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Mass appeal: Rohner's U.S. Adult Champs blogAttendees in Hyannis celebrate 20th staging of 'enchanting' event
Lexi Rohner, U.S. Figure Skating's national vice chair for adult competitions, blogged from the 2014 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships in Hyannis, Mass.
Entry 11: The departure and the second part
This is the last entry, and so a bit long ... bear with me. Choeleen Loundagin was heard to be auctioning off the opportunity to drive Mr. Charles Tickner, Olympic bronze medalist and world champion, from Hyannis to Boston's Logan airport at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. As a bonus, the winner would also be able to give coach Charyl Bernstein Brusch and Ms. Loundagin a ride, too. The question was posed: What does the bidding start at? And is coffee involved? The answer: Coffee, and gratitude, will be provided. Pictures with Charlie, too. It was suggested to open the bidding at the party. Not sure how it turned out, but I presume they all made it to Boston that morning.
I myself had a long drive from the Cape into a neighboring state, and plenty of time to reflect on all the goings-on from the week...
It was special treat to see former championship gold men's competitor Andy Schell writing, in his stylish manner, for icenetwork alongside U.S. Figure Skating's director of communications Barb Reichert. So grateful to have them here and covering this event. And returning to the fold this year, healed and happy: Jenny Semaca! Another couple of missing staples were Ian Catindig and his inimitable charm and the adorable, cupcake-loving Samantha Schecter. Rachel Kuhn and I did a little iPhone face time with Sami, where we were able to introduce her to Mr. Button and Mr. Wilson. From her couch. In her jammies. Does it get better than that?
Coach Lauren Levin was seen everywhere. Her students had a blast, she herself looked relaxed at the boards, and I had a nice surprise when I opened my hotel room door late one night to get ice, and she was across the hall. Always nice to see friendly faces. Stephen Trzaska needs to open a bakery. This man makes the most delicious pastries, and I am sure other delectable treats. I was lucky enough to receive a slice of pumpkin chocolate chip bread. I only wish I lived closer. Oh wait, then none of my clothes would fit. But, boy howdy, my taste buds would be happy!
Over on the Butler rink, the light entertainment event was causing the judges side pain from all the comedic programs. The funniest thing I have EVER seen at this competition was the silver 3 ladies warm-up. Sharidan Williams-Sotelo took the ice as "Little" Edie Bouvier (Jackie O's cousin) and proceeded to primp in the plexiglass and pester the other skaters to the point of unfocused and uncontrolled laughter. Approaching them with a magnifying glass, inspecting their costumes, backsides and generally disturbing everyone, the audience was howling, and of all the events I caught, this is the one I am most glad to have seen. Maureen Carrigan was the last holdout, ignoring the shenanigans around her. But when the crowd egged her on, she skated quickly over to "Edie," who never broke character and circled around her shimmying her shoulders and blowing kisses. It was hysterical, I tell you! Earlier in that event, Beth Bilka shared a special moment as a TSA agent, donning latex gloves to the music "Getting to Know You." Figure it out.
On the more sentimental side of happenings, Margaret Szymanski performed a moving tribute honoring the victims of Sandy Hook. I was also asked to say a few words when the championship masters intermediate-novice ladies champion was awarded her medal, the Paula Smart trophy. After placing her medal around Stephanie Galuszka's neck, I shared with the small group gathered at the podium that Paula was someone who believed strongly in living life without wasting a moment. That is the spirit in which the trophy is given, and I hoped they would all have that in their lives. I handed Stephanie her trophy and promptly burst into tears as I turned from the skaters. I was overcome in that moment, knowing the opportunities that Paula was instrumental in establishing for all of us. I am very grateful to do what I do.
The championship junior-senior men's and ladies events were stunning. There were so many strong performances that it was difficult to guess a clear winner. Natalie Shaby had two clean double Axels, and Lindsey Fenton landed one, but the display of athleticism and artistry overall left the crowd in awe. Later on in the men's event, Davin Grindstaff's beautiful split jump, Joe Radomile's speed and energy, and Larry Holliday's understated elegance (not to mention the faux cigarettes he crushed out on the ice skating to Casablanca) were riveting. The championship pairs event was full of surprises, as Ethan Burgess and Carol Cooper almost had a gravity-induced mishap. Fortunately, they were OK. Stephen Trzaska and Tara Cioppa skated into second place, and Kim Sailer and Dave Garber performed a hilarious parody of Blades of Glory that I FINALLY got to see. If only there had been a dove slipping out of Jimmy's sleeve at the end ... oh, well.
I hung out with Team Pittsburgh and company a bit, and all the ladies blew a Love, American Style kiss to coach Doug Mattis via Facebook video. A tiny bit of champagne, and I was off to sleep for an early departure. It must have been pretty late when I got to the hotel, because judge Rick Kern was heading into the lobby for a 2:30 a.m. shuttle. Yikes. Not much sleep, but it did make for a reflective drive with Hyannis in the rearview mirror.
I hope you have enjoyed these notes from the 2014 U.S. Adult Championships, and we'll see you next year in Salt Lake City!
Entry 10: The party of the first part
On Saturday morning, I got wheels! I'm so grateful for the rides friends and the LOC -- including Jennifer Simon, Donna Farver, Dana Pierce and Kristi and Glen Norman -- have provided. Thank you! But as soon as I was behind the wheel, where is the first place I went? Starbucks. Proper caffeination can never be underestimated. It's a good thing I got that coffee, too, because I was thinking it was my imagination that my hotel desk chair was sinking. Starting out at elbow level and ending up at chin level, verrrry slowly, was odd.
Alexandra Dunn-Bryant claims there was an impromptu dance party with the dance panel. I wish I had seen that!
OK, can we talk about the party? I can only share so much. But Dianne Stewart's son, Joaquin, took over the mic and the dance floor with his awesome singing skills and moves. Then there was Nina, Leslie, Michelle, Terri -- my hip chicks, you know what I'm taking about -- and Heather Phillips sang karaoke like an angel. Rob Lichtefeld somehow managed to pick me up and spin me around so I wouldn't hurt my hip. Then Cindy Crouse and I, being on the injured roster, danced from our chairs. I may or may not have danced the "Running Man" later on in a circle of my friends. (My physical therapist could be reading this.) Mark Ladwig was, of course, rocking it in the dance floor with us. Woot!
I would be remiss not to send out a HUGE shout to Patti Lloyd, who worked with Donna Wunder and Carolyn of the LOC, to provide so much for everyone. As VP of sales for the convention and visitors' bureau, she procured dozens of employees from local hotels and restaurants to be volunteers here this week. As she thanked them, so will I: Tom Cattaneo Sr., Jim Kiley and the 99 Restaurants (for volunteering and donating water for our judges and volunteers); the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis; Days Inn; Dockside Hotel Group; Cape Codder Resort and Spa; DoubleTree by Hilton; Holiday Inn and the Cape Cod Senior Softball League. We appreciate you! And readers, if you should find yourself in Cape Cod, please call Patti. She will make sure you're well cared for.
As the day is not yet over, I'll have plenty more for one final entry later on. I'm sooo looking forward to seeing the Blades of Glory program by Kim Sailer and Dave Garber. Kim injured her knee in practice at nationals last year, and they had to scratch. But this year, Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy are back!
Entry 9: The Last Day
"If you had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?" -- Eminem
Deirdre Russell was elated to win gold in her bronze light entertainment event. On the podium, she and her fellow competitors posed for her training mate back home at the Georgia FSC, 8-year-old Meredith Scafidi, as a special shout-out (see photo gallery).
Seen around the rink... Laurel Alexander, Cathy Janssen, Theresa Cinciripini and Dottie Brandt Alexander posing for a cute photo ... Justin Dillon cheering on his partner, Souvanthong Muangkhoua, to a gold medal in the championship adult gold men's event ... Brandy Lokken, calm as can be ... Liam Cowper's gorgeous spread eagle into a Lutz ... Tam Bui, a self-taught and sublimely elegant skater ... An impromptu podium serenade of "Oh Mickey, you're so fine!" by Russell, Alexei Folger and Natalie Bare to fellow bronze light entertainment medalist Mickey Bolek ... Leslie Amacker and her stuffed friend, "Cow," who, of course, posed with Mr. Button ... The dulcet tones of former adult skater and announcer Wendy Sharidan . . . Barb Reichert, U.S. Figure Skating director of communications ... Elaine Walin making a valiant effort to pump air into a super huge inflatable champagne bottle for competitor Maureen Linhardt (the whoosh of the pump sure echoed!) ... S.T.A.R.S. combine athletic endurance testing run by U.S. Figure Skating's Peter Zapalo, and Paul Wylie sharing training tips with skaters ... Alex Johnson (senior men's competitor) here competing and supporting adult skating ... Author and competitor Marci Nault (The Lake House, read it) ... An unnamed skater rocked the sleeve ruffles and swears the costume color is "coral." I say pink. And not just because it's my favorite color ... Lynne Poyant being given a dance lesson by Olympian Mark Ladwig (that guy is everywhere).
Entry 8: Weather or Not
Thursday morning had brought sunshine, despite dire predictions of heavier rain. But seriously, we've been at this competition in heavy snow (think Bensenville '07 and almost any Lake Placid), so this isn't too shabby. I had planned on breakfast with my darling friend in pink, Chris Wilson, and her pals, Melissa Parker and Rosemarie Kathy. We ended up not connecting until a bunch later, so I found myself with Jennifer Simon and Rob Lichtefeld visiting the JFK Memorial by the beach, which was nice but looked a lot like a large penny. Nearby was a fantastic place called The Coffee Table Café, where we were treated to very tasty lattes made with locally grown beans from Mashpee, Mass., and homemade brownies that I could swear had cookie dough in them. Needless to say, I am going back. You should go, too.
Friday was a bit more white sky and windy but still no rain or storms ... woo hoo! And despite only packing a carry-on and having to haul it around, I am glad I brought my overcoat. Tonight is the competitors party, held at the host hotel, the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis. No driving for me!
