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Despite Alternatives, Addictive Drugs Most Often Prescribed For Sleep Problems14 years, 3 months ago
Posted on Jun 02, 2005, 6 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications, a new study reports. Office visits by older patients and those with publicly funded health insurance plans were nearly twice as likely to result in the prescription of these kinds of medications.
Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications, a new study reports. Office visits by older patients and those with publicly funded health insurance plans were nearly twice as likely to result in the prescription of these kinds of medications.
Office visits by older patients and those with publicly funded health insurance plans were nearly twice as likely to result in the prescription of these kinds of medications.
The drugs, called benzodiazepines, are often a cheaper alternative to some newer types of medicines that don't have the same potentially addictive side effects, said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the study's lead author and the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University .
"Some of the most vulnerable populations in the United States are at greater risk of receiving prescription sleep medication with a high abuse potential," he said.
The study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Sleep, includes data from 94.6 million office visits in the United States over a six-year period. Patients included in the data set sought help for sleep-related difficulties in outpatient physician offices.
Balkrishnan and his colleagues gathered six years of outpatient office visit data &endash; from 1996 to 2001 &endash; from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). The NAMCS includes information on patient demographics, the reason for a visit, a patient's diagnosis, the medication prescribed and the therapeutic and preventive services recommended during that visit. The majority of patients went to family practice physicians, internal medicine providers or psychiatrists.
Using information from the NAMCS, the researchers analyzed the treatment patterns of patients 18 and older who reported sleep problems.
Nearly two-thirds of those visits resulted in medication prescriptions for a person's sleep difficulties, and three-quarters of those prescriptions were for a benzodiazepine. (Five of the 13 kinds of benzodiazepines on the market in the United States are indicated for treating insomnia.)
The other 25 percent of patient visits for sleep disorders ended with prescriptions for non-benzodiazepine medications.
Benzodiazepines were widely prescribed for anxiety and other stress-related problems in the 1960s and 1970s. These drugs, which have a calming effect on the nervous system, are still prescribed as muscle relaxants and tranquilizers. (Valium is one example of a benzodiazepine, although it is not recommended for treating insomnia in the United States.)
"Benzodiazepines are usually effective for just a few weeks when used to treat insomnia. But addiction can develop relatively quickly", Balkrishnan said.
"A person can develop a strong psychological and physical dependence on these drugs in a short time, and experience severe withdrawal-like symptoms once he stops taking the medication," he said.
Office visits by people 50 and older were about 5 times as likely to result in a drug treatment for sleep problems as were visits by 18- to 34-year-olds.
And people 65 and older were twice as likely as the 18- to 34-year-olds to receive prescriptions for benzodiazepines. Visits by patients with Medicare or Medicaid &endash; the federally subsidized health insurance plans &endash; were also twice as likely to result in benzodiazepine prescriptions as visits by patients with private health insurance.
Psychiatrists were four times as likely to prescribe newer non-benzodiazepine drugs during patient visits compared to family practice and internal medicine physicians.
"Psychiatrists may be more informed than other kinds of doctors about newer, non-benzodiazepine drugs," Balkrishnan said. "Or psychiatrists may see patients with more complex problems in whom other therapies such as over-the-counter medications have failed.
"Overall, the study suggests that some physicians do consider other options before jumping to prescribe a drug to treat sleep problems," he said.
But many health care providers don't take public health insurance, Balkrishnan said. This means that these patients, regardless of their age, are more likely to receive cheaper benzodiazepines as treatments for their sleep problems.
And elderly people, 65 and older, with private health insurance were more likely to receive benzodiazepines.
"We need to understand the reasons for these disparities in order to stop this trend," Balkrishnan said. "There needs to be a move toward a more uniform prescription system &endash; at least for certain types of medications.
"One possibility is to create guidelines that say let's reserve the most addictive benzodiazepines for patients for whom every other kind of treatment has been unsuccessful."
While the study did not look at the types of non-drug treatments prescribed to treat sleep disorders, such as behavioral therapy, the researchers found that nearly half (48 percent) of patient visits resulted in a drug prescription, while 14 percent of the office visits resulted in a combined prescription of medication and behavioral therapy. Just five percent of patient visits resulted in prescribed behavioral therapy only.
The study was funded by a grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals of North America, Inc., Lincolnshire, Ill. The study does not discuss any specific products of the sponsor company.


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The New World of Men's Shoes
With the surge in men's footwear options, both style-conservatives and risk-takers are spoiled for choice (and perhaps a bit overwhelmed by it). Here, a guide to sole survival
Photo Details (front to back): Oxford, $345, allenedmonds.com; Freemans Sporting Club by Allen Edmonds Saddle Shoe, $484, Freemans Sporting Club, 212-673-3209; Loafer, $595, tods.com; Church's Shoe, $735, leffot.com; Bluchers, $298, jcrew.com; Derby, $1,710, John Lobb, 212-888-9797; Brooks Brothers Peal & Co. Shoe, $648, brooksbrothers.com; Monk Strap, $550, Bally, 212-751-9082; Derby, $1,250, Hermès, 800-441-4488; Shoe, $598, brooksbrothers.com; Derby, $265, walkover.com; Loafer, $548, Paul Stuart, 212-682-0320; Oxford, $695, Canali, 212-752-3131; Oxford, $198, colehaan.com; Boot, $248, jcrew.com; Boot, $525, Crockett & Jones, 212-582-3800; Boot, $870, Hermès, 800-441-4488; Boot, $395, allenedmonds.com; O'Keeffe Boot, $975, mrporter.com
FORMER BANKER Paul Grangaard recalls a time when most of his colleagues owned only a few pairs of shoes: two to alternate between for work, one for the weekend and a pair of running shoes or sandals. That, he has noticed recently, is no longer the case.
"I have a friend who's the CEO of a Fortune 500 company in Minnesota. He tells me this is the first time he's had more than four pairs of shoes," said Mr. Grangaard, 55, now the president and CEO of American shoe brand Allen Edmonds. "He said he's up to seven, and it's all my fault."
When it comes to footwear, men's attitudes are starting to resemble those stereotypically associated with women. The signs are everywhere. Over the last year, J.Crew doubled its men's dress shoe offerings. Saks Fifth Avenue has been devoting more and more space to men's shoes; in its Beverly Hills menswear store, footwear now occupies the entire first floor. Since Mr. Grangaard took over at Allen Edmonds in 2008, he's doubled the company's business by reviving classic styles along with more contemporary spins on them.
"There is an explosion of men's shoes right now. The business is on fire," confirmed Eric Jennings, Saks Fifth Avenue's vice president and men's fashion director. "It runs the gamut from classic dress shoes to designer sneakers that are extremely fashion forward."
So which pairs does a guy now need to own? Mr. Jennings's list of essentials includes wingtip brogues, cap-toed lace-ups, slip-on loafers and any style in cordovan-hued leather, which coordinates well with blacks, blues and browns. A monk-strap shoe, he added, while not essential, can be a smart addition.
"I've got derbies, bucks, wingtips, brogues and a monk -strap," said Andrew Chisholm, a 34-year-old New York-based advertising copywriter who has signed up for a shoemaking course at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The side-buckled monk-strap style happens to be a favorite of J.Crew's head of men's design, Frank Muytjens, who showed both suits and jeans from his spring collection on models wearing white or gray suede double-strap monks from English brand Alfred Sargent.
Sam Lobban, senior buyer for online retailer Mr Porter, adds boots to the list, whether Chelsea, desert or chukka. None of these above styles is particularly new; in fact, they're classics. What makes the current offerings a footwear feast is the sheer volume of new colors and fabrications as well as subtle tweaks to familiar shapes.
Some also consider a new popular category—the fashion sneaker—to be an essential. High-end fashion brands like Lanvin, Balmain and Saint Laurent are finding an ever-growing market for their versions, which start around $500 and go up to four figures. "It used to be 'Sex and the City,' women and the Manolo Blahnik. Now it's men spending $1,000 on sneakers," said Matthew Chevallard, the 27-year-old co-founder of Del Toro, a contemporary shoe brand he founded in 2005.
Not Even Close to Polish
These unexpected substances are effective—to varying degrees—at cleaning and caring for your shoes
One man instrumental in establishing the sneaker trend is Prathan Poopat, 41, the co-founder of Common Projects, a line of minimalist kicks that have married running shoes to Italian leather and shoemaking since 2004. "It seemed like a gap in the market," said Mr. Poopat. "Something very basic, something luxury that wasn't screaming a logo or a brand." Such innovations blurred the line between casual and dress-up. Suddenly, there was a pair of sneakers that you could wear to a dinner party. "For me, it's a wardrobe staple," said Lanvin menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, who added sneakers to the tailoring-centric French label. Though Lanvin has introduced more athletic-looking cross-trainers and high-tops, the cap-toed sneaker Mr. Ossendrijver first made—think a fancy pair of Converse—continues to be the best-seller.
One can trace the shoe boom to a growing interest in menswear driven, in large part, by blogs and their endless streams of street-style photographs. As dress codes have relaxed and been reshaped (Mr. Jennings pointed out that shorter pant hems have shone more of a spotlight on shoes), men have started to use footwear to express their personal style. "You can see trends from all over the world—cool guys in Austin and Paris and Tokyo," said Los Angeles-based designer George Esquivel, 43, who began his career making shoes for members of Pearl Jam and Nine Inch Nails, and is now known for creating inventive custom shoes for fashion-forward clients like New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler. "Men start getting tired of black and brown and very basic things," Mr. Esquivel added.
As the shoe-niverse expands, a host of new brands and designers has emerged (see below). Perhaps the most prominent among them is Mark McNairy, 52, whose inability to find a proper buck five years ago led him to make his own. Since then he's applied a rainbow of colors both to the suede uppers and sometimes to the soles. "Mark has had a great influence on [the trend toward] merging street style with sartorial style," said Saks's Mr. Jennings. Del Toro's Mr. Chevallard gives classic smoking slippers a similar twist, offering them in plain black velvet or camouflage with a red toe cap.
Of course, many shoe enthusiasts still worship at the altar of tradition, coveting decades-old, UK-based brands in particular. "The demand for British men's shoes has gone through the roof," said George Glasgow, 30, who runs George Cleverley, a mostly custom shoe business his father opened in London in 1958. Since 2007, Mr. Glasgow has noticed a younger, savvier audience for his made-to-measure wares and for the ready-made shoes he sells through Mr Porter, where they are a top seller. "Ten years ago, it was the Duke of Beaufort," said Mr. Glasgow. Now it's younger bankers, guys in their 20s (guess where Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe gets shod?) and even well-heeled university students (a pair of ready-made Cleverley oxford brogues costs $1,600). Younger customers are also buying driving loafers and refreshed neon-soled bucks and chukkas from American brand Cole Haan, founded in the 1920s.
In some cases, the two sides have merged in traditional-contemporary collaborations—114-year-old British company Alfred Sargent and J.Crew; Allen Edmonds and Freemans Sporting Club; 147-year-old brand Grenson and Rag & Bone—that provide the best of both worlds.
Menswear will never be a rule-free category, but the unprecedented number of footwear options has certainly broadened the scope of what's acceptable. Reflecting on how much codes have shifted, Allen Edmonds's Mr. Grangaard said: "When I went to work for an investment bank in 1986, our boss said he would never hire anyone who would wear brown shoes to an interview."
Cobblers to Watch
These three footwear brands, all recently launched, are making strides
Noah Waxman
New York-based designer Noah Waxman makes shoes that are Dutch-inspired but American-made. "Style in Holland is a perfect marriage between things that are cool and wacky [and the] very functional," said Mr. Waxman, who studied shoemaking in Utrecht in the Netherlands. The designer, 39, launched his eponymous footwear collection earlier this year. For fall, he updated the classic chukka-boot design with two unexpected materials—embossed Western leather and haircalf, both in a rich burgundy. For spring, he used raffia, a material not commonly found in men's footwear, with brightly colored suede. The line, he said, is for men who demand the sort of form and function that doesn't compromise style. "That's essential in shoemaking," he said. "It has to work in a technical sense, and be beautiful."
Broken Homme
What do surfers and skateboarders wear when they graduate to the next phases of life? That's the question that Jim Leatherman, 33, and Josh Johnson, 32—both action-sports aficionados—pondered before launching their California-based footwear brand, Broken Homme, in 2012.
"We were thinking about the man who wasn't wearing Vans any more," said Mr. Leatherman. Forming the heart of the collection is footwear in traditional silhouettes that is sturdy enough to work in but sleek enough for formal affairs. The duo uses heavy black Vibram outsoles instead of leather soles in their boots and oxfords to avoid a too-formal look. They source full-grain hides from American tanneries in the Midwest and Southwest for a robust but polished feel. Broken Homme's shoes are completely made in the U.S.A., a point of pride for the designers. "We're not a heritage brand that's been around for a hundred years but we are conscious of being locally made," Mr. Leatherman said. "We consider ourselves a new generation of American craftsmanship."
"Feit is a play on the word 'fight,'" said Tull Price, 37, about the new footwear label that he and his brother, Josh, 34, launched in their native Australia. "It refers to the struggle of doing something you're passionate about." That could explain why the Prices only produce limited runs of each Feit style annually. Their process is painstaking: Every pair of their minimalist leather hiking boots, slippers and sneakers is hand-sewn from a single piece of leather that's fruit- and vegetable-dyed, then sits in a lightly steamed room for up to 10 days until the humidity naturally tightens the leather around the last—the foot-shaped form used by shoemakers—to create a superior fit. Now in its sixth season, Feit was picked up by the soon-to-open Dover Street Market in New York. And the Price brothers intend to remain in high-end boutiques. "We're not looking to build the business really big," said Tull. "We are focused on creating high-quality products on a small scale."
—David Yi
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

