter have been reunited so it seems like a good time for Laurel and Tommy (who is apparently feeling right at home at his father's company) to hit the skids for real. I didn't really think Tommy would say anything about Oliver to Laurel but then again I didn't think he'd go off crying little a whiny baby after finding out Oliver's secret either so apparently I'm clueless when it comes to Tommy. I also never thought I'd feel badly for Laurel, because she's annoying, but she's having a rough first season. Dead cheating boyfriend comes back to life, assaulted a couple of times in her own home, Mom gets hopes up about alive sister, hopes dashed, promising new relationship, broken up with, non-dead cheating boyfriend tells her he loves her… that's a lot to process in 21 episodes. Perhaps she should just put on some fishnets and hit the town.
Of course the most important relationship in the show has been righted – that's right, Oliver and Diggle have buried the hatchet and just in time because this box is on its way to Starling City and nothing good can come of it.
Overall, a great episode. I loved finally hearing what the undertaking actually is, appreciated them further explaining the list, and really like that Walter is back. I'm very much looking forward to the new few episodes and seeing how they wrap up this first season. For 'The Undertaking' , I'm going to have to go with a four out of five.
Had a certain Ted Kord actually been a part of this episode as opposed to just mentioned in passing, this would have easily been the best episode of the season because let's face it, Blue Bettle joining Arrow would be pretty kick ass.
Until next time Arrow fans!
ArrowDCTVJohn BarrowmanMalcolm MerlynOliver QueenStephen AmellTed KordThe UndertakingUnidac IndustriesWalter Steele
Arrow: 1.20 – Home Invasion
April 26, 2013 Amanda Broyles	1 Comment
We are in the homestretch of season one!!!
Seems like just yesterday we stumbled into Starling City and learned that Oliver Queen had a family and an ex-girlfriend named Laurel Lance and a best friend named Tommy Merlyn and now look where we are. There's an entire Arrow posse that is teaming up to take down the baddies and looking fantastic while doing so. Hard to believe there's only three episodes left until next October (I'd say September but the CW started in October this year and I imagine they'll do the same next year), but let's not focus on the long Arrow-less summer, rather let's dive right in to this week's episode, Home Invasion!
Credit to: GypsyHeartLove
I'm going to start with Thea and Roy because there were a small side story this episode with most of the time going to Laurel and Oliver and a hired gun but I felt it necessary to lead off with this moment from Felicity. I think she just gets better each week! Now she's going from one moment lamenting a trip to Guantanamo Bay and the next she's reminding Oliver what she could do to him if he were to let it be known she dyes her hair. This chick is just awesome.
"Is that a police radio in your pocket?"
Credit to: ScruffyDean
Okay, Roy and Thea. If I wasn't already certain that Roy Harper was going to be THE Roy Harper, I am after this episode. He thieves a police radio so he can try and track down the vigilante, somehow Detective Lance who was completely unaware of a bug on his phone for an unknown period of time (for all we know it could still be there as they've never mentioned it again – annoyance) noticed this and devised a way to trap the hoodlum. Of course that leads to him telling Thea how much he feels he owes the vigilante and blah blah, he's going to be Speedy, I imagine they'll have both Thea and Roy find out about Oliver in the season finale.
I feel like it's been way too long since we had a nice workout scene. This one was way too short thanks to that jackass fun ruiner Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot. Let me just say, unlike the Count from episode 19 who sadly came back as a non-issue, I'm really liking how they've played Deadshot through the season. Of course, at first it seemed as if they were going to make him a one shot wonder, but the story line of Diggle distancing himself from Oliver's list to start his own is really appealing. Of course he wants to go after Deadshot and of course Oliver will help him… or will he?
This week's bad guy was an assassin hired by another dirtbag businessman Rasmus. Enter the home invasion of "Home Invasion". That dude was rather efficient. You'd think as a seasoned assassin he'd at least attempt to go after the 10 year old that he wants to kill, but let's not be foolish, it's not as if a grown man can outrun a gradeschooler. No it is much better to just go ahead and leave that loose end to be finished off later.
Speaking of really bonehead moves…
Credit to: TheBoyInTheRedHoodie
I am really glad that Laurel's father taught her how to handle a gun. However, I'm fairly certain that he probably also told her to make sure that if you are going in with only one shell, make sure it counts. Otherwise you do this badass move to pump the shotgun only to look like an idiot when it's empty. Thankfully Oliver swoops in to save the day, somewhat to Tommy's chagrin. Of course this was after Tommy had a little heart to heart with the poor little orphan boy.
Awwww…
Look at those teary eyes! If that doesn't make you sigh then you have a heart of stone. That was a very endearing moment. Of course Tommy is having a very emotional couple of weeks. First his father is an ass, then his best friend tells him he's been lying/withholding truth, and now he's having to deal with now ex-best friend being the human equivalent of Mighty Mouse and swooping in to save the day. Poor guy, I just want to give him a hug.
Credit to: Maradyer
So now Tommy, Laurel, and the kid are at the Queen mansion. How awkward is that? Nothing like playing house in the house of your ex-boyfriend while his mother tells you how much she liked her son dating you. Yea, that's not cool. Even less cool would be Oliver, again. Although I do concede that this was a crappy decision to make, I'd probably go after the guy who has names of everyone he's killed tattooed on his body, but I do recognize that it would be difficult to ignore the fact that your ex-girlfriend that you still love is target by proxy of the other contract killer. Really, when you are dealing with two assassins, perhaps it's better to just flip a coin. Either way, someone is going to get hurt.
Unfortunately this time it was Diggle, quite literally. Well Diggle was hurt and his ARGUS cohorts were more than a little hurt. Best line of the episode was Deadshot telling Diggle that the reason he wasn't going to kill him was someone hadn't paid him to. Foreshadowing maybe? Hmmmm. What's really got to chap Diggle's ass though is yes Rasmus was jailed which was Oliver's doing but in the end his assassin went off the reservation and went after the kid anyway. Well he did until Oliver stuck a fire poker through his chest. Ouch.
That probably hurt
So not only has Deadshot gotten away, again, but the assassin his killed anyway. I sort of can't blame Diggle for leaving. I mean I feel badly for Oliver, but Diggle has a better leg to stand on with this one. Of course I want him to stick around but man, Oliver might have to do a bit of groveling. Diggle isn't the only one leaving because in a move everyone saw a mile away, Tommy is leaving Laurel. So now he's working for his father, he's kaiboshed his friendship with Oliver, and he's dumped Laurel. He's either going to take a long walk off a short pier or he's going to go into the real family business. I'm banking on the second.
The island story was short but full. We get to see more of the shaping of present day Oliver as Shado is teaching him to shoot. Oh and how to awkwardly tell a woman that there's someone else. Awkward.
Speaking of people dumping other people, Yao Fei and I are OVER!! Fool me once and all that. How many times is he going to give up Oliver to Fyers? How many?!?!? I'm officially disbanding the Yao Fei fan club. No more Fei, no more.
Overall, I really liked this episode. Moved the plot along quite a bit and sets up quite a bit of action for the remaining three episodes. Going to have to go with a four out of five.
Like Mr. Amell said, there are no breaks until the finale so we'll be back next week – see you then!
Just because –
ArrowColton HaynesDCTVHome InvasionLaurel LanceOliver QueenRoy HarperStephen AmellWilla Holland
Arrow: 1.19 – Unfinished Business
April 5, 2013 Amanda Broyles
I figured when last week was such a good episode (Laurel's ugly crying aside), that this week might be a bit slower but I was still looking forward to it, and the return of the Count. However, this was one of those weird episodes where certain parts were awesome but the episode all together was a bit bland. Not that that's a bad thing, it's difficult to keep up the intensity for 22 episodes so there's bound to be some lulls. Hopefully this lull won't continue but let's dive into those great moments of "Unfinished Business"!
Awwww, shit. Vertigo is back on the streets and in the clubs. Not only that but people are taking it and then going and literally playing in traffic. Given the number of pointless internet fights I've seen the phrase "go play in traffic" uttered in, I found this to be quite amusing. Of course with the drug vertigo back out, people first thought that perhaps that Count Vertigo was also out. Hooboy, that could not be further from the case. I do like how the doctor put it though – "word salad". I might have to start using that.
"He's sumasshedshiy"
Credit to: ninawaldorf
I'm going to stick to "word salad" and leave the "sumasshedshiy" to Oliver Queen. However, that look combined with the description? Perfect. Not so perfect? Everything else Oliver did in this episode. He thought Tommy was actually guilty of procuring the vertigo. Not only that, but unless I missed it, did he ever thank Tommy for the hiding of the Arrow Cave evidence? I don't think so. He was an ass to Felicity when she was trying to comfort him about the Count. He was a major dick to Diggle about him going after Deadshot. Is Diggle's job 24/7? Is Felicity's? I mean come on, surely there is some down time during which they can pursue their own interests, perhaps get a hobby or read a book or something. Even if that something is going after a dude who shoots people for a living. Oliver, Oliver, Oliver… you need to get a grip.
I loved that they brought back "the Count" even if he was sumasshedshiy. However, I saw it as the doctor and orderly from a mile away. Rule number one when trying to implement a surprise plot twist – don't go out and find the sketchiest and most guilty looking orderly out there. Surely there was a slight 5 foot nothing, 150 pounds soaking wet guy they could have used. Then I would have been surprised! I think we can all agree though, Diggle remembering to say "Clear" (as opposed to when he had to revive Oliver and Felicity reminded him he forgot) as he killed said orderly. Well done Dig.
Credit to: emberbrushiebrushie
Diggle actually had quite a bit of call back in this episode. He's trying to hunt down Deadshot. He's still dating the sister-in-law, and he's continuing his life as a drug dealer/purchaser. I can not be the only one who laughed when he announced to the Arrow Cave that "The person of color (apparently emberbrushiebrushie is not of the American persuasion) has successfully purchased your drugs". That Diggle, he's a laugh a minute.
I am very very interested in seeing where this ARGUS thing goes. That and will Diggle and Lyla be more than just "old Army buddies"? I do love a good love triangle. Actually, that's a lie, they usually annoy me (see Tommy, Laurel, and Oliver) but I do want to see more of Diggle's life that doesn't center around Oliver. That being said, I do like that Oliver finally came around and said he would help on the Deadshot front. Redeemed himself a little bit. Just a little though.
Credit to: mymarsrevolution
The rest of the Count/evil doctor story line was a bit predictable. By now, we know that Oliver has no qualms killing people even though he's felt the need to admonish anyone else who even thinks about killing someone. In my perfect world, the writer's would from here on out just forget that Ollie ever said anything about not killing and therefore never repeat it. Because when you stare down a man, high on the vertigo that got in your bloodstream before you puked what looked to be Nickelodeon slime, and shoot him with three arrows, it's hard to say you aren't a killer with a straight face. Not that he deserved to live, but still, they need to stop saying it.
Of course as soon as I say that, we have Oliver poised and ready to take out the Count for good, and he can't do it. I'm actually really glad he didn't because that just didn't seem right. That and I'm holding out hope that he'll find a way to unscramble his brain and come back to match wits with the vigilante once more. We shall see.
Best part of this episode, for me at least, was the island. Finally we get to see the real beginnings of the vigilante version of Oliver Queen as opposed to the whining mixed in occasionally with some dumb luck.
Shado is amazing. As much as I love Yao Fei, I might love his daughter that much more. Not only is she pretty bad ass when it comes to fighting, but she's also very zen and she's already filled in more backstory in one episode than we've gotten in the seventeen previous. Yao Fei was a Chinese officer, was the scapegoat for a massacre, sent to the island, and now Fyers is trying to make him a scapegoat once again for whatever he has planned. Makes you wonder who Yao Fei pissed off in a previous life. Damn.
Credit to: htbthomas
The island parts also gave Oliver even more of a human side. Like I said, the whining has subsided a little but you have to imagine sitting there as a privileged silver spooner who has literally not had to do much for himself, watching two people who are very self-sufficient and know how to defend themselves. Not only that but they are talking shit about him as he's sitting there. Talk about a blow to the self-esteem. The satisfied look on Oliver's face when he is able to draw back the bow without difficulty pretty much said it all.
Which brings us to this.
Hey did you know that Laurel likes sushi? Yes, it was mentioned again but that's not the issue here. When the show first started I thought that Tommy would end up being the Merlyn of the comics. Then he just didn't seem like he was "that guy" so I figured they weren't going to go with a Merlyn. Then John Barrowman showed up as Malcolm Merlyn and I was pretty darn sure that he was it.
Now that Tommy has left Oliver and Oliver's club thanks to Oliver, again being a bit of a douchebag about it all, lying and maybe taking a little bit advantage of him, and has gone back to the man that he swore he'd never speak to again… his father. I guess when you're dad ends up almost dying, talking to him again seems easy. Hell, asking for a job is even easy! I'll have to remember this for the future. (Just kidding Dad, I'm sure no one will try to hire a big time assassin to take you out with a poisoned bullet)
Of course that's what the episode ends with right as there is another small hiatus, only three weeks this time. Still – yet another moment that asks more questions than it answers! What is Tommy going to do when he finds out his Dad has been lying to him as well? Will that be the straw that breaks the camel's back and he is going to go off the deep end? And when did he move in with Laurel?
So many questions, so few answers. Like I said, there were some great moments like the island and the last scene but as a whole, this episode was rather blah. Going to have to go with the middle of the road 3 out of 5.
Arrow will return on April 24th, have a good hiatus Arrow fans and I'll see you next time!
ArrowDCTVJohn BarromanOliver QueenStephen Amell