I witnessed a sweet moment when Dorothy Ray took the ice for the warm-up in her event. She looked up to find her husband in the stands and blew him a kiss, then slowed down to applaud the judges, all before getting her head in the game. That's what you see at this competition in so many forms.
Entry 7: Buttons everywhere
Friday was the day. Dick Button and Doug Wilson arrived Thursday, and Friday they were tirelessly signing books, taking photos and waxing poetic about their recently published books. They took as much time as any skater or spectator wanted, sharing their experiences, shaking hands, giving hugs and generally being available. It was a wonderful moment for adult skating, to have these legendary figures present. Thank you, gentlemen! Doug Wilson also brought along his very charming wife, Betsy.
So that happened Friday. But Thursday night at dinner with my friend Allison Manley, (of the ManleyWoman SkateCast), we ran into the Wilson and Mr. Button, where we had a spirited discussion about the state of skating today. It was a bit surreal, and as the conversation turned toward family and interests, Mr. Button kindly insisted I take his untouched glass of Pinot Noir upon learning that I have six-year-old triplets. What a fun, impromptu evening at the Black Cat Tavern. Stop in there and see Rachel (best server in the house!) if you find yourself in Hyannis. After that, I found myself in a rowdy local spot called the Seaside Pub, the complete antithesis of where I'd eaten dinner. But then, I was with the Southern group of skaters, and times are always unpredictable and entertaining with them!
At some point I knew I was in dire need of caffeine. Kathleen Powers to the rescue, and I was properly caffeinated after a visit to Starbuck's. Then it was Lob-stah rolls with Brenda Wittman and Sara Schley (hi Toby's mom!)
Seen around the rink. ... Peter Sasmore and Sandra Nielson, elegantly performing an exhibition of their free dance. Sigh. I could watch them forever. ... Deidre Russell's adorable daughter as a sweeper. ... Jen Schindler as a very sassy Scheherazade (quite the departure from the cute cow costume). ... Amanda Blackwell and Jessica Scieszinski dressed as twinsies, and the always fun to see Mama Blackwell . ... Denise Pendleton's beautiful dramatic skate (go Team Cindy Gould!). ... I finally caught Mikey Tongko's ribbon program and it did not disappoint. ... Courtney Elliott's emotional portrayal of 'On My Own' from Les Mis. ... and a surprise visit from my lovely friend Michael Cruz! That was a treat, as we didn't expect him here due to injury. I also had the pleasure of meeting our chief referee for this next year, Lori Dunn. She's a hoot and I am sure will do a wonderful job for us. Lauren Ross was happy to find the 'magical medical room,' where the amazing PT team fixed her up. Yay medics!
And more buttons. ...The 'Adults Skate Too' buttons that everyone is wearing made their way to the ice. Robin Johnson, sweeper extraordinaire, was joined by the unpredictable Rob Lichtefeld, whose boyish charm gets him in and out of many shenanigans. Rob is known for aiming tossies at skaters. Well, this was our chance to get him back! However, he found a way to disarm us as he bent to pick up tossies. The audience was then treated to a derriere smiley face made of the buttons. Like I said, buttons everywhere. Literally.
Speaking of 'like,' a 'LIKE' stamp has made the rounds on people's hands -- and some faces. But be warned, there is also a 'DISLIKE' stamp. I was relieved to get 'Liked.' They like me! They really like me! But all kidding aside, I had a truly happy moment just sitting in the stands, cheering on friends and noticing how many new skaters there are here this year. I got all Carpenters-song-mushy inside reflecting on how many years I have sat and skated beside this group of people, and how grateful I am for the chance to do so four days out of the year.
I know I mentioned earlier about notable absences. There is one in particular that I am really missing: my dear friend Kianoosh Samii. He should truly be here this year, and while I understand the necessities that are keeping him away, it really isn't the same without him, and his wonderful dance partner Molly Johnson. Next year, I hope?
Later on, I anticipate watching Aviva Cantor on the ice, feeding fake spaghetti to an unsuspecting panel of judges. Good times right there. Stay tuned!
Entry 6: Opening ceremonies
Wednesday evening deserves its own entry. Competitor Michael Tongko, at his first U.S. Adult Championships, started us off with a resonant rendition of the national anthem. In honor of the "Roaring 20th," the opening ceremonies featured Yarmouth skaters performing to music from The Great Gatsby.
There are nine skaters who have competed at every one of the last 20 U.S. Adult Championships. They are (in no particular order): Phyllis Friello, Dorothy Ray, Walter Horton, Thom Mullins, Julie Gidlow, Angela Prevost, Collen Conroy, Ted Gradman and Patricia McNamara. That is a two-decade commitment to this sport, in addition to work, with aging bodies and life outside skating. Wait, there's life outside skating? Hmm.
The Yarmouth performers then escorted 'The Nine' onto the ice for individual recognition. Our oh-so fabulous master of ceremonies for the festivities was none other than YouTube celebrity Michael Buckley, who happens to be a Yarmouth club member. He skated out to center ice, and his affable demeanor and off-the-cuff humor was well received by the crowd. He impressed us all even more when he began to skate around and even executed a double Salchow! He claimed he surprised himself, and in the next moment, attempted an Axel but decided that was best landed on a more comfortable body part.
LOC chair Donna Wunder, Convention and Visitors' Bureau VP Patti Lloyd and the Barnstable town manager all spoke and thanked competitors and spectators for coming, and I had the pleasure of making a few comments about this competition and adult skating. One of the fun firsts I was able to share was the very first adult nationals competitor, Lynne Kuechle, who also won gold at that event in Delaware back in 1995. She was in attendance and had the shirt to prove it!
Buckley's energetic good nature really showed up later on when he thanked the crowd, who then graced him with tossies. First, only one shot out of the audience, which startled Michael enough to exclaim, "That was terrifying! They're throwing things! Where are the sweepers??"
Michael, join us more often. And for heaven's sake, KEEP YOUR WENDY BEAR!
Entry 5: Meeting up
Last night was a whirlwind of happenings! At 4 p.m., the Adult Skating Committee held its meeting to share Governing Council proposals and information on changes and whatnot in adult skating. With a couple of contentious issues on the agenda, the chair, Gail Sombati, brought her best foot forward and donned a very elegant green witches hat, green sparkly nails and a shirt emblazoned with "SALEM" in rhinestones. Brilliant! The meeting produced many questions and answers. During the meeting, I happened to sit next to Carol Waggy, who had been given a box of very delectable looking and quite large cupcakes from fellow skater Ken Ho. She said they were Boston cream pie, and they were covered in chocolate. (Please enjoy the music of your choice and stand by while I wipe away the drool.) ...
... OK, I'm back. Some notable absences this year include Amy Wise, Angie Waibel Miske, Patricia Graves, Merry Neitlich, Judy Pearson (does anyone remember an adult nationals without her?), Leslie Plank and the lovely Century Leigh (bigs hugs) and her parents. Sadly, Ms. Susi Lawton, known by her jacket with the rhinestone name "Century's mom," has recently passed away. She attended many of these Championships, and it is not the same without her family. We miss you!
Earlier in the week, a handful of skaters shared their goals for the competition. Below are some of them:
Rachel Kuhn: Not to get arrested, kicked out of anywhere or otherwise do anything that would look bad if someone Googles me. I set high goals.
Oh yeah, and 1) Stay calm and don't freak out in dance and 2) Skate clean in FS/artistic and don't back off.
Terryl Allen: Looking forward to seeing the Cape for the first time. I hope to skate as I have been training and share time with this amazing community. Hope everyone has a grand time skating and cheering!
Julie Gidlow: Try to soak it all in and not let the competition aspect stress me out.
Dianne Miller: My goals are primarily to enjoy and appreciate competing with a healthy body (had a back spasm last year just before adult nationals and could only handle Salchows, loops, toe loops, and upright spins), and also to skate as well as I know I can.
Phyllis Friello: At the 20th adult nationals, to hear DJ Tindall at the beginning of my program welcome everyone to the first adult nationals.
Kimberly Coxe: To skate strong, have fun and enjoy the time at my first nationals! Then, gold moves prelim dances and two ice shows!
Walter Horton: To be the best partner I can be for June.
My goal is to get as many of you in the blog as possible. Off I go to do just that!
Entry 4: Two decades
It's the 20th!
When I take stock of the last 20 years, and how much has been accomplished in adult skating, it's pretty amazing. Some very motivated people have made all of this possible, and for that, as we open this competition, we are grateful.
It appears everyone has arrived safely, though sound is always questionable at the outset (Rachel Kuhn and Cheryl Morrison, I'm looking at you). My own travel was relatively uneventful, and I was delighted to run into Brandy Lokken and Rachel Duran at the airport in Boston. I met up with coaches Phillip Di Guglielmo and Peter Kongkasem for a ride into town, where we picked up coffee at a local cafe. Peter said it was a happening spot, and it was!
Walking into the arena -- which is gorgeous, by the way -- I immediately ran into Michelle Daichman and Mickey Bolek. A lovely greeting, followed by LOC chairs Donna Wunder and Carolyn Pierce. These ladies and their staff have outdone themselves in preparing this event. If you see them this week, please be sure to thank them. Or find them a libation. Both, preferably.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Michael Buckley of "What the Buck" YouTube fame. I love how fast he talks, but I love even more that I understand him. Not sure what that means, but he left me with a "Holla!," and he was off to watch the competition.
I was able to take in the Silver Ladies III qualifying round, featuring the altogether fabulous Chris Wilson -- who recently returned to adult skating -- and the ever-creative Sharidan Williams-Sotelo of Breaking Ice fame. Go look it up on AMC. I'm telling you, we have some seriously talented people in this sport. A quick chat with Lauren Day and hubby Steve Goldstein, inventors of the infamous Beanie Baby Bazooka, revealed that the contraption was under heavy scrutiny this year from the TSA. Nonetheless, it is here and shooting like fireworks!
