text:
State of the School
After five years at Thayer's helm, Dean Joseph J. Helble talks about the changes he has overseen and why he's more passionate than ever about engineering education.
Interview by Karen Endicott
How have your impressions of Thayer School evolved?
I knew this was an institution that had a broad liberal arts-based engineering education, but you can't really appreciate what a wonderful job it does in preparing our students for the careers they've undertaken until you're here.
I knew that alumni were devoted to Dartmouth, but you don't appreciate how strong that bond is until you start spending time with alumni and see that it's genuine. Having a faculty who truly believe in interdisciplinary undergraduate engineering education with the same depth and passion that they believe in their research — you can see that from the outside, but you have be here and live it to really understand how unusual it is.
Why is it so unusual?
I think there are competing pressures and mixed messages in many institutions. It's common to say that teaching is important, but what matters most at tenure and promotion time is how much research grant funding you've raised, how many papers you've published, what your peers have to say. The commitment to first-rate scholarship is as strong here as at any peer research institution. But we also raise our expectation for teaching to the same level. We're going to continue doing everything we can to make sure our students get the best possible education.
Why did you want Thayer to choose research focus areas?
The faculty is small, and though individual members of the faculty were making significant research contributions in their own specialized fields, our size was limiting our reputation and ability to attract graduate students. If you're a prospective student interested in a particular research problem and you're choosing between an institution with six professors working collaboratively on the problem and another institution with just one professor, you'd probably assume that there are more opportunities at the more focused institution.
We knew we had to grow the faculty. It was clear that Thayer was too small to be doing everything equally well. In hiring it made sense to develop a cohesive strategy and build a couple of key areas that we would emphasize, nurture, and grow, areas that would be focal points — both for students who come here and for building institutional reputation.
How hard was it to select the research focus areas?
As a faculty we took about 18 months to work through the entire process. The interface between engineering and medicine emerged naturally as a focus area, since so many faculty were already working on medical-related research. Our criteria for a second area of focus were that it had to be: interdisciplinary, significant in the careers of our graduates, an area that reinforced our undergraduate education, a problem area important to the world, an area where graduate-level research was fundable, and an area where Thayer School's interdisciplinary structure was an asset. The faculty decided on engineering in medicine and energy as the areas we would build through investment, including through strategic faculty hires. Complex systems became our third focus area (see Complex Systems article), with the understanding that we would not target it for near-term growth. We've been going down this path for three years now, and I think we've developed some exciting new courses and brought in some very exciting new members of the faculty who are contributing in these areas already.
Was funding a factor in choosing focus areas?
We all believe in the words carved in granite on the outside of the building: the most responsible positions and the most difficult service. To many of us that means working to solve the most challenging technology-related problems facing society. That was the principle motivation in our selection of research focus areas. There was a curricular aspect: In hiring faculty who can contribute to these interdisciplinary research problems, we also sought individuals who could contribute to our systems-based engineering curricular approach. The funding aspect was pragmatic in the sense that funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, are not funding the single investigator, hypothesis-driven, narrowly focused research proposals to the extent that they were 30 years ago. They're trying to fund solutions to interdisciplinary problems.
What has guided student growth?
We were dedicating a new facility shortly after I arrived in 2006, giving us the capacity to educate larger numbers of students. We, the Thayer faculty and staff, believe that an engineering education is one of the best ways to prepare for a productive career in a broad variety of fields in the 21st century. The way we approach engineering education at Dartmouth gives our students a particular competitive advantage and opportunities to assume positions of leadership. It gives them the right mix of quantitative and qualitative skills that are essential for tackling the big problems. We would like to have more students study engineering because we think that's what our nation, what global society needs. And there's a certain energy and enthusiasm that comes with a large cohort who are developing the skills and knowledge to go off and make a difference in the world. Larger in that context is better.
What are the numbers?
We set, and have largely met, goals of growing the A.B. program from 60 to 75-100 majors each year, correspondingly growing the B.E. program, increasing each M.E.M. class to 50-60 students, and doubling the Ph.D. program to 100 students.
Will Thayer School grow so much that it becomes a different kind of place?
No. We are committed to small team-based, systems-based, hands-on learning. We are committed to maintaining a very low student-faculty ratio, so we are growing our faculty at the same time that our student numbers are growing. We won't grow without bounds. We intend to deliver the kind of engineering education that we have been delivering for decades because we think it works exceptionally well for our students.
How are opportunities for students changing?
We've expanded opportunities in all our degree programs. At the undergraduate level, we've added a new biomedical engineering sciences major and modified major options with earth sciences and public policy. And because having an international experience is an important part of an engineering education in the 21st century, we're developing international opportunities in engineering for our undergraduates. Our Thailand exchange program is already in place, we're moving forward with another in Asia, and we're exploring options for a third site.
Our Master of Engineering Management (M.E.M.) program now offers four focus options: healthcare systems, energy and environment, manufacturing and operations, and entrepreneurship. Our new M.D./M.S. program, a joint venture with Dartmouth Medical School, gives future clinicians an understanding of technologies they'll be using as they treat patients. At the doctoral level, we've created an entrepreneurial track, the Ph.D. Innovation Program, to give students skills and experience in turning their research discoveries into applied technologies. The Ph.D. Innovation Program — the first of its kind in the United States — is the most recent addition to Dartmouth's Engineering Entrepreneurship Program. Our students now have entrepreneurial opportunities at all our degree levels: ENGS 21 introductory class at the A.B. level, our design sequence at the B.E. level, the M.E.M. program, and the Ph.D. Innovation Program.
How is the Ph.D. Innovation Program progressing?
We had a wonderful applicant pool this year. Roughly 20 percent of Ph.D. applicants discussed the program in their application, and 15 percent applied to it. I'm particularly excited that 30 percent of the applicants this year were women, given that relatively few women pursue careers in technology-related entrepreneurship. For example, only 5 percent of the founders of energy companies that received venture capital funding in the past two years were women. We have a program that is 33 percent female at the Ph.D. level as well as the undergraduate level; we'd love to see Thayer School and this program contribute to an increase in the number of aspiring female high-tech entrepreneurs.
Is gender still a big issue in engineering?
Yes, but not here. Nationally less than 20 percent of engineering bachelor's degrees are being earned by women, and the same is true at the Ph.D. level. If you go back 50 years and look at medicine, business, law, and engineering, over 90 percent of the degrees were conferred to men. Fast-forward 50 years, and law and medicine are at or close to parity. Medicine is well beyond parity in some specialties. Business is at about 40 percent nationally. Engineering is still at 20 percent.
Why is that?
There is lots of speculation: lack of understanding of engineering and lack of exposure to it at the K-12 level, lack of good role models for young girls, lack of connection between engineering and solving problems that matter to society. A study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences talked about first- and second-grade teachers unconsciously transmitting their own math phobia to girls. Here at Thayer, we don't have departments, and we're focused on developing team skills so our graduates can go out and solve big problems. Studies have shown that this kind of approach appeals to young people today and particularly to young girls.
Can the Thayer kind of education be reproduced at a larger institution? Should this kind of education be available more broadly?
Yes, emphatically. But I wouldn't say reproduced. I'm disappointed that there's not more project-based education at other engineering institutions. I don't expect every institution to tear apart their departments to implement an interdisciplinary systems-based engineering curriculum, but I am surprised that so few places have integrated senior design projects where electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biomedical engineering students work together. To have a class like ENGS 21 as your first class in engineering and to have an interdisciplinary capstone class like ours where at least a couple of departments come together — I don't think there's any reason why any engineering school in the country couldn't do that.
Why are you so passionate about engineering education?
I grew up in the '70s. I remember the first OPEC oil embargo and the upheaval it caused: gas lines, people wondering how they were going to get to work, prices sky-rocketing. I was 12 or 13, and I remember wondering, with this big challenge facing society, how I could make a difference. I wanted to be an engineer to work on energy, to work on protecting the environment and developing technologies to prevent future problems.
I think we've done a really poor job over the past three decades of articulating the connection between engineering and "grand challenges" like energy that are facing society. In the United States the number of engineers we graduate per capita isn't anywhere near what it needs to be to solve some of these challenges. We are far behind every other developed and many developing countries in numbers of engineers. I believe in the skills and knowledge that an engineering education provides. I believe it's the right way to tackle these broad problems we and our children are going to be facing for the next century, and I believe that innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation in areas of technology are essential parts of the solution.
Do you ever think about what founder Sylvanus Thayer or Robert Fletcher, Thayer's first dean, would think if they walked into Thayer School? You live with them in your office — their portraits hang right above you.
I do look up at those pictures and think about how the school has changed over nearly 150 years. In the early days with Bobby Fletcher there was a focus on contributing to the local area through consulting. Some of that continues, but now there's a much greater emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. We've got an entrepreneurial faculty — a quarter of our faculty have started companies in the past decade — and we're teaching students in all our programs some of the skills needed to go down this path. That's absolutely consistent with what Bobby Fletcher practiced under Sylvanus Thayer's vision. I think the students see that we as a faculty and staff believe it's not enough to just do good design work or engineering science, but as engineers we have the obligation to take the next step and put it to good use, to be entrepreneurial. And though we're considerably larger than we were in the early days when Bobby Fletcher was the dean and the Overseers still examined every student to determine whether they were qualified to graduate, our focus on the students and close student-faculty interaction has never changed. I think they'd be pleased, even proud, that the words of Sylvanus Thayer are carved in stone on the walls of both of our buildings. I know that the faculty, the staff, and the students read them and believe in them. That is our mission. That hasn't changed.
Categories: Featurescomments powered by Disqus