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Home » Power » Deal News
ContourGlobal to acquire 1.5GW power plants in US and Trinidad and Tobago
PowerFossil Fuel / Coal and GasPlant
By NS Energy Staff Writer 08 Dec 2020
The portfolio being acquired consists of contracted operating natural gas-fired and combined heat and power assets
The 72MW Waterside peaking unit in Connecticut is part of the deal. (Credit: Thomas B. from Pixabay)
ContourGlobal has agreed to acquire a 1.5GW portfolio of contracted operating power plants in the US and Trinidad and Tobago from Western Generation Partners (WGP) for $837m.
The portfolio being acquired by the British power generation company comprises natural gas-fired and combined heat and power assets.
The consideration for the assets includes existing project net debt of around $210m.
Some of the assets involved in the deal are the 604MW Hobbs combined cycle gas turbine plant (CCGT) in New Mexico, the 230MW Borger cogeneration asset in Texas, and the 225MW Trinity gas turbine located in Trinidad and Tobago.
In California, ContourGlobal will be acquiring eight individual gas turbines in the Kern region, which have a combined capacity of 371MW.
Also, part of the deal is the 72MW Waterside peaking unit in Connecticut.
According to ContourGlobal, the weighted average contract life of the assets is nine years at inception. The assets have visible re-contracting opportunities, which could extend the weighted average contracted life to more than 10 years.
Acquired assets located near ContourGlobal operating footprint
Besides, the assets are located in or near areas where ContourGlobal has an operating footprint.
ContourGlobal stated that the deal gives it significant entry into the bilaterally contracted segment of the US power market where it anticipates to grow by making operationally led acquisitions.
In the US, the deal will help the company increase its installed capacity by almost 30%, while giving scope to further expand its footprint in the key markets.
ContourGlobal President and CEO Joseph C. Brandt said: "We are materially increasing our Adjusted EBITDA and obtaining opportunities to further expand our presence in these key markets. Two of the three major assets are located in Texas and New Mexico in the US-Mexican integrated natural gas market and very close to our assets and operations in Mexico.
"The third major asset is located in the Caribbean region, an area where we have been an active operator and developer for a decade. The other assets provide critical flexible generation, supporting the transition to renewables in highly developed, constrained markets."
The deal, which is subject to certain conditions and approvals, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2021.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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UPS gets electronic hazmat permit
ATLANTA: United Parcel Service (UPS) has been authorized by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) to transmit hazardous material information electronically, by phone, or fax starting in June this year.
The new permit only affects UPS small package domestic shipments using tractor-trailer operations between its facilities and the customer. UPS Freight and other services will still be required to carry hard-copy documents for hazardous materials.
"We made it a priority to cut red tape and improve efficiency and moved expeditiously with this special permit," said PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman. "Sharing hazmat information electronically will improve transportation efficiency without sacrificing public safety."
Sam Elkind, UPS corporate regulated goods manager added. "This new procedure not only creates new efficiencies, but will also reduce overall paperwork and streamline the reporting process if an accident or emergency situation occurs."
In a related move, UPS is to spend $70 million to set up an initial 50 U.S. fueling stations to support the introduction of 1,000 new propane-powered trucks. The new fleet will replace gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles in rural areas of Louisiana and Oklahoma and each will be able to travel 200 miles on a single tank of propane.
With operations beginning by mid-2014 and completed early next year, the new fleet is expected to travel more than 25 million miles and replace the consumption of 3.5 million gallons of gasoline and diesel a year. UPS says it is benefitting from propane price stability resulting from increased natural gas production in the U.S.
The company currently operates 3,150 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in the U.S. including all -electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, CNG, LNG, propane, biomethane, and lightweight fuel-saving composite body vehicles.


