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By Vic Holtreman
Short version: Yes, it lives up to the hype - Cloverfield is a blast.
Where does one start a review of a movie that has been the subject of so much attention and hype for months on end leading up to its release?
Bigger than the speculation about what the monster in the movie would look like, the hunting for clues on viral websites, what "Slusho" has to do with the movie - has been the question: After all the hype, will it be a great movie or a huge letdown?
Well I'm sorry to disappoint all the naysayers, but Cloverfield rocked.
Will it win an Oscar or Golden Globe? Heck no. Was it fun and exciting to sit through? Hell yes. This is what the ridiculously weak American version of Godzilla that came out a few years ago should have been.
The following review will be free of any major spoilers - to the point where I won't even say whether the images that have been making the rounds lately are accurate portrayals of the monster or not. :-)
Cloverfield opens with a color bar pattern on the screen (which did elicit some unintentional laughs from the audience), but after a few seconds cuts to a very official and government-looking title stating:
"Multiple sightings of case designate 'Cloverfield' camera retrieved at incident site U.S. 447 previously known as "Central Park"
Yes, this was shown in the trailer, but as the movie is just starting it impresses upon you that this is not going to end well.
When it cuts from there to a hand held digital camera's eye view of the interior of a very nice high rise apartment in New York City, it's quite surprising (and I thought, did not make sense). Here we meet beauty Beth (Odette Yustman) and the guy behind the camera who we presume to be her boyfriend, Rob. Rob (played by Michael Stahl-David) is the fellow for whom the going away party is being thrown due to a new job as vice-president of some company in Japan.
From there it seems that whoever is in charge of the camcorder likes to pretty much record anything and everything as it follows people walking down the streets of New York City and into Rob's apartment which is being prepared for a surprise going away party for him. We meet Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel), who has been tasked by his girlfriend Lilly (Jessica Lucas) with recording "testimonials" from all the guests at the party. Jason is not pleased and manages to hand off the job to Rob's best friend Hud, who at first grudgingly takes up the task. Eventually Hud starts to enjoy it as the night goes on and he gets a bit drunk while faithfully filming everything that's going on.
We also meet a young woman named Marlena (played by Lizzy Kaplan), who Hud has his eye on but can't seem to work up the courage (or charm) to talk to properly. By this time the audience is finally getting absorbed into the whole camcorder point of view thing, but it does take a while. The official government opening of the film doesn't quite jive with all this preliminary material, but eventually it does get to the point where Hud wants to keep recording because "someone should see this."
As we all know already, it's during this party that all hell breaks loose and when it happens it's extremely effective. I found myself thinking of Asian horror films, where up until the stuff hits the fan they can be incredibly mundane and almost boring, which then makes for a much more jarring effect when things veer off into the bizarre.
There's a lot of humor in the film, mostly provided by cameraman Hud (played by unknown T.J. Miller who is not seen a lot but whose presence is constantly felt). One thing I found funny in particular was moments after the initial attack, when the head from the Statue of Liberty ends up in the middle of a Manhattan street, while some people are screaming and yelling "Oh My God!" a bunch of folks gather around the head in the middle of the chaos to calmly take pictures of it with their cell phones and digital cameras.
I didn't expect the film to be funny at all, but the humor was sprinkled throughout the film very effectively, at time relieving the tension of what was happening on screen. Cloverfield also has a much larger scale than I expected considering the hand-held premise, showing citywide vistas and long shots of the creature. On the flip side, if you absolutely HATE the "jumpy camera" film style I have to say this film is not for you. Well, maybe if you sit in the very last row.
Now when I say "larger scale," don't go in expecting some mega-production... Although the effects are, well, effective, it's more of an intimate film where we get to know the five friends and experience what happens through their eyes in real time.
Yes, 9/11 did come to mind and yes, it did make me a bit uneasy. But what I liked was that in a way it was almost cathartic (just stay with me here): As the people on the street that day didn't know exactly what was going on despite the fact they were witnessing it first hand, the characters in the film (and the audience) experience similar confusion in the face of disaster of a different sort here.
Regarding the viral marketing of this film: In the end, it fits the final product perfectly. It really is a small film about a small group of friends with the occasional "big" scene here and there.
The creature is very cool and had kind of an H.P. Lovecraft look about it, and it delivers a few surprises. The characters were believable and well acted for this sort of film and that was extremely important, because if you didn't care about them you had nothing (cough, AVP-R, cough).
So for all you movie reviewer haters out there that think I don't cut sci-fi movies (AVP-R) or TV shows (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) enough slack, Cloverfield exemplifies what a Screen Rant review is all about: In the end does the movie entertain the audience without insulting their intelligence?
If the answer is yes, it gets a great review from me.


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This week, San Francisco's Planning Commission will vote on whether to cap the new micro-apartments allowed in the city at 375 units. Proponents of the tiny apartments — which cram living room, bathroom and kitchen into as little as 220 square feet of living space — say the city desperately needs more apartments with lower monthly rents. They also point out that 40 percent of San Franciscans live alone, making this type of unit ideal. But opponents worry that the units would not benefit neighborhoods where they would be built, and point out that, at a higher price per square foot than larger apartments, they are not truly affordable housing.
The real question, though, is would it be bearable — even nice? — to live in a San Francisco micro-apartment? Small space lovers say it's all about the design and the resident's self-restraint — every time you bring something new into your micro-pad, you need to take something else out to avoid being crowded out by clutter. Design/development firm Panoramic Interests has designed some pretty small (although not below the city's current 290-square-foot minimum) apartments that look sleek and lovely in the drawings, for two buildings in SOMA.
All the designs of proposed micro-units look very nice, but what do small apartments look like in reality? We searched Zillow for the smallest San Francisco apartments we could find. Some of them do look nice, but keep in mind — they don't have any stuff in them in the photos, or very little of it. And as George Carlin famously told us, a house is mainly a place to keep our stuff.
Also check out this video tour of tiny apartments from SMARTSPACE, a project of Bay Area developer/designer Panoramic:
Carrie Kirby is a freelance writer who recently returned to the Bay Area after living for six years in Chicago. Carrie is more heavily invested in real estate than she ever expected to be, since she and her husband are now long-distance landlords of their Chicago home, and have also purchased a house in Alameda. She posts about interesting properties and real estate trends in San Francisco and Silicon Valley every Tuesday. Carrie also shares money-saving tips on her blog, Frugalistic Mom.

