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Archive for the 'Michael Shanks' Category
MOVIE: Elysium (2013)
After watching this movie and pondering it for a few weeks (what, I've been busy!), the best word I can come up with to describe it is the word COOL.
This sci-fi fable about the haves and the have-nots in the year 2154 is cool-looking and it's packed with some very cool ideas. The main character is even a little Fonz. But it's also cool as in "more or less unemotional." And I have a few theories as to why.
Matt Damon plays ex-con Max, living on a dusty, desperate Earth and struggling to put his life right after getting out of the slammer, when he gets a toxic dose of radiation and is given 5 days to live. DANG!
As a kid, he'd stared up at Elysium, a spinning space station just above Earth where all the rich people live, and longed to go there and be rich too. Since, in addition to buckets of money, they also have these machines that cure every medical problem, Max decides there's no time like the present, it's just a question of HOW. The government of Elysium certainly isn't going to let some random, scuzzy foreigner aboard. God, he might breathe on them or something!
The "how" part turns out to be a shady partnership with a criminal named Spider, who outfits Max with a brutally installed robotic exoskeleton (Blomkamp loves robotic exoskeletons), the logistics of which made very little sense to me (it's installed over his clothes, which is going to make showering AND pooping kind of tricky, though maybe we don't have to poop anymore in 2154?). This will keep Max moving (and give him crazy robot strength) long enough for him to catch a nasty CEO from Elysium they know is coming to Earth, stick a metal doo-dad in his head, and download all the Elysium systems info from his brain. That's a config.sys file worth its weight in gold — they can use it to hack the Elysium computers, make every Earthling an official Elysium citizen, move everybody up there, and let somebody else mow their damn lawns for a change.
The problem with the plan is, well, you know, the plan. For one thing, you should never count on computers when death is on the line (also: don't go up against Sicilians). And also, I just really feel like installing a data port with direct access to your brain is a bad idea in general. Especially if the operation panel for that data port is located on the BACK of your head. This didn't really become an issue, but it probably should have.
Anyway. Everything goes wrong, natch, and Max ends up needing medical attention, which, wonder of wonders!, he receives from his childhood girlfriend, who, wonder of wonders some more!, has a young daughter dying of cancer. IF ONLY THERE WERE A WAY SHE COULD BE CURED! You can see where this is headed.
And that's the problem with this movie. It is a spectacle, for sure — visually stunning, fast-paced, and very entertaining. But man, was it ever predictable, not to mention obnoxiously heavy on the "assuming the audience is too dumb to understand metaphors" thing. Yes, yes, we get it: class struggle, the immigration situation, hippos need friends too, CHECK. We're not morons, man.
Even worse, though, is the fact that while I was thoroughly entertained until the final moments, when those final moments finally hit, the first thing I thought to myself was, "Wow, that was fun. . . and I feel nothing." Which is pretty weird, really, because not everybody who starts the movie gets to end it, and that ought to have triggered some kind of emotion, right? It usually does, anyway. But it didn't here, and, for me anyway, Max's old girlfriend is to blame for it. That character, her daughter, and that entire storyline got in the way of the movie more than they contributed to it. There wasn't enough time to strongly establish an authentic emotional bond — all the flashbacks to childhood in the world aren't going to result in instant believable chemistry between two people in the present, and not only did I not care about their relationship, I didn't care about her or her daughter either. Or Max, really, for that matter. I mean, he's a nice guy, but his character is kind of a dime a dozen in sci-fi action movies, know what I mean?
Also, for the record: Jodie Foster WTF? The only good thing about her in this film is her butt (which, incidentally, looked truly amazing in that suit).
Lastly, there were a lot of things in this movie that didn't make much sense. I don't want to get too nitpicky here because, after all, it's sci-fi, not sci-fact. But let's take, for example, those all-healing medical pods. They can put a guy back together whose head was literally blown to smithereens, but they can't help the guy whose brain gets damaged by a data download? Why is that? <– Rhetorical question, because we already know the answer is "The first guy needed to come back to life for the plot to work, and the second guy needed to die for the same reason." Man, I hate it when that happens.
Additionally, the rebel plan appears to be shipping everyone from Earth to Elysium — equality at last! But if we send everybody up to Elysium, doesn't Elysium just turn into Earth? I mean, you can't magically fix dystopia with a change of scenery, even if that scenery features perfectly cut grass. Speaking of which, I also found it hard to imagine why anybody would want to live on Elysium in the first place. It's like Stepford Circle up there, first of all, and immortality in a land of perfection sounds like the boringest thing of all time. I mean, I'm impatient with life already, and I'm only 39! Just imagine if you had to go live on a space station with a few hundred thousand Kevin Costners and Nicole Kidmans. Would YOU want to get in that medical pod? Me neither.
Anyway, my point is that this movie is really, really entertaining. It is! I swear! But that's about all there is to it. It's big and blasty and exciting and ROBOT EXOSKELETONS!, but there's no meat to it at all, and the meat substitute Blomkamp tries to shove down our throats in lieu of actual meat is just. . . blech. As meat substitutes tend to be.
[Prequeue at Netflix | View trailer]
Genre: Sci-fi (not Sci-FACT!)
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, Michael Shanks
Tags:Science Fiction
Posted in Matt Damon, Michael Shanks, Movie reviews | 4 Comments »
MOVIE: Arctic Blast (2010)
So, I recently saw both The Descendants with George Clooney and The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep. They were both pretty much exactly what I was expecting (brilliant and quirky for the first, fascinating and somewhat morally complicated for the second). For some reason, though, possibly that I feel they've already been reviewed half to death, I just haven't felt like writing about either of them. Suffice it to say, what you've already heard: very true. Whatever it was.
THIS movie, on the other hand, warrants the full treatment. Why? Because it's SO much more fun to review good-bad movies than it is to review good-good ones. So much more to mock! So much more to dissect! So much more incredibly crappy CGI to marvel over!
Now, obviously, I recently spent some time with my mother — long-time readers of this site will recognize Arctic Blast as a hallmark Meg + Mom movie. She was down for the weekend a week ago and we found this gem on Netflix streaming and sat down to give it a shot.
As you may be aware, disaster movies always follow the same format, and this one is no exception to the rules. What makes a disaster movie good-bad versus bad-bad though, is what the writer and director do with the characters, how tolerable the acting is, and whether the science makes ANY sense whatsoever (we will often settle for the science ATTEMPTING to make any sense whatsoever, though).
First: the formula.
Disaster movies usually have the same set two primary characters: a very smart scientist coupled with either a political or military official. As each film opens, the scientist discovers an impending disaster of some sort and tries to report it, only to be foiled by the official, a character my Mom and I simply refer to as "The Mayor of Amity" character (Jaws fans know what I'm talking about here), who will refuse to accept whatever the scientist has said and claim said scientist is either incompetent or trying to make trouble.
Then, of course, the disaster will strike, the scientist will offer to assist, the Mayor of Amity will tell him they already have it under control, the Mayor's plan will fail miserably, the Mayor will beg the scientist for help at the last minute, the scientist will put his plan into action, and the world will be saved.
In the case of Arctic Blast, the disaster is a sudden disintegration of the protective ozone layer over Australia, caused by a solar eclipse (which, what??). The hole lets escape a blast of sub-zero temperatures from the atmospheric level just above it, striking the Earth and flash-freezing anything in its path. When the scientist, Jack Tate (played by Michael Shanks), tries to warn Australian officials, the dude in charge, Winslaw (Bruce Davison from the X-Men movies) tells him what he's saying is absolutely ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever (I would tend to agree, but that's beside the point here).
Then the arctic blast kills two teenagers on a beach, nearly taking Jack's daughter along with them and making it impossible for Mayor of Amity Winslaw to continue to ignore the impending doom. As the hole begins to widen and more and more of Australia freezes to death, Winslaw finally tells the public to brace themselves for a devastating "cold snap" (putting it mildly) and has his people draw up a plan involving a multi-rocket strike to close the hole.
WHICH, fails miserably, of course, WHICH leads him to beg Jack to come up with a better plan. WHICH he does. WHICH works. WHICH saves the planet. Roll credits.
Though it may SOUND like a bad-bad movie, Mom and I rated this one as undeniably good-bad instead. The acting is passable (Shanks and Davison are both talented dudes, and, of course, Shanks is an Ex-Boyfriend of the Week to boot) and the writer put in just enough science to make it all seem moderately well thought-out, but not so much we were sitting there rolling our eyes and/or pausing the movie periodically to look at each other and go, "HUH?"
All in all, this was an entertaining addition to the ever-growing, never-ceasing, always-popular disaster genre. ("Always popular?" you ask. Yes! A Hollywood Video manager once told us these types of low-budget disaster films were among the most-rented flicks in her store!) And old fans of Stargate SG-1 will enjoy seeing Shanks in a similar role — the gentle, passionate nerd. Thumbs up!
[Netflix it (available on Watch Now only)]
Genre: DISASTER!
Cast: Michael Shanks, Alexandra Davies, Bruce Davison, Indiana Evans
Tags:Disaster
Posted in Michael Shanks, Movie reviews | 1 Comment »
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Exeter City kick-off the new season at home to Cambridge United on Saturday.
The Grecians, who reached the League Two play-off final last season, will be looking to go one better this time around and have an almost fully-fit squad to choose from for the opening match.
Only summer signing Dean Moxey is a doubt having missed a few weeks of pre-season training. However, Tis is not ruling out the former Derby County and Crystal Palace defender, who has rejoined his hometown club, from playing a part.
City face a stern opening test in Cambridge United. They beat City twice last season and have strengthened considerably in the summer.
"I'm expecting a tough challenge," said Tis. "They have got a very similar set-up and a manager who has been there from last season and understands his team and has been able to improve it where he wanted to.
The IP Office Stand is sold out for the match against Cambridge United, meaning there is only standing tickets available in the Thatchers Big Bank, the largest standing terrace in the football league, and famous for its atmosphere!
Tickets should still be available to purchase on the day, but the club is advising that supporters purchase tickets in advance. You can do this by the clicking on the following link.
Hospitality is also available for these and all home fixtures. To enjoy a city match in style email: commercial@ecfc.co.uk or call 01392 413957 for further information or to book.
THANK YOU to our matchday sponsor, RGB Building Supplies.
For more information on them visiting the following page.
We have an extensive range of sponsorship opportunities. For more information contact Jake Wood at Exeter City at jake.wood@ecfc.co.uk.
The away terrace and the Stagecoach Family Stand will not be open to supporters for Saturday's game due to the redevelopment work at the club.
All entry for home fans will be via the Stadium Way turnstiles into the IP Office Main Stand or the Thatchers Big Bank. There will be no entry possible from the Jungle Path/Well Street side on to the Thatchers Big Bank.
For more information read the following article.
The Grecian was voted fourth best programme in the country and second best in League Two for the 2016/17 season by Soccer Club Swap Shop.
However, not content with a fourth-placed finish, the programme has undergone a redesign. Make sure you pick up a copy of The Grecian for £3 for an in-depth interview with David Wheeler, a guide to the visitors and a talk with title winner Chris Vinnicombe on his first, best and worst moments in an Exeter City shirt.
Exeter City's Football in the Community charity has been relaunched as CITY Community Trust. The game of the season is being used to inform fans of this name change, with players warming up in CITY Community Trust t-shirts before the match and special double page spread in the programme being featured on the charity's work.
For more information on the name change click on the following page.
The new Junior Grecians family zone will be open to its members from 12.30pm on Saturday and then to the general public from 1.30pm. The zone has video consoles, large TV screens, a refreshments stall and table football.
Our mascots for today's game are the following: Riley Edwards, Eddy Gray, Oliver Tuckett, Louis Parker, Quinn George Elliott, Evan Hunt and Jake Rickards.
Read their profiles on page 13 of the matchday programme. If you would like to be a matchday mascot at one of our games contact our operations manager Andy Gillard via email at andy.gillard@ecfc.co.uk.
The club shop will be open from 11am to 5pm on matchdays and will be selling our new Flybe-inspired third kit. The club shop is located in Red Square, at the back of the IP Office Stand.


