Today something common happened. Something that happens two or three times every weekend in two or three cities in the United States every week.

Today something common happened. Something he had never thought about before, never really noticed before.

Something common happened today and I finally realized it.

Today I took my family to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus in Orlando, Florida. We wander among the animal enclosures admiring Asian elephants and several varieties of tigers. We were in awe of the beautifully groomed horses and the somewhat stubborn zebras. While the animals were preparing for their part in the show, the humans were ushered into the arena. There are circus performers of all kinds mingling with the audience giving autographs, posing for pictures, smiling and waving. This was everyday Americana.

It was only when the lights dimmed and everyone found their seats that something happened. One of the world’s greatest emcees, Tom McFarland, officiated. Tom McFarland is a master of ceremonies extraordinaire. He is attended by some of the highest paid motivational speakers in the world. As he enters the arena, PT Barnum himself can almost be seen standing before the crowd, ushering them in for the Greatest Show on Earth. Mr. McFarland’s singing voice is a rich baritone, but when he came out he wasn’t singing. He walked out humbly despite his big, sequenced emcee uniform. Like the General that he is (at least in the circus), Tom McFarland strode out in a single white spotlight. On the huge television screen appeared the tape “We Support Our Troops” by the Ringling Brothers.

The audience fell silent as a humble emcee stood up and announced that he would like to thank the troops, those serving in foreign lands, those serving here at home and the Orlando public. Mr. McFarland stated that he had proudly served his country for 12 years in the United States Army and wanted to invite one of his acting partners, a former Air Force reservist, to perform.

Without fanfare, the curtains parted and hoofbeats were heard. Like Calvary of old, the lone horseman galloped into the arena carrying our nation’s flag. She stood upright in the stirrups as her steed halted and Mr. McFarland held out his hand. He invited the audience to rise and join him in the National Anthem. This is a common scene in American sports; a lone singer invites the audience to their feet and for a moment we all come together in support of our nation, our neighbors and our troops.

But today was somehow different. As the words began to echo through the arena, the little children began to chant at the top of their lungs. Heard even over the amplified voice of Mr. McFarland and the accompanying brass band, the little children sang:

“Oh tell me, can you see by the early light of dawn? What we so proudly hail at the

the last glow of twilight…”

In all my various professional roles, I have learned to avoid emotional displays, but tears streamed down my face as my voice joined the voices of hundreds saluting our nation and the more than 3,000 who have given their lives for it. in recent years. .

A beautiful thing happened today, and in the words of the final song on Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth, “Anything is possible.”

The territory that covers what is now known as Mexico was one of the richest and most important colonies of the Kingdom of Spain. Under the name of “New Spain” it was the main source of gold and silver for the Kingdom during the 400 years of Spanish domination of this territory, contributing greatly to the emergence of Spain as the great power of its time.

But things were not going very well for the inhabitants of the colony, many of whom were treated as slaves, mainly the Indian and African population; and many others as “second” and even “third” citizens of an empire that at the beginning of the 19th century was a fading shadow of its past greatness.

The new ideas of the French Enlightenment and the American Revolution had influenced a series of intellectuals and progressive personalities in the colony, making them think of becoming independent from Spain and implementing a series of reforms that would make the territory a new country under many of the values ​​proclaimed by illustration.

Among the people seriously thinking of achieving independence from Spain, the figure of Miguel Hidalgo, a non-traditional Catholic priest who had been living in the town of “Dolores” in what is now the Mexican state of Guanajuato, looms large. He had contributed to the improvement of the native population, making it very popular, teaching them a series of trades and, some, even to write and read. Many of these crafts have survived to this day; for example, the world famous “Talavera” ceramic pieces that you can find in what is now known as the town of “Dolores Hidalgo”. In addition to his popularity, he was also the leader of the local conspiracy against the government of Spain.

It was the year 1810 when the conspiracy against Spain was finally ripe enough to be carried out. It was in the month of September when, accelerated by the sudden discovery of the conspiracy by the “realist authorities”, the fight for Independence began. It was the night of September 15 when Hidalgo and others decided to go ahead and rally the town of Dolores to constitute the first army that would march against the Spanish positions.

The long column of peasants and the few trained officers that make up the “Insurgent Army” marched for several days through the region gathering more people and resources. Once they felt strong enough, they aimed for the largest Spanish post in the area. The world famous mining town of Guanajuato.

And it is during this episode that the figure of “El Pípila” enters the scene during the first battle of the fight for Independence. The insurgents had besieged an old grain storage building. All the Spanish had entered this large building and were using it as a fortress to resist the “Insurgent Army” until some reinforcements arrived from the capital or some other post.
The insurgents were desperate. The building seemed impregnable and they were losing many men trying to get close to one of the two gates or scaling the walls. Also, the “royal” reinforcements could be closing in and were stuck in that position.