I made the rounds to check out the facility -- which did I mention is gorgeous? -- and discovered some icicles ... errr ... judges rinkside. Before this all gets crazier, I want to say a very large THANK YOU to the tireless officials that freeze during events. In the gymnasium part of the building, there is a fantastic vendor set-up, complete with event shirts, dresses, skates, accessories, etc. I was thrilled to see the affable Mark Ladwig manning the Jackson skate booth. Plus, he posed for a picture the way only skaters can. You know what I mean, don't you? We can all be standing around, perhaps slouching, then someone holds up a camera and, suddenly, we all have the perfect pose and smile. If you need a demo on this, find me. I'm amused by it.
OK, now I'm off to the Adult Skating Committee meeting, where things will possibly begin to heat up over Governing Council proposals. Then it's time for opening ceremonies!
Entry 3: Practice makes ... shenanigans
The first official day of practice has begun. Well, it's over by now. But the rattled nerves and excitement are either quelling or building. Or both, likely. Everyone experiences these feelings differently, and the outward expressiveness of these runs the gamut from reserved and detached, to gregarious and fervent enthusiasm. This competition lends itself to the latter of those, and nowhere is this more evident than two groups that can always be counted on to be entertaining.
These gals live through humor and strive to be here no matter what. See last year when Melissa Garland "ate" breakfast with me (see photo gallery). And in 2011, a handful of these ladies were all present -- on a stick. Their version of road trips is something that always makes me smile. Great snacks, crazy hats and a seriously deep level of friendship.
The Deep South
OK, this crowd usually runs below the radar, but I can't figure out how that happens. Some of the funniest people I have ever met belong to this clan. (I'm looking at you, Donna Farver.) I can't reveal their bleacher-audience practices, but I will say it took me years (I'm a little slow) to catch on. They are incredibly dedicated tossie-ites, including the year (2010, Bloomington?) Becca Guthrie was a live tossie. I have a vague recollecion of the Gus Lussi rink competitors party in 2004, with questionable clothing items askew. That's really all I can divulge without excommunication. Oh, and Jay the "Cookie Man" belongs to them. He's legendary for his gender-specific cookies. I'll let you figure it out.
I'll share more groups later in the week.
Seen around the rinks... Elizabeth Risberg after her BIG Lutz ... Alexei Folger and Beth Bilka putting coach Louis Vachon through his paces ... Bay Area coaching treasures Choeleen Loundagin and Charlie Tickner ... Garland practicing her podium stance ... Dana Opsincs and the Florida team arriving ... Ms. Jean Teng, direct from Canada and skipping out on a Caribbean vacation to be with us ... More to come. But first, I need to climb aboard the friendly skies to bring you the up-close-and-personal version of this competition. Stay tuned!
Entry 2: #ridetohyannis
My own journey to the 20th started with trying to book airfare and ground travel. I became mildly exasperated deciding between Boston and Providence for flying, and moderately annoyed at the lack of reasonably priced car rentals/trains to the Cape. "Who," I wondered aloud to my husband, and not thinking clearly, "Would think to select a competition location that is this difficult to get to?" He rolled his eyes at me and just smiled. Oh, heh. That was me. To be fair, it was a team of us, but I had a lot of input. OK, sorry everyone who had trouble getting here!
With so much to look forward to, I booked what I needed and didn't look back. After all, it's the end of our second decade. We have much to celebrate!
Top 10 exciting things about the 20th U.S. Adult Championships
- Opening ceremonies with Michael Buckley (self explanatory, people)
- Showcase guidelines adopted for dramatic and light entertainment programs
- Recognition of NINE skaters who have competed at all 20 of these nationals
- The legendary Dick Button and media icon Doug Wilson coming to hang out with us and sign their books (They get to experience our brand of camaraderie.)
- The second annual STARS combine athletic testing for adult skaters, with Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie (http://www.2014usadultnationalchampionships.com/come-participate-in-s-t-a-r-s-new-england-and-meet-paul-wylie/)
- Watercolor painting created by a local Cape Cod artist, exclusively for this competition
- Seeing 692 people who have the same fixation on skating as you do
- Michael Tongko (competitor and Virgin America's famous singing and dancing flight attendant) performing the national anthem at opening ceremonies
- A beach location. With lobster everywhere.
- A beach location (yes, this one bears repeating)
So, if you feel the need to mutter at me under your breath on your #ridetohyannis at any point, feel free. Just also remember to leave that behind when you arrive and allow yourself to appreciate all it took to get you on the #roadtohyannis.
Entry 1: The dawn of a third decade
In the next few days, adult skaters nationwide and from Canada will be making their way to Hyannis, Mass., to compete at the 2014 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships. This year is a little bit different, as we celebrate the 20th annual occurrence of this event. I can hardly believe it's been 20 years. I missed the first one and have competed at three subsequent nationals, and let me tell you: If you have not attended one as a competitor or spectator, you need to experience this event.
Every year we all look forward to the "reunion" that is this competition. Every year we hope each one of us is healthy and whole. Injuries be damned, we all still show up and give it our best. If you're wondering what the thing is that motivates us, it's more than the cool air rushing over our aging bodies in practice. It's more than the untold dollars we spend on rhinestones (though don't underestimate their immeasurable importance). What it is, is the cheering we hear from our fellow competitors, those we compete WITH, not against. The sincere cheers when we fall and increase in decibels when we get up. And, of course, the tossies. Tossies are an epic staple of this event. At the 2013 U.S. Adult Championships, I participated with a group of adorable young skaters as a sweeper. And, boy howdy, that's a lot of bending and snapping!
The other component of adult skating is what I coined many years ago as the "enchantment factor." Many of us skated as children; many started later in life. No matter, as since we all decided to take this journey, we've become enchanted with skating. It is self-sustaining and Never. Goes. Away.
As you arrive, practice and compete, may you all strive to beat your best competitor on his or her best day, and may you all experience whatever enchantment means to you while that cold air clears your head. Oh, and don't let Rob Lichtefeld's tossies hit you on the way to the kiss and cry.


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Hello - Forum member Tikhon turned me on to this site. What an awesome gathering of hammock info!! Love it!
I've been sleeping in a net hammock, sleeping bag and tarp for the last 30+ years. Last year, one of the dads in my cub scout pack showed up with this fancy fabric hammock thingy and turned my hammock noggin upside down...
Current gear - Hammock Bliss single with no seeum netting. One inch webbing for tree straps. Hammock Bliss supplied rope and a cam buckle strap to tighten. Cheepie blue tarp suspended and tied out with mason's line and staked.
Trip Report - Spent last weekend in the woods with a group of 200 youth and adults from my cub scout pack. I was the only hammock sleeper... Friday night had a low of 30 degrees - I flipped my hammock over with the bug net on the bottem and slipped my 40 degree bag in there for insulation. Z Rest waffle foam pad under me and slipped into my 20 degree bag. Dressed in two layers, hat, bandana over my face and gloves. Woke up at 1am feeling like a Thanksgiving turkey that had just popped it's button. Frying hot... Stripped down and enjoyed the night (outside of a Barred Owl that sat over my head hooting for an hour...). Saturday night had a low of 55 degrees so I swapped the bags around and slept in my light bag unzipped - awesome sleep!!
Question - I'm used to hanging my hammock really tight between two trees and sleeping in the middle. What's up with all the diagonal sleepers? Guessing I'd have to hang my hammock loose and hope there's enough fabric in my Bliss to get diagonal?
Question - Woke up both mornings with condensation in the waffles of my foam pad. What's up with that? Also had a little dewy condesation on top of my bag (slept with the tarp pushed down to my waist) and thought that was normal. Just not sure what was up with the condesation under me.
Again great site and thanks to any replies in advance.


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....and thanks for all the friendly warm light.
How about this: the color of the light emitted by CFLs and LEDs is ugly, and sometimes even hard on the eyes (especially with LEDs).
For me, this is reason enough to stick with incandescent bulbs for the places I spend most of my time.
If you consider my above statements to be "crap" then you shouldn't have skipped class on the day they talked about the light spectrum. The spectrum emitted unquestionably differs between lighting technologies.
Get CFLs that provide light with a color temperature of 2700K. That's approximately the color temperature of an incandescent bulb, and, to my untrained eyes, the color seems identical.
Make sure you look for 2700K on the package. "Soft, warm white" might be 3000K, and you will notice the difference.
True, but unless you're a professional that cares about the spectral composition of your light sources, it doesn't really matter. 99% of complaints about CFL light are related to color temperature, since most people grew up accustomed to the warm yellowish light provided by incandescent bulbs.
"color temperature" is only the beginning. The color-resolving power of CFLs is horrible, and this is absolutely obvious to me and others. This might have something to do with the fact that I'm a photographer and might be a little more visually-tuned than others. Maybe you can't notice the difference, maybe most people can't, and that's fine. However, CFLs put out ugly light; I have yet to see one that doesn't. LEDs too. Not slightly ugly, like extremely ugly. While they are light bulbs in the first-order sense (they put out light) and thus are good where you simply need some light (I use them in my handheld shop light) I can't imagine anyone using them to light a well-decorated interior or do anything else, really. Switching to an incandescent is like a breath of fresh air, even my wife can notice after adapting to those horrible, horrible phosphor emissions. Human eyes are adapted to looking at black body radiators.
captcha: "spectrum"
I can't imagine anyone using them to light a well-decorated interior or do anything else, really. Switching to an incandescent is like a breath of fresh air, even my wife can notice after adapting to those horrible, horrible phosphor emissions. Human eyes are adapted to looking at black body radiators.
Yet architects and decorators have been utilizing fluorescent lights for decades in commercial and industrial settings.
I personally find incandescents to be far, far too yellow. Give me a 'bright white' CFL any day.
Now that most of the European Union has effectively outlawed incadescents and replaced them with CFLs, has the EU power demand dropped?
Giant. Waste. Of. Legislators' Time. It would have made more sense for them to mandate all homes meet PassivHaus standards, such that heating/cooling is virtually nothing. Figure 66% less heating/cooling energy use per home, or about 2000 kWh for my house, equals $180 saved each month.
...has effectively outlawed incadescents and replaced them with CFLs, has the EU power demand dropped?
You can still buy regular light-bulbs here in Sweden, the first step was apparently only to outlaw the sale of certain lightbulbs (not the common 25, 40 and 60W bulbs that are the most common ones).
