Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Countdown - The Stolen Earth

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ZLOMe3BQYRdXPmRR0rqVXBLUAFYd_bgCwyVl0iLnN4kLo5L_0m4oGBuhverJ9kbVeYvozYYXrEy-jukeOkerGc_6LhqbCJoFeVc36IOsFbfFEtF3I4qmhxT7R-T1mbHT29Lav9Ol4E/s1600/JEND6.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ZLOMe3BQYRdXPmRR0rqVXBLUAFYd_bgCwyVl0iLnN4kLo5L_0m4oGBuhverJ9kbVeYvozYYXrEy-jukeOkerGc_6LhqbCJoFeVc36IOsFbfFEtF3I4qmhxT7R-T1mbHT29Lav9Ol4E/s640/JEND6.bmp" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">To celebrate the fact that 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, we are taking a look back at all of the episodes of the show which featured David Tennant as the Doctor. At the end of our look back we'll be asking you, the fans, to vote for what you think is the ultimate David Tennant episode of Doctor Who....</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">We continue with the next David Tennant episode.... <i> The Stolen Earth</i><br /><a href="http://tennantnews.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Doctor%20Who%20Episode%20Guide" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; display: inline; outline: none; transition: color 0.3s;">Read our previous Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Countdown posts here.</a><br /><br /><b>41. The Stolen Earth</b><br />First Broadcast on 28th June 2008. Running Time: 45.39 Minutes. Viewing Figures: 8.78 million.<br />Written By Russell T Davies.<br />Directed By Graeme Harper.<br />Executive Producers Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson.</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">David-Tennant.com Rating: 10/10.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusXAGM4uwhKmArwBJlRVCrjgjoatYYHEqLFKvOHoWns75Cek9oiA_lp4HvKd8YFJvQzGbCOAvmedMz3TEORKmiOX-s9MFln8TfK0Yy93TspCB8kR-2MNRg34SILXl4M3MJJ5WIesTkwM/s1600/JEND7.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusXAGM4uwhKmArwBJlRVCrjgjoatYYHEqLFKvOHoWns75Cek9oiA_lp4HvKd8YFJvQzGbCOAvmedMz3TEORKmiOX-s9MFln8TfK0Yy93TspCB8kR-2MNRg34SILXl4M3MJJ5WIesTkwM/s640/JEND7.bmp" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earth's greatest heroes assemble in a time of dire need, but can the Doctor's secret army defeat the might of the new Dalek Empire? With battles raging on the streets and in the skies, the Doctor and Donna must brave the Shadow Proclamation to find out the truth. However, a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows, and the entire Universe is in danger as the Daleks activate their masterplan.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><b style="line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Extras:</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">  </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPm0ujupS6fI9LVAgJQHHiqxMpdn-fpPG" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; display: inline; line-height: 19px; outline: none; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.david-tennant.org/album/81c1bs/" target="_blank">Promotional Photos</a> | <a href="http://www.david-tennant.org/album/cd88fu/" target="_blank">On Set Photos</a> | <a href="http://www.david-tennant.org/album/d9e24n/" target="_blank">Screen Caps</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPm0ujupS6fIjSEJviifo2h8MZ7apJtwN" target="_blank">Videos</a> | <a href="http://www.team-tennant.com/interview/id128.html" target="_blank">Articles</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXMxNfhr77vjfvTSy8gQJWZFqeSUGzE1j1d-58V9lkbQY3sop9nRhawg1OPPAD1g8Mtao33UBrLwzZIMGbu_2yPDPusuuvDHs8MFwBUTsDiffaXQeM5VRWpR1RAkyekxfB8gzCiR7J-A/s1600/STOLENEARTHSET_(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXMxNfhr77vjfvTSy8gQJWZFqeSUGzE1j1d-58V9lkbQY3sop9nRhawg1OPPAD1g8Mtao33UBrLwzZIMGbu_2yPDPusuuvDHs8MFwBUTsDiffaXQeM5VRWpR1RAkyekxfB8gzCiR7J-A/s640/STOLENEARTHSET_(4).jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><b>Production Notes:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The series finale for 2008 was always going to be big. It was to be the final episode overseen by producer Phil Collinson, and was also to be the last series finale for Russell T Davies and Julie Gardener who had both announced they would also be leaving the show after a series of specials. As a result Davies wanted the two part finale to tie up many elements of his time on the show.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The original plan was for the Doctor and his companion Penny, Catherine Tate hadn't been recast as Donna at this point, to be joined by Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, Sarah Jane Smith and Love & Monsters character Elton Pope. Davies was also thinking of cameos from Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler and hoped that Catherine Tate may return to reprise her role as Donna Noble, although he doubted that Tate would be able to due to her work schedule.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Davies wanted the villains of the piece to be the Daleks and their evil creator Davros. Although the Daleks had appeared in several New Who stories, Davros had only been referenced and had not actually appeared on screen since 1988's Remembrance Of The Daleks.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To incorporate appearances from some of the series' best loved characters in to the episode Davies planned to include an intergalactic conference on a space station. This would provide an excellent platform for fans to see the return of many creatures including the Slitheen, The Krillitane and the Judoon.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />By the summer of 2007 Davies plans were changing. To his surprise and delight, Catherine Tate had agreed to come back to the show and reprise her role as Donna Noble full time. She was set to appear in the entire 2008 run and the finale would see her swan song.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Davies also changed his mind about the return of Elton Pope and instead started to toy with the idea of bringing back Midshipman Frame played by Russel Tovey, last seen in the 2007 Christmas Special, Voyage Of The Damned. The idea was that he would be reintroduced as a secret agent of the Shadow Proclamation, a top secret organisation which had been referenced as far back as the Series One opener, Rose.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />In August 2007, Billie Piper told bosses that she would be unable to film her scenes in January 2008 as she would be away on her honeymoon, following her New Year's Eve wedding to Lewis actor, Laurence Fox.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was a massive blow to the production team as it was conflicting with all of their plans for filming.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Davies quickly had to start ammending the plot and reducing Rose's appearances in the finale. The result was a short parallel earth beach scene with Rose and the 'Doctors' and Mickey and Jackie were eliminated from the episodes. Fortunately Julie Gardener managed to rearrange the series shooting schedules around Piper's holiday plans and filming for the finale could instead begin in February 2008. However a result of this was that the episodes original director, Euros Lyn, was moved to work on Silence Of The Library and Forest Of The Dead. Instead Graeme Harper would direct the finale, starting work on them immediately after concluding Turn Left.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />In December 2007 Davies began work on the scripts, at this point he decided to include characters from the Doctor Who spin offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Torchwood's Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones and The Sarah Jane Adventures' Luke, K-9 and Mr Smith were all to make cameo appearances, as would Francine Jones, Martha's mother.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />At this stage Davies was still working on the storyline revolving around Russel Tovey's character, Midshipman Frame. He was to meet up with the Doctor and Donna when they visited the Shadow Proclamation and would help them to communicate. He would then join the Doctor on board the TARDIS and travel on board the Crucible, were he would be exterminated by the Daleks. This was to allow a character to be killed by the Daleks without Davies having to gt rid of any of the series regulars.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However the plans had to be scrapped when Tovey revealed that he was unable to join the cast due to prior work commitments.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />So Davies set about thinking of another character who could return and be sacrificed before the Daleks. Gardener and Collinson both requested the return of Harriet Jones, the former UK Prime Minister, who had last been seen in The Christmas Invasion back in 2005. It was not certain that Penelope Wilton, who played Harriet, would be available and so Davies also drafted in Voyage Of The Damned's Mr Copper, played by Clive Swift. But fate was eventually smiling on Davies and Wilton happily confirmed that she could return and would be available for filming.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXwKqdPQ9aVy731UdbQ3BQYVEx7iipUAQ09qbJ5Ryunr9Vnx_64KV_IWNxTMnGrftihCkQl6UNzPsz-By4BXaZqSxQPJ3F15Rsu3h0RkiO2cmZkrXrKVlPtOB8ANTt3LteRZOqT2troM/s1600/STOLENEARTHSET_(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXwKqdPQ9aVy731UdbQ3BQYVEx7iipUAQ09qbJ5Ryunr9Vnx_64KV_IWNxTMnGrftihCkQl6UNzPsz-By4BXaZqSxQPJ3F15Rsu3h0RkiO2cmZkrXrKVlPtOB8ANTt3LteRZOqT2troM/s640/STOLENEARTHSET_(8).jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />There were lots of different plot threads that needed tying up in the series finale. Firstly there was the return of Rose Tyler. Viewers had been catching glimpses of the former companion throughout the 2008 series as she tried to get in touch with the Doctor and his current companion Donna Noble.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there was the missing worlds. Several episodes had referenced this phenomenon; Adipose 3 (Partners In Crime), Pyrovillia (The Fires Of Pompeii), and the Lost Moon Of Poosh (Midnight).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The eventual twenty-seven worlds captured by the Daleks was a big increase from Davies' original plan in which only six planets had been captured and then there was Earth's missing bumblebees referenced in The Unicorn And The Wasp, Partners In Crime, Planet Of The Ood and Turn Left.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />As the deadlines loomed at the end of 2007 Davies became aware that his director, Graeme Harper, would need to see both scripts. Working flat out to finish, he had to cancel attending Billie Piper's wedding to give himself more time to work on the scripts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Davies finally finished his first draft in the small hours of New Year's Eve morning. The script included a scene, suggested by Wilfred Mott actor Bernard Cribbins, in which Wilf attempts to blind a Dalek with a paint gun.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Davies began writing the script for the second part of the series finale, Journey's End, on 11th January 2008. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As he began work Davies began to get worried that he wouldn't be able to wrap the story up in the allotted 50 minutes slot. He began to wonder if he should cut some scenes from the episodes, specifically those centred around the Torchwood crew and Sarah Jane. Davies discussed the dilemma with Gardener and on the 19th January Gardener managed to get Jane Tranter to extend the episode's running time by ten minutes, making it the longest regular episode of the series. Davies finally finished the draft for the episode on 22nd January 2008.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />A few changes had to be made to the original drafts of The Stolen Earth and Journey's End in the lead up to production beginning, these were mostly due to budget.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The scenes of the Shadow Proclamation were drastically cut, the scene had grown in the draft and was to include a plethora of characters now also including the Vespiform and an adult sized Adipose, but due to budget restraints only the Judoon ended up staying. However Davies kept the idea on board and decided to use it for the final episodes of Tennant's era instead.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The scenes being cut meant that audio, already recorded by Annette Badland, as Margaret the Slitheen, had to be dropped. Other scenes dropped included a lengthy flashback to Davros' younger years on Skaro, experiments on Kaled soldiers and scenes of the explosion which had disfigured him.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2m96vfjrAEegEXe7-8mlLLDrx1aIIw2o80yDwzsiCUu1b0ofMN5ge5a_T-ciSx0N3zycFK7dIhESZyBtQLe7pGD1ZmFaK90ve2I2_lRLk-IOOfiuDAur0mIr3J3VVzAscZPF20CNkBA/s1600/STOLENEARTHSET_(13).