IN the future, being crippled will be cool.
That's one of the assumptions behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution, a video game in which characters who are rich enough have parts of their bodies surgically removed and replaced with prosthetic limbs.
The world of Human Revolution is pure science-fiction, but — like all the best sci-fi — it isn't complete fantasy.
"It's really starting, it really is starting and it's just a matter of a handful of years 'til all these things really truly begin," says Jonathan Jacques-Belletete, the game's art director, in an interview with news.com.au.
"What's interesting is the way that soldiers that are coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq that have stepped on mines or had their legs blown away.
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"Back in other wars in the 20th century, the thing was you'd get this peg leg, basically, or arm, and then you'd try to hide it.
"I saw this picture on the internet recently, like a totally candid picture... it was taken by a guy who's on the subway, right, and he's sitting on a seat. Imagine you're sitting on a bench and you're just looking at someone who's standing in front of the doors, just waiting for the doors to open and leave the train.
"You see him from the back, and he's dressed up in like, a pretty cool street style, he's got a sports jersey, basketball shorts...
"And then bang, these two robot legs are sticking out. And he's got super cool Nike shoes on, and it's just like: 'Is that for real?'
"So, for the first time ever, I see someone who’s obviously disabled, as opposed to me, and he's so much cooler than I am.
"I think we're going to be very surprised by the stuff that's going to happen in the next 15, 20, 30 years."
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the third instalment in the Deus Ex series, and the first made by Eidos Montreal.
The game follows Adam Jensen, the Clint Eastwood-style security chief of Sarif Industries — one of the future world's leading augmentation corporations — who becomes entangled in a terrorist conspiracy.
But visually, Human Revolution is more than your average sci-fi game. It's awash in a palette of muted browns, deep blacks and glowing oranges, and draws inspiration from places as unexpected as the paintings of Vermeer.
"I think that it's very, very important for a video game to have its own kind of visual language and its own aesthetic and its own kind of style," says Jacques-Belletete.
"It's really the attention to details in the game, there are over 1300 props, all concept-arted and designed and created in the game, they give so much credibility to all of it.
"The corporations and all the companies and logos that we invented, and we created the fonts for each of them, and things like that."
Jacques-Belletete says that while creating the world of Human Revolution, he tried to move past the genre's most obvious influences.
2011年8月31日星期三
2011年8月30日星期二
'Dirty Dancing' remake decides on a screenwriter
'Dirty Dancing' remake decides on a screenwriter, promises it won't be an exact replica of the original
Production is still a ways off and a release date even further down the line, but audiences are already divided when it comes to Lionsgate's Dirty Dancing remake.
Any reboot or remake is bound to have some doubtful die-hard fans of the original, but Dirty Dancing has the added cred of being one of the defining movies of the '80s.
It was Patrick Swayze's breakthrough into sex symbol-dom and you'll be hard-pressed to find a soul who can't hum along to "(I've Had) the Time of My Life."
But the production studio is moving full steam ahead with their plans to revamp the song-and-dance drama, with High School Musical's Kenny Ortega taking on directorial duties.
And now Ortega, who choreographed the now-iconic dancing for the original flick, has chosen his partner in crime.
According to Deadline, Ortega and Lionsgate have tapped Maria Maggenti to pen the update.
Maggenti doesn't have an incredibly colorful resume just yet, but she does have the girly fun Monte Carlo under her belt. Fox and New Regency were so impressed by her work with the Selena Gomez-Leighton Meester fluff fest that they let her tackle the film adaptation of young adult novel Before I Fall.
Ortega and Maggenti surely have their work cut out for them when it comes to converting the Swayze-purists to warm up to the idea of a remake.
Ortega, for one, knows that the performances of the original will be impossible to recapture or imitate.
"I'm not looking for someone to fill Patrick Swayze's shoes, or Jennifer Grey's shoes. They're one of a kind and they deserve to be called that," he told The Insider.
According to Slash Film, Lionsgate doesn't want to simply find another Baby to put in a corner -- they are planning to use the film simply as a "template" for their next-gen reimagining.
Production is still a ways off and a release date even further down the line, but audiences are already divided when it comes to Lionsgate's Dirty Dancing remake.
Any reboot or remake is bound to have some doubtful die-hard fans of the original, but Dirty Dancing has the added cred of being one of the defining movies of the '80s.