It'll probably take a couple of years before the results (if any) can be seen.
You know what? This. 1000x this. Rather than mandate what lighting a home uses, mandate that they need to be upgraded for heating efficiency. And NO GRANDFATHERING IN OLD HOUSES. Unless it's a historic site that would have its character irreparably damaged by energy efficiency alterations, it fucking needs to get fixed up. Give tax incentives, or pass out a stimulus. Whatever needs to be done. Give a 10 year time frame for older places (I say that long since demand for materials would be massive during this
Now that most of the European Union has effectively outlawed incadescents and replaced them with CFLs, has the EU power demand dropped?
Citation needed (sigh).
You claim a:
(X) medical ( ) economic ( ) environmental (X) aesthetic
issue with CFL or LED-produced light. Your view is incorrect and/or irrelevant, here's why:
( ) Double-blind tests have proved people don't notice the difference anyway
(X) There is no evidence that CFL or LED light causes headaches
(X) The bulbs are available with different colour temperatures
( ) Modern CFLs attain full brightness very quickly
( ) LED bulbs attain full brightness instantly
( ) You are basing your argument on a 50-cent bul
Your response is bogus because:
(x) I never said anything about headaches
(x) LEDs/CFLs with the spectrum of sunlight or incandescent bulbs do not exist
This is not even close to a continuous spectrum. [wikipedia.org]
But thanks for trolling by!
There are CFLs with a CRI of 96 (CRI of 100 is real daylight). So much for that.
How about this: the color of the light emitted by CFLs and LEDs is ugly, and sometimes even hard on the eyes (especially with LEDs).
So fruckingh what? I also love the taste of bluefin tuna, but at least I wonder whether I should be eating it.
In any case, the fact that you're used to yellowish light is just personal preference. I assume you've never stayed in a house in a place like Japan or China, where the default domestic light is usually provided by cold white neon bulbs.
If you'd been brought up on CFLs or LEDs and they were trying to get you to switch to incandescents you'd be all, "It's horrible it makes everything look yellow!!!"
>>>unless you insist on buying the cheapest POS you can find.
I have Philips bulbs. I timed my 60watt-equivalent (13 watt actual) and it took 4 minutes to reach full brightness. And no it wasn't just a bad set, because identical bulbs I bought a year later still exhibited the same behavior.
I was not aware Philips make crap products?
And then there's the expense. Why should I spend $3.50 per bulb when I can get an incandescent for around 25 cents. And the incandescents have not been stagnate. New laser-carved filments inside old incandescents can produce the same brightness as a 60 watt, but only use 40 watts.
So CFL v. old bulb == savings of about 25 watts * 1 hours a day (typical) * 30 days == 3 kWh saved off my 3000 kWh bill. Wow. Times 9 cents per kwH == 27 cents. Holy crap. Now I can buy one-third of a twinkie!
Shouldn't our priorities be focused on more energy-expensive things like heating/cooling? If all new home standards were increased to "PassivHaus" standards, which bring heat/cooling to almost nothing, we'd save HUGE amount of energy.
I tried the whole CFL deal.
For fifteen years.
And now I'm switching back
Incandescents are the better technology due to simplicity (it's a resistor), cheapness (even poor people can afford them), ease-of-disposal (no need to empty the room like EPA recommends), cleanness (not reactive power), and does not interfere with radio waves (like radio, tv, wifi, et cetera). After fifteen years of testing CFLs, I've concluded they are inferior.
I have Philips bulbs. I timed my 60watt-equivalent (13 watt actual) and it took 4 minutes to reach full brightness. And no it wasn't just a bad set, because identical bulbs I bought a year later still exhibited the same behavior.
Maybe you should have tried a different brand then? I have CFLs in almost every fixture in the house. The only ones that take more than 1s to reach max brightness are a recessed light and my 200W-equivalent porch light.
Some of these lights were rather cheap, too.
I was not aware Philips make crap products?
Every company has at least the occasional piece of crap in their product line. Phillips has a good reputation, but that plus you holding a crappy Phillips CFL in your hand does not prove all CFLs are crap.
cleanness (not reactive power)
Huh? Is this your way of slipping in Power Factor as a reason CFLs are bad? Well at least you aren't still claiming it means CFLs don't save any energy. LOL.
Shouldn't our priorities be focused on more energy-expensive things like heating/cooling? If all new home standards were increased to "PassivHaus" standards, which bring heat/cooling to almost nothing, we'd save HUGE amount of energy.
Yes indeed! We need to push energy efficiency from all angles and insulation is a huge one. It is being pushed, too, but hey I agree it should be a bigger priority than it is.
After fifteen years of testing CFLs, I've concluded they are inferior.
Why do I get the impression you concluded that long before fifteen years had passed, and at best kept up the "experiment" in the form of buying a new CFL every year or two just to stave off people that you should try em, not all of em take forever to get bright, etc.
I mean, fifteen years and you haven't found a single CFL that performs well? It took me all of two trips to Home Depot to accomplish this. They exist. Your inability to find any after fifteen years is, um, shall we say, in conflict with the idea of this being a neutral unbiased experiment that you were conducting.
Now with more identity!
Your lights are on only an hour a day? That's astounding!
Let's do correct numbers:
60W incandescent: 60W * 3.13hrs * 30 days = 5.6kWh
13W CFL(60W equivalent: 13W * 3.13hrs * 30 days = 1.2kWh
That's a difference of 4.4kWh/month or $4.77/year/bulb. That means my CFL will pay for itself in a only few months.
(60 watt equivalent bulb vs. bulb)
40W laser-produced incandescent: 40W * 3.13hrs * 30 days = 3.7kWh
13W Compact fluorescent light: 13W * 3.13hrs * 30 days = 1.2kWh
>>>That means my CFL will pay for itself in a only few months.
Assuming your CFL does not die within a few months, as many of mine have done. And don't give me a load of crap about "buying poor quality" or "maybe you have bad electric". It was the enclosed fixture causing the internal CFL componenent to literally dryout and die
Then there is people claiming that CFLs give them headaches, if I had more time I'd point out the studies where people are shown to have similar sensitivity as those who sense EM fields.
While I don't get headaches directly from CFLs, if I do have one, I typically find that some CFLs will make it worse (When I get a headache, I'm typically very sensitive to light. The fact that some bulbs make it worse than others leads me to believe there may be something about sensitivity to certain light frequencies) The difference, is that it's only SOME CFLs that cause it... The light output varies from model to model, and while I wouldn't avoid CFLs because of it, I may avoid certain models... EM sensitivity I think is largely psychological, but I do think that light sensitivity is a very real effect (But definitely does have some psychological effect)...
As for the mercury argument, it only plays if you break a bulb. Sure, coal may put out more, but what's the average effect on each person with coal? I'd bet it's less than if you broke a bulb (and were directly exposed to the mercury). However with that said is the amount that's contained in a CFL dangerous? Is it beyond the LEL? The amount of mercury in a typical CFL is around 4mg (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls_mercury [energystar.gov])... Based on the MSDS http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/M1599.htm [jtbaker.com], that amount is WELL above the airborne exposure limits (40 times the OSHA upper limit). So the dangers of mercury are real, but the flip side of that argument is how many bulbs are broken? If you have a habit of breaking them, then perhaps it's a real concern. If you've never broken a bulb in your life, perhaps it doesn't concern you (Since exposure one time isn't nearly as bad as a repeated exposure)... But to say that it isn't dangerous is extremely short sighted and blatently ignoring the facts. Sure it's not a mitigate-able danger (just don't break the bulb), but it still exists...
This time instead of continuing to spout discredited crap, do a bit of research.
Ummm... No comment...
The amount of mercury in a typical CFL is around 4mg (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls_mercury [energystar.gov])... Based on the MSDS http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/M1599.htm [jtbaker.com] [jtbaker.com], that amount is WELL above the airborne exposure limits (40 times the OSHA upper limit).
How were you planning to get all that mercury to go airborne? Do you normally fry light-bulbs on your stove?
Then there is people claiming that CFLs give them headaches, if I had more time I'd point out the studies where people are shown to have similar sensitivity as those who sense EM fields.
I'm very sensitive to the placebo effect, you insensitive clod! Now I'm going to have to replace all my bulbs AGAIN in addition to making a new tinfoil hat!
A few thoughts.
I have tried three or four different brands of CFL's. All of them take longer to turn on than an incandescent. Some of them are still usable. However... with incandescents, I can buy whatever cheapass brand I want, and they still work. I now have several packages of generally useless light bulbs that combined cost me $30 to find out that they suck. Moreover, I have to remember which brands do and do not suck, and no, just buying the expensive ones doesn't cut it. This is a lot of annoyance fo
in case you're wondering, the first 2 arguments are not surprising. The rest are beyond outlandish.
The mercury in the CFL isn't going to kill us, but I think it's something easy for people to have irrational concern over. Really, people probably think "mercury = bad", and then drop it at that. That part wouldn't even be unfounded, even if the amount in a CFL is ridiculously small.
The second issue is also a concern - I don't have a factual basis but when comparing 60 watt incandescents to 40 watt LED's, ther
And you are so wrong. It is a simple problem.
I have already put the new lights into almost all of my home lighting now. Eventually, all but ONE light will be replaced. That one 5 bulb chandelier REQUIRES 1 incadescent bulb in order to turn on correctly. The other 4 bulbs are the lower power lighting. They are a smattering of other bulbs still as incadescents, but as they burn out they are getting replaced. (Or as the one required incadescent burns out, I use one of those others to replace it and swap it for
no, the argument about mercury hasn't been "destroyed every time", break one CFL bulb in your home and you will be exposed to more mercury than in ten years of breathing the air 25 miles from a coal fired plant. What a crock of marketing spew.
It doesn't help doing research if you can't reason and believe a load of bull from those with an agenda.
From my experience, the lifetime of the energy-saving bulbs in -15C frost doesn't exceed 2 weeks. They are okay indoors, but I still use a standard bulb for the garage light. After replacing three supposedly "survives 20 bulbs" energy-saving ones in matter of two months.