Hidalgo and other officers had concluded that only by destroying one of the gates could they hope for a victory. But who would? Who would dare to approach the door dodging the bullets and set it on fire?… It seemed that no one was willing to risk his life so much. Until “El Pipila” appeared from among the peasants. He approached Hidalgo and told him that he was willing to go ahead and burn the door. He had been thinking about how to approach the door and had come to the conclusion that he would wear a thick piece of stone strapped to his back as bullet protection and then crawl to the door.

And that’s how he did it. With the heavy chunk of stone on his back and a torch in hand, he crawled slowly under enemy fire until he finally reached the gate and with his last strength set the wooden gate on fire, allowing the Insurgent Army to escape. He entered the building and complained. the first victory of the fight for the independence of the country that is now known as Mexico.

Very few things are known about what happened to ‘El Pípila’ after this historic episode.

Better idea, in-depth knowledge of football and more practice – give your child the best future!

Along with a wide and deep knowledge of the game; Joining specialized soccer training classes will also give your little star more exposure to the real world.

Doing so will not only help develop your child’s sports skills and physical fitness, but will also improve their game outlook, decision-making skills, and game instincts. Joining a soccer training school could be an excellent foundation for your child’s overall intellectual, physical, and social development.

Needless to say, joining Top Soccer Academy For Boys And Girls will also help kids get physical exercise, gain body strength, agility and better outlook on this phenomenal game. As a responsible parent, it is always worthwhile and gratifying to see your children grow up, be properly nourished and play one of the most popular games like soccer and achieve all these dreams of yours; Soccer training camps and schools can be helpful.

What is soccer training about?

Soccer training sessions for kids are primarily designed to provide children with a stable foundation so that they can quickly learn tactics and decision-making skills related to the game. Training is provided in sets and sequences because children often slowly adapt to game rules, manners, and once they begin to get to know the game and its decision-making situations well; they are given more training.

During the training session; The main objective of the coaches and trainers is to develop the five most important attributes of the applicants, and they are:

1. Self-awareness: Self-awareness is essential for all children to understand the difference between a practice game and a real game on the field.

2. Attention: by developing children’s concentration and attention to detail; soccer coaches ensure they are aware of what is happening on the field and what will come next!

3. Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of different exercises, goalkeeping manners, and matches is essential to become a master of mastery and develop children’s knowledge and learning ability; The best football academy for boys and girls ensures that they are smarter and smarter!

4. Administrative skill: making the right decision at crucial moments is not everyone’s cup of tea and keep an eye on this; coaches improve students’ decision-making skills!

5. Intellectuality: Intellectual is another area; where aspiring players are trained! With the right level of experience and intellectual; they can make superlative decisions for their team!

Know more details: http://www.bfa.hk/

The Los Angeles Kings is one of the professional hockey teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). It is one of six expansion teams in 1967. The team was owned by LALakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. He bought the franchise for $2 million. Fans hailing from the northeastern United States and Canada make up the majority of Kings ticket connoisseurs.

The team played at The Forum for its first 32 seasons. Cooke built the Forum to house the Kings of him. The Kings’ tickets were sold to crowds of fans who were accommodated by the newly created castle of the Kings.

The team had a good first two seasons. They placed second in their first season in the West Division. They were only one point behind the Flyers. Tickets for the second season also paid off as the Kings clinched the fourth seed in the West Division. However, the team seemed to meet with misfortune the following years. Those at the top of the team preferred veteran players who, in most cases, are declining in their careers. Because of this, the once-solid support for the Kings waned. Tickets became popular again in 1972 when the team acquired Rogatien Vachon. Kings ticket holders singing Rogie! Rogie! to cheer up your beloved player. The team’s improved defensive plays under Bob Pulford also helped put the Kings back on the pedestal. With Pulford’s guidance, the team experienced three of its best seasons. In 1979, the Kings welcomed Marcel Dione to the team, further strengthening their offense. Between Vachon’s defense and Dione’s offense, Kings’ tackle connoisseurs were rejuvenated.

The Kings saw an improvement in management once Mcnall managed the team. The acquisition of Gretzky led the team to a second-place finish in the Smythe Division in his first season. In the 1990-1991 season, the Kings won their first and only division title. The team was disabled when its main star was injured. Gretzky returned after the first 39 games. They placed third in the Smythe with the help of Luc Robitaille. In 1993, the Kings played for the Stanley Cup. Gretzky and the teams became popular even though they lost the match. After such a game, Kings tickets became a more popular item than ever.

The Kings moved from the Forum in 1999. The team now plays in the modern facilities of the Staples Center.