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2m96vfjrAEegEXe7-8mlLLDrx1aIIw2o80yDwzsiCUu1b0ofMN5ge5a_T-ciSx0N3zycFK7dIhESZyBtQLe7pGD1ZmFaK90ve2I2_lRLk-IOOfiuDAur0mIr3J3VVzAscZPF20CNkBA/s640/STOLENEARTHSET_(13).jpg" width="532" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 31st January 2008 filming for the two parter, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, began when scenes of newsreaders were shot at BBC Broadcasting House in Cardiff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shooting with the main cast began on 18th February at the Upper Boat Studios. Scenes in the TARDIS were filmed on the first day and then the scenes within the Torchwood Hub were shot on the 19th to the 21st. On the 22nd scenes were recorded in both the TARDIS and the Hub. Further shots in the TARDIS were completed on the 25th February.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 26th and 27th the cast and crew went out on location to the Noble's family home and shot scenes at Nant Fawr Road in Cardiff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then it was back to Upper Boat on the 28th and 29th were yet more scenes in the TARDIS were shot.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From on the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th March scenes on board the Dalek's Crucible were shot at Upper Boat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 5th March saw David Tennant, Catherine Tate and Billie Piper working on location at 'Bad Wolf Bay' - Southerndown Beach, near Bridgend.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 8th March the filming moved to Cardiff University's School of Optometry which was used as the location for the Shadow Proclamation headquarters. And on 10th and 11th March the final scenes on board the Dalek Crucible were completed at Upper Boat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 11th also saw the scenes of the Doctor and Donna arriving in the TARDIS and Rose arriving back on Earth filmed in Tonteg.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 12th March shots outside the Noble's home were recorded as well as scenes of Rose visiting the looted computer shop, Megabyte City, which was actually Computer Wales in Pontrypridd.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the night of 13th March  various scenes of the streets of 'London' were recorded in Penarth, this included the scene were the Doctor and Rose are reunited, only for him to be shot down by a Dalek as he rushes to embrace her. These scenes were completed in Cardiff on the 14th.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 14th also saw scenes of the German Castle visited by Martha Jones shot at  Castell Coch in Tongwynlais. The 16th saw the Traffic Management Centre in Cardiff pose as the New York base of UNIT whilst shots of the Reality Bomb Test were recorded at a disused warehouse, Alpha Steel, in Newport.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The 18th March saw scenes at Harriet Jones' cottage recorded at Lower House Barn in Dinas Powys, whilst more shots of the exterior of the German castle were recorded at Castell Coch.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 19th saw the scene of the Doctor returning Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane and Martha to Earth shot at Morgan Jones Park in Caerphilly, whilst the scene of Martha being teleported away from UNIT HQ was recorded at the Wales Museum Collection Centre at Parc Nantgarw.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 20th and 21st March it was back to the the Upper Boat Studios with further scenes in the TARDIS, including the Christmas Special cliffhanger shot as well as more scenes on the Dalek Crucible. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">These scenes marked Catherine Tate's last day on the Doctor Who set, although Catherine has since said that despite rumours to the contrary she would have loved to have stayed on the show until David Tennant left and would have remained on the show if asked. </span>The day was also the last for Producer Phil Collinson who was leaving show to work on Coronation Street.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 24th March it was back to work on the set of the Crucible at Upper Boat and on the 25th and 26th filming was on location at two homes in Penarth to record scenes at Francine Jones' house and Sarah Jane Smith's.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 27th 29th March it was back to work at Upperboat for scenes in Sarah Jane's attic and at the Osterhagen HQ as well as various insert shots.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 28th March Richard Dawkins celebrity cameo was recorded, the 31st saw Paul O'Grady record his cameo at the London Studios.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the filming for the Christmas Special was to be brought forward Davies decided that he would not need the traditional cliffhanger at the end of Journey's End, as by the time it aired The Next Doctor would have already have been filmed as so a normal preview<span style="background-color: white;"> could be used instead.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He decided to cut the final cliffhanger scene in the TARDIS were a Cyberman would loom behind the Doctor as he leaves Donna's home and so a new final scene was written quickly and filmed at Upper Boat on 1st May.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite the extended running time one huge scene was still cut from the episode, originally, before leaving Rose and the meta crisis Doctor at Bad Wolf Bay, the real Doctor was to give them a cutting from the TARDIS with which they could grow their own version of the time machine.  This would have presumably have left the door open for further adventures with Rose and her Doctor. But it never made the final episode. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzVSZAUAb3WWIIxCvSoZloQSl_FwUOp7xhE-aJxb47kfXSQmV0hChVYPJ7QYtNhjhl1WHEZs2t2In6b6SNEhjZcp_ATs3eJ2SJHXZkf_3ymBLnUo5oi7gGI8P8xy_HKB_WnWzjO3YV8Y/s1600/jend8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzVSZAUAb3WWIIxCvSoZloQSl_FwUOp7xhE-aJxb47kfXSQmV0hChVYPJ7QYtNhjhl1WHEZs2t2In6b6SNEhjZcp_ATs3eJ2SJHXZkf_3ymBLnUo5oi7gGI8P8xy_HKB_WnWzjO3YV8Y/s640/jend8.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Quotes:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor:</b> You see? Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as that was done I didn't need to change. I didn't want to. Why would I? Look at me! So to stop the energy from going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy biometric receptacle. Namely, my hand. My hand there. My handy spare hand. Remember? Christmas Day. Sycorax. Lost my hand in a sword fight. That's my hand. What do you think?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rose:</b> You're still you.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>I'm still me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>We'll have to go out. Because if we don't they'll get in.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rose: </b>You told me nothing could get through those doors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Jack: </b>You've got extrapolator shielding.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>Last time we fought the Daleks they were scavengers and hybrids. And mad. But this is a fully-fledged Dalek Empire. At the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDIS's. They can do anything. Right now that wooden door is just wood. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Donna:</b> It's you.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>Oh yes!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Donna: </b>You're naked.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor:</b> Oh yes. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>What's an Osterhagen Key?!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Martha: </b>There's a chain of twenty-five nuclear warheads. Placed in strategic points beneath the Earth's crust. If I use the key, they detonate and the Earth gets ripped apart.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor:</b> What?! Who invented that...well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose. Martha, are you insane?!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rose: </b>Oh she's good!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Martha:</b> Who's that?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rose: </b>My name's Rose. Rose Tyler.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Martha:</b> Oh my god, he found you. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Donna: </b>Part-human. Oh yes. That was a two-way biological metacrisis. Half-Doctor Half-Donna.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Doctor: </b>The Doctor Donna! Just like the Ood said. Remember? They saw it coming. The Doctor Donna. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58_ZhuT0FWj5URyXhQXr4e3nAVZlQS3sBwx95s_GJ5KPQpYT662Ea2XW26iA7rQurn5Bj0njggXBpkQJHCQbrUPIdv0-huPYh4X9UKdeSY4EYDQYXvhl-hCc9APj5hGUin207OaElS5E/s1600/daleks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58_ZhuT0FWj5URyXhQXr4e3nAVZlQS3sBwx95s_GJ5KPQpYT662Ea2XW26iA7rQurn5Bj0njggXBpkQJHCQbrUPIdv0-huPYh4X9UKdeSY4EYDQYXvhl-hCc9APj5hGUin207OaElS5E/s640/daleks.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Facts:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Harriet Jones first appeared in 2005's Aliens of London. She makes a return here after being ousted by the Doctor in 2005's The Christmas Invasion... and she was right - he wasn't there to help this time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This isn't the first time milkmen have featured in the series - the Third Doctor disguised himself as one to break into Global Chemicals during 1973's The Green Death and a milkman was attacked by a Cheetah Person at the start of 1988's Survival.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite their many encounters, the Doctor's only been shot by a Dalek twice before: in 1973's Planet of the Daleks (when a Dalek deliberately disabled the Third Doctor by zapping his legs) and in 1975's Genesis of the Daleks, when, just prior to blowing up the Daleks' incubation room, the Fourth Doctor received a glancing blow to his hand from a Dalek ray.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Michael Brandon is probably best known for his portrayal of tough 80's New York cop Lt. James Dempsey in the 1980s TV show Dempsey and Makepeace.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kelly Hunter appeared in the BBC's 2005 adaptation of Bleak House alongside Carey Mulligan, who played Sally Sparrow in 2007's terrifying Blink.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The characters of Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Luke and the computer Mr Smith all make their Doctor Who debuts in this episode, although they've already starred in their own shows: Ianto and Gwen in Torchwood and Luke and Mr Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Among the stolen celestial bodies are The Lost Moon of Poosh (as mentioned in Midnight) and Calufrax Minor. The Fourth Doctor visited Calufrax in 1978's The Pirate Planet.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Shadow Proclamation was first mentioned in 2005's Rose; the Judoon debuted in 2007's Smith and Jones; and the Medusa Cascade was first referenced in 2007's Last of the Time Lords.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This isn't the first time Bernard Cribbins has faced the Daleks. He starred in the 1960s feature film Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD as policemen Tom Campbell. The film, starring Peter Cushing, was based on the television adventure The Dalek Invasion Of Earth (1964).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This proclamation by a Dalek, unaffected by Wilf's paintball gun, is a reference to another of the Daleks' famous catchphrases "My vision is impaired!" A Dalek was disabled by obstructing its vision in the very first Dalek story in 1963. We're rapidly running out of ways to defeat or get away from them!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite being the longest serving of all the companions featured in this episode, this is the first time that actress Elisabeth Sladen, who plays Sarah Jane Smith, has appeared in the show's opening titles.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paul O'Grady is a huge fan of the show, and when Russell T Davies heard this, he jumped at the chance to give Paul a cameo!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Richard Dawkins, the celebrated ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer, is married to the Second Romana, actress Lalla Ward.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Davros has been referenced twice since the series restarted in 2005, but never by name. He was referred to in 2005's Dalek as a "man who was king of his own little world"; and in Evolution of The Daleks as the creator "who removed emotion to make them stronger."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Daleks tried to move Earth before, in 1964's The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Their attempts to put pilot the planet were thwarted by the pull of the Earth's magnetic core.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Time Lords have also moved the Earth - as part of a shady cover-up in 1986's The Trial Of A Time Lord.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Supreme Dalek's red colour scheme is a nod to the Dalek Controller from the two 1960s Dalek films.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>Videos:</b></span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLPm0ujupS6fIjSEJviifo2h8MZ7apJtwN" width="640"></iframe>