Adoption is not just about the parents. Biological siblings deserve to decide what their relationship will be.
I was adopted at birth in a closed adoption. I had an older sister whom my adoptive parents had adopted several years earlier. When I was eleven, my parents adopted another baby girl. We were pretty much your typical middle-class family. I had a fun childhood. We went on some family vacations, and we moved around a bit. My parents were active in school and church. My sisters and I were not always the closest, but we love each other very much.
I got married, had two children, and stayed at home to take care of them. At 34, I decided to search for my birth family. I had very little information to go on other than my non-identifying document. It listed the level of education of my birth parents, general employment types, and a physical description. It also said my birth father had a four-year-old daughter when I was born. I chose to take a DNA test to aid in my search. About five weeks later, my results were in. With the help of a search angel, I learned the names of my birth parents and my FOUR biological sisters. My birth father passed away a few days before I found them. I have two half-sisters from my father's previous relationships. A few months after my adoption, my birth parents got married and went on to have two more daughters, so I have two full sisters as well.
My reunion went pretty well, all things considered. Things moved slowly at first, which was probably for the best. I exchanged emails, texts, and phone calls with my mom and three of my sisters. It was an exciting experience finding all of our similarities in hobbies, interests, and talents. We were amazed at the striking resemblance in physical appearance. My sisters and I eagerly exchanged stories and photos. Late one night, I was going back through some pictures I had received when a strange feeling came over me. Instead of the joy and awe I had felt looking at them before, I became sullen. I was missing. If my life had continued on the path my conception started, then I would have been there with my sisters. We would have shared our lives together. I always wished I'd had sisters close to my age. Little did I know, I did have them. I just didn't know them.
Often, adoption reunions are centered around adoptees with their birth parents. What I didn't realize until my own was that it's not always about the parent-child relationship. Despite the politics of why the child was placed and the adoptee's feeling about all that…aside from all the things that usually hog the spotlight, there are these innocent children. My sisters had no choice in this, nor did I. Why were we not given the opportunity to decide if we wanted to be involved in each other's lives? Because the adoption was closed, that's why. The law basically made it illegal for us to know each other. For that reason, I missed my sisters' weddings and the births of my nieces. They missed my wedding and the births of my boys. Those are moments that cannot be made up. Pictures cannot do them justice. No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to recreate all the hugs we never gave, the board games we never played, or the fights we never had.
I am not naive. I can imagine the extreme heartache on both sides of an open adoption. I'm in a unique position to see all sides of it because of my job. Open adoption is not easy. It's also not considered enough. Contact after adoption doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. You could choose to only have written correspondence at first. At least that way will provide an opportunity for the possibility of sibling connection. I have seen many reunions between adoptees and birth parents that didn't work out, but the brother or sister relationship was retained. I have seen countless search posts looking for siblings only. That biological attachment is real, and siblings are seeking each other out. It's not always about the birth parents. If you are interested in adoption, please consider an open one, not for the sake of the birth parents, but for the siblings.