subset: commoncrawl


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Museum of Arts & Design
Commission Brief: Huntington Hartford, the A&P heir, commissioned Edward Durell Stone & Associates as architects.
Design Brief: Stone planned a ten-story marble showcase for the visual arts. The façade was to be made of soft white or off-white marble to match the Coliseum, which was diagonally west across Columbus Circle. The building was to be supported on a Venetian-style arcade, later dubbed "lollipop columns." The building was to have cutout porthole shapes in the façade to give museum patrons a view of Central Park. According to Stone, the building would have ample fenestration in its marble sides, so that vistas of Columbus Circle and Central Park could refresh the gallery visitor. Stone's renderings showed the building festooned with long, hanging vines or plants and surrounded by thick trees. None of those additions were in the final plan. The building would rise 150 feet with no setbacks. It would be the first vertical-type building to be used as an art museum. The building would have a system of descending galleries, which would be similar to Frank Lloyd Wright's plan for the Guggenheim Museum, then under construction.
At the ground floor of the building were short, stubby support columns, each with a circular capital. These columns formed an arcade at the base of the building. The front-facing curved façade of the building, a Venetian-inspired vertical palazzo, was perforated with porthole-like openings at the corners, base and crown. The top two floors, where the restaurant was located behind a loggia, opened to a view of Central Park. Ada Louise Huxtable of the New York Times likened the overall effect to a "die-cut Venetian palazzo on lollipops," Olga Gueft of Interiors said that the building's "red-granite-trimmed, green-marble-lined colonnades, these rows of portholes like borders of eyelet hand-embroidered on a marble christening robe are too winsome for heavyweight criticism." The stair gallery inside the building wrapped around a core. Filtered natural light was introduced through the perforations at the corners, which opened small glimpses of Central Park without distracting the viewer from the art. The lobby floor was paved in terrazzo, into which were set the discs that had been cut out of the marble when the exterior arches were formed. The interior walls of the museum were paneled with walnut and other hardwoods. The floors were thickly carpeted or elaborately finished in parquet de Versailles and marble. A pipe organ was included in one of the double-height galleries. Though Hartford's collection did not include any paintings by Gauguin, the ninth-floor Polynesian restaurant, the Gauguin Room, included a tapestry based on one of the French master's paintings.
The building would be constructed of reinforced concrete over which would be a skin of white Vermont marble, veined with gold and gray. In an apparent change of the original design to have ample windows in the marble façade of the building, during construction the windows were reduced to a minimum, limited to the periphery of the façade, and placed behind decorative pierced marble, similar to the concrete grill work that Stone used for the American Embassy in New Delhi, India. According to Ada Louise Huxtable, art and architecture critic of the New York Times, "[t]he arcades and framing filigree that are Edward's Stone's increasingly insistent trademark will make his Gallery of Modern Art an effective architectural billboard before the visitor enters."
Columbus Circle is a small, trapezoidal lot on the south side of Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City, USA. The seven-story Pabst Grand Circle Hotel, designed by William H. Cauvet, stood at this address from 1874 until it was demolished in 1960.
At the confluence of Broadway and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, on the southern circumference of Columbus Circle, and directly across 59th Street from Central Park, Stone's building was a unique example of post-World War II modern architecture, and it was a foil to the recently constructed immense glass façade of the new Time Warner building, on the west circumference of Columbus Circle. The location of the building at this important traffic hub required that its front-facing façade be curved to match Columbus Circle. The lollipop columns of this Venetian-inspired building, which were placed close to the curved curb line of the street, gave the impression that gondolas, instead of cars, should drift past them. The motif of the circular "lollipops" was carried up the sides on the building as small port hole type windows, which admitted some light into the building, but were not large enough to permit the vistas of Central Part to distract museum-goers from the art inside. Although architects and architectural historians were sharply divided as to whether the building merited landmark status, which eventually was denied, the marble-faced building was unique in its design and, with its alteration, is not likely to be used as an inspiration for future structures.
Huntington Hartford conceived of the Gallery of Modern Art as a museum for contemporary art that would reject exhibitions of modern abstract act, which was then being embraced by the Museum of Modern Art ("MoMA"). To help achieve that plan, Hartford selected Edward Durell Stone as the architect for the project. Ironically, in 1939, Stone, along with Phillip Goodwin, had been the architects of the MoMA building on 53rd Street. At its location at Columbus Circle, the museum would be the most accessible in Manhattan by subway and bus.
Stone's plan for the Gallery of Modern Art called for a 10-story, high-rise museum, as opposed to the more traditional horizontal museums, like MoMA. The marble façade of the building was intended to give the building a monumental appearance, with traditional Venetian motifs and modern columns with circular capitals. Stone sought to design a permanent building, as opposed to a mannered piece of architecture, that would stand for generations to come.
The initial reception for the building was favorable. According to the New York Times art and architecture critic, in 1964, Columbus Circle was a sordid and dismembered open space. Ms. Huxtable characterized the new building for the museum as resembling a "dye-cut Venetian palazzo on lollipops. It begs for a canal or garden setting, rather than the dusty disorder of a New York traffic circle. Its effect, which now borders on poetic grotesquerie, will be vastly improved if the architect's sympathetic design of the circle is carried out by the city." Over time, however, the building was abandoned, first by Hartford and then by Fairleigh Dickinson University. Although the City of New York later acquired the building as the headquarters for its Cultural Affairs Department, even the City abandoned the building, such that, in 2002, David W. Dunlap of the New York Times characterized the building "as an abandoned work of romantic modernism that has irritated and amused New Yorkers for 30 years." In 2004, the same Ms. Huxtable who, in 1964 for the New York Times, had praised the building, albeit faintly, now criticized preservationists' efforts to landmark what she called "this derelict little building." Now writing for The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Huxtable wrote, "I have been watching, with wonder and disbelief, the beatification of 2 Columbus Circle, ne the Huntington Hartford Museum, a k a the lollipop building (so-named, for better or worse, by me). This small oddity of dubious architectural distinction, designed by Edward Durell Stone, has been elevated to masterpiece status and cosmic significance by a campaign to save its marginally important, mildly eccentric, and badly deteriorated façade—a campaign that has escalated into a win-at-any-cost-and-by-any-means vendetta in the name of 'preservation.'" The façade of the building, now condemned by the wrecking ball, will probably have no appreciable impact on the work of other architects. The building did not contribute to establish any new architectural principles.
The Gallery of Modern Art, when conceived by Huntington Hartford and designed by Edward Durell Stone in the late 1950s, was unique as an art museum due to its vertical design. As of 1958, for the gallery interior, Stone was exploring a scheme for having stairways along the walls of the building, leading to a descending system of galleries. This system would enable visitors to take an elevator to the top of the building and then descend several feet by stairway onto a landing gallery. After viewing that gallery, the visitor would take another stairway to the gallery below and so on. This scheme for the display of art in the building was similar to what Frank Lloyd Wright had designed for The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Allied Works Architecture web site, http.//www.alliedworks.com
"Architect Picked for Art Museum." 1958. New York Times, May 18, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Automated City Register Information System ("ACRIS"), N.Y.C. Department of Finance, http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/Scripts/Coverpage.dll/index
Barron, James, (NYT), Compiled by Anthony Ramirez. 2004. Metro Briefing New York: Manhattan: Sale Of 2 Columbus Circle Advances. New York Times, April 16, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Cash, Stephanie 2003. "Facelift for Two Columbus Circle." Art in America, June 1, http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Cash, Stephanie 2005. "Two Columbus Circle Battle Continues." Art in America, November 1, 39. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
"Columbus Circle Plan OK." 2005. Art in America, April 1, 45,47. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
DOCOMONO US Newsletter, Winter 2003, page 6.
Dunlap, David W. 2002. "2 Columbus Circle Will Be a Museum Again." New York Times, June 21, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Dunlap, David W. 2005. "Museum Wins a Court Battle On Columbus Circle Renovation." New York Times, February 25, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Dunlap, David W. "A Museum Clad in Billboards? The Critics Are Not Pleased." New York Times, April 8, 2006, Late Edition (East Coast), http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Dunlap, David W. 2006. "Big 'Da Vinci Code' Billboard Removed at Columbus Circle." New York Times, April 15, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Gleuck, Grace 1981. "Art: Working Process at Columbus Circle." New York Times, April 17, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Horsley, Carter B. "Plots & Plans: The Unofficial Landmark Rape of 2 Columbus Circle," http://www.thecityreview.com/hhart.htmn.
Huxtable, Ada Louise 1960. "What Should a Museum Be?" New York Times, May 8, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Huxtable, Ada Louise 1963. "Architecture Stumbles On." New York Times, April 14, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
In the Matter of Landmark West! v. Burden, 3 Misc3d 1102(A), 787 N.Y.S.2d 678, 2004 WL 913217 *9 (Sup. Ct., New York Co. April 15, 2004).
In re Landmark West! v. Burden, 15 A.D.3d 308, 790 N.Y.S.2d 107 (1st Dep't 2005).
Kimmelman, Michael 1997. "An Old Dream For the Arts, A New Chance For the City." New York Times, February 15, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Knox, Sanks 1956. "Art Museum at Columbus Circle Planned by Huntington Hartford." New York Times, June 11, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Knox, Sanks 1959. "Hartford Tells of New Museum." New York Times, June 14, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
Knox, Sanks 1962. "Art Museum Makes Slow Progress." New York Times, January 31, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).
New York Architectural Images – Midtown Website, 2 Columbus Circle, http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID095.htm.
Pogrebin, Robin 2007. "Renovation Slowly Adds Some Light To Lollipops." New York Times, June 5, Late Edition (East Coast). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed February 9, 2008).


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101 Fantastic Freebies
Today's Best Tech Deals
Picked by PCWorld's Editors
Top Deals On Great Products
Picked by Techconnect's Editors
Infrant Technologies ReadyNAS NV 1TB
Maxtor Shared Storage II
Once upon a time you actually had to pay for great software and services -- hard to believe, but true.
Luckily, we no longer live in that world. The Internet is stuffed with great downloads and Web sites offering free software and services of every kind. Want to tune up your PC, keep it safe, create graphics, or back up your system with gobs of free storage space? You can find free software and sites to do all that, and plenty more.
We revved up our cable modem and searched for the most intriguing free offerings out there. After we took each download or service for a test-drive, we picked the very best, and came up with the following list of 101 great freebies.
We didn't do it alone, though -- you helped. We polled PC World readers, asking for your top freebies in several categories, so here you'll find your favorites as well as ours. (And be sure to read more details on the People's Choice Winners.)
Also in This Article
Infrant Technologies ReadyNAS NV 1TB
Maxtor Shared Storage II
Coupon Codes
Samsung promo codes for September 2019
$350 off Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+ or S10e - Samsung promotions
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Take $10 off on $50 accessories order with HP coupon code
Newegg promo codes for September 2019
50% off Newegg's refurbished outlet
AT&T Wireless promo codes for September 2019
$300 reward card with the new iPhone 11 Pro Max - AT&T offer
Shop with a Verizon promo codes for September 2019
Switch to Verizon and get $250 rebate with Verizon promotions
15% off | 10 OnePlus Promo Codes and Sales | PCWorld
Get 15% off on OnePlus 7 Pro Premium Bundle


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IBM IBM eServer xSeries 460 8872 Rack 4-way 2 x Xeon MP 2.83 GHz RAM 2 GB SAS hot-swap HD 0GB DVD Gigabit EN 3 U, IBM 8872-1RU-01.
* We have limited quantity of 8872-1RU-01 in stock. Our inventory changes constantly and quantities listed are based on available stock. This item comes with our 100% Money-Back Guarantee.
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Great NorthWeb
Our department needed two discontinued drive modules for our servers. Code Micro delivered on time. ...
Mark E.
Citi Corp


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Microsoft hasn't committed to any iPhone apps. However, if I was a betting woman, I would put my money on something coming from Microsoft's Tellme unit.
Tellme is the speech recognition company that Microsoft bought last year. Among its many products is one that lets you speak a search term into a phone and get back a screen with information--say the location of the nearest gas station or pizza parlor.
Tellme CEO-turned-Microsoft executive Mike McCue has been spending a lot of time these days integrating his voice search technology with Windows Mobile. However, Tellme has also continued to work with Microsoft's rivals in the cell phone business. In fact, Tellme's latest software was released first for the BlackBerry.
McCue, who sports a 20th anniversary Mac on his desk and praises Apple for its design, has made it clear he wants to be wherever the mobile customers are.
"We want to be on every phone possible," he said in an interview earlier this year.
He also noted that while the iPhone is seen as the be-all and end-all of mobile gadgets, it is actually fairly cumbersome and a two-handed job to search for local listings. No matter how great a touch screen is, he says, saying what you are looking for, if done right, can be much faster.
To switch a song on the iPhone, he noted, takes six clicks on the iPhone.
"Changing tunes on your iPhone is a dangerous experience," he said.
As elegant as the iPhone is--and McCue gives it lots of credit--what's really needed, McCue said, is a new interface. Not surprisingly, he sees voice as a big part of the solution.
It's not surprising, as Microsoft works to catch up to Apple, that McCue's team has been spending a lot more time lately on mobile applications, working closely with the group developing Windows Mobile 7--the next version of Microsoft's cell phone operating system.
"We want to make Windows Mobile better," McCue said, but added quickly, "Tellme will be available on all mobile operating systems."