Billie Piper Catherine Tate David Tennant Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Episode Guide Freema Agyeman John Barrowman Lis Sladen Noel Clarke Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Countdown - The Stolen Earth

To celebrate the fact that 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, we are taking a look back at all of the episodes of the show which fe...

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New Doctor Who 'Tenth Doctor' T Shirt Available For The Next 7 Days

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gFfFhXISJL-XIi7e-pmw9eKzXQNUqJve6WRXDnsNoBKOcb6yjeyGQ1HZ-RPYcTCMqtKDWnpujZwlQk9STbYV6OUDyZxG7Sf_3uNbou0ac940lOr8DCqoBLTxAGbnsoU6Rfnse1BJiw8/s1600/allonsy700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gFfFhXISJL-XIi7e-pmw9eKzXQNUqJve6WRXDnsNoBKOcb6yjeyGQ1HZ-RPYcTCMqtKDWnpujZwlQk9STbYV6OUDyZxG7Sf_3uNbou0ac940lOr8DCqoBLTxAGbnsoU6Rfnse1BJiw8/s640/allonsy700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">This cool Doctor Who T Shirt design is available from our pals at Blue Box Tees for the next 7 DAYS ONLY!<br />Make sure you don't miss out and grab yours for just $12 today!<br />WORLDWIDE DELIVERY is available!</span></span><br /><div style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><b style="display: inline; outline: none;"><a href="http://blueboxtees.com/?wm=10033" style="display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CLICK HERE TO ORDER!</span></a></b></div>

Doctor Who Merchandise New Doctor Who 'Tenth Doctor' T Shirt Available For The Next 7 Days

This cool Doctor Who T Shirt design is available from our pals at Blue Box Tees for the next 7 DAYS ONLY! Make sure you don't miss out a...

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Retain this!

About a week ago I was able to pick up my new retainers.  Wow what a difference!<div><br></div><div>My old retainers were the more traditional style with the metal bar and plate.  Look at the state of them - Eeeek!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Lv7CpXN1aVbV52ykGhOjBIS-0-QdsXx8LDa68NKOkW6Y0ydxBeZU8SqyMYEi1wDn_7x76S0m-vNMIKT-QiQX_STr1QXi6tPC6n0vU_EFg4fGklmjnj9oFtaq6jf_T0C_0mNBBuyARmu/s640/blogger-image-833148424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Lv7CpXN1aVbV52ykGhOjBIS-0-QdsXx8LDa68NKOkW6Y0ydxBeZU8SqyMYEi1wDn_7x76S0m-vNMIKT-QiQX_STr1QXi6tPC6n0vU_EFg4fGklmjnj9oFtaq6jf_T0C_0mNBBuyARmu/s640/blogger-image-833148424.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My new retainers are far more sleek and seem more like a tooth guard.  They came in a cute pink box!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqwHtJdQpStScSs10GbAosrGPYsf0UUdIjCxXSirP2wTx5ifPoGP2jMMcAaNyu1Lm2SlCWhYaVCDILYySg7t0EaJphoVYb9aJz04aE7n3yvIM-MsvC8drnRWBedqrZHL9SKr8POVJvRnY/s640/blogger-image-1270531458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqwHtJdQpStScSs10GbAosrGPYsf0UUdIjCxXSirP2wTx5ifPoGP2jMMcAaNyu1Lm2SlCWhYaVCDILYySg7t0EaJphoVYb9aJz04aE7n3yvIM-MsvC8drnRWBedqrZHL9SKr8POVJvRnY/s640/blogger-image-1270531458.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They are barely visible when wearing them</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQrEqb7aUCjd8-HdImTav_qVM1wN9eYDfSWSlmLqFWTxhXwOSdUp2VNkq36oM0sPQTRmoha4iEomfPO0WhWh_Jc94PK8Ux3l06ef81kngHwOHLAPKvvncL40AC_tvxeCtCHK7kIigNu7_/s640/blogger-image--686208628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQrEqb7aUCjd8-HdImTav_qVM1wN9eYDfSWSlmLqFWTxhXwOSdUp2VNkq36oM0sPQTRmoha4iEomfPO0WhWh_Jc94PK8Ux3l06ef81kngHwOHLAPKvvncL40AC_tvxeCtCHK7kIigNu7_/s640/blogger-image--686208628.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I generally find it difficult to sleep when not wearing my retainers so I worried that it would take me a few nights to get used to my new retainers.  It didn't!  I slept soundly the first night I put them in.  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I go back to the orthodontist in a few weeks to check that they are working out ok.  They seem fine so I wonder should I just give this a miss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My new ortho now has my teeth on file so if I lose, break or want new retainers he will be able to make them up for me with ease!</div><br></div><br></div><br></div>

Retain this!

About a week ago I was able to pick up my new retainers.  Wow what a difference! My old retainers were the more traditional style with the m...