Zi Wei Dou Shui is a star system. It has ancient origins and a map of this celestial astrology was found in the Dunhuang Chinese Grotto in 1899, one of the oldest known star maps.

Zi Wei Dou Shu literally means “calculate the purple star” and is a natal chart based on the pole star. There are fourteen major stars depicted, including the Sun (Tai Yang) and Moon (Tai Yin), as well as the nine dipper stars used in Feng Shui (i.e. Tan Lang, Ju Men, Lu Cun, Wu Qu, Lian Zhen , Po Jun, You Bi, Wen Qu and Zuo Fu). Most stars are considered mathematical points in space. The pole star (Zi Wei) is known as the emperor of heaven as it never moves and all other stars revolve around it. A chart in Zi Wei Dou Shu is similar to ancient southern Vedic charts and may have been originally inspired by the Indian Jyotish system.

There are twelve houses on the chart called courts or palaces through which the stars move in regular cycles. The houses used are very close to the more familiar western houses (numbers are shown below), although they do not follow the same order. The western house system progresses according to the season of the year. The palaces below follow a typical life path for an Asian individual in the past.

Karma/Virtue… (the inner self or self that comes before birth) – (12-Pisces)

Parents… (your parents and their resources) -(2-Taurus)

Ming/myself… (developing the self) -(1-Aries)

Brothers… (consciousness of your family) -(3-Gemini)

wedding…(the partnership is fixed early) -(7-Libra)

Children… (children follow soon) -(5-Leo)

Money…(money must be maintained to support a growing family) -(8-Scorpio)

Health…(health must be maintained as well) -(6-Virgo)

Trip… (travel is often needed to expand wealth) – (9-Sagittarius)

Friends/Colleagues…(networking is necessary for continued growth) -(11-Aquarius)

race… (vocation takes a good part of life to fulfill) -(10-Capricorn)

Property… (family wealth and property) – (4-Cancer)

There is also a 13th house known as the Shen or house of the body that coincides with one of the basic twelve, revealing a particularly important area of ​​your life.

The natal chart is determined by the time of your birth with intervals of two hours. The fourteen main stars largely determine the overall meaning of the chart. In addition to the natal chart, there is also a 10-year one. luck cycle, a yearly and monthly cycle that should be compared for best results, especially to determine auspicious dates. Charts can include up to 144 total stars; the minor stars may add a bit of spice, but they have minor significance.

Of the fourteen main archetypal stars, their names and personalities simulate the personalities of a royal court, reminiscent of the Western gods and goddesses who lived on Mount Olympus.

one) Zi Wei: “The emperor” It is considered the most important star (north star) and is the location of the pole star in a birth chart. The house you reside in is often what makes you known in your life and is considered a leadership star. If Zi Wei is in his Ming/Self court, he is often the most successful of his family.

2) Tian Ji: “The Counselor” He is strong in intelligence and knowledge. She carries an energy that is sensitive, sharp and perceptive. It is a frank and active energy that can sometimes be unstable because it brings changes.

3) Tai Yang: “The Masculine or Paternal Aspect” It represents the influence of the Sun, it is masculine and shows an area where you will shine and be influential. It is upright, enthusiastic, altruistic and also represents your father or husband.

4) Wu Qu: “The General or Manager”It is the star of wealth earned through hard work and application. He is calm, firm, bound by duty and promises money where it is placed.

5) Tian Tong: “The lover of life” It is the star of good fortune, of leisure, it has a good heart and it is an area of ​​sensitivity. He is childish, dreamy and idealistic.

6) Lian Zhen: “The politician or charismatic”It is the star of charisma and gives you the ability to convince others of your goals. People of the Lian Zhen type may be indecisive because they like popularity, but they know right from wrong and love peach blossom.

7) Tian Fu: The Treasurer”It is a conservative and tolerant influence that represents treasure and has the ability to store things like wealth that is beneficial for success.

8) Tai Yin: “The feminine or maternal aspect” It represents the Moon, the changing lunar influence and femininity. You are emotional, quiet, reserved and moody and have the power to attract opportunities where you are placed.

9) Tan Lang: “The artist or the talented” It is the star of the arts, desire, romance and personal drive. Tan Lang is curious about life experiences, he is acquisitive and likes material things, and he may also be spiritual in the future.

10) Ju Men: “The Speaker” It is the star of thinking, communication, speech and verbal skills.

eleven) Tian Xiang: “The Administrator”He has a social conscience and represents prudence and perseverance. He is conservative, impartial, and is often called the prime minister.

12) Tian Liang: “The Master or Priest” He has the power to turn bad luck into good luck in the court where he resides. She represents honesty, justice and truth. He is a person of high rank, or someone who has the power to change your fortune.