Then there is people claiming that CFLs give them headaches, if I had more time I'd point out the studies where people are shown to have similar sensitivity as those who sense EM fields.
Fluorescent lights *do* give me headaches - whether they're of the bar, ring, or compact varieties. The synchronicity of the light pulse with the phase of the power supply bothers me. Low-refresh-rate monitors (under 75hz) give me headaches, too. Due to the nature of incandescents, the synchonicity of "pulses" is far less noticeable (if at all since it stays hot even during the down phase of the alternating current, therefore still giving-off its normal light) until the filament is close to the end of its l
And now for the entirely predictable posts claiming low power lighting causes cancer, are crap, and cause global warming...
As well as the equally predictable slew of posts filled with handwaving and smokescreens declaring that anyone who doesn't rush out and buy a cartload of CFL's is mentally and morally deficient, and that any problems they have with the bulbs are figments of their imagination. After all, if you most be intelligent and perceptive to see the Emperor's new clothes.
The first argumen
Normally I'd just point out that CFLs are now available even from non-specialized retailers in a wide variety of color temperatures, so you can easily replicate the dingy yellow tinge of an incandescent if you prefer it, and I wouldn't bother to wonder why you prefer it.
But this is Slashdot, so I don't need to wonder, do I?
I know, there appears to be a giant hovering thermonuclear explosion hovering terrifyingly in the air. But, I promise, it won't hurt you. Just don't stand under it unprotecte
...but are Toshiba bulbs available over here in America, possibly under a different name? I don't recall ever seeing Toshiba-branded light bulbs on shelves here...
Maybe its because they aren't worth the cost of shipping. I'd imagine standard incandescents are less dense than packing peanuts, and likely have one of the lowest $/sq ft values in shipping. I think all the ones I've seen and used are definitely GE.
The commercial units of the major bulb brands (Philips, GE, Sylvania) sometimes cross-purchase and rebrand bulbs for retail sale. I would not be surprised if rebranded Toshiba bulbs were available under another name in the US.
We (Philips) have written down our incandescent production assets and we're preparing to write down most of the halogen assets as well. Incandescents are not permitted for retail sale in most of the western world now, and halogens are about to be phased out in Europe. Halogena will
I love my LED flashlights. I was a fan of Maglights, but the stupid bulbs would break. My five LED flashlights last a lot longer and I have yet to break and LED. Plus they put out more light than incandescent bulbs while using the same amount of battery charge.
Mag makes LED torches too
indeed, I have one that's already 3 years old. Still working fine. 10+ Hours of light with 1 set of batteries.
A perfect example of how Mag hasn't done any innovation or design work since the creation of their original lights.
How the FUCK can you have a gigantic chunk of aluminum and fuck up your thermal management so badly that your emitter/power supply circuitry overheats!
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=119665&highlight=mag-led [candlepowerforums.com]
I tried Mag LED lights, but I couldn't find one that was as bright as even the cheapest off-brand out there. They used to be among the best, but I think they've stagnated in their development and now they're trying to play catch-up. The Rayovac Energizer Sportsman Extreme series is my new favorite. The 4W, 3-C cell light is $18 at Meijer and pumps out 150 lumens. Even their mini lights put out 55 lumens. There isn't a Maglight out there that comes even close.
You can replace the incandescent bulb with an LED module - IIRC, it didn't cost that much, either. I found mine at a sporting goods store in the lights section.
Good hunting!
Are they still making buggy whips?
Excellent! Glad to see that they're moving into LED lighting; I love LED lights. I've been testing out several of the early model LED lights in my house, and they have been working great-- low power requirement, long life. And the technology has been getting better very rapidly.
(And, unlike incandescent and CFLs, they're not particularly fragile).
Are they making dimmable LED lights yet?
Last time I looked nobody was.
I ended up making my own by using arrays of LEDs.
There has been dimmable LED lighting for years. Good luck finding quality LED fixtures for under $400, though.
Are they making dimmable LED lights yet?
A quick search turned up this [litebulbs.co.uk]. I'd imagine there are other makes.
I bought some 1.5W LED lights a couple of years ago to replace some 50W halogen lights. They weren't as bright, had a narrower "spot", but they were whiter (which some people don't like). They're also noticeably dimmer now compared to when they were new -- I'm sure they'll last the 10000 hours (or whatever), but probably at only 25% of their original brightness. I still use them in my bedroom (where I don't need much light) but I've taken them out of the kitchen.
Conclusion: spend more than £2 per bul
It will now focus on more energy efficient products, including LED (light-emitting diode) lights, which contain a handful of white LEDs and draw a fraction of the power of incandescent bulbs.
That use much more power and materials to manufacture than incandescent bulbs.
I just love corporations using global stewardship to cover up apparent profit motives.
Is that power and materials per lightbulb or are the numbers adjusted to account for the fact that fluorescent lights last a heck of a lot longer than incandescent ones?
That use much more power and materials to manufacture than incandescent bulbs.
Numbers and links to the respective studies, please.
Just be glad they didn't say LED diode...
And I've been waiting for the tech to get better and cheaper before switching. I will not use fluorescent lights in my home. My eyes are sensitive and they give me a headache, take too long to reach proper brightness, use mercury, and plus the color is off. I'd have switched to LED light, even with the higher prices, if they actually put out enough lumens. The highest I could find only put out the light equivalent of a 10-40W incandescent. It's fine for like going to the bathroom late at night or reading a book, but for working on anything important (art, fixing things, building things, etc) they are not acceptable. I hope this is a big enough push to get the tech moving along and the prices down.
I work in the lighting field and have a few comments:
1)The reason you can't find bright LEDs to go in your A19 fixtures is that they cannot be properly heat-sinked. Shedding heat is really important for LEDs, and requires some very nice heavy duty fixtures to keep the lamps at full output (heat wears the LEDs out faster, and they dim gradually rather than burning out).
2) I refused to use CFLs in my house for years. You should buy several varieties and try them out, though. Some are actually very pleasing no
I can actually see the flicker when I run with an LED headlight: looking at my shoes, I can see about 3-5 impressions of the reflective strips in my retina. That doesn't bother me too much though - I suspect that the frequency is high enough that my eye doesn't try to adjust to it.
One gripe though - my head light makes everything superflat. Not sure if that's a feature of the rapid oscillations, or if that's a feature of every headlamp.
LEDs can be over-driven to produce more light. To protect the device, the LEDs are pulsed
so that the average power through the device is not damaging.
I don't think flicker is the problem I think its the temperature. They have a narrow frequency range. The PWM control method has been used for years, and is in use on automotive tail lights. I think its more of a question of how the duty cycle is set. PWM also lets the element cool (yes, LEDs do generate heat) Maybe what you need is a multiple led arrangement with alternating LEDs activation so that it looks more uniform?
...there can be no public or private virtue unless the foundation of action is the practice of truth. - George Jacob Holyoake


text:
Apple fanboys and fangirls may take offense to being called "geeks," but a new dating website is about to be launched that will help said "Apple geeks" find more than just one another. Perhaps they will also find love. Stupid? Yes. But "Cupidtino" is the buzz of the blogosophere today, despite sounding like the premise of a bad Saturday Night Live skit.
In a nutshell, Cupidtino is a social network for Apple fanboys and fangirls to find romance beneath the rubric of a shared interest - all things Apple. Hoping to make hearts glow like our beloved LED-illuminated screens, Cupidtino is certainly poised to become an innovative online community when it officially launches next month.
We created the first Mac-inspired dating site to help you find other Machearts around you.
While it may sound like a joke, most of us are aware of online dating success stories that have blossomed in the chat rooms and online platforms that are otherwise incessantly advertised on television these days. A few of my married friends, in fact, have even met via social networks that helped them realize just how much they have in common. Could this happen with Cupidtino? Perhaps it will. And the result could be extraordinary. After all, if Apple fanboys and fangirls meet and begin to breed, we can create a super-colony of Apple fan babies, giving rise to a whole new slate of products, like iDiapers and iPacifiers.
The possibilities are truly endless.


text:
According to RSS, a group of suspected Maoist rebels took Khadka away from a school where he taught part-time and led him to a nearby field, where they tied his hands to a pole and slit his throat. No motive is known for his murder.
Khadka is the first journalist to be killed in Nepal since the rebels pulled out of a cease-fire agreement with government forces last month. His murder came amidst increased violence in the country; a series of bomb blasts went off in the capital today, and gunfights between rebels and government forces are intensifying.


text:
What will you be playing on the PS4 and Xbox 720? Here's the top 5 games that could well be heading to next generation consoles.
And that we have HD remakes of last gen games running slower than the originals says it wont make a difference. If anything titles promised for current systems which are considered to be "Next Gen" would likely have issues.
5 games that were already announced as current gen, article fail
Crap list.
Only Metal Gear its cool, but this game not next-gen.
First, i want perfect Gran Turismo 6 ps4.


text:
What about "I was trying to find the land of mayonnaise" from Hijikata? XD
If you see a stranger, follow him.
Inside me, there is an organ more important than my heart. Although you can´t see it, I feel it going right through my head and down to my legs, and I know that it exists inside me. It´s the one that lets me stand up and walk forward. So that I can walk forward, without ever trembling. If I stopped here I feel like it would break...My soul would break. Even more than if my heart stops beating, to me that is the most important. Even if I become senile and my back gets bent, I still have to walk foward.'
~ Gintoki
Gintoki: It may be tough now, but the worst is surely yet to come. Keep that in mind, and you'll be fine.
2 of the most sensible dialogs of Gintoki. Even if the anime is crazy, it tells pretty sensible truths.
HIATUS! Study mode. Will be inactive on groups. Sorry >v<
WHERE DO I START!?!?!? there' so many...i would want to list all of them starting from episode 1 to show my love for gintama but i won't. [very tempted on doing it though]
but to sum it up...i love all their quotes.