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UK PREMIERE: Watch Doctor Who Explained Today At 5.30pm On Watch

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryEyLh9Fj-LUAAH55g_Pe0o8Aq5YpakTD3DqR2C0hQurQ4YIxNP39LC32dmaU9f1gXWaCjk_3rkf5JjOSp1V79aok-Ewnb1GrNpeDjASVtTFp1dy7xG8NQE0DLU4xvoHCjwqOq8pgReE/s1600/Doctor_Who_Explained.jpg" /></span></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new Doctor Who special from the makers of <i>The Doctors Revisited</i>,  <b style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Who Explained, </b>will have its UK premiere on Watch today at 5.30pm, The programme which debuts on the same day as <i>The Doctors Revisited</i> in the UK, takes us behind the scenes of <i>Doctor Who</i> and tells us everything we need to know about the Doctor - current, past or future. There are exclusive interviews with key figures from the show, including Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker and Steven Moffat along with other Doctors, companions, guest stars and showmakers. </span></div><div style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Doctor Who Explained</i> will also air in Australia on Sunday 20th October on ABC2 and on BBC America in November. It is listed as one of the extras on the DVD and Blu-ray release of <i>The Day Of The Doctor</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">On the same day Watch will also air <i><b>Doctor Who: The Companions</b>, </i>a celebration of the various sidekicks who have assisted the Time Lord in his five decades of adventures. The show first aired on BBC America in March. Companions past and present talk about how the show has changed their lives, and how they've never quite managed to leave the TARDIS behind. The current Doctor Matt Smith and the Tenth Doctor David Tennant are joined by fellow contributors including John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Arthur Darvill (Rory) and Noel Clarke (Mickey).</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">The shows make up an afternoon of Doctor Who on Watch this Saturday, with the schedule as follows:</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><b style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Saturday 12th October</b><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><b style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">2.00pm BST   Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited: The First Doctor</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">2.30pm BST   Doctor Who - The Aztecs</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">4.30pm BST   Doctor Who - The Companions</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">5.30pm BST   Doctor Who Explained</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">6.30pm BST   Doctor Who - Voyage Of The Damned</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">All programmes are repeated an hour later on Watch+1</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><i>Doctor Who - The Companions </i>and <i>Doctor Who Explained</i> are repeated on Sunday 13th on Watch at 12pm and 1pm respectively ahead of the Second Doctor Special.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span>

David Tennant Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary The Doctors Revisited UK PREMIERE: Watch Doctor Who Explained Today At 5.30pm On Watch

A new Doctor Who special from the makers of  The Doctors Revisited ,   Doctor Who Explained,  will have its UK premiere on Watch today at 5....

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UK PREMIERE: Watch The Doctors Revisited: The First Doctor At 2pm This Afternoon

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnKDMG5cCFqY8SvqURjJ1s6n-04ar1sHP8rLViWuizdnOgazfGTA-Jd_6FgcA3X_8e1t_J6TC7iQ46msTVQCzn-56LcddL1HR4I7_L9NNTUepFD-6HSTg_ZHjazmBV74uI7oKk9ucKFE/s1600/50AN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnKDMG5cCFqY8SvqURjJ1s6n-04ar1sHP8rLViWuizdnOgazfGTA-Jd_6FgcA3X_8e1t_J6TC7iQ46msTVQCzn-56LcddL1HR4I7_L9NNTUepFD-6HSTg_ZHjazmBV74uI7oKk9ucKFE/s640/50AN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Doctor Who documentary series The Doctors Revisited makes its UK debut on Watch this afternoon at 2pm with a show dedicated to the First Doctor, William Hartnell. It will be followed by the classic episode The Aztecs at 2.30pm.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Each of the eleven shows explores a single incarnation of the Doctor through clips and exclusive interviews with actors and showmakers associated with the programme, including the surviving Doctors themselves, and looks at key adventures, significant foes and the best-loved companions. Contributors to the series have included Steven Moffat, John Barrowman, Hugh Bonneville, Neil Gaiman and Caroline Skinner. David Tennant is interviewed for the shows focusing on the first to the fifth Doctors. BBC America have been airing one special per month since January and the first eight programmes have also aired in New Zealand and Australia. </span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Each special will will be followed by a complete adventure for the classic series or a double episode for the modern era. The series will air on Saturdays and Sundays between the 12th October and 16th November. David Tennant's special, along with <i>The Stolen Earth</i> and <i>Journey's End,</i> will air on Sunday 10th November starting from 2pm GMT.</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">This full schedule is as follows (all times GMT):</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 12 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>William Hartnell</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm The Aztecs </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday 13 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Patrick Troughton</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Tomb of the Cybermen</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 19 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Jon Pertwee</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Spearhead from Space</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday 20 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Tom Baker</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Pyramids of Mars</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 26 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Peter Davison</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Earthshock</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday 27 October<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Colin Baker</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Vengeance on Varos</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 2 November<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Sylvester McCoy</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Battlefield</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday 3 November<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Paul McGann</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Doctor Who: The Movie</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 9 November<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Christopher Eccleston</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday 10 November<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>David Tennant</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm The Stolen Earth/Journey's End</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday 16 November<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2pm The Doctors Revisited: <b>Matt Smith</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:30pm The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fafafa; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watch is available on Sky channel 109 (Watch HD 124, Watch+1 155) and Virgin Channel 191 (Watch+1 125)</span></o:p></div>

Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary The Doctors Revisited William Hartnell UK PREMIERE: Watch The Doctors Revisited: The First Doctor At 2pm This Afternoon

The Doctor Who documentary series The Doctors Revisited makes its UK debut on Watch this afternoon at 2pm with a show dedicated to the First...

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Play Tab from XOLO: Announce to Launch in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">XOLO is going to launch new tab in Indian market. XOLO announced today about their new play tab with the tag of Play Tab 7.0 and powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wogYW8Pt8P4/Uljg7wFOvGI/AAAAAAAAAbU/i1rO8Fx9-5E/s1600/150x150xlarge-xolo-2-150x150_jpg_pagespeed_ic_gWpg8z3jqC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wogYW8Pt8P4/Uljg7wFOvGI/AAAAAAAAAbU/i1rO8Fx9-5E/s1600/150x150xlarge-xolo-2-150x150_jpg_pagespeed_ic_gWpg8z3jqC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">androidos.in</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The device will be available in stores countrywide, nothing is said about release date yet. The tab will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and get the price tag of Rs. 13,999. The display of tab will 7-inch IPS with 1280x800 pixel and pixel density is 216ppi and can play full HD video. The device comes with 8 GB internal memory and 1GB RAM. You can expand the space through the micro SD card, however it not cleared by company that how much you can expand it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Sunil Raina Business Head at XOLO in country “As XOLO continues to deliver on its promise to bring differentiated technology to discerning consumers, we’re replicating the success we’ve achieved in the smartphone category now in tablets. XOLO Play Tab 7.0 marks the first tablet in the XOLO Play category of products, powered by NVIDIA Tegra. Similar to XOLO Play T1000 smartphone launched in July, the Tab delivers similar entertainment now on a bigger 7-inch screen,”.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VzBcFtmne-g/Uljgg0PmBpI/AAAAAAAAAbM/VbSrr9D7vN0/s1600/xolo-play-tab-1-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VzBcFtmne-g/Uljgg0PmBpI/AAAAAAAAAbM/VbSrr9D7vN0/s1600/xolo-play-tab-1-big.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ndtvgadgets</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;">Technical specifications:</span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core 1.2 GHz CPU (Cortex A9)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Display: 7-inch 1280x800p IPS LCD Display</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Space: 8GB internal and can expandable with 2GB RAM</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Battery: 4000mAh</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Camera: 2 Megapixel front facing and rear camera is not available</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, G</span>PS</li></ul><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/100638775997274345522" rel="author">Anil Swami</a></div></div>

android 4.1 Nvidia XOLO Play Tab from XOLO: Announce to Launch in India

XOLO is going to launch new tab in Indian market. XOLO announced today about their new play tab with the tag of Play Tab 7.0 and powered by ...

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And Todays Internet Winner Is........

Mr. Glenn B of <a href="http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2013/10/ah-mother-fucker.html">Ballseye's Boomer</a> fame for coining a new descriptor for the Free Shit Army Voter,<br />Yom-V.<br /><br />Rhymes with Zombie.<br />It's fucking <i>BRILLIANT!</i><br /><br /><blockquote>.....I was about to write that the main reason for that is Obama but it is not. Truth be told, it is not him nor any product of him, it is the culture that bred him and that morphed him into the end-all-be-all of the <b><b>you-owe-me voter (Yom-V)</b></b>. Amazingly, almost as soon as I wrote that, and it took about 2 seconds of thought to come up with, I realized how much Yom-V sounds like Zombie (and that is the truth - so help me Ronald Reagan).<i> While yom-v sound like zombie, they are not real zombies, they are just wanna-be zombies. Yet, they emulate zombies in that they offer nothing to society and nothing to the species survival as a whole. All they do is attempt to take everything they can from any source that is alive and thriving, to any degree better than are they, and then devour it</i></blockquote><br /><br /><br />Congratulations sir, you have won the internet today.<br /><br />

And Todays Internet Winner Is........

Mr. Glenn B of Ballseye's Boomer fame for coining a new descriptor for the Free Shit Army Voter, Yom-V. Rhymes with Zombie. It's fu...