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I've been on quite a shellfish kick lately. In the span of a month, I've eaten mussels and clams almost every time I've had dinner out, from French-style mussels steamed in white wine at a local hangout to Chinese clams with black bean sauce at dim sum. Maybe it's because of spring and warmer temps, but restaurants have been putting up seafood specials left and right, and I happily indulge.
Fortunately, living near two good seafood markets means I can decide on whim to have mussels and clams for dinner and just walk down the street to pick them up. A couple of days ago, I decided to do an easy meal of mussels with ginger and shallots, steamed with Chinese rice wine.
Sometimes I cook mussels with Chinese black beans and chili paste, but this time I opted for forgo heavier flavorings in favor of a lighter dish. Chinese rice wine, much like a dry white wine in preparing moules marinière, compliments and shows off the sweet brininess of the fresh mussels. And once you debeard the mussels, the actual cooking time is super quick.
Another reason to love this: the simple flavorings means that is one Chinese dish that easily pairs with most drinks, including beer, white wine, Lambrusco, and gin rickeys.
And fellow seafood fans, let me know in the comments: Do you have a favorite way of cooking mussels?
Steamed Mussels with Ginger and Shallots
Serves 4
- 2 pounds mussels
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced or chopped
Special equipment: wok or large skillet with lid.
- Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold water, changing the wa
- ter several times, to remove any grit. Debeard the mussels by removing the stringy bits in the seam where the two shells meet as best you can. Discard any mussels with cracked shells or any with open shells that don't close when you gently tap them against the counter.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates contact. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the ginger and shallots and stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 to 40 seconds. Add the rice wine and fish sauce. Carefully add the mussels and cover with a lid. Allow the mussels to steam for 5 minutes, then uncover. Stir in the white pepper.
- Discard any mussels that have not opened, then transfer to a serving dish along with the broth remaining in the pan. Sprinkle the scallions on top and serve.


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Cosmetic Dentist Pearl – What Do You Need to Know?
Cosmetic dentistry is a field of dentistry which aims to improve the overall appearance of the face by making corrections to the teeth. Cosmetic dentists in Pearl is not a distinct branch of dentistry. Rather, it is a combination of various techniques with the sole motive of improving the appearance. Cosmetic dental procedures are somewhat costly when compared to normal dental procedures. It also takes a lot of training and expertise to become a cosmetic dentist.
Pearl Cosmetic dentistry differs from normal dentistry in a number of ways. General dentistry places more emphasis on restoring the functionality of teeth that have been damaged by various diseases and conditions. On the other hand, cosmetic dentistry is mainly about the aesthetic appearance. However, it should be noted that the domains of normal dentistry and cosmetic dentistry overlap in a number of places.
There are a number of procedures available today that can improve the appearance of the person. Some of the common dental procedures include teeth whitening, shaping, false teeth, dental veneers and dental implants. In some cases, cosmetic dental procedures may be used in combination with other cosmetic procedures that are aimed at improving the appearance of other parts of the face.
Not all procedures offered by Pearl cosmetic dentists are costly. For example, teeth whitening is easily affordable for everyone. However, it is not a specialized procedure and doesn't require a lot of skill on the part of the dentist. It is also performed at most dental clinics. It can also be performed at home by using teeth whitening kits that are readily available in the market today.
Finding a good cosmetic dentist in Pearl. There are a number of reasons why cosmetic dental procedures are costly. First and foremost, it takes years of training to become specialized as a cosmetic dental surgeon. Cosmetic dental surgeons acquire their skills over a long period of time by working at various clinics as interns. For this reason, they charge exuberant fees. Additionally, the materials involved in the surgery are also very costly. Diagnostic and screening equipment can also be very costly to operate. All of these overhead costs add up and make cosmetic dental procedures very costly.
Cosmetic Dentist - What are the Types of Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures?
Are you planning to have a total smile makeover? To fulfill this desire, you will need the services of a cosmetic dentist. This type of dentistry relies more on the creativity and the proficiency of the expert to help you in meeting your desired objectives for the process. You must be cautious when selecting the dentists. Therefore, it is imperative for you to know how you can pick the best cosmetic dentist.
AACD membership
The first place you can start to locate the best dentist is using the portal created by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The search tool of the AACD makes it easier for people looking for cosmetic services to get a proficient expert. This search tool is beneficial because all its members are highly trained and licensed. Thus, it only provides the contacts of genuine dentists.
Very few institutions offer training for cosmetic dentists. Thus, a professional is forced to go the extra mile to search for more knowledge in this field. They should go for postgraduate programs to enhance their understanding of the procedures. Those experts that go for more knowledge are more informed and that makes them better at managing the cosmetic dental issues.
Before contracting the cosmetic dentist, it is imperative to have sufficient time for consultations. Through consultations, you can ask any questions and seek clarifications from the dentists. You can use this platform to measure the level of knowledge of the expert by carefully listening to his/her recommendations.


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Professor Vrasidas Karalis
Sir Nicholas Laurantus Professor of Modern Greek
Chair of Modern Greek Department
A18 - Brennan MacCallum Building
The University of Sydney
|+61 2 9351 7252
Biographical details
For the last 20 years, my main area of research has been in Modern Greek, Byzantine, Cultural Studies and more recently New Testament Studies. I have also worked in translation, especially of the Australian Nobel Laureate Patrick White and translated three of his major novels into Greek (Voss, The Vivisector, A Cheery Soul).
Furthermore, my Australian involvement can be seen in the number of public lectures I have been invited to offer in Greek-Australian or mainstream Australian venues. I believe that our area of studies has to be gradually incorporated within the mainstream dominant environment and go beyond its introverted ghetto mentality. For my services I received the Federation Medal from the Federal Government in 2003.
Teaching and supervision
- MGRK1601: Junior Modern Greek 1
- MGRK1602: Junior Modern Greek 2
- MGRK2631: Cultural Identities
- MGRK2653: Sex, Drugs and Music in Modern Greek Culture
- MGRK2675: New Testament Greek and its World A
- MGRK2676: New Testament Greek and its World B
Supervision - Current
- Uros Todorovic, The Relevance of Late Byzantine Art to Contemporary Artistic Movements
- Afroditi Vassos, The teaching of Greek as a second language
- Catherine Cassis-Liaros, the Poetics of Death in The work of George Sarantaris
Supervision - Completed
- Dr Panayiotis Diamadis, The Fate of the Greek Minority in Asia Minor
- Dr Jen Harisson, Anthropoligical Readings of Nikos Kazantzakis and Patrick White
- Dr Haris Cypridemos, The Cyprus Question between 1930 and 1960
Current research students
|Project title
|Research student
|Belonging to Europe: National and Supra-National Identity Markers in an Era of Crisis
|Julian GRIMM
|Gender Psychodynamics in Films by Contemporary Greek Female Directors
|Sophia SAKELLIS
Current projects
- Six Greek Film-Makers I.B. Tauris (forthcoming)
- Editing a volume on Cornelius Castoriadis and the Project of Radical Autonomy, Brill Publications (forthcoming)
- Greek Philosophy After the Greeks re-press, Melbourne (forthcoming)
- 2007: Elected member of the Australian Council of the School of Divinities
- 2005: Re-elected President of Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand
- 2005: President of the Sydney Society of Literature and Aesthetics
- 2005: Elected Editor of the official journal of the Sydney Society of Literature and Aesthetics
- 2003: Honorary member of the Greek-Orthodox Community of Lakemba
- 2002: Re-elected President of the Association fo Modern Greek Studies of Australia and New Zealand
- 2001: Member of the Sydney University based Society for Literature and Aesthetics
- 2000: Member of the Centre for Australian Culture and Spirituality
- 1998: President of the Association of Modern Greek Studies in Australia and New Zealand.
- 1998: Member of the Council of the Sydney School of Divinity
- 1998: Member of the Academic Board of the Sydney School of Divinity
- 1995: Vice-President, Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand.
- 1995: Member of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis (Societe des amis de N. Kazantzaki, Geneva)
- 1995: Co-founding member of the Greek-Orthodox Forum, a new cultural association, under the auspices of the Greek-Orthodox Archdiocese, for the promotion of the Hellenic and Byzantine Heritage in Australia.
- 1993: Vice-president, Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand..
- 1992: Committee member, Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Selected grants
- Understanding Europe: 3 x 2cp units (Open Learning Environment - Undergraduate); Winter B, Moir C, Morgan P, Karalis V, Sorbera L, Stott C, Walsh A, Alba A, Rubino A; DVC Education/Small Educational Innovation Grant.
- Cultures of Food (Europe; Asia; Middle East and North Africa) (Open Learning Environment - Undergraduate); Scott C, Orsini R, Karalis V, Suter R; DVC Education/Small Educational Innovation Grant.
- Research Data Management: THE Generic Skill of the 21st Century (Open Learning Environment - Undergraduate); Denyer G, Todd M, Vervoort R, Karalis V, Yi X, Boddy A, Bridgeman A, Coleman R, Cruchley G, Faedo M, Hammond J, Ryan J; DVC Education/Small Educational Innovation Grant.
- Sydney Intellectual History Network; Milam J, Aspromourgos A, Borghesi F, Caine B, Ferng J, Fitzmaurice A, Gaukroger S, Helbig D, Karalis V, Kerridge I, Macarthur D, Nassar D, Redding P, Sadurski W, Sevel M, Sluga G, Smith M, Waldow A, Walton K; DVC Research/Research Network Scheme (SyReNS).
- Title of the project; Karalis V; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FRSS 2013 Large Grants.
- Writing the World - Transnationalism in Literary Studies; Bandhauer A, Borghesi F, Christie W, Cowan R, Dixon R, Giles P, Karalis V, Kirkpatrick P, Lu Y, Minter P, Morgan P, Parsons N, Rooney B, Suter R, Walsh A; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS Collaborative Research Scheme.
- Critical history of Christianity; Karalis V; RIHSS (Inter-disciplinary research networks and clusters)/RIHSS Internal Research Grant Allocations.
Selected publications & creative works
Realism in Greek Cinema: From the Post-War Period to the Present (I.B. Tauris, 2017)
Cornelius Castoriadis and Radical Democracy (Brill, 2014)
The Demons of Athens: Reports from the Great Devastation (Brandl & Schlesinger, 2014)
Antigone Kefala: a writers journey (Owl Publishing, 2013)
A History of Greek Cinema (Continuum, 2012)
Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt (Ashgate, 2010)
Recollections of Mr Manoly Lascaris (Brandl & Schlesinger, 2008)
Essay on Andreas Aggelakis (Odos Panos Publications, 2003)