13) Qi Sha: “The Adventurer or Soldier” He is an assertive star, loves to take risks and can bring about big changes. Qi Sha is brave, fiery and adventurous and she loves challenges or difficult situations.

14) Po Jun: “The Rebel” It represents a collapse to rebuild something better, sometimes with violence. This star is a powerful reformer, revolutionary or transformer similar to a Uranian or Plutonian influence.

Some of the smaller stars represent things like advisors, affairs or angelic protectors with some troublesome stars coming to test one’s progress. The oldest and most traditional Chinese interpretations of these stars can be quite negative, as the survival of ancient man was more tenuous in the past. I have reinterpreted many of these archetypal influences in light of modern times and modern psychology.

Also important are transformation stars that change monthly, annually and every ten-year cycle. These are Quan (power), Ke (fame/name), Lu (happiness), and Ji (trouble). These transforming stars can change the meaning of the other stars quite dramatically as they move through the cycles of time. You have a permanent set of these stars in your natal chart and then a moving set for 10 years. annual and monthly cycles.

When drawing a personal birth chart for a client, I use Zi Wei Dou Shu and Western astrology to do a comparison study. There is a wealth of information available when comparing these two systems that is astonishing in its detailed descriptions of our life potential. Free will always plays into this template, and we make better decisions when we know our hidden or shadowy side. Areas of our personality veiled from us will have a subconscious influence, so it’s best to understand those tendencies, as they can undermine our best efforts to be happy. Many psychologists today (especially Jungians) are increasingly using astrology as a tool to understand human personality and what makes us tick. If you’ve never had your birth chart done before, isn’t it time you found a good astrologer to reveal your life’s potential?

In the never-ending quarterback controversy, different quarterbacks are described by different people as the best ever. Some people believe that Joe Montana, with his San Francisco dynasty, was the greatest. Others think that John Elway, with “The Drive” and his victories from behind, was the best. Some people even argue that Archie Manning, if he had ever played for a decent team, would have gone down in history.

No matter who you champion in the controversy over the greatest quarterback to play the game, there’s no arguing that Dan Marino was one of them. A man who owns NFL records and the hearts of fans, the only thing missing is a Super Bowl ring. Even without the Lombardi trophy, though, Marino will always be one of the better arms to throw a football around. Test your knowledge of Dan Marino to see how much you know about the number 13, a number that only brought bad luck to Dolphin’s opponents.

1. What is Dan Marino’s middle name?

has. Raymond

b. Leroy

against constantine

d. Ana

2. What college did Dan Marino attend and play quarterback?

has. colorado university

b. university of pittsburgh

vs. University of Wyoming

d. ITT Technical Institute

3. During the 1983 draft, how many quarterbacks were selected before Dan Marino?

has. None, he was recruited first.

b. Five

against three

d. Marino was drafted as a linebacker

4. When Dan Marino started with Miami, he was the backup to which quarterback?

has. david woodley

b. Bob Griese

against Count Morall

d. bart star

5. Marino earned his final win when the Dolphins defeated the Seattle Seahawks in January 2000. In Marino lore, this was a come-from-behind win. Was it also what?

has. A win in overtime

b. Marino’s first road playoff win

vs. A game in which Marino threw six touchdown passes

d. a closure

6. When Dan Marino’s jersey was retired on September 17, 2000, only one other Dolphins jersey was retired. Whose shirt was it?

has. Bob Griese

b. Larry Csonka

against steve deberg

d. pinball

7. What day was Dan Marino inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

has. August 7, 2005

b. August 7, 2004

against August 7, 2006

d. He didn’t make it to the hall of fame, although he came close.

8. Dan Marino did not star in which of the following films?

has. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

b. littlenicky

against the godfather

d. bad boys II

9. On November 7, 2005, Dan Marino was recognized by the Miami Heat, for what?

has. your charity work

b. His NFL records

against His basketball skills

d. Your service to the United States as a spokesperson for Isotoner gloves

10. Dan Marino was the first quarterback in NFL history to do what?

has. Pass for 4,000 yards in eight seasons

b. Pass for 5,000 yards in a season

vs. Go an entire season without an interception

d. Draft himself in Fantasy Football

Answers: 1. c. Constantine; 2.b. University of Pittsburgh; 3.b. Five; 4th David Woodley; 5.b. Marino’s first road playoff win; 6th Bob Griese; 7th August 7, 2005; 8. c. The Godfather; 9th His charity work; 10.b. Pass for 5,000 yards in a season.

See how you did it:

9-10 Right: Great job! You are Dan the man. Well, if your name is Dan.

6-8 Right: Pretty good. You’ve obviously been reading Dan Marino’s diary.