Hideaki Sorachi-sensei is are a genuis in the manga world. otsukare-samadeshita [<-- thank you for your hard work] >O<
I really like the titles of all the Gintama episodes...they can be considered as quotes right...? They sound like quotes >_<. But almost every episode has really meaningful quotes that I can actually understand compared to some mangas where they are trying to be sentimental but you don't really understand what they are actually trying to say or it's probably due to the awkward translation[forgive me manga scanlators but I really do love you guys] OR it's very cliche and you see it in most mangas. But Gintama quotes do use the same message but it gives off an original original sense, such as in and the Yoshiwara arc...
Gin-chan - "I'm just going to take back the sunshine. The sun everyone forgot about after being locked up in this darkness...It doesn't matter where you are...What the circumstances...The sun is always there...I'm talking about your own sunshine. There may be times when you can't see it behind the clouds. But if you look up at the sky, you'll eventually see it peeking through the clouds. That's why we can't take our eyes away from the sky, or well lose sight of it. You've got to live life standing up straight and look right at the sun. Tell the people with their gloomy looks on their faces. Tell them to look up at the sky. And we'll launch a big old sun right into that dirty metal sky for them."
[beautiful arc where gin-chan can show off his awesome moves. to bad he didn't turn into the Shiroyasha; can't wait until he does!]
episode 61 the last episode to the Benizakura arc [sobs so sad ALL OF THE ARCS ARE SAD]
[note her brother is on the verge of dying and will die]
Tetsuko says -"I can't hear you, brother...If you don't speak as loud as you always do, I can't hear you."
and also...YES THERE'S MORE! there's always more~
episode 31 where gin-chan loses his memory
he says something sweet to otae and she responds and blushes...
"Eh? No way, what is this? For my heart to throb over someone like Gin-san. That was just...just because his eyes and his eyebrows came close together, and his iris just got a little bigger....Why should you have to worry about the past any longer? Rather than turning back, let's live facing forward!"
KYAAH~ she started liking gin-chan how cute. i'm a total gin-chan x otae fan all the way. They suit each other.
and the last one would be...episode 1
gin-chan - "I'm getting to old to read Jump."
kekekeke...he always says he'll quit but he never does XD
hahaha I lied that wasn't the last one.
okita - "Die Hijikata. Die Hijikata." -he was preforming a curse on Hijikata episode 20.-
"Zura ja nai. Katsura daa." -anything relating to that is awesome as well-
"Paako desu~"
Sacchan - "Nakamura A, Nakura B, Nakamura C." [ROFL such naming sense]
Sorry such a long post. gomenasai deshita. Gintama quotes are the best reference...even though you'll be referencing something that's referencing something else. GINTAMA FTW~ You can never get bored of it.
GintokiSakata wrote:
- Episode 144, battle with Hosen.
That is the best and my most favorite uhmm...what should I categorize them as...battle quotes?[let's just go with that] that I have ever read in english subtitles and heard in Japanese.
chronotrigger01 wrote:
Ep 1-2:
"This Earthquake is like the Unwavering Feeling of 5 High School Girls all confessing their feelings to the same Boy
at the same time"-Gintoki to Kagura & Shinpachi
"That sounds like something that would only happen in an Anime!!!"-Shinpachi back to Gintoki
That conversation was what caught my interest in Gintama the most.
Actually it was
Shinpachi - "There sure have been a lot of earthquakes lately."
Gintoki - "Yeah. The earth's rowdier than a group of five high school guys living under the same roof."
Kagura - "It's just not normal, is it?"
Gintoki - "Well, it happens in Jump."
well, it really depends on who subbed it & on what site it was watched on. but, regardless, Gintama rulez!!
Traveling Through Time...
"It's evil organization called Evil Organization"
all Gintama quotes are like a School of life for us! Just that I dont remember them lol
I hate FUNimation!!!!
gintoki : just do it
"if you were forgiven with a simple 'sorry' there would be no such thing as 'seppuku' in this world." - by Otae.
she said it to gintoki on the very first chapter of gintama. at the time, he was saying sorry for getting carried away about his opening scene. still priceless.
my fave would be on ep. on 52 "If You Want To See Someone, Make An Appo First."
Gintoki: I said I want to see the president.
Receptionist #2:Excuse me, but do you have an "apo"?
Gintoki: What's an "apo"? Oh, you mean that? A kind of fruit up north? Does the president like Fuji apples?
Receptionist#1: It's not an apple. Why are you saying only certain parts in English?
Gintoki: Give me a break. "Apo" or Kobo-chan... I just want to see the president.
Kanshichiro: Apo.
.......skipping the short scenerio....
Gintoki: Ah! What is Japan coming to?!
i dont kno if that was actually funny. but the part where he said apple in English cracked me up!!
still alive
Okita: Please take a loot at Yamazaki .. he is playing Badminton...Badminton"
Hijikata (running after Yamazaki: YAMAZAKI..WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THING YOUR DOING THERE
Shinpachi: Dondakeee!!
Moved on main account.
"Does ur motorbike has a grudge against my butt or something" Zenzou..
he said something similar to that when Gintoki banged against his butt when he as a ninja jump down
What's left in the end, is not what you wish for.
Some of the Gintama Quotes that SERIOUSLY cracked me up were :
(Episode 4)
-Shinpachi: "Who The Hell Are They? Pedophile Mafias ?! "
Kagura: "What?! File Peddlers ?! "
- -Kagura: "But lately, my work's been escaltatered."
Shinpachi: "That's escalated, right?"
Kagura: "They finally asked me to take a person's wife."
Shinpachi: "You mean life, not wife, right?"
(Episode 1)
Katsura: What are you doing here?
Gintoki: Well, I suppose I'm doing something odd, like jogging or taking a walk or something like that.
Katsura: That's fine then.
(Episode 4)
Gintoki: Shinpachi, you've suddenly got a lot heavier.
Kagura: I've never seen a grown man abandon a girl being chased by the yakuza.
Gintoki: Well, I'm a boy at heart. And besides, in this country, we don't call someone who can stop a scooter with her bare hands a girl. We call her a mountain gorilla.
(Episode 32..I think !)
Kondo: The Justaways are not at fault! The one at fault is the boss, the Justaways haven't done anything wrong!
and surviving.


text:
Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?
I love Carolyn Meyer, and I love Ancient Greece, so Beauty's Daughter is high, high, high on my wish list.
In stores October 2013
The Spartan princess Hermione is the daughter of Helen, who is known as the most beautiful woman in the ancient world. When Helen runs off to Troy with the handsome young Prince Paris, Hermione's father, King Menelaus, erupts in fury. He amasses a thousand ships and sails for Troy, determined to reclaim Helen. This is the beginning of the Trojan War.
For the next ten years, young Hermione lives outside the walls of Troy and is a witness to the battles that result in the death of heroes on both sides. Can she ever forgive her mother for creating such chaos? And will Hermione find her own love and her own place in the world?


text:
Nintendo 3DS early adopters received ten exclusive free Game Boy Advance titles on Friday, as promised, but found the classics have been stretched to fit the higher-resolution screen of the 3DS, losing that crisp pixely loveliness.
The Game Boy Advance's screen had a resolution of 240x160 but the games are being scaled up to 400x240 for 3DS, meaning they fill the whole top screen but are somewhat blurred. If this vexes you mightily, fear not; there is a solution.
As with regular Nintendo DS games and NES titles on the 3DS Virtual Console, 1UP notes, you can play the GBA titles 'windowboxed' in their original resolution simply by holding down Select or Start when you launch the game, until the black boot screen ends.
Our own Steve Watts points out that the worst offender is Yoshi's Island, considered "almost unplayable" without utilizing this trick.
The free games are part of Nintendo's 3DS Ambassador program, started to placate owners who saw the price drop by a whopping $80 only four months after the handheld launched. Ten NES games were given free in August, released for Ambassadors before the hoi polloi could buy them, and these GBA games will never be available to others.


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It was left on deliberately in an attempt to spy on random U.S. citizens and collect data.
More delicious loopholes to exploit left and right!
...the spyware surviving a cleaning by a computer repair shop and the FBI...
It was left on deliberately in an attempt to spy on random U.S. citizens and collect data.
Or.. or... The computer repair shop doesn't know what they're doing.
And/or... (more chillingly) The FBI doesn't know what they're doing.
I find it far more chilling if the FBI knew exactly what is was doing: lying to the judge about having deleted the spying software to set a precedent for doing this wholesale, using a case where the judge would likely be extremely biased in their favor.
Sounds like the FBI probably did a simple wipe by their IT and never gave it a s3cond thought that this spyware was so durable. The standing that it was OKed is so condtlitional it would never survive a wider scrutiny. In other words: Dumb luck prevails.
Also, the computer was school owned. The game would have been much different if it were private. It's akin to catching the principal doing it on the school's library computers.
I once bought a computer from a small shop which I intended to use as a linux server. The shop put windows on it as a test and right before they gave it to me told me they would wipe the disk "so I couldn't use their copy of windows". The guy hit enter on some erasure program and immediately said "okay thats done" so obviously it wasn't erased, just unlinked.
Your money is now ours. Pay up.
The article and the summary state explicitly which software was used [spectorsoft.com], and its no where near as smart as the the stuff you linked. It only works with windows.
Or the repair shop knew that it wasn't going back to somebody who cared, and decided to be half ass and didn't touch it at all while saying they did.
This kind of thing is typical in computer repair shops.
This has restored my faith in the capabilities of the FBI
Keep in mind this wasn't exactly the computer specialist division of the FBI, considering he had to take it to a computer repair shop to get them to fix it. TFA says he asked his colleagues, without knowing anything more I'd assume they don't work in the "cybercrime" division. So more like it survive cleaning by some random individuals and a probably-incompetent computer repair shop (Geek Squad or similar, they probably thinking knowing how to use regedit makes them computer "experts".) The FBI as an organization was completely uninvolved.
A group operating in the FBI that is supposed to know something about computers is CART - Computer Assist Response Team. Now I happen to know that if you take a computer to someone in CART and want them to do something like this it will certainly happen - in about six months when they have a few moments.
The backlog of high priority prosecutions is that deep.