Tough job, but someone's got to do it. We decided that rather than rent out our promotional tank to customers, it would be a good idea running up to Christmas to promote Tanks alot. We had a list of companies considering sharing The Abbott's advertising space and Spearmint Rhino, the pole and lap dancing gentlemen's club, were the first to sign up.
We knew they would want a selection of dancing girls scattered over the turret and even though it was a bit of a hassle heaving their little hot bottoms up the side of the tank, we managed with the added bonus in that it was a rather effective way to warm our hands! Both Todd and Tank Nut Dave were disappointed we weren't promoting Hamley's, the toy shop, as they rather like the toy tanks they sell. Personally Fortnum and Mason's would have been my choice as they do a damn good pork pie.
We rattled around London for a few hours with the girls giving out brochures. The male shoppers in the crowd responded very enthusiastically often going back for several brochures! One girl, Cindy, had a problem with her laces coming undone. Even with a bad back she had a special way of tying them without bending a great deal.
This might sound somewhat disappointing but the method she used had to be seen to be appreciated!!! She also performed another party trick where she would have on stiletto clad foot on the pavement whilst stretching the other foot to rest on the end of the muzzle of the gun! The muzzle is a good 7 feet from the ground so she had to execute a perfect vertical split to do it, all with a big smile on her face.
Her smile was only matched by the 10,000 blokes who watched her do it!
With the air turning a bit cooler in the evening and with three practically naked women getting colder by the minute, we decided to retire to the club for a hot meal and to warm up. The food was great and as for the warm up, best we leave that to the imagination.
Yet again The Abbott went like a Trojan, never missing a beat, with a good turn of speed. Even the kerbs escaped damage as well as the crew and the girls.
It was a truly extraordinary day which we have every intention of repeating in the future.


This family hanging sign is a lovely way to display all the family in your home.
Comes complete with 5 hearts for you to decorate and hang from the Family word as bunting.
Approx 30cm x 9cm + 5cm hearts. Laser cut from 3mm birch plywood.


Quicksilver 555 Activ day boats available for self-drive hire!
I believe one of the nicest things about York is the river running through the centre of the city. It's lovely to sit alongside and have a drink on a Summer's day or take the tandem for a ride along the river bank!
However being people who like to get involved we found ourselves wanting more than just viewing the river from afar and, after a brief affair with the local sailing club (it turns out sailing is really hard work!) we found ourselves looking for a relaxing but fun way to enjoy the river.
We found this over at York Marina in Naburn, a really short drive from the city. At the marina you can hire small motor boats and take them down the Ouse for half a day, a full day or even for a weekend.
We had this booked way in advance and had been looking forward to it for a few sunny weeks before hand. Lo and behold though it got to Saturday and the rain clouds came!
Despite the weather we still had a lot of fun and the four hours gives you plenty of time to travel through the countryside outside the marina and then right into town and beyond.
The boats can accommodate up to six people with everyone getting a turn at driving. We paid £18 pounds each for over 4 hours sailing on a Saturday afternoon which we thought was great value. The staff are lovely and friendly and give you a rundown of the boat's controls beforehand although it really is simple enough for anyone to drive.
The Marina advised us that booking ahead was advised but not always necessary, although for most weekends one week's notice would give you the best chance of getting a spot.
If you prefer a more spur of the moment boating experience, which might be good if you prefer to wait and see what the weather does) the Red Boats in town set off from near Lendal Bridge and can be rented for an hour for around £25-£35 pounds.
Beautiful York Marina in Naburn.


"STRIKINGLY SIMILAR" TO NAZI ERA" "DELIBERATE STARVATION" "Pervasive state surveillance quashed all dissent"
Well, report by a former Australian Supreme Court Justice came out today.
(a) China and Russia veto anything more than a strongly-worded e-mail telling Kim the latest the world is "disappointed".
(b) A terse memo is sent, never makes it to Kim due to being eaten by starving north Korean mailman.
(c) Neither a or b; China demands reparations for "aiding and abetting" comment; UN turns on investigators.
(d) Not a dang thing will happen. Sudan is being run by an individual convicted of crimes against humanity in 2008, this is 2014??
Nothing to it or time for a new Kim? Thoughts?
D is imo most likely. WE have saber rattled against them time and time again, and nothing happens.


Work has just begun on a new project for Surrey Square School in London, featuring a very interesting Glulam frame providing the main structure for the new building. To see more images of the the project and more shots of the Glulam beams with connections click here and view in our Contactor Gallery. For further information see also a publication by the project architects here.


This recipe is a Taste of Home find, and I was skeptical at first. I was pleasantly surprised though with the light and subtly fruity taste that the sauce had. It was very good and looked like I had spent hours in the kitchen. I think it took me about 35 minutes to make, partially because I used six chicken breast halves, and one did not want to get done. Go figure. Regardless, I highly recommend this dish if you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary but still packs a lot of flavor.
1) Combine bread crumbs and almonds in a gallon sized resealable bag. Place chicken breast halves in bag, seal tightly, and shake until well-coated.
2) In a large pan, heat approximately 2 tablespoons oil. Cook three of the breasts until thoroughly cooked and juices run clear, about 4-5 minutes per side. Set aside on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add more oil and cook remaining chicken breast halves.
3) In a medium pan, cook shallots in about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat until tender. Add broth, preserves, and vinegar; stir. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened.
5) Cover the bottom of a large sauce pan with approximately 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and boil for about 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Drain.
6) Serve chicken with sauce spread over and spinach on the side. Spinach is good with the sauce as well.
I've never had fruit on my chicken, but this sounds like a really nice summer chicken dish!
You should definitely give it a try! This sauce is sweet with a touch of sour and pairs perfectly with the chicken. Definitely nice for summer, and looks elegant too!


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Tyre Manufacturers - Yokohama Tyres
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Operating since almost 100 years Yokohama has acquired a renowned reputation as a trust worthy brand operating for almost 100 years. Globally recognized, it produces new generation, unparalleled products based on reviews and recommendations for its valuable end users.
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Yokohama is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 company which has undertaken excellent initiatives perceived as eco-friendly. Having marked as the world's leading tyre manufacturers, Yokohama continues to invest in technologically advanced tyres to ensure only quality products for users of every walk of life.
Additionally, Yokohama Tyres Hucknall merchandise is a big crowd puller and used as an effective way to connect with its customers. Did you know that Yokohama tyres are segregated with easy-to-understand color codes and descriptions to let customers choose only the most suitable product? So, if you want to look out for the latest product offerings of the brand hop online with Hucknall Lane Service Centre Ltd to make your choice.