3-5 Right: Uh oh. Surely that Dan Marino poster you have hanging in your room will cast the evil eye on you when he finds out about this score.

Less than 3 Correct: Please tell me you don’t think Dan Marino is a harbor where boats and yachts are kept.

One of the legendary original “Alabama Gang” Charles Lawrence “Red” Farmer was born on October 15, 1932 (his year of birth is uncertain) in Nashville, Tennessee, and moved to Miami, Florida with his mother in the middle of the decade. 1940’s after her parents estranged.

It wasn’t until 1958 that Red moved to Hueytown part-time with Bobbie and Donnie Allison, racing there during the summer months and returning in the winter with his family to work as an electrician. During this time, construction work was slow, and Red often had to support his wife, children, and mother-in-law with unemployment money. Finally, in 1962 Red took his family to live in Hueytown, Alabama and they settled there, considering it his hometown.

His first race was in 1948 at Opa-locka Speedway in Florida, driving an old 1934 Ford Coupe for a friend’s father. He won his first prize money of around $300 at Dixie Speedway in Midfield in a 1936 hit and the next day won again at the show in Montgomery, giving him around $600, giving him more money than he had ever had. in a while.

After moving to Hueytown, Red continued to work as an electrician until, after a few years, he quit to focus on racing full time, beginning an incredible journey for the next sixty years. Ray has amassed an incredible estimated 700 to 900 dirt, asphalt and superspeedway victories, winning the NASCAR Modified championship in 1956 and then taking three Late Model Sportsman (now Busch Series) titles in 1967-70-71. He was voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver four times and has been inducted into the Talladega/Texaco Walk of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Hall of Fame. the Fame of International Motorsports.

Farmer is the 1999 recipient of the Alabama Governor’s Award, given annually to an individual or organization for their contribution to auto racing. Perhaps the most prestigious award Farmer has won was being named in 2000 as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time.

He has been married to his wife Joan for over 55 years and has three children, two daughters, Cindy and Bonnie, and a son, Michael. He also has nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Red is still active as a NASCAR racing driver and regularly competes at Talladega Short Track and also works as a consultant with the ARCA team.

Alabama Gang legend Red Farmer will be honored at the track where he still races at 77 years of age. It has been announced that the Talladega Short Track will host the Red Farmer Classic on May 15, 2011 at the Eastaboga dirt track across from the Talladega Super. -Speedway. In honor of Red’s number 97, the super late-model race will be 97 laps and pay $9,700 to win. Red responded to this honor by saying, “To have a race named after him ‘is quite an honor, especially since they want to do it every year'” when asked during an interview for Stock Car Magazine. When asked if any tracks stood out as your favorite Red responded;

“Any track I win at is my favorite. But I guess Daytona and Talladega were two of my favorite tracks. That’s unusual for a short-track driver. Of course, I loved Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery, tracks we raced at on Thursday, Friday and Saturday”. for 20 years. We were racing Huntsville on Thursday night, Birmingham on Friday night and Montgomery on Saturday night. Then we were going to look for a great career somewhere. Sometimes we’d go as far as Manassas, Virginia, and race on Sunday, or somewhere in Tennessee. We ran four nights a week many times. Basically, I’ve always been a short-track driver, but I like Daytona and Talladega. I like super speeds.”

They asked him if he preferred dirt or asphalt tracks and he answered;

“Nothing but dirt. That’s something I really enjoy the most. It’s much more fun. I have two dirt cars, Super Late Model dirt cars, right now. I have a GRT and a CJ Rayburn chassis. I’m building a new engine for next year. I will start my 58th year in 2006. My grandson has a car. We are building you a box engine class to start running. I don’t even care about short track asphalt racing anymore. For me it’s boring compared to a good gravel race. You’re going to watch a World of Outlaws Super Late Model race with Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Rick Eckerd, Darrell Lanigan and Dale McDowell and those guys race on a half mile dirt track and you’ll never see another asphalt race again. . You see those guys put on a show and that’s what I really enjoy. I love dirt tracks sideways, sideways, running uphill and it’s so much more fun for me to run than asphalt. On tarmac you can set up a car and come back the following year and never have to change it. It’s the same every week. But you go to a dirt track and you have to work on it all the time. One time it’s wet, other times it’s dry and slippery, other times it’s black and you have to work continuously all night to keep up. It’s much more interesting to me.“

These days everyone wants to be able to view all their media easily. And of course, why not, with media coming from so many places… digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones and, of course, the Internet. You also don’t want to have to physically change your DVD or Blu-Ray discs because that would be, well, not North American! 750-odd donuts a year, we Canadians eat. It has to take its toll somewhere.

But in all seriousness, playing all the different media you might have is never an easy task. Let’s look at the options some of us might have.