subset: commoncrawl


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LAFAYETTE — The Peak to Peak girls basketball team has lost three games in the year 2013. Each time, the Pumas have fallen to a team ranked in the top five of its respective classification.
On Wednesday night at home, the Pumas fell 59-28 to the visiting Lutheran Lions, ranked second in Class 2A by the latest Denver Post coaches poll.
Wednesday's loss followed a rough Metro League loss to 3A fourth-ranked Holy Family last Friday, during which the Pumas were outscored 26-5 after leading to start the fourth quarter. They had won three straight and five of their last six, including a loss to top-ranked Denver Science and Tech, before that.
"We aren't where we want to be right now and that wasn't how we wanted to play," Pumas senior Ivy DeVries said Wednesday. "Like my coach said, it was a learning lesson and to learn from Lutheran. They were constantly working hard and that's the kind of team that we want to be."
Starting out well, the Pumas (8-6, 3-2) trailed just 12-7 after the first quarter. But the Lions (12-0, 6-0) went to a full-court trapping press, which DeVries said was the Pumas' biggest issue, and outscored the Pumas 21-2 in the second quarter.
Early on, Pumas head coach Chad Rathbun said the Pumas executed their strategy, which was to get the ball down low to DeVries (12.0 points per game) and junior forward Annette Warner (9.6 ppg).
"We came out hard but throughout the game we didn't play well as a team and we were losing energy," Warner said. "They stayed consistent throughout the whole game so we dropped. Their shots were definitely falling and we kept not getting our hands up to try to block or distract them."
Warner led the Pumas with 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals. DeVries (five rebounds) and sophomore Katharine Kia each added six points while sophomore guard Brianna Wetmore had five rebounds.
The Pumas, who made the 3A Sweet 16 last season, will look to rebound after a pair of tough conference losses and it won't be easy with Kent Denver and Bishop Machebeuf on the schedule next week.
But Rathbun said they're getting back to full strength after several early-season injuries and feel like they are starting to jell, which has them feeling they can compete with any team if they play their game.
"This is good for us," Rathbun said. "Come tournament time, you want to have played this type of competition."
Follow Brad on Twitter: @BradCochi
Lutheran 59, Peak to Peak 28
At Peak to Peak HS
Kyle 2 0-0 5, Farra 6 0-0 14, J. Vigil 4 2-2 12, Sturns 2 0-0 4, Dettmering 2 0-1 4, Barone 0 0-0 0, Sauceda 0 0-0 0, Loptien 0 0-0 0, K. Vigil 5 0-0 10, Rickey 2 0-0 4, Cattau 3 0-1 6. Totals 26 2-4 59.
Wetmore 1 0-0 2, Kia 2 0-0 6, Hazzard 0 0-0 0, Warner 5 2-5 12, DeVries 2 2-2 6, Colgate 0 0-0 0, Martinez 1 0-0 2, Callaway 0 0-3 0. Totals 11 4-10 28.
Score by quarters:
Lutheran 12 21 8 18 — 59
Peak to Peak 7 2 9 9 — 28
3-point field goals — Lutheran (5): Farra 2, J. Vigil 2, Kyle; Peak to Peak (2): Kia 2. Total fouls — Lutheran 13, Peak to Peak 13. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.