It was Patrick Swayze's breakthrough into sex symbol-dom and you'll be hard-pressed to find a soul who can't hum along to "(I've Had) the Time of My Life."
But the production studio is moving full steam ahead with their plans to revamp the song-and-dance drama, with High School Musical's Kenny Ortega taking on directorial duties.
And now Ortega, who choreographed the now-iconic dancing for the original flick, has chosen his partner in crime.
According to Deadline, Ortega and Lionsgate have tapped Maria Maggenti to pen the update.
Maggenti doesn't have an incredibly colorful resume just yet, but she does have the girly fun Monte Carlo under her belt. Fox and New Regency were so impressed by her work with the Selena Gomez-Leighton Meester fluff fest that they let her tackle the film adaptation of young adult novel Before I Fall.
Ortega and Maggenti surely have their work cut out for them when it comes to converting the Swayze-purists to warm up to the idea of a remake.
Ortega, for one, knows that the performances of the original will be impossible to recapture or imitate.
"I'm not looking for someone to fill Patrick Swayze's shoes, or Jennifer Grey's shoes. They're one of a kind and they deserve to be called that," he told The Insider.
According to Slash Film, Lionsgate doesn't want to simply find another Baby to put in a corner -- they are planning to use the film simply as a "template" for their next-gen reimagining.
2011年8月29日星期一
Irene's wrath gives way to sun in North Carolina
As Hurricane Irene tore northward toward New York and beyond, North Carolinians awoke to a lovely, mild, sunny Sunday morning and began surveying what the storm had wrought.
In the barrier island vacation community of Atlantic Beach, local grocery store worker Grant Fisher, 64, stepped out of his rental home about 7 a.m. to check the neighborhood. He had stayed on the island, despite the warnings, popping the windows of his home open during the worst of it to keep the barometric pressure balanced between inside and out.
It seemed to have worked. The blue-gray house, just behind a larger beachfront home on the dunes, didn't lose a window or much else, save for a rotten window sill. There were scary moments, though. At one point, Fisher said, the water crept up to the beach to the very top of the dunes.
It was still eerily quiet Sunday morning as he walked around his neighborhood of beach cottages. Residents who had fled inland would not be allowed over the high-rise bridge for a few hours yet. He saw a few patches of siding ripped away from homes here and there, a few palm trees down. The first street off the dunes was flooded, but it looked to be about a foot deep here and there.
"They're going to be happy when they come back," he said.
The situation was worse in parts of New Bern, North Carolina's former state capital, about 45 minutes north. The stately, 301-year-old city, at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers, has a history of flooding and Irene delivered as expected. Mayor Lee Bettis Sunday was asked how many homes were flooded. He didn't have an exact number, but whatever it was, he figured it was high.
"It's not houses," he said, "It's communities."
Among the worst-hit neighborhoods was Duffyfield, a poor, historically African American area northwest of the venerable brick buildings of downtown.
Janice Spivey, 59 was in a typical conundrum. Her three-bedroom trailer at the corner of Biddle and Jarvis streets was surrounded by water on all sides. It was ankle-to-knee deep Sunday morning, and receding, but it had been higher, conspiring with the wind and the rain to keep her and her grandchildren stuck inside since Friday evening.
But Sunday was looking better in all sorts of ways. Her power switched on right around 10 a.m., and soon she expected to be able to maneuver her blue Chrysler sedan out of her driveway and get to the grocery store. As she peeked out her door, a city parks and recreation employee sloshed through what remained of the floodwaters in a big, white school bus.
The employee, who declined to give his name, said he'd driven around all day during the storm Saturday, shuttling perhaps 100 people to higher ground. He shouted over to Spivey, asking if she wanted a ride. The McDonald's was open now, he said.
"I ain't waiting in that line," she said, laughing. "I'm going in there to cook."
"Just pray for the folks ahead of us, that they survive it, too," the driver said.
Power company trucks appeared to be just about everywhere in southeastern North Carolina. Some roared down highways. By the sides of roads, some went to work on power lines bent by the fallen branches, gingerly plucking off the limbs like the lightest of guitar strings.
By 11 a.m. about 60% of the power had been restored to New Bern, spokeswoman Colleen Roberts said. Some of the seafood restaurants on Middle Street downtown were serving up burgers and shrimp-salad sandwiches. Tryon Palace, the majestic replica of a former British governor's home, appeared to have made it out fine, though on George Street, the beautiful block of historic homes leading to the palace's iron gates, was a mess of downed limbs.