XBOX 360 – Somewhat capable, but suffers from codec incompatibility, no built-in WiFi, volume, and other issues. Surprisingly, the 360 ​​is reported to be able to read HFS+ (Mac) partitions which I like for various reasons, while the PS3, a product from a competing non-Apple company, cannot read HFS+ or NTFS. Even more amazing, the 360 ​​can’t read NTFS. I’d love to know what went on behind the scenes… was there a disgruntled employee who said, “Let’s stick to MS baby! HFS but not NTFS! HAHA! There!” The menu, sorry Dashboard works pretty well for a console, but not as much as a media center in my opinion. Finally, the 360 ​​just uses too much power.

Sony PlayStation 3 – Considered by many to be a good media player, it doesn’t meet with the same kind of fanfare in my house. It can’t handle MKV, although the files inside that container are generally fine for the PS3, it can’t accept files larger than 4GB, it can’t stream these kinds of videos from a PC (and even if it could, its 802.11g speeds will let it). would brake). It can also get loud/hot like the 360, and requires a lot of power. Other than that, the PS3 that has a Blu-Ray player is its saving grace. That, its Blu-Ray boot speed, and the fact that it can decode lossless formats internally make it a decent player. I even like the XMB to the point that I don’t mind using it to organize pictures and music, but since it can’t handle my MKV video collection, it unfortunately also has to get a thumbs down.

Wii- Hah. Next, I’ll talk about the capabilities of my original Game Boy’s 1080p media center.

Popcorn time: This was one of the first proper media center things that had all the required features on paper. Hard drive included, along with Wi-Fi, RSS Bit Torrenting abilities, and the ability to play MKV and high-bitrate 1080p video. The only problem is that he didn’t do it right. First-hand reports of the player stuttering, freezing, and generally not being able to play 1080p video abound.

Various other network media streamers – they all work decently well for pictures, music and even SD video, but then again, so do the 360 ​​and PS3 with TVersity. No, the real test is full-bandwidth 1080p video, and I’m afraid both the players and their meager wireless connections aren’t up to the task.

HTPC – This would be the only real solution for a long time. I even have posts detailing what they do and how to put them together. Why do these work? Because they are just computers connected to televisions. Dual-core CPUs, lots of RAM, and fancy video should make anything you can throw at them short, at least in theory. Having owned HTPCs since I was able to connect an S-video cable to my Radeon 9700 Pro in the past, I can tell you that the experience isn’t as smooth as it should be. Why? Because we are using Windows! XP Media Center Edition was just XP, and Vista has Media Center built in, so Media Center is just an application running on top. BSODs, crashes, slowdowns, and other issues will still occur, especially if you use the box for other purposes, such as downloading in the background. That, and the incredibly complex setup procedure was very annoying. Of course you have to install Vista, but then the codecs, and making sure things are converted and handled correctly, sound output via coax or toslink or HDMI as it should, and finally calibrating the video output was a chore and anything else. Most of these issues go away when using Plex with a Mac as your HTPC. It’s one of the best media center interfaces I’ve ever seen, and it’s incredibly efficient with its rendering, playing videos smoothly that it won’t in VLC or Quicktime with Perian. Still, it’s a big investment (well, it’s actually a depreciating asset, but let’s not split) to buy a full PC, and also a Mac. Your only aesthetically acceptable option would be a Mac Mini, and its price-performance ratio It’s unheard of (in a bad way).

WD TV HD Media Player – Finally, that brings us to the subject of this review, the Western Digital TV HD Media Player. No one expected this thing, at all, at this price, and certainly not from WD. But none of that is important.

We’ve been led to believe that good things come in small packages, and it looks like this little device may be a champion of that idea. It’s impossibly small, at least to my eyes, which are used to seeing passable 1080p playback from large boxes containing massive multi-core CPU coolers that breathe hot air, suck electricity, and add to the noise and sweltering heat produced by the other components. inside that (usually) ugly box. This thing has no fans, it’s pretty green and it’s panting…it really does what it’s supposed to do! Setup couldn’t be easier, and I don’t think any AV device in history has been easier to physically set up. The power cable, the HDMI cable… and that’s it. Yes, this is the case with many other HDMI devices as well, but this one is small and only has a few connectors, so it’s very hard to mess it up. There are no physical buttons on the unit, so you turn it on with the remote. A whiter than blue LED lights up to indicate power, and if you have a USB device attached, it will blink or light, depending on whether it’s scanning the drive or ready to go. I ran into a problem early on. After setting up the easy cabling and accessing the menu, I found that it would not recognize my 1TB external hard drive. Alarmed, I immediately copied a 720p TV show onto my Patriot Xporter flash drive and plugged it in. After a few seconds of inactivity it started flickering and the videos came up. Still, if it couldn’t read 1TB hard drives, now it’s not really an effective 1080p media center, is it? I updated the firmware and it finally saw the drive. I also noticed speed improvements! Hopefully this will get better and better with each firmware update.