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NEW YORK — The Kings rolled into Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday and recaptured the invincible aura that was absent while they eked out overtime victories in the first two games of the best-of-7 series.
Their goaltending and defensive play were superb when needed in Game 3. Their playmaking clicked when there were opportunities to score. Their special teams were peerless, especially penalty killing. Their swagger returned in a big way, too.
The Kings now are one victory away from their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the overmatched New York Rangers gave them a commanding three-games-to-none advantage in the series.
"That was our hockey, our team tonight," Kings center Jarret Stoll said.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped all 32 shots, including 17 during a pivotal second period that rekindled memories of his remarkable work while leading the Kings to the 2012 Stanley Cup championship and earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
Justin Williams set up Jeff Carter with a pass from the wing for the only goal the Kings needed. Carter had what seemed to be acres of open space in the slot and whistled a shot that beat New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist at the period's horn.
Officially, Carter's goal came at 19:59 of the first period.
Jake Muzzin scored a power-play goal at 4:17 of the second period and Mike Richards put the game out of reach with an even-strength strike at 17:14 of the middle period. Quick took care of the rest for his second shutout of the playoffs and ninth of his career in the postseason.
The Kings also stopped the Rangers' power play in six chances, with credit going to Quick but also to defensemen Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell, whose shot-blocking was exceptional when the Rangers began to build momentum with sustained pressure.
New York simply couldn't score.
"This was more our style," Kings captain Dustin Brown said of the team's more complete game. "We grind away, get an important goal at the end of one (period), find a power-play goal. We waited for our chances, got a 2-on-1 goal (Richards)."
Brown marveled at Quick's stingy goaltending.
"It's hard to go through all the games, but I thought he was awesome tonight," Brown said of comparing Quick's play in Game 3 to 2012. "All I know is everyone is talking about 'Quickie,' and he's a big, big part of the reason we're here because he's a goaltender who makes big saves at big times."
New York's Mats Zuccarello had the first good chance for either team, but his point-blank try in the first period went skittering toward the corner and out of harm's way. Derick Brassard couldn't crack Quick from the wing in the second, another quality opportunity stifled.
The Rangers' frustration was evident when Brassard smacked his stick against the glass.
"He was the best player on the ice tonight," New York coach Alain Vigneault said of Quick, whose statistics in these playoffs can't compare to 2012 but whose contributions put the Kings within one win of another victory parade in downtown Los Angeles.
Quick, a Connecticut native, sought to correct one misperception that circulated among reporters at game's end. Game 3 wasn't the first time he played at Madison Square Garden, although it was his first appearance in the NHL at the so-called "world's most famous arena."
"It was a pee-wee championship and we did a shootout between periods," Quick said during his formal postgame press conference, prompting some reporters to laugh. "So to all you guys who said I never played here, I did play here once."


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Photo at top: A Concord grape vineyard overlooks Lake Erie in the Concord Grape Belt outside Westfield, New York. Photo copyright © 2007 by Duncan Hilchey.
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Another highlight of AgDevONLINE is PubShare, a place to upload and share practitioners' white papers, student papers, and theses and dissertations with your colleagues. Material can also include gray or "fugitive" material such as project reports, evaluations, articles, and the like - anything useful to other practitioners. You may not have time to produce a peer-reviewed paper for the journal, but you just might have time to hunt around your office or computer for useful material to share. Who knows, you may inspire the next best practice!


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About NemesisPrime
I'll be waiting with baited breath.
As if there was any doubt.
Wyden should have never lifted the hold. As if I couldn't hate my country even more they SOMEHOW managed to find a way.
Father, I must confess fore I have sinned.
I also have Aspurger's and I play violent games all the time but if you met me in real life you'd say I was the nicest person you ever met!
The first game I remember playing that involved blood was Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on arcade in my local theater and I was instantly addicted but that didn't turn me into a murderer wanting to rip people's hearts out!
This is why I get so fired up when people more specifically politicians say video games are to blame for the recent shooting! It gives gamers like me a bad name and further pisses me off.
You know my favorite game I like to play nowadays? Mortal Kombat (2011).
I'm nice to a fault if you ever met me and will go out of my way to make you comterable!
Watch out NRA! My perfectly harmless game is gonna turn me into a serial killer! Wooooooo...
Just because some of us have Aspurger's or some other different wiring of our brains doesn't make us dangerous!
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go kill Kratos with Sub-Zero...


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Stop me if you've heard this one before - Tiger Woods wins...again. You've probably heard it 74 times now, a stunning number of victories for Tiger, who may very well go down as the greatest golfer of all time.
Like many of his wins, this one was more about how he adapted to the course and conditions better than the others, not just simply blew them away with superior talent. And what a wild set of circumstances and conditions everyone at Congressional and the AT&T National had to deal with.
Record wind and rain made the course near unplayable Friday night and made crowds impossible for Saturday. Much of the power in the Washington D.C. area was knocked out and many players were having to sleep, eat, prepare for golf without electricity. On top of that, the record heat meant that it would be both a physically and mentally taxing days for all of them. And that's when Tiger knew he was in good position for the week. His mental and physical preparation is still second to none. He brought up the 2007 PGA Championship in Tulsa where the entire week saw temperatures over 100 degrees. He won there too.
So if you're playing golf now, and I hope you are, can you take steps to better prepare yourself? Of course you can. Remember, playing in heat means doing the best you can to conserve your energy. Here are a few tips I tell my students.
1.) Stay hydrated. This is NOT as simple as it sounds. Drinking plenty of fluids during your round will not be enough. You need to actually begin at least one day prior to your round. Possibly even earlier if you're flying to your golf destination. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
2.) Wear loose, light-colored clothing made of moisture wicking material. Nike's Dri-Fit apparel works great for shirts and pants, and other brands have their own fabrics that will help keep you cool. The goal here is to keep the clothes breathable and not have it stick to you when you start to sweat. You'll feel more comfortable, stay cooler and play better.
3.) Use sunblock. Much of the newer golf apparel has sunblock technology built in. In fact, I've even advised players, that have the right type of materials in their shirt, to wear long sleeves on hot days - simply for the sunblocking properties of the clothes. On your skin that is exposed, use some type of sunscreen. SPF 50 is not too much.
4.) Wear a hat. Regular style caps are great; but they're not perfect. The bucket hat with the brim that goes all the way around may be more effective. But a loose, light hat will do wonders in keeping the sun off of you. It's not just about avoiding sunburn, it's maintaining your energy level.
5.) Eat light, but eat nonetheless. Again, if we want to maintain your concentration and energy levels, starving yourself is not going to help. But the last thing you want is to feel heavy and lethargic due to a big meal before needing to walk around for five or six hours in the hot sun.
6.) Warm up fully but lightly. You want to be prepared for your round, so hit balls on the range and putt some of the putting green. But don't overexert yourself. You're going to sap your energy throughout the day. Don't burn it all before you get to the first tee!
All of us that like to play golf know we're going to battle the elements from time to time. Living in Atlanta, I know that oppressive heat doesn't mean that golf has to take a back seat. If you're smart and prepared, you can enjoy some great times on the course where the day may be warm but your game is even hotter.
Jon Tattersall is President of Golf Performance Partners in Atlanta, GA. Tattersall has worked with several players on the PGA, LPGA and European Tours and is a GOLF Magazine "Top 100" teacher.
Jon Tattersall is President of Golf Performance Partners in Atlanta, GA. Tattersall has worked with several players on the PGA, LPGA and European Tours and is a GOLF Magazine "Top 100" teacher.


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Filter Results
WA Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Annual Student Presentations
The Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit will be celebrating its 45th Anniversary and hosting its annual student presentation this Thursday, Sept. 27. The event will have a great line-up of student presentations–something for everyone. Students will be competing for the Gilbert and Pat Pauley Award for best presentation.
A Keynote Address will be given by Dr. Brian Kertson, a recent Unit graduate and the Large Carnivore Specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.Read more
Four Thousand Hooks – Book Launch and Signing
University of Washington Press will release SAFS alum and guest lecturer Dean Adams' book Four Thousand Hooks on Oct. 1, 2012. Join Adams on Oct. 7 to celebrate the arrival of Four Thousand Hooks—a true story of fishing and coming of age on the high seas of Alaska— a view like no other, into the culture and lifestyle of Alaska fishermen.Read more
The Role of Molecular Genetics in Fisheries Management: Historical Perspectives
On October 2 at 12:30 p.m., SAFS Affiliate Professor Fred Utter will give a presentation entitled The Role of Molecular Genetics in Fisheries Management:
Historical Perspectives in FSH 203.
Speaker bio:
Fred Utter, Ph. D., is an affiliate professor in the School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Washington. Considered the founding father of fishery genetics, in 1959 he began work in the ancestor laboratory of the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center fishery genetics laboratory, of which he became the head in 1969.


