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I am working on Demo of bubble sort and other as well using pure Javascript (not jquery) using buttons . I need to swap buttons from current position to the location reqired. I am successful in sorting the numbers but unable to set animations as desired.
Bubble Sort
(The desired animation here would be to translate the numbered button with the maximum value to the right on each pass.And the minimum to the left. Until the numbers are displayed in completely sorted order.Used the word "desired" since animations would be different for other sorts.)


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Submission + - Imran Khan detained by US customs over opposition to drone strikes (guardian.co.uk)
Serious Callers Only writes: Imran Khan was detained yesterday by US officials for questioning on his views on United States drone strikes in Pakistan. Glenn Greenwald writing for the guardian: "On Saturday, Khan boarded a flight from Canada to New York in order to appear at a fundraising lunch and other events. But before the flight could take off, US immigration officials removed him from the plane and detained him for two hours, causing him to miss the flight. On Twitter, Khan reported that he was "interrogated on [his] views on drones" and then added: "My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop." He then defiantly noted: 'Missed flight and sad to miss the Fundraising lunch in NY but nothing will change my stance.'"

subset: commoncrawl


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What is in this article?:
- Are artificial colors harmful to your child's health?
- Appetite for neon
- A history of dangerous dyes
- A culprit in hyperactivity?
- Allergies, cancer and missing out on real food
Backed by respected European research, many parents and doctors believe food dyes are dangerous and are planning a trip to Washington, DC, to convince the FDA to either ban food with synthetic dyes or require warning labels for these products.
It was Trenton Shutters' first week at preschool when the typically easy-going 4-year-old took an alarming turn for the worst.
"He started melting down several times a week and was unable to recover," recalls Trenton's mom, Renee Shutters. "One day he'd be fine, the next he would get angry and not like himself. We thought he was bipolar. I was scared."
After months of trying to pinpoint a trigger, Trenton's mother and teacher drew an intriguing conclusion: On days Trenton had orange cheese puffs, blue sugar-free yogurt, or the other colorful fare often provided for snack at school, his attention cratered. And on the nights when his mom gave in and let him have a neon gumball at hockey practice, a temper tantrum was sure to ensue. Skeptically, Renee took the advice of a friend, purged her cupboard of anything containing artificial food color, and asked his teachers to keep him away from dyes as well.
"We saw an improvement within days," says Shutters, who lives in Jamestown, New York. "Trenton is a model student now."
Shutters is among dozens of parents, physicians and researchers who will converge on Washington, DC March 30 and 31 to urge a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel to recommend a ban of—or at least warning labels on—foods containing synthetic dyes.
Their allegation—that the petroleum-based colorants can lead to behavior problems, allergies and possibly cancer—dates back to the 1960s, when San Francisco allergist Ben Feingold reported that his patients' radically improved when they kicked dyes. With few legitimate studies verifying the link, Feingold's theories were largely dismissed. But thanks to a series of highly respected European trials connecting dyes to attention disorders, the European Parliament moved in 2010 to require warning labels on foods that contain them. Now U.S. regulators are taking a fresh look at artificial colors and their potential health hazards as well.
"Just the fact that FDA is holding this hearing is very significant," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which called for the meeting. "It sends a message that this is a topic worthy of discussion."


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The Southfield Police Department assisted the Wixom Police Department in the investigation of the disappearance of Leonard Bernard Graham, 24, who went missing Sept. 14 and was last heard from on the evening of Sept. 15.
The investigation led police to an address on the 27000 block of Franklin Road in Southfield. Investigators found what they believe to be is Graham�s body in a nearby wooded area.
Police arrested a 20-year-old Detroit man in connection with the alleged homicide. Police believe the suspect and victim were acquaintances.
Investigators from the Michigan State Police Northville Crime Lab responded to a request to process the scene of the homicide at 1 a.m. Friday.
The Michigan State Police and the Oakland County Sheriff�s Office assisted with this investigation.
An investigation is underway. Check back for updates.


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
On the other hand, if it's, "So What Do You Think of Certain Author/Book/Movie/TV Show?" and the poster can give a specific, polite, negative review based on having actually read/seen the subject in question, I think that's fine.
Oh, I agree with you. But wwhat I'm saying is that unless your thread title spells out that you only want Hoover lovers, you are going to get dissenters. Asking "Do you love your Hoover?" Is very different than saying "Hoover lovefest here."
I think I have a rough idea as to where you're coming from.Everyone - please understand that I am being completely hypothetical, this is nothing from my own experience. I'm just trying to illustrate a point.Poster A: I am helping to plan B's coming-of-age ceremony for her daughter. We are wondering whether a registry is appropriate in this case? It will be a large party with about 120 guests.Responder B: Yes, it this is appropriate in your circle, as long as it is discreet. The info must only be available to guests who inquire.Responder C: definitely not. Having a registry is always inappropriate, it creates an expectation for gifts, and is incredibly rude.Overall - I think it's incorrect for poster to give an always/never answer when the particular etiquette might indeed be dependent on regional/ethnic circles.
I guess I don't see the problem. It's a forum for discussing etiquette, not mathematical theorems or biological facts. There are tons of grey areas, as well as practices that are specific to particular regions/cultures. If someone is giving an always/never answer that you (general) think is incorrect, say so. Isn't that what leads to interesting discussions?
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I just want to say when I was a young man in elementary school I started listening to him. His sound was so unique that is wasn't anything I heard before. My favorite of his music was Places and Spaces, Flight Time and Falling like Dominoes. I still to this day listen to his music. BAD CAT HE WAS!!! R.I.P Donald Byrd. Are own from the Motorcity (Detroit)..
March 18, 2018 | MI


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WTO says UH School of Travel Industry Management one of the "world's best"University of Hawaiʻi
School of Travel Industry Management
The University of Hawaiʻi School of Travel Industry Management is one of only two U.S. institutions (with George Washington University) out of thirteen internationally-recognized tourism education schools included in the World's Leading Tourism Programmes directory published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO).
The directory was prepared as part of the WTO's TedQual (Tourism, Education, Quality) certification process.
"Prior to the TedQual program the TIM School at UH Manoa was one of the first University programs recognized by the WTO," said Dean Walter Jamieson, "and, in fact, only 16 institutions internationally were ever recognized in this way.
"We are in distinguished company," he added, "and our students, faculty and alumni worldwide can be very proud of our place among the leading institutions in hospitality and tourism education."
TedQual reviews are administered by an independent committee accredited by the WTO and made up of international tourism industry experts. Institutional programs are judged to adhere to a set of quality standards developed by the WTO — with the ultimate goal to improve the quality of tourism education, training and research.
About the TIM School
Founded in 1966, the School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) possesses a rich history of innovation, growth and change bringing it to its current status as one of the most respected programs worldwide in the field of hospitality, tourism, and transportation management. TIM pioneered the concept of integrating all aspects of the travel industry under a single discipline built on a foundation of management science. The School also draws on a broad range of disciplines to provide high-quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels to current and future professionals. The School is accredited through 2007 by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). Current enrollment is 425 undergraduates and 25 graduate students.
The TIM curriculum has an international perspective focusing on global issues affecting and shaping the industry. The visitor industry in Hawaii provides students with opportunities to study applications of theory to practical business situations. TIM's distinctive faculty, the School's extensive facilities and resources and its close relationship to the leading industry in Hawaiʻi, and the international focus of the programs provide students a unique educational environment and experience.


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Press Release: FDLE
JACKSONVILLE – Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee and Jacksonville Regional Operations Centers, arrested Christopher Dwight Allen, 46, of St. Johns, Fla., earlier today on charges of official misconduct, dealing in stolen property and false verification of ownership on pawnbroker transaction form.
The investigation began in May, 2013, after relatives of a Hamilton County woman alleged several items of jewelry had been stolen from their loved one, following her death including a ring, watch and necklace. Agents reviewed pawn broker transactions that indicated Allen sold 62 pieces of jewelry to pawn shops within the previous year. Investigators allege at least some of the pawned items were stolen from deceased persons whom Allen had access to as a forensic investigator at the District 4 Medical Examiner's Office in Jacksonville.
Allen was arrested around 7:30 this morning at the medical examiner's office and booked into the Duval County Jail.
The State Attorney's Office, 4th Judicial Circuit will prosecute this case.


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My name... Michele Norris
NPR employee since... October 2002
Public radio listener since... I grew up as a prisoner of public radio. I've been listening since I was a kid.
My job at NPR is... Host/Special Correspondent. People think the most important thing I do is talk since I spend hours in front of microphone of one kind or another, when, in fact, the single most important thing I do is listen.
I use social media to... tap into conversations and worlds that might otherwise be out of reach.
I've learned the most about radio from... Susan Stamberg. When I arrived at NPR she told me to be myself. Full Stop. End of paragraph. End of story. Be yourself. That is all.
I wanted to be... an electrical engineer ...when I grew up.
Old-school manners are ...a breath of Fresh Air.
On Sunday morning, you'll find me... in church with my family.
I can't live without... my children's laughter.
If I could share a coffee with anyone, it would be... the person I was 20 years ago. Boy would I have great advice for her.
Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me that... I have to act my age.
Check out Norris' recent conversation about The Race Card Project with Morning Edition Host Steve Inskeep. And for listeners in the Washington, D.C. area, Norris will also be In Conversation with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg – exploring the role of working women in America – at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Thursday, March 14.