This baby will play just about anything digital you can find. From old school DivX encodes to the latest super high bitrate 1080p MKVs, this will handle them all. More surprisingly, she seems to have no problem reproducing them. They are not signs of struggle! I put a specially copied version of The Godfather, barely compressed from the original, taking up about 20 GB. It started playing right away, faster than my gaming pc could start playing (and it has a 4GHz Yorkfield and 8GB of RAM). VLC and other players sometimes have a lot of visual blemishes when playing high-resolution, high-bitrate videos, but there was no such macro-crash, apart from the compression present. If you haven’t heavily compressed your Blu-Ray recordings, or if you just ripped the streaming file from a Blu-Ray disc (which WILL be played!), the video will look great. The sound is as good as the Dolby Digital or DTS standard (if you’re connected via composite, it won’t decode DTS), but currently, to my knowledge, it doesn’t do DTS-MA or TrueHD.

The interface is a bit like a stripped down, vertically scrolling Sony PS3 XMB interface with Windows XP color. Sounds a bit like Windows Media Center, right? Actually, it’s no different. Although the menus are a bit simplistic, they do the job and I can’t complain much. The only problem I have with the interface is that each icon should have the corresponding text near it, not in the bottom right corner. A small inconvenience, really. The device has the ability to create libraries for you, but I disabled this feature because I have my own organizational structure on the drive, and also it seems to take forever to index a 1TB drive. One more caveat here is that you can’t do this for HFS+ formatted drives, and I think that’s because you can read them, but not write to them.

After using the device for a few hours, I can say that I am very satisfied with it. Switch between videos easily, resume videos where you left off, and never crash during playback, no matter how demanding the video file. At this point, I only have one drawback… the remote is too small for a grown man’s hands, and the buttons require a lot of effort to press. Sounds like a bit of a problem, one that can be easily resolved by using other types of remotes (programmable, Harmony, etc.). At $139 Canadian, that’s a great deal, as it can do what HTPCs can’t as reliably or quickly, for hundreds less. It also outperforms all other multimedia solutions on the market, including consoles.

I give it a 9 out of 10.

At every Summer Olympics, one thing is predictable: the middle and long distance races will be dominated by Kenyan athletes. The debate will then continue: what do these Kenyans have? Again theories will be postulated as to why they always win.

The most dominant theory as to why they win is: it’s in their genes, they’ve been raised at altitude and therefore “oxygen trained”, they run to and from school and therefore start training early and that’s a single way out of poverty.

There is quite a lot of literature on this subject and several scientific studies have been carried out on it. However, none of the studies have conclusively said why Kenyan athletes always win.

There is no doubt that a combination of all the factors mentioned above together with some serious training will produce good results. But which of these factors contributes the most to the exceptional performance of Kenyan athletes?

Before we get into the factors, it’s worth noting that the majority of Kenyan distance runners come from the Kalenjin community in Kenya.

As a Kenyan who has lived in the Kenyan highlands all my life, I postulate that the factors are ranked as follows in decreasing order of importance. Getting out of poverty, it’s in your genes, running to and from school, growing up.

These classifications are based on the following observations. Nandi district in Kenya is not the highest place where people live in Kenya. Kapsabet in Nandi is at an altitude of 6,499 feet while Tamau, another city in Kenya, is at an altitude of 7,229, but very few athletes come from Timau. Also, there are many other places in the world where people live at higher altitudes than Kapsabet.

Running to and from school undoubtedly plays a role in preparing young children for an eventual career in athletics. But children in Meru, Kenya, which is at the same elevation as Kapsabet, also run from school every day. So running to and from school would not explain the difference between Meru and Kaspsabet in athlete production.

There seems to be reason to believe that some ethnic groups are naturally gifted to excel in certain sports. Just look at how the Spanish and their Brazilian cousins ​​harass everyone else in soccer. In Kenya, the one factor that the Kalenjins, who make up the majority of Kenyan runners, do not share with other Kenyans is that they are Kalenjins. So there seems to be reason enough to believe that his success is due, at least in part, but quite significantly, to his ethnicity.