United representatives are in Lisbon trying to thrash out a deal for William Carvalho according to reports.
Manchester United have reacted quickly to the recent news that Chelsea were ready to enter the race for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, with Portuguese outlet Zero Zero reporting that representatives from Old Trafford are meeting with his club to try and thrash out a deal for the talented young holding player.
United had been believed to be the most likely destination for the Angolan-born 22 year-old for most of the summer, but with news breaking that Chelsea were ready to step up their interest in Carvalho, it seems as though United have been forced into action if they want the Portuguese international to be the long-term partner to new signing Ander Herrera in a rejuvenated United midfield.
Despite playing the majority of his senior football in loan spells at Fatima and Cercle Brugge, Carvalho showed enough in his first full season in the first team at Sporting Lisbon to suggest that his position as one of Europe's most highly rated young defensive midfielders was not an unreasonable billing for him to have been given.
It is unsurprising that Carvalho looks to be moving on, with Sporting having fallen behind Portuguese rivals Benfica and FC Porto in recent years when it comes to the financial clout needed to hold on to their better players for longer and also bring in the next generation of young stars.


Good deals on new Apple products on Amazon? This really is the weirdest timeline.
Apple now sells its own products on Amazon (to the eventual dismay of third-party sellers), and much to my personal surprise, we're already seeing some fine deals on MacBooks on Amazon as a result. Nor are these the scrimpy non-deals you'll usually find on Apple's own site. Today for instance, you can get the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro for an impressive $300 off.
For Apple, that's not bad, and I seriously doubt you'll find deals like this once Apple reveals the specifics of its own secretive four-day Black Friday event.
This particular model has a 2.6GHz 6-core Core i7 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. All in all, it's a pretty well-rounded device. With the discount, you're getting it for $2,199, down from the usual price of $2.499. We've seen that kind of pricing from other retailers for Black Friday, but it's a bit of a surprise to find it technically coming from Apple itself.
If you want to save a little cash, Apple is also selling last year's 12-inch MacBook with 512GB of storage for $300 off as well. That's a good price for a highly portable device, but the catch is that you can only get it in gold. Act quickly, though, as there were only a couple left in stock at the time of writing.
You'll find other Apple deals on Amazon today as well—such as at least $100 off a 21-inch iMac or $200 off the larger 27-inch model—and we expect more deals from Apple to pop up from Amazon in the coming days.
Amazon is far from the only retailer where you'll find good deals on Apple devices this week, so we've compiled a handy guide to point you toward the best prices we've seen so far. We'll keep it updated as the week goes on.