Everywhere residents were raking their yards. Many Sunday church services had been canceled. Mayor Bettis pulled up to City Hall a little after 11 a.m., sweaty and disheveled, dressed in boat shoes, running shorts and a paint-splattered work shirt. He had spent the morning helping neighbors, moving debris, mending fences. It was what he had planned for the rest of the day.
"We're going to be out working," he said. "Not sitting around in an office."
In the barrier island vacation community of Atlantic Beach, local grocery store worker Grant Fisher, 64, stepped out of his rental home about 7 a.m. to check the neighborhood. He had stayed on the island, despite the warnings, popping the windows of his home open during the worst of it to keep the barometric pressure balanced between inside and out.
It seemed to have worked. The blue-gray house, just behind a larger beachfront home on the dunes, didn't lose a window or much else, save for a rotten window sill. There were scary moments, though. At one point, Fisher said, the water crept up to the beach to the very top of the dunes.
It was still eerily quiet Sunday morning as he walked around his neighborhood of beach cottages. Residents who had fled inland would not be allowed over the high-rise bridge for a few hours yet. He saw a few patches of siding ripped away from homes here and there, a few palm trees down. The first street off the dunes was flooded, but it looked to be about a foot deep here and there.
"They're going to be happy when they come back," he said.
The situation was worse in parts of New Bern, North Carolina's former state capital, about 45 minutes north. The stately, 301-year-old city, at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers, has a history of flooding and Irene delivered as expected. Mayor Lee Bettis Sunday was asked how many homes were flooded. He didn't have an exact number, but whatever it was, he figured it was high.
"It's not houses," he said, "It's communities."
Among the worst-hit neighborhoods was Duffyfield, a poor, historically African American area northwest of the venerable brick buildings of downtown.
Janice Spivey, 59 was in a typical conundrum. Her three-bedroom trailer at the corner of Biddle and Jarvis streets was surrounded by water on all sides. It was ankle-to-knee deep Sunday morning, and receding, but it had been higher, conspiring with the wind and the rain to keep her and her grandchildren stuck inside since Friday evening.
But Sunday was looking better in all sorts of ways. Her power switched on right around 10 a.m., and soon she expected to be able to maneuver her blue Chrysler sedan out of her driveway and get to the grocery store. As she peeked out her door, a city parks and recreation employee sloshed through what remained of the floodwaters in a big, white school bus.
The employee, who declined to give his name, said he'd driven around all day during the storm Saturday, shuttling perhaps 100 people to higher ground. He shouted over to Spivey, asking if she wanted a ride. The McDonald's was open now, he said.
"I ain't waiting in that line," she said, laughing. "I'm going in there to cook."
"Just pray for the folks ahead of us, that they survive it, too," the driver said.
Power company trucks appeared to be just about everywhere in southeastern North Carolina. Some roared down highways. By the sides of roads, some went to work on power lines bent by the fallen branches, gingerly plucking off the limbs like the lightest of guitar strings.
By 11 a.m. about 60% of the power had been restored to New Bern, spokeswoman Colleen Roberts said. Some of the seafood restaurants on Middle Street downtown were serving up burgers and shrimp-salad sandwiches. Tryon Palace, the majestic replica of a former British governor's home, appeared to have made it out fine, though on George Street, the beautiful block of historic homes leading to the palace's iron gates, was a mess of downed limbs.
Everywhere residents were raking their yards. Many Sunday church services had been canceled. Mayor Bettis pulled up to City Hall a little after 11 a.m., sweaty and disheveled, dressed in boat shoes, running shorts and a paint-splattered work shirt. He had spent the morning helping neighbors, moving debris, mending fences. It was what he had planned for the rest of the day.
"We're going to be out working," he said. "Not sitting around in an office."
2011年8月26日星期五
Uncertain Future
Ewelina Bisaga is bent over a worn blue suitcase, Q-tip in hand. A conservator at the Auschwitz Museum, she gently slides the cotton swab along the suitcase’s edges, slowly removing some residue. Almost 70 years ago, that luggage, filled with clothing and personal possessions for what would be its owner’s final journey, was carried into the concentration camp by a prisoner deported there by the Nazis. Today, it lies open, anonymous, never to be claimed, on a table in a whitewashed room at the conservation department in the museum. Its fragile fate is in the hands of Bisaga.