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September 21, 2019
A: click to change text to default font size A: click to change text to medium font size A: click to change text to large font size
Home»Court Divisions»Probate»Required Probate Documents
Petition Documents
Initial Petition Documents:
- Petition for Probate
- Notice of Petition to Administer Estate
- If there is a Will, the Original must be Lodged with the Court prior to the hearing date.
Please submit the Order for Probate and copies at least 7 days prior to the hearing date, along with a self-stamped addressed envelope if you want a copy of your Order sent to you.
The following forms are required prior to the issuance of Letters:
- Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative
- Confidential Statement of Birth Date & Driver's License Number
- Request for Appointment of California Probate Referee (local form)
- Bond (if specified on the Order)
- Letters
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the general Probate number at (650) 261-5100.


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Wheel Comparison - Wheel War: 15s VS. 18sPosted in How To: Wheels Tires on April 1, 2005
For years, the 15-inch-diameter wheel was the standard for us 'wheelers. It didn't matter whether we were running 31-inch- or 44-inch-diameter tires on our rigs-most of us used 15-inch wheels. Five years ago, the largest wheel diameter advertised in the October issue of Four Wheeler was 17 inches. Most were in the 15- to 16.5-inch range. But times have changed. The Jan. '05 issue of Four Wheeler sported advertising for a number of 18- and 20-inch wheels. Another indicator of the trend towards bigger wheels is seen when looking at the competitors in Top Truck Challenge (TTC). These folks have historically been on the cutting edge of 'wheeling tech, and in 2000, 9 of 10 TTC competitor rigs were equipped with 15-inch wheels. In 2004, the numbers were radically different as seven TTC rigs had 16.5s and only two had 15s. One competitor was running 20s. The OEMs are also jumping into the big wheel trend. Consider that the largest wheel diameter in our 2000 Pickup Truck of the Year competition was 16 inches. In '04, the largest wheel diameter increased to 18 inches, and a couple of rigs were equipped with 17s. Further, OEMs like Dodge and Ford now offer optional 20-inch wheels on some of their trucks.
From showrooms to boulders, bigger wheels are becoming commonplace. But does this new trend help or inhibit our rig's performance? Why would you need a larger wheel? Is the cost of the larger wheels and tires justified? How do the two compare in regards to weight? Could it be that wheel size is ultimately irrelevant in the big picture, or is the 'wheeling public just figuring out something the pioneers knew 150 years ago when they outfitted their wagons with 50-inch wheels?
We wanted to know the answers to these questions, so we tested a few combinations of wheels and tires. We also asked 'wheelers and tire gurus a lot of questions, and we found that discussing wheel size makes some folks as emotional as the Ford vs. Chevy debate (some consider it an abomination).
As you'll soon read, we chose to test 15- and 18-inch-diameter wheels in both 33- and 35-inch-diameter tire sizes. It's a no-brainer as to why we chose the 15s. We chose the 18s because the signs we see in the industry point to this size wheel as being the next big thing (no pun intended). We chose 33- and 35-inch tires because these are popular sizes (and they're the largest we could fit on our test rig). As you will see, tire and wheel width varied. There's not a whole lot we could do about that, as we had to work with what was available at the time testing needed to begin, which was many months before this story was written.
Hopefully, the following data will help you answer the question as to whether larger wheels are bling or king.
Combination tested: 33x12.50R15 Pro Comp Xterrain w/15x10 Pro Comp 1079
Tire/wheel data: The Xterrain is CAD-designed, with directional lugs and deep lug sipes. The tire features Dualguard polyester body plies that consist of thick two-ply polyester construction. The sidewalls feature a blend of dual sidewall rubber, allowing for maximum puncture resistance with total flexibility when using lower air pressure off-road without excessive heat buildup. The Xterrain also features two layers of opposed-angle steel belting that spans the tread area for maximum puncture resistance. Pro Comp says that this opposed-angle steel also allows the tread to flex under lower air pressure to maximize traction off-road. The 15x10 Pro Comp 1079 aluminum wheel has a fully polished face and is constructed using strength-producing counter-pressure casting technology. The optional Xtreme rings give the wheels a rugged bead-lock look, and simply bolt on.
Tire weight (lb.): 53
Wheel weight (lb.): 26
Combined weight (lb.): 78
Overall tire diameter (in.): 32.6
Approximate street price of 33x12.50R15 Pro Comp Xterrain: $202.99
Approximate street price of 15x10 Pro Comp 1079 w/Xtreme ring: $190.98
Combination tested: 33x13.50R18 Pro Comp Xterrain w/18x9.5 Pro Comp 1059129-0504-comp-03 (IMG_9007)
Tire/wheel data: This is Pro Comp's newest Xterrain. While it shares many of the visual design cues with the 33x12.50R15 Xterrain, it differs in a number of areas. First, it uses a three-ply sidewall instead of the two-ply sides found on other Xterrains. It also incorporates two layers of opposing-angle steel belting, along with a full layer of nylon wrapping in the tread area, for six plies of protection. Further, it uses its own specific rubber compound called Xtreme Traction Compound (XTC). Like Pro Comp's 1079 Xtreme polished wheel, the 1059 is manufactured using counter-pressure casting to produce a strong wheel. With that said, the 1059 has an impressive maximum load carrying capacity of 3,420 pounds.
Tire weight (lb.): 75
Wheel weight (lb.): 30
Combined weight (lb.): 105
Overall tire diameter (in.): 33.6
Approximate street price of 33x13.50R18 Pro Comp Xterrain tire: $349.99
Approximate street price of 18x9.5 Pro Comp 1059 wheel: $168.99
33x12.50R15 @ 35 psi (in.): 9.75
33x12.50R15 @ 16 psi (in.): 11.0
33x12.50R15 tread width increase (% ): 13
33x13.50R18 @ 35 psi (in.): 12.0
33x13.50R18 @ 16 psi (in.): 12.5
33x13.50R18 tread width increase (%): 4
33x12.50R15 @ 35 psi (in.): 7.0
33x12.50R15 @ 16 psi (in.): 6.25
33x13.50R18 @ 35 psi (in.): 6.25
33x13.50R18 @ 16 psi (in.): 5.25
Combination tested: 35x13.50R15 Toyo Open Country M/T with 15x10 Eagle Alloy Series 117
Tire/wheel data: This tire uses a cap/base construction, two wide steel belts, two spiral-wound nylon cap plies, and a high turn-up three-ply polyester casing. The tread design is computer-optimized, the tread elements are shaped and staggered for reduced noise, and the sidewall compound is bruise and abrasion resistant. The one-piece Eagle Alloy wheels are polished.
Tire weight (lb.): 84
Wheel weight (lb.): 25
Combined weight (lb.): 109
Overall tire diameter (in.): 34.8
Approximate street price of 35x13.50R15 Toyo Open Country M/T: $232.99
Approximate street price of 15x10 Eagle Alloy 117: $137.88
Combination tested: 35x12.50R18 Toyo Open Country M/T with 18x12 Weld Racing Cheyenne 5
Tire/wheel data: Toyo uses the same manufacturing process throughout the entire line of Open Country M/T tires, so the 15-inch tire tech specs apply to the 18-inch tire as well. Like the 15-inch tire, the 18-inch has an aggressive, attack tread design, over-the-shoulder tread, and deep siping in the tread blocks. The Weld Racing Cheyenne 5 wheel is forged from 6061 alloy, which gives it a very impressive 4,000-pound load rating.
Tire weight (lb.): 81
Wheel weight (lb.): 34
Combined weight (lb.): 115
Overall tire diameter (in.): 35
Approximate street price of 35x12.50R18 Toyo Open Country M/T: $348.99
Approximate street price of 18x12 Weld Racing Cheyenne 5: $545
35x13.50R15 @ 35 psi (in.): 10.5
35x13.50R15 @ 16 psi (in.): 10.75
35x13.50R15 tread width increase (%): 2
35x12.50R18 @ 35 psi (in.): 10.5
35x12.50R18 @ 16 psi (in.): 10.75
35x12.50R18 tread width increase (%): 2
35x13.50R15 @ 35 psi (in.): 8.25
35x13.50R15 @ 16 psi (in.): 7.75
35x12.50R18 @ 35 psi (in.): 7.0
35x12.50R18 @ 16 psi (in.): 6.25
On the street, a shorter sidewall height will definitely improve a truck's handling at speed. We noted a vast improvement in our test truck's overall handling when it was equipped with the two 18-inch wheel/tire combinations (as compared to the 15-inch wheel/tire combinations). The overall ride quality suffered a bit, as the shorter sidewall of the 18s was unable to absorb shock as well as the 15s. This passed more shock to the wheels, but it was in no way uncomfortable. It also forced the suspension to work more and we had to readjust our Rancho RS 9000X shocks to compensate for the lack of sidewall. At highway speed, the truck exhibited less wander and a far quicker reaction to steering inputs when shod with the 18-inch combination. As you can see by the test data, airing down from street pressure to 16 psi cost between 1/2 and 1 inch of sidewall height. This may not seem like much, but in smaller-diameter tires, it means a reduced safety margin between wheel and immovable trail object.
How much a tire flattens out when aired down depends a lot on its construction. Some tires have very soft sidewalls and others are very stiff. With this in mind, our testing showed that both sizes of Toyo tires were equal in the percentage of tread width increase when aired down to 16 psi from street pressure. We used a percentage basis to measure this because the tires were of two different widths. Once again, it's important to note that the 15- and 18-inch Xterrains are manufactured differently, hence the large difference in percentage of tread width increase.
Using the street pricing at the time of this writing, there was a $125.01 difference per tire/wheel between the 33x15 and the 33x18 Pro Comp tire/wheel combinations as tested. If you buy five, this translates to a $625.05 difference. The 35x15 and the 35x18 Toyo tire/wheel combinations showed a $523.12 difference per wheel, but bear in mind that was figured using the 18x12 Weld Cheyenne 5 wheel, which has a street price of $545. Figured using this example, five 35x18s would run you $2,615.60 more than the 35x15s. Once again, it's important to note that these figures represent the specific wheel/tire combinations that we tested, so your actual cost could be radically different depending on the wheel/tire combination you choose. Bottom line: Expect to pay more for larger-diameter wheel/tire combinations.
Jimmy Nylund, one of Four Wheeler's experienced tire testers, notes that "less unsprung weight equals performance in every aspect, and especially so in rotating weight." When compared to a 15-inch tire, an 18-inch tire of the same outside diameter will generally tip the scales at a few pounds lighter. Such is the case with the Toyo tires we tested here, as the 18s weighed 3 pounds less than the 15s. However, this isn't always the case, as the Pro Comp 18-inch tires weighed substantially more than the 15s. The reason for this is that even though the Xterrains share the same name, the two sizes are constructed quite a bit differently (see the tire data on the previous page). Another thing to remember is that it takes more wheel to fill an 18-inch hole than a 15-inch hole, so this will add weight to the 18s, often offsetting the lower tire weight. Interestingly, there was only a 6-pound difference between the 15- and 18-inch Toyo wheel/tire combinations.
In rockcrawling applications, larger-diameter wheels (18-inch and up) are currently found on about 10 percent of all machines. The debate over larger wheels is still being fought on the boulders of rockcrawling competitions like UROC and ProRock. Many drivers use 17-inch wheels, but entertain the thought of larger wheels as availability improves. Troy Myer, driver of the Wasp rock buggy, is one of the drivers who would consider defecting from his 17-inch-diameter wheels. He said that one of the benefits he found by switching from 15- to 17-inch wheels was that it alleviated wheelhop issues due to the shorter sidewall storing less energy. Rockcrawlers praise shorter sidewalls for their reduced sidewall roll when off-camber, but debate several points including the shorter sidewall's ability to get pinched between wheel and rock after going airborne with an aired-down tire, as well as the increased probability of peeling a tire from the wheel.
As with many four-wheel-drive modifications, there is no right or wrong answer to the 15- versus 18-inch question. The answer lies in how you use your rig and your own personal preference.
Point and laugh at them if you want, but there's a place in our world for 18-inch wheels. Look, they allow you to bolt on a larger set of brakes, which is something almost every modified rig needs; they improve handling while unladen, laden or while towing; and if you're into bling, they're the hottest new look. On the other hand, 15s are much less expensive; they're easier to buy in the middle-of-nowhere; and they offer arguably better overall off-road performance and a smoother ride compared to 18s. What does our staff run? Half of us run 18s and the other half run 15s.