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If Canadians have learned anything from the recent musings of Thomas Mulcair and Stephen Harper's consistent abuse of democracy, it is that these two politicians are quite deliberately aggravating the fault lines that are unavoidably inherent in our vast country. This underscores the need for a renewed and revitalized Liberal Party of Canada that represents the sensible centre of Canadian values and traditions.
I have written elsewhere about Thomas Mulcair's dubious handle on economic reality. In doing so, I gave him the benefit of the doubt; I did not want to assign crass political opportunistic motives and tactical wedge politics of the kind Stephen Harper uses to such impressive, if cynical, effect. But I was wrong. Mulcair is clearly not a uniter -- critical to successful national leadership -- he's a divider. And Canada certainly does not need another one of those.
As a Liberal candidate during the 2011 federal election, many people insisted that I take a firm stand against Alberta's oil sands. They wanted my commitment -- written in blood -- that, should I be elected, I would call for their immediate shutdown of Alberta's tar sands. I simply wouldn't do that. I urged voters to think about what they were asking me to do. What, I asked them, would they propose to do with our commitments under NAFTA? Or how we should replace the 500,000 jobs dependent on the oil patch? How should we deal with an Alberta economy that would be decimated overnight by such a move? Not to mention the profoundly negative impact on the entire country as well as myriad legal and constitutional issues that would surely follow.
Their response was that the "government" should employ all those people to clean up the "mess" made by the "big oil companies." And who should pay for that, I asked? The government should, of course! How much do they think that would that cost and what would we do with those 500,000 people after they have cleaned up the mess? In all cases, my questions only elicited blank stares. This is not a fictitious exchange -- it really happened. Many times.
Whenever such an exchange took place, I wondered what I was missing. Why were people ready to insist on such a radical and destructive position when they had very few facts at their disposal? Why was it that provincialism appeared to trump the national interest? Why did so many appear to so abruptly disregard the well-being of another part of Canada?
Liberal leaders, the most recent of which was Michael Ignatieff, have devoted their lives to a strong and united Canada. They would never think of exploiting regional tensions for political gain. Quite the contrary. How easy it would have been for Ignatieff to slam the tar sands. He never did, nor would. And for that he paid a heavy political price.
If critics were honest about it they would acknowledge that even the dreaded -- and ultimately deeply misguided -- National Energy Policy was the consequence of sincere Liberal thinking about what was the best course for Canada as a whole. The commonly accepted mythology is that the NEP was some diabolical scheme to "screw the West". No it wasn't. Liberal governments were early supporters of the "tar sands". So while the NEP was bad policy, that's very different than deliberately sewing the seeds of division as a political strategy.
We should be sticking to the facts. Canada has more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia. Today, we are the fifth-largest energy producing country in the world. As Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Prize, Daniel Yergin writes: "If the oil sands were an independent country, they would be the largest single source of U.S. crude imports." Alberta's oil and gas industry supports more than 271,000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs in sectors such as construction, manufacturing and financial services, to name a few. It is a massive contributor of Canada's Gross National Product and a source of wealth for all Canadians.
Today, we appear at an impasse. Positions are entrenched and hardening and the stakes are substantial. Yet, on an issue of significance to Canada's national interest, our political leaders have not made any serious attempts to find a reasonable accommodation of interests, but have played to their political base and fueled tension and division. This is far from constructive.
In the past several years, regional factionalism has intensified at a disturbing rate in Canada. We've witnessed skirmishes between Newfoundland and Quebec over hydro electricity; cleavages with Ottawa on a national securities regulator; a widening chasm between jurisdictions on health care; a growing chorus of discontent on equalization; the unprecedented spectacle of premiers of various provinces at the climate change talks in Copenhagen attacking our national government on foreign soil; and more recently, a nasty debate about opening up Canadian markets for B.C. wine, rather than having a broader discussion of ever-present inter-provincial trade barriers.
The cumulative impact of a poor management of these seemingly isolated dossiers is tearing at the fabric of the country.
We must have an informed and rational discussion about the options for our future -- which includes strengthening Canada's economic and social union and diversifying our overwhelming economic dependence on the United States. But for that to happen, our mental model must change. It is the job of leaders to lead and constructively engage in that discussion.
To her credit, Alberta Premier Allison Redford is filling a gaping hole in a national leadership vacuum in her call for a national energy strategy for Canada for the 21st century. Worldwide demand and consumption of fossil fuels will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future. That is clear evidence that developing countries have been and remain on a strong growth path. For example, demand for energy in the next 25 years is forecasted to increase over 35 per cent.
The Pacific Rim and India will be among the largest consumers. They also need potash, coal, iron ore, timber, natural gas and wheat, as well as oil. Canada should be a major supplier -- not only to the United States -- but to world markets. It is vital to Canada's strategic and economic interest that our national leadership play a facilitating role. Sadly, they are not.
The question we should be asking ourselves is how do we get those needed products -- which includes product from Alberta's oil sands -- to a global market that wants and needs them, and how can that be done in an environmentally safe fashion? Mulcair's notion that Alberta is an environmental catastrophe that rides roughshod over current laws and regulations is an affront to the truth.
The other key question I believe we should ask ourselves is this: in light of that demand, can we tie that indisputable fact to a much broader economic development agenda for Western Canada? If we frame the question in that way, it opens up an entirely different set of possibilities that we should explore. Worldwide demand and consumption of fossil fuels and other commodities will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future. Canada is blessed with an abundance of resources that the world needs. This is not only a matter of building Canada's economic future, but sharing our bounty with a world. Particularly sharing with developing countries whose own desire for prosperity depends on our capacity to provide them with the materials they need to build infrastructure and power their economies. This is in Canada's strategic and economic interest.
We need a constructive conversation that doesn't pit Canadian against Canadian. At its core this conversation should be a matter of nation-building at its most fundamental and about Canada's contribution to the world. In their quest for political advantage, Conservatives and the NDP have lost sight of their ultimate responsibility to the national interest. It should serve as a reminder to Liberals that the ideals of national unity and centrist compromise in the drive to build a strong economy that epitomize our party are more relevant -- and urgently indispensable -- than ever.


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Now vending machine manufacturers and operators are beginning to recognize the attractiveness, flexibility and functionality that can be gained from touchscreen technology. Advances in performance and design are starting to have a major impact on how customers interact with these machines; and, when they are combined with complementary technologies -- cameras, facial recognition software, inventory management systems, cashless payments, short-range communications (NFC or Bluetooth) and slick graphical user interfaces -- the benefits are more compelling.
The first vending machines were all mechanical. Vender design then evolved from electromechanical control and dispensing to electronic control. The advent of modern electronics resulted in greater functionality, and recent technological advances have taken things still further. These include sophisticated payment mechanisms, some using radio frequency identification to eliminate the need to use cash and reduce the risk of theft. And Internet connectivity now can provide information on whether machines require restocking or service, thus lowering running costs.
PHOTO: Coca-Cola's Freestyle machines incorporate a Zybrid touch sensor, which uses Zytronic's Projected Capacitive Technology. The touch system is a matrix of ultrafine capacitors, embedded in a pure glass panel. It enables the dispenser to share product information on a bright 15.1" display, and run an intuitive GUI for customer input.
This technology also allows customers to manipulate virtual images of products, play small games connected with the brand, or obtain details on the ingredients and number of calories they contain (nearly impossible in conventional machines, where this type of information is hidden from view on the rear of the product).
It's easy to be seduced by technology. Touchscreens on vending machines must not overshadow the vender's main purpose, which is to generate revenue through regular use. If a touchscreen interface fails in its task, either by turning off a repeat customer through its poor performance, or in the worst case, actually preventing any purchase because of an outright breakdown, the lost sales and damaged reputation to the operating company can be catastrophic. In vending, proven reliability should be paramount when considering a touchscreen for use in a new vending machine.
Engineers need to consider three key factors when looking to embed touch control into vending machines.
1. The specified touchscreen solution must be durable, as these pieces of equipment are designed for 24/7 public use. Furthermore, some venders may be deployed in a variety of environments, including outdoors, where they will be subjected to wind, moisture and extreme temperatures. As the machines may be located in lightly supervised areas, the chosen touchscreen should be resistant to deliberate harm from vandalism, in addition to accidental scratches from users' watches and jewelry.
2. Touch-sensing technology employed should be capable of supporting both small and large displays. Small touchscreens are easier to retrofit to existing vending machines, making compliance with regulations easier and cheaper. Larger touch interfaces present marketers with the ability to broadcast eye-catching, dynamic advertising when the vender is not being used, so as to attract business from passersby.
3. The chosen touchscreen solution should ideally support customization, such as screen-printed borders and logos, holes and slots for card readers and bill validators, and even curved surfaces. All of these custom capabilities will contribute to making the vending machine stand out and attract use.
PHOTO: JR East stations in Tokyo and Shinagawa host oversized Acure vending machines. A 47" touchscreen panel dominates the front, which shows two tall eyes when in sleep mode, and switches to the storefront mode, which displays available drinks (and hides ones that are sold out). Payment can be made in hard money, as well as with a Suica or a FeliCa on a cellphone. There is a camera above the screen that determines the age and gender of a person standing in front of it.
Touchscreens based on projective capacitance (p-cap) possess a set of attributes favorable to their potential use in vending machines, as well as other public-use and self-service machines. With no drifting issues, they have the capability to deliver accurate and highly responsive touch operation, even through a protective overlay that isolates the screen from the external environment and so protects it from potential sources of damage. However, standard p-cap technology based on indium tin oxide (ITO) patterns is generally not scalable or robust enough to provide the impact resistance or large form factors that are increasingly desirable for this type of application. By contrast, the copper-based p-cap solutions developed by Zytronic have enabled touch sensors to be applied on much larger scales than was previously possible, and in ultra-robust formats. This has helped self-service equipment manufacturers across the globe to confidently and reliably deploy vending machines in a wide range of environments and eye-catching designs.
There are clearly several major benefits to implementing touchscreen technology into vending machines, both in commercial and operational terms. With the proliferation of touch-enabled devices in consumer electronics, users increasingly expect touch interactivity on displays, wherever they are deployed, and such interfaces enable bright, attractive graphics and support for a greater breadth of features and intuitive interaction. Provided that a suitable touch-sensing technology is specified, it is possible to install human-machine interfaces on vending machines that deliver the high levels of reliability needed for public use.
In addition, deployment of multi-touch functionality will, moving forward, result in the proliferation of units supporting control via complex gestures.
IAN CROSBY is director of sales and marketing of Zytronic, a developer and manufacturer of projected capacitive touchscreens for industrial and public-use applications. Crosby, who joined the company in 2007, oversees global sales and marketing. Prior to Zytronic he worked for Filtrona, a maker of specialty products for the tobacco industry, and Corning Inc., the multinational glass and ceramics giant. Zytronic is based in Blaydon upon Tyne, United Kingdom, and online at zytronic.co.uk.
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Tuesday September 17, 2019; 05:01 pm EDT
Crossword creator Ben Tausig wins Orca award for Best Crossword
When your favorite movie wins an Oscar, you can say I was there — virtually.
You've gotten closer than that in the world of puzzles if you've matched wits with Ben Tausig, winner of the Orca for Best Crossword of 2012.
Like the Oscars, the Orcas are awarded by insiders, the followers of Sam Donaldson's blog, Diary of a Crossword Fiend.
Tausig's March 28, 2012 puzzle, published in The Onion A.V. Club, won best puzzle of the year.
You should be glad the winner didn't run in Bay Weekly. Donaldson and readers of his blog chose Tausig's puzzle for its devilish complication.
Among its entanglements: "Six three-letter entries have two clues, one using up and one using down. The trick is that you continue up the grid to get the answer to the up clue and continue down the grid for the answer to the down clue."
Think it out for yourself at www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2013/02/24/the-2012-orca-awards-2.
Puzzles published in print or on the web were eligible for Orcas. Orcas were also given for Best Easy Crossword, Best Freestyle Crossword, Best Sunday-Sized Crossword, Best Gimmick Puzzle, Most Divisive Crossword. For the first time ever, a Lifetime Achievement Orca honored cruciverbalist Bob Klahn, renowned for the originality of his clues. Test your wits against his in The Wrath of Klahn Crosswords: Puzzles from the World's Toughest Clue Writer.
Or just keep matching wits with Tausig in Bay Weekly.