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CWE Program Manager Robert A. Martin conducted a 10-minute podcast interview with BankInfoSecurity.com about CWE, CVE, and Making Security Measurable at Black Hat Briefings 2007. It is one of nine interviews from the event available at http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/podcasts.php?podcastID=53 (sign-up is required), or you may play or download the podcast now from the CWE Web site.
CWE was mentioned in an August 2, 2007 article entitled "Black Hat: NSA guru lauds security intelligence sharing" in Computerworld. The article, which was written by Matt Hines, originally appeared in InfoWorld on August 1, 2007.
CWE was mentioned in an August 1, 2007 article entitled "NSA guru lauds security intelligence sharing" in InfoWorld. The main topic of the article was the keynote speech by National Security Agency Vulnerability Analysis and Operations Group Chief Tony Stager at Black Hat Briefings 2007 about how "U.S. government initiatives aimed at fostering the sharing of security intelligence throughout the federal space are helping to establish the community atmosphere and best practices necessary to help those agencies -- and private enterprises -- improve their network and applications defenses..." that mentioned the CWE and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) projects.
CWE is first mentioned in the article as follows: "A major element of the vision is pushing for standards that translate security intelligence into language that any organization can interpret, said Sager. He highlighted the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) project -- an effort aimed at creating a common language for identifying software vulnerabilities that is backed by the Department of Homeland Security and nonprofit Mitre -- as one example of the types of standards that are delivering on the NSA's goal."
CWE is mentioned again when the author states: "Robert Martin, head of Mitre's CVE (Common Vulnerability Exposures) compatibility effort and a contributor to the CWE initiative, said that momentum is building behind his organization's guidelines and helping many government and private entities to better understand and share their own practices. "With all these different pieces that are coming together, we are standardizing the basic concepts of security themselves as well as methods for reviewing and improving computing and networking systems," said Martin. "I see a future where a tapestry of tools, procedures, and processes are built over time that recognize and address the common problems that exist among all these constituencies." Martin said that Mitre's efforts to add new security policy frameworks will continue to improve as they mature and even more parties begin to contribute their intelligence to the initiatives.
CWE was mentioned in a June 26, 2007 article entitled "New tool for testing application security: Standards-based system to rate vulnerabilities" on Computerworld. The main topic of the article was Veracode, Inc.'s new Software Security Rating Service for assessing and identifying the severity and exploitability of software flaws.
CWE is mentioned when the author states: "To support its ratings service -- which customers can use to test the code of their own homegrown applications or those of third-party providers -- the company built a scoring system based on the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification, which has been forwarded by federally funded IT security watchdog Mitre, as well as the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System), which has been piloted by the FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams) industry group."
Veracode is a member of the CWE Community page and its SecurityReview assessment service is listed in the CWE Compatibility and Effectiveness section. The article was written by Matt Hines and is a reprint of the article originally posted on Infoworld as noted below.
CWE was mentioned in a a June 25, 2007 article entitled "Veracode debuts system to test binary code: Standards-based method would allow enterprises to scan programs' binary code for problems before they are put into production" on Infoworld. The main topic of the article was Veracode, Inc.'s new Software Security Rating Service for assessing and identifying the severity and exploitability of software flaws.
CWE is mentioned when the author states: "To support its ratings service — which customers can use to test the code of their own homegrown applications or those of third-party providers — the company built a scoring system based on the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification, which has been forwarded by federally funded IT security watchdog Mitre, as well as the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System), which has been piloted by the FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams) industry group."
Veracode is a member of the CWE Community page and its SecurityReview assessment service is listed in the CWE Compatibility and Effectiveness section. The article was written by Matt Hines.
CWE was mentioned in a June 25, 2007 news release by Veracode, Inc. entitled "Veracode Answers Industry Call For Security Insight with Industry's First Software Security Ratings Service" about their new Software Security Rating Service for assessing and identifying the severity and exploitability of software flaws.
CWE is first mentioned as being part of the foundation of the new service: "Veracode's Software Security Rating Service is based on respected industry standards including MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) for classification of software weaknesses and FIRST's Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) for severity and ease of exploitability." CWE is mentioned again when the release quotes CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey, who states: "We are pleased that Veracode, the first organization to declare Common Weakness Enumeration compatibility for CWE Coverage, CWE Output and CWE Searchable, is committed to promoting standards such as CWE. Early adopters such as Veracode play an important role in bringing clarity to the application security space for their customers."
Veracode is a member of the CWE Community page and its SecurityReview assessment service is listed in the CWE Compatibility and Effectiveness section.
CWE was mentioned in an April 16, 2007 article entitled "Analysis: Automated Code Scanners" in Network Computing. The main focus of the article is that "...makers of automated source-code analysis tools are shifting their focus from commercial software vendors to enterprises. They say adopting their tools will let your developers build more secure software and meet the compliance burden. But are they up to the job?" The remainder of the article is a discussion of the author's review of "three popular static source-code analyzers," Fortify SCA (Source Code Analysis) 4.0, Klocwork K7.5 and Ounce Labs' Ounce 4.1.
CWE is mentioned in a section of the article entitled "Getting to the source" in reference to the "Vulnerability Type Distributions in CVE" white paper by CVE List Editor and CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey when the author states: "In particular, arithmetic vulnerabilities, such as integer overflows and type conversions, were usually missed or detected only at confidence levels that included an extremely high ratio of false positives. We found this a bit disconcerting given the growing trend in reports of these vulnerabilities--in fact, integer overflows rose to the No. 2 position in OS vendor advisories in 2006, just behind buffer overflows, according Mitre's October Common Weakness Enumeration report (cwe.mitre.org/documents/vuln-trends/index.html#overall_trends)."
The article was written by Justin Schuh.
CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey was quoted in a March 29, 2007 article entitled "Developers' secure-coding skill put to the test" on The Register about the National Secure Programming Skills Assessment (NSPSA) Examination that will allow government and industrial employers to measure how well their programmers know how to avoid security errors in code they write. The author first references Christey, who is also editor of the CVE List, as follows: "Much of the problem is because computer programmers are not trained in secure programming methods in college courses, said Steve Christey, editor of the Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) Project at MITRE." The author also quotes a written statement by Christey, who states: "Most educational institutions have failed to teach the most fundamental skills in making secure products. There needs to be a revolution." The article, which was written by Robert Lemos, also notes that the "[NSPSA] exam will be piloted in August in Washington D.C. and then rolled out worldwide during the remainder of 2007."
CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey was quoted in a March 28, 2007 article entitled "Groups team to test secure-coding skill" on SecurityFocus about the National Secure Programming Skills Assessment (NSPSA) Examination that will allow government and industrial employers to measure how well their programmers know how to avoid security errors in code they write. The author first references Christey, who is also editor of the CVE List, as follows: "Much of the problem is because computer programmers are not trained in secure programming methods in college courses, said Steve Christey, editor of the Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) Project at MITRE." The author also quotes a written statement by Christey, who states: "Most educational institutions have failed to teach the most fundamental skills in making secure products. There needs to be a revolution." The article, which was written by Robert Lemos, also notes that the "[NSPSA] exam will be piloted in August in Washington D.C. and then rolled out worldwide during the remainder of 2007."
CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey was quoted in a March 27, 2007 article entitled "SANS: New exam program about more secure code" on TechTarget.com about the National Secure Programming Skills Assessment Examination that will allow government and industrial employers to measure how well their programmers know how to avoid security errors in code they write. The author describes CVE as "[a program that] monitors all security vulnerabilities on behalf of the federal government" and includes a quote by Christey, who is also CVE List Editor, that the exam program was long overdue: "After reviewing more than 7,000 vulnerabilities in 2006 alone, one thing becomes crystal clear: Most of these vulnerabilities could be found very easily, using techniques that require very little expertise. In my CVE work, I regularly interact with vendors who are surprised to hear of vulnerabilities in their products. They react with the classic stages of shock, denial, anger, bargaining, and finally, acceptance." The article was written by Bill Brenner.
CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey was quoted mentioned in a March 26, 2007 article entitled "Coalition Aims To Nip Software Bugs In The Bud" in InformationWeek about the National Secure Programming Skills Assessment Examination that will allow government and industrial employers to measure how well their programmers know how to avoid security errors in code they write. Christey, who is also CVE List Editor, states: "After reviewing more than 7,000 vulnerabilities in 2006 alone, one thing becomes crystal clear. Most of these vulnerabilities could be found very easily, using techniques that require very little expertise. In my CVE work, I regularly interact with vendors who are surprised to hear of vulnerabilities in their products. They react with the classic stages of shock, denial, anger, bargaining, and finally, acceptance." A second quote mentions that most colleges and universities don't teach programmers how to write secure code: "There needs to be a revolution. Secure programming examinations will help everyone draw the line in the sand, to say 'No more,' and to set minimum expectations for the everyday developer." The article was written by Sharon Gaudin.
CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey was referenced in a March 26, 2007 blog article entitled "Security Fix: They Say They Want a Revolution" on WashingtonPost.com about the National Secure Programming Skills Assessment Examination that will allow government and industrial employers to measure how well their programmers know how to avoid security errors in code they write. Christey, who is also CVE List Editor, is referenced as follows: "Educational institutions churn out computer science degrees to fresh faced graduates bursting with new ideas and skills to match, but how well do they hammer home the need to write software securely? Judging from the massive number of software vulnerabilities found each year, not very well at all. MITRE Corp., a nonprofit company maintaining one of the most authoritative catalogs of software security vulnerabilities, tracked more than 7,000 software security flaws in 2006, many of them Web application holes. Steve Christy, editor of MITRE's common vulnerability enumeration (CVE) database, said most of those bugs could have been found and squashed "very easily, using techniques that require very little expertise."
CWE was mentioned in a March 19, 2007 article entitled "All for one, but not one for all" in Government Computer News. The main focus of the article is a National Security Agency (NSA) study of the effectiveness of vulnerability assessment tools, which found that "Organizations trying to automate the process of testing software for vulnerabilities have no choice but to deploy a multitude of tools." The author quotes Kris Britton, technical director at NSA's Center for Assured Software, in describing the results: "No tool stands out as an uber-tool. Each [of the point solution tools] has its strengths and weaknesses."
CWE is mentioned in a discussion about how agreement on what a software weakness is will help the industry in its "quest to find a comprehensive, automated systems analysis of vulnerabilities." The author states: "Mitre Corp. has made some progress on developing a common language for software vulnerabilities, with its initial list of common vulnerabilities and exposures, (CVE) and more recently, the common weakness enumeration (CWE)." He also notes that "CVE includes a list of 20,000 vulnerabilities; CWE includes 600 categories of vulnerabilities." CWE is also mentioned in a quote by Ryan Berg, chief scientist at Ounce Labs, who states: "CVE is a database of vulnerabilities definitions and descriptions [and] CWE is an effort at coming up with a common taxonomy for describing what a particular vulnerability is." CWE is mentioned a third time in a quote by Mike Kass, software assurance project leader at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who states that the point of CWE is to "enable more effective discussion, description, selection, and use of software security tools. [Still] There is little overlap among tools regarding what they claim to catch in the CWE. This creates questions for purchasers of tools regarding the tool's purported effectiveness and usefulness." The author also notes that: "More than 50 vendors are participating in the [CWE] effort." The article was written by Peter A. Buxbaum.
CWE was the main topic of a March 17, 2007 article entitled "CWE defect dictionary hopes to make analyzing code analysis vendor claims easier" on g2zero. The article describes what CWE is, lists the organizations involved, states that CWE is "Not just a dictionary, but a way to rate source code analysis tools," and comments that it will be interesting to monitor the impact of CWE on the industry. The article is essentially a review of the article by CWE Program Manager Robert A. Martin in the March 2007 issue of CrossTalk, The Journal of Defense Engineering entitled "Being Explicit About Security Weaknesses."
CWE was the main focus of a March 1, 2007 article in InfoWorld entitled "Software Vulnerability Index making progress." The article describes what CWE is, the benefits it provides for software developers and acquirers, mentions several of the sources used to create the list, and describes how the final draft of the list is being formed. The article also includes quotes by CWE Program Manager Robert A. Martin on the reason for CWE: "We wanted to evaluate what the tools claim to cover and what they are most effective at finding. Right now, best test is to throw tools at a big pile of code and see what tools find the most vulnerabilities, but we're changing that paradigm [with CWE] into test cases where we now look at the answers so we can evaluate what the tools found and what kinds of complexities they can handle."
The author also paraphrases Martin in describing the creation of the CWE List: "CWE's research will not list the names and performance results of the products it is testing -- provided by over 20 firms, including Cenzic, Fortify, SPI Dynamics, Veracode, and Watchfire -- but the work to compile a resource that offers developers an idea of the types of vulnerabilities missed by the tools should provide a great deal of value."
Also included is a quote by Sean Barnum, director of knowledge management at Cigital, regarding the CWE research: "We found that less than half of what we already have in CWE is covered by these tools, so this helps prove that there are a lot of known issues out there that aren't being addressed. We also thought that the tools would look for the same types of things, but they are actually very different, and there's not a lot of overlap; that's something that developers need to be aware of as they choose tools; you want to right set for aggregated coverage."
The author closes the article with a description of how the CWE dictionary is being developed: "Before each release of CWE, workers with the project spend much of their time comparing all the vulnerability definitions and mitigation taxonomies in the index, attempting to refine the language used in the descriptions and add real-world examples of attacks that target the flaws. That work is continuing and will remain the primary focus of CWE's efforts going forward ... including work to de-emphasize nomenclature that describes common problems based on the attack methods used to exploit them."
CWE was the main focus of a March 1, 2007 article in Computerworld entitled "Black Hat: Software Vulnerability Index making progress." The article describes what CWE is, the benefits it provides for software developers and acquirers, mentions several of the sources used to create the list, describes how the final draft of the list is being formed, and notes that CWE is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The author also notes that while the CWE work completed to date has involved the "gathering of vulnerability formats and the various methods used to identify and remediate the coding problems, the project has recently involved a significant amount of testing of security scanning tools to get a better idea of the capabilities and limitations of those products" and that the "tests ... revealed that the products were looking for only 45 percent of the 600 common vulnerabilities that have already been entered into the CWE index."
A quote by Sean Barnum, director of knowledge management at Cigital, further addresses the results: "We found that less than half of what we already have in CWE is covered by these tools, so this helps prove that there are a lot of known issues out there that aren't being addressed. We also thought that the tools would look for the same types of things, but they are actually very different, and there's not a lot of overlap; that's something that developers need to be aware of as they choose tools; you want to right set for aggregated coverage."
The author concludes the article by describing how the work on CWE is continuing by refining the language used in the descriptions, adding real-world examples of attacks that target the flaws, and "de-emphasizing nomenclature that describes common problems based on the attack methods used to exploit them."
CWE was the main focus of a March 1, 2007 article on ZDNet.com entitled "Dictionary for software bugs to cut confusion?" The article describes what CWE is, the benefits it provides for software developers and acquirers, mentions that organizations such as Cigital are committing to incorporating CWE in their products, and describes how a final draft of the list is being formed. The article also includes quotes by CWE Technical Lead Steve Christey on the creation of CWE: "Without a common, high-fidelity description of these [software] weaknesses, efforts to address vulnerabilities will be piecemeal at best, only solving part of the problem." The author then paraphrases Christey on the need for CWE because "coverage of early definitions by source code-checking tools is very slim."
The article also describes the creation of CWE: "Mitre has been working on CWE for the past year and a half. People working on the project are pulling together data from multiple sources, including security tool makers, and unifying it. This is proving to be an arduous task. One list alone already contains 300 bug categories."
The article concludes with a progress report on the latest draft: "The dictionary's fifth draft was published December 15. The sixth draft is expected to have merged data regarding weaknesses from 16 tool and knowledge sources participating in the CWE initiative."
CWE was the main focus of a March 1, 2007 article on CNET News.com entitled "Dictionary for software bugs to cut confusion?" The article is a reprint of the ZDNet article above. The article was written by Joris Evers.
CWE was the main focus of a March 1, 2007 article in Dark Reading entitled "Getting to Know the Enemy Better." The author states: "The best way to secure applications is to build security in during the development phase. The problem is that there are few standards or templates for doing it." "In two separate presentations, experts from Mitre and Cigital -- two companies with long track records in government and industry standards -- outlined plans for the implementation of Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC), two specifications that could eventually help developers recognize weaknesses in their applications and anticipate common attack patterns that adversaries might use to break in."
The article describes both CAPEC and CWE, including what CWE is, the benefits CWE provides for software developers and acquirers, and how the final draft of the CWE List is being formed. The article also includes a quote by CWE Program Manager Robert A. Martin, who states: "It's a common body of knowledge about software assurance that will help developers to build security into their applications. The initiative, funded largely by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), represents some 600 entries from more than 20 vendors of tools that help to identify security weaknesses in software."
CWE was a main topic in an article by CWE Program Manager Robert A. Martin entitled "Being Explicit About Security Weaknesses" in the March 2007 issue of CrossTalk, The Journal of Defense Engineering. The article describes the creation of the CWE initiative and the sources used to develop the initial concept, related efforts, how CWE is a community effort and a list of current members, how the drafts of the CWE dictionary are being developed, an example of a CWE entry, the CWE Compatibility and CWE Effectiveness program, and the additional impact and transition opportunities tied to CWE.
The author describes the importance of community contributions to the initiative as follows: "An important element of the CWE initiative is to be transparent to all on what we are doing, how we are doing it, and what we are using to develop the CWE dictionary. We believe this transparency is important during the initial creation of the CWE dictionary so that all of the participants in the CWE community are comfortable with the end result and will not be hesitant about incorporating CWE into what they do." The CWE dictionary is freely available for the public on the CWE Web site and "... all of the publicly available source content is [also] being hosted on the site for anyone to review or use for their own research and analysis."
The author concludes the article as follows: "This work is already helping to shape and mature the code security assessment industry, and it promises to dramatically accelerate the use and utility of automation-based assessment capabilities for organizations and the software systems they acquire, develop, and use."