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Old Howardsville Turnpike

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vB3mnsftKTCmNrvcTLd70LYsfh-fwVQZtK2tqqhmv3tn5J0RiZZFsM8tqGH7eNc7QJfh9MrE5HOOhbYv7s6GQqMrnNNKFf1ERmwYRKI4d8NRD1TAoOuUDe_5f54zgGnhxqoGNW7q_WJR/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vB3mnsftKTCmNrvcTLd70LYsfh-fwVQZtK2tqqhmv3tn5J0RiZZFsM8tqGH7eNc7QJfh9MrE5HOOhbYv7s6GQqMrnNNKFf1ERmwYRKI4d8NRD1TAoOuUDe_5f54zgGnhxqoGNW7q_WJR/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The Old Howardsville Turnpike on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains runs parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway before dropping down into the Shenandoah Valley and coming out on Rt. 340 at Lyndhurst. It offers an alternative drive especially when the Parkway is crowded with leaf lookers.<br /><br />Howardsville Turnpike was originally built in the mid-1800s as a route to transport goods from the Valley over the mountains to Howardsville on the James River in Albemarle County. Goods would then be shipped down river to Richmond. Teamsters driving loaded wagons used Humpback Rock as a guide. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfW34zFFE6027lb9wmHbuOkLxYOJHnYcCoDSPByxN96puRJDNNbNmF0c3OFyKb2fRcAgmhCXLF9lfOIfls6QaHc7JFKkWmSf001d2dx7U2QLhbprL6stYQdoQBn62gikxYn9Of4YlxALH/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfW34zFFE6027lb9wmHbuOkLxYOJHnYcCoDSPByxN96puRJDNNbNmF0c3OFyKb2fRcAgmhCXLF9lfOIfls6QaHc7JFKkWmSf001d2dx7U2QLhbprL6stYQdoQBn62gikxYn9Of4YlxALH/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Today it's interesting to drive, hike, or bike the road, and think back to 160 years ago and the settlers who used it for an entirely different reason.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuM7UdBPW4WMF6FYppfxUx5a_ncIsRLAAnwf-CfLH-VBswY3NSp_nshA1SWjX4-mqKmJvV8sNC3CsqFz-k7dRDS8MIObFKGHhQrzLdd5OeqHQWu9yTqBXXCLNW2_J65bxKKUiD34a9f77/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuM7UdBPW4WMF6FYppfxUx5a_ncIsRLAAnwf-CfLH-VBswY3NSp_nshA1SWjX4-mqKmJvV8sNC3CsqFz-k7dRDS8MIObFKGHhQrzLdd5OeqHQWu9yTqBXXCLNW2_J65bxKKUiD34a9f77/s640/16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> On Friday the fog rolled in and deer grazed along the roadside.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov6Kt9gmKfvaTWzyMA9q-Nw-H9cw0Jer1RQhoN32xH1JeoUxPEDevumVX3wxGfbU4vZiyK2Cz9rG-ic3wADyo1wj9PUHYqYOIND5ErDmBccalBSTfKF2wWsiqsmsnOrxg-vlWI0as9Tg4/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov6Kt9gmKfvaTWzyMA9q-Nw-H9cw0Jer1RQhoN32xH1JeoUxPEDevumVX3wxGfbU4vZiyK2Cz9rG-ic3wADyo1wj9PUHYqYOIND5ErDmBccalBSTfKF2wWsiqsmsnOrxg-vlWI0as9Tg4/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />October 11, 2013

Old Howardsville Turnpike

 The Old Howardsville Turnpike on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains runs parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway before dropping down ...

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Guylian Belgian Chocolate Review and Giveaway!

<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7dwjLvTGyA/Ulic9V1p8MI/AAAAAAAAKL0/6qwvMIpi288/s1600/13+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7dwjLvTGyA/Ulic9V1p8MI/AAAAAAAAKL0/6qwvMIpi288/s320/13+-+2" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i><span id="goog_1184782020"></span><span id="goog_1184782021"></span><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I've tried many chocolates throughout my lifetime but have never savored delicious artisanal chocolates from Belgium like these tasty creations from  <a href="http://www.guylian.com/en/home/">Guylian chocolates</a> . </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy Foubert passionate chocolatier making handmade chocolates in Sint-Niklaas Belgium and in 1958 Guy and his wife Liliane created chocolatier Guylian and today are sold in 100 countries across the world! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So excited to be reviewing their chocolates!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>First throughout before I ate one was that they are almost too pretty to eat!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I mean come on now they are shaped like sea a shells with designs on them and even sea horses!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They are both luscious and sweet and don't melt in your hand!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With the holidays approaching us these chocolates will make great gifts for our loved ones!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hint hint!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XHE3shx8x1o/UliyrwXHJmI/AAAAAAAAKMU/7b_3ik1c2nI/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XHE3shx8x1o/UliyrwXHJmI/AAAAAAAAKMU/7b_3ik1c2nI/s320/13+-+1" width="320" /></i></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Filled with smooth milk, white and dark Belgian chocolate and then has the most delectable hazelnut filling in each bite!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SiNbAQqHLDw/Ulic9YpvZ-I/AAAAAAAAKLs/_tPmzyziyVc/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SiNbAQqHLDw/Ulic9YpvZ-I/AAAAAAAAKLs/_tPmzyziyVc/s320/13+-+1" width="320" /></i></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Since I was sent so much chocolates for review I am sharing them with my family, friends and co workers so they too can savor an amazing chocolate experience!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Links:</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Website:</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.guylian.com/en/home/"><i>http://www.guylian.com/en/home/</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Facebook:</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuylianChocolates?ref=ts"><i>https://www.facebook.com/GuylianChocolates?ref=ts</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Twitter:</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Guylian_Chocs"><i>https://twitter.com/Guylian_Chocs</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Sign up for their newsletter here:</i><br /><a href="http://www.guylianbelgianchocolate.com/join.aspx#SignUp"><i>http://www.guylianbelgianchocolate.com/join.aspx#SignUp</i></a><br /><i><br /></i><i>Link to online store with giveaway items:</i><br /><a href="http://shop.guylianbelgianchocolate.com/"><i>http://shop.guylianbelgianchocolate.com</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One lucky reader will discover the Belgian experience from Guylian chocolates!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br />Here's what the winner will win!</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Must be from the USA only!</i><br /><i><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: start;">One winner (1) will receive the following products:</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">One – 22 piece box of Guylian Artisanal Belgian Original Chocolate Truffles</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">One – 22 piece box of Guylian Artisanal Belgian Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles  </span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Two - 6 piece Original Chocolate Truffle Box</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Four - 2 piece Original Chocolate Truffle Box</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">No Sugar Added Chocolate Bars—Milk and Dark Chocolate (one bar of each)</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">One- 16 piece Vanilla Cream Truffles - Limited Edition</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Good luck!</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>A coupon is being offered on their website just for my readers to save <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: start;">10% through the end of the year using the code Chocolate10</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20ee166/" id="rc-20ee166" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\ <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>}</i></div>

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Review and Giveaway!

I've tried many chocolates throughout my lifetime but have never savored delicious artisanal chocolates from Belgium like these tasty cr...

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Someone Smiled Upon Me Today