“We try to do the least amount of conservation on an object,” Bisaga, 31, says in Polish, describing how she approaches her daily work. “They are damaged, and their state is telling of their history.”
Bisaga, who lives in Oswiecim, Poland, is one of 11 conservators who work meticulously to preserve the past at the former concentration camp established by the Nazis in occupied Poland during World War II. Bisaga has been working at Auschwitz since 2003.
At the museum, and particularly in this conservation department, which handles fragile items like prisoners’ artwork and thousands of documents, shoes, and suitcases, preservation is seen as an ethical as well as a practical issue. But these conservators must also wrestle with questions about the proper role of restoration. “People who come here don’t want to see a replica of how something might have once looked,” says Ewa Cyrulik, another conservator. “They are looking for the original condition, as if the objects exist as guardians of history.”
Conservation work at Auschwitz is unique; while some basic rules of conservation do apply, others defiantly do not. And threading that needle is an ethical conundrum the conservators face daily. “It’s an experiment in doing something unbelievable, but we have to guide ourselves this way, and work in an orthodox way,” Cyrulik says. “Then we have a chance that these objects will affect the people who come here, that they’ll see these original, historical objects.”
A new conservation department, with new workshops, opened at Auschwitz in 2005. Its budget last year was 11.3 million euros, around $15 million. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is seeking to raise an additional 120 million euros in a two-year campaign ending this year for an endowment to fund future preservation work. So far about 85 million euros, or $122.5 million, has been committed, according to Pawel Sawicki, a spokesman for the museum and a Polish radio journalist, including a subsidy from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and a grant from the European Infrastructure and Environment Operating Program.
When Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, it covered 40 square kilometers, with three camps, sub camps, and an additional area that was supervised by SS administration. “There were some voices [saying] that it should be completely dismantled because this memory is so difficult,” says Sawicki. But a group of former prisoners began talks with the local government to keep the former concentration camp intact as a memorial. The Polish government began initiatives to preserve the site, giving the Ministry of Culture and Art the authority to preserve parts of it. The ministry named former prisoner Tadeusz Wasowicz as the head of the Protection Board, and in 1946 work began on creating a museum.
Since then, the fragile future of artifacts in the museum’s possession has been constantly discussed. Among the artifacts are 110,000 prisoners’ shoes, 3,800 suitcases, 6,000 works of art, and, often most harrowing for visitors, the pile of hair collected from the heads of 30,000 murdered women.
Beyond the artifacts, one of the impending projects is the preservation of 45 brick barracks at Auschwitz-Birkenau’s former women’s camp. Environmental conditions are viewed as the biggest barrier to preservation. “This is very difficult because protecting a standing building is relatively easier than protecting a ruin from all-natural conditions, atmosphere, rain, and cold, which is the biggest threat here,” Sawicki says.
The foundations themselves are also fragile. “The structures in Birkenau were built by prisoners and were not built to last 70 years,” he says. “They were built from weak materials; these are weak constructions. And the fact that they are still standing today is a miracle, and this is more and more difficult to upkeep them and preserve them.”
“We try to do the least amount of conservation on an object,” Bisaga, 31, says in Polish, describing how she approaches her daily work. “They are damaged, and their state is telling of their history.”
Bisaga, who lives in Oswiecim, Poland, is one of 11 conservators who work meticulously to preserve the past at the former concentration camp established by the Nazis in occupied Poland during World War II. Bisaga has been working at Auschwitz since 2003.
At the museum, and particularly in this conservation department, which handles fragile items like prisoners’ artwork and thousands of documents, shoes, and suitcases, preservation is seen as an ethical as well as a practical issue. But these conservators must also wrestle with questions about the proper role of restoration. “People who come here don’t want to see a replica of how something might have once looked,” says Ewa Cyrulik, another conservator. “They are looking for the original condition, as if the objects exist as guardians of history.”
Conservation work at Auschwitz is unique; while some basic rules of conservation do apply, others defiantly do not. And threading that needle is an ethical conundrum the conservators face daily. “It’s an experiment in doing something unbelievable, but we have to guide ourselves this way, and work in an orthodox way,” Cyrulik says. “Then we have a chance that these objects will affect the people who come here, that they’ll see these original, historical objects.”