There are many Kalenjins who live in the urban centers of Kenya. These Kalenjins with their genes, altitude and all hardly produce any reputable athletes. Sure your kids aren’t running to and from school, but more importantly, your kids are assured of a college education and can have a job after college. The amount of training and effort that Kenyan runners put into becoming the best in the world is simply phenomenal. Sure, the athlete will probably have more money than the college student eventually, but what it takes isn’t worth it to a person who has “other ways out of poverty.” In the 1960s, Kipchoge Keino could have won because he had Kalenjin genes. Today, the Kalenjin genes are certainly favored by the presence of 4×4 cars and large mansions in the villages owned by athletes who would otherwise be farming the land for $2 a day.

Thus, the success of Kenyan runners today has more to do with psychology than physiology, and more to do with attitude than altitude.

Some forms of salad have been eaten for centuries, originally made primarily of cabbage and root vegetables, flavored with vinegar, oils, and herbs. The ancient Greeks believed that raw green vegetables promoted good digestion, and the Romans agreed. The first records of lettuce appeared in the 6th century BC. C., although they looked little like our current varieties.

Salads have come a long way from the pedestrian version of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Today there is no end to the hundreds of varieties, toppings, and dressings available to our salad-crazed nation. In the 1920s, they found success when restaurant chefs created Caesar, Chef, Cobb, and fruit salads. Canned vegetables and fruits became more readily available and added to the mix, allowing Americans to eat salads all year long. Simple vinegar and oil made way for bottled dressings and mayonnaise, paving the way for “joined salads.” It sounds a little weird, but this category includes some of our favorites: Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, Ham Salad, Shrimp, and Crab Salad. Chicken came first, appearing in cookbooks in the mid-19th century, tuna much later with the advent of canned tuna. In the late 1930s, Spam made ham salad easy and egg salad a natural. With the introduction of Jello gelatin, molded salads took a colorful place in any lunch.

Restaurateur Robert Cobb created the salad that bears his name at his Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood; The chef’s salad debuted at the Ritz Carlton in New York and originally included sliced ​​ox tongue along with ham and cheese. (Thankfully, in later years, turkey or chicken replaced ox tongue.) In the early days of Hollywood, Caesar salad was embraced by stars, who happily ate this trendy salad at some of their favorite restaurants. The creator, Caesar Cardini, eventually bottled and sold his signature dressing in the Los Angeles area. A favorite restaurant in Chicago, the Blackhawk, featured its signature “salad spinner” along with each entrée on the menu, served tableside.

French chefs prepared vinaigrette dressings with oil, herbs, chopped shallots, and paprika throughout the 19th century. Those especially adventurous added tomato sauce, which became the base for the classic French dressing. Kraft Foods, in 1939, introduced its popular, orange-colored version. Boomers remember it being sprinkled on iceberg lettuce. Miracle Whip appeared around the same time, labeled as a salad dressing, but used primarily to bind together chopped meat, poultry, or eggs for a tasty sandwich filling. In the 1920s, the Green Goddess Dressing Room was created in a San Francisco restaurant in honor of a play of the same name. (Good thing death of a seller did not start that same year.)

Colonial America grew lettuce in their home gardens, along with cabbage, beans, and root vegetables. A delicate seasonal food, it was enjoyed only in the summer and was not available year-round until the 20th century, when California grew and shipped head lettuce across the country. There is no doubt that enthusiastic President Thomas Jefferson experimented with a number of varieties that were served daily to his family and dinner guests, with vinaigrette dressing or a sprinkle of herbs and mayonnaise (his chef was trained from him). in France).

As Americans developed more sophisticated tastes, traditional iceberg lettuce took a back seat to romaine lettuce, arugula, endive, radicchio, and field greens. Originally, these varieties were considered elite greens due to price and expiration. Lately, retro salads are popping up with iceberg lettuce quarters and dressing. For Boomers who grew up on this stuff, it goes back to the 50s along with Spam salad, meatloaf, canned fruit cocktail, and popsicles.

With Americans’ love of pasta, it was only a matter of time before pasta salad emerged, first appearing as a simple macaroni salad, giving way to more sophisticated versions and add-ins.

European immigrants brought their potato salad recipes to America, both hot and cold, that used the inexpensive, easy-to-grow potato as a hearty base. Europe was serving potato salad as early as the 17th century, usually mixed with vinegar, oil, and bacon, the forerunner of German potato salad, served hot. Warmer climates enjoyed cold potatoes with cream and vegetables. Not far behind in the cooking department, the French went a step further and added mayonnaise, herbs, and mustard—Dijon, of course. (No self-respecting Frenchman would even think of using yellow mustard the way Americans do.)

Since the 1970s, when salad bars became of rigor, the humble salad has taken center stage, no longer an afterthought alongside an entrée. Supermarkets stock pre-packaged lettuce and salad toppings, boxed pasta salad mixes, and rows of colorful greens and veggies, all ready for dressing. No longer considered “rabbit food”, we can enjoy it almost anywhere. So come up to the bar and go for it.