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[Jeff] sent in a build of a voice controlled robot he just finished based on the Android ADK and an iRobot Create.
The robot is able to obey voice commands telling it where to go. Currently the robot responds to forward, reverse, left, right, stop, and 'whistle while you work.' It's a creative use of the Android ADK with some obvious applications, but this project really shines with the write up on instructables. It's rare that we've seen a project so well documented; it's a great project for someone who wants to get their feet wet in the world of robotics.
[Jeff]'s write up goes through the steps of hooking up the ADK board to iRobot and providing all the electronic necessities. [Jeff] graciously provided the code for his robot if anyone would like to add to his project.
The ultimate goal [Jeff] is currently working towards is something akin to a TurtleBot, while keeping the voice control of the robot. In all, a very nice project.

subset: commoncrawl


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by Connor Boyack, Utah Tenth Amendment Center
photo credit: swamysk
On February 19 of this year, Utah's Senate President and House Speaker co-authored an op-ed for the Washington Post in which they kindly requested that the federal government hand over some of its assumed powers to Utah as an "experiment" to help "relieve some of their burden". This "modest proposal" suggested that the feds allow Utah to manage its own education, transportation, and Medicaid, while retaining all tax money that is currently being sent to the feds and back down to Utah for these programs.
The stated concern was not one of state sovereignty or individual rights—the authors sought instead to reassure skeptics that "this experiment in the interest of balanced federalism would have little impact on the federal budget, on other programs or on other states." No, far from being an insistence of strict federalism under the U.S. Constitution, it was a proposal to implement "balanced" federalism with Utah's top legislators asking for the federal government's permission.
Commenting on the op-ed on the same day it was published, U.S. Congressman Rob Bishop, from Utah, wrote:
Having spent the past seven years in Washington, I am convinced now more than ever that federalism must be the core principle for all decision making here in Washington. We will never be able to offer true reform until we recognize that Washington cannot solve every problem in this country and that states are better suited to deal with many of the problems federal bureaucrats can't solve.
It's important to pay attention to what's being said, and what's not being said. These politicians are arguing for a "federalism lite"—one in which the federal government allows the states to do certain things not because the federal government has no authority to do them, but because it logistically cannot do them well.
Despite their words demonstrating a lack of understanding, and despite their reasons being in complete conflict with the Tenth Amendment (again, they're not arguing that Utah and other states retain powers not delegated, but rather be given powers the federal government can't effectively employ), these individuals are still arguing that the states should enjoy greater power in balance with the federal government. This is something worth supporting. But any good Tenther—indeed, any good citizen—knows that a politician's words should not be trusted. This is especially the case with Rep. Bishop, who three months later founded the Tenth Amendment Task Force, whose stated mission is to "Disperse power from Washington and restore the Constitutional balance of power through liberty-enhancing federalism."
In the press release announcing the creation of the task force, the eleven founding legislators stated:
More than ever, Americans are expressing frustration at having important facets of their lives controlled by a government that is out of reach and out of touch. Among other things, the task force will focus on educating Congress and the public about federalism, elevating federalism as a core Republican focus and monitoring threats to 10th Amendment principles.
Again, this all sounds well and good. However, a closer look at the task force's members and their voting records casts an important light on its legitimacy in being a group of true defenders of the Tenth Amendment. Anticipating this to a certain degree, Michael Boldin, founder of the Tenth Amendment Center stated:
If the Task Force refuses to do anything beyond using the Tenth Amendment as a mouth piece to promote conservative ideas, they're far more damaging to the future of the Constitution in this country than they'll ever be help.
Of course, the best way to determine the sincerity of these federalists-come-latelies is to see how they have voted on related legislation in the past. Brevity requires a limited analysis, and so we'll look only at the record of the Task Force's founder, Rep. Bishop. The following are a few highlights on Rep. Bishop's votes on legislation dealing with Tenth Amendment issues.
- On May 15, 2007, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 1700, a bill to provide the annual funds for the Community-Oriented Policing Services at the tune of $1.15 billion per year. This program provides federal funds in the form of grants to local police units in order to hire additional officers. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is the federal government delegated the authority to take money from citizens in one state to hire police officers in another.
- On November 14, 2007, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 1429, a bill to reauthorized and fund the Head Start Program—a federal "comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement" program which supplies grants to local and state educational entities. This bill reauthorized the program through 2012, providing between $7-8 billion per year in funding. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is the federal government empowered to regulate or spend money on education, health, or parental involvement. Rep. Bishop, a school teacher, himself, has often voted in support of such programs. Two years previous, for example, he again voted to reauthorized and fund (to the tune of $7 billion annually) the Head Start Program.
- On January 29, 2008, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 5140, the stimulus bill which created rebate checks for taxpayers. This bill had no constitutional authority to justify its implementation.
- On May 23, 2006, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 5384, an agricultural appropriations bill providing for $93.6 billion in 2007 alone for the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. This funding included $37.9 billion for food stamps, $13.3 billion for the child nutrition program, and $19.7 billion for direct aid to farmers. None of these programs have any basis in the U.S. Constitution; social welfare programs, if they are to exist at all, must operate only at a state level. Rep. Bishop also voted for the same kind of bill in the previous session.
- On July 27, 2003, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 1, the Medicare Part D bill rammed through Congress by the Bush administration. This bill, for which no constitutional authority can be found, created a new $15 trillion unfunded liability.
- On June 24, 2005, Rep. Bishop voted in support of H.R. 3010, a bill to provide a whopping $601.6 billion in 2006 alone to the Labor Department, Education Department, and Health and Human Services Department. This was a 21% increase over the appropriations from the previous year. These departments engage in numerous programs that violate the Tenth Amendment—one can easily argue that the existence of the departments themselves is unconstitutional—and yet Rep. Bishop votes for their support and funding repeatedly.
This list has to stop somewhere, so it might as well be there. Other votes could be mentioned, such as those regarding bills dealing with special education, agricultural subsidies, the REAL ID Act, unemployment benefits, job training, etc. In each case, Rep. Bishop cast a vote which violated the language and principle of the Tenth Amendment, and supported a federal government exceeding its constitutional authority.
If the Tenth Amendment Task Force is to be perceived as legitimate and worthy of our collective support, its members—and especially its founder—must demonstrate that they have changed. Further still, the fact that all of its members are Republican signifies that not until the GOP is in control of Congress and the executive branch will such a demonstration be sincere; it's easy to be the "party of no" when the other party is calling the shots. Rep. Bishop and his Republican colleagues who have been around for a while have far worse voting records when their own party was in control.
Despite all of the above, Tenthers everywhere should welcome and encourage legislation from this group that makes a positive impact in reducing the size and scope of the federal government. If they are successful to any degree in restraining their colleagues and returning stolen power to the states, then we will applaud them loudly.
Until that time, a word of caution. As the Task Force's founder has a very questionable voting record in regards to the Tenth Amendment's clear language, and since his colleagues have voted similarly on many bills, this group of politicians should be kept at arm's length and made to prove themselves. Actions speak louder than words. So, too, do voting records speak louder than press releases.
Connor Boyack [send him mail] is the state chapter coordinator for the Utah Tenth Amendment Center. He is a web developer, political economist, and budding philanthropist trying to change the world one byte at a time. He lives in Utah with his wife and son. Read his blog.


