Fiends (album)

Fiends is the third album from the post-hardcore band Chasing Victory, released only months before the band officially broke up. This album is a change of style for the band. While their debut and EP had a solid post-hardcore sound similar to that of Glassjaw and Thursday, the sound for this album was changed. The band experimented with Southern rock, post-grunge, and even rock and roll, while still retaining their post-hardcore roots.

Track listing

Screamin' Demon

The Screamin' Demon was a shuttle loop roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Designed by Arrow Development, it opened in 1977 as one of the first looping roller coasters in the United States to run both forward and backward. After ten years of operation, the ride was moved to Camden Park.

History

Anton Schwarzkopf and Intamin AG co-developed the first shuttle loop design, which opened as King Kobra at Kings Dominion in 1977. A total of six shuttle loop roller coasters opened that same year throughout the United States. Screamin' Demon had the distinction of being the first from Arrow Development to open to the public. Unlike the vertical tracks used as reverse points at both ends on the King Kobra, Arrow used loading platforms instead.

At the end of the 1987 season, the ride was sold and relocated to Camden Park in West Virginia where it was renamed to Thunderbolt Express. It was closed in 2000 and never reopened. It was eventually scrapped in 2004.

Ride experience

BAE Systems Demon

The Demon is a UAV designed by BAE Systems, as part of its "FLAVIIR" project. It has a novel aerodynamic control system which uses engine exhaust and bleed air to provide the aerodynamic forces usually provided by flaps, ailerons and elevators. It has been called the world's first "flapless" plane. It first flew, from Walney Island, off the coast of Cumbria, UK on 17 September 2010.

Design and development

The unique circulation control system could be employed to reduce the size of the wing on widebody airliners. Its developers hope that the new design could reduce noise, cut fuel and lower maintenance costs. For military fast jets the technology might help to achieve greater stealth.

The so-called "fluidic flight controls" guide air from a rectangular exhaust nozzle over upper and lower Coandă effect surfaces to establish pitch. For roll control, bleed air is blown over a Coanda surface installed on the trailing edge of the wing. By controlling boundary layer conditions, the fluidic controls can also provide greater lift or drag on take-off and landing.

Hardcourt

A hardcourt (or hard court) is a surface or floor on which a sport is played, most usually in reference to tennis courts. They are typically made of rigid materials such as asphalt or concrete, and covered with acrylic material to seal the surface and mark the playing lines, while providing some cushioning. Historically, hardwood surfaces were also in use in indoor settings, similar to an indoor basketball court, but these are now rare.

Tennis

Tennis hard courts are made of synthetic/acrylic layers on top of a concrete or asphalt foundation and can vary in color. These courts tend to play medium-fast to fast because there is little energy absorption by the court, like in grass courts. The ball tends to bounce high and players are able to apply many types of spin during play. Flat balls are favored on hard courts because of the extremely quick play style. Speed of rebound after tennis balls bounce on hard courts is determined by how much sand is in the synthetic/acrylic layer placed on top of the asphalt foundation. More sand will result in a slower bounce due to more friction.

T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)

"T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" is a song by American rapper will.i.am, featuring vocals from Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez. The song was released via the iTunes Store on November 20, 2011, just hours after its debut at the American Music Awards. The music video for the song was released on December 12, 2011. The song was originally released as part as the lead single of will.i.am's fourth studio album, #willpower, but was not included on the album.

Background

will.i.am first announced the song via his Twitter account, before announcing it via various online media. Links to a demo version of the song were made available via Dipdive and Google+. On November 18, Will released the cover art for the single, using it as his Twitter avatar and background. The song was premiered live on November 20, 2011, live at the 2011 American Music Awards at the Nokia Theater. The performance included will.i.am and Lopez performing live, and Jagger performing via video link. The song was made available on iTunes immediately following the AMA performance. The song was produced by Audiobot, Dallas Austin and will.i.am, as well as Jimmy Iovine. will.i.am originally presented the track to Iovine without the featured artists, as a finished work, and was caught off guard by his request to add performers to the song. In response, he threw out Jagger's name among possible collaborators because he thought it would never happen. Iovine ended up producing Jagger's vocals - it was the first time he had produced in decades. Immediately after the AMA performance, will.i.am thanked Fighting Gravity via Twitter. will.i.am also performed the song live at the American Giving Awards on December 10. Neither Lopez nor Jagger appeared.

Hard (TV series)

Hard is a French television series created and produced by Cathy Verney, airing since 9 May 2008 on Canal+ in France, and later internationally. The series focuses on the pornographic movie industry. It is part of the "New Trilogy" collection on Canal+.

Synopsis

After the sudden death of her husband, Sophie discovers through her mother-in-law, that her late husband did not run a successful software company, but instead produced pornographic films, with Soph'X being the legacy.

Bewildered and dismayed, at discovering a world she couldn't conceive of in a thousand years, she hesitates between taking over the company or selling everything to resume her job as a lawyer. To pay the mortgage held by her husband before his death, she has to decide to modernize Soph'X, until a meeting with porn star and pillar of the company, Roy Lapoutre, forces her hand.

Cast

IDK