A new conservation department, with new workshops, opened at Auschwitz in 2005. Its budget last year was 11.3 million euros, around $15 million. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is seeking to raise an additional 120 million euros in a two-year campaign ending this year for an endowment to fund future preservation work. So far about 85 million euros, or $122.5 million, has been committed, according to Pawel Sawicki, a spokesman for the museum and a Polish radio journalist, including a subsidy from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and a grant from the European Infrastructure and Environment Operating Program.
When Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, it covered 40 square kilometers, with three camps, sub camps, and an additional area that was supervised by SS administration. “There were some voices [saying] that it should be completely dismantled because this memory is so difficult,” says Sawicki. But a group of former prisoners began talks with the local government to keep the former concentration camp intact as a memorial. The Polish government began initiatives to preserve the site, giving the Ministry of Culture and Art the authority to preserve parts of it. The ministry named former prisoner Tadeusz Wasowicz as the head of the Protection Board, and in 1946 work began on creating a museum.
Since then, the fragile future of artifacts in the museum’s possession has been constantly discussed. Among the artifacts are 110,000 prisoners’ shoes, 3,800 suitcases, 6,000 works of art, and, often most harrowing for visitors, the pile of hair collected from the heads of 30,000 murdered women.
Beyond the artifacts, one of the impending projects is the preservation of 45 brick barracks at Auschwitz-Birkenau’s former women’s camp. Environmental conditions are viewed as the biggest barrier to preservation. “This is very difficult because protecting a standing building is relatively easier than protecting a ruin from all-natural conditions, atmosphere, rain, and cold, which is the biggest threat here,” Sawicki says.
The foundations themselves are also fragile. “The structures in Birkenau were built by prisoners and were not built to last 70 years,” he says. “They were built from weak materials; these are weak constructions. And the fact that they are still standing today is a miracle, and this is more and more difficult to upkeep them and preserve them.”
2011年8月25日星期四
Secret Florence by Niccolo Rinaldi
I love Florence. It is my favorite and one of the most accessible of Italian cities. I have been there a few times and was lucky enough to stay for almost a week once and really feel a part of the city.
I walked everywhere, seeking out frescoes by the Fras — Angelica and Filippo Lippi. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio in search of Masaccio and Florentine steak. I found Della Robbia ceramic details on buildings while laundering my clothes at the convenient laundromats. I searched out the little devils painted into so many frescoes in churches — it’s not just about angels in Florence. I tried to find a pair of red shoes, which seemed the right sort of Florentine footwear.
I knew that Florence was more than just the tick-it-off-your-list city with the Uffizi and Duomo, but after reading Secret Florence, I realize that I have only just scratched the surface of this enchanting city. I would imagine that even long-time residents might also find many spots in its pages that they have yet to explore. I’m not quite the insider I hoped I was, but this very different sort of guidebook might help me become one. And it definitely makes me want to start planning my next trip.
Secret Florence is very cleverly organized by city section, adding additional guidance to places where travelers will already be headed: Piazza Della Signoria, Duomo/San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, SS Annunziata, Santa Croce, Oltrarno, and the Outskirts of Florence. But in each section the emphasis is on little details that might easily be missed, while you were preoccupied by the bigger, more-travelled sites.
For example, The Palazzo Vecchio at the Piazza Della Signoria is a frequent tourist spot. Its tall clock tower is not only visually impressive, but it makes it a terrific meeting place. It also is still functioning as the city’s town Hall and has a replica of Michelangelo’s famous "David" sculpture outside (for the real one you need to visit the Accademia). But there is also art inside the Palazzo Vecchio, and Secret Florence doesn’t guide you through the masterpieces by Michelangelo and Ghirlandaio as other guide books might, but instead poses an interesting question regarding a “missing” fresco by Leonardo da Vinci.
I walked everywhere, seeking out frescoes by the Fras — Angelica and Filippo Lippi. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio in search of Masaccio and Florentine steak. I found Della Robbia ceramic details on buildings while laundering my clothes at the convenient laundromats. I searched out the little devils painted into so many frescoes in churches — it’s not just about angels in Florence. I tried to find a pair of red shoes, which seemed the right sort of Florentine footwear.
I knew that Florence was more than just the tick-it-off-your-list city with the Uffizi and Duomo, but after reading Secret Florence, I realize that I have only just scratched the surface of this enchanting city. I would imagine that even long-time residents might also find many spots in its pages that they have yet to explore. I’m not quite the insider I hoped I was, but this very different sort of guidebook might help me become one. And it definitely makes me want to start planning my next trip.