So, do you think this guy got the full attention of someone within the FBI that knew what they were doing for more than two minutes? I doubt it. I don't care if he is in the FBI - there are lots of people in the FBI and most of them don't count for much when compared against current work that someone is waiting for. Sending people to jail is always more important than fixing some colleague's computer.
Why in the world did the FBI even have to get a repair shop involved in the first place? Was the task of reimaging a computer truly that daunting for them?
...the spyware surviving a cleaning by a computer repair shop and the FBI...
Pretty astounding, when you consider he knew what he installed and it comes with de-install directions [spectorsoft.com].
Quoting the FAQ:
Tamper-Proof Technology
eBLASTER does not show up as an icon, does not appear in the Windows system tray, does not appear in Windows Programs, does not show up in the Windows task list, cannot be uninstalled without the eBLASTER password YOU specify, and eBLASTER does not slow down the operation of the computer it is recording. eBLASTER does not initiate connections to the Internet and will only forward email and send activity reports when the monitored computer is already connected to the Internet. All of these features make it extremely difficult for unauthorized users to locate and/or remove eBLASTER.
Re-imaging the computer from original installation media should have done it, but I suspect that the shop he took it to did not have
that media, or the Certificate and wasn't about to use their own copy, and simply removed the user account.
I can see the FBI not wanting to waste their time and resources on what was his personal project, and sent him to a private shop.
Good on them if that's how it went down.
But the guy running that private shop might be open to a civil suit by the principal.
Just because he works for the FBI doesn't mean he is computer literate. The majority of them are nothing more than federally paid beat cops doing missing persons investigations and helping out when other LE can't do the investigation themselves. I think you and others are giving him too much credit because he works for a three letter government agency.
My post suggested that even Joe Sixpack should be able to uninstall what he installed, given that the directions are included with
the product and on the product's web site.
FBI agents are far from beat cops. The requirements state [fbijobs.gov] that you must possess a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education. You must have at least three years of professional work experience. Y
I can't figure out why Windows lets a program remove itself from the list of programs in the task list. WTF!
I wonder if windows fudges the task list CPU numbers to add up to 100%?
Before returning the laptop to the school, he tried to wipe the program (SpectorSoft's eBlaster) by having FBI agents scrub the computer and by taking it to a computer repair shop to be re-imaged. It somehow survived
This kind of incompetence is absolutely baffling to me. Putting SW into a computer that you don't know how to remove? Being unable to remove it by wiping a disk (while working at FBI to boot)? Being unable to pick a repair shop that can actually image disks? Not making an image in the first place before you put something you don't know how to remove? I'm stunned.
I thought maybe it was in firmware but that doesn't explain how it phoned home.
Shouldn't the shop that supposedly "re-imaged" it busted for fraud? One also might wonder why an FBI agent is using internal FBI resources to "scrub" a non FBI machine that isn't part of an investigation. Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???
Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???
No, but they seem to be experts at DBAG.
These programs are malware and spyware and use the same methods to stay on as virii. The difference is they are legit so AV programs do not flag them. It could hide in the boot record as a trojan or hide in a restore point and be later re-installed when a user uses it. My guess is the IT team at the school simple uses restore as a quick and efficient way to wipe it before the student received it.
These programs are malware and spyware and use the same methods to stay on as virii.
You mean, they hide in you spellchecker, occasionally causing it to malfunction?
DBAN is not foolproof. Just the other day I started it up, and the kernel didn't register my hard drive. Started happily erasing my boot stick, and I never would have realized the difference had I not been paying attention.
(Had to go tweak the BIOS a little)
He didn't use internal FBI resources, hence the computer repair shop. He asked his friends at the FBI if they knew how to clear the laptop. They didn't, so he took it to the shop. That's hardly using FBI resources (the summary is more than a little misleading).
Agreed on the shop, they sound pretty incompetent.
One also might wonder why an FBI agent is using internal FBI resources to "scrub" a non FBI machine that isn't part of an investigation
Because it wasn't a big deal? Because he wanted it done right and mistakenly thought the FBI could get it done? For all we know, a tech he knew did it after hours.
I think the much larger concern is that the result wasn't a completely wiped laptop.
Shouldn't the shop that supposedly "re-imaged" it busted for fraud? One also might wonder why an FBI agent is using internal FBI resources to "scrub" a non FBI machine that isn't part of an investigation. Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???
I've been a Slashdotter for 15 years and I had never heard of DBAN until reading your comment and Googling it. Your other two points are pretty solid, though. What the hell happened?
I work for the FBI, and while I am not familiar with this incident, I'm pretty sure there will be some administrative inquiry into misuse of gov't time & resources, especially since it has made us look bad in the press. I'll have to wait for the next quarterly report on ethic violations (which are always hilarious to read, some people are fucking idiots).
What misuse of gov't time & resources are you talking about?
He installed the software himself on his kid's loaner notebook to keep track of his kid's activity (you see, the FBI guy is also some kid's daddy, and he wants to know in case somebody solicits his kid in a chatroom).
Then he asked a buddy at work if he knew how to remove the software before returning the notebook to the school; apparently Joe didn't know, so he brought it to a local computer repair shop and asked them to do it for (his own) cas
Shouldn't the shop that supposedly "re-imaged" it busted for fraud? One also might wonder why an FBI agent is using internal FBI resources to "scrub" a non FBI machine that isn't part of an investigation. Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???
I've been a Slashdotter for 15 years and I had never heard of DBAN until reading your comment and Googling it.
Yea, but do you run a computer repair shop?
If not, it's fair to assume you've never heard of DBAN; however, if your income is based in an industry for whom re-imaging computers is standard practice, having not heard of DBAN is a nigh unforgivable offense (and a damn good reason to avoid your shop in the future).
They might well understand about DBAN. However, this is what I think happened. The last paragraph is most important.
Something like this is likely as not what happened:
FBI dad is sent to "Saipan in the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands", an FBI office with three agents and a manager. FBI dad installs spyware on kid's school computer. FBI dad is transferred to new location. He goes to his friends in the local FBI office and asks them to scrub the computer. Either A) there aren't any FBI computer experts in Saipan (quite possible), or the local expert says, "I can wipe it, and I could run the restore software, but there's software on there the school installed that I don't have the disks or licenses for. Take it to a local laptop shop."
FBI Dad takes it to the local shop and says, "I want it restored to what it was like when my kid got it", or "I want you to wipe all my kids info off this laptop", or something similar. They say, "We'll do our best." They have the same problem the FBI expert has. If they DBAN the drive, they could destroy the restore partition, and they won't be able to reinstall the school-installed software. If they run the restore partition, the laptop is like it was before the school got it, and they still won't be able to reinstall the school-installed software. So, they remove all personal data and uninstall all software they think the school didn't install. Maybe they spot the spyware and think it is school installed, maybe they don't spot it, maybe they spot it and try to uninstall it, but instead of uninstalling it hides.
Regardless, they remove what they can without destroying the school-installed software and return it to FBI dad. He returns it to the school. Hilarity ensues.
Slashdot readers read a non-technical report on what happened, written by a non-technical writer, who got his information from non-technical reports made by yet more non-technical people, treats it as if the entire report is completely accurate and all technical terms used correctly, and more hilarity ensues.
So let me guess: the guys's name is Stan, the kid's name is Steve and the principal is called Brian?
Wrong agency (it would have to be CIA to get the hat trick.)
Good call anyway - American Dad was the first effing thing I thought of when I read TFA.
Every law enforcement parent will install spyware on his kids' school computers and "forget" to remove the spy software.
Every law enforcement parent will install spyware on his kids' school computers and "forget" to remove the spy software.
Wait for the decision in the case. That will say what will or will not happen.
Given your assumption (which is a good one), law enforcement will suddenly declare that nearly ALL findings of anything related to ANYTHING illegal (child porn, money laundering, pro-terrorist crap, some LE's wife cheating on him, etc) were due to "accidental placement and failed removal" of spyware.
The story enclosed within this one is that (a) the FBI is unable to effectively scrub FBI spyware installed by an FBI agent, and (b) the computer repair shop charged an FBI agent to scrub and reimage a laptop, and then apparently just moved it from the To Do shelf to the Done shelf.
Yes, that or the submitter deliberately misquoted the article:
"Auther first took the laptop to his FBI office and asked his colleagues how to wipe it clean. Apparently they don't have many cyber experts in the Mariana Islands, because they were unsuccessful. So Auther had to instead take it to a computer repair shop, which cleaned out the old files and allegedly reimaged the hard drive to return it to its original settings."
Sounds to me like there wasn't any professional FBI 'scrubbing' involved, just some guy going to work and talking about wiping a laptop by the water cooler.
> Most laptops these days have a recovery image on a separate partition of the hard drive. It would not be beyond belief that the spyware the agent used injected itself into the recovery partition so it would re-install itself.
Nod. In fact, it would be rather silly for a spyware developer to *not* do this.
I was originally going to post that TFA makes it clear that this was a case of a person who happened to be employed by the FBI, finding himself in this situation, but is just described by TFS as "an FBI agent" — it made me wonder whether someone should be defined by their employer.
It rather broke down for me when TFA starts saying how he got "all flashy with his FBI badge" to investigate, rather than just reporting it to the police — is this really still just someone acting as a father?
Read TFA -- the Judge made a note of this. The initial report that he got was just him as a father: after that what he was doing was basically being an FBI agent. *However* even though he was, the fact that the computer was essentially stolen meant the guy had no expectation of privacy for it. anyways.
It's sort of like an off-duty cop who happens to be in a store when it's robbed and takes action as a police officer. His initial being there is just part of being a citizen. Once the robbery started, he made the shift from citizen to law enforcement as would be expected even though he's off-duty.
the prinicipal was a moron for using a school computer. if it was his own computer then a search warrant would apply.
a cop kicks a door in and finds pot.
Cop to judge: "I did it as a private citizen!"
Judge: "Ok then. This is admissible."
So, I wonder what would happen to me if I shot that cop busting down my door as a "private citizen"?