A big welcome to this London Metropolitan University Bachelor programme. As "Die Brücke" between London and Hamburg, I am especially pleased that you are joining this already highly successful programme.
You are about to commence on a demanding and "hektisches" year of studying; I trust you will find the process stimulating, interesting and, above all, enjoyable!
I realise that you have already achieved a very strong foundation in the shipping business, as a result of your Dual Apprenticeship achievements and industrial experience. The intention now is to add academic and managerial rigour to your portfolio.
The modules studied will direct you towards the wider academic context of shipping logistics and management; the dissertation will provide you with an excellent opportunity to pursue both your research interests and your professional career objectives.


Another great video with some crucial insight into the dynamics of blame.
Now I don't think of myself as a blamer- but as I watched this video I began to wonder about what happens when blame is directed inward. In the video Brene says that as a blamer she'd rather something be her fault than no ones fault, because it gives her a semblance of control. As a coach I work with a lot of people who abstain from holding others accountable and who would in most cases prefer to blame themselves in order to avoid mustering the courage and risking the vulnerability it would take to have a conversation with the other person. Taking the blame inward is one form of conflict avoidance, but it has some of the same effects as blaming others—namely that it is still corrosive to relationships, including our relationship with ourselves.
The idea of taking responsibility for 100% of what happens to us in life is a bit of wisdom found in a variety of different self-help processes, from "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" to "The Secret." Yet I have seen it applied dogmatically or as a default, often as a way of avoiding accountability oneself or as a way of avoiding holding others accountable.
Intimacy in relationship requires that we repair ruptures. But these kinds of conversations require both the willingness to be vulnerable and the desire to empathize with the experience of another. Balancing taking responsibility ourselves and holding a partner or friend accountable is tricky business, but as a practice it leads to greater intimacy.
Am I afraid of causing conflict or rocking the boat in my relationships?
Do I need to cultivate greater courage to speak my truth in relationship?
What am I afraid will happen if I tell someone that something hurt or didn't work for me?
Am I afraid of being out of control? Can I cultivate more comfort with the unknown and what is out of my control?
Do I have questions about my own self-worth that make it scary to speak up about my needs?
And as always, leave a comment or question or get in touch with me directly if this is something you'd like to explore!


Good Furniture, Go to the world!
It is not clear when the first Windsor Chairs were made. There is speculation that the chair derives its name from the town of Windsor, which became the centre for the trade between the producers and the London dealers. English settlers introduced the Windsor chair to America, with the earliest known chairs being imported by Patrick Gordon who became lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in 1726. There is speculation that the first American Windsor chair, based on the traditional British design, was made in Philadelphia in 1730.
The seat of a Windsor chair is an essential part since it provides the stability to both the upper and lower portions. The thickness of the seat allows the legs to be anchored securely into their respective tapered sockets, providing the undercarriage with strength and stability.
Except traditional steel Windsor chair, we also innovate boldly to produce aluminum Winsor chair which is very light and weatherproof. So our aluminum cross chair easy move and can be put outdoor all year around.
Moreover, except solid color, we are specialized in vintage, antique and wood grain finish. Tuwell are the first pioneers to do vintage finish in China. our workers have rich experience on the vintage production and rich international trade experience. Tuwell Consummate craft provide you the best vintage effect.
The legs are splayed at angles fore-and-aft (rake) as well as side-to-side (splay) to provide actual and visual support of the person sitting. A common misconception about this assembly is that the stretchers hold the legs together in order to keep them from pulling apart. The stretcher system actually pushes the legs apart to retain the necessary tension which reduces slack. This chair is a very good choice for your bistro, cafe, restaurant, hotel or home patio space.


Over the years, I have had several clients inquire about an one on one lesson. I LOVE inspiring my clients and showing them how to do their makeup for any occasion. Whether you are looking to revamp your everyday look or even learn a specific look for an evening out, I would love to help!
I suggest having my clients bring their makeup and brushes that they already own. I will of course have all the goodies in my kit to offer just in case I see something lacking. Clients are often surprised how many little gems found that they have right in their very own makeup collection!
Let me know what it is that you are looking to achieve. We can customize an appointment specific to your needs. We can do focused demos such as: creating that perfect complexion/ brow shaping/ learning the subtle (or not so sublte) way to highlight and contour/ Perfect the smokey eye, winged liner, or simply help those beautiful eyes stand out. We can also do a little bit of everything!


1 day ago after meeting a man from an online dating site has been found safe, HCSO Long-Garcia works at the Exxon gas station on Barker Cypress It features one of our linemen, Karl Martinson who works out of our Pierz .. Vikas SN | ETtech | October 04, 2018, 09:01 IST Online dating app Bumble is There are a few simple things you can do to completely change your online profile and make online dating work for you. frases para ganar propinas Online dating and how it works According to a survey, 17 percent of U.S. couples married in the last three years met at an online dating site. Galvanized by such results, many Sep 14, 2010 - 5 min - Uploaded by MashableHave you ever wondered how dating sites actually help people find their Mashable, we It's time to find inspiration in every corner and accomplish more than you ever thought possible. The work we do has changed and so should our office.


text:
Грегем (Грем) Рікс (,  23 жовтня 1957, Донкастер, Англія) — англійський футболіст, що грав на позиції півзахисника. По завершенні ігрової кар'єри — тренер. Виступав за національну збірну Англії.

Володар Кубка Англії. Володар Кубка Футбольної ліги.

Клубна кар'єра
Народився 23 жовтня 1957 року в місті Донкастер. Вихованець футбольної школи клубу «Арсенал». Дорослу футбольну кар'єру розпочав 1975 року в основній команді того ж клубу, в якій провів дванадцять сезонів, взявши участь у 351 матчі чемпіонату.

Згодом з 1987 по 1993 рік грав у складі команд клубів «Брентфорд», «Кан», «Гавр» та «Данді».

Завершив професійну ігрову кар'єру у клубі «Челсі», за команду якого виступав у 1995 році.

Виступи за збірну
1980 року дебютував в офіційних матчах у складі національної збірної Англії. Протягом кар'єри у національній команді, яка тривала 5 років, провів у формі головної команди країни 17 матчів.

У складі збірної був учасником чемпіонату світу 1982 року в Іспанії.