text:
Robotics Case Studies
Case Studies
- This case study is filed under:
- Industry
- Application
Shell Solar Implements Robotics to Increase Productivity
FANUC America Corporation Posted 01/27/2005
Fossil fuels giant Shell Oil Company investing in solar energy? To most people, the two mix about as well as oil and water. After all, the Shell brand brings to mind a company with a strong heritage of sprawling oil refineries, chemical plants, offshore drilling platforms and of course, thousands of retail gasoline stations. But drill a little deeper, and you will discover that Shell is also a big player committed to renewable energy and is in fact, among the largest manufacturers and marketers of solar photovoltaic panels in the world.
To give some background, ''photovoltaics'' are solar cells that absorb sunlight and convert it directly into electricity. Solar cells are very thin wafers, typically made of silicon. A number of cells connected together form a module or a module array. The more modules, the more electricity you can produce. For most homes or businesses connected to their utility grid that have solar modules on their roof or ground-mounted, excess power produced by the panels flows back into the power lines for use elsewhere. So homeowners and businesses alike can produce clean energy, help the environment, and enjoy the financial benefit their solar electric system brings.
In order to maintain Shell's leadership in solar manufacturing, Eric Culberson, the Automation project manager of Shell Solar Industries USA plant in Camarillo, CA, was recently tasked with resolving a challenge common to many facilities. He needed to lower direct labor costs, which specifically meant that he had to reduce manual handling of the solar panels, which weigh up to 40 lbs. And like many Automation Engineers, Culberson thought he would not only have to reduce staff, but also increase productivity and still deliver a quality product in a shorter amount of time.
''Our production line consisted of manually operated processing stations which required people to move the product from station to station,'' says Culberson. ''The line was highly operator dependant and the output varied directly during a 12 hour shift. If an operator were missing from one station, the complete line would shut down. Of course, it would completely stop during breaks and lunches because all stations had to be manned in order to run.'' Competitive pressures and increased demand for the panels eventually dictated that the time for a major re-evaluation of the production system had come. In particular, two bottleneck processes needed immediate attention: Lay-Up and Framing. But where to begin?
Shell's engineering staff studied a number of possible implementations, including an internal engineering solution, but ultimately decided to award the bid to FANUC Robotics' regional office near Los Angeles, CA. ''We selected FANUC Robotics because of their service and support capabilities, and on the strength of their product line,'' Culberson explains. The contract was for complete turnkey system responsibility: engineering, floor layout, procurement, robots, controls, software, end-effectors, installation, and final approval run-off.
The Lay-Up workcell comprises two lines, which handle electrically conductive strings and materials to form the circuitry and uncured laminates. This was originally a very labor-intensive 24/7 operation. FANUC Robotics' M-16iB and S-430i robots were selected for their man-size reach, their precise motion, and their ability to perform a wide variety of tasks. Four were deployed per line.
Using multi-purpose end-effectors, the pair of robots at the head of the lines picks up the strings, papers, glass sheets, and plastic sheets of different sizes to very precisely perform the assembly process. Proper placement of the strings is a critical step for the solar panel's proper operation. The M-16iB's ability to repeatedly move to the same position time after time guarantees string placement within a remarkable 70 thousandths of an inch. String placement outside of +/-30 thousandths tolerance would potentially result in a short circuit.
Other M-16iB robots work on opposite sides of the laminate. They pick up interconnect buss bars and place them on a circuit assembly table, and then pick up spot welders and weld the buss bars to the interconnect ribbons at two points per string. They then trim any excess ribbon after welding and return the spot welders to their holders.
The remaining robot tapes the ends of the solar cells to prevent them from touching during the lamination process, and a large S-430i robot places the completed circuits on the outfeed conveyor.
''The original method required six people for each of the two lines and produced only three parts every 16 minutes. Changeover took 4 – 8 hours,'' says Culberson. ''Now, we're producing three laminates every eight minutes with minimal manual intervention. Changeover between the seven product types takes less than an hour.''
The other major workcell that needed to be re-engineered was a Framing workstation; the processes by which the frame and junction box with bypass diodes are installed. Four FANUC S-series robots were chosen for their large reach, 120kg payload capacity, and their precise positioning capability.
The taping robot takes trimmed laminates from one of two infeed conveyors and tapes their edges by running them through a taping machine. The S-430i robot then dips the edges of the laminates into a water tank in preparation for framing, before placement in a precision framing table.
Another FANUC S-430i robot picks up four frame components and places them into the framing table, retrieves a screw gun, and drives eight screws into the frames at a specified torque. The first robot returns and picks up the framed modules and places them on the outfeed conveyor for further processing.
At this point, the M-16iB weld robot finds the endpoint of one of four buss bar leads on the back of the module, determines its position, bends the four leads to 60 degrees and removes the traveler card underneath. The weld robot communicates the variable coordinates to the last M-16iB robot before it places the junction box over the leads.
Simultaneously, the dispense robot picks up a junction box from one of six conveyor locations and applies RTV sealant to the back of the box. Precise location and volume of the RTV bead are essential to ensure a proper seal during the 25-year warranty period for the panel. When dispensing is complete, the same robot places the junction box on the module and the weld robot returns to weld four leads to the terminals on the junction box. After assembly is completed, the modules are conveyed for electrical tests.
Comparing before and after, ''In Framing, the robots are delivering a substantial reduction in labor costs,'' says Culberson. ''Also, the cell can run two different products simultaneously, while the manual line could not. All products are run via software set-ups that are stored in the control system, so only a few minutes downtime for product changes is required.''
Initially, some of the employees were skeptical of the robots' ability to perform the variety of complex tasks. Their skepticism was quickly allayed once production began. The employees understand the role that the robots play in keeping their plant cost-competitive while producing quality solar panels used around the world.
Key success criteria for both Lay-Up and Framing were uptime and payback. Culberson reports that uptime for both workcells went from about 80% to about 95%, with the robots themselves up virtually 100% of the time. Payback for Lay-Up was achieved in under a year, while Framing took about 18 months.
Having exceeded these and other productivity targets, Shell Solar is automating, with robots, the remaining manual operations. They are deploying additional robots to perform the QA testing functions and supplementary trimming operation. Two years ago, the plant had zero robots in their module manufacturing area. Now, at the end of 2004, they have 16. Shell Solar has certainly shown their commitment to the solar business by their investment in automation. For more information on Shell Solar, visit www.shell.com/solar or call 1-800-94-SOLAR.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
As part of their Breast Cancer Awareness game against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, the Revs will incorporate a variety of pink accents into the evening
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – If you notice an abundance of pink on the field when the New England Revolution hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, no need to rub your eyes or adjust the color control on your television sets.
In addition to playing with a pink adidas game ball, the players will wear pink ribbon patches on their jerseys and pink armbands, coaches will wear pink scarves, and selected players will wear pink-accented adidas cleats.
It's all part of the Revolution's participation in MLS W.O.R.K.S.' Breast Cancer Awareness campaign throughout October. To further the impact of Saturday's game, the Revs formed a partnership with the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure as the club hosts a Breast Cancer Awareness game this weekend against defending MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake. As part of the evening the Revs will celebrate survivors in a pregame presentation on the field, while there will also be fundraising efforts to help find a cure for breast cancer.
"Both my family and my wife's family have been affected by cancer, so we're both very supportive of breast cancer research and curing the disease," said defender Cory Gibbs. "I'm proud that the Revolution is helping raise awareness and funds for further research to find a cure."
Darrius Barnes will be one of the Revolution players wearing pink-accented adidas cleats, although it will be nothing new for the second-year defender, who has been wearing the cleats regularly for the majority of the season. He also plans to wear a pink armband in support of a cause for which he has strong feelings.
"We just want to do what we can, do our part to put it out there and let people know that we're supporting those people who have breast cancer and those to come who will have breast cancer," Barnes said. "Hopefully, there'll be a cure in the near future."
Rookie defender Seth Sinovic said it's important for the players to use their status as public figures to help raise awareness for any and all worthy causes.
"We're in a position where we can get the word out a lot easier since we're more involved with the media," he said. "Any chance we have the opportunity to do something like this, we're happy to do it and excited to do it."
The major fundraising elements will include a raffle at the game and an online auction for some of the pink game-used and game-worn items. The online auction will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at biddingforgood.com, and all proceeds from both the raffle and auction will be donated to Komen MA in support of breast cancer screening, treatment, education programs and research.
All 10 of the pink ribbon jerseys worn by the Revolution's starting field players – autographed by the players who wore them – will be available, while additional items include autographed pink-accented adidas cleats from Barnes and Kevin Alston, autographed pink MLS W.O.R.K.S. scarves from the Revs coaches, and team autographed pink adidas game balls.
Assuming it arrives from the supplier on time, the centerpiece item of the fundraising efforts will be a custom-designed, game-worn pink goalkeeper jersey. As of Thursday afternoon, the jersey was in transit from the West Coast.
The Revolution's starting goalkeeper, Matt Reis, is also hoping to wear pink goalkeeper gloves during Saturday night's game to complete a wardrobe of his pink jersey, pink gloves, green shorts and white socks.
Asked if the 6-foot-1 Reis could successfully pull off such a daring look, Sinovic said he had no doubts.
"Absolutely," he said. "If anybody can do it, Matt Reis can."