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Jessica Bell is the executive coordinator of Writing Day Workshops, which organizes one-day writing conferences. These events take place mostly in the U.S., but can happen elsewhere.
If Jessica could choose only one creative mentor, she'd give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she spends most of her time in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a 30-something Australian contemporary fiction author, award-winning poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she's written.
She started as a poet, drawing from her musical background and etching her thoughts and feelings into verse. Those stanzas soon turned into sentences and paragraphs, and eventually into published books. Her literary voice is said to overflow with "lyrical descriptions, unique metaphors, tight dialogue, and an abundance of sensory detail." She has also been told she has the ability to take a seemingly ordinary three-chord type story and turn it into a main stage event.
In addition to her novels about unique dysfunctional families, poetry collections, and her best-selling pocket writing guides (Writing in a Nutshell series), she has published a variety of works in online and print literary journals and anthologies, including Australia's Cordite Review, Writer's Digest, and the anthologies 100 Stories For Queensland and From Stage Door Shadows, both released through Brisbane, Australia's, eMergent Publishing.
One of Jessica's proudest moments was when, in November 2013, her poem, Sugar (which was published in a poetry anthology called Women's Work, edited by Libby Hathorn) was broadcast on ABC National Radio's Poetica program.
Jessica Bell is the Publisher of Vine Leaves Press, and she makes a living as a Book Cover Designer for indie authors, and an editor/writer for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.
As of October 2016, she is the singer of Keep Shelly in Athens.
To see a list of awards click here.


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Killer whales get the superstar treatment every summer off the Washington coast, where tourists fill up whale-watching boats to catch a glimpse of the majestic animals. Now, researchers are studying whether all the attention could be a bad thing.
TACOMA, Washington Killer whales get the superstar treatment every summer off the Washington coast, where tourists fill up whale-watching boats to catch a glimpse of the majestic animals. Now, researchers are studying whether all the attention could be a bad thing.
University of Washington researcher David Bain, who has studied orcas for 20 years, and other scientists suspect boat noise might interfere with the orcas' echolocation the way they bounce sounds off objects to monitor their surroundings and find prey.
Bain is part of an international group of government-backed scientists working to learn why the local orca population has dropped to 83 from 98 in 1995.
Canadian scientists have already concluded that the northern resident orcas in British Columbia burn more energy when boats are present, so they must eat more to sustain themselves. If the same holds true for southern residents in Puget Sound, that would affect their survival, Bain said.
Washington's killer whales, the southern resident population, typically spend summers chasing salmon in and around Haro Strait, the six-mile-wide passage between Vancouver, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands. For years, their annual visit has drawn flotillas of commercial whale-watching boats from Washington and Canada.
Scientists believe marine traffic, human encroachment, faltering salmon runs, and pollution are contributing to the orcas' decline. It isn't yet clear whether whale-watching is playing a role, but recent increases in the number of whale watchers, both on pleasure craft and commercial vessels, have heightened these concerns.
If research proves boat noise hurts the whales, Bain said, limits might be needed on hours, days, or locations. But he added that the popularity of whale-watching also can help the cause of conservation.
"If whale-watch operators can get hundreds of thousands of people to rally behind whales, it can more than offset the impact they're having," he told The News Tribune of Tacoma.
Some activists already believe boats are detrimental to orcas.
"Protect Whales, Watch From Shore," declares an 8-foot-long banner, one of several stretched along San Juan Island's shore by the Orca Relief Citizens Alliance.
"Our point is: Watch whales. See what magnificent creatures they are. And do it in a safe way for the whales," said group director Birgit Kriete.
The campaign infuriates some whale-watching tour operators. But Tom McMillen, who runs Salish Sea Charters, concedes there is sometimes a circus atmosphere on the water. He noted operators now subscribe to a paging service that tracks the animals.
"There's no mystery. I know right where we're going," McMillen said one evening as he headed out to Haro Strait. "That's neat, but it's sad in a way. They (the whales) don't get a break ever."
Source: Associated Press


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FAQ on the New Apple iPads 16GB, 32GB, 64GB Devices - 1 views
This post is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on: The New Apple iPad. The FAQ also includes pros and cons on if the iPad is worth buying. Read post here: http://www.squidoo.com/FAQ-on-iPads
started by FAQonEverything FAQonEverything on 10 Apr 10 no follow-up yet


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Bakin' Memories
So, you're getting married! Good work.
Now, the first thing you have to ask yourselves is this: "How do we make our cake memorable?"
And not just the "oh-that-was-such-a-pretty-cake" kind of memorable, either; I'm talking the "CALL-EVERYONE-WE-KNOW-AND-ALERT-THE-MEDIA" kind of memorable.
Allow me to offer a couple suggestions.
- You could dance on the head of Cousin Itt:
Or possibly a large hay stack.
- You could plaster a plaster cast of yourselves tongue-kissing on top of a badly-glued-together pair of sheet cakes:
(Hey, baker, that seam in the middle? SmoooOOooooth.)
Oh, and just to nip an impending Epcot in the bud, here's the uncropped version of Cousin It:
How much you wanna bet the guests were asking what a haystack had to do with all those pictures of mountains? :D
Thanks to Kate V. & Sten W. for the memories.
Note from john: I had to take down one of the cakes. It was horrible but not professional. Bummer.


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Originally posted by Fred J. Brightman
In Reply to: Ghost Town Purchasing/Selling posted by Gabrielle Buel on December 28, 19102 at 09:19:49:
: I am a writer looking to hear from anyone involved in seeking to sell or purchase a ghost town, or anyone who has already done so. Please contact me and tell me all about it! Thanks.
I am interested in purchasing a ghost town to live on/in. It should have water suitable for drinking available. I would like to sell my home and live on the property. This is not for development or resale. It should be in Arizona.
I as yet have no knowledge on this subject. Can you help me? Thank you, Fred.