Positive Life Concepts is looking for the right individual to join a fast paced environment who is looking for their next Lead Service/Parts Technician. Our client is located in Taber Alberta, and has been serving local and international markets for over 20 years. This is a great opportunity to join a team and company with an entrepreneurial spirit that isn't slowing down! If you're looking for the kind of career that makes you excited to go to work in the morning, look no further! Our client offers excellent compensation packages as well as a benefits package after your first three months. Apply online today!
Lead Service/Parts technician must provide excellent customer service and promote this idea throughout the company. The goal is to keep the parts and service departments running in an efficient and profitable manner, to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention and to meet their expectations.
• Improve customer service experience, create engaged customers and facilitate company growth.
• Take ownership of customers issues and follow problems through to resolution under direction of management, ensuring excellent customer satisfaction.
• Forecast goals and deploy strategies focused towards and strive to meet them.
• Develop service and parts procedures, policies and standards. Train new employees as required.
• Keep accurate records and document customer service actions and discussions. Monitor service tasks and analyse statistics and compile accurate reports upon request.
• Direct, schedule the activities of the parts and service departments and nurture an environment where they can excel through encouragement and empowerment.
• Keep ahead of industry's developments and apply best practices to areas of improvement.
• Research and educate yourself with all our product lines and educate your personnel accordingly.
• Control resources and utilize assets to achieve qualitative and quantitative targets.
• Provide technical assistance to the service department in liaison with our external suppliers/warranty providers.
• Monitor inventory and ensure adequate quantities and quality product is received.
• Provide telephone and in person customer support.
• Identify, determine and source parts required and then plan for delivery. Ensure freight costs are explored and the company's and customers best interest are always considered. All costs must be communicated with customers before orders are committed.
• Maintain an orderly workflow daily within the departments according to priorities. Task personnel daily to ensure efficiency.
• Input all sales orders and ensure all pricing is correct before submission to accounting.
• Create and maintain all transactions in the accounting software for your departments. This will include all tasks for service department and purchase orders/back orders from the parts department. Upper management must be kept informed always of any errors or issues within the software.
• Promptly determine, process and maintain warranty claims. Communicate with our warranty providers and customers accordingly. Once completed, submit to accounting.
• Ensure all work areas are clean, organized and safe. Familiarize yourself with fire and emergency procedures.
• Communicate with upper management to create a cohesive and professional environment.
• Attend any training as mandated and perform any other tasks as requested by management.
For the opportunity to be considered for this position, please submit your resume at www.positivelifeconcepts.com. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only applicants who have met the minimum qualifications will be considered and contacted. All resumes will be kept strictly confidential. We look forward to meeting you!


For over three decades St Helen's Plant have been an industry leader in Scaffolding Supplies, Scaffolding Systems & Bespoke Solutions, and main global distributor. We specialise in the supply of all widely used UK and international variations of Cuplok, Kwikstage, Ringlok and Trestle Systems.
We also provide wide range of Scaffolding Safety Products, Bespoke Scaffolding Solutions, Scaffolding Components, Tube, Boards and Fittings.
The Skills to Manufacture, the Power to Supply, on Demand!
Our UK based Manufacturing Plant handles orders of any size, from a single fitting to container load of Scaffold. We the ability to deliver within the UK in as little as 24hrs, (dependent on location) due to our many partner companies throughout Scotland, Ireland & England.
Renowned throughout the UK and oversea's for our dedication and commitment to Quality, Safety and Reliability.
Our range of Scaffolding Related Products is evolving and increasing daily, our workforce pride ourselves on engineering solutions. Bespoke specifications available on all of our products, please Contact Us for further details.
Scaffolding safety is a priority with St Helen's Plant and vastly overlooked on many construction sites across the UK and overseas, with over half of sites visited by the HSE failing on their inspection this year.
Whether your local, national or international our dedicated Deliveries & Exports team have the skills and experience to handle orders of any size, on demand. Quickly & efficiently, with guaranteed reliability.
Please Contact Us for further information on any of the products or details above, new website coming soon.


Part love story, part murder mystery, set on the cusp of the Second World War, Russell Banks' sharp-witted and deeply engaging new novel raises dangerous questions about class, politics, art, love, and madness-and explores what happens when two powerful personalities begin to break the rules.
Internationally known as much for his exploits and conquests as for his paintings themselves, Jordan's leftist loyalties seem suspiciously undercut by his wealth and upper-crust clientele. But for all his worldly swagger, Jordon is as staggered by Vanessa's beauty and charm as she is by his defiant independence. He falls easy prey to her electrifying personality, but it is not long before he discovers that the heiress carries a dark, deeply scarring family secret. Emotionally unstable from the start, and further unhinged by her father's unexpected death, Vanessa begins to spin wildly out of control, manipulating and destroying the lives of all who cross her path. The Reserve is a clever, incisive, and passionately romantic novel of suspense that adds a new dimension to this acclaimed author's extraordinary repertoire.