text:
Maybe the Mets will score for him today. The Mets, winners of nine straight home games, haven't been supportive of their ace.
Johan Santana has been marvelous, throwing 15 straight scoreless innings over his last two starts, but having nothing to show for it. In his last start, he threw seven scoreless at San Diego, but the Mets went on to lose 5-1 in 11 innings.
Santana's ERA over his last five games is 0.74, but the Mets have given him two or fewer runs in four of them. Santana has four victories, but with a little support he could have eight. Easy.
Santana will start Game 1 of the day-night doubleheader at Citi Field and Jon Niese will start the second game.


text:
Alumni Home | Penn Law Journal | Make A Gift | Volunteer
Among Penn Law's faculty are leading scholars in every major area of legal study. But did you know that the faculty also includes a published poet, a practiced musician, and an avid distance cycler?
More »
From the beginning, Pepper Hall's space age design elicited strong reactions. People either loved or hated the building's pods, those oval ceiling recesses with fluorescent bulbs shielded by translucent saucers. But no one seemed bothered that the fixtures contained air conditioning vents, creating a blithely inefficient system that blew cold air at hot lights. It was the 1960s, and energy was cheap and plentiful.
Many years later, the pods still elicit strong reactions. But even those nostalgic for the mid-century modern design agree that the era of the pod – and of Pepper Hall itself – has passed. Energy is no longer cheap or seemingly endless. Fluorescent lighting no longer seems a good substitute for natural sunshine, nor re-circulated air for windows that open and let in the breeze. Room 100, the onetime home of student orientation and countless lectures and exams, is rarely booked, and only when the Law School's other classrooms aren't available.
So Pepper Hall, the workhorse building of the Law School for the past five decades, is to be torn down to make way for a new building replete with natural daylight, functional windows, and new square footage on the same historic footprint. The new building will complete the final stage in a 10-year transformation of the Penn Law campus.
Beginning this summer, watch the construction progress on a live video feed and follow our blog at the Law School's Sansom Street Project webpage.
Formed by Penn Law students who saw a need for an umbrella entrepreneurship organization, UPVA is the first venture community available to all current and former members of the Penn community. The group seeks to foster a stronger entrepreneurial environment by connecting interested students, staff and alumni through a variety of hosted events. Over 80 people attended their recent Demo Day in Philadelphia featuring five start-ups ranging from web apps to biotech. To learn more contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Law Alumni Society Alumni Awards will be presented at the Awards Ceremony and Reception on October 26, 2010. Last year's awardees included the youngest person to serve on the Delaware Supreme Court when he was named to the bench in 1986, an alumnus named the 25th most powerful person in Philadelphia in 2000, and a representative for at-risk children and an advocate within the juvenile justice facilities and the juvenile delinquency system.
Please be a part of this integral process and send your nominations (with biographical information and your reason for nominating this alumnus) by June 30, 2010 by filling out the survey here (awards listed on survey).
Under the beatific gaze of Ben Franklin, Penn Law alumni enjoyed cocktails, dinner and live music by City Rhythm as they celebrated reunions in elegant style at the Franklin Institute on May 15. Construction on the new Sansom Street project may have caused a change in venue, but deep pride in the law school remained constant.
On Friday, May 14, the 3rd annual Senior Partners Luncheon drew 75 distinguished members from the Classes of 1959 and earlier. Many participated in the new Oral History project and recorded video interviews which will be posted on the Penn Law website. Later that afternoon, two CLE panel discussions, featuring the timely topics of Health Care Reform and The Aftermath of Citizens United were led by current members of the Penn Law faculty.
Following the State of the Law School Address by Dean Fitts, the Class of 1960 met in The Clock to celebrate their 50th reunion, while other returning alumni gathered in Biddle Library for cocktails. Always a crowd favorite, the Reunion Picnic on Saturday afternoon featured barbecue, music and mingling, while future members of the Class of 2035 had their faces painted or were pushed in strollers around the courtyard. The weather cooperated in making the entire weekend delightful and one of the best attended Reunion weekends in recent years with over 875 participants.
The "new and improved" Law Alumni Society (LAS) is now in full swing and at your service. At its winter and spring meetings, the Board of Managers set the stage by eliminating the annual dues requirement, enlarging the Board of Managers and electing many new Managers. As a result, all 12,000+ University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni, J.D.'s and L.L.M.'s, are now, for the first time, full members of the Law Alumni Society. With its focus on service to the Law School through committees on (1) Career Planning and Professionalism, (2) Public Interest and Public Service, (3) Student Life and (4) Post-Acceptance Admissions, and serving as active representatives of all alumni (through suggestions on how the Law School can best serve its graduates), the Board of Managers is a terrific way to engage in service on behalf of the Law School and to ensure that Penn Law does everything it can to help you succeed. All alumni should feel free to contact any member of the Board of Managers; Nancy Rasmussen (email@example.com), Associate Director of Alumni Relations; or Rick D'Avino (email@example.com), the President of the Law Alumni Society, to discuss any item of interest.
Adding West to East
We've added two new clubs, Colorado and Northern California, to the Penn Law Alumni Club community (now at 25 U.S., international and affinity groups); see them all here.
Watch for a Northern New Jersey group (with a Meet & Greet in June) along with possible clubs from Long Island and Atlanta. For more information on alumni clubs, contact Nancy Rasmussen at firstname.lastname@example.com.
For upcoming club events ranging from the Southern California Alumni Club's June Evening of Wine Tasting to the Brazil Club's Reception with Dean Michael Fitts, check out the events page.
President Obama selects Anita Allen for a key bioethics post.
Penn Law students help win a Supreme Court case.
Penn Law faculty dominate the list of top corporate scholarship for 2009.
Judge Michael Boudin speaks on "Judge Henry Friendly and the Craft of Deciding Cases" at the annual Roberts Lecture (video link).
David Skeel writes a Wall Street Journal op-ed advocating for financial reform of the complex derivatives market.
The Penn Law Review hosts online debates on pressing topics from health care reform to the Bush administration's torture memos.
Members of the Penn Law faculty recently gathered at the National Constitution Center to assess the record of retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. On this tape, they discuss his independence and his conversion from conservative appointee to "one of the most reliably liberal justices" on the court. More
For the second year in a row, the Alumni Relations office sponsored a celebration for the graduating class. This year, over 150 members of the Class of 2010 and members of the Law Alumni Society enjoyed food and drink on April 6 at the Law School.
Dean Michael Fitts delivered the inaugural Charge to the Class in what promises to be a new Penn Law tradition. Our Law Alumni Society Board President, Rick D'Avino, W '77, L '80, extended a warm welcome to the class.
Congratulations Class of 2010!
As much as students enjoyed the Dean's Charge to the Class, there is one thing even he could not do at that point: confer a degree. The presentation of diplomas came more than a month later during the commencement ceremony at the glorious Academy of Music, whose setting once again played a leading role in producing a memorable occasion.
(Photo courtesy of Barney Leonard)
Increased Funding for Summer Positions
Penn Law has substantially expanded its financial support for students who engage in summer public interest work, including government internships, policy advocacy, direct representation of indigent and underserved clients, and work with criminal tribunals and non-governmental organizations around the world. The increased funding means that all Penn Law students who applied for internal funding for public interest internships will receive support from the Law School. More
Penn Law Graduates Awarded Fellowships & Enter Honors Programs
University of Pennsylvania Law School graduates will join the cadre of leading public interest and government attorneys this fall as they embark on fellowship, scholarship and honors program opportunities throughout the U.S. and abroad. They will include five Department of Justice Honors Program attorneys, two Equal Justice Works Fellows, a Gates Cambridge Scholar, an Independence Fellow and a Skadden Fellow. In addition, several Penn Law graduates will be selected for public interest fellowships that the Law School itself has developed.
"For new lawyers, these fellowship and honors program opportunities provide unparalleled entry into the world of public interest and government lawyering," said Penn Law Dean Michael A. Fitts. "Our students' success in obtaining these highly selective positions speaks not only to their remarkable talent and potential, but also to their deep dedication to increasing access to justice and using the law to improve people's lives." More