I don't know how I managed to get so lucky but it works for me.<br /><br />I was down at the local Bi Mart, ostensibly to get some pencils because I can never find one and to take a look at a small freezer they have on sale for a hundred bucks.<br />Been wanting a freezer.<br /><br />The one they have on sale is only 2.1 cubic feet and when I got down there with my trusty tape measure, I took one look at it and said no thanks.<br /><br />It's about the size of a garbage compactor and not even close to what I am after.<br /><br />Right next to it however, is more to my liking.<br /><br />It's twice as big and even not being on sale is only two hundred, plus it's a chest freezer.<br /><br />I put that in my brain, filed under the next clear payday.<br /><br />Of course with my Fathers funeral coming next week there are the usual unexpected expenses and I will just have to wait.<br />Not a problem.<br /><br />While I was there I did my mandatory recon of the sporting goods department without any real hopes of finding much.<br />They do have the Hot Lips 25 round magazine for Ruger 10/22's on sale for $13 instead of $20 so I was going to pick one of those up when I got there.<br /><br />As I was about to round the corner I spied some dude bent over a shelf with a little box in his hand.<br />A quick perusal shows me they finally had some 12 gauge shells in stock.<br />That was a pleasant surprise and I made a small remark to the guy about it.<br /><br />He looked up and said yeah, except he can't find the six shot version, only the four shot Buck.<br />He then looked both ways and in a conspiratorial whisper said that there was a rumor that there might even be .22 LR shells in stock.<br /><br />Trust me when I say the man had my undivided attention at that point.<br /><br />I nodded without saying anything and smiled real big.<br /><br />I went around the corner to the counter and there were five guys waiting for the guy behind the counter to fetch whatever it was they were after, I couldn't get close enough to see what they had, when a lady comes wheeling around the other corner with a handcart.<br /><br />My eyes ain't so good but I could see .22LR on one of the boxes from six feet away.<br /><br />All of a sudden you could hear a pin drop.<br /><br />She cut open a box and suddenly there were hands in her face from every direction.<br /><br />She started handing out two,yes two, 50 round little boxes.<br /><br />She handed me a couple and I pointed and said I wanted a whole brick!<br /><br />No go pal, two is the limit.<br /><br />I said your kidding me.<br /><br />Nope. So I kinda grumble and get the hell out of the way for the rest of the guys.<br /><br />I went to another aisle and picked up a water storage jug, waiting for the crowd to thin out, so I could go back and get one of the 25 round magazines.<br /><br />As I came back around the corner yet again the lady is standing there with two 50 round boxes in her hand and tilts her head my way so no one can see or hear her and says to me, hold on a minute and let me go in the back, I have something for you.<br /><br />OK, she didn't say what but I ain't no dummy.<br /><br />She comes back and motions me over out of eye sight and hands me a 555 round box of Winchester .22LR.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbUgqQCsiDbkfDUfwClSsmDf93vQNuBmuG1AQrz-ggpUi94GsaFA6aXXXz1oPJBnxlKqoJYDDWyGR2ZQyuSwlDRkNF6Ri0O2r5FrN_jVY75PEeiXLR75dVcRMQWcDxSfP_Hme4Vdj0lQ4/s1600/0002089210247_500X500.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbUgqQCsiDbkfDUfwClSsmDf93vQNuBmuG1AQrz-ggpUi94GsaFA6aXXXz1oPJBnxlKqoJYDDWyGR2ZQyuSwlDRkNF6Ri0O2r5FrN_jVY75PEeiXLR75dVcRMQWcDxSfP_Hme4Vdj0lQ4/s400/0002089210247_500X500.jpg" /></a><br /><br />She was almost apologetic that that's all she could get me but I was like a little kid at Christmas who just got his first bike!<br /><br />I have no idea why she took a shine to me like that because I ain't exactly James Bond good looking but I'll take what I can get.<br /><br />$25 for the box.<br /><br />I was all excited at the prospect that there might finally be an end in sight to the Great Ammo Shortage of 2013.<br /><br />So after I get home to the little project I was messing with and needed the pencil for in the first place, the mail lady shows up with a package.<br />That turned out to be the Coleman Dual Fuel gas lantern I ordered off of Ebay last week.<br /><br />Some of those damn things are advertised at $150 motherfucking dollars on there!<br />I about choked when I saw that.<br /><br />The one I scored said it might be missing a piece or two but the pump worked and all, for $33 and $15 for shipping.<br /><br />One third of what some of those cut throat sonsabitches were asking, <i>including shipping</i>.<br /><br />I figured if there was something missing that there are parts galore on EBay too so I wasn't worried about it.<br /><br />I opened the box and about shit myself.<br /><br />The fucking thing is BRAND NEW!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-dEBFTYyw7aQDWNsrlpaDTu7e5uiI9Rw82qVtKB3iQZ97lW3PJ-SkwHwIRsUmoE_7hqzREMxmETupbq_EPtWXIzJoxMAAC7BktZ9FZa6u9PotwAwfWBA2TLibKlqBBeT-q3cQvR49TTO/s1600/285-700t_x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-dEBFTYyw7aQDWNsrlpaDTu7e5uiI9Rw82qVtKB3iQZ97lW3PJ-SkwHwIRsUmoE_7hqzREMxmETupbq_EPtWXIzJoxMAAC7BktZ9FZa6u9PotwAwfWBA2TLibKlqBBeT-q3cQvR49TTO/s640/285-700t_x500.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The parts that are missing?<br />The fucking mantles!<br />It's never been used!!<br /><br />That was a score man, a huge one.<br /><br />So I did good today.<br /><br />I already had one of the water containers that has been sitting unused so I rinsed both of them out with a little bleach, rinsed 'em again and then filled 'em up with the date on 'em and stashed 'em in the garage.<br /><br />My poor wife is convinced I have gone around the bend but I am done arguing with her about being prepared for an emergency.<br />I told her I am doing it and to just leave me alone about it.<br /><br />Only shopping enough for one week at a time with no reserves doesn't cut it with me either.<br />I am going to do something about it.

Someone Smiled Upon Me Today

I don't know how I managed to get so lucky but it works for me. I was down at the local Bi Mart, ostensibly to get some pencils because ...

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Captain Phillips: Take-charge thriller

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b><i>Captain Phillips</i> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span><b>(2013) • <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/captainphillips/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">View trailer</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b> </b><br /><b>4.5 stars. Rating: PG-13, for dramatic intensity, violence and substance abuse</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>By <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885694730612878577" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">Derrick Bang</a> • </b></span>Originally published in <i><a href="http://www.davisenterprise.com/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">The Davis Enterprise</a></i>, 10.11.13</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some stories are so astonishing, they could only be true; you’d never believe them as plots in a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpyRHnZMkOY8CoPDwJM3nd2GggU65QB3WT_0QQamnn5kMKDzu1drIHa0-kUuhrj2FSybD9mRdmEtjFLjf51jhxaaFhBIzvoBot6APOM1cLvWA-3xrfcnhkgXYCF4K7oYNODLyOyZ3cQE/s1600/Captain+Phillips+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpyRHnZMkOY8CoPDwJM3nd2GggU65QB3WT_0QQamnn5kMKDzu1drIHa0-kUuhrj2FSybD9mRdmEtjFLjf51jhxaaFhBIzvoBot6APOM1cLvWA-3xrfcnhkgXYCF4K7oYNODLyOyZ3cQE/s400/Captain+Phillips+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Utterly helpless at the hands of four heavily armed Somali pirates, Rich PHillips (Tom<br />Hanks, center) nonetheless weighs every option, primarily concerned about the safety<br />of his crew, but also — at all times — seeking a psychological edge that might allow<br />him to outwit his captors.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The credibility-stretching 2009 saga of Captain Richard Phillips and the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama is just such a narrative, and it has become a taut, tension-laden drama in the capable hands of documentarian-turned-filmmaker Paul Greengrass. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thriller fans know Greengrass for his superlative entries in the Jason Bourne series, most notably 2004’s <i>The Bourne Supremacy</i>, by far the best of the bunch. But Greengrass also is the writer/director who uncorked <i>United 93</i> five short years after 9/11, constructing a tense, deeply unsettling real-time depiction of what likely happened that horrible day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with <i>United 93</i>, Greengrass’ new film is ripped from disturbing headlines, with screenwriter Billy Ray (<i>Shattered Glass</i>, <i>Breach</i>) adapting the 2010 memoir <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captains-Duty-Somali-Pirates-Dangerous/dp/1401310443/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381429248&sr=1-1&keywords=a+captain%27s+duty+somali+pirates+navy+seals+and+dangerous+days+at+sea">A Captain’s Duty:Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That book is written by Phillips, with an assist from Stephan Talty ... which does, by definition, dilute some of this film’s suspense. But that hardly matters; to a great degree, Phillips’ ordeal is well known by Americans who sat glued to their TV sets during five days in April 2009. The key point here is that Greengrass depicts this saga with a degree of verisimilitude, and an attention to detail, that border on documentary realism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add superlative performances from Tom Hanks and the actors playing his Somali captors, and the result is can’t-miss cinema: You literally won’t take your eyes off the screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film opens quietly, as veteran merchant mariner Rich Phillips (Hanks) packs in anticipation of another routine assignment; we get brief face-time with his wife, Andrea (Catherine Keener), but then she’s never seen again. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Which, just in passing, might be a missed bet: Just as much drama unfolded in Vermont, as media crews bird-dogged an agonized Andrea Phillips, while she followed these events ... and I’d love to have seen the impressively talented Keener play that role. Then again, Greengrass may have felt that her end of the saga would have diluted the drama.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elsewhere, along the Somali coast, gun-toting thugs in the employ of a local warlord descend on the impoverished fishing village of Eyl and demand that its able-bodied inhabitants take to the sea in order to hijack another foreign vessel, the goal — maddeningly successful too many previous times — being to ransom it for millions of dollars. The none-too-subtle point is that these dirt-poor fishermen are caught between a rock and a hard place: mount the piracy expedition, or be shot for refusing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The faces blend in chaos; it will be awhile before the key Somali players distinguish themselves ... although Barkhad Abdi’s feral, cunning and unexpectedly intelligent gaze makes an immediate impression.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once underway on the heavily laden Maersk Alabama, fully aware that they’ll be traveling through the pirate-infested waters of the Somali basin, a cautious Phillips orders first mate Shane Murphy (Michael Chermus) to put the men through safety drills. The captain/crew dynamic is intriguing, in these early scenes; some of the men clearly respect and smartly obey protocol and the chain of command, while others behave like union-coddled jerks who resent not being able to stretch their coffee breaks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody snaps to attention, however, when their ship’s radar detects the approach of two rapidly moving blips.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happens next can be divided into three distinct chapters, each guaranteed to surprise viewers not intimately acquainted with this saga. The assault on the Maersk Alabama is riveting, as is Phillips’ crafty response to the crisis; he doesn’t miss a trick, despite having very little with which to work. We quickly come to admire the calm, calculating depth of Hanks’ performance; his portrayal of Phillips — by all accounts, an accurate reflection of the actual mariner — is equal parts unremarkable Everyman and quick-witted master of psychology.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also can’t help being dismayed by the fact that Phillips and his crew are unarmed, and without at least a few trained soldiers; Somali piracy had been a well-established concern for several years by 2009, with every ship’s crew unwittingly involved in a ghastly, ocean-bound lottery. International shipping conglomerates clearly preferred to play the numbers, and risk the odds, rather than spend the money to protect individual ships. The mind doth boggle ... and although Ray’s script doesn’t blatantly name-check this heinous mind-set, the implication is clear.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, Ray’s entire script is a masterpiece of nuanced subtlety, taking its cue from the way Phillips described the pirates in his book (and I’m quoting a <i>Booklist</i> review here) as “alternately conciliatory, vicious and simply not all there.” The latter results from the fact that these pirates are in a constant state of amped-up euphoria/anxiety, thanks to the amphetamine-like khat that they chew in lieu of eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To say the least, it makes their behavior unpredictable ... which Phillips recognizes all too quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, the various pirates sort themselves out and only four become involved in the action. They’re led by Muse (the intense Abdi), who regards himself as a fellow captain and playfully insists on calling Phillips “Irish.” Muse is all business: He expects Phillips to call the shipping company, which will contact its insurance carrier, send along a ransom, and allow ship and crew to move along. We sense that it has gone down just this way, at least a few times, in the recent past ... but not this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to Phillips’ cagy machinations — the American captain, at all times, deeply concerned about his crew — the situation quickly escalates out of Muse’s control. Meanwhile, imminent loss of life is a very real possibility, thanks to the instability of Muse’s three companions: the imposing Najee (Faysal Ahmed), with his hair-trigger temper; the taciturn Elmi (Mahat M. Ali), unexpectedly handy as a mechanic; and the youthful Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), wholly out of his depth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All four — Abdi, Ahmed, Ali and Abdirahman — are first-time actors, selected from among more than 1,000 candidates living in the States’ largest Somali-American community, in Minneapolis, Minn. Their performances are authentic — and subtly complex — to an astonishing degree. We simultaneously loathe and pity these four men, and in a way almost admire their utterly insane courage, as they attempt to take command of this huge ship — and, later, defy what seems like the entire U.S. Navy — all by themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But make no mistake: Greengrass and Ray do not sugar-coat these pirates. They’re dangerously ruthless, unexpectedly violent and prone to irrational, drug-hazed behavior; they obviously wouldn’t lose any sleep after killing an American or three. (Well ... Bilal might grieve a little.) But it would be wrong to call them evil; that label more accurately applies to the much-feared Somali warlord Garaad, who orders the assault.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The closest Ray’s script comes to moralizing occurs during a brief exchange between Phillips and Muse, late in game. “There must be more than fishing and kidnapping,” Phillips desperately insists, subtly referencing the fact that Somali piracy grew in response to illegal over-fishing and the dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters, which deprived coastal villagers of their livelihoods.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Maybe in America,” Muse replies, the bitterness evident in his voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Max Martini is appropriately crisp and commanding as the SEAL officer who enters the final round of what eventually becomes an ocean-bound circus; Yul Vazquez is quietly efficient as Frank Castellano, commander of the USS Bainbridge, the Navy destroyer initially sent to negotiate a peaceful solution to the mounting crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in passing — between this film and last year’s <i><a href="http://derrickbang.blogspot.com/2013/01/zero-dark-thirty-ultimate-manhunt.html">Zero Dark Thirty</a></i> — Navy SEALS never have looked so good. I fully expect recruitment to take an upward bump.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As always, Greengrass surrounds himself with equally accomplished technicians, starting with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd — Oscar-nominated for <i><a href="http://derrickbang.blogspot.com/2009/07/hurt-locker-explosive-drama.html">The Hurt Locker</a></i> — who works impressive magic during difficult night shoots and the confined, narrow hallways of the container ship. The result is solid <i>cinema verité</i> and intensely real.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Academy Award-winning editor Christopher Rouse (for <i>The Bourne Ultimatum</i>) similarly tightens the screws, deftly shifting between the varying perspectives of Phillips and Muse, each a casualty of circumstances. Eventually, this cross-cutting grows to include various Navy personnel, but the narrative landscape never gets cluttered, and the tension never flags.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hollywood often gets rapped, justifiably, for the way factual events are distorted on the big screen. Although Greengrass takes a few dramatic liberties here, he nonetheless distills a significant bit of recent history into a socio-political document that analyzes cultural disenfranchisement, in 134 minutes, far better than any lengthy textbook is likely to do, in years to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On top of which, Greengrass also delivers a rousing, suspenseful and thoroughly engaging drama that is certain to garner numerous Oscar nominations, starting with Hanks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When cynics insists that movies are too commercial to be regarded as art, <i>Captain Phillips</i> is a great way to prove them wrong.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->