Secret Florence is very cleverly organized by city section, adding additional guidance to places where travelers will already be headed: Piazza Della Signoria, Duomo/San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, SS Annunziata, Santa Croce, Oltrarno, and the Outskirts of Florence. But in each section the emphasis is on little details that might easily be missed, while you were preoccupied by the bigger, more-travelled sites.
For example, The Palazzo Vecchio at the Piazza Della Signoria is a frequent tourist spot. Its tall clock tower is not only visually impressive, but it makes it a terrific meeting place. It also is still functioning as the city’s town Hall and has a replica of Michelangelo’s famous "David" sculpture outside (for the real one you need to visit the Accademia). But there is also art inside the Palazzo Vecchio, and Secret Florence doesn’t guide you through the masterpieces by Michelangelo and Ghirlandaio as other guide books might, but instead poses an interesting question regarding a “missing” fresco by Leonardo da Vinci.
2011年8月24日星期三
Airtel dedicates 4th Airtel Delhi Half Marathon to 'Friends'
It’s that time of the year again when Delhi's sports lovers come together to reaffirm their commitment towards converting the city into a healthier and fitter one through the simple, but joyful task of running. Around 30,000 sports loving people and health and fitness enthusiasts are expected to come together to run shoulder to shoulder with some of the world's leading distance runners along with India's best when the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will be flagged off in Delhi on November 27, 2011, under the aegis of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The world's most prestigious Half Marathon race, recognised by IAAF as a "Gold Label Event" and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races, returns for the seventh year, and for the fourth time in its current avatar of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. This year the marathon is dedicated to ‘Friends’ and invites all like minded people to come together in true spirit of camaraderie and friendship.
The registrations for the event were declared open by Sanjay Kapoor, CEO-India & South Asia, of Bharti Airtel, in the presence of Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Delhi, Bipash Basu, the ‘Face of the Event’, high ranking officials from AFI, the various partners to the event and Anil Singh and Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the promoters of the event at a press conference at the Official Host Hotel Le Meridien in New Delhi on Tuesday, August 23.
The occasion was also used to introduce Timex as the new Timing Partner to the event and announce the Inter-Collegiate Sporting Challenge, an exciting initiative targeted at the vast resources of athletic talent present in Delhi’s colleges. Some novel additions aimed at enhancing the running experience of the serious amateur runners were also announced.
Announcing the registrations open, Sanjay Kapoor, CEO-India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel’s success story is synonymous with determination, perseverance and the ability to never lose sight of the long term goal, just like a seasoned runner. We salute the spirit of forging ahead in the long race and are delighted to be associated with the Delhi Half Marathon for the 4th consecutive year. Taking a leaf out of our new campaign “Har ek friend zaroori hai yaar”, we urge all of you to bring alive the spirit of togetherness and camaraderie. As we come closer to ADHM 2011, I am confident that the city of Delhi will take a lead in inspiring friends to come together and participate in large numbers.”
Prize money of USD 210,000 on offer helps the event maintain its status as the world's richest half marathon and is expected to attract 40 of the world's top 100 male and female long distance athletes. The event will also witness the presence of some of the biggest names from the world of sport as Event Ambassadors.
Boost to serious runners: The practice of putting a chip on the shoes of all half marathon participants since the last two years has been welcomed by one and all and has helped elevate the level of the half marathon field to an extent where all participants in that category can be termed serious runners.
Going further, promoters Procam International will recognize the efforts of the serious runners by offering priority starts to them based on their timings. Based on the timing certificates, runners will be eligible for priority lineups on race day and will be divided into four sections. The first section will be for runners under two hours, followed by those between 2 hours to under 2 hours, 30 minutes. The third section will be for runners between 2 hours, 30 minutes to under 3 hours, while the last section will be for runners of 3 hours and above.
The timing certificate will also ensure that the applicant gets preference over non-timed participants in the registration process. There will also be a number of running places reserved for women applicants to encourage them to train and run in the half marathon. Applicants who are not timed will fall in the open category, for which there will be limited places that will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
It is evident from the number of people registering for the half marathon, that the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has helped inculcate the culture of running and fitness among the populace of Delhi. Last year around 8,000 people registered for the half marathon and the figure is expected to be higher this time around as 10,000 running spaces have been reserved for the Half Marathon category.