The Cabin Fever 100 Presented by JEGS.com kicked off fourth season of short track stock car racing for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. The premier template bodied / crate motored touring series in the country made their way to the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Springport Motor Speedway, located north of Jackson and south of Lansing in Springport, Michigan. A sunny and breezy afternoon greeted the great crowd on Sunday, May 4th and they were treated to a thrilling day of racing.
A strong 26-car starting field, some of the brightest stars in the country representing seven different states and one Canadian province, would give the fans of southern Michigan a thrilling show and they also witnessed a little bit of history in the process. At the end of the century distance event, 15-year-old J.J. Haley, a contender for the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title chase, took the lead from Dan Leeck on lap 78 and from there, the Winamac, Indiana teenager fought off Leeck and the rest of the field for his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour victory and became the first rookie driver in series history to start a season with a win.
"What a great weekend. This is so awesome. I wished we would've qualified better though. I told the team that we'd make it up in the race," The elated Hoosier State teenager stated in victory lane after climbing out of his #99 Braun Ability / Braun Auto Group / Chevrolet to a loud ovation by the fans. "The car was great all weekend long. I just made a mistake in qualifying so we had to start pretty far back in the field. I knew I just had to be patient and pass cars when I had the chance. I can't thank everyone enough. This is just great." He added.
16-year-old Cole Rouse, a contender for the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title, and Dan Leeck brought the stout field of cars to Chief Starter, Brian Duncan's green flag and after a complete restart, it would be Leeck edging Rouse heading into the first corner to grab the early lead. After a caution flag on lap seven, Dominique Van Wieringen, the 2012 Track Champion in the tracks Outlaw Super Late Models division, would restart next to Leeck and on the following green flag circuit, the 2013 Rookie of the Year Runner-Up would drive around Leeck to take over the top spot.
Van Wieringen would then proceed to set a torrid pace around the 3/8s mile building up her lead while J.J. Haley, who started 18th had already begun to methodically work his way through the field picking cars off one by one. At the halfway point, Van Wieringen earned the D.T.S. Drive Train Specialists Halfway Leader Award. By then, Haley would be in the top five. In the meantime, Leeck would lose second place to Trevor Berry, who was making his full fended stock car racing debut, worked his way past Leeck and the open-wheeled graduate set his sights on Van Wieringen.
Unfortunately for Berry on lap 62 an oil filter bypass blew out and he would lay oil down heading into turns three and four ending an otherwise impressive debut. After the red flag and ensuing cleanup, the next restart would see Leeck able to inch out ahead of Van Wieringen to reclaim the lead on lap 63. He brought Haley with him and the battle was on for the top spot. Haley would make the winning pass on lap 78 for the point, earning the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award and despite several late restarts, would cross the stripe first to earn his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour triumph in only his third career start.
"This is a great way to start the point's season. We really want the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie title," Haley continued amidst post-race celebrations around him. "We know now that we can also contend for the overall championship too. This is going to be fun and busy season." He ended. In addition to his win, Haley earned a slew of contingency awards in addition to the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award including the Five Star Racecar Bodies Hard-Charger Award as he advanced 17 positions from his 18th starting spot to earn the victory. He also won the first Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award and the Howe Racing Enterprises Rookie of the Race Award.
Leeck in his #12 Mr. Asphalt / Chevrolet started off the 2014 racing season in a big way by scoring a career high finish of second after leading on two occasions for a total of 22 laps. The 24-year-old, who finished third in the final 2013 points standings, collected the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award for never straying outside of the top three the entire race. He also picked up the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award for turning in the fastest overall lap of the event.
Rounding out the podium finishers and ironically making his JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour debut was veteran Steve Dorer in his #10 Racecar Engineering / Chevrolet. The 44-year-old, who originally resided just down the road from Springport in Coldwater, Michigan but now calls Lakeland, Florida home, started and finished third and never fell outside of the top five throughout the event. Dorer, who will return to the Great Lakes State for the summer starting in June, will make select appearances in 2014 in both JEGS/CRA and the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS.
Eric Lee, who earlier in the afternoon won his first career Boyne Machine Company Fast Qualifier Award, briefly fell outside of the top 10. But the 38-year-old Outlaw Super Late Models standout fought his way back to a career high fourth. The driver of the #5 Action Drywall / Ford also left Springport with the early season points lead thanks to his bonus points for fast time. Josh Nelms completed the top five in his #0 LisaThomasSalon.com / Ford. After spinning on lap 28 due to a right rear flat tire, the 38-year-old from Lockport, Illinois, who started 16th and worked his way up into the top 10, came back through the pack to a top five and earning the Hedman Hedders Husler Award for his efforts.
16-year-old Corey Deuser, the 2013 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year, finished sixth place over 19-year-old Dalton Armstrong. The second highest finishing 2014 rookie contender who also collected the second Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tires Performance Award for his 20th to seventh place run. Van Wieringen fought her way back to an eighth place finish after a spin with 26 laps to go while battling for second as David McManus also recovered from a late race spin to finish ninth. A third freshman, 16-year-old Tristan Van Wieringen, Dominique's younger brother, who won the Last Chance Race to transfer in, started 23rd and finished off the top 10 in his full-fendered stock car racing debut.
Earlier in the afternoon in Boyne Machine Company Qualifying, Eric Lee bested the 32-car field on the property with a 15.241 which measures out to 88.577mph. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Track Record at Springport Motor Speedway is a 15.109 which was set by 2012 Series Champion, Daniel Hemric back on July 1, 2012. His lap equaled out to an average speed of 89.351mph. In the 15-Lap Last Chance Race, T. Van Wieringen scored the win with a last lap pass on veteran Tommy Cook who also transferred in. Jerrod Foley, 16-year-old Jaxson Jacobs, older brother Marc Jacobs and 15-year-old Grant Quinlan were also added to the field based off of the 2013 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Owners Points Provisionals.
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will make the farthest trip west of the 2014 racing season for the richest paying race of the year. The immaculate 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Lebanon I-44 Speedway, located southwest of St. Louis in Lebanon, Missouri serves as hosts on Saturday, May 17th for the 2nd Annual Mercy Masters of the Pros 144 Presented by JEGS.com. In the series' only other appearance in 2013, now NASCAR Nationwide Series standout, Chase Elliott took home the green jacket after scoring the thrilling victory. There is also a Practice Day schedule for Friday, May 16th from 4:00-8:00p.m., Central Time.
Haley was the winner at Springport.


What bits do I need?
What initializations do I have to do?
Do you have any simple examples of embedding Mozilla?
Warning: This document is out of date. You should instead build XULRunner and use it for all new embedding. You should not need to, and should not, use embedding/config.
One of the requirements of building a SDK is the ability to identify and package up required files. Like that isn't totally obvious, nonetheless it has to be done. Here is that effort.
The XPInstall packager follows the same format. However in our case, we only have one named XPI package.
After the build is done, you can change directory into mozilla/embedding/config, and do a make. This will produce a directory in DIST named Embed. It should include all of the base support that you need to get a web browser started up.
Included is the sample test application (gtkEmbed or winEmbed).
Somewhere during the start of your application, you must initialize XPCOM. You will also want to shut this down when you quit.
Other initialization must be done to start up event queues and load some string bundles. All of this is somewhat generic and has been isolated into a static library that you can simply call on.
Pretty self-explanatory. The aPath parameter will be passed to NS_InitXPCOM. NS_InitEmbedding() must be called from the main thread of your application, otherwise it won't work.
There are many examples of products already using Gecko for embedding. Here's a partial list. The sections marked 'Mozilla Examples' refer to clients and sample code to be found within the Mozilla source tree.
SashXB: IBM uses Mozilla to implement part of their Sash development/desktop environment. Part of the GNOME effort.
GtkMozEmbed widget: Gtk widget wrapper for the Mozilla Gecko Engine.
TestGtkEmbed: Basic browser built with the GtkMozEmbed widget. URL location field, menu bar, html area, supports SSL.
Neoplanet browser: A Gecko add-on for the NeoPlanet browser.
NXZILLA: A set of libraries that allow Mozilla to be used with a NanoX server.
LLMozLib & uBrowser: a static library that allows you to embed Gecko and render pages to memory. Includes test applications that illustrate how to use it. Versions for Windows and Mac with Linux to follow.
mfcEmbed: Standard Mozilla embedding example application for win32. Basic browser, menus, toolbar, URLbar, html area.
winEmbed: Obsoleted by mfcEmbed. A bare-bones browser with URLbar and html area.
ActiveX control: An ActiveX control for Mozilla using the Gecko layout engine. More information at 1 and 2.
PPEmbed: Standard Mozilla sample application implemented with Metroworks' Powerplant.
Camino: A project aimed at delivering a best-of-breed browser on the Mac OS X platform. Camino uses Cocoazilla, a variant of Fizzilla that consists of a UNIX back end wed to a Cocoa front end.
Java Webclient: Provides a browser-neutral Java API that enables generic web browsing capability.
BrowserG!: A Java application that uses Webclient for HTML rendering and surfing capabilities.
If you find any missing item, please send me an email.