2013 Barkhad Abdi Barkhad Abdirahman Catherine Keener drama Fact-based Faysal Ahmed Four Star Films Mahat M. Ali Max Martini Michael Chermus Paul Greengrass thriller Tom Hanks Yul Vazquez Captain Phillips: Take-charge thriller

Captain Phillips   (2013) •  View trailer   4.5 stars. Rating: PG-13, for dramatic intensity, violence and substance abuse By  Derrick Bang ...

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Applications Development Engineer (Optics | Semiconductor | IC processing) (Multiple Openings) (# 110154)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Applications Development Engineer <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Business Unit<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Wafer Inspection Division (WIN) is the world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced optical inspection tools for inline monitoring of process defects in advanced semiconductor factories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">WIN is seeking an Applications Engineer based in headquarters, Milpitas, CA.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Responsibilities:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As an Applications Engineer on the WIN team you will be responsible for supporting KLA-Tencor's wafer inspection products.  This includes projects related to new product introduction: characterization, alpha testing, beta testing and pilot tools in the ramp phase. In addition, the Applications Engineer will demonstrate new features and capabilities at customer’s facilities. Also, the Applications Engineer is responsible for generating best known method documents and other training material and transferring product knowledge to KLA-Tencor’s worldwide Field Applications team. Lastly, the Applications Engineer will work with customers to publish papers at industry symposiums or in technical journals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Applications Engineer will work closely with many organizations including engineering, sales and marketing within KLA-Tencor and with customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">International and domestic travel (~40%) is required to support inspection products at customer fabs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Must have MS, or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Material Science or related fields<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) Must have at least 2 years’ experience in IC processing/Semiconductor equipment<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Must have excellent communication, organizational, analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skill<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) Must also be self-driven, yet a strong team player<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Minimum Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 1 year of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Master's Level Degree<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to <b><a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

Applications Development Engineer (Optics | Semiconductor | IC processing) (Multiple Openings) (# 110154)

Position: Applications Development Engineer Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: Business Unit The Wafer Inspecti...

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Applications Development Engineer ( Wafer Inspection | Optics | Semiconductor Equipment ) (Multiple Openings) (# 110177)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Applications Development Engineer<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Wafer Inspection Division (WIN) is the world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced optical inspection tools for inline monitoring of process defects in advanced semiconductor factories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Responsibilities:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Supporting KLA-Tencor's wafer inspection products. Includes projects related to new product introduction: characterization, alpha testing, beta testing and pilot tools in the ramp phase. In addition, application engineers will manage in-house customer demonstrations and head-to-head (H2H) activities at customer facilities<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) Generating best known method documents and other training material and transferring product knowledge to our worldwide Field Applications team<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Work with customers to publish papers at industry symposiums or in technical journals<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) Work closely with many organizations including engineering, sales and marketing within K-T and with customer engineers outside K-T<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">5) Worldwide travel (on average 40%) is required to support inspection products at customer fabs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Must have MS or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Material Science or related fields. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) Must have excellent communication, organizational, analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skill<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Must also be self-driven, yet a strong team player<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) Background in IC processing/Semiconductor equipment is a plus<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Minimum Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Master's Level Degree with at least 4 years of experience<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">PhD<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to <b><a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

Applications Development Engineer ( Wafer Inspection | Optics | Semiconductor Equipment ) (Multiple Openings) (# 110177)

Position: Applications Development Engineer Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: The Wafer Inspection Division (WI...

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General Ledger and Consolidations Manager ( GL | SOX | FAS52 | SAP ) (# 110289)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> General Ledger and Consolidations Manager<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">KLA-Tencor seeks a GL / Consolidations Manager with the following primary responsibilities:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Manage month-end close including revaluation, translation, and consolidation eliminations<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Supervise staff of 4 GL accountants, including detailed review of their processes and account reconciliations<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Create and maintain system & process documentation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Prepare and review all GL SOX documentation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Implement process improvements<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Maintain GL master data in SAP<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Assist worldwide / corporate finance and IT finance team with accounting / close issues<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Ensure accuracy and integrity of financial reports from SAP<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Maintain and implement new allocation cycles<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Identify and resolve system and process issues with users and IT<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Ability to multitask and meet many deadlines in a timely and efficient manner<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Ability to analyze and resolve complex accounting and system issues<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Sense of urgency, curiosity, and eye for details<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Thorough understanding of FAS52<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills across multiple levels, functions, and locations<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Minimum Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Bacherlor's degree in Accounting or Finance or equivalent<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• 7-10 years of corporate accounting experience required at publicly traded, international corporation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• 5+ years of management experience<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Solid experience managing the GL / Consolidation process</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p>•SAP FI/CO and ECCS experience<br />•System implementation and configuration<br />•Strong Excel skills (pivots, vlookup at minimum) experience</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to <b><a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

General Ledger and Consolidations Manager ( GL | SOX | FAS52 | SAP ) (# 110289)

Position: General Ledger and Consolidations Manager Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: KLA-Tencor seeks a GL / C...