text:
Psychopath Cowboys; Sociopath Herds: A New Theory of How Evil Happens
Dr Jeremy Sherman presents a plausible explanation for the way moral people follow immoral leaders.
If you want a simple but accurate explanation for why civilization so often veers toward evil, here's a theory worth considering: Psychopaths are overrepresented in positions of power and they make sociopaths out of large numbers of us.
Robert Hare, psychology's most famous expert on psychopaths distinguishes psychopaths from sociopaths as follows.
Psychopaths are without conscience and incapable of empathy, guilt, or loyalty to anyone but themselves ... Sociopathy is not a formal psychiatric condition. It refers to patterns of attitudes and behaviors that are considered antisocial and criminal by society at large, but are seen as normal or necessary by the subculture or social environment in which they developed.
... what would make any of us sociopathically deferential to a Hitler-like psychopath? Are we all subconsciously sadistic?
No, we're subconsciously bovine. We become herd animals and follow the leader.
Once we have determined that someone is in a position of moral leadership, we shift from moral autonomy to moral deference.
We don't shirk responsibility so much as surrender it to a higher power and it's understandable that we would. A true moral leader deserves our allegiance and support. Aligning with moral leadership lends our leverage to his or her righteous cause. Think of where we would be today without the allied soldiers' deference to moral leadership in WWII. We survived Hitler because the Greatest Generation sacrificed their moral autonomy to true moral leaders. Theirs was not to wonder why; theirs was just to do or die.
The problem isn't in our deference to moral leaders but in how lousy we are at determining who is a moral leader. Hitler wasn't one and yet masses of people thought that he was.
Our deference explains why psychopaths are over-represented in positions of power. By their nature psychopaths have no conscience and will fight as dirty as they can get away with fighting. This gives them an enormous edge in competition.
In games the line between fair and unfair play is well defined so it's easy to spot cheaters. In politics the line is fuzzier which makes it harder to spot cheaters, easier to cheat, and easier for the psychopath to defend himself by pleading ignorance and self-defense saying, "I don't think I crossed the line and anyway I think my opponent crossed it so, if I got close to the line it was merely in self defense."
In games winning is everything, in politics most of us think winning is means to a higher end. Because politics isn't just about winning, our guards are down and paradoxically it becomes easier for a psychopath to win. Our deference to moral leadership is the psychopath's secret weapon. In politics, the moral leader says move and we moo.
... moral condemnation of one's opponents is the first refuge of a psychopath.
To look like a moral leader a psychopath need only follow a simple formula. Project your psychopathy onto your opponent. Simply inventory the list of dirty tricks you would be willing to play on your opponent and accuse your opponent of employing each one. If you lie, call your opponent a liar. If you slander accuse him of slander. If you corrupt public debate accuse him of corrupting public debate. If you don't care about the downtrodden, accuse your opponent of not caring about the downtrodden.
Isn't such hypocrisy easily detected? Not if the hypocrite is first to accuse. Projecting from normal moral sensitivities, he who casts the first stone must have a damned good reason, because it's such an audacious thing to do. The seconded to accuse, we assume needn't have a good reason. A retaliator is just trying to weasel out of the hot seat the first to accuse rightfully put him in.*
A simple formula does the trick, especially because once the psychopath applies the formula, decent if indiscriminately bovine humans will flock to his aid.
Hitler accused his opposition of conspiring to take over the world. Stalin purged millions of opponents for being self serving and morally corrupt. Joseph McCarthy accused people of undermining our Democracy. I'm confident that every psychopathic leader in modern history has employed the formula.
*Karl Rove makes a point of attacking opponents not on their weaknesses but on their strengths, for example when Bush, a draft dodger was at a disadvantage against Kerry, a decorated military hero, Rove attacked Kerry on his military record. For a more detailed analysis see, Karl Rove's Playbook summarized here:
1. Take the Offensive
2. Attack Your Opponent's Strengths
3. Accuse Your Opponent of What He/She is Going to Accuse You Of
4. Go Negative, Then Cry Foul
5. Tell One Big Lie
6. Appeal to Moral Values
7. Sell on Persona
8. Sell an Adolescent Worldview
9. Exploit the Media
10. Create Straw Issues
11. Employ Surrogates
12. Use Emotional Appeals
13. Rely on Expert Testimonials
14. Use Rhetorical Devices
[emphasis mine]
Views: 161
This makes me wonder, Ruth: to what degree is humankind's bovine nature reinforced and encouraged by religion's tendency to want its followers NOT to think for themselves but to follow the dicta ex cathedra of one church or another? How much of this is nature and how much nurture?
A couple questions I would LOVE to hear answers to!
It's true, much of human behavior is bovine, but by far the more important aspect is primate. Consider hierarchy for example, tree dwellers naturally strive for the higher branches—much more hygienic and healthy up there. Like in the old joke: the elite on the top branches look down and see a bunch of shit heads, while the wretches at the bottom look up and see a bunch of assholes. Pretty much describes modern society.
Hierarchy pervades most aspects of behavior from the church, government, the armed forces, the mafia, even the local school or university.
Not so much with ungulates. The strongest stay in the middle of the herd where it's safest. The old and weak get pushed out to the periphery to face the hungry lions. Doesn't get much more complex than that.
(Interestingly, humans often use this strategy: the strongest run and control the largest institutions like the army, government, universities and banks.)
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
426 members7 Likes
10 members4 Comments 0 Likes
Subash John has not received any gifts yet
Hi Subash,
would like to hit sometime. traveling for another week or so. will be back home near end of month. still recovering from knee surgery (about 3 weeks ago).. can give it a go and take it easy. doubles may be easier although can play singles during recoup time if you don't like doubles. can be reached at 571 295 8575.
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
So my hair was jet black. Not a bit black, not a natural black. The black that is so black its blue.
Black drains your skin. It brings out the shadows, the grey bits, the creases.
And for 2 days everytime I looked into the mirror I saw a Megan Fox esque stripper…but more than anything I saw this:
Do you blame me?!
Anyway its nothing a bottle of £20 Rusk Eliminate Colour Corrector couldn't make a little better. That stuff stinks like Rotten eggs but it works!
I've not gone over with with a purple coloured (eek) semi (its supposed to be a medium brown not purple). At least its a semi right?
Girls don't do what I did – trying to look like Angelina just ain't worth it!