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Mobile Trigger
Voices of GFS
Actions for Equity
Campus Reopening Plan
A Quaker School
Application Process(opens in new window/tab)
Open House, Tours & Events(opens in new window/tab)
Tuition & Fees(opens in new window/tab)
Community Scholars Program
Request Information(opens in new window/tab)
Colloquia Remote Learning
Friends Free Library
International Student Program(opens in new window/tab)
Program & Philosophy
Athletics Live Stream
Facilities and Directions
Community Engagement Reimagined
Martin Luther King Day of Service
GFS Giving Day
Capital & Endowment Programs
PA Tax Credit Programs
Recurring Gifts
Report of Gifts 2019-20
Donate(opens in new window/tab)
Tier 3 Container
Treatments Container
Campus Container
What's cool about our campus is that it's spread out over seven acres in Philadelphia's historic neighborhood of Germantown. The buildings are an eclectic mix of old and new, a unique look and feel more consistent with a college campus. With three gyms, three auditoriums, a student center, numerous open, green spaces and nine classroom buildings, it's a place worthy of adoration and exploration. The Meetinghouse, at the center of it all, provides a beautiful and spiritual focal point.
1. Main Building 2. Meetinghouse 3. Sharpless 4. Hargroves 5. Wade Science Center 6. Alumni Building 7. Admissions 8. Living Graveyard 9. Dead Graveyard 10. Loeb Performing Arts Center 11. Smith Gym 12. Cary Building 13. Friends Free Library 14. Field House 15. Scattergood Gym
we have deep roots in this place
Values Container
The Pillars of A
Quaker Education
At GFS, students and teachers gather in Meeting for Worship once each week. This is a time for shared, silent contemplation. Anyone who feels moved to speak may rise and do so. It is a simple formula, and can be a remarkably powerful experience.In these days of constant connectivity, the ability and opportunity to sit in silence have special value. Meeting for Worship is a cornerstone of the GFS culture that many come to cherish throughout their lives.
speak the truth
We strive to deal fairly, equally and honestly with everyone. We aim to do as we say, reflecting our beliefs in our actions. even when it is inconvenient or challenging, we stand by our convictions, striving to lead lives of integrity.
Shine Together
We are all blessed with remarkable gifts. We are equally qualified to seek truth and to hear the voice of God. Every person deserves equal respect. For these reasons, we work against prejudice and discrimination and for equality.
"Alone we can do little; together we can do so much."* We know there is strength in cooperation and wisdom to be found when many perspectives come together. We believe in the power of community.*
The words of Helen Keller.
In every way we can, we try to minimize the distractions that can draw our attention from the important things in life. This means not becoming overwhelmed by the busyness of daily routine. It means seeking balance. It means embracing simplicity.
care for all
This planet we inhabit, the talents we've been given, the community of which we are a part- all hold remarkable value. We must be responsible, imaginative and proactive in protecting these gifts and caring for the world and people around us. We must exercise good stewardship.
We believe each life is precious and unique. We stand against war and violence and work to eliminate their root causes, including ignorance, racism, hatred and oppression. We are committed to creating peace.
Faces Container
Edit in Media Manager
There are a wide variety of extracurricular activities available to Lower School students, including private instrumental lessons and music ensembles; world language instruction; Early Risers; Animal Care; Lunch Art; and Math Club. Some of these activities occur in the morning, before school begins, some meet during lunch period, and some convene after school. Here are just a few examples of the programs that are offered:
Lunch Art
Tap into your inner Picasso!
Lunch Art is an informal program that will be offered periodically throughout the year as a time for students to catch up on class art projects. It is open to any grade level.
Early Risers
Wake up and get moving!
Early Risers is a voluntary intramural sports program which provides an opportunity for boys and girls to have fun while learning fundamental skills and playing in a cooperative team setting.
There are options for Basketball, Field Hockey and Lacrosse.
Early Risers meets one morning per week in the Field House and Scattergood Gym for two sessions: one in the late fall and the other before Spring Break. The program is led by members of the GFS coaching staff, with support from parent volunteers. There is a nominal fee to cover costs.
Puzzles, numbers, logic – oh, my!
Students are invited during lunch and recess to play math games, work on puzzles and solve logic problems. Some favorites of our students include: Math 24 Game, Kenken and Math Olympiad. This activity is voluntary and students are welcome to come as often as they like. The main idea is to make math fun!
Math Lunch is offered to third graders during a lunch period once a week. Students work together to solve the week's challenging math problem and build on each other's ideas, strategies and skills.
Let's make some music together!
Open to students in grades 1-5 who have been taking private lessons on an orchestral instrument for more than 1 year, by audition
Fall (October-December) and Spring (April-June)
Open to all fourth and fifth graders; no experience is required.
For more information about private instrumental music lessons at GFS, please click here.
Help take care of our science room animals!
This program provides students in the fifth grade with the opportunity to learn care and feeding skills for the animals in the science rooms. Students come from 8-8:30 a.m. during their appointed time, and care for a chosen animal, often with a partner, for three to four days at a time, then switch to another animal. All students are encouraged to sign up for this program; second turns are only granted once everyone who wishes to participate has had a chance.
A Quaker, Coed, Independent Day School for Preschool through Grade 12
Footer Container
215.951.2300/31 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144