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Equity Accounting Manager ( Stock | SOX | GAAP | CPA / CEP ) (# 109604)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Equity Accounting Manager<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">KLA-Tencor seeks an Equity Accounting Manager who will be responsible for accounting for stock-based compensation and stock administration.  Primarily responsibilities include the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Responsibilities:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Manage stock administration team who is responsible for the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Administer options, RSU, and ESPP programs on a global basis.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Answer questions for employees and managers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Review section 16 reporting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2)Manage equity accounting including the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Establish, maintain and improve policies, procedures and controls related to accounting for stock based compensation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Prepare schedules supporting financial statements and footnote disclosures related to stock, including shares outstanding for EPS calculations and stock disclosures for statutory reporting in various countries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Prepare forecasts on stock-based compensation, weighted average shares outstanding, cash flow related to employee stock awards<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Prepare quarterly accounting reconciliations for stock related accounts<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Act as a liaison with HR, Payroll, Finance, and Legal on all stock matters<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ Forecast and account for Cash Long-Term Incentive in multiple currencies<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">◦ These responsibilities are hands-on, not managerial<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Manage stock plan service provider<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) Prepare quarterly reporting package for management<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">5) Provide information for the executive compensation table for annual proxy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">6) Assist with SOX compliance and internal and external audit<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">7) Stay current with global compliance for stock awards<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">8) Ad hoc projects<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Stock related legal knowledge related to foreign government requirements<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Experience at large multi-national companies with broad based employee participation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Must be flexible and be able to work under pressure and within short time constraints.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Sense of urgency and curiosity and eye for details.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Organized, able to multi-task and prioritize in fast-paced environment, with exceptional project and time management skills<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills across multiple levels, functions, and locations<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Excellent problem-solving and strong analytical skills with the ability to get things done<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• Understand how to scale a team to serve growing requirements and drive process improvements for efficiency.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• 4+years of experience with a Big 4 public accounting firm in the Audit practice<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• CPA preferred<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">• CEP a plus<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Minimum Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">•BS/BA in Accounting<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">•5+years manager experience<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">•Strong technical accounting skills including thorough knowledge of GAAP related to stock based-compensation including tax accounting for stock-based compensation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">•Strong systems skills including MS Office/Excel<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to<b> <a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b> <o:p> </o:p></span></div></div></div>

Equity Accounting Manager ( Stock | SOX | GAAP | CPA / CEP ) (# 109604)

Position: Equity Accounting Manager Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: KLA-Tencor seeks an Equity Accounting Man...

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Utah, Colorado national parks to reopen under agreement with feds

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtSZMRnwJ4k6Xa8lpheY1d45jUZqnMRKVLFzRxMv0eG6OFCv5Pz8kPslAE9SzTHpRt7DvBVF-lF1WQq6CgdMNaMKRMfPQZD7VlIxCNxWpgy7vBPqjRDl3oWq0yAhEdBD5rm1Vatoer62h/s1600/National+Park+Service+emblem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtSZMRnwJ4k6Xa8lpheY1d45jUZqnMRKVLFzRxMv0eG6OFCv5Pz8kPslAE9SzTHpRt7DvBVF-lF1WQq6CgdMNaMKRMfPQZD7VlIxCNxWpgy7vBPqjRDl3oWq0yAhEdBD5rm1Vatoer62h/s200/National+Park+Service+emblem.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br />Utah and Colorado are feeling the effects of the government shutdown on closed national parks at a time of year when it is usual to see $100 million in tourism dollars generated for those areas.<br /><br />Now the governors of those states, one Republican and one Democrat, have reached an agreement with the federal government to reopen national parks in both states, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/11/us/utah-parks-reopen/">according to CNN</a>:<br /><blockquote>"Utah agrees to pay the National Park Service (NPS) up to $1.67 million— $166,572 per day—to re-open eight national sites in Utah for up to 10 days. If the federal government shutdown ends before then, the State will receive a refund of unused monies," an official press statement explained.<br /><br />The deal would reopen Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion national parks. The other three locations that will be opened are Natural Bridges and Cedar Breaks national monuments, as well as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.<br /><br />"Utah's national parks are the backbone of many rural economies and hard-working Utahns are paying a heavy price for this shutdown," Herbert said in the released statement. "I commend Secretary Jewell for being open to Utah's solution, and the world should know Utah is open for business and visitors are welcome."</blockquote>Colorado's governor announced the deal on Friday, according to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/11/utah-national-parks-reopen-government-shutdown/2966785/"><i>USA Today</i></a>:<br /><blockquote>The state of Colorado announced on Friday it will spend more than $360,000 to reopen Rocky Mountain National Park through Oct. 20, while Utah is opening five of the state's national parks on Saturday at a cost of $1.67 million to his state.<br />...<br />More than 80,000 visitors were turned away from Rocky Mountain National Park during the first 10 days of the shutdown, and the local economy lost out on an estimated $4.8 million in visitor spending, according to a report by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Colorado will spend about $40,000 per day to keep the park open. Colorado's tourism traffic also took a hit last month because of devastating floods in the state.<br /><br />"This reopening is critical to ongoing recovery efforts after last month's flooding," Hickenlooper said.</blockquote>Interesting that that a deal has been struck in Colorado and Utah ... who will be next?<br /><br /><i>H/T mkr </i>

Arches Bryce Canyon Canyonlands Capitol Reef Colorado government shutdown National Parks Rocky Mountain National Park Utah Zion Utah, Colorado national parks to reopen under agreement with feds

Utah and Colorado are feeling the effects of the government shutdown on closed national parks at a time of year when it is usual to see $100...

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Humpback Rock on foggy October day

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEE679JNvi9gICqmnruC2rcptoYoA0XdCvc1FUEe-ijaxnp5GkaPa9Z-LbNL1-rWqjZ0dB651MfNSfdOvSY3-skAAwGgNBKkbUd6rPOD_i9RQZoVPwnUPcBBiBPHdzg6ZefDh56UfcP8xH/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEE679JNvi9gICqmnruC2rcptoYoA0XdCvc1FUEe-ijaxnp5GkaPa9Z-LbNL1-rWqjZ0dB651MfNSfdOvSY3-skAAwGgNBKkbUd6rPOD_i9RQZoVPwnUPcBBiBPHdzg6ZefDh56UfcP8xH/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Top of Humpback Rock is shrouded in fog as viewed from the farm on Friday, October 11, 2013.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcs7uzg_G1nfivqYh1ZmjMPclwNw7vf8zsB32f3YcsDEhNRl7Z8-zdLtVvr_NyJ7eda4hjZykQrMHHixMMcG8Z3WhmrrtjDQn49T_IADmsEs9s66YaYwqHGFSEAVny13pdCnbDxRh2aRa/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcs7uzg_G1nfivqYh1ZmjMPclwNw7vf8zsB32f3YcsDEhNRl7Z8-zdLtVvr_NyJ7eda4hjZykQrMHHixMMcG8Z3WhmrrtjDQn49T_IADmsEs9s66YaYwqHGFSEAVny13pdCnbDxRh2aRa/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Blue Ridge Parkway as seen from entrance to Humpback Rock hike parking area.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGBLv9LjINfqLKa0DAJV6qlVjRHrRzfYpbLH4KKPqGphHJhGEOgyRLPx275QWbp1wvr4nUDKgGB7o7x8N74yRt_HxZYQ6tWivLfV1ttGztM_8msLCAHjqEn0P1ffZKr1GupqgcDYumhVR/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGBLv9LjINfqLKa0DAJV6qlVjRHrRzfYpbLH4KKPqGphHJhGEOgyRLPx275QWbp1wvr4nUDKgGB7o7x8N74yRt_HxZYQ6tWivLfV1ttGztM_8msLCAHjqEn0P1ffZKr1GupqgcDYumhVR/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Humpback Rock hiking area had vehicles in the parking lot on a foggy, drizzly day. The assumption would be they had hiked to the top.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />October 11, 2013

Blue Ridge Mountains Blue Ridge Parkway government shutdown Humpback Rock Farm Humpback Rock hike leaf season tourism Virginia Is For Lovers Humpback Rock on foggy October day

 Top of Humpback Rock is shrouded in fog as viewed from the farm on Friday, October 11, 2013.  Blue Ridge Parkway as seen from entrance to H...

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