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When I was twenty-three, I found myself unemployed, and living in my girlfriend's room in her parents' beautiful brick house on the South Side of Chicago in an affluent white neighborhood slipping into descent after the M.L.K. riots of 1968. They kept me upstairs and visible, with girlfriend relegated to the basement.
I remember wandering the streets day-after-day-week-after-week begging for work, sliding in and out of tawdry bars – sticky-floor flyblown dives I'd never venture into for a drink on my own – but places I now prayed would hire me because I'd just spent my last $250 attending "Professional Bartender's School" and earning a "Professional Bartender's Certificate" after spending a week pouring colored water out of fake liquor bottles into appropriate glasses.
Armed with this "certificate", I wandered into dozens of Chicagoland watering holes, but no one would hire me. Sheila's Puke Shack owner S. Hardnutter threw me the stink eye when I dangled the Professional Bartender Certificate in front of her narrow eyes, then pointed toward the door.
Each night I'd limp home on sore feet and sit on my girlfriend's bed and despair. I remember a lone tear running down my cheek one night, followed in a few seconds by spontaneous laughter because Iron Eyes Cody – a pure-blood Italian, we found out later – currently starred in an environmental television ad as an American Indian saddened by the rape of the land, a single tear running down his cheek, which miraculously prodded Americans into picking up trash.
Swinging for the fence the next morning, I took a train downtown and hit all the major bars on Michigan Avenue, earning a ubiquitous thumbs down. Fingering the last $10 in my pocket, I stood at the corner of Walton and Michigan Avenue, eyeballing The Drake, where visiting Queen Elizabeth bedded down.
Too classy for my zero experience.
Looking southeast — across the street at the old Palmolive Building — I saw the Playboy Club's flashing siren lights. Shrugging off the gut instinct to stop wasting time, I walked inside and told the smiling bunny at the door that I needed to see the human relations rep.
Who turned out to be my girlfriend's sister's best friend.
"You're in luck!" she smiled. "We need a bartender pronto, and you can start Monday morning. Get here at ten for an orientation on lunch, which starts at eleven."
The Playboy Club turned out to be a mixed blessing. Although I was able to rent my own place and start saving, the nature of the business fired up already simmering jealousies.
I'd graduated from college the previous December with an English degree and accepted the only job I could find – once again through nepotism – when Future-Mother-In-Law told me about a job opening at her school, a junior high in Chicago Ridge.
The permanent teacher was taking a year off after giving birth, and a succession of substitutes tried and failed to make a stand with her students, kids from blue collar families with moms and dads who worked long hours and didn't have much time to spend with their offspring, so they threw money at them instead. Blue collar kids accustomed to bullying each other in the absence of parental guidance.
At six-foot-four-two-hundred-twenty-pounds I became substitute number seven immediately following Christmas break. That semester – my first in a classroom by myself – gave me the confidence to carry through the rest of life.
Years later I chatted with a man at the airport as we waited for a plane, and during the conversation we uncovered the fact we'd both taught junior high English on the South Side of Chicago.
"How long did you last?" I asked.
"One year," he said.
"What did you do after that?"
"I quit, joined the Marines, and went to Vietnam for a vacation," he said.
That semester I taught English to kids with names like "Toots" and "Doobie" and was required to coach 7th grade girls' basketball; unfortunately, the 8th grade girls' basketball coach was a conniving blonde bombshell who sensed the unease in Future-Mother-In-Law and went right to driving her nuts by sitting next to me during games, flirting whenever FMIL was in eyesight, and wearing a string bikini to the Indiana Dunes when the three of us accompanied a busload of kids at the end of the school year.
FMIL hadn't really taught long, this being her second attempt. She'd left the profession in her early twenties to raise four children through high school while her husband, a prince, worked at US Steel.
During her free time all those years she soaked up daytime television, eventually becoming brainwashed by sexy-soap-opera-actors teaching her to trust no one – especially me – while the hot blonde simultaneously poked out of a white see-through hand-crocheted bathing suit on blazing Indiana beach while Little Richard sang Tutti Frutti from the top of a telephone pole.
When the junior high job ended and the bartender's school landed me in the Playboy den of iniquity, my days with girlfriend dwindled.
A clean-cut Iranian floor manager named Sami started me off in a service bar out of sight from the public with liquor bottles in overhead racks, a double-sink, an ice machine, mixers, and a cash register at the end of the stainless-steel counter. The bus boys were Palestinian, the cooks Mexican. If you learned early on to treat the women right, all worked smoothly.
Bunnies would approach this portal with drink orders, and I'd pile beverages on trays before they sashayed on high heels and kidney-pinching bunny suits back to thirsty Joes elevated to Playboy Key Holders with an annual credit card fee.
The bunnies were kids like me, trying to eat under roof while putting themselves through school, putting together a stash to make a move in life, trying to survive the dollar-draining nature of the big city. There were long ones, tall ones, big ones, brown ones, black ones, round ones … crazy ones.
And although I stayed true, my girlfriend came to visit during lunch one day — at my request — and stood in the doorway of the little service bar as I mixed drinks and piled them on bunny trays. As each female appeared, we talked business, and I often called them by name. The window I pushed drinks through revealed bunnies from their waists to their chins. Neither girlfriend nor I could see hip-tags or faces.
"How do you remember their names?" asked girlfriend as she gazed open-mouthed at the exposed set of breasts arching into the bar window.
"See that mole?" I said as "Carla" arrived with an empty tray. Having grown up on a hog farm in Western Illinois, I was not especially enamored with big breasts, though I admired their magnetic ability on the average Joe's iron head.
Blood boiled up the chin of girlfriend's face, onto her cheeks, then up her forehead, and with a turn of her heel I was suddenly alone in the Windy City, bereft of my only reason for being there in the first place.
Several months later, I'd worked my way up to the "night shift" at the main bar and enjoyed meeting out-of-town folks in the midst of convention bacchanals, though many of the women — upon reaching alcoholic euphoria — lashed out with tongues more lascivious than any deranged Roto-Rooter man ever wagged.
One night, just after midnight on a slow shift with few people at the bar, management uncloaked in their black suits and fired every bartender on the floor.
Except me.
"You were the only one not stealing," said Sami. "We'd been sending in people to sit at the bar and observe for two weeks now. What these dirt bags do is ring up a lower amount than they sold, then put the remainder in their pockets. Oldest trick in the book."
One of those rounded up and kicked out of the revolving door was Howie Wong, the first bartender Hugh Hefner picked for the original Chicago Playboy Club on Walton, not far from his mansion on North State Parkway. Howie was taciturn and unfriendly, so I never knew him well.
But three months later I was walking down a side street and above a newly-painted door an electric sign flashed: Howie's. Taken aback, I stepped inside and there were the six recently-fired bartenders, along with Howie at the cash register, preparing to open their new digs. Turns out they'd pooled their purloined cash – Howie dipped for decades – and opened this business. Together.
"How's this going to work?" I asked. They just smiled and shrugged their shoulders. Six months later Howie's was history, naturally.
Which brings me to the point of this essay.
Prisons would be more effective if we piled like-minded criminals atop one another.
As the world lurches toward nationalism and the rule of authoritarians, we need a way to deal effectively with run-away dictators.
Imagine islands – the Aleutian archipelago comes to mind with its Alaskan fresh air breeziness – islands exclusively housing like-minded criminals. Redneck Racist Island harboring Dylann Roof wannabes. Female Redneck Racist Island next door, ten thousand Rosanne Barrs separated by churning seas and hungry flesh-eating fish.
Black Racist Island covered with Al Sharpton wannabes. Criminal Mexican Island. Catholic Priest Pedophile Island. White Collar Embezzler Island. White Collar Crook Island. Rapist Island. Man-Trapping-Liar-About-Rape Island.
Ad infinitum.
The unending torture of individuals imprisoned under these conditions would test the "cruel and unusual" clause under the Eighth Amendment, but this treatment would be justified due to its effectiveness and ultimate benefit to society.
Can you imagine a self-aggrandizing, constantly lying, narcissistic blowhard in a green parka – absent makeup – wielding a hand-ax, a book of matches, and some fishing gear, and marooned for life on a frozen slag heap in the middle of an ocean with hundreds of other convicted narcissistic blowhards and a few Kodiak bears on Russia Money Laundering Island? A pleasing and peaceful thought, indeed.
Perhaps the perfect prison doles out the perfect punishment.
For those of you who bless your children by reading to them, check out "The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf" by Hans Christian Andersen. It's the story of a girl who loves pulling the wings off of insects, but her bullying comes to a bad end:
An evil spirit soon took possession of Inge, and carried her to a still worse place, in which she saw crowds of unhappy people, waiting in a state of agony for the gates of mercy to be opened to them, and in every heart was a miserable and eternal feeling of unrest. It would take too much time to describe the various tortures these people suffered, but Inge's punishment consisted in standing there as a statue, with her foot fastened to the loaf. She could move her eyes about, and see all the misery around her, but she could not turn her head; and when she saw the people looking at her she thought they were admiring her pretty face and fine clothes, for she was still vain and proud. But she had forgotten how soiled her clothes had become while in the Marsh Woman's brewery, and that they were covered with mud; a snake had also fastened itself in her hair, and hung down her back, while from each fold in her dress a great toad peeped out and croaked like an asthmatic poodle. Worse than all was the terrible hunger that tormented her, and she could not stoop to break off a piece of the loaf on which she stood. No; her back was too stiff, and her whole body like a pillar of stone. And then came creeping over her face and eyes flies without wings; she winked and blinked, but they could not fly away, for their wings had been pulled off; this, added to the hunger she felt, was horrible torture. "If this lasts much longer," she said, "I shall not be able to bear it." But it did last, and she had to bear it, without being able to help herself.
The perfect ending for a bully's sad life.