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Jul. 21 (GIN) - The AIDS activist community shared a moment of silence this week in remembrance of the six leaders in AIDS research who perished last week in an aircraft explosion. Among the dead was Joep Lange, a leading expert in the field of medicinal AIDS therapy and once called "the father of AIDS research in developing countries.
Former head of the International AIDS Society and executive scientific director of the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Lange advocated for patients in Africa to gain improved access to effective drugs. At the 2002 AIDS summit in Barcelona he said: "If we can deliver cold Coca Cola and beer to the most remote regions in Africa, it shouldn't be impossible to do the same with drugs." To this end, he founded the PharmAccess Foundation in 2001 to improve patients' access to AIDS medicine.
The Foundation was among the first to initiate HIV treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa. In turn, PharmAccess created the Health Insurance Fund, giving subsidized health insurance to more than 100,000 people in Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya.
Lange was one of the 283 passengers and 15-member crew aboard Flight MH17 when it blew up in the air over eastern Ukraine Thursday.
In the mid-1990s, Lange began helping deliver the drugs to low-income communities in places such as Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania. He obtained help from Dutch companies including Heineken International and Royal Dutch Shell PLC for financial backing.
His projects became models for large-scale rollouts of drugs across Africa by the World Health Organization and other organizations.
"We absolutely need dedicated researchers like Joep Lange to find a way forward," said Marcus Low of the Treatment Action Campaign in Cape Town. "They don't just sit in a lab, which is important, but also work to ensure we have the information, supplies, and the money to buy the medicines."
Among other friends of Africa reported killed in the Flight 17 crash was Lucie van Mens. "She advocated the cause of sex workers at a time when few other were doing so," said Lambert Grijns, Dutch Ambassador for Sexual and Reproductive Health.
"She was a tireless pioneer in advocating for women's access to female condoms as dual protection to prevent HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy," said Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity.
Some 12,000 participants from around the world are in Melbourne this week for AIDS 2014 whose theme is "Stepping Up the Pace." Former Pres. Bill Clinton is listed as a speaker.
During the five days of the conference, delegates will discuss the latest research developments and will hear from world renowned experts.
"More than ever before, there is hope that ending AIDS is possible. However, a business-as-usual approach or simply sustaining the AIDS response at its current pace cannot end the epidemic," the U.N. AIDS program UNAIDS said in its report.
"The AIDS epidemic can be ended in every region, every country, in every location, in every population and every community," Michel Sidibe, the director of UNAIDS, said in the report. "There are multiple reasons why there is hope and conviction about this goal."
The conference ends Friday, July 25. The program can be viewed at: http://www.aids2014.org/ w/images from AIDS 2014 Global Village
Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
googletag.pubads().definePassback('6785150/BENN/BlackStarNews', [[300,250]]).setTargeting('fold',['BTF']).display();


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From Behind the Bar: On Barbacks
Tales from our resident bartender.
About the Author: You may have seen Michael Neff behind the bar at New York's Ward III and The Rum House. He stops by on Wednesdays to share insights on cocktails and the life of a barman.
More Behind The Bar
On Not Being Creepy »
What Makes a Good Bar »
On Vodka Sodas and First Dates »
On Fernet Branca »
So You Want to Open a Bar »
My Cocktail Costs How Much? »
What I'm Drinking:
50/50 Maker's 46/Averna (one cube)
Sixpoint Brownstone Ale (half-pint)
People often ask me how I got started in the bar business, and the short answer is: "I lied." Back in the 90s, you could get away with that kind of thing; if you could make a cosmopolitan, a sidecar, and a decent margarita, you were most of the way home.
My way was risky; even then, the odds of finding a place that you could successfully bamboozle were pretty slim. I was lucky to find a joint that just really needed someone and decided to give me a shot. Years later, as someone who hires bartenders, I am rarely in a position to give someone the same chance.
Once I got started, I took to the job naturally; being behind the bar fit my temperament and personality. Talking to people just the right amount. Figuring out when they wanted to be left alone. Anticipating people's needs, and fulfilling them before they expressed them. These instincts are essential to craft of the bartender, and they are almost impossible to teach.
While I have found it true that you make your own luck in life, I am constantly grateful for the confluence of circumstances that led me to a career in bartending that is seventeen years long and counting. Good people and a natural ability on my part allowed me to do what I do today, but there are much smarter and more traditional ways to work your way into the bar business, the foremost of which is getting a job as a barback.
I have rarely encountered a job that requires the mental and physical dexterity of a barback. On paper, it looks incredibly simple; a barback washes glassware, stocks bar supplies, cleans everything, and ensures that the bartender has what he needs to go about the business of making the bar (and the staff) as much money as possible. That description does very little to describe the specifics of what a barback is expected to do. What a barback actually does can be summed up in one word: everything.
We're out of mint, and someone needs to go to the store. A food order has been sitting in the window for five minutes and is getting cold. A drunken man dropped a pint of beer on the floor, and there's glass everywhere. The phone is ringing. I'm out of limes. Twists need to be cut. And I just blew a keg that needs to be changed. All of this is happening at the same time, and whose job is it do deal with it all? The barback.
The barback typically arrives before the bartender, and stays until after he is done. He has to manage the expectations of every person with whom he works, so if one bartender likes things one way, and another likes things another way, he has to figure out how to make everyone happy. It's a grueling, exhausting job that encapsulates everything that is not sexy about working behind a bar. That, more than anything else, is why I think it is most valuable.
The fastest way to become a good bartender is to be a great barback. Learning to make two bartenders happy is the first step towards learning to make one hundred customers happy. Doing all of the grunt work in a bar is preparation for doing the same work while making cocktails—I've worked many a bar where I did not have the luxury of a barback, and had to do it all myself. Most importantly, a barback is exposed to the culture of what it is to be behind the bar, and can absorb the craft while learning the essential functions that make a bar operate.
More than anything else, working as a barback dispels the illusion that working in a bar is sexy or cool. Life in a bar has its perks, but we endure a wide and varied number of stresses to ensure that our guests have a good time. The barback often bears the brunt of this. So when you're sitting at a bar, spare a smile for the guy cutting fruit, stocking glasses, and practicing his pour. He's a bartender in training, and will be the person who will work (and own) bars that you will want to frequent in the future.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Phillies still sporting contender's mentality
MIAMI -- It seemed everybody in baseball anointed the Nationals as the 2013 World Series champions months before Opening Day.
They were the team without a weakness.
MIAMI -- It seemed everybody in baseball anointed the Nationals as the 2013 World Series champions months before Opening Day.
They were the team without a weakness.
(And they had Natitude!)
The Phillies were a team with weaknesses. They were old. They had an offense without much firepower. One of their aces appeared to be on the downside of his career. The popular theory had been that if everything broke nearly perfectly, the Phillies just might have a chance to earn a postseason berth. The only question between the Phils and Nats seemed to be how far behind Philadephia would be in the standings when it played Washington for the first time in May in the nation's capital.
It turns out that just one game separates them in the National League East standings.
It turns out the Nationals aren't even in first place.
"I think we can beat them," Cliff Lee said following Wednesday's 3-0 victory over the Marlins. "I think we can beat any team when we're playing well. We're not in awe of those guys -- or any team, really. If we execute and do what we can do, we can beat anyone."
This weekend's series between the Phillies (23-24) and Nationals (24-23) is an intriguing one, especially for the Phils. They have been frustratingly inconsistent in the season's first 47 games, particularly offensively. They have scored two or fewer runs in 18 games and three or fewer runs in 26 games. That consistent lack of run support and overall inconsistent play has had Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. answering questions about the future of the team, including the fate of his top players, manager and coaching staff, even though the Phillies have won seven of their last 10 games.
They are fair questions. Despite the fact the Phillies are a game behind the Nationals, 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves and 5 1/2 games behind the second NL Wild Card, it is inarguable the offense needs to improve dramatically to give the team a legitimate chance to win.
Perhaps the worst-case scenario might be the Phils hanging on the periphery of the NL East or Wild Card races, putting the front office in no man's land when it comes to buying or selling as the non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches on July 31.
Does Philadelphia buy if it's barely a .500 team in late July?
How could it sell?
"I view us as a contender," Amaro said on Wednesday. "My job is to be a contender every year, whether or not the guys are old or young or whatever the case may be. Our job is to find the right combination of players on the field to contend every year, contend for the National League East and hopefully for the World Series. And, yes, our core players are not getting any younger, but that doesn't mean that they can't be productive and we can't try to find players, either internally, develop them ourselves, or find them outside the organization to cover any deficiencies for things they may not be able to bring.
"We still have good players. We just haven't put it all together yet for whatever reason. They haven't gotten going offensively in particular. We still think that they can, but they haven't. The real question is: How long can you wait? Right now, we're willing to wait, because no one is crazy and running away with it. We're willing to wait, and how long we'll wait is a decision I'll have to make. Right now, I view us as buyers."
Fans have been asking more and more recently for accountability, which means more heat on manager Charlie Manuel.
"We're all in this thing together," Amaro said. "We're all accountable for the things that happen on the field, myself included. I'll tell you the same thing when we talked to Charlie [Manuel] in the offseason. We're not going to do anything about Charlie until after the year. Charlie has had a history of having a lot of success in the second half of the year. We might have the best record in baseball over the past several years from July 1 on.
"If the guys play like they have on the back of their baseball cards, then we'll be OK."
A big weekend in Washington could go a long way for the Phillies. It could really get them moving in the right direction.
"I honestly haven't been following them at all," Lee said of the Nats, "so I don't know how they've been doing, or I really don't care, to be honest. I couldn't care less. I'm focused on what we're doing and what we have to improve on, and what I have to improve on. That's what I'm focusing on. We have to take care of our own stuff. And if we do that, we can beat anyone."
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com.