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The new year left the Eastern Conference with the same old problem: it's hard to get a read on how these similarly situated teams will sort out their pecking order.
Houston and Sporting Kansas City appear a step or two ahead of the pack. Both teams altered their squads in substantive fashion during the close season, but the Dynamo retained more of its core and all of its mental edge after continuing its hex over Sporting after eliminating the club from the postseason in each of the last two seasons.
The margins shrink after the top two sides, though. Returning playoff teams Chicago and D.C. United look stronger than last season, but New York must prove itself again after its offseason upheaval. The rest of the pack – Columbus, Montréal, New England, Philadelphia and Toronto FC – will hope to disrupt the established order and slide into the postseason
Projected order
1. Houston
2. Sporting Kansas City
3. Chicago
4. D.C. United
5. New York
6. Columbus
7. New England
8. Montréal
9. Philadelphia
10. Toronto FC
Last season in a sentence: Another methodical playoff run ended abruptly with another MLS Cup defeat to Los Angeles.
Offseason moves: Few teams operated as deftly as the Dynamo did during the close season. Proven performers Eric Brunner and Omar Cummings arrived to provide cover for the departure of André Hainault and the injury concerns facing Calen Carr. The recent loan move for Hearts winger Andrew Driver rounded off the movement nicely.
Key figure: Even with the emergence of Will Bruin and the impact of Boniek Garcia, this show still runs through Brad Davis. The veteran midfielder makes this side tick. His service offers a reliable route to goal that few teams can match.
The skinny: Houston has proven its ability to mount lengthy postseason runs with this new crop of players. With the additional depth at Dominic Kinnear's disposal heading into this season and the impeccable home form to buttress the cause, that high standard of success could extend to the regular season.
Last season in a sentence: A familiar, orange-clad enemy turned regular-season mastery into postseason misery yet again.
Offseason moves: Sporting manager Peter Vermes retooled efficiently after Júlio César, Roger Espinoza and Kei Kamara departed. Espinoza's move to Wigan presented a chance to alter the midfield calculus with a trade for Benny Feilhaber. Claudio Bieler joined as a Designated Player to eradicate those concerns about wastefulness in the final third.
Key figure: Vermes likely breathed a sigh of relief when Graham Zusi returned from a trial stint with West Ham United without securing a January move. The U.S. international will receive more creative support with Feilhaber now in the fold, but he still shoulders most of the burden to exploit the opportunities created within this high pressure system.
The skinny: The loss of Espinoza would have crippled more than a few teams. Sporting must prove its ability to exert its will on the game without the influential Honduran international in the fold, but the arrival of Feilhaber allows Vermes to tweak the side as warranted to maintain the lofty standards established over the past two seasons.
Last season in a sentence: The return of a familiar face and a solid spine turned this resolute outfit into a playoff side.
Offseason moves: Chicago coach Frank Klopas acted swiftly to address the lack of diversity in his side's approach last season. Klopas swung favorable deals for Dilly Duka, Jeff Larentowicz and Joel Lindpere to increase the available options in midfield and took Maicon Santos in the re-entry process to bolster his forward group. Larentowicz should offer a suitable replacement for the retired Pável Pardo in the middle of the park, while Lindpere's presence renders Álvaro Fernández's move to Qatar all but irrelevant.
Key figure: Most of the Fire's best work last season flowed through Chris Rolfe. His driving runs through midfield sliced open opposing teams and spurred his side into the playoffs. More of the same should ensure another trip to the postseason.
The skinny: In order to tie all of these upgrades together, Chicago must retain its defensive foundation. Arne Friedrich must shepherd Austin Berry through his sophomore season and stay healthy. If the back four can provide a platform for the counter, the Fire should thrive again in 2013.
Last season in a sentence: Relief swept through RFK Stadium as the playoff drought finally ended and the stadium search finally turned a corner.
Offseason moves: United tinkered around the edges and took advantage of Chivas USA's generosity for much of the winter. And then Carlos Ruiz arrived to turn this humdrum affair into something far more intriguing. The veteran Guatemalan poacher adds bite and instinct to a forward group in need of both qualities heading into campaign. Fellow arrivals James Riley (a potential starter at right back) and Casey Townsend (a candidate to improve the depth on the front line) should help as well. The exits of Andy Najar and Hamdi Salihi provided plenty of resources to make further improvements during the summer. One of those signings may involve injecting some of the creativity lost when Branko Boškoviç decamped for Austria.
Key figure: The impending return of Dwayne De Rosario bodes well for a second playoff berth on the trot. De Rosario drives this team forward and inserts the necessary bit of proven quality required to navigate through the difficult times.
The skinny: Nothing less than a return to the postseason will suffice for this ambitious outfit. Ruiz's arrival clears up one of the primary concerns (a lack of sharpness from the forwards) and underscores the improved options at Ben Olsen's disposal. Whether this group possesses the tools to challenge for MLS Cup remains uncertain, but another playoff berth appears well within reach.
Last season in a sentence: Chaos reigned once again as this talented team fell short of expectations.
Offseason moves: Sporting director Andy Roxburgh cleared the decks, ended the Rafa Márquez fiasco and reinforced the side with proven MLS talent and one veteran Brazilian playmaker. Juninho Pernambucano ended the ongoing dialogue about creativity in the final third when he signed in December. Fabián Espíndola and Jámison Olave offered further reinforcements to the starting XI, while Eric Alexander and Kosuke Kimura supply necessary alternatives. Every acquisition helps after Kenny Cooper finished off the wholesale changes with his recent move to FC Dallas.
Key figure: Roxburgh handed the reins to interim coach Mike Petke just in time for the start of preseason. Petke must convince a squad filled with veterans to invest in his plans and the club as a whole. It isn't an easy brief. The early signs are positive, but the true test will come when the results start to falter.
The skinny: Talent is never the issue in Harrison. Finding a way to bring the pieces together presents the most difficult challenge. Petke will work tirelessly to find the right formula for the long haul, but he may end up pointing to Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry and telling them to carry this side back to the postseason by the end of the campaign. And both men are more than capable of fulfilling that directive.
Last season in a sentence: The introduction of Jairo Arrieta and Federico Higuaín could not stop one of the league's grittier sides from dropping out of the playoff picture.
Offseason moves: Widespread changes in defense revealed the level of displeasure with the efforts in that department in the second half of last season. Sebastián Miranda left the most significant hole when he chose to return to Chile, but the number of departures leaves the Crew with ample concerns about its depth in those areas. In more uplifting news, the Crew imported Matias Sánchez and Agustin Viana in yet another bid to fill the gaping chasm in central midfield, picked up Dominic Oduro in exchange for the discarded Dilly Duka and signed Glauber to partner Chad Marshall in central defense.
Key figure: Marshall looms as the integral figure amid the defensive upheaval. His appearance record remains somewhat of a concern, but his presence in the middle of the back four remains as important as ever to a side that leans on its miserly approach first and foremost.
The skinny: The offseason allowed the Crew a chance to return to its principles. Perhaps this group will lean a bit more on its work in the attacking third with Higuaín around to pull the strings, but a possible return to the playoffs after a one-year absence hinges on the ability to restore that defiant rearguard to its former glory.
Last season in a sentence: New management and fresh ideas created some hope, but a summer swoon reinforced the rebuilding project ahead.
Offseason moves: In a rather noticeable departure from previous operating practices, the Revs sorted out most of their business early in the offseason. The accelerated time frame allowed key contributors Kalifa Cissé, Andy Dorman and Jose Gonçalves plenty of time to adjust to their new surroundings. Top pick Andrew Farrell soon joined them to increase Jay Heaps' defensive options. Benny Feilhaber led the otherwise nondescript list of outgoing transfers.
Key figure: The glut of midfielders at Heaps' disposal should provide Jerry Bengtson with some service into the penalty area. The onus falls on him to make the most of those opportunities and show why he plunders so frequently for his country.
The skinny: The tidy work in the transfer market improved the overall talent level in the squad somewhat significantly. Increased competition for places should aid the efforts to climb the table, but the missing touch of class could prove the difference between a playoff challenge and another season on the fringes.
Last season in a sentence: Life in the top flight unfolded a bit less dramatically than expected as the Impact made a relatively tidy transition to MLS.
Offseason moves: The inevitable swap on the bench – Marco Schällibaum replaced the doomed Jesse Marsch – paved the way for more foreign signings. Loan arrival Andrea Pisanu looks like the pick of the lot after he agreed a loan move from Bologna. His invention could prove particularly useful for a side lacking in natural wide options. None of the outgoing traffic will influence how Schällibaum composes his starting XI.
Key figure: The task ahead of Marco Di Vaio feels like a familiar one. Montreal boasts a greater comparative talent level than Di Vaio's old Bologna sides did to their Serie A peers, but the veteran poacher still looms as the only reliable goal threat for his side. If he starts to show his age, then the Impact will struggle in front of goal.
The skinny: Health and vigor present the two biggest obstacles for Schällibaum in his first season in charge. The experience within the side will help the Swiss manager as he espouses his tactics, but the rigors of an MLS season will take their toll on a side with no fewer than seven players over the age of 30 in the projected starting XI.
Last season in a sentence: Court cases and highly-paid misfits captured much of the attention as the Union sputtered out of the gate and stumbled through a disappointing campaign.
Offseason moves: Union coach John Hackworth addressed his side's desperate need for veteran nous by dipping into the MLS market during the close season. Returning hero Sébastien Le Toux garnered most of the headlines, but the arrivals of Conor Casey and Jeff Parke inject plenty of experience into the mix as well. Hackworth also cut ties with Gabriel Gómez and several squad players in a bid to create room for future arrivals.
Key figure: Le Toux starts his second stint at PPL Park with a point to prove. Last season classed him as an expendable figure in Philadelphia (under the Peter Nowak regime), New York and Vancouver. He must improve his performances to shed that tag and supply the goals required to push the Union up the table.
The skinny: Even with the trio of seasoned figures now in tow, the Union faces too many questions (particularly at fullback and in midfield) and requires too many breaks (growth from Zac MacMath, health for Conor Casey and Bakary Soumare and inspiration from Le Toux) to bank on substantial improvement.
Last season in a sentence: Same old frustrating story.
Offseason moves: Another regime change ushered Kevin Payne and Ryan Nelsen into power. Nelsen's belated arrival from Queens Park Rangers left the recruitment efforts in a state of disrepair. The mix of Paul Mariner acquisitions (Justin Braun and Danny Califf) and recent signings (Kyle Bekker and Júlio César) barely keeps the basics covered after the likes of Eric Hassli and Ryan Johnson exited shortly after Payne's arrival. Torsten Frings' likely departure exacerbates the concerns for a side that needs to import proven players in short order.
Key figure: In a squad pockmarked with this many concerns, the goalkeeper assumes a particularly influential role. Stefan Frei has experienced this story a time or two before. Nelsen will likely cobble together a decent defensive unit with the pieces he has in place, but Frei must still play his part to help the Reds surprise.
The skinny: Nelsen must work quickly to implement his ideas and keep this campaign from starting off poorly. Even if his approach takes hold, he doesn't possess the necessary pieces to churn out results right now. Only a series of wise signings over the next few months will ensure this team remains competitive.