text:
All physicians hate JCAHO. Truly, it is an awful organization and they do awful things to the practice of medicine*. It seems like every year there is some new fad, some new measure that they are pushing down the throats of the people trying to practice medicine in a challenging environment.
I am sure there is some good that comes of JCAHO regulations. Their intentions may be good. But when you are the practicing doc (or nurse, God help them, the burden of the regs falls much harder on the nurses), trying to deal with a sick population, half of whom are uninsured, in an overcrowded ED with too few nurses and no inpatient beds and no specialists will to take call, the miniscule, petty, trivial, small-minded rules promulgated by this unelected bunch of bureaucrats can make you crazy.
For example, a couple of years ago, it was decreed that nothing could be stored under the sink in the ED. I have no idea why -- under the sink is a perfectly good storage place for non-medical supplies. They had to turn the ER upside down finding new legal storage places for the displaced stuff. And last year it was abbreviations. I agree that some abbreviations probably are confusing and should be clarified -- that's good common sense. But they came out with a list of dozens of abbreviations which are banned, many of which are perfectly clear (such as the use of L for Left and R for right). There is no appeal for their decisions, they are passed down from on high as infallible law, and woe betide the nursing manager if the department is singled out as deficient on a JCAHO survey.
The new rule, designed, it seems, to increase patient treatment times and decrease patient satisfaction and quality of care, is this:
All non-emergent medications must be reviewed by a pharmacist and mixed (if necessary) by a pharmacist.
Which sounds reasonable on the face of it until it collides with the hard reality:
We don't have a pharmacist in the ED. There aren't enough pharmacists to go around as it is, and now, instead of keeping the drugs in the ER and mixing them at the point of service (which isn't that hard), we need to send up to the inpatient pharmacy, wait for the PharmD to get around to it in their workflow, and send it back down. And we are not even talking about the dangerous stuff, but routine meds like certain antibiotics. Another interruption to our workflow, another delay in patient care, just one more in the death of a thousand cuts that is making health care that much more of an unpleasant profession.
And the scary thing is that this is an improvement from the original draft regulation, which said that all meds had to be reviewed in advance by a pharmacist.
Maybe that MBA might be a good idea after all...
* yes, this is hyperbole. get over it.
21 March 2007
More JCAHO fun
All physicians hate JCAHO. Truly, it is an awful organization and they do awful things to the practice of medicine*. It seems like every year there is some new fad, some new measure that they are pushing down the throats of the people trying to practice medicine in a challenging environment.
Posted by shadowfax at 4:01 PM
13 comments:
All non-emergent medications must be reviewed by a pharmacist and mixed (if necessary) by a pharmacist.ReplyDelete
no fcuking way... tell me that's not true... perhaps we can get a PharmD on an ambulance to coax us along as well!
as i call it, the JCAHO shuffle. got really pissed-off about them about a year ago when our institution really pushed the blood culture/antibiotic thing and spewed some of it onto my blog, but i have ceased to care.ReplyDelete
i don't want to start any rumors or anything but i hear that JCAHO routinely desecrats the Koran.
JCHAHO is not a government agency is it? Is that why you do not have a due process to appeal their decisions?ReplyDelete
Nuclear power has INPO and NRC. INPO is an industry organization and if they make a finding or claim about your plant, T.S., but if you don't like what the NRC says, you have to be able to appeal it. Of course, there are way more hospitals than nuclear plants. INPO is pretty cozy with the industry, and I don't think they ever say bad things about plants.
How about the required blood cultures for every patient admitted with pneumonia? How ridiculous is that!? If the patient is septic, yes, by all means blood cultures. But for many admitted patients with community acquired pneumonia, they aren't septic and are admitted because of hypoxia, co-mordibities (COPD, etc..) and age. Their blood cultures are always negative! Yet we must blindly follow JCAHO and waste $$$$ on blood cultures. A set of blood culture ain't cheap.ReplyDelete
I just attended a CMS meeting 2 days ago, wait until you hear some of the even more ridiculous "core measures" that they're gonna ram down our throat. It's coming very soon. And there ain't no way to stop this run away train.
- Anonymous3/22/2007 7:32 PM
Geez---what a piss-poor rule.ReplyDelete
And I didn't know you couldn't write L for left or R for right. Is that just in orders? Or is it unacceptable in a note as well?
Amen. If I ever found a magic genie lamp, and the genie granted me three wishes, first I'd wish for 10 million dollars, then I'd wish that I looked like a movie star, and THEN I'd wish that every JCAHO employee and Medicare big-wig be forced to work in an ER, a nursing home, and a home health agency for one year.ReplyDelete
No coffee or food in the nurses' station.ReplyDelete
We on the nightshift laugh at your silly rule, JCAHO idiots.
JCAHO is an independent NGO which has no governmental authority that I am aware of. but CMS uses the JCAHO certifications to determine eligibility to participate in Medicare. So, like EMTALA, it's a non-binding binding regulation. We're free to ignore it, but not if we want to participate in the largest insurance program in the country.
To my knowledge, the only prohibition on abbreviations is in orders (or at least that's the only place I have seen audited). Please don't give them ideas.
Good one. I almost forgot that.
CD and 911DOC,
I think the blood cultures thing is pure CMS and not JCAHO. Not that it isn't asinine and hate-worthy.
Every morning after work I pray to make JCAHO go away...then I wake up in a 4 hour presentation, on my day off at 9 in the morning telling me that in addition to everything else we have to do, JCAHO has added more core measures, and oh yeah, as nurses if we see things not being done (DVT prophylaxis) we should confront the MD about it. Yeah, right.ReplyDelete
I'm all for oversight, but it should come from people who are or have been in the trenches.
We are now calling up to the pharmacy to get those ADDvantage vials of antibiotics tubed down, all antibiotics in fact, sent down instead of removing them from the Pyxis. This does nothing but delay patient flow. We know how to read allergies and read the name of the antibiotic on the vial. May as well just have ALL meds tubed down by the pharmacist if JCAHO is worried that nurses and docs can't do these two basic things.ReplyDelete
As difficult as JCAHO is, did you know that it has been really stepping up the regs for the administrators, too? The Leadership chapter is where all the good stuff is. They are SO on the hot seat now.(Patient flow is in that part, and if they don't have staff for boarding and holding patients, they are liable for it - kust thought you all might want to know where one of the skeletons is buried).ReplyDelete
Can't say I didn't get a little shiver when I saw that JCAHO had visited my blog, too! Eww!
- Anonymous3/31/2007 1:21 PM
You always know when JCAHO time is coming in your hospital, because things get extra-stupid (ie, can't find item x b/c its logical storage place is verboten, etc). As a resident I had to resort to carrying guaiac card developer in my lab coat (shhh!) because suddenly all stool cards had to be sent to the lab to be read (it's blue/not blue, why is that so hard?).ReplyDelete
the best was when I was deployed to Iraq, and people starting referencing "JCAHO standard" when discussing issues in our COMBAT HOSPITAL. One of the only good parts of being deployed was freedom from some of the administrative crap. The admistration honestly seemed not to understand why mentioning JCAHO made the doctors want to set themselves on fire.
- Anonymous1/03/2009 2:56 AM
As we say here at my hospital...Paperwork before patient care.ReplyDelete


text:
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech softball team steps away from conference play this week to face Cumberland University in a single game on Tuesday. The Bulldogs (24-16-1) will host the Golden Eagles at 4 p.m. at the CU Softball Field in Lebanon, Tenn.
Tech (17-24, 11-11 OVC) enters the matchup coming off a pair of losses at Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Cumberland has won four of its last seven decisions after breaking a five-game losing streak. Tuesday marks the final home game of the season for the Bulldogs, who split a doubleheader with Mid-Continent in their last homestand.
Live stats and video are to be provided by the CU staff, via www.GoCumberlandAthletics.com/live
The Golden Eagles return home to host SIU-Edwardsville in a three-game series that will help determine postseason opportunities for either team. Saturday marks Alumni Day while Sunday will be senior day for three Tech seniors.


text:
Nelyafinwë (Q, pron. N [ˌneʎaˈfinwe], V [ˌneʎaˈɸinwe]) was the father-name of Maedhros, eldest son of Fëanor. Formed by adding up the Quenya adjective nelya, which means "third" to the name of his grandfather, it can be translated as "Third Finwë".[1] The name was not used in Middle-earth since the Noldor exiles spoke Sindarin there after Thingol's decree.[2]
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"


text:
To convert images of scores from third party found in the net (e.g. BSB) to high resolution monochrome images, it is a good idea to use an image converter such as IrfanView (available for free download). This software offers batch conversion, which means you can convert a large number of images automatically with the same parameters. Instead of resizing the single pixels independently, it uses a Lanczos filter, which results in better resolution (instead of just bigger pixels).
In the 'File' menu, open 'Batch Conversion/Rename...'
Here you can choose the folder which contains your original score images and also one where the converted output will be saved.
Use the image settings window with the 'Set advanced options' button to set the conversion you like for all images (e.g. resizing - this should always be done with 'Use Resample function' for high quality; otherwise, it makes no sense at all as it results in bigger files).
Finally, the output format should be set to TIFF CCITT Fax 4 compression. This automatically changes the images to monochrome, as the format only allows black and white pixels.


text:
A Deluxe Apartment in the Skyyyyyy
After lengthy and often bitter negotiations (involving me asking and them saying "OK") my blog is officially moving over to SportsBlogs Nation. SBNation is a growing family of high quality team-specific (for the most part) sports blogs featuring some of the best and most prominent in the
I want to quickly layout the reasons why I made the move and I also want to elaborate on the, uh, non-reasons. Let's start with the latter.
1. Don't get me wrong, moving to SBNation certainly widens my audience and exposure. The site has been mentioned in the New York Times and Forbes Magazine and may "legitamize" my blog in the exploding internet blogging community. But please, I beg you, do not think I am doing this to gain "journalistic credibility." I have absolutely no desire to be anything resembling a mainstream sportswriter. I have no aspirations or delusions of making even half of a meager living off blogging. Basically what I am trying to say is nothing about my writing is going to change. I will still address topics of my choosing in the manner I see fit. Chris Webber is still an overrated sorry excuse for a player. Latrell Sprewell still needs to go fuck himself. PJ Carlesimo's hotel room is still teaming with groupies. And of course Ray Allen is still a pedicured nancy boy. None of that changes.
So, why am I moving.
1. As you may have noticed, all SBNation sites have similar setups. I can say from experience that the layout and interfaces are extremely easy to use from a user and author standpoint. I will no longer have to spend hours fiddling with templates and html code. You have no idea how much I hated fucking around with sidebar widths and font sizes. Ugh.
2. I get my own domain name. Finally a url people can remember! I can also now more easily add photos and charts and graphs and polls and bells and whistles to all of my posts.
3. The SBNation format also lends itself to community involvement. They have a feature called a "diary." Readers can write their own separate posts which can they be commented on by everybody, giving a voice to people who don't want to spend the time to setup and maintain a blog (not to mention finding an audience). This blog has seen many great rants and thoughts from the likes of Matty da Blade, Booth.52, Hollywood, Jason, COKE08, texastentialist, etc. A lot of these comments should have been their own posts and that's what the diaries are for. And of course you can still add comments below my posts as well. By the way, you will need to register in order to leave a comment or write a diary entry. It's certainly free and you will not receive any spam, etc.
4. It should be fun being part of a larger group. SBNation is still a young site; it will be interesting to see where any of "this" goes. When I first had the idea of starting this blog I figured I would be one in a sea of many Spurs blogs. Much to my surprise a Google search yielded no relevant results. In fact, basketball blogs on any subject were relatively sparse. This was 10 months ago; and now I get an e-mail every other day about some new basketball site that has popped up. There are a lot of interesting things going on; "this" has been a lot more fun/interesting/challenging than I thought it could/would be. I hope you'll come along.
Ladies and gentlemen, PoundingTheRock.com.


text:
SDSU Joe necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 187 diseños de 44 diseñadores freelance.
Blue Sky Home Remodeling: Startup, family-owned business needs a logo that works for the Southern California culture but has potential for national recognition (we need to dream big, right?). Potential slogan is "Why just go green when you can go blue?" (or maybe you have another idea?). Logo needs to work on business cards, website, and t-shirts, print ads, etc.
Blue Sky Home Remodeling
I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to design, so I'm relying on your expertise and personal take on my business name, slogan, etc. I'm going to be offering Solar Electric and Water systems, Dual Pane windows and doors, sunrooms, lifetime exterior coatings, low-e attic insulation, etc. I'm going to be focusing on the family aspect of my business, but I want to make sure I have an image that can translate into either a more corporate structure or more of a franchise setup.
- A logo using the color blue makes sense to me.
- A variation of a slogan I mentioned above could be included (something I could include or remove as needed).
- My other web address is "MyHomeIsBlue.com" which could be incorporated somehow.
- A look that embraces the "green" phenomenon without selling-out.
- I think that I'd like to have some sort of icon or image as part of the logo (something "green" like a leaf or tree or something like that).
- Nothing too sharp or punchy.
- A "sky" doesn't have to be included, and the company name can either be incorporated into the logo itself or laid out next to it.
- I don't think I want any icons or images of the actual products I offer, but if you can come up with something creative, I'll consider it.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
What You'll Get
Appalachian Dracula was famously quoted as saying, "I never drink … moonshine." Teach the original Dracula a thing or two with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $75 worth of fine wine mailed directly to your door from Wine Insiders. Shipping is just one penny if you order a full case. Additionally, you may apply part of the value of this Groupon to pay for shipping and sales tax. This Groupon is not valid for club memberships and cannot be shipped to certain states; view the list of valid states here.
Wine Insiders sprang fully formed from the head of founder John Davis 25 years ago, when he used his octopus-like industry connections to assemble a panel of wine experts for the sole purpose of seeking out the best and most affordable wines for his customers. On average, this league of extraordinary oenophiles approves only one out of every 100 bottles sampled, ensuring that only the most delicious wines stain their customers' lips a rich purple. They're fairly confident in their taste, too: if you're not 100 percent delighted by the vinos they've selected, they'll refund the full cost of the order, no questions asked—not even "So, you doing anything fun this weekend?"
Despite its legendary pickiness, Wine Insiders offers a variety of red and white wines, helpfully broken down into pinot noirs, pinot grigios, rieslings, cabernet sauvignons, and more, with informative descriptions of each. A 2009 Twin Bridges pinot grigio, with tangy and sweet fruity flavors ($12.99), is a good place to start, as is a bottle of Spencer Reserve Cask—a smooth, robust varietal ($9.99). For a more targeted crash course in Bacchic beverages, try a wine assortment such as Wines You Love Reds, Best of Everything, Pleasure Season, and the anybody's-guess Mystery. All wine assortments come by the dozen and start at $119.88; each is carefully selected and can include wines that retail for more than $20 a bottle. Shipping is just a penny with these boxed collections.
Ordering wine online straight from Wine Insiders' experts spares customers the hassle of scavenging through a confusing network of specialty shops and cavernous mega-marts or of building an enormous steel drilling rig in a misguided effort to draw wine from the bowels of the earth. Pay a visit to the Wine Insiders website and rustle up a panoply of grape-based potions with today's Groupon.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Apr 4, 2012. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per household, may buy 2 addl as gifts. Not valid until 10/5/11. Must be 21+. New clients only. Online only. Not valid for memberships. Ships only to select states. Must use in 1 order. Valid for tax and shipping. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Wine Insiders
Wine Insiders was founded over 36 years ago to seek out the best and most affordable wines from around the globe. Its panel of wine-tasting experts approves only 5 out of every 100 bottles sampled, ensuring that only the most delicious wines are recommended to customers, with their selections earning over 840 awards since 2015.
The team even offers a satisfaction guarantee: if customers aren't 100% delighted by the vinos they've selected, Wine Insiders will refund the full cost of the order, no questions asked—not even "So, you doing anything fun this weekend?" Wine Insiders ensures simplistic shipping by partnering with some of the globe's top wineries, eliminating the middlemen and ensuring bottles go straight to customers' front porches, or one of over 11,000 convenient pickup locations. Despite its staff's legendary pickiness, Wine Insiders stocks a variety of red and white wines, including pinot noirs, pinot grigios, rieslings, and cabernet sauvignons, each from established vineyards and joined by an informative description.


text: It is a thousand pities that the puny witticisms of a few professional objectors should have the power to prevent, even for a year, the adoption of a name for our country. At present we have, clearly, none. There should be no hesitation about "Appalachia." In the first place, it is distinctive. "America" is not, and can never be made so. We may legislate as much as we please, and assume for our country whatever name we think right — but to use it will be no name, to any purpose for which a name is needed, unless we can take it away from the regions which employ it at present. South America is "America," and will insist upon remaining so. [Edgar Allan Poe, 1846]


text:
- Home
- To The Rock Tour 2013
- Mongolia X 2012
- Mongolia Reloaded
- Himalayas X 2011
- Cycling in Korea Images
- Sitemap (Korea and Global)
- Cycling in Korea Ideas
- Expedition Cycles
- Expeditions
- Equipment
- Inspiration Zone!
- Videos
- Sponsors
- Zen Cycling
- Mt. Nandadevi Expedition
- Pamirs Expedition
- Polar Expeditions
- Redbull Signature Series // Joyride at Crankworx // Mountain Bike films
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Ride Earth - Photostreams on Flickr
Ride Earth Photostreams on Flickr [LINK, FOR VIEWING PLEASURES!)
Ride Earth is a Collaborative-World-Cycle-by-Mountain Bike. I really enjoy reading their blog (or seeing their updates on Flickr), whichever progress line is equally digestible, in printed words, or the amazing photostreams, it's definitely worth a look at their adventure off the beaten-tracks (Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia...) Hope to see them on the other side of the world soon!
2 comments:
- Adam said...
I came across your blog after entering in Crohn's and Korea. My fiance and I are looking into coming to Korea to teach English as well, but we're trying to figure out about medication, and if she'll be able to get it for her Crohn's while in Korea. Is there any information you might be able to help us with? My email is email@example.com Thanks man!
- Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 5:45:00 PM EDT
- Brian Perich said...
Hey Adam, it's been a long time...I replied earlier and just wondered how your planning went along? Take Care bro, same plans here A2A 2012 (:
- Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 1:18:00 PM EST
About the Korean-World Author
Brian has completed his second mountain bike journey, MongoliaX expedition - Crossing Mongolia 2012, an unsupported mountain bike MTB expedition across 2500km of Outer Mongolia from Ulanbaatar to Altai Taven-Bogd National Park bordering China, Russia and Mongolia.
In 2013, as a sequel to a trilogy of cycle tours, Brian enjoyed a more leisure bicycle tour onboard his Koga-Miyata World Traveller seeing the northern tier of the United States and western Canada covering 3400 kilometers / 2000 miles in 30 days. This North American cycle tour was called Totherocktour. Enjoying the adventure of bicycle travel and every great conversation started while traveling on the road - has refueled his inspirations to cycle around the Earth. In 2013, while he cycled solo from the Great Lake State of Michigan, United States to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He weaved through local communities and reconnected with friends, family and community after spending almost a decade in Asia.
Brian is now supporting several non-profit foundations through expeditions: IDEAS Foundation of Canada IDEAS is the acronym for Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society which supports the IBD community, those suffering from IBD-inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.
Thanks for visiting my Journal from Asia
Popular Posts
Tubus Vega Rack - Surly ECR 29er+ // Adding Bottle Cages // Custom modifications // Pedaling Nowhere // Building the Epic Touring Mountain bike //[Photo credit of Pedaling Nowhere] Excellent ECR build write-up with rich descriptions and photographs from Logan at Pedaling Nowher...
WT Correspondence with Antun Čolig and friends in Zagreb, Croatia: Discussion is Round The World Bicycle TravelDREAM WITH OPEN EYES, PLAN THE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION, FACE YOUR FEARS AND LIVE THE DREAM! DEDICATION TO MY BIKE TRAVELER FRIEND THE DR...
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn ' Longboa...
Deokjeokdo or Deokjeok Island is the largest island of Deokjeok-myeon in Ongjin County,Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. Geographica...
Impressions of the Koga Miyata World Traveller 29 VS Test Santos Travel Lite // WT Expedition cycle reviewsKoga-Miyata World Traveller 26 (Photo rights: Worldtravellers.dk ) Reviews of this model Santos Travel Lite 26 Review of Santos Tra...
Hi Brian, I stumbled upon your blog and was hoping you could answer a question for me. I am preparing to teach English in Korea (Seoul mo...
Choosing a Bicycle for Long-distance touring // Pavement and the long-haul tours // Cycling in South KoreaBicycle touring 101: Choosing a Bicycle for recreational touring on pavement . 9:53am Pamila Jo Florea ...
To get ready to climb Everest, I did a lot of hill running with a daypack on and a lot of underwater swimming. I would swim a couple of...
Day 45 - MongoliaX2012 Expedition Completed...2499km of endurance, adventure, challenge and triumph...TBCMONGOLIA X2012 EXPEDITION COMPLETED IN 45 DAYS . PHOTO SAMPLE OF THE 2499KM JOURNEY ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE. Riding across top of...


text:
RFawal needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 32 designs submitted by 6 freelance designers.
CandidAide is a non-partisan consulting firm dedicated to helping candidates navigate the political process and chart political careers. We help our clients overcome the hurdles to becoming a candidate, to meet the challenges of being a candidate, and to capitalize on every opportunity to win elections.
Our advisors are seasoned political professionals who have a comprehensive understanding of politics, who help candidates answer the hard questions about how to run for office. Our knowledge and experience ensures our clients are the best politicians and public officials they can be.
We have a unique and highly specialized market: individuals considering or seeking election to public office.
Our target audience consists of these individuals themselves, political parties and organizations that work with the individuals, and other political professionals who specialize in politics.
Generally, these people are highly confident and very focused, and they are often very successful in another realm (business, academia, bureaucracy). They appreciate these qualities in other people and companies.
Our logo will represent the company's knowledge and experience. It should combine classical richness with modern know-how, and reflect wisdom and energy.
We direct our clients through challenging endeavors and help them maintain focus through intense experiences. We'd like the imagery in our logo to show it. We envision a classical compass rose (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_rose or the image attached to this brief), but we're open to better ideas.
Our clients also need to feel confident that we understand the complex challenges campaigns face in the information age, so our logo must reflect a modern strength. We envision the use of blues, grays and silvers within the company name or other elements to show this (see http://www.billbolling.com), but again we're open to better ideas.
We are not afraid of complexity, but don't want anything that's just busy. The design should combine classical and modern elements without being cliche.
Colors should be simple and strong. Pastels and neons do not work for our audience.
Please use the correct presentation of the company name: CandidAide.
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
What is Neto?
Neto is an eCommerce solution for retailers, wholesalers and ebay traders that enables you to concentrate on running your online business and not worry about the hassles of hosting and web development.
"Neto is Australia's leading all-in-one hosted e-commerce software solution that enables you to build a class leading website that interfaces with eBay, Facebook and other online marketing channels. In addition Neto also offers a range of e-commerce related products and services that are available as individual stand alone offerings." – neto e-commerce
Neto Features
- Website and shopping cart software
- Order management software
- eBay management software
- 100% customisable HTML & CSS
- Integrated with MYON and SAASU accounting
- Run website, eBay store, Facebook shop & Mobile shop from one platform
- Upload an unlimited number of photos to each item
- Easy to use "Step-by-Step" customer checkout
- Supports multiple shipping methods
- Credit customers directly from RMA
- Create, print and manifest consignment labels for the following integrated carriers: Australia Post Eparcel, Australia Post Contract Rates, TNT, AAE, Toll IPEC, Star Track Express, Star Couriers and more..
For a full list of features supported by Neto please click here.
If you are interested in taking your online store to the next level it may be worth checking out the powerful solutions offered by the team at Neto.
Integrating your Neto eCommerce store with Merchant Warrior is now just a few clicks away!


text:
LavaZZa necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 122 diseños de 26 diseñadores freelance.
Klickreiz is a new founded online marketing agency with special focus on search engine optimization for Google Product Search.
The English translation of "Klickreiz" might be something like "clicky / conversion zone / easily clickable / the user wants to click this".
The term originally comes from the web usability vocabulary.
We offer:
1. Datafeed optimization for online shops to improve the rankings of their products on Google Product Search in Germany.
2. Individual SEO (search engine optimization) strategies as well as Google AdWords strategies.
3. "Landing Page Optimization", where we develop individual strategies for online shops to encourage more visitors to buy.
Owners of medium-sized online shops (3000 - 30.000 products) in Germany who are interested in gaining more traffic via Google and/or maximize their sales rates.
There is already a big market for general SEO in Germany, but SEO for Google Product Search is currently a small niche market.
I'll be honest and say that our requirements are fairly open.
Unsure of the exact creative words but some terms that come to mind are:
- reliable
- trustable
- fresh, new, modern
- friendly, harmonic
- clean. Not overloaded.
- brand recognition
- highly memorable
- looks like it could be the logo of a huge, trustable brand in the online marketing sector
The logo should contain:
1. An outstanding, recognizable symbol or icon which should describe the company's sense. We would like to add this icon for example on the bottom of our letters and as a favicon of our website. Just like Adidas does it with its stripes.
2. The name of our company's brand ("Klickreiz").
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Sometimes its a little scary how quickly we can find things on the internet. I was having an online conversation with a friend, Link, in Florida. He had mentioned that he had always wanted to get into genealogy, but didn't really know where to start.
"That's easy!" I said, "Start with what you know." What he knew was his grandfather's name, Frank Stizo, and that he was born in Italy.
I was already on Ancestry.com, so I did a quick search. As I mentioned, Link lives in Florida. I wasn't finding any results in Florida. Looking at what popped up, I asked "Did you ever live in New Jersey?"
Link was stunned. "I grew up there! In Rahway." I had found Link's grandfather, Frank, with his wife, Matilda, and four children -- including Link's father -- on the 1920 census.
I also found the World War I Draft registration that provided an exact birthdate, November 18, 1888, and listed Andretta, Italy as his birthplace. Cool! What Link found fascinating was the description; his grandfather was of medium height, considered stout, and had light grey eyes and black hair. He had no idea that draft records could provide you with that much information.
"Wow! You are good!" I appreciated the complement, but I hadn't done any digging yet. I'd gotten that within five minutes. That was just luck.
A few days later with a little digging, and armed with a little more information provided by his sister, I soon found Frank on the 1910 census living with his parents, Pasquale and Antonia. I also found a manifest showing that he entered the United States through the Port of New York and that his final destination was New Rochelle, New Jersey, to join his brother-in-law. He was in good health, could read, and had $8 in his pocket.
Trust me, you don't always find that much so quickly, but you should never let what don't know keep you from starting! Start with what you know, and work back from that. And don't forget to ask your family what they know, too... their tidbits plus your tidbits will eventually turn into a breadcrumb trail that's worth following.