text:
The GENERAL CONTEXT of such use is:
The term refers to the major 'interface' point between the human Brain and the human Mind, between Corporeality of the Brain and Body and the Incorporeality of the human Mind. See the term 'quantum supervision of the human brain by the incorporeal condensate of the mind' in this Dictionary and other related terms.
QUFD DEFINITIONS, of TERMS/PHRASES,
can be found within any one of the THREE (3) Complete
DICTIONARIES, on this Website! Choose from the following:
Father Jerome's DICTIONARY of KEYWORDS/PHRASES used in his scientific writings and at his QUFD website
Father Jerome's PSYCHOSOCIOLOGICAL DICTIONARY of Terms/Phrases used in Monograph III of his QUALIA Series
Father Jerome's SPECIALIZED DICTIONARY of KEYWORDS/PHRASES pertaining to Bose-Einstein Condensates of Non-Matter and Incorporeality, as used in his Works, in QUFD Physics and in the 'QUFD Textbook' Website
Also see Father Jerome's BLOG, for info about his latest Book,
"God, Lucifer and You! A ScienceBook of Quantum Physics and Reality, for 5 year old Kids and Adults!"


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|2006-09-04, 22:20
|Link #41
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Self-mockery. It is a term used by many otakus and in the industry alike to self-mock their social status.
Lately, many jigyaku anime and manga are coming out which makes a self-mockery of the otaku industry. "NHK ni Youkoso," and "Genshiken" are good examples in which they depict the nerdy and geeky lives of otakus to a level that can be considered to be jigyaku.
However, the term jigyaku does not only apply to industry terms as many otakus will self-mock themselves as well.
Another example of this is how female BL lovers refer to themselves by using the term fujoshi with pride and self-mockery.
Usage example:
I see many foreigners wearing "I am an Otaku" T-shirts. I wonder if they realize that by wearing them, they are actually pitting themselves into jigyaku...
Last edited by kj1980; 2006-09-04 at 22:43.
|2006-09-04, 22:27
|Link #42
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Social Phenomena
Or in Japanese, they are called "shakai genshou." These are anime that start out otaku-ish, but its popularity reaches to the masses through mass media reviews, word of mouth, and interest.
Not many anime have reached the pinnacle of a social phenomena status. In the past thirty years, we've only had three: "Uchuu Senkan Yamato," "Kidou Senshi Gundam," and "Neon Genesis Evangelion."
The factors of becoming a social phenomena are very difficult to say. For one, it must not be confined to just the average otaku fanbase, it must reach out the masses. Secondly, it needs to be a title that no one knew about before its airing. As I have said before, normal Japanese do not watch anime (yes, I still get gasps and surprises when I explain this to foreigners!) Hence, it is a VERY BIG DEAL when an anime that no one knew about explodes into popularity that becomes a social phenomena.
Some claim that "Suzumiya Haruhi" might've become a social phenomena given the right time of episodes. I tend to disagree. Sure, while the sales of the original light novels skyrocketed after the initial airing, it was still confined to the otaku populace.
Last edited by kj1980; 2006-09-04 at 22:42.
|2006-09-04, 22:39
|Link #43
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Anime Production Staff
x Producers
o Anime production staff (or just plainly, staff)
I see this misusage frequently on these forums.
Producers are the people that go around looking and obtaining sponsors to develop an anime. They are the ones that do the dealings with TV stations, agree to time slots, appease sponsors, set up a staff team for anime, etc. etc. They are NOT the ones who sit down and draw genga or sakuga. Basically, they are the ones that give birth to an anime project to start in the first place - hence the name "producer."
The directors, writers, editors, genga and sakuga artists, composers, music and sound recorders, QCers, and douga process personnel - basically all the people that actually do the work to make the anime itself are known as anime production staff. The staffs are the ones that does the actual animation and recording work to bring you the anime onto the TV screen (well, in your people's case - the computer screen).
Please make a note of it. There's a big difference between a "producer" and a staff.
|2006-09-05, 12:22
|Link #45
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Drama CD
It seems many have begun to understand what light novels are, what the term moe~ means, and the increasing usage of the term ero-games over the blasphemous "hentai." I'm glad to hear that these terminologies are beginning to plant ground overseas.
Now we go onto "what the heck exactly are drama CDs? Are they any different from sound novels, etc. etc.?
Way back in the 1920s, many people listened to....the radio. Go ask your grandparents and they'll tell you that they avidly listened to radio dramas. If they are old enough, they'll know about Richard Hughes' Drama, or Orson Welles' War of the Worlds based on H.G. Wells' novel. People were grasped with the acting that these performers played out on the radio. And with no visuals to go along, people had to imagine what was happening - which meant the people acting out the drama were extremely talented artists in their own field. If you are interested about the mass hysteria that occurred to those that believed the War of the Worlds radio drama was a real event, I suggest you read the English wikipedia article.
Japan was no exception to the popularity of the radio drama era. During the Taisho Democracy Era, many radio dramas were aired on the radio which depicted the glorious golden age of democracy and upbeat economic growth. And as the war loomed over the horizon, radio dramas were gradually changed to those with propaganda overtones. In any case, the national public broadcaster NHK saw a market for this and began recruiting actors primarily for radio drama shows. These became the predecessors to the seiyuus (voice actors) that we all know today.
After the war, Japan was pretty much laid into ruins. Yet the populace were determined to rebuild Japan to its prosperous pre-war economic status. Radio dramas was one form of medium which helped reach out the populace. Kids listened to children's radio shows such as Akadou Suzunosuke which gave them hope that through hard work and perseverance, they can overcome anything. One interesting form that developed during this era was the inclusion of background music to radio shows. Music added a more dramatic effect to certain scenes than just actors reading and acting out the scripts. Supposedly, the Soviets were able to listen to these dramatic Japanese radio shows through the airwaves. They saw a potential for using this technique, and they began using a similar form to spread their ideologies to its Eastern Europe bloc....or so I've heard.
Sadly, the age of radio shows began its decline once the TV began to infiltrate the household.
But the medium once again was brought back to life in the mid-1990s in the otaku market. The format called the audio CD was cheap and widely available which opened up new ways for the market to suck more money out of otaku's pockets. Coupled with increasing popularities of seiyuu idols and the technological advancement of internet streaming radio, companies began cashing in on making things called drama CDs.
Drama CDs are basically audio CDs that you play on your home CD player. Except instead of music, you have seiyuus acting out the story. Much like radio shows at the time, background music and sound effects are mixed in to give a more dramatic effect for the listener to imagine what is going on. Drama CDs are usually sold as a complement to the anime that is airing. Or, drama CDs might be sold right before an anime airs to give people a sort of "sneak-preview" of what to expect. The episodes or stories that are recorded onto the drama CDs are usually behind-the-scenes antics of the main storyline in the anime/manga/light novel. That, or it can plainly amusing to listen to with the comedy and all (if you listen to Suigintou going moe~ over Kunkun in the Rozen Maiden Traumend drama CD, you'll know what I mean).
Of course, not all drama CDs are alike. Some drama CDs are re-recordings of seiyuu radio shows (which are called Radio CDs, but that's another topic). Other drama CDs are included as bonus tracks to regular anime CDs (i.e.: those infamous Mahou Sensei Negima! OP CDs have small drama tracks in them). Others, like Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni are audio CDs where the seiyuus act out exactly what was written in the original doujin game (the doujin game did not have voice tracks, and some people have no time to read the text, so they made drama CDs so that people can listen to the story on their way to work, etc.)
So, a drama CD is a medium in itself just like anime, manga, light novels, and games. With no visual effects, a drama CD is a medium where seiyuus are given their ultimate test since they need to bring out their skills to their fullest. Listening to these CDs will give you a renewed respect for how seiyuus bring life to characters.
Last edited by kj1980; 2006-09-05 at 12:33.
|2006-09-05, 13:05
|Link #46
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Twin Tail
In English, pigtails. I normal Japanese use, they are called "two tails." But in otaku terminology, people refer to them as twin tails.
Twin tails are a highly moe~ trait. Some say twin tails + over-knee socks + tsundere traits + goth loli fashion = ultimate character. Many characters nowadays feature these traits to sucker in otakus for their uber moe~ consumptions.
Examples of girls with twin tails:
Sanzen'in Nagi (Hayate no Gotoku)
Sawachika Eri (School Rumble)
Kagurazaka Asuna (Mahou Sensei Negima!)
Shinku (Rozen Maiden)
Daikuuji Ayu (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien)
Nanase Rumi (ONE)
Hiiragi Kagami (Raki Star)
Tohsaka Rin (Fate/stay night)
....why do the above examples look very similar to my character examples of tsundere?
|2006-09-27, 23:42
|Link #47
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: The Fields of High Attus
Age: 30
Some animators are so l33t that they go simply by surname or by a nickname among fans. Here are some:
カリスマ (Charisma)
Toshiyuki INOUE 井上俊之
磯 (Iso)
Mitsuo ISO 磯光雄 (It's said most of current anime animation is influenced by him in one way or another)
吉成 (Yoshinari)
Refers to either 吉成鋼 (Kou YOSHINARI) or 吉成曜 (You YOSHINARI) who are brothers and absolutely great animators. They're good at illustrating as well.
Kou (also known as 吉成兄, elder Yoshinari) is easily spotted nowadays because he goes to the extent of doing the composite and post-processing for his shots. See the 4th FMA OP, the part where Ed jumps off the waterfall. As well as the really smooth shot in ep 49 of Eureka 7. Typical otaku are most familiar with that table scene in the first ep of Nanoha that stuck out very much...
You Yoshinari (the younger of the two) is more associated with Gainax. Think there's some good stuff from him in Re: Cutey Honey and FLCL.
One of them is refered to as 鼻毛 (hanage, nose hair) but I can't remember which. Or why, even.
鬱 (Utsu - depression)
Refers to Satoru UTSUNOMIYA うつのみやさとる Many others (even some sakuga-otaku) don't look at him kindly because he never sticks to the character models and while his movement is great, his pictures look "ugly". So they all feel depressed....
ゆたぽん (yutapon)
Refers to Yutaka NAKAMURA 中村豊, a typically Sunrise/Bones action animator. Is seriously leet. Go look up for an AMV/MAD on him on Youtube or stage6. He's in most BONES works. Check out the Bebop movie especially.
コンカツ (Konkatsu)
Refers to Katsuya KONDOU 近藤勝也, a Ghibli animator. He did the animation the very popular Minna no Uta song Kaze no Toorimichi.
キムタカ (Kimutaka)
Refers to Takahiro KIMURA 木村貴宏, more well known as a character designer who does very detailed, sometimes extravagant designs usually with a sexy touch. See Gun X Sword, The nickname reminds one of "kimutaku" (Takuya Kimura...)
師匠 (Shishou - Master!)
Refers to the Takeshi Honda 本田雄, sometimes incorrectly called Yuu Honda. Is involved with most well-animated films and most people don't dare touch his work. See the first Naruto film, Millenium Actress and Beyond in the Animatrix. Was also quite involved in Eva.
ゴッキー (Gocky)