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Soccer Shots brings the sport to its littlest learners. It's a national program designed for boys and girls, ages 2-8, that conveniently brings instructors to local schools and venues, holding its 30-40 minute sessions during school hours or immediately after, saving parents an after-school activity trip.
TUSCALOOSA | The concept is to reach them early, teach them well.
Soccer Shots brings the sport to its littlest learners. It's a national program designed for boys and girls, ages 2-8, that conveniently brings instructors to local schools and venues, holding its 30-40 minute sessions during school hours or immediately after, saving parents an after-school activity trip.
"It's really popular for a number of reasons," Tuscaloosa County Soccer Shots director Andy Grant said. "Most importantly, why it's popular is because soccer is a gateway sport. When you are 3, 4, 5 years old, your hand-to-eye coordination is not completely there yet. But when the ball's on the ground, it's easy to start learning some coordination playing soccer as opposed to basketball or baseball at that age.
"Also, it's a great equalizer sport. How tall you are doesn't matter. Boys or girls, it doesn't matter. Everyone can really play together, so it really works at this age group. Also, going into schools, it's a great convenience to parents."
Going to schools, as sports such as martial arts and gymnastics have also been doing, can reach more kids.
"As a working mother, I can't be there from 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock," said Lucy Arnold-Sikes, whose 5-year-old son, Evers, enjoyed Soccer Shots at Tuscaloosa Academy in the fall so much he signed up again this winter. "This is an after-school activity at school that I don't have to pick him up and drop him off for. And it fits right in before our normal dinner time, homework time, bedtime. I like that, plus it gives him an extra outlet for all his energy. And it helps him out with his coordination.
"He really likes it a lot. He would come home and talk and talk about it, tell us all the things they did, what jerseys they were wearing, if they did a challenge that day. And he got to know a lot of the other preschoolers there well. I felt like he really enjoyed the team atmosphere and the skills.
"I think it's a great way to start soccer. Evers had never played soccer or a team sport before. It taught him the basics. As the season went on for them, they did a few more things in teams, starting out at that ground level in building the simple skills to move up to where we will eventually move into a more formal program at PARA."
Grant started the franchise here in 2010, holding sessions in 12-18 local schools, churches, day-care centers and venues throughout the year. This winter around 120 kids are participating, a number that will grow to 200 or more for the spring session.
The 2013 schedule includes a January-February winter session, a March-May spring session, a June-August summer session and a September-November fall session. Cost for the winter session, which holds classes once a week, was $80 and includes programs at American Christian Academy, Tuscaloosa Academy, Calvary Little Friends School, Christ Episcopal Church, Cottondale Baptist, First Baptist, Holy Spirit and Shining Stars.
"Our mission is to help kids grow in character through the sport of soccer," Grant said. "Learn how to work as a team. Learn how to win, and, just as important, learn how to lose sometimes. We really try to focus on bettering them in the skills and techniques of soccer, but also moving toward growing as little people."
Grant comes by his love of soccer via his English parents and an early childhood in England, though he grew up in Pittsburgh and played on a state-championship team in high school. He played club soccer at the University of Miami. He's been involved in coaching since he was 14.
"What sets us apart from some other things out there is we have a curriculum guideline that we follow," Grant said. "We have eight seasons worth of curriculum that we run cycles through every two years. That way, if we have kids who sign up multiple seasons, they're not doing the exact same thing over and over again."
To learn more about Soccer Shots or register for a session, visit www.soccershots.org/tuscaloosa, email Grant at email@example.com or call him at 205-504-6942.


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Friday, February 19, 2010
TGIF!!! bento
My big boy's bento for this great Friday:
On the top is garlic parmesan toasty bread cut into dinosaur shapes and Goldfish crackers. The bottom holds a small clementine orange, a silicone cup of little purple grapes, a Baby Bell cheese, and a checkered apple.
The checkered apple. Oy. Here's what I have to say about that:
- I don't foresee doing many of these
- it is easy, it doesn't take long, (this wedge took about a minute), but I can't multi-task and make these. And I'm ALWAYS multitasking.
- you don't want to know how many wedges I went through where I messed up the checkered pattern by cutting off the wrong square of peel (there's a reason why there's only one wedge in the box)
- the checkered pattern looks much nicer on these lighter colored apples than they do on dark red apples.
- my kids think they are really really cool.
The dinosaur bread was cut using a Dinobytes sandwich cutter. These are really nifty because you can get some cute shapes without having a lot of excess waste being cut away. :) The box I used was a Sassy Mealtime box with the inner boxes removed.
Have a great weekend!
7 comments:
- The Planet Pink said... [Reply to comment]
yeah, I won't be making a checkered apple anytime soon. Looks cool though!
- February 19, 2010 at 3:31 PM
- Jenn @ BentoForKidlet said... [Reply to comment]
I love the dinobytes cutter it makes sandwiches so much fun!
Love the comments about checkered apples, it's so true that the hardest part is remembering to remove the right boxes! I have had many a funny looking apple pattern :D
- February 19, 2010 at 4:51 PM
- faithfulma said... [Reply to comment]
So cute, the kids are so over the PP&J. Glad I ran across your site. With 4 kids aswell I'll be checking back for more great ideas.
"Happy Saturday Sharefest"
- February 21, 2010 at 4:31 PM
- Shannon said... [Reply to comment]
So how do you make the checkered apple? Just cutting stripes both ways?
- February 22, 2010 at 7:59 PM
- Melissa said... [Reply to comment]
Yes, Shannon - score the peel going horizontally and vertically. Then lift the sqauares of peel away to make the pattern.
I want you to try it and then report back on how difficult you thought it was to make the checkerboard. I would have NEVER guessed it would be so tricky! I couldn't believe how many times I would make a mistake. Everytime I messed up I'd eat the apple wedge. I ended up eating the whole apple, minus this one LAST wedge that finally made it into the box. LOL
- February 23, 2010 at 1:08 PM
- Ang said... [Reply to comment]
How do the parts that are peeled not turn brown?
- May 10, 2010 at 10:58 PM
- Melissa said... [Reply to comment]
Hello Ang! To keep a cut apple from turning brown you can dip it in fruit juice. The ascorbic acid (otherwise known as Vitamin C) will prevent browing! Lemon juice is a popular choice, but apple juice or any other will work too. I just pour a teeny bit of juice in a saucer and flip all sides of the apple in it and it's good to go. :)
- May 10, 2010 at 11:37 PM


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What's New
Scroll Font by Canada Type
Earlier this year, my eyes fell upon a discarded wedding invitation on the sidewalk. A closer look at it revealed that it had at one point been victimized by rain. Some of the fancy script letters were not quite broken, but sort of melted and run-down, while the rest were still somewhat intact.
That's how Scroll was conceived, as an idea for a script where thicks and thins blend to produce a wet appearance.
Unlike most available broken scripts, the Scroll script was originally drawn in its own juiced context, and not based on any existing script. This font is great for atmospheric antiquity, deep natural poetry, still life captioning, gothic music posters and collateral, or horror literature and poetry covers.
Tags: Distressed, Font, Formal Script, Graffitti, Special Effect, Urban


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Coyotes to switch name from Phoenix to Arizona
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Phoenix Coyotes will become the Arizona Coyotes starting in the 2014-15 season.
The team has been known as the Phoenix Coyotes since moving to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996. The team played its home games in downtown Phoenix before moving to Glendale in 2003, but kept the Phoenix name.
Coyotes President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc said the ownership group, IceArizona, wanted to change the name so it could be recognized as a team for the entire state instead of just Glendale or Phoenix.
Article continues below ...
The Coyotes will keep the same uniforms they wear now, but will have a new shoulder patch on both their home and road jerseys.


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Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you offer any tips for finding low-cost cremation services? I don't want to stick my kids with a big funeral bill after I die.
Still Alive
Dear Alive,
Cremation is definitely one of the most affordable ways to go, when you go. Costs usually run between $600 and $3,000, which are significantly lower than the average full-service funeral that averages around $10,000 today.
Halloween is a fun time of year filled with costumes, parties and sweet treats. But, sometimes parents worry that all those sugary treats can lead to cavities and poor dental health. The good news: It's not what children eat, but how often, and candy can be OK if children and parents are conscientious.
Dear Savvy Senior,
I understand that there are a number of different flu vaccines being offered to adults this flu season. What can you tell me about them?
Seeking Protection
Dear Seeking,
Depending on your age, health and personal preference, there are six different ways to get immunized against influenza this year.
Just as they do every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a seasonal flu shot to almost everyone over the age of 6 months because it's still the best protection against the flu.
School is in, but is Johnny or Mary with it?
This question has been presented many times in my four decades as a professional. The parents address this issue when it appears that their child is not performing up to "standard," which usually means that the child is not keeping up with classroom expectations.
It's the season when those all-too-familiar cravings for your favorite comfort foods are starting to return. As thoughts of mouthwatering aromas from the slow cooker replace memories of barbecues and cookouts, there's one popular comfort food that never fails to deliver: macaroni and cheese.
Dear Savvy Senior,
At age 62, I will be retiring at the end of the year and plan to enroll in Obamacare until my Medicare kicks in. Can you offer me any advice on choosing a plan?
Almost Retired
Dear Almost,
The new health insurance exchanges – also known as Obamacare – that begin in 2014 will have a significant impact on millions of Americans who need health insurance, especially pre-Medicare retirees and uninsured baby boomers who often have a difficult time finding affordable coverage.
Dear Savvy Senior,
I have been taking care of my elderly mother for nearly three years and it's taking a huge toll on my finances. Are there any resources you know about that can help family caregivers get paid?
Financially Exhausted
Dear Exhausted,
To get paid as a family caregiver, there are various government programs, tax breaks and family payment options that may be able to help you, depending on your mom's financial situation. Here's where to look for help.
State Aid
Anxiety is a dilemma that all of us have faced some time in our lives, and we wonder "is this who I really am? Are there others like me?"
Why do some people become more excited than others, although each may have experienced, relatively speaking, the same factors ? Well, people react differently due to heredity, perhaps biological factors, or even how each was raised as a child.
Dear Savvy Senior,
What can you tell me about music therapy for Alzheimer's patients? I'm helping my dad take care of my 80-year-old mother who has mid-stage Alzheimer's disease and thought it might be something worth trying. How do we proceed?
Unmusical Mary
Dear Mary,
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