Кар'єра тренера
Розпочав тренерську кар'єру, ще продовжуючи грати на полі, 1993 року, увійшовши до тренерського штабу клубу «Челсі».

У подальшому очолював команди клубів «Портсмут», «Оксфорд Юнайтед», «Гарт оф Мідлотіан» та «Сентраль».

З 2013 року очолює «Портчестер».

Досягнення
 Володар Кубка Англії: 1978–1979
 Володар Кубка Футбольної ліги: 1986–1987

Посилання
 Профіль гравця на TransferMarkt  , ,

Англійські футболісти
Англійські футбольні тренери
Футболісти «Арсенала» (Лондон)
Футболісти «Брентфорда»
Футболісти «Кана»
Футболісти «Гавра»
Футболісти «Данді»
Футболісти «Челсі»
Тренери ФК «Портсмут»
Тренери ФК «Оксфорд Юнайтед»
Тренери ФК «Гарт оф Мідлотіан»
Англійські футбольні легіонери
Футбольні легіонери у Франції
Тренери ФК «Сентрал» (Тринідад і Тобаго)
Тренери ФК «Портчестер»

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This report is the first of four that CITB commissioned Think Up to write recommending ways to deliver high-impact construction education in University Technical Colleges.
The aim of construction-themed university technical (UTCs) colleges is to produce young adults motivated, knowledgeable and skilled to enter the construction industry as apprentices or through further study at HE.
While the construction-themed curriculum content that teachers will be working to is set out in the document 'Construction and the Built Environment – How University Technical Colleges can deliver best practice', the experience of course designers is that following this curriculum alone is not sufficient to ensure that the proposed learning activities fulfil the aim of the UTC. We were commissioned by CITB to identify what addition guidance is necessary to help bridge this gap.
We have read and considered a wide range of documents written about UTCs and their ethos, consulted with teachers and academics and drawn on our own experience. Our conclusion is that what course designers are missing is guidance on how to achieve the necessary learner motivation to meet the UTC aims: motivation to apply; motivation to study; and motivation to pursue a career in the sector. We characterise that appropriate learner motivation by a single phrase, 'the pursuit of life-changing fulfilment'.
Creating these learner experiences in everyday teaching is fundamental to harnessing the necessary learner motivation to meet the aims of construction UTCs – in the pages of this report we provide guidance for course designers at construction UTCs on how to do so. This guidance is split into ten principles, each accompanied by practical suggestions for practical implementation.


Did FDR Say It Best?
Who Are These People on the Supreme Court?
Is Dark Was The Night a Metaphor for Indie Rock?
Will the World End Without Newspapers?
Are Team Jennifer and Team Angelina the New Stuarts and Tudors?
Is Alzheimer's to Blame for the Brooke Astor Trial?
Did You Know It's National Model Week?
Can the Times Save Us—and Itself?
Poll: Is Michele Bachmann the G.O.P.'s Biggest Embarrassment?
Should Baseball Give in and Allow Steroids?
When Will Joe the Plumber Go on Oprah?


There is a good reason why kitchens remain at the top of the list for home remodeling projects in the Naples area. Our kitchens are where we do most of our living. Whether we're entertaining, eating, or preparing meals—we spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
That's why Reed Design-Build is so pleased to host a seminar next month (Saturday, March 5, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 noon) where we'll talk about—and show you—what is hot and what's not in kitchen designs for 2016.
We'd love to have you join us on March 5 for an informative look at the evolution of kitchen cabinetry (it's come a long way since the days of Grandma's kitchen!) and to take a look at some of the latest and greates kitchen design trends that are just surfacing now.
Please join us at 13500 Tamiami Trail N Ste 10 in Naples at the Wiggins Plaza in the Kitchen and Bath Design Center. Not only will you pick up helpful information for your Naples-area kitchen remodeling project, but you'll also get be able to do something you just can't do when reading about kitchen remodeling online: You'll be able to see materials first-hand and get a sense for what these new materials and designs feel like in real life.
Click here to register for this fun and informative event. If you have questions about the seminar, please call us at 239-325-1606. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at 10 a.m.


Like Japanese's hiragana and katakana writing systems, the written language of Inuktitut and its dialects consists, not of letters, but of syllables. Inuktitut is a little different from Japanese in that there are finals, which act like consonants in the Latin languages.
Thus far I've been using Flashcardlet (an iPhone flashcard app that can import decks from Quizlet) to work my way through the Inuktitut syllables. I'm not yet aware which dialect I'm using here; I assume it's Nunavut (edit: See Claire's comment below).
The syllabarium isn't too hard to figure out. Apart from the single vowels and the finals, almost all other syllables are based on consonant-plus-vowel. There are only three vowels in the basic syllabarium, all represented by a triangle, but different orientations point to different vowel sounds.
Each consonant-vowel pair is represented by a single symbol (usually). The consonants determine the symbol, while the vowel determines the orientation. So pi points upwards: ᐱ. Pu points right: ᐳ and pa points left: ᐸ.
Currently I've learned ᐃᐱᑎᑭᒋᒥᓂᓯᓕᔨᕕ (i pi ti ki gi mi ni si li ji vi…), but there's still more to go!
Of course, when you've got to learn the difference between ᓯ, ᓱ, and ᓴ, things can get a bit hairy as to how orientation exactly works. But you start to see patterns after a while. Here are my favorite tricks so far.
ᐃᐅᐊ – Pointers as to i, u, and a, like the turning of a clock.
ᑎᑐᑕ – Rounded pointers, but still pointers. But notice a certain development between the back-to-back lines of ᑐᑕ. In contrast, ᑎ stands as the odd syllable out.
ᑭᑯᑲ – At first, merely rote memory for me. ᑲ looks like an Latin lowercase b, which you could think of as a "b as in baa". Thus you derive ka from ᑲ. I know that the upright version ᑭ is ki, which leaves, by process of elimination, ᑯ as "ku". But you could also notice the back-to-back pattern between ᑯᑲ instead.
ᒋᒍᒐ – You may notice a pattern similar to that of ᑭᑯᑲ. In fact, this technique is useful; memorize what goes on for one syllable "family", and you've got it made for similar ones.
ᒥᒧᒪ – Similar to ᑭᑯᑲ and ᒋᒍᒐ.
ᓂᓄᓇ – ᓂ really stands out, like an eye, so I associate it with the upwards point of an ᐃ syllable.
ᓯᓱᓴ – "I" raise a sickle to the sky. My hand pushes right (ᐅ), my other hand pushes left (ᐊ).
ᓕᓗᓚ – quite similar to the ᓂ family.
ᔨᔪᔭ – More difficult. But I like to think of the ᔨ as a nose, while ᔪ opens a mouth to the right ᐅ, and ᔭ opens a mouth to the left ᐊ.
ᕕᕗᕙ – Safety pins, with the bend being the pointer for ᐃᐅᐊ.
How to remember iua? I just think of one of the first Inuit words I learned: inua. Drop the n and you get iua.
ᐊᕋᒃᓂᐅᔪᖓ. Arakniujunga. I (junga) am (u) Arachne. This is fun!
Hey, just FYI — "Nunavut" isn't really a dialect for Inuktitut, it's a place where Inuktitut's different dialects are spoken. If you go to http://www.tusaalanga.ca/, it'll show you maps of the different Nunavut dialects by region and vocabulary lists; maybe you can extrapolate from that to figure out which one you're learning? It's also particularly interesting (to me anyway) that many Inuit in Nunavut don't actually read or use syllabics at all! They either speak oral Inuktitut and have no need for writing, or use English letters. Not everyone, of course, but the majority, I'd say.
According to Tussalanga, the dialect is Uqqurmiut, spoken in South Qikiqtaaluk, where the capital Iqaluit is. That seems a good place to start.
I find the more oral tradition of Nunavut interesting as well.
So far, whether practical or not, I prefer the syllabics. They're just easier to read for me. I feel fortunate that there's only two (syllabics and roman) writing systems, and not some third one that has few rules, like in Japanese (which has hiragana, katakana, and kanji).
But why are you learning this? Just interest for the language itself or some other reason?
The same reasons one would learn French, Japanese, or Latin. :) Its an interesting language, built in a different way from the Latin family of languages.