The registrations for the event were declared open by Sanjay Kapoor, CEO-India & South Asia, of Bharti Airtel, in the presence of Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Delhi, Bipash Basu, the ‘Face of the Event’, high ranking officials from AFI, the various partners to the event and Anil Singh and Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the promoters of the event at a press conference at the Official Host Hotel Le Meridien in New Delhi on Tuesday, August 23.
The occasion was also used to introduce Timex as the new Timing Partner to the event and announce the Inter-Collegiate Sporting Challenge, an exciting initiative targeted at the vast resources of athletic talent present in Delhi’s colleges. Some novel additions aimed at enhancing the running experience of the serious amateur runners were also announced.
Announcing the registrations open, Sanjay Kapoor, CEO-India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel’s success story is synonymous with determination, perseverance and the ability to never lose sight of the long term goal, just like a seasoned runner. We salute the spirit of forging ahead in the long race and are delighted to be associated with the Delhi Half Marathon for the 4th consecutive year. Taking a leaf out of our new campaign “Har ek friend zaroori hai yaar”, we urge all of you to bring alive the spirit of togetherness and camaraderie. As we come closer to ADHM 2011, I am confident that the city of Delhi will take a lead in inspiring friends to come together and participate in large numbers.”
Prize money of USD 210,000 on offer helps the event maintain its status as the world's richest half marathon and is expected to attract 40 of the world's top 100 male and female long distance athletes. The event will also witness the presence of some of the biggest names from the world of sport as Event Ambassadors.
Boost to serious runners: The practice of putting a chip on the shoes of all half marathon participants since the last two years has been welcomed by one and all and has helped elevate the level of the half marathon field to an extent where all participants in that category can be termed serious runners.
Going further, promoters Procam International will recognize the efforts of the serious runners by offering priority starts to them based on their timings. Based on the timing certificates, runners will be eligible for priority lineups on race day and will be divided into four sections. The first section will be for runners under two hours, followed by those between 2 hours to under 2 hours, 30 minutes. The third section will be for runners between 2 hours, 30 minutes to under 3 hours, while the last section will be for runners of 3 hours and above.
The timing certificate will also ensure that the applicant gets preference over non-timed participants in the registration process. There will also be a number of running places reserved for women applicants to encourage them to train and run in the half marathon. Applicants who are not timed will fall in the open category, for which there will be limited places that will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
It is evident from the number of people registering for the half marathon, that the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has helped inculcate the culture of running and fitness among the populace of Delhi. Last year around 8,000 people registered for the half marathon and the figure is expected to be higher this time around as 10,000 running spaces have been reserved for the Half Marathon category.
2011年8月23日星期二
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis
The first thing to remember about planning a visit to Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis is that the site is much more than the iconic arch. But it's the arch that visitors flock to.
When you're standing under it and looking up to the stainless steel arch, it beats all the pictures you've seen of it. The arch is 630 feet high and 630 feet from end to end, and has the distinction of being America's tallest monument. The modern stainless steel structure represents the Gateway to the West.
The Memorial, located in downtown St. Louis on the Mississippi River across from Illinois, is set in a lovely piece of greenery with walkways and two free-form ponds. The development of the site was a long time in coming. It was first designated a national historic site in 1935, but the arch wasn’t finished until 1965, and the first visitor went up two years later.
A Little History
Before President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States ended at the Mississippi River. When the country expanded dramatically, President Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find out what was actually contained on this new land. The expedition (1804-1806) took them up the Missouri River, through the Rocky Mountains and eventually to the Pacific. There were other government-sponsored explorations, but the West was now open to the legendary fur traders, mountain men, and soon settlers.
Here are some hints on how to enjoy the whole site: Leave yourself plenty of time - the site is worth almost a full day. Because of its location, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is used as a city park by St. Louis residents and it can get crowded. There are things to see and do in the Visitor Center and out. Some activities require tickets and you can buy tickets for several combinations of events, saving you money. You can buy tickets on site, but buying tickets in advance on the web is highly recommended.
The City of St. Louis has a marvelous metro system, with a stop for the Arch, one block from the site. The system is well-run and well-signed, much easier to negotiate than driving downtown.
In the Visitor Center
* The highlight of the site is going up to the top of the arch. Visitors sit in a five-person capsule reminiscent of the Jetsons. The four-minute tram ride takes you to the top of the arch where you can get a grand view from both sides of the arch. It is claimed that on a clear day you can see for 30 miles out. On a hot summer Sunday, I waited for an hour on line after my reservation time. Tickets are required.