Refers to Keiji Gotou, a rather well-known character designer (esp. for Nadesico) who later started doing directing/storyboarding; he's done series direction for Kiddy Grade and Uta Kata. The first work by him I watched was Gate Keepers.. He does very detailed drawings full of shadows and highlights and what not. If I'm not wrong, pictures like that are described in Japanese as 濃い.
Last edited by kj1980; 2007-06-07 at 10:47.
|2006-10-04, 17:09
|Link #48
ロリ is life~
Join Date: Dec 2005
Mecha (メカ)
Reference to robot anime.
Gattai (合体)
Refers to the sequence where robots combine into one (i.e. Goddaner, Power Rangers, etc)
Visual Kei (ヴィジュアル系)
Type of Japanese Rock~ Wiki link
Oniichan (お兄ちゃん)
An affectionate way of addressing an older brother.
Last edited by kj1980; 2007-06-07 at 10:34.
|2006-10-14, 06:31
|Link #49
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Itano Circus
Itano Ichiro is a genius amongst mecha animators. He is best known for his inventing the Itano Circus which is coined after his name. Many of you have seen such aerial scenes; trailing missiles (or projectiles) dancing in the skies like a circus trapeze.
See example: http://stage6.divx.com/members/62256/videos/2402 (although some of the latter half isn't done by Itano-san, but I guess the person who created this video wanted to show how much he had made an impact in anime)
He noted that he first came up with the idea of such acrobatic aerial combat animation sequences when he ignited rocket fireworks that were tied to his motorcycle's handlebar and saw that "the rockets seemed to be dancing around him" as he rode his bike into the smoke that was ahead of him.
He refined his projectile dogfight scenes and aerial acrobatic sequences as he worked as an animator from Danguard A to Ideon, and then onto the original Gundam. His style became popular when he (well, according to many fans) "perfected it" in the anime Macross. Since then, he would go onto work on Macross Plus, Megazone 23, and the live action Ultraman.
His technique has lived on in various anime throughout the years, surviving the ages of cel-animation and importing such technique into CG animation. Without a doubt, many animators were inspired by this great man, as seen the stage6 video link above shows. The Itano Circus was introduced over twenty five years ago...which still looks spectacular now as it did back then, even when comparing them to much recent homages to his style as portrayed in Eureka 7.
So know you know the term of such animation sequences, remember: all this was due to a single animator who had the bizarre idea of riding his motorcycle through rocket fireworks after igniting them.
Last edited by kj1980; 2006-10-14 at 07:12.
|2006-11-07, 00:28
|Link #50
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Canada
Age: 34
Kagikko (鍵っ子)
A term used to refer to a "loyal" fan of the famous bishojo game company, Key (the creator of Kanon, AIR, CLANNAD, Planetarian, etc.).
Kagikko literally means "key child", it is a pun since it's also the Japanese equivalent of the western term latchkey kid.
While other terms used to describe a devoted fan of a bishojo game company (such as 月厨 (Getchu, a TYPE-MOON fan)) are usually sarcastic or derogatory in meaning, Kagikko is generally not considered to be offensive. Although derivitive of the term exists, called Bakagikko (バ鍵っ子) (a combinition of baka (idiot) + kagikko), which is used to refer to ignorant or impolite kagikkos on discussion forums or BBSs.
|2006-11-28, 19:44
|Link #51
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Tokusatsu SFX
I guess the best example that most Americans are familiar with is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (you do realize that "Power Rangers" are originally Japanese, right?). That's a prime example of a super-sentai type tokusatsu SFX.
Of course, if one is from Hawaii, you're probably more familiar with Kikaider.
Last edited by kj1980; 2007-06-07 at 10:35.
|2006-11-28, 20:02
|Link #52
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Canada
Age: 34
It's like tsundere from what I can tell but sort of, how do I say it, loving but goes psycho... like Kaede from Shuffle.[/QUOTE]
Yandere? Well, it's a derivative of tsundere (kinda), by combining 病んでる (yanderu, being sick) with デレ(dere). It refers specifically to heroines who's in love with the main character, but becomes mentally sick or unstable due to certain developments in the story, resulting in a "psycho lover" kind of character (Kaede from Shuffle is the classic example).
However, as far as I know, this word is not very widely used (I don't even recognize it myself). More commonly, the "psycho" version of the heroine is referred to as "Black/Dark (character name)" (ex. Dark Kaede), while the process is called 黒化 (kokka, blackening/darkening).
Last edited by kj1980; 2007-06-07 at 10:36.
|2006-12-18, 17:51
|Link #53
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
TMA - Total Media Agency
Abbreviation of "Total Media Agency," (http://www.tma.co.jp/) an AV maker who specializes in making live action pornography.
They are also known for creating high-quality (laughs) AVs based on highly popular anime. Most of these titles are altered subtlely, which causes the buyer to buy it as a gag item.
A: Hey look! There's a AV for Haruhi!
B: Wait a minute...look at the title more closely...it says Hahiru!
A: WTF?!! OMG! I gotta buy it! Shit, funny wwwww
B: Me too! This'll be a great gag! wwwwww
So far, TMA has released three titles that are known to otakus as a gag line-up:
"Maria-sama ga Miteiru" (as opposed to "Maria-sama ga Miteru")
"Faith / Stay Knight" (as opposed to "Fate / Stay Night")
"Suzumiya Hahiru no Yuutsu" (as opposed to "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu")
Hence, you can say that a title that is very popular is big enough to become "TMA'd" wwww
Interestingly, the AV is made closely to the original which makes it very funny. It's like watching a badly-written skit, with ugly looking guys pretending to be teenagers. Like I said, otakus are suckers - they'll spend cash on a whim. Besides, Hahiru's DVD sold out in Akiba, and the AV actress Kousaka Yuri even held an autograph session there! www
|2007-06-22, 13:36
|Link #54
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Ouch-Cars (痛車)
痛車 (pron: "Ita-sha") are cars whose exteriors have been modified to an anime any other two dimesional moe~ theme. The term comes from normal people making fun of otaku's cars in disgust by coining them to be an 痛い車 (pron: "itai-kuruma" lit trans: cars that make people say "ouch" in disgust).
"itai-kuruma" then became abbreviated to "ita-sha" (痛車). This abbreviation is some what intentional as it is cynically a homonym for an "Italian car" (イタ車). Italian cars (イタ車) are known to be liberal and intriguing in design, and so are Ita-sha (痛車)....more or less in the wrong way.
Rather than trying to propogate the term "ita-sha" into the English otaku masses, I'll use the literal translation "ouch-car" onward.
One can find a whole parking lot full of said ouch-cars at most anime type events around Japan. And since Comike is the largest gathering of otakus in Japan, one can expect to find many ouch-cars parked outside. While it may not be as cool as seeing souped up cars or duels of which car has the largest bass from their sub-woofers, one can find a mini-car show of "who has the most ouchest-car" in the lot. wwwww
Well I know all of you like visual references so here are some from youtube (or feel free to search with the term "痛車" at jp.youtube.com):
Good how-to video if you are interested in making your own ouch-car:
Some ouch-cars from Comike 71:
|2007-08-03, 12:43
|Link #55
Join Date: Dec 2006
Age: 33
Yangire (ヤンギレ)
Yangire is referring to characters who snap all of a sudden out of jealousy or irritation or something similar. It comes from the words yanderu (病んでる - being sick from something) and kire/gire (切れ - to cut, slice, "to snap"; 逆ギレ - being angry at someone who would normally be angry at you).
Most yangire references include Takamachi Nanoha from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, specifically the development in its 8th episode when Nanoha has a mock battle against Teana and Subaru. When the two girls almost outsmart her during battle, she snaps, goes all freakishly quiet and gives a fair beating to Teana.
Yangire most likely stems from yandere, but yandere refers specifically to heroines who are in love with the main character, but become mentally sick or unstable due to certain developments in the story. Still, the term is fairly new and not as popular as tsundere or yandere, but recently a few high-profile Japanese weblogs have started pimping the new term. Hopefully, Nanoha might be snapping some more, now that the 18th episode of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS has a new opening sequence portraying Subaru as the main character.
(Image taken from AkibaBlog.net)
|2007-10-10, 20:52
|Link #58
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 38
Niconico douga (ニコニコ動画)
webpage: http://www.nicovideo.jp/
Niconico is a Japanese onomatopoeia for smiling.
Douga is Japanese for video.
Add them together, and it means video that makes you smile.
That is exactly what happens when you join and start viewing videos that are uploaded onto niconico douga.
The concept is simple that is similar to youtube; one can upload and view hilarious videos made by amateurs. Of course, the other gray-area use is being able to view the latest anime MINUTES after it was aired (obviously with no subtitles).
But niconico takes a step further than youtube in which it allows members to start adding comments to the uploaded video itself. The English wikipedia sums it up as "youtube meets Mystery Science Theater 3000." This gives an added plus of indirectly watching the video amongst others while laughing at some of the funny comments that they made at a certain scene. Of course, you have the option of disabling the comment feature so you can watch the video without seeing massive texts scrolling through the screen.
Here's a sample screenshot of niconico:
Title: I let my friend play the Super Mario World that I created Version II. (自作の改造マリオを友人にプレイさせる 第二作)
As you can see, people are commenting on how Mario died by falling into the lava by accidentally hitting the hidden block. The kanji word koumei (孔明) is a slang that the viewers made for those articulately placed hidden blocks which leads to Mario's death. The wwwwws is similar to LOLOLOL.
Unfortunately, there is no English version of this highly popular online video-sharing site, so you need to have a good understanding of Japanese to join.
|2007-10-15, 16:51
|Link #59
Join Date: Feb 2007
Well, since kj1980 posted about NicoNico douga maybe it'll be helpful to add some NicoNico douga lingo?
I highly suggest taking a look at 2ch lingo as well.
Some terminology / trends about NicoNico
(almost all of them do come from 2ch tho).
First, 弾幕 danmaku - roughly translates to Bullet Curtain.
This is when comments flood the screen.
For a good example, look up 組曲 on NicoNico.
The word danmaku itself come from Touhou Projects.
Calling someone a 職人 shokunin is a compliment on their skill.
自重 jijyuu is used to cation (often harshly) other people.
うp means upload. うp主 is uploader.
乙 otu = お疲れ様
Trends (this may not be worth posting...)
Last edited by Level E; 2007-10-15 at 17:10.
|2007-10-16, 09:13
|Link #60
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: The Fields of High Attus
Age: 30
Spoiler for Well, if it's not needed...:
Oh, and there's also 工作 (manipulating) which in a niconico context tends to refer to ランキング工作 (manipulating the video rankings). By default the rankings will show that day's most "favourited" videos in descending order, and sometimes a group of diehard fans/people with no time will get together and purposely add it in their list for one day, remove it before the next day and then add it in again so it keeps staying in the rankings list, even though it may not actually be such an interesting video. For this reason I always look at the "playback" list because it's much more accurate for seeing what people are really interested in.
Maybe this should go to the otaku lingo discussion thread or the Niconico Douga thread in General Chat. I wouldn't mind helping people understand if there are any strange slang words/puns (that is, if I understand them myself... -_-) I could totally go on about the Fuchagi series of cat videos, but that's definitely not otaku lingo.
|wiki candidate
|Thread Tools