text:
Described and Illustrated by the Japanese
Limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies
One of the most opulent pictorial books ever published, Japan, produced at the end of the 19th century, captures a vanished world in 259 hand-coloured photographs. This is the first time this landmark work has been reproduced in its entirety in two luxurious volumes.
Japan includes over 250 hand-coloured photographs showing buildings and landscapes – Mount Fuji seen from Kashiwabara, cherry blossoms at Koganei, temples and bamboo groves – as well as Japan's inhabitants, including street vendors, calligraphers, geishas and Buddhist monks. The work also features ten full-page collotypes of Japanese flowers and ten art prints. One of the most influential Japanese art historians of the day contributed ten essays on Japanese artworks from different eras and there is additional text explaining Japan to a Western audience. At the end of the 19th century, turning these pages was the next best thing to visiting this mysterious and fascinating country. Japan was often referred to as a 'sealed book': now, for the first time, the book was being opened.
Limited to 1000 copies
Bound in full cloth, blocked in three colours with a design by Neil Gower
Chiyogami endpapers hand-printed in Japan
Gilded on all three page edges
Presented in cloth-bound slipcases
Hand-numbered on a special limitation page
Volume I: 304 pages
Volume II: 312 pages
Both volumes measure 16" x 12½"
A unique record of a vanished world
At the end of the 19th century, a craze for all things Japanese spread over the Western world. After two centuries of self-imposed seclusion, the country had begun to open up to outside eyes, and its art and craftwork were eagerly sought after by collectors and artists. By 1878 'Japonisme' was being described by the writer George Augustus Sala as 'a sort of religion'.
Because of its links with the tea trade, Boston, Massachusetts was an epicentre of the movement. In the 1890s, the J. B. Millet Company of Boston embarked upon an extraordinary venture: a complete pictorial record of the country, entitled Japan, Described and Illustrated by the Japanese.
Japan is one of the most opulent photographic books ever produced. Over 250 hand-coloured photographs show buildings and landscapes – Mount Fuji seen from Kashiwabara, cherry blossoms at Koganei, temples, bamboo groves, rice fields and bridges – as well as Japan's inhabitants, including street vendors, calligraphers, lantern-makers, farmers, schoolchildren, geishas and Buddhist monks. There is even a picture of an actor representing a samurai warrior. This reproduction, in two luxurious volumes, is the first time this landmark work has been reproduced in its entirety.
JAPAN'S EXQUISITE CALLING CARD TO THE WORLD
Altogether, Japan represented an enterprise of enormous scale and ambition, with an approximate production cost of $200,000 – a staggering sum at the time, equivalent to millions today. As well as obtaining subscriptions in advance from collectors, J. B. Millet received financial backing from the Japanese government. Clearly this was more than simply a beautiful book; it was an important calling-card. Following its recent victory in the Sino-Japanese War, Japan was keen to present itself in the best possible light on the world stage.
To edit Japan, the J. B. Millet company chose Captain Francis Brinkley, an Irish-born soldier who had become an adopted citizen of Japan, even marrying the daughter of a samurai. Brinkley gathered a group of Japanese writers to write a text explaining Japan to Westerners, under headings such as 'The Early Japanese and Their History', 'Creeds and Castes', 'Observances and Pastimes'. Most of these writers are not named, and their text was heavily edited to appeal to a Western audience. The result was a book described in the introduction as 'an ambassador extraordinary sent by the Japanese to the American people'. It remains a fascinating reflection of Japanese-American relations at a pivotal moment in both countries' history, and one of the most remarkable publishing ventures of the 19th century.
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE PUBLISHING VENTURES OF THE 19TH CENTURY
The creation of these volumes was painstaking and astonishingly labour-intensive. The original photographs, all taken in Japan, were individually printed, washed, fixed, toned, dried, cropped, hand-coloured and pasted onto the page – a process that was repeated thousands of times across the sixteen editions of the book. The photographs were albumen prints created using silver salts suspended in egg white, a more time-consuming process than the gelatine and collodion method that had recently been introduced.
The most distinctive feature of Japan was the hand-colouring of the photographs. This technique had largely been replaced by mechanical colouring, and was already seen as more traditional and prestigious. The Japanese excelled in the hand-colouring of decorative objects such as fans, lanterns and prints, and by the 1880s they were applying this expertise to colouring photographs. It is estimated that a total of 350 individual colourists would have worked for a year on their own part of the work, with each colourist completing, at most, three prints a day.
The work also featured ten full-page collotypes of Japanese flowers by the renowned photographer Ogawa Kazumasa, a pioneer of this type of photomechanical printing. Okakura Kakuzo, director of the Imperial Academy in Tokyo and one of the most influential Japanese art historians of his day, contributed ten short essays focusing on Japanese artworks from different eras.
One of the most successful travel books of the past 20 years, this engaging adventure is published with a new introduction by the author.
In Xanadu
A treasury of Japanese folklore and wisdom, beautifully bound by Folio and fully illustrated by artist Yuko Shimizu.
Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
A landmark edition of Bird's monumental journey down the Yangtze river in 19th-century China, featuring over 100 photographs, each carefully restored by Folio.
The Yangtze Valley and Beyond
Isabella Bird
Illustrated by the author
A milestone in the theory of evolution and one of the greatest books of 19th-century historic travel, this lavish two-volume edition brings together a wealth of illustrative material.
The Malay Archipelago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The shuttle service between Accra and Tema is back, after nearly two years of suspension, following a derailment at the Tesano rail station.
The service which was to have started two weeks ago, was postponed due to activities of encroachers along the rail lines.
The actual reconstruction of the 24 kilometre Accra-Tema rail line began in 2004 to help reduce traffic congestion in the capital.
The Railways Development Minister, Joe Ghartey was joined by colleague ministers, railway company officials, dignatries and the media, Tuesday, January 29, 2019 took a trip from the Accra terminal at Kantamanto to Tema and back to Accra.
Those on the train were, senior government officials, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Chief Executive officer of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Black Stars Coach Kwesi Appiah, and some Traditional rulers.
The reintroduction of the service offers convenience to patrons, jobs for scores of young people and eases traffic.
Some dignitaries and journalists who made the trip for the first time said it was a great experience and very convenient.
They commended the Railway Ministry, the Ghana Railway Authority for ensuring the coaches are back on the tracks.
Train passengers had a free ride and this will continue for two weeks.


text:
La Eisenia foetida (lombriz roja rayada) es una especie de lombriz de tierra del género Eisenia, perteneciente a la familia Lumbricidae, del orden de los  haplotáxidos, perteneciente a su vez a la subclase de los oligoquetos.
No confundir con Eisenia andrei (lombriz roja borgoña) descrita por André Bouché 1972. Según el serían subespecies, clasificadas como Eisenia Eisenia foetida y Eisenia Eisenia andrei. Son epigeas, viven en la franja superior del suelo(5 a 30cms).

Pueden llegar a casi 160 segmentos y el color se debe a un pigmento rojo púrpura situado a nivel subepidérmico. Es hermafrodita incompleta (tiene ambos sexos, pero para reproducirse ha de aparearse).

Anatomía
Las lombrices de tierra pertenecen al orden de los oligoquetos, del griego oligo (escaso) y queto (pelo), que hacen relación a unas diminutas filas de cerdas que recorren su cuerpo en la parte ventral y lateral y que sirven como elementos de agarre durante el desplazamiento en el suelo.

La longitud de su cuerpo oscila entre los dos y veinte centímetros. La pared del cuerpo está constituida de afuera hacia dentro por:

1.     Una cutícula, que es una lámina muy delgada, generalmente de color marrón brillante.

2.     Una epidermis, capa de tejido epitelial simple con células glandulares que producen una secreción mucosa, también hay células glandulares que producen una secreción serosa.

3.     Capas musculares, (son dos, una circular externa y una longitudinal interna).

4.     El peritoneo, (es una capa más interna y limita exteriormente con el celoma de la lombriz).

5.     El celoma, que es una cavidad que contiene líquido celómico, se extiende a lo largo del animal y envuelve el canal alimenticio.

El cuerpo de las lombrices rojas presenta una segmentación externa e interna, típica de los anélidos. Estos segmentos o anillos son 95 en la lombriz roja tienen distintas funciones según su ubicación.

Las lombrices poseen un esqueleto hidrostático, lo que hace que su desplazamiento esté dado gracias a cambios en la forma y dimensiones de los segmentos de su cuerpo. El cuerpo de una lombriz está compuesto por varios segmentos similares entre sí, cada segmento es una cavidad llena de un fluido, y está rodeado por dos grupos de músculos: longitudinales y circulares. Con la contracción de los músculos longitudinales, el cuerpo se dilata agrandando la abertura de la galería. Luego, al contraer los músculos longitudinales, se adelgaza y desliza. Con esta forma de desplazamiento pueden penetrar en el suelo.

Durante su locomoción una lombriz puede estirar longitudinalmente un segmento en un 60% aproximadamente, y su contracción circular puede alcanzar un 25%. Cabe señalar que las dos capas de músculos son antagónicos. Es decir, que mientras se contraen los longitudinales, se relajan los circulares y viceversa.

En el primer segmento del cuerpo de este anélido se encuentra la boca y tiene un lóbulo musculoso y carnoso en la parte superior. Este lóbulo se puede tirar hacia adentro para sellar la boca o extenderse hacia adelante para sondear el entorno inmediato. Todos los segmentos, excepto el primero, tienen ocho cerdas retráctiles que ayudan a la lombriz de tierra a agarrarse a las superficies mientras se mueve.

Gran parte del cuerpo de la lombriz de tierra está ocupado por el tubo que la recorre de un extremo al otro. En la parte delantera se encuentra la boca. Esta es sólo un orificio con una cavidad. Los alimentos primero son humedecidos y predigeridos con un rico en enzimas digestivas. Luego, gracias a la acción de contracción de franjas musculares, la faringe aspira el alimento, haciendo el efecto de una bomba succionadora.

En el esófago, se encuentran las glándulas calcíferas que permiten neutralizar la acidez de la materia vegetal. Luego, el papo empuja el alimento a la molleja, donde es macerado gracias a fuertes contracciones musculares. Finalmente, en el intestino, se completa el resto de la digestión y la mayor parte de la absorción de nutrientes.

El aparato circulatorio está formado por vasos sanguíneos o corazones contráctiles. Las lombrices tienen solamente dos grandes vasos sanguíneos, uno dorsal y uno ventral. Existen también, otros vasos y capilares que llevan la sangre a todo el cuerpo.

El aparato respiratorio es poco complejo, el intercambio se produce a través de la pared del cuerpo. El aparato excretor está formado por nefridios, dos para cada anillo. Las células internas son ciliadas y sus movimientos permiten retirar los desechos del celoma.

El sistema nervioso es ganglionar. Posee un par de ganglios supraesofágicos, de los que parte una cadena ganglionar. Estos ganglios supraesofágicos están relacionados por comisuras de unión.

Aunque las lombrices no logren distinguir las imágenes puede percibir la luz mediante fotorreceptores ubicados en el epitelio.

Tienen gran número de receptores en la cavidad bucal, los cuales podrían ser los responsables de los sentidos del gusto y del olfato. Posiblemente tienen también sensaciones químicas y térmicas.

Las lombrices son hermafroditas: poseen tanto órganos femeninos como masculinos, sin embargo, esto no implica la existencia de autofecundación, ya que los individuos deben cruzarse para intercambiar sus gametos.