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Astros: Previewing the Red Sox series with Buster Olney
Jun 14, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) celebrates with catcher Brian McCann (16) after scoring a run during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
Interview with Buster Olney.
Jun 14, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick (6) celebrates with shortstop Carlos Correa (1) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
The two teams seem to be somewhat comparable, but I wanted to talk with ESPN's Buster Olney about the Stros vs. Sox matchup this weekend.
CTH: Which team has the most staying power?
Olney: The Astros are the ones you have to pick because of the lead in the division and how tough the AL East is. The Red Sox have a much bigger challenge, the Yankees are pretty good and add at the deadline. Toronto will play better. I wonder if at some point the Rangers will waive the white flag and the Angels are not going to go in big. With that in mind, I think the Astros would the most dangerous come October.
CTH: Have the Red Sox adjusted to life without David Ortiz yet?
Olney: I think they have to a point, you will never replace what he was last year, one of the best hitters in baseball. Even if he came back, would he still have been that player? Looking forward, they need to add some left-handed hitters. If the Royals ever get to a point to where they are ready to sell, the Red Sox could go after Mike Moustakas. They miss his power. You can see that with them being last in the AL in homers.
CTH: What do the Astros need to do at the trade deadline?
Olney: Starting pitching, starting pitching, and starting pitching. They are in an interesting position. It reminds me of where the Cubs were last year. Everyone knew by mid-June that the Cubs would make the playoffs. The Cubs decided to spend heavily on a guy that they thought would help them win the World Series in Aroldis Chapman. The only difference is that there are more pitchers potentially on the market this year.
If you are the Astros, you think that you are most likely to be in the postseason. So how heavily do you invest in a starting pitcher? The only difference is that there are more pitchers potentially on the market this year. So no doubt about it, the Astros will go after someone like Sonny Gray, less likely Gerrit Cole, or maybe a rental or two who will be free agents. Someone like Jason Vargas of the Royals.
I think they will try to get one or two guys. I don't think teams are obligated to tell us everything about injuries, like a Dallas Keuchel situation going on right now. Now I also reserve the right to wonder if there is something more than what they are telling us. By telling us the symptoms, I have to wonder what the source of the problems are.
CTH: Tell us a little more about Sonny Gray.
Olney: We have seen Houston and Oakland matchup before with a trade and Billy Beane is one of the few GM's who would consider a trade of significance to trade within the division. I think Oakland would be motivated to move him today while the Pirates may wait a while.
This past offseason, the Astros, and White Sox talked about Jose Quintana. However, within the Astros organization, some questions have been raised this year with him not pitching well. I spoke to Sonny (Gray) the other day, and he looks really good. His fastball velocity is up, and he's using a slider this year, and he's got his curveball back. He's closer to being what he was a few years ago and remember, he has postseason experience. (He talked more about Quintana that I will include later)
CTH: What about Aoki, will he be on the Astros roster all year?
Olney: It depends on injuries and trades. How does he fit on this roster? When you see the potential of what Derek Fisher can do if he's not in one of these trades they make. You have to wonder if they would prefer the bat with the thump in it versus a guy who puts the ball in play.
They also have to think of a postseason roster, and Aoki off the bench versus a National League is pretty attractive.
CTH: With the teams as they are, which team would you have winning in a potential ALDS?
Olney: It will depend on Keuchel for me. What would Keuchel and McCullers status at the time? I think the Astros can go toe-to-toe with the Red Sox pitchers assuming those guys are okay. If not, it becomes a different situation. I think Chris Sale in the playoffs will be amazing. He's a man on a mission this year. After Sale, the Red Sox have big questions about their rotation. We don't know how David Price's command will be at the time.
CTH: What do you think of the Astros bullpen?
Olney: That's why I see the Astros going out to get a guy to go deeper into games to protect this bullpen for the playoffs. Extra innings were thrown by relievers in June and July always seemingly manifests itself in October. With the current rotation, Keuchel and McCullers are the guys to go seven innings plus in their starts. While the rest of them, they tell them to throw as hard as you can for five innings. That's what they told Morton to do at the beginning of the year and how they feel about Musgrove too.
CTH: Which matchup are you most intrigued about for this weekend's series?
Olney: After Pomeranz start last Sunday night I'm glad we don't have him again this week, he takes so much time in between pitches. The most interesting matchup is Musgrove versus Price, not because it's the Sunday Night Baseball game of the week. Because of the uncertainty surrounding Price. He has the biggest contract of any pitcher in history in terms of total value of it.
Year 2 and there are already questions about him. He's been really mediocre this year, and I'm curious to see how he pitches and be better. The Red Sox success will depend on if Price pitches better. With their offense, they can win, but they need better production from Price.
CTH: Can the Astros offense defeat the three pitchers they will face this weekend?
Olney: Oh yeah, they have the most dynamic and athletic offense that is so well balanced. Give credit to Jeff (Luhnow) for targeting the players he did. To go out and add Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann, even if Beltran is not hitting as they expected. The impact that he has had on the other players is all they talk about.
When the Astros got off to such a great start, the offense wasn't clicking as well as they hoped, but Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and George Springer started to heat up later.
CTH: Thanks for taking the time Buster to talk to me.
Thanks to Buster Olney and the ESPN staff who reached out to me to set up this interview. Being able to talk to a guy of his stature was nerve-wracking but fun.
Next: Derek Fisher makes an early case to stay with the Astros.
Don't forget to watch to watch the Astros play the Red Sox on Sunday on ESPN. Listen to Dan Shulman with analysts Jessica Mendoza and Aaron Boone. Olney will be reporting from the sidelines. This will be a good series to watch between two of the top all-around teams in baseball.
***Stats from Baseball-Reference and ESPN's team stats page***


Here's a cheat sheet on this year's new Oreos.
Oreos are as much of a classic as apple pie, yet Nabisco is constantly on the search for new, quirky flavors. While the flavors are sometimes questionable (like Swedish Fish and Waffles and Syrup), the next few flavors will pleasantly surprise you. Oreo dropped the news at the Sweets and Snacks Expo late last month, and each of these new Oreos are based on a favorite dessert (other than the cookie itself). You'll want to add at least one of them, if not all, to your summer bucket list.
After a series of pie turned Oreos—Blueberry Pie Oreos, Apple Pie Oreos, Mississippi Mud Pie Oreos, and Key Lime Pie Oreos— it looks like Nabisco is returning to the classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. These Oreos are a half-and-half combination of peanut butter and chocolate creme on a graham cracker-flavored cookie.
According to food reviewer @junkbanter, they're slightly more peanut butter-y than chocolate-y and they almost taste like Nutter Butters. They can be found at Walmart and Target.
Personally, I'm pretty excited to try Pistachio Oreo Thins. I'm envisioning some delicious pistachio gelato combined with Oreo cookies, and I can't wait. In @junkbanter's review of these Oreos, he started out by skeptically criticizing the them. But once he had a bite, he was sold. They taste more like pistachio ice cream over the actual nut. They wrote, "It's a full-bodied, in-your-face flavor that hits you in the face right away. But it's smooth, and it's remarkable…" See? I told you they'd be delicious. You can also find these at Walmart or Target.
In a new spin on the chocolate Oreo, these will add a few fun textures and bits to change it all up. The Rocky Road flavor features marshmallow bits inside the cookie with rocky road ice cream flavored creme. You'll want to try these ASAP once they hit stores this summer.
And for the very last summer Oreo, we have these Micky Mouse birthday cake Oreos. ICYMI, this year will be Micky Mouse's 90th anniversary, and as tribute, Nabisco has created these blasts from the past. The best part? The cookies are decorated with three different Mickey Mouse designs encasing birthday cake-flavored creme.
As a picky eater, I tend to air on the more cautious side with new flavors. Personally, however, I'm all about the Pistachio Thins; @junkbanter called the pistachio creme "one of the best cremes [Nabisco] has ever produced." There are truly some bizarre ones out there, but all of these actually sound quite delicious. Keep an eye out for them on store shelves in 2018.


The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the acute kinematic, kinetic, and blood lactate responses to continuous and intraset rest loading schemes that differed in terms of rest frequency but not total rest duration. Nine male subjects performed an isoinertial bench press task (6 repetition maximum load) with a continuous, an intraset rest equated by total rest time, volume, and load (ISRV), and an intraset rest equated by total rest time and load (ISRR) loading scheme. The scheme order was assigned in a block-randomized order with a minimum of 48 hours of recovery between testing sessions. Attached to the bar of the Smith machine was a linear position transducer that measured vertical displacement with an accuracy of 0.01 cm. Displacement data was sampled at 1,000 Hz and collected by a laptop computer running custom-built data acquisition software. Finger prick blood lactate samples were taken from the nondominant hand before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 5, 15 and 30 minutes after exercise. Blood glucose samples were taken be- fore exercise only. It was observed that manipulating the rest period, by increasing the frequency but decreasing the length of each rest period, did not significantly influence the kinematics and kinetics associated with resistance training, but did have an effect on the postexercise blood lactate response when the load, rest duration, and training volume were equated (ISRV). This finding may be of practical significance if fatigue is important in strength development or conversely if power training requires minimal fatigue. It was also observed that increasing the frequency of the rest period enabled the subjects to perform a greater number of repetitions (ISRR), resulting in significantly greater kinematics, kinetics, and blood lactate accumulation.