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Increasing amounts of personal information are collected by organisations and stored in massive databases. That information is sometimes used or released after being stripped of elements that could identify individuals in a process called 'anonymisation'.
University of Colorado Law School Associate Professor Paul Ohm, though, has said that the techniques used no longer work and that it is now possible to identify people from the release of supposedly anonymised records.
"With the supposed power of anonymisation you can share the data with anyone you want, you can store the data for as long as you like," Ohm told podcast OUT-LAW Radio. "And traditionally it has been a conversation stopper. Once you assert anonymisation everyone nods their heads and says 'that's fine, privacy is protected here, let's focus on something else'."
But even though you are deleting many of the identifying fields of information, everything you leave behind retains identifying power," he said.
Ohm said that research has shown that a combination of increasingly powerful computers and the prevalence of large databases has made it possible to "re-identify" people whose records have been anonymised.
One researcher in Massachusetts about 15 years ago discovered that 87% of Americans are uniquely identified by three pieces of information: their date of birth, their sex and their zip [post] code," he said. "Now the problem was that until she announced her findings, zip code, birth date and sex were three pieces of information that we presumed were privacy-protecting, were anonymised. So they appeared in all sorts of databases."
Ohm told OUT-LAW Radio that the problem was huge because such trust had been placed in anonymisation that it was enshrined in legislation. "Virtually every privacy law allows you to escape the strictures and requirements of the privacy law completely once you've anonymised your data," he said. "Every policy maker who has ever encountered a privacy law, and that's in every country on earth, will need to re-examine the core assumptions they made when they wrote that law."
Ohm said that the problem was hard to solve because the very pieces of information that identify a person are the pieces which are useful to researchers.
He proposed, though, that in some fields of research, such as health, it would be possible to open up much more data than is currently permitted as long as you controlled access to it.
"We can't trust technology any more but at the same time we don't want to keep this information from researchers. So my solution is that we shift our trust from the technology to the people," he said. "We write down the rules of trust among health researchers … [we say] you can get my data but only on a need to know basis."


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The fungus attacks young, healthy, unwounded needles of new candles. However, on stressed evergreens, twigs may be attacked. Since the fungus increases inoculum on old dead cones, trees thirty years and older are more likely to be attacked. Young trees severely stressed or growing near old infected trees may also be attacked. Browning, stunting, and twisting of new shoots and needles are the first symptoms. One side of a tree or the lower part may be the first area affected. During wet springs, every branch may have brown tips. A brown discoloration starts at the base of needles and grows toward the tip. Needles die by the time they are one half to three fourths normal length. Sometimes needles curl and twist.
Small black fruiting bodies of the fungus can be seen with the unaided eye at the base of needles, just under the fascicle, or sheath tissue. Fruiting bodies also form on scales of two-year-old seed cones and on bark of infected shoots. Infected stems often result in droopy candles (new growth). Resinous cankers may appear on stems at the youngest branch whorl or base of blighted needles. Resin from infected areas may cause dead needles to stick to the tree. Large resinous cankers may occur on older branches where wounds occur. Winter injury is a common site of branch infection. Injury to pine may be very severe in landscape plantings. Rarely is the disease a problem in forested areas or sites with trees that are within their natural range. Repeated infection of branch tips results in deformed tree growth and loss of vitality. The fungus can also cause cankers with excessive and obvious sap exudate. Branches that become girdled will die. Sapwood may be discolored with a gray to black stain.
Control of the disease requires that all affected twigs and cones be removed. Fertilize trees stunted by the disease to stimulate growth. Fungicide sprays are recommended in conjunction with cultural controls. Spray three times: 1) when buds begin to elongate/swell, 2) just before new needles begin to emerge from the fascicle sheath, and 3) 10-14 days later. Effectiveness of the treatments and severity of the disease are affected greatly by the weather conditions at the time of shoot emergence.
The causal fungus infects needles directly but can also infect wounded tissue. Therefore, take care to avoid wounding trees, and do not prune or shear in wet weather when spores are being released. Do not plant susceptible trees near mature, infected pines. Mulch and water as needed to reduce stress. Consider avoiding the use of the most susceptible pines in landscape plantings.


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Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the Book | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Chapter One
Bruno Makes a Discovery
One afternoon, when Bruno came home from school, he was surprised to find Maria, the family's maid — who always kept her head bowed and never looked up from the carpet — standing in his bedroom, pulling all his belongings out of the wardrobe and packing them in four large wooden crates, even the things he'd hidden at the back that belonged to him and were nobody else's business.
'What are you doing?' he asked in as polite a tone as he could muster, for although he wasn't happy to come home and find someone going through his possessions, his mother had always told him that he was to treat Maria respectfully and not just imitate the way Father spoke to her. 'You take your hands off my things.'
Maria shook her head and pointed towards the staircase behind him, where Bruno's mother had just appeared. She was a tall woman with long red hair that she bundled into a sort of net behind her head, and she was twisting her hands together nervously as if there was something she didn't want to have to say or something she didn't want to have to believe.
'Mother,' said Bruno, marching towards her, 'what's going on? Why is Maria going through my things?'
'She's packing them,' explained Mother.
'Packing them?' he asked, running quickly through the events of the previous few days to consider whether he'd been particularly naughty or had used those words out loud that he wasn't allowed to use and was being sent away because of it. He couldn't think of anything though. In fact over the last few days he had behaved in a perfectly decent manner to everyone and couldn't remember causing any chaos at all. 'Why?' he asked then. 'What have I done?'
Mother had walked into her own bedroom by then but Lars, the butler, was in there, packing her things too. She sighed and threw her hands in the air in frustration before march-ing back to the staircase, followed by Bruno, who wasn't going to let the matter drop without an explanation.
'Mother,' he insisted. 'What's going on? Are we moving?'
'Come downstairs with me,' said Mother, leading the way towards the large dining room where the Fury had been to dinner the week before. 'We'll talk down there.'
Bruno ran downstairs and even passed her out on the staircase so that he was waiting in the dining room when she arrived. He looked at her without saying anything for a moment and thought to himself that she couldn't have applied her make-up correctly that morning because the rims of her eyes were more red than usual, like his own after he'd been causing chaos and got into trouble and ended up crying.
'Now, you don't have to worry, Bruno,' said Mother, sitting down in the chair where the beautiful blonde woman who had come to dinner with the Fury had sat and waved at him when Father closed the doors. 'In fact if anything it's going to be a great adventure.'
'What is?' he asked. 'Am I being sent away?'
'No, not just you,' she said, looking as if she might smile for a moment but thinking better of it. 'We all are. Your father and I, Gretel and you. All four of us.'
Bruno thought about this and frowned. He wasn't particularly bothered if Gretel was being sent away because she was a Hopeless Case and caused nothing but trouble for him. But it seemed a little unfair that they all had to go with her.
'But where?' he asked. 'Where are we going exactly? Why can't we stay here?'
'Your father's job,' explained Mother. 'You know how important it is, don't you?'
Excerpted from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne Copyright © 2006 by John Boyne. Excerpted by permission of David Fickling Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
The Cleaner
by Brandi Wells
Rarely has cubicle culture been depicted in such griminess or with such glee."
—PW (starred review)
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.


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Nearly ten years after his tragic death, Joe Strummer's legacy still resonates with musicians around the world. Especially Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves man Tom DeLonge, who recently revealed to Total Guitar that Joe him some choice advice.
"I asked Joe Strummer what it was like being in The Clash, says Tom. "He said, 'We used to walk around saying, 'Fuck you, we're in The Clash. But now that I look back on it The Talking Heads were pretty f****** cool. Don't close your mind and think you're the only thing out there.'"
And Tom adds that he put that advice into practice soon afterwards when he met another iconic British frontman…
"A few days later I played a show with Oasis and was like, 'These guys are pretty rad.' We got done playing and Liam Gallagher runs into our dressing room and says, 'Are you guys Blink-182? You're the best I've seen in America.' I'm like, 'You like us?' He said, 'I didn't say that, I said you're the best I've seen in America!' From that point on I thought they were awesome."
Look out for a feature-length interview with DeLonge in a future issue of Total Guitar.