text:
Buying online has never been easier. Find local equipment at a dealer near you so you can build, quote and purchase products.
Check inventory on Prime Product
Designed for rough and finish grading in dirt, gravel, and light dozing.
|Overall Width
|79.0 in 2007.0 mm
|More Less
|Width - Fully Angled
|69.0 in 1750.0 mm
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|Maximum Blade Angle - Right/Left of Center
|±30 degrees ±30 degrees
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|±10 degrees ±10 degrees
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|Blade Height
|24.0 in 619.0 mm
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|40.0 in 1028.0 mm
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|1082.0 lb 491.0 kg
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|Cutting Edge Thickness
|0.63 in 16.0 mm
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|Required Hydraulics
|Standard Flow Standard Flow
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|Required Hydraulic Flow
|49-125 L/min (13-33 gpm) 49-125 L/min (13-33 gpm)
|More Less
|Optimum Hydraulic Pressure
|206-310 bar (3000-4500 psi) 206-310 bar (3000-4500 psi)
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Designed for rough and finish grading in dirt and gravel as well as for light dozing.
With their 6-way capabilities, dozer blades are better suited for finish grade work in construction and landscaping applications than angle blades.
Track-type tractor variable power angle tilt (VPAT) design with simultaneous tilt and angling capability delivers superior control and maneuverability.
Operation of Cat® Blade is easy with Cat joystick controls.
Three-piece, replaceable, bolt-on, hardened cutting edge delivers long life and high performance.


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Director/ Editor
Using Punk's central themes of dressing to provoke, DIY and self-expression, SHOWstudio asked a wide range of contemporary creatives to express their vision of punk now by creating a fashion film and garment. 'Punk was one of the most culturally important and far reaching movements in the last 100 years. Its influence is repeatedly seen every fashion season,' explains Nick Knight.