* Take in the 28-minute movie in the Tucker Theater on how the arch was built. Tickets are required.
* The Odyssey Theater with its wide screen projection and four-story high screen is now showing a 45-minute film on Lewis and Clark's Great Journey West. Tickets are required.
* Plan to spend a while exploring the Museum of Western Expansion. It covers the history from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to the closing of the frontier in 1890s. The open-plan space holds a classic teepee and life-sized replicas of horses and a bison. Several modes of transportation are shown, including a red stagecoach trimmed with gold paint, a covered wagon, and a wheel for a steamboat. I would have expected that the museum would be all about Lewis and Clark, but there's surprisingly little about the details of the lives of the two explorers before or after their expedition. Entrance to the museum is free.
* Levee Mercantile is meant to be an old-fashioned store in St. Louis. It offers period hard candy, rag dolls, and other 19th century toys. My eight-year old granddaughter was fascinated by McGuffey’s Eclectic Primer, a reader with short stories that makes Dick and Jane seem risqué. The Primer also illustrates cursive writing including how to link various combinations of letters.
* The visitor center, located underground beneath the arch, has almost airport-like security. Though you don’t have to take off your shoes, you need to go through a metal detector. Rangers look through handbags and daypacks, so remember to leave your pocket knife at home.
When you're standing under it and looking up to the stainless steel arch, it beats all the pictures you've seen of it. The arch is 630 feet high and 630 feet from end to end, and has the distinction of being America's tallest monument. The modern stainless steel structure represents the Gateway to the West.
The Memorial, located in downtown St. Louis on the Mississippi River across from Illinois, is set in a lovely piece of greenery with walkways and two free-form ponds. The development of the site was a long time in coming. It was first designated a national historic site in 1935, but the arch wasn’t finished until 1965, and the first visitor went up two years later.
A Little History
Before President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States ended at the Mississippi River. When the country expanded dramatically, President Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find out what was actually contained on this new land. The expedition (1804-1806) took them up the Missouri River, through the Rocky Mountains and eventually to the Pacific. There were other government-sponsored explorations, but the West was now open to the legendary fur traders, mountain men, and soon settlers.
Here are some hints on how to enjoy the whole site: Leave yourself plenty of time - the site is worth almost a full day. Because of its location, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is used as a city park by St. Louis residents and it can get crowded. There are things to see and do in the Visitor Center and out. Some activities require tickets and you can buy tickets for several combinations of events, saving you money. You can buy tickets on site, but buying tickets in advance on the web is highly recommended.
The City of St. Louis has a marvelous metro system, with a stop for the Arch, one block from the site. The system is well-run and well-signed, much easier to negotiate than driving downtown.
In the Visitor Center
* The highlight of the site is going up to the top of the arch. Visitors sit in a five-person capsule reminiscent of the Jetsons. The four-minute tram ride takes you to the top of the arch where you can get a grand view from both sides of the arch. It is claimed that on a clear day you can see for 30 miles out. On a hot summer Sunday, I waited for an hour on line after my reservation time. Tickets are required.
* Take in the 28-minute movie in the Tucker Theater on how the arch was built. Tickets are required.
* The Odyssey Theater with its wide screen projection and four-story high screen is now showing a 45-minute film on Lewis and Clark's Great Journey West. Tickets are required.
* Plan to spend a while exploring the Museum of Western Expansion. It covers the history from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to the closing of the frontier in 1890s. The open-plan space holds a classic teepee and life-sized replicas of horses and a bison. Several modes of transportation are shown, including a red stagecoach trimmed with gold paint, a covered wagon, and a wheel for a steamboat. I would have expected that the museum would be all about Lewis and Clark, but there's surprisingly little about the details of the lives of the two explorers before or after their expedition. Entrance to the museum is free.
* Levee Mercantile is meant to be an old-fashioned store in St. Louis. It offers period hard candy, rag dolls, and other 19th century toys. My eight-year old granddaughter was fascinated by McGuffey’s Eclectic Primer, a reader with short stories that makes Dick and Jane seem risqué. The Primer also illustrates cursive writing including how to link various combinations of letters.
* The visitor center, located underground beneath the arch, has almost airport-like security. Though you don’t have to take off your shoes, you need to go through a metal detector. Rangers look through handbags and daypacks, so remember to leave your pocket knife at home.
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