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Wow, what a week! There was excitement, there was controversy, there was anger, and then, yesterday, there was treacle. I actually feel hung over from it all. (And it has nothing to do with all the drinks I had last night either.) Well, one of the best ways to shake a hangover is to go for a hard ride, and one of the best ways to clear your head is with a little mental exercise. So I've prepared a quiz. Read the question, think, and click on your answer. If you're right, you'll see the item. If you're wrong, you'll get hit with a blast from the Slayer siren. Thanks, good luck, and have a good weekend.
Whose autograph did BSNYC/RTMS get in Harlem this past Sunday?
--Tyler Hamilton's
--Michael Ball's
--Bill Clinton's
--Kool Moe Dee's
Which is NOT an actual reason given by Campagnolo press manager Francesco Zenere for his company's move to 11 speed?
--"Why not?"
--"Cyclists are never truly happy whether they are professionals or amateurs."
--"The extra cog offers smoother transitions between gears, allowing competitive riders to maintain optimal cadence in a variety of terrain."
--"The 11th speed is in fact the icing, while the cake is the remarkable makeover of the three groupsets dedicated to competition use."
Clem LueYat earned the title "Master HairWeaver of the World" by:
--Pioneering both the "Unique Interlocking Hair Weave System" and the "Wrap Net Weaving System"
--Consulting with Tom Boonen on his male pattern baldness
--Installing Johan Museeuw's hair implants
--Weaving Johan Museeuw's flax bicycle frames
Which is NOT an actual quote from Aaron Edge, editor of the new book Rain City Fix:
--"The customization of all of these bikes and the different people who ride them is fascinating to me."
--"If this inspires someone else to not only ride a fixed-gear bike or check it out...just have a community at all of anybody hanging out and doing stuff and have a collection of ideas...the momentum of this book that's what I hope starts."
--"I gave him a call at like two in the morning and was like, 'We're doing a book,' and the normal response from either of us when someone says something like that is, 'OK. Tell me about it. When do we do it?'"
--"I gave him a call at like two in the morning and was like, 'We're doing a book,' and he was like, 'Dude. It's two in the morning. I have a job. You don't. Call me in the morning.'"
The above is:
When does the film "The Love Guru" open?
This bike, photographed by a reader in Boston, is:


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The World's Most Popular Bookcase: Best Uses of the IKEA Expedit
If you love looking at pictures of interiors like we do, you'll probably see a few of the same pieces crop up over and over, design classics like the Eames lounge or Harry Bertoia's wire chairs. But one of the most ubiquitous pieces has a humbler pedigree (and a much lower price point). It's the IKEA Expedit, and it's taking the world of storage by storm.
The genius of the Expedit is in its simplicity — the deep square shelves make it suitable for storing practically anything, and the extra thickness of the outside frame gives the unit a pleasingly solid appearance that belies its low price tag.
The simple design, and the fact that the shelving units come in a huge variety of sizes — 2×2, 2×4, 4×4, 5×5 — make the Expedit adaptable to many different kinds of spaces, and almost infinitely hackable. Below are some of our favorite Expedit spottings from our Apartment Therapy house tours, and from all over the web.
From Apartment Therapy:
1. From Jon and Tyke's California cabin.
2. From Shane and Andrew's California Home.
3. Expedit + milk crates = quirky, budget storage solution, as seen in Christi's creative and crafty Austin apartment.
4. An Expedit makes a perfect room divider in deRaismes' tiny, beautifully textured studio apartment.
5. A white Expedit melds nicely with the black and white palette in Stefanie and Taylor's Washington, DC digs.
6. Expedits provide storage for a home office in Alexis and Josh's San Francisco apartment.
7. Sleek storage in Irene's home office.
8. In the Midcentury mix at Katherine and Jem's Chicago Apartment.
9. As a TV stand in Lauren and Kevin's Chicago apartment.
10. An Expedit helps to fill a large wall in Nick and Rachel's Brooklyn loft.
From the Web:
1. A supersized Expedit in a children's space. From Scandinavia with Love via Apartment Therapy.
2. What's better than one Expedit? Two Expedits, stacked on top of each other. We highly recommend this, if you have the ceiling height. Image from The Decorologist.
3. A whole wall of Expedits has a custom, built-in look. Painting the back of the bookcases to match the ceiling ties the room together. Image from Mires Paris via Lamps Plus.
4. An artist's studio from Desire to Inspire.
5. Expedits in a stylish white-on-white office by Lloyd Ralphs Design, via Canadian House and Home.
6. An Expedit is the perfect size for holding records, like in the Paris apartment of Leslie David, seen on Freunde von Freunden.
7. Adding a mirror behind your Expedit kicks it up a notch. Home of Naomi Stein, from Design*Sponge.
8. Two Expedits make a cozy nook around a bed, as seen in Skona Hem.
9. This black Expedit has a certain dark glamor. From Rue.
10. Stacked Expedits and books by color from Bright Bazaar.
11. An Expedit behind a couch is good for storage in small spaces; put items you don't need to access frequently on the lower shelves. Home of Sharilyn Wright, as seen on Cafe Mom.
12. This guy took an IKEA Expedit, rejiggered the shelves, and mounted it on the wall. Now it's something completely different. IKEA Hackers via Apartment Therapy.
13. An Expedit in a home office from Better Homes and Gardens.
14. Books in the bedroom — what could be better? Image from My Favorite and My Best.
15. Stacked Expedits make great storage in a mudroom or closet, like in this black and white apartment seen on French by Design.
(Images: as linked above)


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Egypt: Secretary-General appeals for calm, non-violence to overcome 'deep difficulties'
"The Secretary-General is following closely and with continuing concern the fast-moving developments in Egypt. He continues to stand with the aspirations of the Egyptian people," said a statement issued by a spokesperson for the UN chief.
In the wake of massive protests – both for and against Egypt's current Government – Mr. Ban noted the delicate nature of the situation following the army's announcement that it is suspending the Constitution and appointing the head of the constitutional court as interim head of state – "decisions that have not been accepted by President [Mohamed] Morsy".
Egypt has been undergoing a halting democratic transition following the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak two years ago in the wake of mass protests similar to those seen in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa as part of the "Arab Spring."
Demonstrations have been taking place in Cairo and other cities across the country in recent days, with protesters reportedly calling for President Morsy's resignation. Media reports noted on Monday that Egypt's army had given the country's rival parties 48 hours to resolve the political crisis.
"At this moment of continued high tension and uncertainty in the country, the Secretary-General reiterates his appeals for calm, non-violence, dialogue and restraint," the statement said, adding that an inclusive approach is essential to addressing the needs and concerns of all Egyptians.
"Preservation of fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and assembly remain of vital importance."
Mr. Ban said that in their protests, many Egyptians have voiced deep frustrations and legitimate concerns. At the same time, military interference in the affairs of any State is of concern.
"Therefore, it will be crucial to quickly reinforce civilian rule in accordance with principles of democracy," he says in the statement.
"The world is watching closely the next steps with the hope that Egyptians will remain on a peaceful course, overcome the deep difficulties they are facing today, and find the needed common ground to move forward in a transition for which so many fought so courageously," the statement concludes.