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Welcome to a new kind of internet in Brooks! Exede is the exciting new next-generation, lightning-fast satellite internet service from ViaSat.
And it's available in almost every part of the country right now!
No matter how you use the internet, with Exede your Internet experience just got a lot faster - and richer!
Now you can watch stream movies and download videos and music up to 4x faster than the average DSL speed!*


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We want to introduce a new ice cream flavor. But first lets dig into one the main ingredients, Salmon.
What is a Superfood?
There's no official scientific definition of a Superfood and many believe it's just a trendy marketing term coined to hype and hook people into buying products. Sioned Quirke, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association said, "The term Superfood has no regulatory approval and is not a legally recognized term." Some nutritionists and food scientists think it's a marketing trick to fool people into thinking they are eating more healthily. "The new year is prime time for introducing new products with exaggerated health benefits," Quirke said.
Real Superfoods
Many claim that multi-tasking Superfoods provide multiple disease-fighting nutrients that can cure everything from cancer to impotence. Unfortunately, the benefits aren't fully substantiated. But, it is generally accepted that Superfoods are dense in nutrients. They contain higher levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than other food types.
So which are the real Superfoods? That depends on what source you read since no two lists are the same. The current trend, however, seems to be exotics like buffalo berries, hemp hearts, manuk honey, sacha inchi, beluga lentils, and shichimi togarashi.
The Power of Salmon
Salmon is in the Superfood Hall of Fame. It's always on a Top 10 List because it's one of nature's most natural sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids which are good for joints and all around mobility. Because these Omega 3's don't occur naturally in the cells of canines, adding them to your dog's diet can be beneficial.
SMOKED SALMON Dog Ice Cream
We may never know what is the perfect "Superfood," but we can select foods that are high in nutrients. That's why salmon is the star ingredient in our newest ice cream we call "Smoked Salmon". After more than a year of testing, we finally selected a salmon from British Columbia. The 18 year old company we source from is family operated and the owner is a life-long fisherman. His "honey smoked" salmon contains no artificial preservatives, nitrates or MSG. The rich flavor comes from a secret firing process that uses honey and real hickory wood and not from a honey marinade or glaze. The salmon is made to order and shipped out fresh from the factory.
We take the fully cooked salmon, bake it with peas – a powerhouse source of Vitamin K and other antioxidants –and mix in bits of the crunchy skin. Mark Sisson, celebrated fitness expert and author of Primal Blueprint, Amazon's #1 bestselling health book calls salmon skin "the bacon of the sea". And, what dog doesn't love bacon (or crunchy fish skin)?
Your pup is a carnivore at heart! It is the main reason why we select high protein ingredients for our ice cream. Each of our dog ice creams features a protein; pulled pork, gouda burger, chicken cheddar, beef brisket, peanut butter bacon, and (new) smoked salmon. According to renowned veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker, "it's good to rotate proteins in your pet's diet. That's because any food that is over-consumed can create an allergy over time."
Salmon Swim Mainstream
Buyer Beware! Any food product can be labeled as a Superfood so do your homework. We're not saying that our SMOKED SALMON dog ice cream has curative powers nor will it give your dog super powers. It's just a healthy, good tasting treat that will make him happy just like this whimsical painting by Dr. Seuss called Joyous Leaping of Uncanned Salmon might make you smile.
You can order the new flavor here.


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Historical Context
Table ofContents
By looking at Camp Misty Mount: A Place for Regrowth, students can more easily appreciate a successful WPA project that continues to meet the recreational needs of individuals and organized groups and has helped the forest to regrow.
National Park Service
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
For a better understanding of Maryland's preservation efforts visit the DHCD's Division of Historical and Cultural Programs. This division is charged with identifying, studying, evaluating, preserving, protecting, and interpreting Maryland's significant prehistoric and historic sites, districts, structures, cultural landscapes, heritage areas, and cultural objects and artifacts, as well as less tangible human and community traditions.
The New Deal:
Library of Congress
Search the American Memory Historical Collection of the Library of Congress for further documentation on the New Deal and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Included on the site are photographs from the Great Depression, manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, numerous documents and photographs of WPA workers and their projects, and much more.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
The New Deal Network
The New Deal Network is an educational Web site sponsored by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the Institute for Learning Technologies. The New Deal Network offers over 4000 images and 500 articles, speeches, and letters relating to the New Deal. Also included on the site is a comprehensive on-line resource page on the Great Depression and New Deal that offers links specifically applicable to K-12.


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A Welcome Message From Our Team
Here at Miracle-Ear, we're proud to help people reach their full hearing potential every day. It's our goal to make the process as easy and enjoyable as possible. We hope you will allow us to help you hear better days!Get In Touch
Our Location
5A Whites Bridge Road
Get Directions
Windham, ME 04062
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Specializes In
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How Can We Help?
Ready to experience Miracle-Ear hearing aids for yourself?
Call 207-536-2525 to schedule your first appointment.
We'll work together to find the best solution for you.
Reputable Hearing Center in Windham, ME
Your ability to hear can greatly impact your overall quality of life. Whether you're encountering a hearing problem for the first time or have been seeing a hearing specialist for years, if you feel that your hearing isn't what it should be, come to Miracle-Ear Hearing Center. As an established hearing center in Windham, ME, our goal is to help you reach the point where hearing isn't something you have to think about, but rather, it's something you simply do naturally.
Quality Service
We value our patients at Miracle-Ear Hearing Center. That's why we go out of our way to offer thorough, caring service that produces results. Our friendly, dedicated hearing center staff is trained to diagnose hearing conditions and recommend solutions for improvement. And thanks to our flexible hours and convenient appointment scheduling, getting help with your hearing doesn't have to be a chore.
For more information about our Windham, ME hearing center or to see how we can help you, call or visit Miracle-Ear Hearing Center today.
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Learn why so many people trust Miracle-Ear to help them hear their best day.
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I have an issue with my Prime Test 300. It keeps coming up with an incoming mains fault just as it is about to perform the Power on Test.
The EUT is on , the lead is plugged in and is on, the batteries are charged, I changed the internal fuse.
Is there anything else I can try ?
Any help would be welcome


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Traversed long ago by ancient Indians, Spanish conquistadors, and traders from the East, the richly varied journey along Rte. 64 showcases rainbow-hued deserts, pine-cloaked mountains, and windblown plains that ripple toward the horizon. But the trip is especially remarkable because, thanks to its splendid isolation, the landscape looks much as it did when the first Spaniards arrived here more than four centuries ago.
1. Shiprock
A thriving center of Navajo trade, and the site of the tribe's annual fall festival, the town of Shiprock occupies a land where nearly every monument has been sacred to this people for centuries. Southwest of the town lies Shiprock Peak, for example, a volcanic core that soars some 20 stories higher than the Empire State Building. The Navajos dubbed it Winged Rock, and down through the generations they have told how the hallowed monolith once sprouted enormous wings to rescue their ancestors from enemies. (Early explorers gave the peak its present name because of its resemblance to a high-masted sailing ship.)
For scenes of a different sort, head east out of town on Rte. 64, which slices through verdant fields nourished by the San Juan River — a gift of life to civilizations present and past that tried to make their homes in this high desert. One not-so-lucky group was the Anasazis, who lived at Salmon Ruins (just west of Bloomfield) nearly eight centuries ago, until drought forced them to move away. Still standing as testimony to their fate are the remains of a C-shaped pueblo, with over 200 apartment-like dwellings overlooking a central plaza, and the Great Kiva, a religious chamber where urgent prayers for water evidently went unheeded.
2. Angel Peak
Angel Peak is easy to spot even from afar: hulking above a pastel painted canyon, this monolith resembles an angel with outstretched wings. You can drive to the peak, and the national recreation area that surrounds it, by turning south at Bloomfield onto State Rte. 44. Bear in mind, however, that despite the area's austere beauty, visitor facilities are limited.
Views of Angel Peak and other natural features throughout the region are enhanced by the crystal-clear air of northern New Mexico. At more than 5,000 feet above sea level, the air is free of smog and humidity, making mountains seem closer, the sky bluer, and the hues of the landscape more radiant. For centuries this luminous terrain has cast a spell on unsuspecting visitors, enchanting everyone from Spanish explorers to modern artists such as the celebrated Georgia O'Keeffe.
As the drive continues east on State Rte. 550, it passes a number of fanciful buttes, mesas, and hoodoos (mushroom-shaped spires) that lord above the flat terrain. These geological marvels — tinted orange, pink, and ocher — are the sandstone remains of an ancient seabed that was sculpted over eons by wind, rain, and frost.
3. Navajo Lake State Park
Swinging north on State Rte. 511, the drive cruises into Navajo Lake State Park, a 21,000-acre Eden. Beckoning boaters to its cool waters, the lake — one of New Mexico's largest — contrasts intriguingly with the piñon-pine dotted tableland seared brown by the relentless sun.


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Quilt designer: Kim Diehl
3/8 yard total assorted light prints (appliqué foundations, inner border)
1/4 yard total assorted green prints (appliqués)
1 yard total assorted medium and dark prints (appliqués, inner border, binding)
3/8 yard light green print (outer border)
3/4 yard backing fabric
28" square batting
.004 monofilament thread in smoke and clear colors
Freezer paper
Fabric glue stick
Perle cotton No. 8: off-white
Finished quilt: 22" square
Quantities are for 44/45" wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together, unless otherwise stated.
Designer Notes
"This project was quick, easy, and so much fun to make I was sorry when it was finished," says Kim. "Each block is unique, and I enjoyed experimenting with different color combinations that I typically might not put together."
Kim says that while she generally chooses a cohesive color scheme, she intentionally includes a few colors or prints that don't fit perfectly: It's the secret that keeps her scrap quilts from looking too planned.
Kim finished this little quilt with the "big stitch" method of hand quilting, her personal favorite because it results in quick progress while lending a lot of charm.