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NHL Free Agent Tracker 2010
NHL Free Agent Tracker 2010
Free agency is here once again and with the NHL salary cap for 2010-11 set at $59.4 million, teams have a bit more room to use to change the makeup of their roster.
Ilya Kovalchuk, traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to New Jersey Devils last season, headlines this year's batch of unrestricted free agents looking for a new contract. Will he get the $10 million he was previously seeking? Will the rumors out of Los Angeles come to fruition? Or will Kovalchuk possibly bolt to the Kontinental League?
The goalie market is full of names, but it's not yet clear where any of them fit in. Evgeni Nabokov will be finding his way out of San Jose for the first time in his career, while Marty Turco looks to regain his form in a town other than Dallas. And how about Chris Mason, who made a name for himself in St. Louis; who will pay for his services?
Sergei Gonchar, Dan Hamhuis and Anton Volchenkov lead the way for an interesting group of defensemen. A mix of puckmoving and puck-blocking, any team looking to add a little character or skill to its lineup has a choice when they turn down the 'D' aisle.
So buckle up and follow along with up-to-date analysis off all the key signings on Day 1.
After the July 1 maddess, keep track of the rest of the signings via our team-by-team/alphabetical free agent lists.
|John Scott, D/W
|TERM: $1 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: With the departures of Ben Eager (traded to Atlanta) and Adam Burish (free agency to Dallas), the Blackhawks needed some muscle to protect the Patrick Kanes and Jonathan Toews of the world and 6-foot-8, 258-pound John Scott is a fitting replacement.
|Eric Nystrom, C
|TERM: $1.4 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: Nystrom is a hard worker, a two-way player and he can line up at all three forward positions. Unfortunately, his total of 19 points last season with Calgary was a career-high for the 27-year-old and the last time I checked, Minnesota already had a lot of forwards who don't score that often.
|Johan Hedberg, G
|TERM: $1.5 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: In the yearly search for Martin Brodeur's backup, New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello has landed a good one in former Thrashers netminder Hedberg. A consummate professional who was beloved in Atlanta, 'Moose' will be a great dressing room presence and proved last season that he can pull his weight when necessary. In fact, the 37-year-old outplayed young buck Ondrej Pavelec down the stretch once Kari Lehtonen was traded. Hedberg's 2.62 goals-against average was his best since before the lockout, while his .915 save percentage was the highest he's sported in the NHL.
|Vinny Propspal, LW
|TERM: $2.1 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: Rangers GM Glen Sather – well, let's face it, most of the Rangers braintrust – may be viewed as crazy in the opinion of the fanbase, but this is a good re-sign for the Blueshirts.
Prospal's 58 points last year was good for second on the squad and represented a nice bounce-back from his terrible campaign in Tampa the season before. On a team with some very ugly minuses, Prospal was a respectable plus-8 last year and he genuinely wants to be a Ranger, something every Manhattan fan should enjoy.
Given the low rate the Blueshirts got Prospal to sign for, there's no worry this contract will come back to bite them. And admit it, when was the last time you could say that about anything the Rangers did? - RK
|Andrew Raycroft, G
|TERM: $650,000 per/2 years
ANALYSIS: This is a dicey risk for Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk. Raycroft is coming in as the backup for Kari Lehtonen, who hasn't proven himself to be the most durable of goaltenders. Should Lehtonen go down to injury again, the Stars will struggle to keep pace in the competitive Pacific Division.
|Matt Cullen, C
|TERM: $3.5 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: Minnesota is in dire need of offensive weapons and Cullen is a nice piece, though certainly not the second coming of Marian Gaborik. A Stanley Cup winner with Carolina in 2006, Cullen hasn't had much luck with other teams, disappointing in Ottawa and with the Rangers. But he's a local Minnesota product who went to St. Cloud State, so this will be a nice homecoming for him.
Did the Wild overpay? VOTE
|Adam Burish, RW
|TERM: $1.5 per/2 years
ANALYSIS: Pray for the sanity of those who play in the Pacific Division. The Dallas Stars now boast both Steve Ott and Burish, who signs a reasonable deal with a team not exactly flaunting its wallet lately.
|Saku Koivu, C
|TERM: $2.5 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: In re-signing Koivu, the Ducks not only get their No. 2 center back, but they help shore up a lot of goodwill with another very important Finn.
|Jeff Tambellini, LW
|TERM: $500,000 per/1 year
ANALYSIS: Tambellini's dad, Steve, had a great weekend at the draft as Oilers GM, while now Jeff gets a fresh start in Vancouver, where dad used to play. A tweener between the NHL and American League most of his career, Tambellini hasn't shown any sort of consistency as a pro, certainly not the scoring prowess he was known for at the University of Michigan.
|Jordan Leopold, D
|TERM: $3 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: In nabbing Leopold, the Sabres managed the stanch the flow of blueliners exiting Buffalo today, so this was a necessary signing. With Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman leaving, two of the Sabres' top four defenseman were gone before dinner and the squad wasn't deep to begin with.
|Chris Mason, G
|TERM: $1.85 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: Former Blues netminder Chris Mason made the best of a horrible goalie free agent market (from a netminder's perspective) by signing a two-year, $3.7 million contract with the Atlanta Thrashers.
The 34-year-old Mason had a respectable 2009-10 for St. Louis, posting a 30-22-8 mark, as well as a 2.53 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 61 games. But after the Blues acquired Jaroslav Halak prior to the NHL draft, it was obvious Mason would be looking elsewhere for employment.
He had to settle for the Thrashers – a team that traded former top prospect Kari Lehtonen to Dallas last year because it was putting its belief in 22-year-old Ondrej Pavelec. Nothing has changed in that regard, meaning Mason will be used as Pavelec's backup.
Mason is at least as good as former Thrashers No. 2 Johan Hedberg and is three years younger. Another in a series of solid off-season moves by GM Rick Dudley. -AP
|Olli Jokinen, C
|TERM: $3 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: It is a measure of the desperation of both Olli Jokinen and the Calgary Flames that they have renewed their partnership by agreeing to a two-year, $6 million contract for the 31-year-old center.
Flames fans must be incensed to see GM Darryl Sutter looking increasingly frantic – and after last season's wheeling and dealing, looking increasingly frantic is no easy task – by making this signing. Sure, Jokinen still is capable of posting 50 points per season; that's the precise amount he had last season, which he split with the Flames and New York Rangers.
Unfortunately, Jokinen has changed addresses four times in the past three seasons for good reason. His best days are behind him – and although he took a pay cut of $2.25 million a season to return to Calgary for the 2010-11 campaign, he will be a lightning rod for dissatisfaction with the team simply because of his past failures with the Flames.
But hey, there's nothing wrong with the direction the Flames are taking. Just ask Sutter and team president Ken King. Actually, if you're a Flames fan who wants to be comforted by the answer, ask only Sutter and King. -AP
|Dan Hamhuis, D
|TERM: $4.5 million per/6 years
ANALYSIS: The changing of the rearguards employed by the Canucks continued Thursday when former Predators blueliner Dan Hamhuis signed a six-year, $27 million deal with Vancouver.
A B.C. native, Hamhuis was seen as one of the top available unrestricted free agent D-men this summer, so his arrival has to be seen as a coup for Canucks GM Mike Gillis. Along with recently acquired defenseman Keith Ballard, Hamhuis represents an upgrade on the defense corps that couldn't contain the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of last season's playoffs.
Neither Hamhuis nor Ballard is going to challenge Washington's Mike Green for the scoring lead by a defenseman, but both are 27-year-old, intelligent, low-maintenance employees who can stabilize Vancouver's back end for a long time to come.
That's why six years for a player like Hamhuis isn't unreasonable. That will be underscored when Canucks fans get to see his quiet, steady game on a nightly basis. -AP
|Anton Volchenkov, D
|TERM: $4.25 million per/6 years
ANALYSIS: Once Paul Martin left the Devils as an unrestricted free agent Thursday, it was only a matter of time before New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello worked his magic to rebuild his blueline. Sure enough, Lamoriello landed one of the biggest blueliners available when he signed former Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov to a six-year, $25.5 million contract.
Volchenkov is just 28 and known throughout the league as a shot-blocking menace. He's missed 32 games over the past two seasons because of his fearless nature, but gives the Devils a big-time back-end physical presence they sorely lacked during the 2010 playoffs.
Interestingly, Volchenkov's deal averages $250,000 less a season than Dan Hamhuis' new contract with the Canucks – a testament to Lamoriello's shrewd negotiating skills.
There will be those who believe the acquisition of Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder won't give the Devils an advantage in the tough Atlantic Division. But never count out anything Lamoriello does.
And don't think he's finished remodeling the roster, either. -AP
|Kurtis Foster, D
|TERM: $1.8 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: If anybody deserved a good break, it was Kurtis Foster, who had to rebuild his career two summers ago and now is rebuilding his life after losing his infant son. He'll get a chance to do that with the Oilers, where he'll take his versatility – he played both forward and defense for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season – and his booming (and we mean booming) shot. The acquisition of Foster would certainly seem to hasten the departure of Sheldon Souray, if the Oilers could somehow find somebody to take that contract. -KC
|Henrik Tallinder, D
|TERM: $3.375 million per/4 years
ANALYSIS: Given that Paul Martin played just 22 games for the New Jersey Devils last season, you could certainly argue the Devils have a better blueline than they did last season with Henrik Tallinder taking his place. The same certainly can't be said for the Buffalo Sabres, who have lost both Tallinder and Toni Lydman to free agency today.
|Ray Whitney, LW
|TERM: $3 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: It's nice to see the NHL spending the other 29 owners' money wisely. Ray Whitney on a two-year deal at $3 million is very reasonable for both sides and gives the Coyotes a significant upgrade in offensive skill.
If Whitney had been looking for anything beyond two years, the deal doesn't look near as good from a Phoenix perspective. But for the next two years, Whitney should give the Coyotes somewhere in the 25-goal, 60-point range. If all the stars align, they could be looking at 30-plus goals and 70 points for a team that is clearly on the rise. -KC
|Toni Lydman, D
|TERM: $3 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: Scott Niedermayer's retirement may have freed up more than $6 million in cap space for the Anaheim Ducks, but as GM Bob Murray understands, the quality of the people he can bring in with that money almost assuredly won't be able to match the contributions of his former captain.
That's not to say Toni Lydman isn't a decent enough defenseman who can play more than 20 minutes a game. But Lydman is 32 years old and was troubled by a groin injury that sidelined him for 15 games with Buffalo last season. His puckmoving ability was a plus for him in past years, but that skill isn't what it once was, either.
Given the alternatives, however, the Ducks had to take a chance on some veteran. But the fact that, even in this inflated market for defensemen, Lydman took a $150,000 haircut to sign with Anaheim ought to serve as a sobering slap in the face to Ducks fans expecting the world from the Finn. -AP
|Paul Martin, D
|TERM: $5 million per/5 years
ANALYSIS: Well, the Penguins lost one of the top five unrestricted free agent defensemen out there and picked up two of them in Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek. Neither of those players brings as much offense or power play élan that Sergei Gonchar does, but the sum of their parts could represent an overall upgrade on the Penguins blueline.
|Derek Boogaard, LW
|TERM: $1.65 million per/4 years
ANALYSIS: Didn't Rangers GM Glen Sather say he wasn't about to overpay for free agents this summer? He must have had another of his patented moments of madness Thurdsay before bestowing a four-year, $6.5 million contract on enforcer Derek Boogaard.
You'd have thought Sather learned his lesson about overpaying enforcers after the Donald Brashear experiment ended in disaster, but apparently not. It's not necessarily the salary that stands out here – it's the term. You're telling me that another goon isn't going to come down the pipe between now and 2014? Sather, please. -AP
|Dan Ellis, G
|TERM: $1.5 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: Steve Yzerman's first free agent signing as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning could end up being a home run. Although he had trouble winning games, Ellis did not have a save percentage lower than .900 in three seasons in Nashville and at 30, just might be entering his best seasons as an NHL goalie. Mike Smith certainly wasn't getting it done in Tampa Bay and this gives the Lightning far more reliable goaltending than they had before free agency. Yzerman is undoubtedly betting the two will push each other to be better and that the Lightning will benefit by the competition. -KC
|Jody Shelley, LW
|TERM: $1.1 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: The Flyers got a whole lot tougher, but not much better up front with their three-year deal to Jody Shelley. Not that they really have to worry about it because the Flyers have plenty of skill up front and Shelley can actually play a regular role, something resident tough guy Riley Cote has not been able to do to this point in his career. -KC
|Derek Morris, D
|TERM: $2.75 million per/4 years
ANALYSIS: Derek Morris has gone from an elite prospect to a journeyman defenseman in 12 NHL seasons, but he's still got some decent hockey left in him and doesn't harbor any illusions about his place in a team's payroll structure. That's why the cash-conscious Phoenix Coyotes re-signed him to a four-year, $11 million deal Thursday.
Morris, who'll be 32 by the time Phoenix's training camp begins, returned to the Coyotes organization from Boston at last season's trade deadline, after splitting the previous year between the Rangers (who traded for Morris at the 2009 trade deadline) and Coyotes.
Yotes coach Dave Tippett knows not to ask too much of Morris – at least, in terms of offensive contributions – but he'll be a voice of experience in the dressing room. Most importantly, he's locked up for four years. That's half the battle for a franchise that has the league watching its financial bottom line. -AP
|Sean O'Donnell, D
|TERM: $1 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: All right, now the Philadelphia Flyers blueline corps consists of Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. With Oskars Bartulis there, you'd have to think that means the Flyers look set on their defense for next season. -KC
|Manny Malhotra, C
|TERM: $2.5 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: Yeah, Manny Malhotra was really good for the San Jose Sharks last season. Great team guy, really gritty, tough to play against, good penalty-killer. But good enough to merit a 250-percent raise on a three-year deal with a no-trade clause? Perhaps that indicates he was underpaid at $700,000 in the first place last season, but that's a lot of money for a player who historically doesn't play very well when he has the kind of security he's going to have in Vancouver. He undoubtedly makes the Canucks a more difficult opponent and has enough ability to chip in with a modicum of offense. -KC
|Alex Auld, G
|TERM: $1 million per/1 years
ANALYSIS: Dan Ellis would have been better, but he also would have been more expensive. And after dealing Jaroslav Halak, the Canadiens knew they needed a dependable backup for Carey Price. They probably got one in Alex Auld, a 29-year-old who finds himself with his sixth organization in the past six seasons. It's doubtful, however, whether Auld will be able to handle the job in Montreal if Price falters. -KC
|Antero Niittymaki, G
|TERM: $2 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: When the San Jose Sharks bowed out in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, it was a given that their relationship with goalie Evgeni Nabokov was over. That said, very few pundits – if any – believed GM Doug Wilson would turn to Antero Niittymaki as Nabokov's replacement. So when the 30-year-old Finn agreed to a two-year, $4 million contract with Wilson, more than a few eyebrows raised.
In fairness, Niittymaki had a better-than-average 2009-10 season – including a 21-18-5 record, 2.87 goals-against average and .909 save percentage – for a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had more than its share of distractions. Wilson must be convinced that Niittymaki would perform even better when he became part of San Jose's very stable organizational dynamic.
Of course, Niittymaki's relatively cheap salary entered into the equation for Wilson as well. He still has nearly $7 million in salary cap room to play with (and probably use to fill the blueline hole created by Rob Blake's retirement), but remember, the Sharks usually don't spend to the cap ceiling.
So it looks like Niittymaki and Thomas Greiss will be San Jose's duo to start the year. There will be plenty of skepticism that duo can do the job until they actually do the job, but the same can be said of the entire Sharks organization at this point. -AP
|Colby Armstrong, LW
|TERM: $3 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: The big question with respect to Colby Armstrong is: Will he be near as effective as he was before now that the NHL is attempting to clamp down on blindside hits to the head? Armstrong is one of the most predatorial headhunters in the league and was one of the prime examples in the league's crusade against head shots against vulnerable opponents. But he certainly makes the Leafs more truculent and belligerent and he's a very good team guy. Does he make the Leafs any better? Discuss amongst yourselves. -KC
|Zbynek Michalek, D
|TERM: $4 million per/5 years
ANALYSIS: Minutes after veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar left the Penguins to sign with the Ottawa Senators, Pens GM Ray Shero filled his empty slot on the blueline by agreeing to terms on a five-year, $20 million deal with Zybnek Michalek.
The 27-year-old Michalek – a Czech native who gets a $2.6-million raise on the $1.4 million he made last year in Phoenix – is regarded as one of the league's premier shot-blockers. He led the Yotes in blocked shots last season and also was their chief minute-muncher, averaging 22:38 of ice time per game.
Once Gonchar departed, the move was absolutely necessary for Shero to make – especially after Penguins fans watched blueliners Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi leave as free agents last summer. Signing a shot-blocker always is a risk, but it appears Michalek is a smart shot-blocker, as he's missed just 17 games due to injury in his five years in Phoenix.
The loss of Michalek means the Coyotes take a hit on the defensive end. However, management had to know the hit was coming to the cash-conscious franchise; they'll be forced to pick through the leftovers of free agency, or look within the organization, to replace their best D-man. -AP
|Martin St-Louis, RW
|TERM: $5.625 million per/4 years
ANALYSIS: The Tampa Bay Lightning may rue the day they're carrying Martin St-Louis on their roster for a $5.625 million cap hit, but it's a credit to St-Louis that he could get such a big-money, long-term contract extension with the Lightning knowing full well there is no way they'll be able to get themselves out of that contract.
In the short term, there's no doubt St-Louis is worth the money and cap hit (he still has one year left on his previous deal) and the chemistry he had with Steven Stamkos last season was something to behold. Now that St-Louis has become the veteran face of the franchise, is it possible Vincent Lecavalier's days in the Lightning organization are coming to an end? Owner Jeffrey Vinik tried to get rid of the Lecavalier contract when he bought the team and may very well try again. -KC
|Anton Babchuk, D (RFA)
|TERM: $1.4 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: A year in the Kontinental League was enough for blueliner Anton Babchuk, who returned to the Carolina Hurricanes organization by signing a one-year, $1.4 million deal Thursday.
The 6-foot-5 Babchuk played 49 games with Avangard Omsk in 2009-10, leading the team's defensemen in goals (9), points (22) and plus/minus (+17). The year before that, the 26-year-old set personal NHL bests with the Canes by posting 16 goals and 35 points in 72 games.
He left for the Russian league after a contract dispute with team management and squabbled with the organization prior to that clash, but clearly, both sides have made up. Carolina GM Jim Rutherford realized he needed depth and Babchuk's bulky frame for his blueline; Babchuk realized the only way he was getting back into the NHL was by mending fences.
Overall, a typically understated Rutherford move that will help Carolina. -AP
|Braydon Coburn, D (RFA)
|TERM: $3.2 million per/2 years
ANALYSIS: If the Philadelphia Flyers have given up all hope in finding a legitimate, reliable No. 1 goaltender – and all indications are they have done just that – they're obviously trying to make sure they construct a defense corps that gives up so few shots sub-par goaltending won't be a factor.
By re-signing Braydon Coburn to a two-year deal at a cap hit of $3.2 million per year, they now have a top-five defense corps that consists of Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Kimmo Timonen, Coburn and Andrej Meszaros. Not bad. But anyone who watched the Stanley Cup final knows teams can still get the puck by those guys once in a while and when they do, the results can be disastrous. -KC
|Alex Tanguay, LW
|TERM: $1.7 million per/1 year
ANALYSIS: If anyone has any clue what Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter is doing, please drop us a line and let us know. A team that can't score goes out and reacquires an underachiever who had just 10 goals last season? Of course, when you're the Flames and you've firmly placed yourself in salary cap hell, it's not as though there are a whole lot of options.
Can Tanguay regain his form and return to being the 70-80 point man he was when he was last in Calgary? Sutter obviously hopes so, but it doesn't look promising unless he and Jarome Iginla can somehow bring out the best in each other. A first line of Tanguay-Matt Stajan-Iginla isn't about to scare anybody in the Western Conference. -KC
|Sergei Gonchar, D
|TERM: $5.5 million per/3 years
ANALYSIS: The first surprise signing of free agent day came just minutes into the process, when the Ottawa Senators signed veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar to a three-year, $16.5 million contract.
Gonchar's acquisition immediately makes the Senators smarter on the ice, calmer in the dressing room and perhaps gives Jason Spezza pause to reconsider his hopes to play elsewhere.
Needless to say, it also means the end of Anton Volchenkov's time in Canada's capital. And because the former Penguins and Capitals (and Bruins) blueliner is 36, his contract counts against the salary cap regardless of his status with the team or as an active player.
In other words, it is a calculated risk that helps the Sens keep pace with some increasingly tough competition in the Northeast Division – and causes the Pittsburgh Penguins to have to scramble to stabilize a defense corps decimated for two straight summers now. Look for the Penguins to get into the Tomas Kaberle sweepstakes any second.
The contract also should stick in the minds of hockey fans the next time Senators management belly-aches about dealing with a player who possesses a no-trade clause. They needed that clause to complete this deal, so that's what they did. – AP
|Martin Biron, G
|TERM: $875,000 per/2 years
ANALYSIS: A team that spends as much time with the puck in its own end as the New York Rangers do can't have its No. 1 goalie playing 73 games and that's why the Rangers went out and got a reliable backup in Martin Biron. To be sure, Biron is an upgrade on Steve Valiquette, Chad Johnson, Alex Auld and Matt Zaba, the four goalies who shared the other nine games last season.


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I am personally waiting for the rumored n9, which is supposedly going to be the first phone shipped with meego sometime next year.
Also, remember the n900 is more than a year old at this point. So, you really can't compare it phones of today like the iphone 4. What is a fair comparison are older phones like the iphone 3g and 3gs which it stacks up pretty well against in terms of hardware.
I really cannot wait for the n9, still using a first generation 8gb iphone with edge myself. The thing I really cannot stand anymore is the recessed headphone jack. 8gb also is not enough space. I cannot even fit my entire music collection on it, never mind any other media. Oh well, at least now thats it no longer under warranty its safe to jailbrake.


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Home / Latest News /
U.N. agency: Unable to reach 1 million Syrians in need of food aid
By Bloomberg News
This article was published January 8, 2013 at 7:55 a.m.
BEIRUT The World Food Programme is unable to reach about 1 million Syrians in need of food in some of the regions hardest hit by the civil war.
The United Nations agency said it is providing food assistance to about 1.5 million people in Syria, 85 percent of them internally displaced, every month.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent asked in October for an increase in the number of beneficiaries to 2.5 million, the agency said.
"WFP is unable to further scale-up assistance due to the lack of implementing partners on the ground and challenges reaching some of the country's hardest-hit areas," spokesman Elisabeth Byrs said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. "Our main partner, the Red Crescent, is overstretched and has no more capacity to expand further."
The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011, has become a civil war that has killed more than 60,000 people, according to U.N. estimates.
The number of Syrians urgently needing humanitarian aid quadrupled to 4 million between March and December, the world body said last month.
Comments on: U.N. agency: Unable to reach 1 million Syrians in need of food aid
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PELLA — Just when the Newton volleyball team was picking up some steam in Little Hawkeye Conference play, the conference season came to an end Tuesday night.
With a 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 26-28, 25-23, 15-12) thriller victory over Pella, the Class 4A No. 14 Cardinals wrapped up conference play on a two-game win streak before earning their 22nd win of the season over Centerville during a triangular.
Newton didn't make things easy on itself against the Dutch, but was able to make the big plays when it mattered.
"We weren't mentally ready to go, but thankfully pulled it together when we needed to," Newton coach Kim Florke said. "I thought we lost their composure in the third, but got it done in the fourth and fifth."
The Cards went down early in the first set against Pella, but recovered to tie things up midway through. A second rally brought them back from 21-18 to tie the score, but the Dutch capitalized on Newton block and attack errors to claim the first set.
"We're not getting home and setting our defense correctly. We worked on that (Monday night), so I don't understand why we're not," Florke said. "That's something we have to go back and get figured out before Thursday or we'll be in trouble there."
The Cards flipped the script in set 2, jumping out to a big lead that was as high as 16-8. However, Pella mounted a furious comeback and eventually tied things back up at 20-20. The two teams then traded points before back-to-back aces by junior Michaela Bleeker and a kill from senior Katelyn Camp allowed the Cards to tie the set score back up.
Set 3 was easily the most frustrating for Newton all night, as it trailed late, made a comeback and then couldn't close out that comeback before dropping the set. The Cards' held a 24-21 lead before two block errors and a lift tied things back up. Junior Holly Vander Pol regained some momentum with a late kill, but the Dutch defense held strong to take the set and get a 2-1 lead.
"In our five-set matches, there have been times where we'll surge to that lead and then not look back, and then there's games like the third where we give it up at the end," Florke said. "So to get the fourth and fifth was good to see."
Although Newton won the next two sets, the fourth was no cakewalk. Newton again held a slim lead late before allowing Pella to tie things up. This time, however, the Cards were able to put it away with kills from Bleeker and Vander Pol.
The decisive fifth set was probably the Cards' most focused of the night as the two teams traded points early on. With the score at 12-12, Newton capitalized on three Pella errors to earn the victory and peg its conference record at 2-4.
After all of that, the Cards' match with Centerville directly after hardly seemed like a challenge. Newton swept the Redettes 2-0 (25-12, 25-10) in a best-of-three match, which featured Florke trying to get the middle blockers more involved. That strategy worked as juniors Amber Karsten and Jennifer Ventling combined for 10 kills in the match, while the team also went 48-for-48 serving.
"If we're going to meet our goals, we have to get our middles and our right side more involved," Florke said. "I thought Amber Karsten played two very good matches tonight. She was aggressive and just came ready to play."
Sitting at 22-13 overall, the Cardinals are just two wins away from the school record with two matches remaining. They will host Southeast Polk on Thursday in the regular-season finale before returning to Pella on Monday to take on the Dutch in the first round of the Class 4A regional play.
Although Newton has defeated Pella in both of the schools' meetings this year, Florke and the team know they'll need a more solid effort than Tuesday when regionals roll around.
"We probably beat two of the better teams at the end, which kind of makes it more frustrating that we didn't take care of business at the beginning," Florke said. "I think it's going to be another battle, and we'll have to play a lot better to beat them on Monday night. They'll need to be more mentally ready to go if we're going to get that W."


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Letter to the Editor: Santa Anonymous says 'thanks'
This Christmas, 66 families (a record), were served by Santa Anonymous. Forty-three elderly were also remembered.
This was all possible because of the generous support of time and money by many, many people in this area. From donations of money and gifts to the adoption of families to wrapping presents to food boxes to delivery, it was truly a "Miracle on Main Street!"
You have all done this amazing project for 29 years and there are not enough ways of saying, "Thank You." You helped make Christmas brighter for 150 children.
We wish to express our gratefulness to the students and adults who gave generously of their time and money and helped in so many ways.
Santa Anonymous is a great community effort. Until next year, "Thanks!"
Santa Anonymous Committee
New York Mills, MN


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When the history books are written, this week may go down as a seminal point in the 2012 battle for control of the Senate.
Despite a multitude of vulnerable Democratic-held seats at the start of the cycle, it's increasingly possible that Republicans' inability to stem their own losses could allow Democrats to hold their narrow majority.
Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R-Maine) retirement immediately put an otherwise safe seat in jeopardy. Now, GOP-held seats in Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — three states President Barack Obama won by 12 points or more — are in critical political peril, making the party's task of netting four seats more difficult.
Further complicating the GOP's path to 51 seats was former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey's (D) announcement that he will run to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D). The Nebraska seat is still a tough hold for Democrats, but Kerrey is the one recruit who can keep it in play for the party, which could, at the very least, force national Republicans to expend valuable resources.
On Wednesday, one day after Snowe's announcement, Republican strategists were noticeably unenthusiastic to discuss the Senate landscape and the increasingly complicated arithmetic needed for a majority. It was just the opposite for Democrats, some of whom said they could even foresee the party holding not only the majority, but its current 53-47 seat margin.
"At this point, you can make a reasonable case for no change and you can make a reasonable case for a Democratic gain," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said. "Nobody thought that at the beginning of the cycle."
Democrats can negate potential losses in, say, Missouri and North Dakota by winning the two GOP-held states in New England — Maine and Massachusetts — which is hardly a long-shot at this point. Leaving off another potential Democratic pickup in Nevada, that means Republicans would still need to win four more Democratic seats; the most likely targets are Nebraska, Montana and Virginia, along with Wisconsin or New Mexico.
That is still doable, and the Republican target list remains long and even includes Hawaii. But the chips would continue to stack up against the GOP if Sen. Jon Kyl's (R) open seat in Arizona gets more competitive, which Democrats believe will happen when former Surgeon General Richard Carmona increases his name identification. He will have a tough race against Rep. Jeff Flake, who is expected to emerge from the GOP primary.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) attempted Wednesday to put a positive spin on a rough week. The Snowe and Kerrey news had the immediate effect of transforming two sure victories into competitive races, but Cornyn insisted that neither development would dramatically alter the playing field and were merely minor and temporary setbacks.
"Clearly this is a bump in the road, but I don't think it changes the overall landscape," Cornyn told reporters, adding that he expects Republicans to win in both states in November.
But the GOP's path now relies on the party's ability to win states Obama is targeting. Republican strategist Dan Judy said that puts the onus on the eventual Republican presidential nominee to win while carrying swing states such as Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida, New Mexico and Ohio — all of which Democrats are defending in the Senate.
"I think a majority is still possible, but the road to 51 is much tougher today, and much more dependent on a strong showing by the presidential nominee at the top of the ticket," Judy said. "But if Obama wins re-election, it's much more unlikely — although not impossible — that the Republicans will be able to win enough of those to take the Senate."
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (Wash.) said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" that she was "very excited" about Kerrey's candidacy and called the open seat in Maine "a great opportunity."
The GOP candidate field in Nebraska is set, and a viable nominee should emerge from the May 15 primary between Attorney General Jon Bruning, state Treasurer Don Stenberg and state Sen. Deb Fischer. That leaves five months for the nominee to run a competitive campaign in a strongly Republican state.
But Snowe's retirement caught Republicans off guard, and Cornyn conceded that the NRSC is still assessing the political environment in Maine and the potential list of GOP candidates. With a March 15 filing deadline, Republicans don't have much time to recruit a strong successor to Snowe, if one exists. Democratic Reps. Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud have already taken steps toward running.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and other Republicans were not immediately as buoyant about their prospects of holding the seat as Cornyn was, with a few acknowledging that it would make it harder for the GOP to win the Senate majority.
"I think it is a blow," DeMint said.
The South Carolinian, who is active in endorsing and financially supporting candidates through his Senate Conservatives Fund political action committee, said he would also examine whether to get involved in Maine's June 12 GOP primary. He noted that time was short and said he had not previously paid attention to Maine because he expected Snowe would run for re-election and easily hold the seat.
In 2010, Republicans captured the governor's mansion in Maine and took control of both chambers of the state Legislature.
Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins (R) have represented the state for years, even as it grew more liberal with the rest of New England. Collins, during a brief interview Wednesday, agreed with Cornyn's optimism, contending that while the seat is no longer the "sure bet" that it was for the GOP, it is still very winnable.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (S.D.) argued that flipping the chamber was already a "heavy lift" before Snowe's retirement.
"Obviously, we don't know exactly what the candidates may be yet," Thune said. "But we're hoping that we'll have a good one."


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How many more years of this before other industries like software (SecuROM anyone?) come away with the obvious conclusion as well? DRM doesn't do anything but restrict legitimate purchasers of the product, people who illegally obtain things don't have to deal with such inane restrictions
That's the only good use case for DRM: it lowers the value of the content, so you can charge less for it.
Not that many content distributors seem to have embraced this though.
How many more years of this before other industries like software (SecuROM anyone?) come away with the obvious conclusion as well?
Sorry to pick on your post in particular, but how many years will it be before Slashdotter's stop trusting the editors and reading the contents of the article. We're quick enough to pounce on poor logic when some poor creationist wanders in here, but things like this get waved through? For the benefit of those that are article-phobic, the methodology used is as follows: Count all the files available on a torrent network (not accounting for quantity of downloads at all, mind you, just whether they're available) and classify them according to type. Notice that music makes up 10% of the counted file types and movies and TV shows 46% of the file types. State that music can be purchased DRM free online and state that movies cannot be, and conclude that this is the reason why. There are various other throwaway misdirections such as "music used to be the only reason to use P2P". Well, we didn't used to have the bandwidth to download DVD rips, did we?
Does Slashdot have a maximum post size, or shall I list the reasons what's wrong with all this article? Any statisticians want to take some cheap shots?
Sorry to pick on your post in particular, but how many years will it be before Slashdotter's stop trusting the editors and reading the contents of the article.
So that should be "start reading the article". Didn't mean to imply I was new here.
I'm sorry. I don't get it. I'm new here...
We'll start reading TFA when the limited time mouse copyright expires.
They counted the number of files, not the size of the downloads. If size was a factor, it would follow that there be far more music data shared than video - but there wasn't. Music is almost non-existent when compared to video, at least when looking at data. Even if it's a full album, that's still only 150mb compared to a minimum of 300mb for an hour-long tv program.
The lack of data on how many were downloaded is problematic, but would you like to propose a methodology for determining the number of download
We'll see what conclusion Ubisoft comes to.
The sad thing about this is that if you have a good quality product that meets the consumers needs and is at an affordable price, then people will buy them. People these days have many different media devices (desktop, laptop, portable media player, car stereo/player, netbook,
With software, restrictive DRM will only push people away. For example, I have moved over to Linux, but still play games through Wine. I try out (and regularly buy) several casual games and some of the bigger ones as well (like StarCraft). DRM on this software will make it harder to run on this platform, and will drive me away from those companies. For example, I don't buy any Oberon Media games anymore, but look to Awem Studios and Big Fish Games for the casual games that I play/buy.
The sad thing about this is that if you have a good quality product that meets the consumers needs and is at an affordable price, then people will buy them.
Actually, the sad thing is that this theory has been pretty much disproven in recent years by the iPhone phenomenon, in particular the way apps which cost $1 end up with 90% piracy rates (ie, rates comparable to desktop apps).
Pirates are, by definition, people who take something without paying for it. Whether an app costs $1 or $99 probably won't make m
Well, the $1 app piracy phenomen has still two problems:
-) most of the iPhone apps that I've seen are not worth even the time it takes to install them, and surely not $1
-) itunes is not exactly the best tool to discover which apps might be worth their price or not.
Now we've got a market with incomplete (or potentially totally missing information), now look up in some standard economy literature, why markets without complete information (e.g. private 2nd hand car dealing) favor bad products.
(Basically, witho
People pirate the $1 app because there's 25 similar apps all costing $1+, and only one does what you actually want.
Rather than DRM being the failure, it's Apple's search system and app descriptions.
Different cause, same result.
I buy a DVD, break the encryption and add it to my video library. I have just broken the law.
I download a movie that the encryption has already been broken. I have just broken the law.
What is the solution here?
DRM leaves me with no legal action. The difference is that the work has been done for me when I download a movie.
Also, I am not going to pay for something that the moment I try to use it the way I want (without even sharing it,) I have broken the law.
Now show me a site were I can pay to download an
Yeah, it is sooo fun to pay $50+ for something that doesn't actually work [metacafe.com] (warning: language NSFW, but can you blame him?). And be sure to pay close attention to the shelves behind him. Notice what is on those shelves? See the thousands of dollars worth of games the guy has bought, only to have the vast majority not actually work?
I won't even buy at release anymore, because running a 64bit OS I have gotten that stupid "Insert disc in drive E:" bullshit (It IS in Drive E: you stupid &%^$^$&^$! And why did I buy big honking hard drives so your stupid company can make me change discs like a PlayStation anyway?) one time too many and now refuse to touch any game that I don't already have the cracks sitting on my hard drive ready to go. Is it any wonder why people pirate? Your DRM don't work morons!
And the worst part? The part that feels like a big kick in the nuts? It does NOTHING to stop piracy, it simply screws up your machine! Working PC repair I have thrown away more customers drives because the stupid DRM decided they must be a "filthy pirate" for daring to have a DVD burner (who doesn't nowadays? Hell even the shitty Dells come with DVD ROM/CDRWs now) or two drives and thrown one or more into PIO mode and burned them smooth up, meanwhile the pirates are laughing their asses off because unlike my retail discs which want me to keep switching discs and jumping through flaming hoops only not to work a good 60%+ of the time, their pirate versions actually work. No need for discs, or jumping through hoops, or DRM that can make your PC more unstable than Win98 with a bad VXD driver, nope, theirs just works. And they wonder why there are so many pirates? Try not kicking your customers in the balls, how about that?
DRM is just part of this race to P2P.
I always payed for my EBooks. They were cheap and easy. I get them in a few seconds, instead of having to wait days for delivery.
Ok, I live outside USA, so ordering paper books is always a exercise in patience.
Now, the last time I tried to buy an e-book, I've got a message I could not buy it because I was outside the USA. It was a restriction imposed by the publisher. Now:
1) I can't get those in my country
2) Even if I could, it would be a translated version (which sucks)
So my only option was to get a pirated version of the book. Took me 5 minutes, tops and, since I could not download that single ebook, I ended up downloading (and reading) other books by the same author.
I WANT to PAY for my content. But things get to a point where they simply won't take my money. And then they complain about piracy. It is just ridiculous. I contacted the bookstore and even the publisher to try and sort this out, but simply could not BUY the ebook.
Basically, this is based on the correlation that "hey, most of the stuff through a trackerless BitTorrent setup is pirated movies/tv, porn, and software, almost no pirated music" and "you can get DRM-free music easily, but not movies/tv, porn, and software" as implying "its because of DRM that people pirate stuff".
Unfortunately, there are two problems here:
a) Music is not just DRM-free, its also SMALL. BitTorrent's strength is moving big files, while pirated songs are very small in comparison, you can just email em to your friends.
b) A lot of porn online is DRM free, so why so much porn in BitTorrent?
Correlation does not mean causation.
c) Piracy (in the sense of copying another's work that they did not want others to copied) has been going on long before DRM was ever invented or even called that name. It's older than the notion of copyright itself.
DRM might be the cause of some (minor, but not necessarily insignificant) amount of piracy today, but there's something far more fundamental as a real underlying cause.
c) Piracy (in the sense of copying another's work that they did not want others to copied) has been going on long before DRM was ever invented or even called that name. It's older than the notion of copyright itself.
And don't forget, unavoidable. I have yet to see a single 'work' that does not use someone else's 'work'. Not one. Not even this very post. One of the moral issues with copyright is that it is and always will be a case of "My shade of gray is better than your shade of gray".
I have yet to see a single 'work' that does not use someone else's 'work'
Indeed. As a musician myself, I literally cringe when someone uses the word "create" in reference to writing music. It's so utterly arrogant and delusional. No one creates music. We build by accretion upon the works of past artists and within the influence of the culture and technology we grow up in and with.
Human beings have been playing music on instruments for about 40,000 years and much longer without. Funny how all these nonsense "rights" only sprung up in the last couple centuries and the lies that mu
How could copyright "piracy" have been occurring before the notion of copyright itself? Before copyright, it was simply legal to copy books.
b) A lot of porn online is DRM free, so why so much porn in BitTorrent?
Where can I legally buy DRM-free porn?
(Sincere question.)
Hold it, hold it... since when do you have to pay for porn? When did money start to tarnish that industry too? I thought the actors do it for
Why would you actually buy it, when you can watch all you want for free? I have a few customers that were bad about "if it says pron click" and I got tired of cleaning their Pcs all the damned time. porn bugs are nasty, you know? So I went and found them a free site with tons o' porn and no hassles. I probably shouldn't put it here, as the
Just give them an email address (you can always give
A lot of porn online is DRM free, so why so much porn in BitTorrent?
People are embarrassed to be associated with porn -- they don't want it showing up on their credit card bill, or to be seen purchasing it -- whereas a subscription to Netflix or one of the music stores causes them no embarrassment at all.
ah, society, what can you not make people do...
most of it is probably US tv shows that air months later in non-US nations that thanks to their education systems have a increasing number of people that can understand english when spoken.
so rather then wait for a month or more, and have to dodge all kinds of spoilers from US sites, they download and watch right after its been aired on US services.
heck, it would be interesting to compare this to say proxies that can handle video services from USA.
b) A lot of porn online is DRM free, so why so much porn in BitTorrent?
Because porn subscriptions are $30-40/mo.
......how I know this is irrelevant
That's a good start and all, but we need good musicians to speak out too.
You bought the device, yes, but it may be more or less easily modifiable - researching the device beforehand is probably a good idea, and if the "iPod and its ilk" don;t suit you, then DON'T BUY ONE - instead buy something that CAN BE modified the way you want.
My car was partially built by robots on an assembly line, so as a result it's tricky to modify the chassis much from the stock configuration, compared to a different car I have worked on - a Cobra with a separate rolling chassis and body which is much
Don't buy it seems the obvious answer, but it only works if you're representing the majority of users and your gripe with a tool is what most users' problem would be. Your example of your car and oven are exactly the reason why "don't buy it" won't work for appliances like the iPod or other locked down devices.
You don't care that you can't modify your oven or car because you don't want to. And the same applies to most users of iPods out there: They don't know about the locked nature of their device and don'
The problem with the ipod versus car analogy is that people VERY MUCH CARE
if their car is more "hackable" than an ipod. Cars are expensive things that
people are willing to repair and maintain. The cost of that maintenance is
directly related to whether or not cars are "hackable". While most people
would never futz with their own car, they certainly want one that any random
mechanic could service.
The ipod creates it's own little vendor lock bubble with it's DRM formats. Any
one that buys any of that stuff is sud
"DRM formats" like what? The movies and TV shows have DRM, but none of the music on the iTMS has DRM on it, and you don't even have to use the iTMS - you can rip your music in AAC or mp3 format (or apple lossless, wav or aiff if you choose) which might not be vorbis, but they are free from DRM.
If you have an issue with the fact that the iPod only plays patented music formats, well that's a different issue and it would be nice if the option of a patent-free format was added for those that want it.
What content is only available for the iPod? The music sold on the iTMS is unprotected AAC and will play on anything that can read AAC files, which is a patented format (like mp3) but doesn't have to be exclusive to Apple. You can also buy CDs or mp3s and use those on your iPod or other music player of choice.
The movies and TV shows are still DRM locked, but I am sure they are working on that, in the same way they did with the music industry to remove DRM from the music they sell.
I do not necessarily mind paying for music. I do mind being told what type of device I can play my music on. That, my friends, is tyranny. This leads me to another gripe: The iPod and its ilk. We bought the device, therefore we own it and should have the right to modify it to work the way we want it. This is very much like purchasing a car, truck, or motocycle and customizing it. We purchase the vehicle so we own it and can modify it (legally) to ways we see fit. In this day and age, it looks like we purchase the license or right to use something which stifles innovation and puts us even further technologically behind other countries.
Ok, so write your own firmware on the device and do what you want.. No one is stopping you.
Never said it was easy, all i meant is that it CAN be done. If you can write the firmware, i don't think getting past the 'prevention' is that big of a deal.
In the old days with non flashed soldered BIOS ROMs, i didn't see complaints then....
If you can write the firmware, i don't think getting past the 'prevention' is that big of a deal.
Say I have developed a video game designed for multiple game controllers and a large monitor. The market for those on the PC doesn't look viable because I've read statistics that the home theater PC market is two orders of magnitude smaller than the video game console market. All major video game consoles are DRM-locked, and manufacturing and selling a device to install custom firmware to play my game would probably be an anti-circumvention violation in any developed market to which I can affordably move my
That, my friends, is tyranny. The iPod and its ilk. We bought the device, therefore we own it and should have the right to modify it to work the way we want it.
Apple makes high tech appliances for the consumer market.
The iPod works just fine if you don't want to make hacking the machine your hobby.
In this day and age, it looks like we purchase the license or right to use something which stifles innovation and puts us even further technologically behind other countries.
The most advanced consumer tech tends
That, my friends, is tyranny.
And that, my friends, is hyperbole. This [wikipedia.org] is tyranny. Choosing an iPod and iTunes over one of the many unencumbered music players on the market and then bitching about the well-known restrictions it imposes is just ordinary, garden-variety cluelessness.
so it's clear - unequivocably clear - that all music that people want ends up on P2P networks, for anyone to get hold of. thus it is up to the music providers to realise this, take realistic stock, take advantage of the opportunity, and make some money by providing people what they want!
it is only by NOT selling people what they want (DRM-free music) that they are hurting their profits!
so this is something that the BBC Trust could learn from, and also the HD video data providers. it's quite simple: there's not really that much difference between music and video. programmes _will_ end up on P2P networks, period. thus there is absolutely no point in driving up the cost of set top boxes by adding in DRM that's going to be bypassed, regardless.
yah, good point. except... P2P levels the playing field, there, too...
More likely, some CEO hears about digital distribution and someone mentions you can just copy and paste from one computer to another, and the CEO tasks someone to action a plan to stop it. Sure some segments are driven by repeat purchases, but most DRM doesn't have that effect.
It doesn't matter if it's a successful implementation, it's an action item that came out of a meeting and someone has to either do it or explain why it's bad. "Customers hate it" is only valid if it also means "Customers won't buy i
There is some truth there, but I don't think it's their only reason for doing it. DRM can work to a certain extent, in that it makes it awkward for end-users to copy content. Torrenting is far more mainstream than it used to be, but it's still not entirely intuitive. DRM, like all security, is not implemented with the understanding that it'll never be broken. It's more a case of increasing the amount of hassle required to break the system. Your house serves a similar purpose. You keep all your stuff in ther
Agreed. It basically comes down to these choices:
so it's clear - unequivocably clear - that all music that people want ends up on P2P networks, for anyone to get hold of. thus it is up to the music providers to realise this, take realistic stock, take advantage of the opportunity, and make some money by providing people what they want!
it is only by NOT selling people what they want (DRM-free music) that they are hurting their profits!
That doesn't solve the piracy problem though. Plenty of DRM-free stuff is being peddled and it gets pirated too simply to d
so it's clear - unequivocably clear - that all music that people want ends up on P2P networks
I sometimes wonder. I'd like to see the target demographics of the music and its audience. Who is there and who is missing. Even the geek doesn't remain twenty-something forever.
Since I discovered that I can "sample" most games and movies on 'torrent, I've downloaded quite a few of them. However, relatively recently I learned about gog.com, and over the 1.5 years since I signed up, I bought 3 of the games (all DRM-free) available there. This is surprising even to me, as games and movies are a luxury for me, at the moment (wife doesn't have a job, so I'm a sugar daddy, even though I'm just a grad student/researcher). Yet gog.com makes it all really convenient: easy to purchase and download, great titles at very affordable prices, already packaged to run on Windows 2000/XP, and I will always have those titles in my online collection, so I can download them on any computer I like. All in all, I think companies that follow their example can make a decent buck.
I've downloaded quite a few of them. However, relatively recently I learned about gog.com, and over the 1.5 years since I signed up, I bought 3 of the games (all DRM-free) available there.
I stumbled upon gog.com awhile back and thought they were pretty nifty too. I especially like that not only do they not have DRM, but it's one of their advertised features! Usually, I hate ads and don't ever see them online, but somehow I caught one for gog.com, and had to smile when I saw in nice big lettering that they
The RIAA / MPAA force through laws via easily bought politicians that benefit the dinosaur music / film industries. They will therefore not benefit from using the argument that stripping DRM dives more sales.
A reason that BluRay has not taken off in the way they hoped is the attempt to stop the discs playing on non-authorised drives (didn't pay the bribes), region locking / cartel protection etc. etc, and you can't back up the content to a different device (in theory, and not easily). The record industry se
A reason that BluRay has not taken off in the way they hoped is the attempt to stop the discs playing on non-authorised drives (didn't pay the bribes), region locking / cartel protection etc. etc
Blu-Ray did rather well in 2009. Blu-ray sales were up 67 percent in 2009 [engadget.com]
There are only three Blu-Ray regions.
A1 is North and South America, East Asia, excluding China and Mongolia, Southeast Asia and Japan. This does not strike me as any great hardship.
The Blu-Ray player with Netflix streaming starts at $140.
As an Ubuntu/Debian user I just stay away from any and all DRM. It gets between me and my content
What content do you speak of? For example, what recent professional-quality feature films have been lawfully distributed to the public without digital restrictions management?
I don't need to put up with that hassle, not with the existence of freely licensed alternatives
Consider the film Dances with Wolves. Non-free alternatives include Disney's Pocahontas and James Cameron's Avatar. But is there something free of comparable quality?
Call me old fashioned, but I buy CDs. That works on Linux! You get lossless, DRM-free music, and physical media which, unlike CDRs, do not degrade.
Call me old fashioned, but I buy CDs
Where do you get those CDs? I haven't seen those being sold anywhere since the 90s. Stores do offer something which has the same size and shape and look very similar. Too similar. I thought the last "CD" I bought was a real CD, I didn't realize it was not until I did a close-up inspection after being devastated by the fact that my CD-player refused to play the brand new "CD".
I've ripped recent releases with no problems.
Admittedly, the whole "lets sue the customer" thing with the music industry has reduced my once
very much thriving music media habit to a mere trickle of mostly used disks. Still, I get the
occasional newer disk.
Bluray and (Disney) DVD is much more of a Spy vs. Spy thing when it comes to DRM and "defective disk copy protection".
I pay for music - because typically I look for specific artists or songs. It's easier for me to find it on Amazon rather than wade through piles of junk.
I would also like for the music industry to clean up its licensing. Let me buy music that I can play anywhere, in public, to any group of people smaller than, say, 100.
No strings, no fear, no stupid RIAA tricks. Come on RIAA, make it easy for us to be legal. You make it as hard as possible, with impossible convoluted licensing (you need a separate license for public performance and for copying a CD) so that it's nearly impossible to remain within the licensing restrictions and play the music I like.
Heck, I could make a strong argument that the music industry licensing is so convoluted that it is impossible to play music and be legal.
So clean up your act.
Please consider cleaning up your argument - you're saying the RIAA is causing the convoluted licensing problem. RIAA is only the recording industry, separate from songwriting. There's a copyright on the song that goes one place, a copyright on the recording of that song that goes another place, and the RIAA can't do much to change it. The only option they have is to stop taking over the recording copyright, leaving it with the artist, which it won't do.
Public performance of a song defeats the purpose of
I do the same with music. I pay for monthly access to DRM'd music, but I just recently replaced my mp3 player with a new smart phone. Incidentally, the phone isn't supported.
So, to use the content I pay to use, I have to spend hours torrenting the stuff. DRM is fail.
I have several blu-ray discs, PowerDVD, a computer with the guts to play the format, and I've never played one on my PC. Every time I try to play a BR disc, PDVD always spends several minutes trying to download new "updates" (generally >48MB), and then usually fails with some error. Now, this is on a machine that has only a remote control, so doing anything mouse-centric or requiring KB input requires marching into a different room and plugging in a keyboard. If I download an mkv of the same movie from u
To my shock and amazement, the Region 1 DVD release of the film JCVD from Peace Arch Entertainment has two non-DRM "digital copies", one in MP4 and one in WMV format. Both play fine in Ubuntu and on any device which supports MP4 and/or WMV. It's nice to see a company do this correctly. I've been meaning to write them a thank you note - think I'll do that now.
I hate the term "digital copy" though. Did DVDs and Blu-rays become something other than digital copies at some point?
The reason why this works is rather simple: It's not a competition between something that costs and something that is free. That is only on the surface. I'll give my own rational: I hear a track I like on the (satellite) radio. Now, I can either spend the next 10 to 15 minutes wading through broken links, abandoned torrents, and spam sites to end up with something that has a high likelihood of not even being the remix or the quality I wanted. I could also run the off chance someone I know already has it and mentions it at some point, then spend a similar amount of time trying to exchange the media. Or, I can go to a central website, spend 5 minutes listening to previews and spend a buck for the track using a low hassle micro-payment system.
As the saying goes, time is money. If your customers have the disposable income that accumulates at a rate higher than the rate of benefit, they will often choose to spend that income rather than work for a benefit at a lower rate of return. And, then they have the luxury of spending their time on something more beneficial.
Someone mentioned porn? Pay for porn does not work because:
- It is typically a significant monetary cost, two to three orders of magnitude. It goes from being petty cash to being a discretionary budget item.
- In the digital form, requires a month to month commitment. Human sexual desire typically involves a lot of spontaneity. You don't marry porn.
- Shyster websites will often not have the level of content implied and will keep charging customers long after they have terminated your subscription.
- The catalog is limited from site to site, and people are typically not going to pay the full fee just to see one spread.
- The record of your purchase is basically public (corporate) information that anyone can purchase.
Quick! We must add more obnoxious and expensive DRM to our content to prevent this rampant theft!
Obviously RIAA and MPAA will commission a study of their own that will find that the reason people pirate is that they are evil and want to steal the property of their poor, starving artists. But of course the bias of the study is in favor of the rights holders because they foot the bill for the study.
OTOH, this study suggests that people just want to own what they purchase and use whatever means available to make the ownership permanent. But of course the bias of the study is
There's some DRM hypocrisy at work in ARS Technica's rework of the original blog article: when I try to print this article, everything prints, including the XKCD comic, *EXCEPT* the graphic pie chart contributed by ARS (the original blog had a simple numeric table). I tried printing it in two browsers and got the same result in both instances: no pie chart. I also tried selecting just the article column and printing just the selection, again in two browsers, and again got the same result: everything except
I like content
I used to buy content
But then you asked for money for every blank
So fuck you
I would like to see HD movies
But you said Macrovision is a must
And I can't upscale to my TV
So fuck you
I bought into HD-DVD
And picked up a few nice movies
But the content cartel said no
So fuck you
I have divx on every player
And terrabytes of storage
But I can't buy movies that way
So fuck you
My mp3 player does wireless
And its legal to share songs*
But the player won't do it
*In Canada
Loose bits sink chips.


text:
Sustainable Bed Frames
Each California Beauty Bed Frame is handcrafted by a small woodworking company in Northern California with responsibly harvested Doug Fir from Southern Oregon. Sturdy and built for our mattresses, these are built with care for your family's best rest.
Note: Ordering a bed frame and other bedding? Place a separate large item order to avoid an error. Need help? Call us!
Our California Beauty Bed Frames
The California Beauty Bed Frame is made in the USA by a West Coast builder known for his quality in craftsmanship. Each frame is made from selectively harvested timber from Oregon forests by a small company in Northern California and finished with a non-toxic wood finish.
Our eco-friendly bed frames are made specifically for the All Wool Mattress, but will hold any mattress beautifully and supportively. Good support for a mattress means great support and alignment for your body while you're sleeping.
We ask a lot of our trusted vendors who handcraft our frames. We've done our research and cultivated a relationship with a trusted source...so you don't have to.
Importance of a supportive bed frame:
A proper bed frame will give the mattress and your body the support and air flow it needs for the bottom of the mattress. The inner foundation is comprised of wooden slats which will provide the breathability your mattress needs (versus putting your mattress on a solid surface), as well as the support for the mattress that's required (by the manufacturer's warranty).
Plus, our products are made with natural materials, minus fire retardant chemicals, which yields healthy bodies and better sleep for all who are on the bed.
Proper Support & Airflow
- This bed frame is specifically tailored to meet the proper support specs required by all of our mattress manufacturers. Failure to support your mattress properly can void the warranty.
- See Product Specifications for details regarding the support this frame provides.
- If you wish to use a different bed frame please note that it must have the proper specs or it may void the mattress warranty.
- We highly recommend you read our "Proper Support" guidelines.
- We do not recommend placing a bed on the floor or on a solid platform bed frame which will not provide enough airflow and will allow moisture to become trapped.
Frame Options
- Choose from the Standard 18" or Low-Frame 8.5".
- The Low-Frame is a great option for those who prefer their bed closer to the ground and is a perfect choice for a toddler's first bed. The low-frame also allows you to accommodate a box spring or wood foundation if desired.
- An optional headboard is available which is 26" tall.
Phone Support
We're happy to talk with you about the right mattress for your situation. Please give us a call.
This product uses the following raw materials:
Natural WoodOur bed frames are handcrafted by a small woodworking company in Northern California. They use responsibly and selectively harvested Doug Fir from Southern Oregon.
Each frame is finished with a non-toxic wood finish Eco Paints WoodShield satin varnish water based finish.
- Handcrafted by a small woodworking company in Northern California
- Made with clear Douglas Fir wood selectively harvested in Southern Oregon.
We are committed to using only the highest quality natural materials, sourced as locally as possible. We also believe in being transparent about our raw materials.
See our certifications.
Product Specifications
- Slatted frame with 1.5" spacing, 2 frame heights available: standard 18" and low-frame 8.5", & optional 26" tall headboard
- Handcrafted by a small woodworking company in Northern California
- Made with clear Douglas Fir wood selectively harvested in Southern Oregon.
- Non-toxic wood finish: The frames are finished with a non-toxic AMF Safecoat brand Polyureseal BP water based finish. For more information on this finish or to request a sample click here.
- Easy to assemble
- Guaranteed against defects.
- Dimensions:
- Twin 39" x 76"
- Twin XL 39" x 80"
- Full 54" x 76"
- Queen 60" x 80"
- King 78" long x 80" wide
- California King 72" long x 84" wide
- Support:
- Each frame is supported with 2 horizontal boards spanning the width from leg to leg.
- Full-California King Frames are supported with a board that spans head to foot.
- Slats provide additional support.
- California King and Eastern King sizes have a 5th leg center support.
Order a Sample
We have samples of a variety of our products. This will allow you to touch and feel the quality of our products before purchasing, assess the right temperature weights and thickness as well as test for sensitivities.
Available for a small shipping fee (rebated after product purchase)
Comforter Sample Kit: Test out the 3 different temperature weights: Cool Comfort, Perfect Comfort & Extra Warm for a $10.00 rebate.
Mattress Topper Sample Kit: Not sure whether to get the Deep Sleep or the Ultimate? Check out these samples to determine the topper thickness you need for a $15.00 rebate.
All Wool Mattress Sample: Check out the quality of materials and workmanship of this mattress in this 2'x3' sample of the All Wool Mattress for a $30 rebate.
Free samples:
Happy Lamb Fleece Sample
Moisture Barrier & Puddle Pad Sample
- Merino Wool Blanket
Free Raw Materials Sensitivity Kits:
Basic Raw Materials: Sensitivity Testing Kit
Latex Mattress Materials: Sensitivity Testing Kit
Wool Mattress Materials: Sensitivity Testing Kit
Natural wool is a timeless option for bedding. It's actually been used for centuries. Our grandmothers knew the many benefits that wool provides, now you do too.
Why Is Wool Bedding So Great?
Wool is the most breathable filling material available, making it both cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It actually helps to regulate your body temperature.
Wool is a natural material; something grown, not made in a lab. Your body knows the difference. Wool surpasses synthetic fill in terms of quality and durability.
Dust Mite Resistant
Wool is a great choice if dust mites bug you or if you're allergic. Dust mites can't live in wool due to microscopic bristles on the wool fibers.
Anti-Microbial & Anti-Bacterial
Amazingly, wool resists bacteria. It's actually both antimicrobial and antibacterial.
Naturally Fire Resistant
Wool is fire resistant, providing a safe sleeping environment. Wool does not catch on fire and actually acts as a natural fire retardant.
A Renewable Resource, From Sheep
Unlike bedding that uses plucked down feathers, a sheep grows a coat of wool annually and is not harmed during shearing (it's like getting a haircut).
Supports Small Farms And Farmers
Wool is a sustainable product and helps small farmers make a living.
Sustainable And Lasting
With proper care, your woollen bedding can last for decades.
It Stays In Place In Your Bedding
Wool batting, being one continuous piece, stays in place in our products and is hand-tufted to further secure it. This is unlike down bedding which shifts over time and creates bare spots in a comforter.
Certifications & Testing
Global Organic Textile Standard
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognized as the world's leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well.
Holy Lamb Organics' facility is GOTS Certified
We've had our facilities and products inspected by Oregon Tilth and have exceeded all of the requirements to be trusted to build Certified Organic Products.
Green America - Gold Certified Business since 2007
Green America is a national, non-profit founded in 1982. (They went by the name "Co-op America" until 2009). America's Green Business Certification ensures companies operate according to a "values-based" social enterprise according to principles of social justice and environmental sustainability. In addition, certified businesses must be environmentally responsible in the way they run their operations and facilities, and in how they source raw materials, manufacture products, and market them. The Gold certification is completed by the Green America Standards Committee through an independent review.
Holy Lamb Organics holds the Gold Certification
We have exceeded the operation standards, in addition to the standards - specific to the textile industry - for sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, and marketing our goods.
The IOAS is a non-profit certification organization dedicated to the integrity of eco label claims in the field of organic and sustainable agriculture, environmental management, social justice and fair trade.
They work internationally to assess the competence of organizations providing certification to "sustainability" standards, meaning producers can work in a fair environment and consumers can trust the products bearing these labels and the company's contribution to a more sustainable and fairer world.
IAOS's role is as an independent technical expert. It verifies correct application of the standard and the requirements for certification.
All COTTON used at Holy Lamb Organics is IOAS certified.
Eco Wool is produced to the highest standards on local American farms; some of these standards are beyond those specified for organic materials. Eco Wool is not certified organic. At this time very little organic wool is available on the market; almost no organic wool is grown in the United States.
We have access to organic wool from New Zealand that is pure and clean, though due to it being only one type of wool, it doesn't offer the kind of resilience or bounce that our Premium Eco Wool™ does. Our Eco Wool is a blend of about 7 different types of wool varying from fine to coarse in order to create the most ideal wool fiber for use in bedding.
Our WOOL is Premium Eco-Wool™ .
Independent testing organization for harmful substances according to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 for textile products since 1992. This organization provides manufacturers in the textile and clothing industry with a uniform benchmark on a scientific basis for the evaluation of potentially harmful substances in textiles. The OEKO-TEX® label indicates the additional benefits of tested safety for skin-friendly clothing and other textiles to interested end users. The International Oeko-Tex® Association, a union of 16 renowned institutes for textile research and testing in Europe and Japan, in over 60 countries worldwide. "Confidence in Textiles."
Raw materials holding OEKO-TEX® certification:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified
An independent non-profit membership-led organization that sets standards under which forests and companies are certified.
Their membership consists of three equally weighted chambers; environmental, economic, and social.
The FSC's mission is to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests through a certification process that involves 10 principles and 57 criteria that apply to FSC-Certified forests around the world.
FSC operates in more than 80 countries, wherever forests are present.
Raw materials holding FSC certification:
UC Davis Toxicology Lab Tested
All of the wool batting as well as moisture barrier fabric and wool blanket fabric that we use in manufacturing is tested for heavy metals through fiber sample analysis.
The official report indicates: "No toxic compounds were detected....Growers and ranchers raise sheep relative to organic standards (do not use herbicides, pesticides or growth hormones)."
Though not required by law, our mill has these materials tested anyways to provide you with the assurance as to the quality of our raw materials.
Element Materials Technology Tested
All materials at Holy Lamb Organics that have a "next to skin" use are run through a voluntary Phthalates test (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act CPSIA of 2008). This test is required by law and provides an extra assurance as to the quality of our natural materials.
All of our toppers and mattresses are required to meet the cigarette burn test 1633. Our verification is printed on all of our sewn-in product labels: "This Product Complies with the Federal Flammability Standard 16 CFR part 1632".
Proper Mattress Support
Without proper support, a mattress can turn saggy and uncomfortable prematurely. Plus, if you don't support a mattress properly it can void the warranty!All of our mattresses need to be placed on a rigid, ventilated flat surface to accomplish 2 goals:
Support: All of the mattresses will need proper support. If the mattress is not properly supported you will experience sagging and possible structural damage to the mattress. Support the mattress so that it can support your body. Note: Failure to provide both adequate ventilation as well as proper support can render the warranty void.
Breathability: We recommend that all of our mattresses be placed on a breathable surface and not on a solid platform frame or on the floor. Solid frames are not ventilated and won't provide enough airflow (unless you live in a very dry climate). This is why our bed frames and foundations feature slats in the design.
What NOT to do:
Don't put your mattress on the floor.
No solid platform frames, mattresses need to breathe.
No spring frames for cribs. Frames with springs are not rigid enough to provide adequate support to the crib mattress.
Best Ways To Support Your Mattress:
#1: Slatted Wood Bed Frame
Slatted bed frames provide optimal support as well as airflow. When picking out a slatted frame be sure that it has the following specs:
Solid wooden slats consisting of 2.5" wide and spaced 1.5" apart provide the best support and optimize airflow. Slats spaced more than 1.5" apart may allow the sleeper to feel the spaces between the slats and render the warranty void.
Approx. 17 slats for Queen & King and 15 slats for Twin & Full sizes.
Full - King sizes must have a rigid center support that runs head to foot and ideally 5 sturdy legs (3 minimum) touching the floor.
Our featured slatted wooden frame, The California Beauty Bedframe is made to specifically meet these support requirements and is made for all of our mattresses. Check out this small scale builder who uses selectively harvested wood and natural finishes.
#2: Metal Frames with Wood Foundations
Metal frames with the following specs can be used. You can also add a wood foundation (if it meets the specs below under "wood foundation").
Use a frame that supports the head, foot and sides.
Full - King sizes must have a rigid center support and 5 legs (4 corners and 1 in middle).
Regularly check all bolts, screws, legs, and castors to make sure they haven't loosened.
Place a wood foundation on top of the metal frame and then your natural mattress.
Adding Slats to a Metal Frame
Some customers will add slats directly to the metal frame and place the mattress right on top. That is fine as long as you follow all of the specifications outlined above for Slatted Frames.
Wood Foundation Specs
We offer a wood foundation in 2 heights to meet your mattress needs that is specifically designed to meet proper support criteria. This Foundation is intended for all latex & innerspring mattresses (not the All Wool Mattress). If you choose a wood foundation that is not from Holy Lamb Organics make sure it has at least 17 slats for Queen & King Sizes and 15 slats for Twin & Full sizes. Also note that using a foundation that is not from Holy Lamb Organics will render the flammability test void.
About Box Springs
We do not currently offer an organic box spring (though we have in the past). If you use a box spring remember that it will add some softness to your mattress as it is a spring coil unit which has some give. A box spring will need to be supported by a metal frame with a rigid center support for Full - King sizes.
Note: using a box spring that is not from Holy Lamb Organics will render the flammability test void.
About Unfinished Wood: A Recommendation
If the wood on your bed frame is unfinished, we recommend placing a wool Moisture Barrier over the frame before placing the mattress. This will reduce wear on the mattress cover and impede the transfer of splinters.
Questions about proper support?
Please give our office a call 888-359-1362.We would be happy to discuss your individual needs.
Mattress Lead Times & Shipping Locations
All Wool Mattress
2-4 weeks
Spring Mattress
5-7 weeks
New York
Latex Mattress
5-7 weeks
New York
5-7 weeks
New York
Bed frames
3-4 weeks
- Shipping Notifications & Tracking: We will let you know when your order has shipped from the manufacturer. This email notification will include transit time estimates and delivery information.
- Mattress Shipping Costs: Please see our cost table for information.
NO RETURNS on any unused mattresses except the All Wool Mattress, which has a 15% restocking fee. All other mattress are ALL SALES FINAL
For a complete list of our return policies regarding returns.
At Holy Lamb Organics, we make our sustainable natural bedding products with integrity...so everyone sleeps well at night. We stand by our materials, our handwork and our service. We promise to hold ourselves to the highest standards using local, sustainable, high quality natural bedding. Your excellent experience with us and complete satisfaction with our products is of utmost importance.
Cross our hearts.Warranties
- Product Overview
- Materials
- Product Specifications
- Order a Sample
- Proper Support
- Certifications
- Shipping & Lead Times
Natural Wood frame
Made by a trusted source for Holy Lamb Organics
I believe in supporting companies that are ethical and responsible to people and environment. This company was founded on great principles and is using sustainable principles in their work. I don't have to worry about chemicals or unfair labor practices when ordering from companies like this. Thank you for your commitment to the planet.
Leah - Island Lake, IL