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While the abovementioned set only touches the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential songwriting themes, it's still a fairly safe bet that Josh Wilson is probably one of the first, if not the very first, artist to craft a composition around the unlikely subject of regular late-night panic attacks. As improbable as it sounds, though, that's exactly what the intrepid El Dorado, Arkansas, native has done on the title cut of his latest release. Indeed, while a fair portion of "Carry Me" is worded generally enough to ensure a certain universal appeal, lyrics like "I'm wide awake in the middle of the night/ Scared to death/ I try to catch my breath/ It hasn't happened yet" point specifically to the mysterious ailment which eventually brought Wilson to the local emergency room and forced him to cancel several shows on his current tour.
Needless to say, Wilson may have realized that a relentless stream of angst-laden songs of this sort might well be more than the average listener would want to absorb in a single sitting. To that end, his fifth studio album, Carry Me, finds him wisely dividing his time between the somber and the celebratory. At the former end of the spectrum are "Faith is Not a Feeling," which deals with a sense of separation from God; the equally convincing "Wake Me Up," a confession of lukewarm faith; and "What I See Now," a poignant, true-to-life account of the pain and uncertainties of adolescence. On the other side of the coin, Wilson balances out his more soul-searching fare with ingratiatingly upbeat offerings about forgiveness ("Grace Enough for You"), marital bliss ("One Safe Soul"), and the inspiration he's drawn from the simple, unaffected faith of those he's known and met ("I See God in You").
Given his wide-ranging instrumental aptitude (Wilson is proficient on guitar, piano and drums), it should come as little surprise that his new project is a musically eclectic undertaking. Wilson's voice falls at the half way point between Andrew Peterson and Pat Monahan of Train, and Train's effervescent "Hey, Soul Sister" single is a pretty accurate frame of reference for breezy, made-for summer anthems like "Pushing Back the Dark" and the title track. The melancholy-tinged folk of "What I See Now," on the other hand, would probably have slotted in well on any of Peterson's first few records. For the remainder of the proceedings, Wilson turns his talents to the dance-leaning country-pop of "Faith Is Not a Feeling," the energizing light-urban percussion of "Here I Am Anyway," and the impossibly cheerful "What A Mystery," which sounds, in the winningest way possible, like a combination of the opening number at the local square dance and something you'd hear from a sidewalk organ grinder.
To be equitable, the back end of the album, as a whole, is less consistently impressive than its first portion, thanks in part to the less vivacious, slightly more generic nature of its contents. That said, Wilson's refreshingly forthright lyrics and ability to find light in even the darkest of themes combine to offer a modicum of relief from this latter-segment deficit. Just as notably, his powerful and distinctive soul-filled voice does much to elevate even commonplace entries like "Symphony" and "Wake Me Up" to slightly-above-average status. To be sure, even though Carry Me doesn't quite qualify as groundbreaking or fillerless, it is still an engaging, thought-provoking, and ultimately uplifting collection of songs that should, if there's any justice in the world, go great lengths toward earning its talented creator an evening's worth of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
- Review date: 4/5/13, written by Bert Gangl of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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Amy L. Ashbaugh is a fine artist and illustrator based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Her artistic vision centers on the representation of the fantastic from literature, folklore, and pure imagination. Look for her work in such Palladium Books titles as the Dead Reign™ RPG, Dead Reign™Sourcebook 3: Dark Places™, The Nightbane® Survival Guide™, Rifts® Triax™ 2, Mysteries of Magic™, and various issues of The Rifter®.
Amy's work can also be found in additional RPG and CCG titles such as Fantasy Flight Publishing's Rogue Trader, Dark Heresy, and Black Crusade series; the Warhammer: Invasion and Call of Cthulhu card games; Oz: Dark and Terrible from Emerald City Expeditions; and Apocalypse Prevention International, from Third Eye Games.
Nick was born in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. He spent much of his childhood at home, in the basement, watching cartoons, reading comic books, listening to music and drawing monsters. When he wasn't reading or drawing, his imagination would carry him away on imaginary adventures and inspire him to draw more monsters and wild characters. When Nick discovered role-playing games and Palladium Books, his imagination really soared.
Nick found school to be a grind, but graduated high school and enrolled in college as a business major. The inspiration for this move was that business and economics interested for him and it was the only class in which he got an "A." After a year and a half of business studies, a professor asked Nick to meet her in her office to talk. She had Nick sit down, pulled out his midterm exam, and placed it on the desk in front of him. Nick was expecting the worst, but the professor pointed out he was doing excellent, solid work. Then she pointed to the exam paper and the artwork doodled all over it. "This artwork," she said, "is even more impressive. What are you doing in a business program? You have too much artistic talent." That conversation got Nick thinking in a new direction that saw him switch his major to Graphic Design.
After six more years of higher education for visual communications, Nick decided it was time to try to get professional work as an artist. The only company he could imagine working for was Palladium Books and he sent in an art submission. The next thing he knew, he was doing artwork for Palladium.
So now, as an adult, Nick claims he spends most of his time in his basement watching cartoons, reading comics and role-playing books, and drawing monsters and wild characters. Only now, those doodles are seeing publication. He has also submitted a number of concepts that are under serious consideration for publication by Palladium. One is a book about angels being written by Carmen Bellaire (art and concepts by Bradshaw). The other is a whacked-out science-fiction setting to be co-authored by Kevin Siembieda. These are two of the secret projects being developed at Palladium Books, so don't tell anyone.
Nick put himself through college by working as a security guard, bouncer and corrections aide. All left a lasting impression on him – namely bumps, bruises and rumor of minor brain damage from a brawl at Sears. "Only minor brain damage?" said Kevin Siembieda with a grin. "You have to be at least a little brain damaged to work at Palladium. It's a prerequisite. That's why Nick was an instant fit at the company." He must also climb out of that basement sometimes, because he has a long-time girlfriend and a passion for music (rock n' roll and metal) as well as gaming, art and film.
Mark Dudley is another native of Michigan and the Detroit Area. His love affair with artwork and comics started when he was a child, but his imagination found a new forum when he discovered the role-playing games of Palladium Books. Mark's first and all-time favorite Palladium RPG: Heroes Unlimited™. His next favorite: Rifts®.
Mark went from a fan to a Palladium contributing artist 16 years ago. His work appears under his own name as well as under Drunken Style Studios in many issues of The Rifter® as well as such notable RPG titles as Heroes Unlimited™ RPG 2nd Edition, Armageddon Unlimited™, Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® New West™, Rifts® China Two, Rifts® MercTown™, Rifts® Merc Ops, Nightbane® Survival Guide, Heroes of the Megaverse® and many others.
Mark Dudley's collaborations have gone beyond artwork on numerous Palladium projects, including concept and concept development, talent coordination, and work on one of Palladium's ill-fated MMORPG projects. Mark led a handpicked crew of artists and writers from Drunken Style Studios to develop a mature-themed Nightbane® animated TV series that Palladium hopes will someday find a home on a cable channel.
Armed with a gritty and urban art style and a savvy understanding of comics, role-playing gaming and fan culture, Mark continues to provide art, concepts and support to many Palladium publications and projects. This unique expertise, talent and vison has put Mark in charge of spearheading Palladium Books' upcoming line of comic book projects slated to debut in 2012. Mark is a passionate voice and advocate for all things Palladium Books.
An IT Professional by education, Mark Dudley co-founded Drunken Style Studios, a cadre of local artists, who did artwork for Palladium Books for many years until they began to pursue their individual interests in 2005. A scholarship recipient from the world renowned Cranbrook Educational Community and a 1992 graduate of Cornell University School of Economics, Mark came from humble beginnings. Mark is currently pursuing yet another bachelor's degree in Animation from Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and has written various well received pitches and treatments for both film and animation.
Mark Evans studied at Pratt Institute on a full scholarship in the very early 90s. After graduating, he has been storyboarding for commercials and illustrating for the odd book or game ever since. Mark has been lucky enough to work on some of the most exciting properties in existence today. These have included Rifts®, Star Wars, Star Trek, A Game of Thrones, World of Warcraft, Everquest, Warhammer, Warhammer 40K and the Lord of the Rings. There are even greater projects on the horizon.
Mark's work for Palladium Books has included the Rifts® Collectible Card Game, Rifts® Madhaven, Nightbane® Survival Guide, Splicers®, and The Rifter® #38 and 43.
Joseph has been drawing as long as he can remember. He likes to talk about art too, and takes any advice he can get from more experienced artists and tries to put it to good use. He has dedicated five years to tattooing and three spent working in Photoshop.
Joseph caught the eye of Palladium Books when he entered a few pieces of art in the 2010 Rifts® Art Contest in the Black and White category. Though he came in second place, Joe's work caught the eye of Publisher Kevin Siembieda. Joe also made an appearance at the 2010 Palladium Open House where the art was displayed, judged and winners selected. He made a good impression with Kevin and several of the other freelance artists. The next thing Joe knew, he was getting an art assignment for an issue of The Rifter® and then another and another. Joe has contributed to several issues of The Rifter® since and his art will soon begin to appear in other Palladium publications.
"I've always wanted to be an illustrator and freelance artist," said Joseph, "and now I'm living the dream."
Mike is a creative properties developer with a focus on animation and multimedia web based delivery mediums for his work. He grew up watching the classic animation boom during the 80s which, at the core, informed his aspirations toward art as a potential future career. Animated shows like Robotech® fired his imagination and began his love for animation as a viable storytelling medium. Old school, classic anime films like the 1987 The Wings of Honneamise Royal Space Force and the 1989 The Venus Wars inspired and drove his passion for visual design and world building. The imaginative world building aesthetics in Honneamise also galvanized his fierce commitment to working toward original creations rather than parroting his inspirations or producing fan works.
As Mike's love for art grew into a professional endeavor, he founded the indy studio Vulne Pro, which has a strong focus on conceptual design and visual world building in I.P. development. Vulne Pro has gained a following on the web and is known for their original mecha sci-fi drama Theos KE Polemos, and also other works such as the web comic EBEJEEBIES, which had a short run on Coast-to-Coast AM.com.
Mike Majestic has worked as a freelance artist since 1996. Mike came to freelancing for Palladium through a gracious invitation, by Mark Dudley, to assist Drunken Style Studios on one of the Palladium titles the studio was working on at the time, and has worked on various books ever since. Mike has also done work with these clients, among others:
Fantasticon: Artwork and support for Drunken Style Studios' Hypertide web comic project that ran on the, now deceased, site.
Event Solutions International: Automotive event gigs for Chrysler, Jeep, and Bridgestone.
Dreamwave: Colorist for Warlands Age of Ice, issue 9, Transformers Armada, issue 6, Transformers More than Meets the Eye, issues 1-8.
DJ? Acucrack: CD cover art for the band's release Dope King.
Morrigan Press: Helped to re-launch The Terran Trade Authority for a new generation, setting up the art team and doing extensive art for the TTA RPG handbook.
Thunderbean Animation: Background layout clean-ups and color design for a short film commissioned by the University of Michigan.
Encode Media: (in collaboration with Mark Dudley and Vulne Pro writer Jeff Lilly) Extensive work in animation development from scripts, storyboard, animation pitch materials, I.P. development, etc.
Ubisoft U.K.: Character design and artwork for the Nintendo Wii title Emergency Heroes.
Big Shot Toys: Transformers and G.I. Joe toy presentation work intended for pitch meetings with Hasbro.
And, of course, extensive work with Palladium Books® (both independently and assisting fellow Michigan friends Drunken Style Studios) on Rifts®, Rifts® Chaos Earth™, Nightbane®, Robotech® (along with fellow Vulne Pro collaborator Nick Maradin), and undiscolsed pitchwork (in collaboration with Mark Dudley and Vulne Pro writer Jeff Lilly) for potential television animation outlets for a Palladium I.P.
This work, along with the continuing work Mike does on Vulne Pro's original I.P.s with his talented studio collaborators (of which Palladium freelancer Nick Maradin is included), keeps him rather busy and always fuels his love for visual design and storytelling. Mike has enjoyed his work with Palladium and expects good things for the company as they remain committed to being bold and flexible in facing this constantly challenging and changing commercial landscape.
As an artist, Nicholas Maradin enjoys working in a variety of traditional mediums, including but not limited to pencils, pens, markers, acrylics, oils, metalwork, papercraft, carpentry, modeling and LEGO bricks. However, his primary mode of creative operation is carried out through digital mediums such as Photoshop, where he combines traditional style with new technology.
As a freelance illustrator, he has provided artwork in the areas of concept design and promotional art for clients in the fields of comics, animation, toy and music production. He has also contributed mechanical designs and scenic illustrations for various Palladium Books publications, including: Rifts® Dimension Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak™, Rifts® Dimension Book 13: Fleets of the Three Galaxies™, The Rifter® #51 and Robotech®: The Masters Saga Sourcebook.
Nick is also a collaborator with fellow artist Mike Majestic under the Vulne Pro Studio name, and is one of the artists featured in UDON Entertainment's Mega Man tribute book.
A fan of robots and Japanese mecha anime, he is inspired by the work of Syd Mead, Yoji Shinkawa, Junji Okuubo, and many others.
"From the dawn of time he came, moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remained would battle to the last. No one has ever known he was among you ... until now."
Mike Mumah has been freelancing on the RPG circuit since 2005, debuting in Palladium Books The Rifter® quarterly sourcebook series. His art appears in many books in Palladium's extensive library, including Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™, Fleets of the Three Galaxies™, D-Bees of North America™, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook and others. Mike has also been published by several other role-playing game companies, with work appearing in Catalyst Game Labs' Shadowrun RPG, Mongoose Publishing's Babylon 5 RPG, Conan RPG, Runequest, and Victory at Sea, a World War II board game.
Mike is an avid comic book reader with aspirations to create comic books and depict tales of heroic adventure. Those aspirations are about to become a reality when Mumah plays a key role in Palladium Books' plans to create a series of comic books based on its role-playing game worlds.
Mike lives in Michigan with his dog, Fred. They are very happy together.
Creator: Kukuburi, ButterNutSquash
A child of the 1970s, Ramón, eager to embark on his life, was born prematurely to immigrant parents in a small suburban town of southern Ontario, Canada. A visit to a drive-in double feature of Buck Rogers and Battlestar Gallactica at an early age set the stage for his future career.
Now an established cartoonist and illustrator for well over a decade, Ramón's catalogue of work is as diverse as the styles he employs. Winner of both the Honour Book and Official Selection of the 2008 Silver Birch Non-Fiction Awards, his repertoire of clients includes Marvel, DC, Dark Horse Comics, Archaia Publishing, Owl Kids, Wildstorm, Scholastic Canada, Lucasarts, Epitome Pictures, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, SJGames, and the people where it all began, Palladium Books Inc.
Recent career highlights include Captain America and the First Thirteen, Deadpool Team-Up #883, Resistance, JSA: Classifieds - Wildcat!, numerous covers for Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars books, illustrations for Palladium Books' Rifts® game line, redesigning the In Nomine RPG for SJGames, and an upcoming graphic novel in collaboration with a well known film-maker which he can't reveal yet, actually too much has been hinted at already!
Outside of his professional career, Ramón is a founding member of the premiere online anthology comics collective, Transmission-X. His Shuster nominated creations, ButterNutSquash and Kukuburi, are both showcased there.
Ramón currently resides in Toronto, Ontario with his three plants and Boba Fett, and is curious where life will take him next.
Chuck's motto is, "Function Begets Form." His goals, to illustrate and communicate unique and compelling concepts through visual arts in the genres of RPGs, videogames, and sequential art (Comic Books/Graphic Novel and cinematic mediums) as part of a dynamic and creative team. He also plans to see the publication of his own concepts in the same markets with the intent of delivering an entertaining and thought provoking experience in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Chuck's skills include 2D drawing and illustration, conceptual art, sequential art, presentation/pitch development, Adobe Photoshop for Digital Painting, Kaiju, and boss designs, and he has a strong understanding and knowledge of function, anatomy and form when designing and developing new concepts. His versatile range of illustration goes from children's storybooks to anime and Hong Kong comics, to American comics, life drawings and surreal renderings. Chuck enjoys depicting real world animals and creating fictional creatures and aliens for science fiction and fantasy.
He's been a freelance illustrator and concept artist since 1997 to present for Palladium Books and has contributed to Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® Arzno, Rifts® China 2, Rifts® Dinosaur Swamp, Naruni Wave 2, Splicers® RPG, The Rifter® #50 Special Anniversary Edition (cover and interior art), and other issues of The Rifter®. However, Splicers® is his current passion, and Chuck has been working on more than one secret Splicers® project over the last couple of years. He is also planning to contribute to the comic book line being developed by Palladium Books.
Some of Charles Walton II's work outside of Palladium Books includes:
Sarl Role et Strategie Editions (2010 - Present): Traditional 2D & digital fantasy illustrations for an upcoming online RPG videogame (Fantasy Dynasty).
Elysian Atelier, Inc. (2008-Present): Developed artwork for lead characters, weapons and boss designs for pitch/production of action/RPG sci-fi/fantasy videogame.
Mongoose Publishing (2007): RuneQuest Player's Guide to Glorantha.
Castleberry Toys Inc. (2001-2006): "Supa Dupa Babee & Friends: Got Luv 4 U" children's storybook - cover and interior illustrations, as well as product end cap banner display for Walmart retail outlets and various related design work.
Penturion Systems (1998 -1999): "SPORE: A Star Guide to Extraterrestrial Worlds (1999)" – tri-fold, tri-sectioned, triangular book: Written by John McCoy Interior Artwork and Concept Design for characters, alien races, creatures and alien spacecraft. Worked in conjunction with an art team composed of Jerry Vanderstelt and Brian Rood.
Heavy Metal (1998): "F.A.K.K. 2" Julie Strain Limited Edition, 1,000 signed Lithographs. Pencils & Concept Art for main poster lithographs painted by Rob Prior.
Davdez Arts, Inc. (1998): "Lost Heroes" #0-4: Limited comic book series. Lead pencils for sequential art comic pages, covers, character & creature design worked with a team of airbrush artists: Rob Prior, Jerry Vanderstelt, Brian Rood and edited by DC Editor, Mike Gold.
You can see more examples of Charles Walton II's work at deviantart.com.
An independent illustrator since 1987, John graduated from the Otis/Parsons Institute of Art in Los Angeles with a BFA in Illustration. Role-playing game covers have been a major part of his career since 1989. His clients include Marvel Entertainment, Playboy, Hasbro, Mattel toys, Berkeley books, Tor Books, Heavy Metal, Wizards of the Coast, the FASA Corporation, Steve Jackson Games, Topps Inc. and, of course, Palladium Books.
His first art book, entitled Lightstrike, was released in December of 2001. His second art book, Rifts® and the Megaverse® – The Art of John Zeleznik, features over 50 covers and preliminary art created for Palladium. His fantasy pin-up art has been published in calendars by Heavy Metal. John has had works in the World Fantasy Art Show, the Society of Illustrators: West show as well as the Pavilions of Wonder science fiction/fantasy show at the Canton Museum of Art. For ten years his work has been selected for Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art.
He works on Illustration board with acrylic paints as well as in Photoshop to create his dynamic images. He can be contacted through his website: www.johnzeleznik.com
Palladium Books is located at 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. For questions, please use our Help Desk (https://www.palladiumbooks.com/helpdesk), or call us, Monday thru Friday, 9AM to 6PM, at 734-721-2900.
© Copyright 2023 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.| Site -Developed by Rex Barkdoll
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.