It doesn't matter anyway. When it comes to child porn, taxes, drugs or terrorism, you are guilty until proven innocent. Where are the Ben Franklin dressed Teapartiers? Why aren't they out there preaching their message about freedom over this erosion of our liberties? Or it folks are so afraid
Kicking in a door is illegal as a private citizen and is not something you would expect a private citizen to do. Installing software to monitor his kid's activities is something perfectly legal and well within the realm of what a private citizen might be expected to do. As with many laws, there's a gray area that you have to actually use your brain to determine if something is reasonable or not. There's no slippery slope no matter how much you tilt your head.
Kicking in a door is illegal as a private citizen and is not something you would expect a private citizen to do. Installing software to monitor his kid's activities is something perfectly legal and well within the realm of what a private citizen might be expected to do. As with many laws, there's a gray area that you have to actually use your brain to determine if something is reasonable or not. There's no slippery slope no matter how much you tilt your head.
Slight problem with that explanation - it wasn't his laptop, it was the schools.
What's the "legal grey area" answer for installing malware on someone else's machine?
What's the "legal grey area" answer for installing malware on someone else's machine?
There is none, installing software on a school-provided laptop is legal. At most it is breach of contract if the school has a policy against it, but that is a civil matter.
If there was intent to damage or to spy on someone other than the child, that would be a different matter.
Installing software to monitor his kid's activities is something perfectly legal and well within the realm of what a private citizen might be expected to do.
If the principal had installed spyware, that would be a problem. [slashdot.org] Oh, but it's a private citizen installing spyware on someone elses hardware... oh wait, that's definitely not cool either. [slashdot.org]
It seems the only reason this parent isn't getting a visit from the FBI is because he *is* the FBI. If the guy is installing spyware, he could have remotely installed the porn. The spyware itself could have been the delivery mechanism for all sorts of nasty stuff. He certainly had the means, all he would need is a motive. How do we know the guy didn't have a personal vendetta with the principal? But it doesn't matter... because the principal has already been ruined. Yaaaay! Let's all burn another witch!!
I try to be very careful about what I use other's equipment for. When I was younger I was less careful about computers, but then when i was younger there was not 10 years of ruling saying that there is no expectation for privacy if you use employers stuff. For instance, is there anything to stop your employer from listening to your telephone calls on phones the employer owns and pays for the operations. Not really. So we bring cell phones to work that we pay for completely. There is no ambiguity if an employer taps a personal phone.
Stories like this are important because it reminds us that using things we don't own for questionable purposes is not really such a good idea. Clearly older people, who grew up in a time maybe when assets were not tracked as carefully as they are today, or younger people who have not learned how carefully things can be tracked, need to hear this lesson. Clearly some believe that that you can steal equipment, use it for illegal activity, and still deserve the full protection of the law.
FBI agents AND a computer repair shop couldn't wipe a disk?
Not buying it.
Not all FBI agents are computer wizzes. TFA said that the office he was in had no computer crimes unit which is where the computer wizzes congregate.
And it surprises you that a computer repair shop might not actually do what they say they are going to? Really?
Could be that the spyware is really, really well-designed. Some sort of boot sector thing, perhaps?
If the spyware was designed to be difficult to remove, and nobody was looking for it, it wouldn't be surprising that it survived something that removes most software.
*puts on sunglasses*
we're talking about the FBI in Saipan, the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. no surprise they wouldn't be cyber experts nor have one, and that the parent would just take a school's laptop to a computer shop for a wipe before returning it to school. not a government computer, not U.S. government concern.
I won't lie: any day one of these child porn scumbags is caught is a good day.
But the real question is... are you super mega anti-child porn?
"The FBI" is not a monolithic thing.
He didn't take it to an FBI technician-- if he did, it'd probably have been cleaned up tight and fast. He took it into his office, where TFA says *they don't have cyber guys*. I.e., he's in some dingy little office without a cyber crimes unit. This doesn't sound implausible at all, the guy's in an FBI office across the Pacific in a US territory, not in Los Angeles.
Then he took it in to a local computer repair shop, and it doesn't at all sound implausible to me that they might have fibbed on just what they did. Instead of re-imagining it, they may have just done a quick scrub of the user settings.
"The FBI" didn't go through a two step process. A guy who is also an FBI agent went through a two step process. Not everything an FBI agent does is with the full force and resources of The FBI.
By your logic, every single nurse where I work should be an IT expert just because we also have an IT department. Oh wait, while they might talk to other nurses in their department about a non-work computer they probably won't bring it to the IT department to look at? How bout that, not everyone in an organization with an IT department happens to work in the IT department.
> by having FBI agents scrub the computer and by taking it
> to a computer repair shop to be re-imaged.
wow..... um.... I am really curious as to how it did this. Something smells fishy. I can understand it surviving a "scrub", since anyone who does systems work should know that there are many places in a modern os to hide, and unless you know exactly what it does and how it hides, its impossible to say for sure a system has been cleaned.
However, the pc shop? maybe they didn't really "re-image" it, but instead did their own quick "scrub" and ran something like sysprep?
Otherwise maybe they just did a reinstall from a hidden factory reinstall partition? I could see something hiding up in there but....
I dunno, it seems like it HAS to be something along one of those lines. Aside from that...if it really was incidental...well.... accidents do happen, and sometimes they end up biting the best possible people.
In any case, I think the circumstances do sound fishy, and in no way should what he caught excuse what he did if it wasn't accidental, so there should be serious investigation into that too....but I could see that just turning up technical incompetence rather than malfeasance....
That is, unless it turns up fraud on the part of the PC Repair shop.... very likely they did not do the job they were paid to do.
The "FBI" didn't wipe his computer. He simply asked his co-workers for some help. Apparently neither he nor they were particularly tech-savvy so he took it to a computer shop. He probably asked the shop owner to remove "all of my kid's games and stuff". I imagine that this spyware tries to mask itself so that kids cant just find it and uninstall it. The shop owner probably just uninstalled all of the "games and stuff" and then returned it.
The problem is that a person who was so confused by removing software that he had to go to a "computer shop" is trying to tell you what he did. He didn't get the FBI to clean the machine, he simply asked his co-workers who didn't know either. This also happened in Saipan, not New Jersey. The FBI has a small office, not a high tech lab.
The FBI agent screwed up by not notifying authorities immediately(he tried to solve the case himself), but he was probably concerned that the evidence wouldn't hold up in court. Lucky for everyone, the Judge seems like he was willing to stretch the letter of the law to punish a clearly guilty man.
Machines that have broken down will work perfectly when the repairman arrives.


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Children and Social Media
Thursday, Dec. 06, 2012
Little is known about children and social media, according to a recent study. The lack of information is not necessarily because kids aren't using social sites, but because studying their online behavior is a real challenge.
Deborah Fields of Utah State University's Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Department teamed up with fellow researcher Sara Grimes of the Information School at the University of Toronto to report on kids and how they use social media.
Their report was produced for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, an independent, non-profit research center, with the support of Cisco Systems and the Digital Media and Learning Hub at the University of California.
Since its publication, the study has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Digital Shift, edSurge news and Kidzania Journal. It also appears in the Barking Robot, KQED's Mind Shift and Education Week's Digital Education blogs.
Here's an excerpt from their post on the Joan Gantz Cooney Center blog:
"... [C]hildren tend to be ignored in the big survey research that documents who is going online, how often, and what they are doing. This is partly because children present a challenging audience to reach — what kind of survey can researchers use to talk to children about what they do online (they usually go to parents and it's just easier to talk to teens and young adults). Another factor is that although there's lots of anecdotal and qualitative evidence that kids are using popular social media such as Facebook, legal Terms of Use and regulatory policies like the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act often mean that children are not supposed to be there at all. Another important finding was that large-scale surveys and other research on social networking often overlook the kinds of social networking forums that children tend most to populate. Virtual worlds, console videogames (did you know kids can share creations and chat through videogame consoles?), and project-sharing sites where children share everything from written stories to art to computer-programmed animations are rarely discussed in comparison to social networking sites like Facebook."
The full text of the study is available on the Cooney Center website.
Contact: Deborah Fields, 435-797-057, email@example.com
Writer: JoLynne Lyon, USU Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, 435-797-1463


text:
CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn's inspector general is investigating an influential Chicago organization's use of a $98 million state grant.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported the office asked the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to produce documents related to the United Neighborhood Organization grant. UNO received the funds to build and renovate charter schools.
The Feb. 14 letter states that the Office of the Executive Inspector General "is conducting an official investigation."
It was issued about 10 days after the Sun-Times reported that UNO gave contracts worth millions of dollars to companies connected to the organization's top officials.
In a statement Friday, UNO says it recognizes the need to improve its internal procurement process and has hired a former federal judge to conduct an independent analysis.


text:
"Lone Star" A beautiful OrGaNiC set of 5 handmade lampwork lentils with petite glass disc spacers. Accents include hand blown raku glass shards and raku murrini. Measurements are roughly .75" in diameter for each glass lentil. Please give me 2 weeks to finish your beads. If I need to order any special items for your beads, then that may increase the 2 week time frame. My lampwork beads are good for jewelry projects and craft projects.
I want you to be happy with my lampwork beads. Please contact me if there are any problems and I will do my best to remedy it. If you are still not happy, you may return the beads (within 7 days) for a full refund, minus shipping charges.
I understand from time to time glass beads can break. If any of my lampwork beads ever break, I would be happy to repair them free of charge, minus any shipping charges. Please contact me for details.
I use Moretti Italian glass, Double-Helix, R4, CIM, Kugler, Lauscha and Vetrofond glass. I also use 3/32 mandrels, unless otherwise stated. All my lampwork beads are put in a digitally controlled kiln over night to ensure their quality. The actual colors of my lampwork beads may differ slightly from what you see due to different settings on monitors. Hopefully my description will help with that!
Please contact me to find out when this item will be ready to ship.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 2 days of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.


text:
The Space
Featuring two reception areas and a state-of-the-art auditorium space, this former 9,000 square-foot space movie theater was transformed into a high-end destination appropriate for a wide spectrum of occasions. The high ceilings, chrome fixtures, neutral color palette, and glass exterior all reflect a modern aesthetic.
Click here for Interactive Floor Plan
Downloadable Floor Plans: