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Linked by Kroc on Thu 30th Aug 2007 13:03 UTC
I hear often that when something new appears that "competition is good". The primary reasons competition is seen as good, are: it drives down prices; it gives consumers more choice; it pushes technology forward, quicker. Competition is not good because: competition is why consumers have to choose between HD-DVD and BluRay; competition is why DRM exists; and more. In this article, each of the supposed benefits of competition will be looked at in more detail.
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RE[2]: Pardon...
by kaiwai on Thu 30th Aug 2007 23:08 UTC in reply to "RE: Pardon..."
It seems to me that if they were known to be using remanufactured parts, the news would be all over the net.
Depends on how old you are - would have been around 10 years ago. Packard Bell being the biggest of the lot. Their poor track record of being able to rebuild their brand in North America, for many people it has been synonymous with a poor quality and dishonesty.
Gateway did started to do the same thing around the time they bought PC Direct in New Zealand (not the be confused with the PC Direct which exists today) and used it to cut costs. I had a mate who worked for the company who saw it first hand, hence his refusal to purchase anything from his employer.
Both focused on cutting costs rather than the product - the net result, you end up with a product line that is profit orientated rather than outcome oriented. When you're in the consumer market that is the greatest cardinal sin. Talk to anyone who is successful and they'll tell you that one should focus on the product and the profits will follow.
RE[3]: Pardon...
by porcel on Fri 31st Aug 2007 12:21 in reply to "RE[2]: Pardon..."
Well, as I said, I bought those Gateway systems over 10 years ago and they were expensive, but very well built. I also remember calling Gateway and getting someone on the phone instantly back in the day.
I then did hear that they went to hell, but for home use I have built my own systems after that original purchase with the exception of a couple of SUN servers I have laying around.


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Should you decide to give your dog fresh meats, a wise decision is choosing frozen uncooked pet food. Always keeping uncooked meats frozen is actually the easiest method to keep it right until you are ready to offer it to your family dog. The BARF pet food (Bones and Raw Food) diet consists of various kinds of uncooked red meat as well as bones.
In the wild, dogs hunt as well as kill their prey and feed on the meat raw. They will not go and cook it, add chemical preservatives, man-made colorings and after that put it in a can. That's really certainly not natural!
Dog diet industry professionals acclaim the benefits of offering your pet dog frozen foods composed of a fresh meat diet. Ian Buffet, an alternative vet, promotes a frozen uncooked doggy food diet vs a commercial dog food option: "I believe you absolutely simply cannot obtain the identical quality out of a bag of commercial furry companion food as you can by doing it oneself; choosing your own ingredients, producing it by yourself and providing it fresh." "The most significant benefit of industrial doggy food affords is simply ease."
In order to paraphrase Dr. Buffet, many people are likely to select industrial pet food more than a uncooked meat and bones diet due to the fact it is commonly available and comparatively cheap. Many people forget about the increased vet costs they may be incurring when deciding to give their pet dog commercial pet foods. The additional vet costs can easily surpass the added selling price of a frozen uncooked dog food diet.
Ian Buffet is without question skeptical whenever the dog food industry claims, "They have to do the processing, and they have to add chemical ingredients while the food has already been sitting on the shop shelf for several months." "There is definitely no way they can obtain the equivalent food quality to benefit your family dog."
Is Dr. Buffet correct? Can industrial dog or cat food genuinely be hazardous to our pet dogs and cause them to end up with medical conditions that used to always be confined exclusively to people?
If predisposed, try experimenting by providing your family dog a frozen fresh pet food diet. Try it out for a several months and see how your dog's demeanor, visual appeal and total health changes.
Only then, and only then, will you know if you've made the ideal choice.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rams Shutout in First Conference Loss
Old Westbury - 2, Farmingdale State - 0
Old Westbury, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's soccer team lost their first Skyline Conference game of the season on Saturday afternoon, 2-0, in Old Westbury, N.Y. The Rams outshot the Panthers 9-6 in the first half, but could not capitalize in this defensive struggle.
The games turning point came at the 66:48 mark, when Farmingdale State had a player recieve his second yellow card of the contest, resulting in an ejection which forced the Rams to play the final 23 minutes a man down. Old Westbury's John Senatore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) would break the scoreless tie with fifteen minutes remaining and Justin Leaky (Brooklyn, N.Y./Baldwin) would add the teams second goal, nine minutes later. Despite out shooting Old Westbury 22-13, Farmingdale State fell on the road.
Rams junior goalkeeper Patrick Gubbins (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport) made five saves in the defeat, while Darian Bryan (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) made nine saves in the win for Old Westbury.
Farmingdale State will face off against St. Joseph's College in a home Skyline Conference game on Wednesday, October 29th at 4:00 p.m.


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Hi All,
I've been trying to get ut2004 working on Sabayon, but everytime I launch it, the splash screen loads then kicks me out. It always asks for my cdkey, but this can't be the case as I've entered it numerous times. The odd thing is that I can run it as root, and the game boots fine. When I launch it as my regular user, it keeps failing. I've even chmodded the main directory and added myself to the games group, but this is to no avail.
Any ideas?


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High tech spud digger the only one in the US
ABERDEEN — The Tectron harvester is a monster of a machine. It is the only one of its kind in the United States and has found a happy home digging up spuds in Bingham County.
Brock Driscoll of Driscoll Brothers Farms in Aberdeen was the first to purchase the Tectron, the nation's first four-row, self-propelled 'potato digger' designed by the German company Grimme (part of German-owned Spudnik). According to Driscoll Brothers Farm manager Darren Albertson, the machine arrived in Bingham County on Aug. 27 and with his son, Dakota, at the helm, it has already dug up nearly 250,000 acres of spuds.
At just 19 years old, Dakota, was sent to Germany this summer to learn to operate the Tectron and is the only U.S. farmhand who is trained to operate this piece of machinery.
"This is as high-tech as you can get when it comes to potato equipment. It's equipped with seven cameras and two computers to monitor what's going on with the machine; that's why they sent a 19-year-old over to operate it..." Albertson joked.
Albertson said the machine has zero turning radius and can basically "turn on a dime."
"This machine has a self-adjusting blade and can capture spuds of less than an inch in diameter," he added. "There's very little loss of spuds. It used to be that people could come to the fields and pick up what the harvesters missed, but with this machine, there are very few spuds left to glean."
Albertson said the Tectron can hold up to 300 sacks of spuds without a truck underneath it in the fields. Excess dirt clods and potato vines are chopped up and dispensed from a side blower.
Albertson said he is not sure exactly how much Driscoll Brothers paid for the Tectron, but speculates that it was in the $600,000 range. The Tectron is popular in Europe and there are currently four of the machines in Canada. Albertson says he expects that more farmers in Southeast Idaho will follow the lead of Driscoll Brothers and take a look at this type of equipment in the future.
Driscoll Brothers Farms was founded by Wally Driscoll and has been in the agricultural business in Southeast Idaho since 1952.


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Microsoft Plans $1 Billion Server Farm In Iowa 86
1sockchuck (826398) writes "Microsoft will invest $1.1 billion to build a massive new server farm in Iowa, not far from an existing data center in West Des Moines. The 1.2 million square foot campus will be one of the biggest in the history of the data center industry. It further enhances Iowa's status as the data center capital of the Midwest, with Google and Facebook also operating huge server farms in the state."


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I am thinking of getting Comme des Garcons Kyoto or Ouarzazate and having a hard time deciding. Which would you pick or what else would you get.
I own and enjoy both...but I like Ouarzazate the best, but Kyoto lasts longer, but while Ouarzazate lasts, it's amazing.
the big Q this time...but both are pleasing smells
I own and really like both, but I'd give the nod to Kyoto due to the superior longevity.
In terms of the two, I would go for Kyoto.
In terms of the whole CdG incense range,
Zagorsk has a fantastic wintry smell that is superb.
Kyoto all the way...
My list
Kyoto, no doubts.
Discover my Guest Reviewer Of The Day here
I love both, but find Ouarzazate more wearable. The cedar in Kyoto kind of wears down on me throughout the day.
Ouarzazate is actually on my wish list right now
Sales thread here
Kyoto turns too soapy on me, I much prefer Ouarzazate with that exotic sweet incense.
Kurt smells like Teen Spirit
Researching Kyoto and came across this thread. So many positive comments in here that I just ordered samples of all five of the Series 3: Incense line. Also a couple of Montale's (Black Aoud and Full Incense) and an EldO (Afternoon of a Faun) since I've never sampled anything from either house. Feedback on what I'm in for (for any/all of the samples) would be great. Thanks!
Imo Kyoto, it's great.


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Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia is a disorder passed down through families. It causes high amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
Causes of Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
A genetic defect causes this condition. The defect results in the buildup of large lipoprotein particles that contain both cholesterol and a type of fat called triglycerides. The disease is linked to defects in the gene for apolipoprotein E in many cases.
Hypothyroidism, obesity, or diabetes can make the condition worse. Risk factors for familial dysbetalipoproteinemia include a family history of the disorder or coronary artery disease.
Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia Symptoms
Symptoms may not be seen until age 20 or older.
Yellow deposits of fatty material in the skin called xanthomas may appear on the eyelids, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or on the tendons of the knees and elbows.
Other symptoms may include:
- Chest pain (angina) or other signs of coronary artery disease; may be present at a young age
- Cramping of one or both calves when walking
- Sores on the toes that do not heal
- Sudden stroke-like symptoms such as trouble speaking, drooping on one side of the face, weakness of an arm or leg, and loss of balance
Tests and Exams
Tests that may be done to diagnose this condition include:
- Genetic testing for apolipoprotein E (apoE)
- Lipid panel blood test
- Triglyceride level
- Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) test
Treatment of Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
The goal of treatment is to control conditions such as obesity, hypothyroidism, and diabetes.
Making diet changes to reduce calories, saturated fats, and cholesterol may help lower blood cholesterol.
If cholesterol and triglyceride levels are still high after you have made diet changes, your doctor may have you take medicines as well. Medicine to lower blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels include:
- Bile acid-sequestering resins
- Fibrates (gemfibrozil, fenofibrate)
- Nicotinic acid
- Statins
Prognosis (Outlook)
People with this condition have an increased risk for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease.
With treatment, most people are able to greatly reduce their lipid levels.
Potential Complications
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Intermittent claudication
- Gangrene of the lower extremities
When to Contact a Health Professional
Call your health care provider if you have been diagnosed with this disorder and:
- New symptoms develop
- Symptoms do not improve with treatment
- Symptoms get worse
Prevention of Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
Screening the family members of people with this condition may lead to early detection and treatment.
Getting treated early and limiting other risk factors such as smoking can help prevent early heart attacks, strokes, and blocked blood vessels.
Genest J, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 47.
Semenkovich, CF. Disorders of lipid metabolism. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 213.
Related Images
|Review Date: 5/20/2014
Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Outcomes Research, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
© Copyright 1997- 2018 A.D.A.M., Inc.


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Please help find missing dog, Butch
To the editor,
My name is Michael-Elise Smiddy and over the past year I've been in and out of the hospital. I lost my large intestine. My mom saw me break down and she knew I needed a best friend. This is the reason she gave me Butch, my dog, an Australian Cattle/Terrier mix. Butch is important to me because he's someone who could listen to me and not judge me for what I've been through. Butch made me feel like all my problems went away in a second.
Just thinking he could be hurt or lost and scared or that someone had a heart and kept him just builds a knot in my stomach. If someone has found Butch along the line I hope they will bring him home so I can hold him again and tell him I love him again and tell him it's okay to be scared. I get nightmares thinking he's alone and hurt. I just want my best friend home with me forever and never leave.
Butch is 2 1/2 feet tall, has a white body with brown face and spots on his torso. He was last seen on Oct. 25 on Sterling in Sugar Creek. He is timid and can be easily spooked, so it is best not to approach him. If possible, let him slowly approach you. He is a sucker for doggie treats and will come to you. If you see him or he comes to you, please call us or take him to the nearest veterinarian clinic, they will contact us. Butch is on medication and has a registered microchip.
Thank you so much for your help. If you see him, call 816-461-5518 or 816-522-1665 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Michael-Elise Smiddy Sugar Creek
Blue Springs Parks tax misleading
To the editor:
Blue Springs city leaders state we need the 1/2% sales tax to cover the $15 million in deferred park maintenance. The tax would raise $3 million annually, but only $500,000 would go to the parks. Assuming no additional maintenance, it would take 30 years to resolve the deferred amount. This would indicate that you should anticipate additional future taxes to pay for parks improvements and maintenance.
Meanwhile, $2 million of the tax would go to build and operate a new community center. Is this a better use of the tax money than fixing, maintaining, and improving the park system?
The new sales tax for Blue Springs would be 8.475% and if our legislators in Jefferson City get their way, they will increase the tax even further to pay for income tax cuts for the wealthy. Don't forget the potential transportation tax for rail.
William Messer Blue Springs


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What Do You Look For In A Soap? **NOW UPDATED WITH VIDEO!!**
When it comes to soap, most of us moms buy it based on either price, hydration, clean feel, convenience, scent, and even loyalty to what you grew up with. What about you?
What is important to you in a soap?
We gave 200 moms Dove Beauty Bars to try at home and compare to their current soap.
CafeMom gives moms an opportunity to try our advertisers' products. In return, we ask our moms to share their true experiences and honest opinions. To learn how you can be an influencer, click here.
My favorite part about the Dove Beauty bar is the scent. It smells incredible and I'm attracted to clean scents with a strong but nice scent. I started by just using it on my face but have now moved to using it all over. I feel more moisturized and my husband said my skin feels softer. I am all about soft skin, I love when my skin is soft. Dove is my favorite soap brand and using the beauty bar just solidified that for me, I like feeling soft and I like feeling like soap does not dry up my skin and those are the results I get from Dove. I feel clean and moisturized after using this and I love the way it feels after washing my face especially.
I would first like to say Dove has long been my favorite beauty product, I usually buy the liquid soap and I'm kinda embarrassed to admit I have not bought bar soap in years lol. I was most impressed by the scent of the beauty bars, it smelled nice and fresh as opposed to some of the more perfume based scents of other soaps. The beauty bar left my skin feeling soft and refreshed and even helped smooth some of the rough patches on my elbows and knees. I am very impressed by the size as well, it is pretty big and should last awhile, if I can keep my Husband away from it lol. I loved this product and really feel it keeps with the quality I expected from the Dove brand!
I used the dove beauty bar on my face and body and I really liked it, a lot of bath soaps leave my skin feeling dryer, but not dove.
The dove beauty bar made my skin noticeably soft, the first time I used it. My husband rubbed my arm and asked me if I have been using a new lotion, after I told him about the dove, he told me I should buy that from now on (I also caught him using it that night lol)
I went and used it as soon as I got it in the mail excited to see if there was a difference compared to my other soap and there was, with my other soap my skin would feel dry, tight and itching, when I got out of the shower, but with the dove beauty bar, it kinda felt like I showered with lotion and I noticed a few ours later that my skin was softer. I'm really liking dove.
I like the scent of the Dove Beauty bar, It smells really good. I have been using it on my body and it makes my skin feel soft and smooth. I like that there is a light scent after rinsing, it smells good and is thas beena great way to get clean and smelling good again after working out. I usually use body wash and the Dove beauty bar does a better job of keeping my skin soft.
I like to have a soap that smells good and makes my skin feel clean and soft
Soap must clean the body and leave a fresh sent and leave the hands and body feeling clean. I love the lasting smell from the soap! My bathroom smells wonderful day andnight now! My body smelled wonderful tell this morning, not I cant smell the soap any longer on my skin, but the soap smell stays with me longer than previous soaps. My hands are dry but my normal winter hands are dry, hoping I don't have to break out the hand lotion bar this week!
My skin needs to feel smooth and not dry and scratchy, if its scratchy I will itch it which causes scabs and people look at me strange when I have scabs on my arms in the spring! Thankfully they don't notice them under the long sleeve shirts all winter! So far my skin feels moist and smooth the itchy spots I had are not itching today which is a plus!
What I liked best about doves bar soap is that is doesn't leave that soap scum feeling on your skin like most bar soaps do. I did not use dove on my face, I only used it as a body wash. My skin felt clean after using it, but I didn't notice a difference in my skin being more moisturized. Over all I felt that dove bar soap got the job done and my skin clean, but if I could change one thing it would be the scent. I didn't really liked the way it smelled and because I left the bar in the shower my whole bathroom smells like dove soap.
what I loved the most was that my skin did not feel dry or tight after using the Dove beauty bar . . I only used it on my face and it made my complexion seem brighter . . my skin felt more moisturized and soft . . and I just love the way it smells . .
I only used the Dove beauty bar on my body. I have a different routine that works well for my face.
The Dove beauty bar made my skin feel very soft and moisturized! I feel alot less itchy!
The Dove beauty bar does not smell as good to me as other types of soaps I've used.
The kids my daughter age 4 and nieces 5 and 2 liked the smell and feel of the soap too.
I look for smell and how well it stands up to the bitter cold if it passes the kid cold and smell test I know it's perfect for us. So far this one works well.
Compared to other soaps this one works well
My favorite part about the Dove Beauty bar is the scent. It smells incredible and I'm attracted to clean scents with a strong but nice scent. I started by just using it on my face but have now moved to using it all over. I feel more moisturized and my husband said my skin feels softer. I am all about soft skin, I love when my skin is soft. Dove is my favorite soap brand and using the beauty bar just solidified that for me, I like feeling soft and I like feeling like soap does not dry up my skin and those are the results I get from Dove. I feel clean and moisturized after using this and I love the way it feels after washing my face especially.
What I look for in a soap is something that is going to minimize the dryness I always seem to have. I haven't used bar soap in a very long time because it tends to really dry me out. The first thing I noticed when I opened my package was the smell. It was so pleasant and mellow.
I've been using the Dove bar on my body, but not my face for 3 days now, and I already notice a marked improvement. I no longer need to use a body oil or body butter, last night i even skipped my post shower lotion and today my skin feels supple and soft. Even my knees and elbows feel moisturized.
In comparing the Dove beauty bar to other soaps I was really skeptical, I thought I would end up going back to my regular liquid body wash, but I don't have any intentions of switching back. The Dove bar is by far the best soap I have used.


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Mike Nord never knows what to expect when he performs improvisations on stage.
He has nothing memorized, no sheet music to follow. Instead, he relies on his instincts.
"It's scary," says Nord, an associate professor of music technology, improvisation and music education at Willamette University. "I have no idea what we are going to play. It's take a leap, sink or swim, bend or break. You just go."
Nord's improvisational jazz music — which blends a mixture of Eastern and Western styles — can be heard through his ensemble's new CD, "The Music of Noru Ka Soru Ka."
Comprised of nine song excerpts recorded during live performances in Europe last year, the CD was produced by Leo Records and released in September. It's available in venues around the globe, including the Willamette Store.
"We intend a performance to be thought provoking. That it offers the opportunity to discover new meanings, to get in touch with feelings or perceptions," Nord says. "We hope we're bringing people an experience that's meaningful to them."
Noru Ka Soru Ka emerged in 2006, when Nord visited Japan through the Willamette-Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) faculty exchange program and was first introduced to his now collaborators.
The ensemble consists of both music and dance theatre. It features Nord on guitar and electronics, Swiss percussionist Georg Hoffmann and Tokyo dancers Makoto Matsushima and Mao Arata. Matsushima also provides voice.
"Our work is the best when we are very in tune with each other," Nord says. "It's like a conversation. You get four people in the same room and begin to talk. We push ourselves to grow, to expand our vocabulary. We attend to each other and let our instincts take over."
The ensemble most recently performed on a four-city tour in Switzerland, followed by performances at Willamette University and Chemawa Indian School in September. Later this fall, it will perform at The Peoples' Fringe Festival in Hong Kong.
"It's all exciting," Nord says. "Ultimately, we want to do something unique. Our music is off the grid. It's experimental. Our plans are to keep going and look for opportunities to develop and disseminate the work."
To learn more about Noru Ka Soru Ka, check out an interview Nord gave with CCTV.


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"Search Document Records - Two Poor Boys (Joe Evans and Arthur McClain) Results "
Viewing 1 to 2 of 2
Rags, Breakdowns, Stomps & Blues - Vintage Mandolin Music (1927-1946)
Various Artists.
Informative 12 page, colour illustrated booklet by Richard Cherry.
Detailed discography.
Keith Briggs of Blues & Rhythm Magazine writes; "These days the mandolin is almost exclusively identified with Bluegrass music but for decades it had maintained a regular showing in mainstream old time music, ragtime and blues (both urban and rural). This is illustrated to the dates appended to the title of this CD which refer at one end to Dallas Rag and Carbolic Rag, various display pieces, one each from the black and white traditions, and at the other Lint Head Stomp, a track often considered to be proto-Bluegrass. The mixture is maintained throughout but is weighted in favor of black artists. Care has also been taken to present the mandolin in a supporting role or as a part of an ensemble.
The secret weapon for many a string band was and still is the mandolin. This compilation brings together some wonderful blues, jazz, bluegrass and country performances, built around this small but potent instrument. Continued...
More Info on our New Store >>
The Two Poor Boys 1927 - 1931
Joe Evans, vocal, kazoo, guitar; Arthur McClain, kazoo, guitar.
Genres: Country Blues, Country Blues guitar, Tennessee Blues. Country Blues Duet.
Joe Evans and Arthur McClain are reported to have come from Fairmount, in eastern Tennessee, a region where blacks were outnumbered twelve to one by whites, and this goes some way to explaining the evident hillbilly influences on their music. Otherwise, all we know about "The Two Poor Boys" is in the grooves of their 78s. Continued...
More Info on our New Store >>


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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO)-- The Colorado Chapter of the National Football Federation (NFF) named 11 athletes to its annual scholar-athlete team on Tuesday.
Three of the 11 athletes are from the Western Slope.
Kyler Rose of Grand Junction, Ryan Moeller of Rifle and Conner Beard of Hotchkiss made the cut as the state's top student-athletes.
The NFF will hold a banquet to honor these student-athletes on February 18 in Denver.


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"Small Works Sale" Original Art Holiday Gift at Studio 18 in the Pines
Broward Cultural Division recently announced Young At Art (YAA) Museum as the eighth Cultural Institution in Broward County as defined by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. This new designation will now include YAA in a group of Broward County's largest cultural not-for-profit organizations. The other seven are: Bonnet House, Hollywood Art and Culture Center, Museum of Discovery and Science, NSU Museum of Art Division, Opera Guild of Fort Lauderdale, Symphony of Americas, Inc, and The Broward County Film Society. Young At Art Museum has come a long way since its early days in 1986, when artists from the Museum Without Walls traveled South Florida, creating an awareness campaign and discovering a community need. The Broward Cultural Council made an investment through a Mini Grant, to a then, small not-for-profit organization located in the heart of Plantation. Young At Art was surrounded by families and lots of un-built space. Today, more than 25 years later, the community has grown and so has the need for their services, leading to $21 million in new construction, of a 55,000 square-foot, LEED certified Young At Art Museum in participation with Broward County Library, along the I-595 corridor in Davie, and scheduled for completion in Spring 2012. The museum is geared to be the new epicenter of art, culture and education for families featuring four permanent galleries: GreenScapes, CultureScapes, WonderScapes and ArtScapes. This recent CI designation follows another recognition, that of national accreditation earlier this year, by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Young At Art (YAA) Museum stands alone in the state of Florida as the only children's museum to achieve this national accreditation by the AAM, and one of only six children's museums in the nation to receive this accreditation; and of the 17,500 museums nationally, only 779 or 4.5 percent are accredited; and this elite group includes such well-known institutions as The Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Field Museum in Chicago and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles; and of the 779 accredited nationally, 49 are in the state of Florida. Young At Art is the fourth museum in Broward County to be accredited with this honor, following the Nova Southeastern University, Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, the Museum of Discovery and Science and Bonnet House Museum and Gardens.
Secretary of State Kurt Browning recently announced the launch of Culture Builds Florida, an initiative to help promote Florida's arts and cultural communities while highlighting their economic benefits. Culture Builds Florida is a campaign to develop unified awareness for Florida's cultural community. Led by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the campaign will educate public about the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida. Arts and culture make substantial contributions to livability in Florida. The cultural industry puts Floridians to work, stimulates tourism and provides accessibility to quality community services that attract skilled workers. It's an industry that provides jobs, highlights the diversity of our communities, creates connections to our history and heritage and reminds us that Florida is a special place to live and work. The arts and cultural industry means business. The arts and cultural industry has an annual impact of $3 billion in the state of Florida, and arts and cultural experiences contribute to a better life for Floridians and visitors to the Sunshine State. With a $5 to $1 return on investment for state dollars, arts and culture are an excellent investment. Visitors to our state and residents alike make important contributions to our economy by supporting and consuming arts and culture. And beyond the dollars and cents, the cultural industry makes for happier, healthier Floridians and visitors.Join us to make Floridians aware that Culture Builds Florida. Visit www.culturebuildsflorida.org for more information about the campaign.
On Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Broward-based practicing professional artists are invited to attend this workshop, and; Not-for-Profit Cultural Organizations are invited to attend another workshop on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 5:30 p.m.
Both workshops take place in the Broward County Main Library, Bienes Conference Room, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, and both these sessions will review how to submit an online application, process eligibility and what may be funded.
Creative Investment awards will be decided on a funds-available basis. The next Creative Investment application deadline is February 10, 2012 for projects implemented after May 1 through September 30, 2012. There is a limited amount of funding available for this cycle.
There is no fee for the workshop. Click HERE to register. For more information, please call Adriane Clarke, grants specialist, 954-357-7530, or visit the website for program details.This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts was established in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at www.arts.gov
Manuel Carbonell
With great sorrow Broward Cultural Division announces the passing away ofCUBAN MODERN MASTER SCULPTORMANUEL CARBONELL
Founder of South Florida's Carbonell Awards, Manuel Carbonell created these awards to recognize the best theatrical shows and performances in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Along with New York's Drama Desk and Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation's senior regional arts awards and predates others including Washington, D.C.'s Helen Hayes and Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards.
Manuel Carbonell (October 25, 1918 - November 10, 2011) was regarded as the last of the Cuban Master Sculptors. He was part of the generation of Cuban artists, which includes Wifredo Lam and Agustin Cardenas, that studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro", Havana Cuba. Carbonell's inexhaustible vision and his ever-changing style are both products of a brilliant talent and academic background. Ceaselessly searching for the essence of form and the absence of details, he struggles to provide a sense of strength, monumentality and simplicity to his work. At 92 years of age, he had continued to work in his studio.
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David Raterman's Thriller The River Panj Offers Unique Perspective on World Events By Stephanie KrulikThat is the first line on the first page of author David Raterman's first emergency relief thriller, The River Panj. He observes, "Throughout literature, there have been Russian-themed thrillers, but we never had a thriller set in Afghanistan and neighboring Tajikistan on 9/11." There were only about 100 Americans in Afghanistan on 9/11. Most of them were relief workers. Read More...
Public Art and Place = Infinite ValueBy Liesel FennerASLA, Public Art Program Manager, Americans for the Arts, Washington, DCContemporary public art is a wide-ranging art form encompassing both temporary and permanent art forms. Artworks are typically developed as part of a larger construction or development project and administered through a Local Arts Agency. There are more than 350 public art programs across the United States both publicly and privately funded. Read More...
Cultural Division E-News is distributed by the Broward Cultural Division. If you have questions, contact Jody Leshinsky 954-357-7463.
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Feel like the ultimate minimalist in this simple jewel-studded ring, made from one organic line of material. This curvy ring is small and dainty and stacks beautiful for layered looks.
This product ships from the maker within 4 weeks, via USPS
If you're not happy with this item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund within 14 days.


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Wendy's success story
Wendy's success story
Columbus Dispatch: Nothing is more heartbreaking than a child without a family. So what if someone had a method that would double or even triple the chances of a child finding an adoptive home?
What if this strategy not only could greatly reduce the chances of a young person becoming homeless, going to prison or living in poverty, but also immediately save taxpayers millions of dollars in foster-care payments?
That is exactly what the Columbus-based Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has accomplished through its Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. Since 2004, the program has provided local adoption agencies with grants to hire recruiters who zero in on one thing: finding the right family for a child lingering in the foster-care system.
Wendy's program starts with the premise that the label of "unadoptable" is unacceptable. So instead of sorting through a pool of willing adoptive families and trying to match them with available children, these adoption recruiters really get to know a child, then go looking for the right parents, even those who might not have considered adopting. Yet.
That this approach works is verified by independent research studies. Ohio officials last spring announced they would put $2.3 million in state and federal money into the effort. This has allowed the program, which serves 55 of Ohio's 88 counties, to hire an additional 29 adoption recruiters; it previously had just seven recruiters in the state. This is a great investment.
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The Ukiah Daily Journal
We are at a loss to understand why the Mendocino County supervisors feel it is necessary to spend thousands of tax dollars to hire an outside attorney (or attorneys) to work out the county's response to a federal subpoena for the county's medical marijuana zip tie and permit records.
To begin with, we were under the impression that the county pays its brand new County Counsel Tom Parker a healthy six-figure salary because he has a law degree and knows something about handling the county's legal affairs. Furthermore, Parker heads an office of more and also highly paid attorneys. Parker was not here when the county enacted its medical marijuana programs, nor was he among those subpoenaed for information, so we hope not to hear any excuses about conflicts of interest or the possibility of having to testify to anything.
The county did not need to go behind closed doors (and should not have) to discuss a) whether to hire outside attorneys to handle this matter or b) what the feds might or might not be up to in issuing the subpoena, or c) whether or not to hand the information over. This county is the witness, not the defendant, in a court action. No need for all this secrecy.
No one knows why the U.S. Attorney's office has convened a federal grand jury and why that grand jury wants to know how much money this county has collected in fees for "permitting" marijuana cultivation, who has paid those fees, where the money is, and how the fee system was implemented. The Daily Journal has contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office, the regional FBI office, the DEA, and the federal court in San Francisco and no one is talking about what's behind all this. Supervisor Dan Hamburg says he thinks the feds want to claim the money we've collected from pot growers, several hundred thousand dollars. The reason he might think that, is because the feds want to have the bank account numbers wherever money has been deposited.
There is another possible explanation, which is that the feds think there is something fishy in the balance sheets - in which case the county has a good reason to hand the financial info over immediately and find out if that's true. Or, the feds may have reason to believe that there is a larger nationwide or international criminal element hiding among the county's permittees, in which case, again, the county should cooperate.
But since the county's only decision thus far is simply, give the info, give some of the info, or don't give the info, why do we need an outside attorney to help us? Why aren't we at least first requesting help from the California Attorney General's office before coughing up local tax dollars. After all, medical marijuana is legal under state law. And, this and every other California county is an arm of the state.
The county, we assume, has nothing to hide about its good faith efforts to put into place a program that tried to manage, to the best of its ability, a marijuana cultivation explosion in the name of medicinal herb.
We understand that handing over the names of growers with county zip ties, or cooperative cultivation permits might discourage future cooperation with voluntary regulation efforts. But all the people who signed up knew this was a possibility.
And, if the county feels it must protect its local growers, why not just provide the financial info and see if the feds really, really want the rest? Federal courts have, we believe, protected the names of state-permitted medical marijuana growers under laws protecting the personal privacy of patients.
At any rate, since the county made its decision in secret, it has not provided the public with a good reason to hire an outside attorney. If there is one, we'd like to hear it.


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FALL RIVER — Under Massachusetts' school accountability rating system, a school can be designated any level from 1 through 5.
Those levels are based primarily on student test-taking data — the last four years of scores from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems test.
A Level 1 designation is the highest rating. It signifies that students are achieving academically, and that gaps in achievement between subgroups of students are small. Level 2 means that, overall, a school's students are achieving academically, but there are more significant achievement gaps. A Level 3 designation indicates a school ranks among the lowest 20 percent of schools statewide, with Level 4 schools considered the most underperforming of that group.
A Level 5 designation means a school is chronically underperforming based on MCAS history and eligible for a state takeover.
When a school is designated as Level 4, state law mandates that school districts convene local stakeholder groups and devise three-year turnaround plans. The designation also means schools become eligible to receive state and federal funding toward those turnaround plans.
According to DESE, the department "is committed to only naming a number of schools for which it can provide meaningful assistance."
By law, the state can have no more than 4 percent of all schools statewide designated levels 4 or 5 in a given year, according to DESE.
As it stands, Level 3 schools, even those on the cusp of becoming Level 4, are not eligible to receive state or federal school turnaround funds.
It's something that state advocates for education reform had been lobbying lawmakers to change.
A bill that would have enabled Level 3 schools to get resources under a "challenge" school designation was defeated on the floor of the Massachusetts state Senate recently; it was written into a bill that also would have lifted the state's cap on charter schools.
That bill would have given Mitchell Chester, the commissioner of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the authority to designate a certain number of Level 3 schools as "challenge" schools, enabling districts to develop turnaround plans for those schools, a process similar to that followed by newly designated Level 4 schools.
Jason Williams — a Fall River native who now serves as executive director of the Boston-based Massachusetts office of the advocacy group Stand For Children — is among those who had advocated for state lawmakers to consider extending Level 4 school assistance and resources to Level 3 schools.
"Why would we, knowing what works, wait till when schools are failing?" Williams said prior to the vote.
Williams said those schools need flexibility "to think about the best set of tools help them think forward."
"The right approach in dealing with our children is to be able to extend the ability to school leaders and educators on the ground to determine what the right set of tools are," Williams said.
Even without the influx of additional resources, some schools do get promoted from Level 3 status. According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, last year, of the 285 schools statewide that as of 2012 had been designated as Level 3, 23 rose to Level 2 designation, and 16 rose to Level 1.
Still, in 2013, the number of Level 3 schools grew to 299, as other schools were newly identified as Level 3.
Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Fall River, who voted for the bill's passage said he was disappointed by the outcome.
He said there's a "pent-up demand" for more charter schools in the state, with "thousands of children on waiting lists."
"It's unfair for those students and parents," he said.
He said Fall River schools are examples that show when schools are given resources and tools they "make the improvement."
"You're seeing improvement in all of the schools," acknowledging the bill's two components might be written into two separate bills in the next legislative session.
In the mean time, advocates like Williams say they will continue to push for giving struggling schools more autonomy.
"What we're trying to do is remove barriers so our educators can do what's needed to move our children forward," Williams said. That includes having "a strong plan in place and strong leadership."
"From our perspective, what's really important is, ultimately, how can we build upon many of the successes that we've seen, that have helped Massachusetts to be No. 1?" Williams said. "We shouldn't rest on our laurels. We need continue to replicate and expand."


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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?
While the last ballerina book I attempted didn't have positive results, I'm still open to finding one that works better for me. The Broken Hearted by Amelia Kahaney has a ballerina with a bionic heart who is a super-hero! This will either be fantastic or leave me wishing it had been. Honestly, I'm kind of scared, but I'm eager to read this!
In stores October 2013
A wealthy ballerina living in a heightened, Gotham-like version of Chicago, has her heart broken – literally – and receives a dangerous bionic heart, transforming her into a superhero.


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Houston may seem a long way from Sag Harbor and the South Fork, but when one starts out in Freeport, it turns out not to be that far at all.
Such is the experience of Andrea Grover, the curator of programs at the Parrish Museum. Brought up in western Long Island by a father who was a commercial fisherman, boat builder, and artist, she has an innate appreciation for the issues and lifestyle that this region holds dear.
She became an art scene insider in Houston for more than a decade by adhering to a straightforward formula: engage the public "with nomadic programs related to the site that feature local culture and history and combine several different disciplines in one evening."
This was the goal when she started showing films in her own living room in an old church on Aurora Street in Houston. With the Aurora Picture Show, she transformed the sanctuary into a 100-seat venue and started her own nonprofit arts venture. Houston's freewheeling zoning laws and its artistic subculture made it all possible.
"I would invite different people from the community to program these evenings. Houston had a thriving creative community. It was a way to engage the public in somewhat demanding moving images." Allowing others to organize an evening of films gave the community a sense of ownership in the venture, and providing other enticements such as shots of tequila or picnics didn't hurt either.
She was soon invited to produce similar events at other venues, initially arts-based, such as the Menil Collection, and then less traditional places like an abandoned junkyard or a floating barge. Her most recent project there involved a series of artist films about boats and maritime history shown on the official tour boat of the Houston Ship Channel.
"The Aurora Picture show became synonymous with roaming, multidisciplinary art platforms," she said. Now, she is doing the same thing here. The Parrish Road Show is a South Fork version of her series of "nomadic events that engages not just our core audience, but people who have never set foot in the Parrish and people who think they know what the Parrish's mission and program are, but then we try to tweak that a little bit."
The idea is to go where the people are, from a private golf club or the historical society in Bridgehampton to the radar tower at Camp Hero in Montauk "to be closer or more convenient at certain times." Ms. Grover said the Road Show also serves a psychological purpose as the museum begins its plans to move to a new facility in November. "It is a way of moving our patronage out of our present building and toward Water Mill and our future."
The Eat Drink Local Film Festival, held at Silas Marder Gallery in Bridgehampton in June, was the first Road Show event. Showing films for free and offering tastes from South Fork food purveyors for a fee, the event also included a honeybee demonstration.
A one-night exhibit of work by Jameson Ellis, a Sag Harbor artist, at the Bridge, a private golf club in the hills of Bridgehampton, included pieces inspired by military and industrial design along with a functional and luxurious display case designed and built by the artist by hand. The show included works on paper and a video presentation of photos from the past two years of his studio practice.
This past weekend, Maziar Behrooz brought his "Rapid Deployment Meditation Unit" to a house he designed in East Hampton as part of the Road Show. The unit is a container outfitted for different activities and required a crane and a flatbed to move it on site. A screening of "Pulse," a video by Matthew Biederman and Alain Thibault, took place on Friday and two guided meditation sessions with Kelly Morris were held on Saturday. On Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Richard Vaudrey will perform Bach on cello in the unit, inviting the audience to roam inside and around the space.
The unit has been exhibited before, but not outside, where sound travels through it like a megaphone and it "favors deep bass-y sounds," that Ms. Grover said are also present in the video project and the cello piece. These tones are felt deep down to the bone. The video projection was done through the unit so that the images ended up on the roof of the house.
Still to come is a bike tour of Springs on Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for $39 that is co-presented with the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center and Amagansett Beach and Bicycle Co. The stops will include the Pollock-Krasner House, Green River Cemetery, Pussy's Pond, and other artful places in Springs. It is the only event that has an admission fee.
The remaining exhibitions are Alice Hope's "Under the Radar" installation of ferrite magnets on an asphalt strip near the decommissioned radar tower at Camp Hero, which is on view through August. Another piece, "Satellite," is on view at Nick and Toni's during the same period.
Finally, Jill Musnicki will have an installation in the engine barn of the Bridgehampton Historical Society on Aug. 18 and 19 called "What Comes Around," a series of images taken with motion-activated cameras placed in uncultivated landscapes throughout the South Fork to capture both animal and human activity. Most of the still images will be looped together in videos projected on screens on three walls to make it an immersive environment. Other framed still photos will be displayed on the walls.
Terrie Sultan, the executive director of the Parrish, recently announced that the Parrish Road Show will continue every summer. Inside the new building, Ms. Grover said a curatorial program called "Platform" will take a similar approach. "We will invite an individual artist or collective to consider the whole of the museum as a potential space for a project. These will take place in the building's interstitial spaces: the spine galleries, its cafe, the covered entries, grounds, the car park, all of it." They will become the setting for audio works, performance pieces, interventions, installations, and whatever else comes to mind. This will be in addition to more opportunities for performance, dance, and live music in the new space.
A curator of programs is a curiously open-ended title. Ms. Grover said that in her preliminary talks with the Parrish, she too wondered what she would do here. Ms. Sultan's response was "do what you do well," i.e. "bring in this kind of adventurous, risk-taking programming, and connect it to the local community and history of artists on the East End."
The Parrish Road Show is just the latest in a series of programs Ms. Grover has started at the museum. Over the winter months, many attended the Lightning Rounds she organized, which featured 10 people given six minutes and 10 slides to describe what it is they do here. Artists, farmers, poets, designers, foodies, and some who were all of the above have participated in three such evenings, fueled by beer and wine and a kind of show-and-tell bonhomie that put the presenters, some not at all familiar with public speaking, at ease.
Although a new concept to many on the South Fork, Ms. Grover said that "pecha kucha," or chit-chat in Japanese, has been a staple of presentations in creative circles for many years and it seemed a good fit for the kind of engagement she wanted to foster here. The Parrish was recently recognized by the PechaKucha Foundation in Toyko. Future Lightning Round events will be called PechaKucha Hamptons, which is now the official name.
Her evenings of East End Stories on Screen have included short films and videos from local media archives, such as LTV. "They are from amateur films, home movies, newsreels, and unedited footage from cable access programs," she said of many of the sources. "They are things that don't necessarily make it into documentaries or nonfiction films, but hold a lot of substance and first person accounts by the artists themselves." Examples include the late Alfonso Ossorio giving Elaine Benson a tour of the Creeks, his house in East Hampton, or an Andy Warhol video diary from 1970 at a Montauk beach with Lee Radziwill and John Kennedy Jr. Guest speakers discuss the clips and are drawn from their relationship to the material, be it as filmmaker, scholar on the particular artist, or steward of an archive.
Although her most recent work involved curatorial fellowships from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York, resulting in an exhibition and a book written with three other authors on the intersection of science, technology, and art, no one should fear that her approach to art presentation will be too didactic. "I've always operated from a street-level perspective of culture," she said. Despite working from within the institution, she is still seeking an interactive experience in the types of programs and exhibitions she wants to present. "I don't think I could operate from a position of institutional authority. It's just not in my nature."
And despite a bit of culture shock, the transition to Sag Harbor, where she lives with her husband, Carlos Lama, and her daughters Lola, 10, and Gigi, 7, is working out just fine. "My daughters can now ride their bikes in the street. The fresh air, vitamin D, and the local produce and fish are a huge improvement."
Except where noted all Parrish Road Show programs are free, but some require reservations. Additional information on programs and registration is on the Parrish Web site, parrishmuseum. org.


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Release Label: Coldharbour Recordings Red
Release Code: COLD039
Release Date: May 7th 2012
Venom (Original Mix)
Venom (Dub Mix)
Venom (Miami Life Remix)
Available to purchase digitally on Beatport by Clicking Here
A distance of several thousand miles hasn't stopped the combined talent of Miami's Tim Grube and Los Angeles' Mike Hovsepian creating quite a following in such a short time. Grube & Hovsepian are back under Coldharbour focus once again with the beautiful "Venom" - their first vocal effort thanks to Tiffany Johnston.
Since becoming part of Markus Schulz's management project Schulz Music Group, Tim and Mike have performed the biggest gigs of their careers to date, including the Los Angeles '12 Release Party at Avalon and the Winter Music Conference closing party at Space in Miami. A massive highlight in both of their sets was a beautifully smooth slice of progressive trance, accompanied with vocals that had everyone guessing the origins of the track in question.
Virginia native Tiffany Johnston shines with her performance here, with many veterans in the music scene citing Venom as a throwback to the progressive trance sound of the late 90s. Since being debuted on the Global DJ Broadcast in March, it has quickly become a fan favorite and one of Coldharbour's most anticipated releases of the year so far. 4-man producer group Miami Life are on hand for remix duties, giving the track a lighter, more feelgood touch.
Whether you're a warmup DJ or a main-eventer looking for something to begin your set with, then Venom will set the tone perfectly. And as a result, this coast-to-coast musical fusion will continue to go from strength to strength.
Venom (Original Mix)
Venom (Miami Life Remix)


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The heat is on, the time is right. It's time for you, for you to play your game!
People are coming, everyone's trying, trying to be, the best that they can
They're going for, going for Gold!
Sorry, I just wanted to put, "The heat is on" but I got carried away. I am very much at the stage of the play writing that I am overcome by nausea and wishing I hadn't agreed to do this. Hopefully in two or three weeks I will feel glad I've taken on the challenge. But just now it feels like I have made a terrible mistake. To be fair I have felt like this at this stage of every writing project I've undertaken, but that doesn't make it any easier. Or help me to shake the feeling that this time I have over reached myself. I actually did the best work of the week so far today, but it feels like I am edging towards my goal much too slowly. To continue the Going for Gold theme, I am playing catch-up. (I wonder if Henry Kelly is available to play Yusupov).
It's been said that writing is all about application, applying your arse to your chair and that is definitely true. My natural impulse is to flee from my desk and I am up on my feet and down the stairs every two minutes. If I force myself to stay put then I will write something. Even if it's awful rubbish, it's better than nothing. But my arse wants to run free and not be forced face down on to a chair, even if it's a nicely upholstered one. Overcoming my internal editor is the other big problem. He should really wait until a draft is completed before he sticks his oar in, but he's there to pass comment on every single word. And if the word is not good enough he won't let me progress. All logic says I should complete a terrible and clanking first draft and then start the refining process. But my haughty editor insists all is perfect before I move on. I have managed to banish him from the blog writing process, as you will have noticed, and that freedom means that amongst all the filler and shit, I will occasionally fly and find a great idea nestling in the dusty corner of my brain. Why can't I do that with scripts? I should sack him, but he's nearly 47 and I worry he wouldn't be able to get another job now.
I was distracted from the job in hand, but at least in a constructive way, as I had to go up to Camden to appear at the excellent Z List, Dead List this afternoon. Performers have to champion a dead person who is not as famous as they could be in a contest to find out which dead person is best. I chose Felix Yusupov, so at least this might be a chance for me to summarise what I was trying to get across in the play. Surely I knew enough about him now to wing this. The other dead nominess were pirate Mary Reid, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Pompeiian citizen Caecilius (from off the Cambridge Latin course that I had loved as a teenager). The other acts had slides prepared and were passionate and articulate. I had made a few notes on the tube over and found myself tripping over my tongue a bit and forgetting most of what I wanted to talk about. It went OK, but I was disappointed that I didn't convey the story better. This is a warning for me that I can't just leave the play-writing til the end of July and then just go on stage and try to busk the story.
But the sickness in my stomach and the terror of embarrassment and failure should hopefully do their job and forge something solid from the sprawling mass of abstract thoughts in my stupid old head.
I took the evening off to have dinner and a film with my wife. We saw the X-Men: Days of Future Past (making it a day dominated by letter-based entertainment - and from the arse end of the alphabet), which was enjoyable, but threw up all kinds of Gary Sparrow type questions about time travel. Both Ian Mckellern and Patrick Stewart would make excellent Yusupovs. I doubt either of them have much on. If anyone knows them could you ask them if they fancy doing the Edinburgh Fringe this year?
If you want to get your name in this year's Scope programme then you need to donate at least £15 (the more you give, the bigger your name) on my justgiving page by close of play on the 9th June. You will also be sent a signed and numbered, limited edition programme provided you email me your address. Whatever name you put in the box on the page will be what appears in the programme. Thanks for your support.


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BOLINGBROOK – Parents of incoming kindergarten students at B.J. Ward are invited to attend Kindergarten Parent Academy at the Bolingbrook elementary school from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14.
The Academy will include a look at what's ahead during the coming school as well as tips on how to prepare children for a successful year.
Kindergarten teachers and school administrators will be available for group and individual conversations. Parents will also be able to take a mini "field trip" to their child's classroom.
More information is available by contacting Assistant Principal Susan Padilla at 630-972-9200.


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Hello everyone, I am wondering how much light should be visible on the other side of the A coil when you shine on to it. In other words on a perfectly "clean" A coil is light really visible on the other side? or because of the geometry of the fins does light not pass at all or maybe it does but faintly.
Thanks for your inputs


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Welcome to the Framework Convention Alliance Member directory. For details on details on how to become a member of the FCA , we have provided information on our Membership Policy.
AFRO Regional Alliances, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo
AMRO Regional Alliances, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bosnia, Djibouti, EMRO Regional Alliances, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Maroc, Morocco
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, EURO Regional Alliances, Estonia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, SEARO Regional Alliances, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste


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|2008-12-03, 17:57
|Link #223
Join Date: Feb 2006
Justin's "Silvergun" seem much closer to performing a Resonance than what Stein does, but there's too little info on that to say.
But that was after Soul helped bring out her "latent potenial". My point is B*S's Wavelength had been at similiar size from the beginning, not that Maka's own Wavelength wouldn't grow overtime.
Besides, B*S being able to attack with his Wavelength is what separates him from Maka with her Demonslayer Wavelength and Soul Perception. and Kid with his Shinigami powers. The three are meant to develop differently, and will likely end up equal in the end.
Last edited by Iron Maw; 2008-12-03 at 18:24.
|2008-12-03, 20:58
|Link #224
Radical Dreamer
Join Date: Apr 2008
BTW: It's perfectly possible (I'd even say probable) that Black☆Star's soul wavelength at the beginning was less than Maka's current soul wavelength, but still greater than the average person's.
Spoiler for Manga spoiler, I guess.:
Also, the ability to release a soul wavelength unarmed requires a strong soul wavelength, which she now possesses, and the ability to pay careful attention to one's own soul. Black☆Star has had the former from the beginning and does the latter naturally by virtue of his egomaniacal megalomania, but Maka seems to be starting to fit the bill in her own way too. Maka does have a large soul wavelength now, and as for sensing her own soul, well... We've seen Maka look at her own soul in the Crona fight, and there have been incidents later too, ESPECIALLY in the Clown arc, where we see Maka's awareness of her own soul. Moreover, Maka has a very capable Soul Perception which she can use to look at herself. Plus we've seen her release her own soul wavelength now (and that was practically an attack by itself, the way it blew crap out of the way), so it really seems to me like she's only a short step away from being able to fight unarmed now.
|2008-12-03, 22:41
|Link #225
Join Date: Feb 2006
Spoiler for manga:
B*S used a Ninja Blade which like a Short Sword so, using a Sword later won't be too new to him, and it's more Tsubaki's ability than his.
His true power is seen when he's with her not without, whether he will is ever admit that is another story.
Also during the Clown arc, after getting "Demon Hunter" She look like some one who had truly gotten her confidence back in her own power for the first time since her first fight with Crona. This was possible thanks to Soul.
Last edited by Iron Maw; 2008-12-03 at 23:06.
|2008-12-04, 00:01
|Link #226
Radical Dreamer
Join Date: Apr 2008
Spoiler for No spoilers in this pic really - just a picture of Maka's soul wavelength causing a big shockwave.:
What I'm saying is that she should be capable of launching soul wavelength attacks now or pretty soon.
Spoiler for manga:
What I'm saying is that Maka does get dragged into fights where she uses her bare hands, and sometimes she does this of her own will. The fight with Chrona, for instance, was one she could have completely avoided.
Of course, I don't deny that he's better off with Tsubaki, at all. I'm just saying he's plenty strong without her too.
Last edited by Stream; 2008-12-04 at 14:02.
|2008-12-04, 03:00
|Link #227
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Reading, England
|2008-12-04, 03:12
|Link #228
Join Date: Jul 2008
I simply don't understand why Maka, with her natural disadvantages, would not want to learn how to use one of her natural abilities to her benefit. It doesn't make sense. Even "That's how much she hates Papa" doesn't follow, since she can tolerate him better than rejecting what she inherited from him would suggest. Shibusen is unlikely to care unless she starts eating souls.
You can say that she can be stubborn and reckless, and I won't disagree, but those are in-the-moment things. She can be impulsive, but she's too serious to sustain stupidity for .. eh.. days? Weeks? Certainly not years. The SE world is changing under her feet and she knows it. Even if she started out not wanting to use an ability she has, she'd be super-stupid to not be beginning to use it now.
Is this right: 'Maka wouldn't be fast enough to use her Weapon as defense in a fight, proof is Soul's not that good, but if she finds herself in another major pinch she might break through her barrier to find yet another totally new thing and it will be *this*!' ---how I'm reading it.
But the only truly new thing Maka has gained in a pinch was the Soul Perception. Everything since then has only been building on what is already there. Her bases are Soul Perception/ Resonance/ Black Blood, every new ability is rooted in those. Or am I forgetting something?
Honestly, the burden here should be on you to better explain (if you care to) what evidence you can show that suggests Maka could be a Weapon. I discount the other theory (Maka doesn't know) for the same reason I discount her willful refusal for the same single reason: a total lack of any suggestion, hint, tease, or bit of evidence that it's possible for a Weapon to never use/not know what they are and that Maka could be such a person.
Seriously, I love fan theories, but some are just fun musings, others spun of thin air, and don't have much to do with canon. I like them when they're presented and treated that way. There are also theories that seem to answer questions nicely and may be possible, but there's no good reason to believe it yet, there may be other answers. I see the Maka-as-Weapon theory as the former, unless I'm missing some clues from the manga or something. If there were some tease in the canon to support the theory, I'd accept it as a valid possibility. Can point me to some? I would be interested
In addition, does the plot seem to need her to be revealed as a Weapon? She seems to be doing fine without it. BTW, if your position is that Maka's not a weak useless character, I totally agree with you. She has a place in fights, and it's not just hanging out in the back waiting for a chance to unleash some UBER:not-a-real-fighters-technique technique. But I just don't get the Weapon theory, I think it's distracting from the talents she DOES show.
Hehe, this doesn't have much to do with the subject I think? But I'm not sure SE is really just a generic shounen action series. I've read my share, and I'd put SE closer to FMA than Bleach. The series is plot driven, the fights are a part of the story. The plot doesn't exist just to give a framework to have fights. SE is a really smart shounen that alters/cuts out a lot of the generic-fight type crap. I get the sense Okobu is trying to write the kind of smart shounen he wanted to read, and we love it because of that.
Maka's issues had revolved around her feelings of inadequacy, not exclusive to the physical. She didn't believe she had resolve, inner strength, dedication, courage, wisdom, ect, in addition to ability to fight with the scythe. After the Italian incident, she felt she didn't compare to Soul - not his physical strength (something he's never demonstrated), but the other types of strength she credited him with. She had built up this idea of him and didn't meet up to it herself. That was part of her problem back then. And she doesn't want to go toe-to-toe vs B*S, let alone unarmed. It's not her deal, she knows it.
edited to add, sorry: I wouldn't interpret her temper-punches as a desire to fight major enemies unarmed. It's an outlet of anger and frustration, not a planned fighting style. With B*S, she was just trying to settle a dispute the way the boys often do it. She chose not to take him up on his duel offer. She tried punching Crona because attempts to cut didn't do anything, while at least punching had an effect of slowing/bewildering Crona even if it wasn't a fight winning move. It's not enough. I guess I had thought you meant she wanted to go solo because of her 'I need to get stronger' stuff after Italy. Sorry. I got the Free fight stuff below.
On an off-topic aside since this is the Maka/Soul thread: I expect her negative self-feelings derive in a major way from the way Spirit treated her family. She was shown from a young age that no matter how much she was loved by her Papa, it wasn't enough to stop his family-damaging behavior. His love for her and her mother didn't outweigh whatever was driving his womanizing. She may not think "I'm not worth enough to my father for him to try to meet my needs" but it's terribly common in real world psychology for children from families like hers to have that subconscious belief unknowingly driving her sense of self-worth. Since Okubo appears to have put alot of thought into the psychology of the story, I think Maka's self-feelings make sense.
But she doesn't show so much hatred or spite to her Papa that it seems realistic she's shoving aside something like Weapon ability. She could seriously spurn him but she doesn't because she still hopes he'll become the father she wants. She's hoping sometimes angry treatment of him will prompt him to behave better.
(proof- the way she looked through her child photos/ the way Soul realizes Maka's love for reading came from Spirit's encouragement/ her willingness to accept his post-exam gift (before she opened it!)/ her willingness to ask him out on the date, it was just a stupid bet and she's stubborn enough she could have refused to honor it.)
I know most series DO pigeonhole characters (typical fighter crap), but SE is smarter than that. Seems to be too smart even for its fans, judging by how long it took people to accept the Weapons=genetics thing
IMO B*S is the most obvious pigeonholed character- in a magical/soul-based world like this one, what is a muscle-based guy gonna do? Brute force doesn't win the cake here. But his role is pretty interesting, in a typical fighter he'd be the main character, he's be kicking butts, he'd be the assassin who can keep his mouth shut, ect... and here he isn't. Meanwhile, Maka's the main girl, but she's not one of those girls who needs to hide in the safe corner. She can, and is willing, to take a beating when it's involved in what she wants.
I didn't like them cutting the Tsubaki bit, but I really disliked them toning down the crazy fight. BONES doesn't have the guts that Okubo has- to show the main female character going disturbingly out of her gourd. When I first read the manga, I was totally blown away by how we never see such a thing, so explicitly, but there it was. It was almost hard to look at, which made it awesome. It's why SE is smart.
I had thought BONES just wimped out, but adding it with the other cuts I think they just like drama too much. Make Maka seem weaker, makes it more tragic for the boys around her when something happens to her. I don't think it's screentime balance, it's attitude tuning. BONES probably thinks she is more sympathetic if she seems more vunerable, which is sad. I could see this: they think the audience (boys) will like her better if she's weaker. But are they right? Western fans don't seem to agree, but its not made for us. My first real complaint about the anime, I guess.
I got the impression that in the end of that fight, Maka was influenced by the new insanity of the BB. Free even says something to the effect of how insane she must be. She definitely felt the post-BB change in resonance, then. Add the effect to her determination and desperation.. well... Going unarmed wasn't typical of her. Probably she does secretly wish she were a fighter of B*S's type, but it's not a goal.
Sorry, I know I addressed some stuff, probably repeated some of what was already said today, long class/work days suck. I should have read the rest more before I started this
I'd rather see some interesting discussion about SE, even if its disagreements or just telling each other what we all already know in new ways... then the usual type posts that happen
Last edited by JunkKitty; 2008-12-04 at 03:23. Reason: because I just read something interesting
|2008-12-04, 03:34
|Link #229
Join Date: Feb 2006
Ex, if Jackie was asked to perform the technique instead of lighting burning out the snake, fire would. This hinges on of course if only a unique ability available to Marie.
Maka might be able to attack with her Wavelength but, certainly looks like it will be in another fashion.
Against Medusa, he stands more of a chance having Tsubaki then by himself.
Last edited by Iron Maw; 2008-12-04 at 03:48.
|2008-12-04, 16:30
|Link #230
Radical Dreamer
Join Date: Apr 2008
I knew I picked a winner for starting a good, long discussion! It's a pity I have to defend the theory like it's fact though. :-/
O wellz, lets get going.
Spoiler for Manga - Covers most of the Maka fights.:
What I'm pointing out right here is that Maka isn't so much reliant on her preexisting abilities as much as she just gains the strength to win the fight during the fight.
Generic shounen action series is more or less a genre. As far as these types of action series are concerned, I like Claymore and Soul Eater the most.
Agreed, all the way.
I think he'd fare well against Kilik without Tsubaki, imo. It'd be a match worth seeing.
Last edited by Stream; 2008-12-07 at 06:39.
|2008-12-04, 18:21
|Link #231
World Inverse Creator
Join Date: Aug 2008
Sorry , it's not because I don't respect all of your posts guys , but it's just too long for me. I'm not a fluent native speaker and my English was bad (especially reading and vocab) , so I'll just point to what I can give my theory to.
Sometimes she isn't reckless , but she has miscalculation when thinking of strategies. (She has said this during her first meeting with Chrona "I'm way too careless")
|2008-12-04, 19:38
|Link #232
Radical Dreamer
Join Date: Apr 2008
I agree with you on the rest.
|2008-12-07, 08:33
|Link #235
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Reading, England
Yumi uses a version it to stake out the Arachnaphobia base with senrigan (sp?) for she identifies the powerful of Mifune and the "monster" Mosquito, and Spirit recognises the increase in Asura's wavelength when the Kishin is freed. Also, his ability to affect both Stein and Medusa's wavelength with the sewing technique suggests that he has Soul Perception to some extent.
|2008-12-07, 18:30
|Link #236
World Inverse Creator
Join Date: Aug 2008
^ really? In my opinion her senrigan is due to her ability as a weapon. Also for Spirit's case , he controlled Stein's wavelength as well , as a weapon. But it doesn't mean they have that ability. Soul Perception ability is all about seeing into a person's soul , to look at the personality and all.
that's why I said , 'soul' and 'soul wavelength' are different.
Also , Patty and Liz can use each other , doesn't mean they can do resonance. It's just because their wavelength matched each other.
This weapon thingy sure is complex to describe. They are like mediator for their mesiter's wavelength , yet they have their own ability and wavelength too , so yeah .. I am not really sure about this.
correct me if I'm wrong
|2008-12-07, 22:24
|Link #237
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 31
|2008-12-10, 09:32
|Link #239
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Reading, England
I would guess the two abilities go hand in hand, but differ between one individual and the next. So, what Stein and Maka can do is Soul Perception, as is Yumi's use of it.
Maka's is apparently impressive amongst the kids, whereas at the other end of the scale you have Stein and
I'd argue that Spirit must have Soul Perception to some extent, given that to manipulate both Stein's and Medusa's wavelength he must be aware of their souls and their respective wavelengths.
Also, it's said to be a skill of powerful weapons to alter their Technician's wavelength the way the sewing technique works; not just any of them, and we've only seen it in Spirit so far (which, given his Tech was Stein, I find curious to say the least). Possibly another indication - along with Yumi's precise mapping - of the power and abilities of the Death Scythe group (incidentally, Sid's phrasing when he compliments Asuza confused me...but anyway).
|2008-12-10, 10:07
|Link #240
World Inverse Creator
Join Date: Aug 2008
Wait wait wait. B*S can once feel Sid's presence through Tsubaki.
Spirit and Yumi are Death Scythes , which it's possible that they are special from any of Shibusen students after eating those 99 bad souls and 1 witch soul.
but...Soul perception ability isn't special then?? That's a bit disappointing
but still argue about Maka being a weapon. Actually it's for my egoism opinion , I want Maka keep struggling to keep stronger for the way she is , being a meister , not being a weapon or anything else. It just seems interesting to see her jealousy , or rather , her stubborn way of thinking 'I want to be stronger' while maybe some of you guys find it quite annoying. But for me , it makes her being on my top list of coolest girl I've ever seen in shounen manga.
That goes same for Soul. His personality is quite mysterious. While I know Black Star indeed is self-centered and Kidd has his OCD yet mature , Soul is somtimes mature , but sometimes not. Sometimes he's calm , sometimes he's as freak as B*S.
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