Cuando alcanzan la madurez se aparean una vez a la semana, para ello se ponen en contacto los segmentos 9 a 11 opuestos al clitelo de la otra. Cada lombriz coloca los espermatozoides (que salen de sus vesículas seminales) en las espermatecas de la compañera. Una vez terminado el intercambio se separan. Los espermatozoides recibidos quedan latentes hasta el momento de la fertilización.

Sobre el clitelo de ambas se forma una especie de capullo (ooteca), formado por células mucosas. Una veintena de huevos se deslizan por un surco hacia atrás y se introducen en el capullo.

Dentro de la galería la lombriz se mueve hacia atrás haciendo que el capullo se deslice hacia delante arrastrando en el camino los espermatozoides expulsados por los poros seminales.

Cada capullo contiene entre tres y veinte lombrices y contiene albúmina que alimenta a los huevos durante la incubación, periodo que dura entre 14 y 30 días según la temperatura del medio, tardando la lombriz entre 60 y 90 días en lograr su maduración y estar en condiciones de acoplarse.

La actividad sexual de las lombrices rojas disminuye durante los meses muy calurosos o fríos, siendo la temperatura óptima para el apareamiento los 20 °C.

La lombriz roja se despoja de la cápsula en un sitio favorable (por lo general cerca de un depósito de alimento), pero si las condiciones ambientales se tornaran inapropiadas, por ejemplo, una reducción drástica de la humedad circundante, la eclosión puede demorarse varios meses sin mengua de la fertilidad.

Ciclo de vida
El ciclo de vida de las lombrices de tierra, como muchas otras, comienza con un huevo. Dentro del huevo, se desarrolla una lombriz de tierra joven hasta que está lista para eclosionar. El huevo está encerrado en una envoltura llamada capullo. La cantidad de huevos dentro de un capullo puede variar entre especies, oscilando entre 1 y 20 de las especies de lombrices de tierra de la familia Lumbricidae (pero la mayoría de las especies solo tienen 1).

Etapas:

1. Los capullos tienden a tener forma de "limón", pero la forma específica varía entre especies. La cantidad de tiempo que tardan en eclosionar también es muy variable y puede variar según la especie, pero también según las condiciones ambientales. Por ejemplo, para algunas especies, los capullos pueden eclosionar más rápido en condiciones más cálidas que en condiciones más frías y otras especies pueden "esperar" condiciones de sequía indeseables dentro del suelo como la etapa de capullo.

2. Las crías se parecen a las mini lombrices de tierra, son más pequeñas y más pálidas. Puede ser fácil confundirlos con los gusanos de tierra (Enchytraeidae), que son pequeños gusanos segmentados que están estrechamente relacionados con las lombrices de tierra. A medida que la cría se alimenta y crece, adquirirá el mismo color que una lombriz de tierra adulta.

3. Las lombrices de tierra juveniles se parecen mucho a los adultos, pero les falta la silla (o clitelo).

4. Las lombrices de tierra adultas (o sexualmente maduras) se pueden reconocer fácilmente a través de la presencia de la silla de montar. Las lombrices de tierra son organismos hermafroditas, lo que significa que cada lombriz de tierra tiene órganos de reproducción sexual masculinos y femeninos.

5. La reproducción sexual involucra dos lombrices de tierra. Las dos lombrices de tierra producen un tubo y se agarran entre sí utilizando la tubercula pubertatis (ubicada en la silla). El tubo proporciona el entorno adecuado para que las dos lombrices de tierra intercambien esperma, y cada lombriz de tierra almacena el esperma de su pareja para usarlo más tarde. Debido a que ambas lombrices de tierra desempeñan la función de macho y hembra durante la reproducción sexual, se las conoce como hermafroditas. Después de este intercambio de esperma, las lombrices de tierra se separan.

Algunas especies de lombrices de tierra también pueden realizar la reproducción asexual. Esto involucra a una sola lombriz de tierra que produce crías a partir de huevos no fertilizados y se conoce como partenogénesis.

6. Se forma una vaina de moco alrededor del clitelo y se mueve a lo largo de la lombriz de tierra hasta que sale de la cabeza. A lo largo de este viaje, recoge los óvulos y el esperma de la lombriz de tierra con la que se apareó. Esta vaina de moco forma el capullo y la fertilización del huevo ocurre dentro del capullo.

A medida que el animal cava la galería, incorpora tierra y materia orgánica, humedeciéndola previamente con enzimas para ablandar los tejidos vegetales.

Ecología
La ecología de la lombriz roja se conoce gracias al trabajo de Charles Darwin que descubrió su importancia en la formación del suelo. El libro publicado llevó el título de La formación del mantillo vegetal por la acción de las lombrices con observaciones sobre sus hábitos. Fue publicado en 1881. Gracias al trabajo de Darwin la humanidad comprendió la importancia de las lombrices en la ecología del suelo.

Estos anélidos se alimentan de vegetación en descomposición. Prefieren ambientes cálidos y húmedos con un suministro listo de material de compost fresco. Pueden consumir este material muy rápidamente y también reproducirse muy rápidamente. Las lombrices de tierra de abono tienden a ser de color rojo brillante y rayas; algunas personas llaman a las especies de rayas 'gusanos tigre'. Los gusanos de compostaje se utilizan a menudo para ayudar a eliminar los desechos, ya que también pueden eliminar los contaminantes del suelo.

En el suelo interaccionan ecológicamente con colémbolos, que previamente se alimentan de hongos que descomponen la hojarasca.

La cría de lombriz roja
La lombriz roja rayada" (es originaria de Europa) es una de las muchas variedades de lombrices que se usan en lombricultura. La especie es Eisenia foetida (con otra grafía, Eisenia fetida), de la familia Lumbricidae. A pesar de ser una especie europea,

Son criadas en cualquier lugar donde las temperaturas no superen los 40 °C y se dé al menos una temporada con un promedio inferior, siendo los climas templados los ideales para su reproducción. Estas lombrices alcanzan la máxima capacidad de reproducción entre los 14 y los 27 °C; se reproducirán menos durante los meses más cálidos y durante los más fríos. Cuando la temperatura es inferior a 7 °C, las lombrices no se reproducen; pero siguen produciendo abono, aunque en menor cantidad de lo habitual.

El compost (humus de lombriz) que produce sirve como excelente fertilizante para praderas, huertas y árboles frutales.

Las lombrices Eisenia foetida adultas pesan de 0,24 hasta 1 gramo, comiendo una ración diaria que tiende hasta su propio peso; de ella, un 55 % se traduce en abono, lo que hace muy interesante en su caso la lumbricultura (incluso si consideramos la carne de lombriz producida a partir de desperdicios).

 En cautiverio tiene una vida media de 4 a 6 años.
 No contrae enfermedades ni las transmite,sino el gozo de acidez. Se alimenta de microorganismos (virus y bacterias son su alimento)
 En estado adulto pesa aproximadamente 1 gramo, y come el equivalente a su peso diariamente.
 La extraordinaria capacidad reproductiva de la lombriz roja  permite al lumbricultor amortizar el capital invertido en un plazo razonable de tiempo.
 En un criadero de lombriz en fase de expansión, el número de ejemplares se duplica cada tres meses, es decir, 16 veces en un año, 256 veces en dos años y 4096 veces en 3 años.

 No soporta la luz solar: una lombriz expuesta a los rayos del sol muere en unos pocos minutos.
 Vive aproximadamente unos 4,6 años, y puede llegar a producir, bajo ciertas condiciones, hasta 1300 lombrices al año.
 La lombriz Eisenia avanza excavando en el terreno a medida que come, depositando sus deyecciones y convirtiendo ese terreno en uno mucho más fértil que el que pueda lograrse con los mejores fertilizantes artificiales.

 Los excrementos de la lombriz contienen:
 5 veces más nitrógeno
 7 veces más fósforo
 5 veces más potasio
 2 veces más calcio
 millones de micro-organismos.

Invasión Biológica
La Eisenia fetida es una especie certificada como invasora proveniente de Eurasia. Si bien es utilizada principalmente para los lombricultivos, su disperción se viene dando mucho tiempo antes del auge de esta práctica para la realización de otras actividades productivas, siendo en todos los casos el humano el agente dispersor de esta especie.

Teniendo en cuenta que la Eisenia fetida es una de las especies que más se utilizan en los lombricultivos a nivel mundial, se vuelve evidente el hecho de que en la Argentina, tanto como en la gran mayoría de los países que habitan, son especies exóticas. Si bien este tipo de especies siempre son estudiadas por los peligros que presentan para un ambiente que no está preparado para recibirlas, no podemos decir lo mismo con respecto al caso de la Eisenia fetida, y esto se debe al efecto positivo que tienen en la lombricultura, justamente. Sumado a esto, la  Eisenia fetida es una especie que ha encontrado ya un nuevo equilibrio en los ecosistemas locales. Por esta razón se ha  ignorado al presente su impacto sobre las especies autóctonas de oligoquetos, entre otras problemáticas.

Véase también
 Lumbricultura

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 "Manual de lombricultura". Fecha de acceso=24 de febrero de 2011

Lumbricidae
Contenedor de reciclaje marrón
Compostaje
Animales descritos en 1826


text:
Urban Cowboy è un film statunitense del 1980 diretto da James Bridges, con protagonisti John Travolta e Debra Winger.

La pellicola, ambientata nelle città texane di Houston e Pasadena, descrive il rapporto altalenante tra il giovane cowboy Bud Davis e la moglie Sissy, immortalando il periodo di massimo fulgore della musica country tra la fine degli anni '70 e l'inizio degli anni '80.

Trama
Il giovane campagnolo Bud Davis si trasferisce dalla cittadina di Spur a Houston, dove lo zio Bob gli trova lavoro in una raffineria di petrolio insieme a lui. Bud comincia sin da subito ad apprezzare la vita notturna dei cowboys di città, che ruota attorno al locale Gilley's, dove una sera conosce la giovane Sissy. Dopo un brevissimo fidanzamento, i due si sposano e vanno a convivere in una roulotte.

Poco dopo il matrimonio, da Gilley's viene installato un toro meccanico per la simulazione dei rodei, che fa scoprire a Bud di avere un ottimo talento per la disciplina. Anche Sissy vorrebbe imparare a cavalcare, ma Bud, assai protettivo, la vuole far desistere, incrinando il loro rapporto ancora poco consolidato.
Sissy decide di imparare comunque a cavalcare il toro meccanico per sorprendere Bud, e si allena di nascosto con l'ex detenuto Wes Hightower (da poco assunto da Gilley's) mentre il marito è al lavoro.

Avendo perfezionato la tecnica, Sissy decide di mettere in mostra le sue abilità e una sera, mentre la coppia è al locale, si esibisce sul toro, lasciando il pubblico stupito dalla sua bravura. Anche Bud decide di esibirsi, malgrado un incidente alla schiena capitatogli al lavoro il giorno stesso. A manovrare il toro c'è però Wes, ostile a Bud e attratto da Sissy, che coglie quest'opportunità per fare passi avanti con Sissy, data l'evidente e crescente competizione che è nata tra la coppia: con le sue manovre, Wes fa in modo di disarcionare Bud, che cade e si rompe un braccio.

Tornati a casa, Bud litiga furiosamente con Bud e la caccia via di casa. La sera seguente, da Gilley's i due litigano di nuovo in maniera animata: Bud va via con Pam, una ragazza di buona famiglia rimorchiata la sera stessa nel locale, e passa la notte con lei; Sissy, anche se è sul punto di concedersi a Wes, all'ultimo si tira indietro per non far torto al marito. Qualche giorno dopo Sissy torna al caravan familiare per riconciliarsi con Bud, ma trova solamente Pam. Allora lascia un biglietto al marito per dargli appuntamento da Gilley's, ma Pam se ne accorge per prima e nasconde furtivamente il messaggio a Bud prima che lo possa leggere.
Intanto da Gilley's viene organizzata una gara di rodeo meccanico alla quale Bud decide di partecipare. Comincia così ad allenarsi intensamente con l'aiuto dello zio Bob, che in gioventù era stato un campione di questo sport. Sissy, in collera con il marito perché convinta che avesse boicottato il suo tentativo di riappacificazione, inizia una relazione con Wes, che tuttavia continua ad andare a letto con altre donne e si comporta in modo manesco nei confronti della donna.

Arriva il giorno del rodeo, cui decide di partecipare anche Wes per vincere il premio da  dollari e trasferirsi in Messico con Sissy. Bud, sebbene inizialmente intenzionato a dare forfait a causa dell'improvvisa morte dello zio per un incidente sul lavoro, viene convinto all'ultimo dalla zia a partecipare. Al termine di una gara serrata, Wes e Bud arrivano entrambi in finale e Bud vince per un solo punto.

Durante la gara, Pam si rende conto che Bud ha partecipato al rodeo solo per un senso di rivalsa verso Sissy, di cui è peraltro ancora fortemente innamorato. Così, durante i festeggiamenti, la ragazza decide di rivelare a Bud la verità sui tentativi di riconciliazione di Sissy e sul biglietto che gli aveva nascosto. Bud esce subito a cercare la moglie fuori dal locale. Nel frattempo, Wes torna alla sua roulotte insieme a Sissy, e davanti al rifiuto di quest'ultima di partire con lui, la picchia e la costringe a salire in macchina. Prima di partire, Wes si ferma da Gilley's per rubare i soldi del premio e l'incasso della serata, lasciando Sissy ad aspettarlo in macchina nel parcheggio del locale.

Bud, vedendo la macchina di Sissy, la raggiunge e le chiede scusa, abbracciandola. Poi si accorge dei lividi sulla faccia di Sissy e si rende conto che Wes l'ha picchiata. Fuori di sé dalla rabbia, va a cercare Wes e appena lo vede uscire dal locale lo prende a pugni violentemente, facendogli volare dal giubbotto tutte le banconote appena rubate. Il proprietario del locale si accorge così di essere stato derubato e blocca Wes in attesa della polizia, mentre Bud e Sissy vanno via insieme col camion di Bud.

Produzione
La sceneggiatura del film fu scritta dal giornalista Aaron Latham e da James Bridges sulla base di un articolo omonimo pubblicato da Latham su Esquire. L'articolo originale era incentrato sulla storia d'amore tra due clienti abituali del Gilley's, Dew Westbrook e Betty Helmer. La relazione nella vita reale di Westbrook e Helmer fornì l'ispirazione per la storia d'amore cinematografica tra i personaggi di John Travolta (Bud) e Debra Winger (Sissy).

Alcuni critici cinematografici hanno definito il film come "una versione country" de La febbre del sabato sera. La pellicola fu inoltre il primo film ad essere coreografato da Patsy Swayze, che lanciò così la sua carriera di coreografa cinematografica. Gran parte del film è ambientato al Gilley's Club, un esteso locale honky-tonk di Pasadena.

Distribuzione
La pellicola è stata presentata in anteprima al Gaylynn Theater di Houston il 5 giugno del 1980 alla presenza di John Travolta. In Italia è stata distribuita nelle sale cinematografiche nel settembre del 1980.

Data di uscita
Alcune date di uscita internazionali nel corso del 1980 sono state:
 6 giugno 1980 negli Stati Uniti d'America
 20 settembre 1980 in Italia

Accoglienza

Incassi
Negli Stati Uniti ha incassato 46.918.287 dollari piazzandosi al 13º posto nella classifica dei 100 film più visti del 1980. In Italia, nella classifica dei 100 film più visti della stagione cinematografica 1980-1981, si è classificato all'84º posto.

Critica
Il film ha ricevuto recensioni generalmente positive dalla critica (73% di recensioni positive sull'aggregatore Rotten Tomatoes). Vincent Canby del New York Times lo ha definito "non solo di grande intrattenimento, ma anche una critica sociale di prim'ordine".

Variety ha lodato il regista James Bridges per aver "abilmente immortalato l'atmosfera di uno dei più famosi ritrovi di chip-kicker: il Gilley's Club alla periferia di Houston".

Colonna sonora
La colonna sonora di Urban Cowboy venne pubblicata il 6 giugno del 1980. Nel dicembre 2018 è stata certificata triplo disco di platino dalla RIAA per aver venduto tre milioni di copie.

Tracce
 Lato A
 Hello Texas, Jimmy Buffett - 2:33
 All Night Long, Joe Walsh - 3:50
 Times Like These, Dan Fogelberg - 3:02
 Nine Tonight, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - 6:35
 Lato B
 Stand by Me, Mickey Gilley - 3:35
 Cherokee Fiddle, Johnny Lee - 4:06
 Could I Have This Dance, Anne Murray - 3:14
 Lyin' Eyes, Eagles - 6:23
 Lato C
 Lookin' for Love, Johnny Lee - 3:41
 Don't It Make Ya Wanna Dance, Bonnie Raitt - 3:29
 The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Charlie Daniels - 3:35
 Here Comes the Hurt Again, Mickey Gilley - 2:41
 Orange Blossom Special / Hoedown, Gilley's "Urban Cowboy" Band - 2:06
 Lato D
 Love the World Away, Kenny Rogers - 3:11
 Falling in Love for the Night, Charlie Daniels - 3:00
 ''Darlin,	Bonnie Raitt - 2:34
 Look What You've Done to Me''', Boz Scaggs - 5:39
 Hearts Against the Wind, Linda Ronstadt con J. D. Souther - 2:58

Opere derivate
Nel maggio 2015 la 20th Century Fox Television collaborò con la Paramount Television per produrre una serie TV ispirata al film, chiedendo al regista Craig Brewer di scrivere l'episodio pilota. A dicembre, tuttavia, la Fox ha annullato il progetto.

Curiosità
 All'inizio del film appare in un cameo anche Jerry Hall, la famosa modella texana, all'epoca all'apice della popolarità, che insieme alla sorella Cindy interpretano due ragazze con cui Bud trascorre la notte appena arrivato a Houston.
 Il termine "Urban Cowboy" è stato più tardi impiegato per descrivere la musica country soft-core dei primi anni '80 rappresentata da Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Mickey Gilley, Janie Frickie e altri cantanti il cui marchio di fabbrica è il tono dolce dello stesso tipo ascoltato nel film.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Film sentimentali
Film ambientati in Texas
Film basati su articoli di quotidiani o periodici


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Report | Feb. 5, 2009
Country For Sale
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Cambodia - one of the world's poorest countries - could eventually earn enough from its oil, gas and minerals to become independent of foreign development aid. This report exposes how this future is being jeopardised by high level corruption and nepotism in the allocation and management of these critical public assets.
Country for Sale details how rights to exploit oil and mineral resources have been allocated behind closed doors by a small number of powerbrokers surrounding the prime minister and other senior officials. The beneficiaries of many of these deals are members of the ruling elite or their family members. Meanwhile, millions of dollars paid by oil and mining companies to secure access to these resources appear to be missing from the national accounts.
High Res Khmer
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Low Res Khmer
Cambodia offers a stark illustration of how natural resources can be a curse, not a blessing, to a country's population.
The Cost of Luxury
The Chinese craze for antique-style furniture has given rise to a multi-million dollar timber smuggling operation in Cambodia, and is driving rare trees to extinction.
Global Witness and Cambodia – key moments
In early 1995, Global Witness carried out its first investigations in Cambodia and Thailand, exposing how the illegal timber trade across the border was bankrolling the war effort of the genocidal Khmer Rouge.
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