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It's not easy to write about films like Terry Gilliam's Tideland (2005); not because it's difficult to follow, but very difficult to process. This off-center drama is rooted in darkness, childhood innocence and Alice in Wonderland, transporting viewers to a macabre environment peppered with peculiar characters. It's far removed from Gilliam's slightly more mainstream efforts like 12 Monkeys and The Fisher King, though fans of the director's work will notice many of his dynamic and arresting visual flourishes on display.
First and foremost, Tideland has established quite a reputation for its dark and "disturbing" content, especially since our protagonist is a young girl. Her name is Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland, Silent Hill), and she's the product of quite an unusual home. Her mother (Jennifer Tilly, Liar Liar) dies early on from a drug overdose, while her heroin-addicted father Noah (Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski) routinely asks the young girl for help shooting up. Sensitive viewers may easily dismiss Tideland for such an unsavory depiction of home life, but those able to look past it will see a necessary part of the story: for Jeliza-Rose, preparing her father's needle is just as ordinary as fetching him a cold drink. She's become accustomed to her dad "going on vacation", so she frequently uses her imagination to stay occupied. Her best friends are a collection of doll heads, whom she agrees and argues with in dramatically different voices.
Shortly after the mother's death, Jeliza-Rose and Noah move to a dilapidated Texas farmhouse, ensuring that their isolated environment is preserved. It's more of the same for a short while: Jeliza-Rose flits about, exploring the house and surrounding area while Noah takes frequent "vacations". His body finally gives up, but Jeliza-Rose doesn't seem to notice. After several days, Noah's corpse begins to decompose, while his daughter simply talks to him and plays dress-up. Again, for her, such long stretches of inactivity are a fairly normal part of her daily routine.
While exploring her new world, Jeliza-Rose is surprised by the mentally handicapped Dickens (Brendan Fletcher, The Final Cut) and his older sister Dell (Janet McTeer, Waking the Dead) on separate occasions. We soon learn that Dell and Noah were once involved in a relationship, so the eccentric woman decides to preserve his body by way of taxidermy. Still, it's Dickens and Jeliza-Rose that seem to have the deepest connection; both think like children and seem to be products of a highly unorthodox family life. They soon feel a closer connection to one another, though it's cut short when Jeliza-Rose's unusual summer literally comes to a screeching halt.
It's true that portions of Tideland will make even the most open-minded viewers squirm, yet it's not always as jarring as it sounds through simple description. Based on Mitch Cullin's novel of the same name, Gilliam has created a visual tour-de-force with a strange but steady pulse. The performances are uniformly excellent; anchored strongly by young Jodelle Ferland, the cast maintains Tideland's dark illusion perfectly. Those looking for a linear story with a clear resolution should look elsewhere, but anyone willing to swim below the surface should appreciate Gilliam's twisted tale.
With that said, Tideland is not a film that many will enjoy. Even if you're able to see past the film's dark exterior, the visually rich environment occasionally rings hollow. It's a story that's perhaps a bit too unconventional---even by Gilliam's standards, on certain occasions---and will undoubtedly turn many viewers completely off within the first 15 minutes. It only gets darker and stranger as the film unfolds, so Tideland is certainly not for all audiences. Long story short: it's directed by Terry Gilliam. If you're appreciative of his back catalogue, Tideland is worth looking into...but even then, you'll want to proceed with caution.
Presented on DVD by ThinkFilm, Tideland arrives in a deluxe two-disc package that defies its tepid box office performance. Though the technical presentation doesn't excel in all areas, most of the bonus features include participation by the director---so regardless of how you feel about the main feature, fans of Gilliam will certainly want to hear his side of the story. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for widescreen displays, Tideland looks very good from start to finish. The transfer boasts strong image detail and clarity (especially during outdoor sequences), an appropriately earthy color palette and deep black levels, so it's hard to complain overall. Only the darkest scenes look a bit on the muddy side, but these instances are few and far between.
As far as the film's aspect ratio goes, that's a much grayer area. Tideland was theatrically presented in 2.35:1, while this DVD is listed as "16x9 anamorphic full frame". This is apparently an open-matte transfer---not a pan and scan, though a few compositions look tight around the edges---but either way, it's an odd decision. Since Tideland's original aspect ratio has not been preserved, the overall visual rating suffers for it.
The audio is presented in your choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or Dolby 2.0 mixes, so even those with modest setups can enjoy what's offered. The surround track is excellent, offering clean, clear dialogue and subtle atmospheric touches. Rear channel and subwoofer action is limited but noticeable. Subtitles are not included, while Closed Captioning is supported during the main feature only.
Up next is a feature-length Audio Commentary with Gilliam and screenwriter Tony Grisoni; as always, the director is candid and well-spoken, detailing the production experience and working with the cast. He and Grisoni---who also scripted Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas---have a good rapport, frequently bouncing comments off one another; still, both are strongly on the defensive during most of this track. In all honesty, their rebuttals towards Tideland's poor critical and commercial reception feel condescending after awhile, as if they've given us a flawless film we simply weren't clever enough to understand. Either way, those who enjoyed past Gilliam commentaries should be entertained by this one.
Disc 2 begins with "Getting Gilliam" (44:43, above left), a documentary by Gilliam fan and Cube director Vincenzo Natali. This is a fairly straightforward affair, mixing plenty of on-set footage with talking head interviews and sincere admiration. It's nowhere near the level of 12 Monkeys' excellent "The Hamster Factor", but it's still a solid production that fans should enjoy. Oddly enough, this documentary is also available with optional commentary by Gilliam and Natali. During the opening moments, the director comments that Natali "got off easy", since Tideland's production was nowhere near as troubled as some of his past efforts.
Of less interest is The Making of Tideland (5:27), a plain-wrap promotional featurette that overlaps most of the previous extras. On a related note is Filming Green Screen (3:15, above right), a brief collection of footage shot during the underwater sequence. It's also available with optional commentary by Gilliam.
Next up is a brief collection of Deleted Scenes (5 clips, 5:58 total), presented in rough form with forced commentary by Gilliam. Though most of this footage is fairly minor, there's an interesting sequence from Jeliza-Rose's earlier years that fans should enjoy. For the most part, Gilliam does an excellent job of explaining why these scenes were cut, though it's odd that his commentary isn't optional.
Also included are Interviews with Gilliam (14:32) and producer Jeremy Thomas (9:35); though Thomas' comments are relatively new, most of Gilliam's stories were already told during the audio commentary and documentary. Closing things out is the film's intriguing Theatrical Trailer (2:05), also presented in 1.85:1.
All bonus features are presented in 1.33:1 and non-anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios, though "Getting Gilliam" is 16x9 enhanced. Unfortunately, no subtitles or Closed Captions have been included here.
Destined to be one of director Terry Gilliam's most infamous films, Tideland is a polarizing, passionate piece of work. Jodelle Ferland's performance is perhaps the most pronounced highlight of the journey, though Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly aren't far behind. Still, Tideland is certainly not a film for all tastes; it's dark, surreal and tough to digest, drifting towards its open-ended conclusion while keeping viewers off-balance along the way. The DVD package by ThinkFilm is passable in most areas, combining a solid technical presentation (aside from the aspect ratio) with a number of interesting bonus features. For obvious reasons, though, it's impossible to recommend Tideland as a blind buy. Rent It first, just to be on the safe side.
Randy Miller III is an affable office monkey based in Harrisburg, PA. He also does freelance graphic design projects and works in a local gallery. When he's not doing that, he enjoys slacking off, second-guessing himself and writing things in third person.
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If you wear a hat regularly, then you know what a tough spot it puts you in sometimes — keep the hat on all day, or take it off and risk showing your hat hair to the world.
Fortunately, those are not your only options. Here are a few tips to keep you from getting hat hair in the first place and fixing it once it's set in on your head.
Preventing Hat Hair
- The right hair style. Keeping the hair short on the sides will give the hat band less to mess up, which means that you can focus on fixing the hair on top.
- Skip the brush and comb. Styling your hair with your fingers, rather than a brush or comb, will give your hair more of a disheveled look. So when you take off your hat, a little extra messiness will look intentional.
- Add volume. You can also use volumizing hair products before you put on a hat to counteract the flattening of the hat.
- Choose the right hat. Stick with natural materials like cotton, cashmere or wool. These will help keep the flat, static-filled hair to a minimum. A loose hat will also have less of an impact on your hair.
- Keep your hair dry. Putting a hat on wet hair will immediately flatten your hair, and mold it into the shape of the hat.
Fixing Hat Hair
- Be prepared. Whenever you put on a hat — and care what you look like when it comes off later — make sure you are prepared with the right hair products, like a light texturizing powder, gel or pomade.
- Get wet. Wrap a hot, wet towel around the edges of your head, where the hat hair is the worst. After a few minutes, the steam from the towel will take out the ridges made by the hat band, much like a steamer removes wrinkles from your clothes.
- Start over. If you can't seem to get your hat hair under control, soak your head under running water, towel off and start over. Again, it helps if you have hair products handy.
If you aren't ready to give up wearing a hat, talk to your hair care professional today to learn about the best hat-worthy styles and products so you don't have to keep your hair hidden under your hat.


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By Jennifer Taylor / Buy Local Santa Monica Committee Chair
This holiday season, as you're filling the stockings, lighting the candles, shopping for last minute gifts and preparing for festive meals, please buy local. When you shop at a local business, not only are you getting unique products and quality services from your neighbors, but you're also giving a gift back to your community.
This holiday season, we asked local businesses for "perfect holiday gift" ideas.
From stocking stuffers to handmade gems, ponchos to pizza ovens, our businesses have you covered.
Many are offering a special 10 percent holiday discount and/or giving a donation to the schools when you mention "Buy Local." For more information visit www.buylocalsm.com/news-spotlights.
Speaking of schools, did you know that more than $6.5 million was raised for Santa Monica's schools last year, thanks to local purchases? This funding was used to purchase textbooks, employ 43 teachers, fund summer school programs, and to hire a Samohi college counselor. Buying local makes a difference to our schools and our community.
A recent study by Civic Economics found that for every dollar you spend at a locally owned business, 68 cents stays in the local economy in the form of taxes, wages, local purchasing, employee spend, community donations and more. For purchases made at non-locally owned businesses (e.g. chain stores), 43 cents stays in the community. It all helps. Just think what would happen if every Santa Monica resident took the Buy Local Challenge pledge to spend $50 each month at favorite local businesses. This is just what a group of 80 seniors (and their parents) are doing at Samohi and they're blogging about it! To join the challenge and read the great blogs, visit www.buylocalsantamonica.com/buylocalchallenge.
The Buy Local Santa Monica campaign was launched in 2009 by representatives of the Santa Monica business community and the City of Santa Monica to support local businesses and raise awareness of the community, economic and environmental benefits of choosing local first.
Local buying strengthens our community.
By joining forces with other regional and national efforts, including Small Business Saturday, we are working to translate awareness into action to support a vibrant and sustainable local economy. For more info on the campaign, visit www.buylocalsm.com.
In addition to perfect gift ideas and joining the Buy Local Challenge, we want to hear from you about the kinds of products and services you need in your neighborhood. We've joined forces with Main Street, Montana Avenue, Pico Boulevard and Downtown SM to launch a Buy Local resident survey www.surveymonkey.com/s/BuyLocalSM. Feedback will help inform existing businesses about unmet resident needs, and will also be used to help attract new businesses to Santa Monica.
Your dollars spent in Santa Monica make a difference. Thank you for supporting your local businesses and your community. Happy Holidays from Buy Local SM!


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Our 'Small Globe Glass Earrings' were in the very first Bёuy collection we ever launched (all those years ago...) and remain a staple within every season. These everyday wear, bubble looking glass earrings citrus yellow are made of borosilicate glass which is both light weight and also extremely durable (eg: glass used in laboratories and kitchenware), with posts are made from tarnish-free hypoallergenic surgical steel.
We hope you enjoy our Bёuy small globe glass earrings, our most popular design!


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Lucas Restrepo, M.D., Ph.D.
Health Sciences Assistant Professor of Neurology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Comprehensive Stroke and Vascular Neurology Program
710 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Tel: (310) 794-6379
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
UCLA Neurology Clinic
Clinic Appts: (310) 794-1195 {Memory Evaluation}
Clinic Fax: (310) 794-7491
Lucas Restrepo obtained his MD degree from the Health Science Institute in Colombia, South America in 1993, completing his neurology residency at Georgetown University in 2000 and a stroke fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital with Robert J. Wityk in 2002. He has earned several academic awards, including "intern of the year" at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1996 and being named "neurology attending of the year" by the UCLA neurology residents in 2006 and 2010. He earned a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology at Arizona State University in 2011 under the mentoring of Stephen Albert Johnston. Dr. Restrepo has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers, some with relevant impact. Two of his papers about advanced MRI techniques and transcranial Doppler ultrasound for the evaluation of the pathophysiology of brain ischemia were selected as "best paper (s) published in the Journal of Neuroimaging" for 2 consecutive years (2003 and 2004). Dr. Restrepo is co-inventor of several cooling devices for neuroprotection and helped develop a blood test for Alzheimer's Disease. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Stroke and Vascular Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Memory Disorders.
Education and Degrees
M.D., Medicine and Surgery, Health Sciences Institute (CES), Medellin, Colombia, 1986-1993.
Internship, Internal Medicine, U Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, 1996-1997.
Residency, Neurology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 1997-2000.
Fellowship I, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 2000-2001.
Fellowship II, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, 2001-2003.
M.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, Arizona, 2006-2010.
Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, Arizona, 2006-2011.
Awards and Honors
Golden Hammer Award" (Neurology Attending of the Year) Presented by Neurology Residents, University of California, Los Angeles, June 2010.
"Stroke in Emergency Medicine Award," American Heart Association/International Stroke Conference, February 2010, San Antonio, Texas.
"Neurology Attending of the Year" Presented by Neurology Residents, University of California, Los Angeles, June 2007.
"John and Sophia Prockop Memorial Lectureship" for a manuscript that was judged to have "outstanding value to the development and success of the Journal of Neuroimaging", Spring 2006. [J Neuroimaging 2005;15:254-260]
"John and Sophia Prockop Memorial Lectureship" award for "the highest quality manuscript published in the prior year in the Journal of Neuroimaging", Spring 2004. [J Neuroimaging 2003; 13:34-42]
"Outstanding Service", 2 recognitions, Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C., Spring 1998.
"Intern of the Year", University of Texas SCSA, Spring 1997.
"Top 10 Best Posters", American College of Physicians meeting (1997), San Antonio, Texas.
Board Certifications
2005 -- Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
(selected peer-reviewed publications)
Restrepo L, Stafford P, Johnston SA. Feasibility of an early Alzheimer's disease immunosignature diagnostic test. J Neuroimmunol 2013;254:154-160. PMID: 23084373
Moscato M, Boon-Unge K, Restrepo L. Enhancing brain lesions in a renal transplant patient. The Neurohospitalist. 2013;1:15-19. doi:10.1177/1941874412459333. PMID: 23983883; PMCID: PMC3726124
Alderazi YJ, Chang J, Yang YP, Teleb M, Chapple K, Awad A, Restrepo L. Impact of Protocol Deviations in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Intravenous rt-PA Within 4.5 Hours After Symptom Onset. The Neurohospitalist 2012;2:82-86. doi:10.1177/1941874412441802. PMID: 23983868; PMCID: PMC3726086
Restrepo L, Stafford P, Magee DM, Johnston SA. Application of immunosignatures to the assessment of Alzheimer's disease. Annals of Neurology 2011; 70: 286-295. PMID:21823156
Chang J, Teleb M, Alderazi Y, Yang J, Frey J, Restrepo L. Stroke mimics treated with i.v. fibrinolysis. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2011 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:21640609
Likosky D, Shulman S, Restrepo L, Freeman WD. Survey of neurohospitalists: subspecialty definition and practice characteristics. Front Neurol. 2010 Jun 14;1:9. PMID:21206522; PMCID: PMC3009448
Restrepo L. Arizona Immigration Law and clinical practice. N Engl J Med. 2010 Jun 24;362(25):2432. PMID:20519676
Sanossian N, Starkman S, Liebeskind DS, Ali LK, Restrepo L, Hamilton S, Conwit R, Saver JL; FAST-MAG Trial Investigators. Simultaneous ring voice-over-Internet phone system enables rapid physician elicitation of explicit informed consent in prehospital stroke treatment trials. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2009;28(6):539-44. PMID:19844092; PMCID: PMC2914352
Bang OY, Ovbiagele B, Liebeskind DS, Restrepo L, Yoon SR, Saver JL. Clinical determinants of infarct pattern subtypes in large vessel atherosclerotic stroke. J Neurol. 2009;256(4):591-599. PMID:19444533; PMCID: PMC2745818
Restrepo L, Bang OY, Ovbiagele B, Liebeskind DS, Starkman S, Buck B, Vinuela F, Duckwiler G, Jahan R, Saver JL. Impact of History of Hyperlipidemia and Statin Therapy on Acute Ischemic Stroke Outcomes after Intra-Arterial Fibrinolysis and Percutaneous Mechanical Embolectomy. Cerebrovasc Dis 2009;28:384-390. PMID:19713698; PMCID: PMC2909704