text:
SeedFinders NewsFlash
previous posts
Blog :: All Categories
Postings 1 to 10 (from 36)
ThreadFinder Updates - Add your Forums
Today, at 07:00:58 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: threadfinder, forums, community, links, seedfinder
Because a lots of old websites was offline or not working any more it was necessary to kick them out finally - and to connect some new forums instead! And here we need your help! If you can not find your favorite forum/community connected to the seedfinder - please let us know about and we will add it to the list in a minute! But please note: The content there need to be accessible for thThreadFindere public and not only after logging in with an user-account...
Join the first SeedFinder SUPERBOWL
Post made at Tuesday 9th of December 2014 07:51:27 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: seedfinder, superbowl, cannaval, tenerife, cannabiscup
The first SeedFinder SuperBowl I will be handed out whilst the second Copa Canaval at the 7th and 8th of March 2015 at Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). This event is held from two local cannabis clubs (CannaWorld Canarias in Santa Cruz and the CSCC TFS in Los Cristianos) and will be more a party and holiday-meeting then a hectic expo! We will have two days of party together with all our friends from all around the world, we plan to lie around in the sun while enjoying some music - and we definetly need to smoke some (or better a lots) of the best cannabis strains available! If you like to join us there - we would be happy to see you here! Check it out, maybe you can find the time - and think about the weather in your home country at the beginning of March - here it will be warm and sunny ;-) But even if you can not find the time: Its also possible to join the competitions by courier service - just send in your stuff by post - we will send you back the cups, no problem ;-)
Alright... And how to join the Cup?
You need to send in your samples no later than the 31th January 2015 - and you can join with a maximum of two strains!
To join the SeedFinder SuperBowl I you need to send in buds AND an extract (hash or bho) from the same strain! The minimum amounts are 12g (buds), 3g (hash) and 2g (bho)...
...beside of this samples there is no entry fee or something like this - this cup is a non-commercial one!
Btw... There are also some different cups you can join at the Copa Cannaval - altogether we have 16 cups in different 6 categories (indoor, outdoor, hashish, bho, professional, seedfinder superbowl) to award! Please check out the Copa Cannaval Webiste for more information - or go to facebook and join the events there! Here the links:
Copa Cannaval Website: http://cannaval.es/
II Copa Cannaval at facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/308586342680500/
SeedFinder SuperBowl at facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/634405660004104/
database fuckup!
Post made at Thursday 8th of May 2014 05:49:24 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: db, seedfinder, fuckup
SeedPolice Update - New Seedbank list with more functions!
Post made at Wednesday 29th of May 2013 03:29:11 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info, News from the shops.
Tags: seedpolice, seedcopslist, reviews, seedcop, seedfinder, db
-> Click here to visit the new Seedbank Review Area
Btw... Also the upload area got a small update, you now are able to upload your reviews very simple - and without any registration at our pages! If you made any good or bad experiences with a seed order in the last time, please add your review here, its done in a minute and will help a lots of other growers worldwide! (The Review-Area is now also available in german, spanish and french!) And last but not least - if you are missing a shop in our list - no problem - simply upload the shop-info together with your review and we will add it to the list as soon as possible!
New module: Cannabinoid Profiles, Comparison and Search
Post made at Wednesday 30th of January 2013 12:06:20 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: wizard, seedfinder, db
A summary of the average values for all the tested strains (as well as some charts for the subspecies) can be found in our research area. If you like to search, filter and sort strains based on the test results - just use our Strain Wizard and it's possible filters and display options for cannabinoids! Furthermore you can find a short chart and some classifications (compared to other varieties) on the respective strain-info-page! You will see the box at the left side if there are any tests in the database - and also check out the link below this box to view the detailed profiles and test-results including pictures.
Here the most important links and an example for a detailes strain-test-profile:
* SeedFinder Labs / Cannabinoid Overview
* SeedFinders Cannabis Strain Wizard
* Cannabinoid profile for Blue Dream
Server and Admin moved...
Post made at Saturday 5th of January 2013 03:23:35 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: intern, seedfinder
Permanent links for the Wizard!
Post made at Sunday 9th of September 2012 06:22:14 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: wizard, intern
I hope you like this new option, and here as a test a link to a preselection for beginner friendly cannabis-strains!
New filters for the Strain-Wizard
Post made at Thursday 17th of May 2012 09:07:21 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: wizard, db, intern
* Flowering time (indoor)
* Growth Behavior (including different subfilters) and
* 3 filters for the yield (Amount, The ratio of leaves to buds and Compactness)
New: Dr. Wizard - The Strain Selector
Post made at Monday 14th of May 2012 04:26:38 AM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info
Tags: wizard, db, intern
New: myCannapot - Cannabis-Seed-Shop and Auctions
Post made at Wednesday 1st of February 2012 07:18:17 PM by SeedFinder
posted in SeedFinder's News/Info, News from the shops.
Tags: mycannapot, auction, hemcy, cannapot, shop
The most important first:
Of course the SeedFinder don't sell any cannabis-seeds! It is a completely external and independent Shopsytem, operated by well-known and popular Hemcy.at/Cannapot Webshop in Austria. We have produced only the code, do a little advertising here on the site and provide the interface for the strain-info!
To cut a long story short:
If you're looking for seed-rarities, for limited editions, coveted remnants or for cannabis varieties of small farmers - or if you yourself are a breeder, and if you are maybe like to sell or auction your own hybrids - then the new system might be interesting for you! All offers and prices here are made directly from the breeders themselves, but all the the (worldwide) shipping and handling of payments carried from a single source - with the usual excellent service from Hemcy.at/Cannapot!
Allright, here we go:
-> MyCannapot - Cannabis Seed-Auctions and Shop
The whole order and auction system was created and customized by us extra for cannabis seeds, and of course with a special emphasis on safety and anonymity! But please remember, the shop is still in a beta phase - you are one of the first visitors ;-) So it might not look that great yet - but it works - and it will expanded and tuned step by step over the time :)
P.S.: The choice may seem a little sparse at the moment, but that will change soon! Until then, there are already various specialties from Alpine-Seeds and Earth-Seeds ready to bid or buy, some more stuff is onto the way! Well - check it out - and have fun with the new system! We hope you like it - and if you miss a function or if you have a question: let us know!
previous posts
Blog :: All Categories
Postings 1 to 10 (from 36)
RSS-Feed / News by Email / Twitter:
RSS 2.0 Version: SeedFinder NewsFlash/Blog
Email-Abo: Subscribe to SeedFinder NewsFlash by Email
Twitter: Follow SeedFinder on Twitter


text:
Hi everyone! I'm a second year ID student; we just finished our foundation analog drawing class last semester, and we're currently about halfway through the digital drawing class. Basically, my classmates and I keep coming back to the same set of questions about how the drawing stuff actually gets used in the industry. We've asked around to a few professors, but I figured I'd put them to you guys and cast a little bit of a wider net.
Here goes:
- How much do you use analog vs. digital drawing? (Across the whole process, from preliminary sketches to a 'final' piece you'd present to clients?
- Do you use mainly analog for one part of the process and then mostly digital for another?
- If you do use mostly analog/digital for certain things, do you ever find yourself in a position where you have to cross over and use the other? If someone's super comfortable doing final marker renderings but hates doing finals digitally, can they get away with just being The Marker Guy forever? Vice versa, can you get away with always using digital?
- Related: do you wish you'd spent more time in school working on the format you're less comfortable with, or do you think students should focus on just getting really good at one or the other?
- How much flexibility do you have to choose whether you want to use digital or analog? We had a talk with a guy who said that the standard in his office is to use Sketchbook for 100% of their preliminary sketches. They might do a rough napkin sketch with a pen, but basically everything that moves beyond that point is digital. Does your boss usually dictate the format they want, or is it generally up to your personal preferences?
- If you work with/manage new graduates, would you rather that schools emphasize one format over the other? Have you run into issues with students that were mainly trained in one format? What drawing skills are most important to you when hiring?
Sorry there's so many questions! We've really been coming back to this conversation over and over, and I'd love to hear any thoughts you guys have.
- Topics
- Features
- Shopping Guide
- Projects
- Firm Projects
- Reader Projects
- Forums
- About Us


text:
Greve-Davis necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 37 diseños de 5 diseñadores freelance.
I am a reverse logistics consultant. We help companies improve return processes and sustainability initiatives.
For the past 25 years Curtis Greve and Jerry Davis have worked with third party logistics providers, liquidators, retailers, manufacturers, and distributors to help them improve reverse logistics capabilities and supply chain networks.
We have worked with many companies of every size including Fortune 500 Companies such as Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Dell, HP, Nike, Whirlpool, Kohl's, Canadian Tire, Sony, and Microsoft. We also work with 3PL's, service providers, investors, and M&A firms that are developing reverse logistics and supply chain strategies. Contact us today to learn how we can help you improve your company's profitability.
We are targeting senior executives who are new to the field of reverse logistics. This is a guide book to help business leaders new to the field of reverse logistics to gain a good understanding of the different aspects our reverse logistics and focus their efforts to improve the bottom line. Thus the title:
"An Executive's Guide to Reverse Logistics - How to find hidden profits by managing returns."
We are looking for a front cover that is eye catching and business like. It should be clean but reference the subject matter and the title. For detailed information on Reverse logistics or my company go to http://www.grevedavis.com.
Reverse logistics the process used by companies to remove inventory that is defective or has been recalled for safety reasons off the market for resale, recycling, liquidation, or destruction.
Companies that develop their reverse logistics capabilities can increase their bottom line by 5% of sales or more.


text:
A while ago I had a script written by Michael Motek. I'm looking to get another script written, but the email and website I have for MIchael is no longer valid.
Does anyone know his current email or if not could someone that know how to write poco scripts contact me about writing a new script.
andy at teleco4.com


text:
Prepare for pálinka!
What is pálinka?
Pálinka is a short drink distilled from fruit or grape-pomace grown in Hungary. It is a Hungaricum by the Hungarian laws, that means it is part of the country's heritage, and is one of the top products of the nation.
Real pálinka only consists of distilled fermented fruit or grape-pomace and clear water. Good pálinka is when there's nothing else in the savour, but fruit. Not a bit sour, no tinges.
There are also pálinkas matured on fruit bed, while others may add honey to make it sweeter. These are accepted modifications, but true pálinka is only made of fruit and water.
How to drink pálinka?
Remember! Pálinka is a strong alcoholic drink, it can easily trick you, if you drink too much of it. But pálinka is not about getting drunk, it's about the quintessence of the top Hungarian fruits. It's about getting together, having fun and enjoying superior traditional tastes.
Before you drink, eat. Every pálinka festival has food stands, where you can have Hungarian and international dishes. One pálinka is good for aperitif, but the second one is only healthy if you eat enough.
Never drink your pálinka in whole for once. First smell it. Drink a small sip, chew it, taste it, enjoy it. Let it talk to you about the fruit, and about the heritage. Take your time. Drink slowly.
Mixing different type of pálinkas is okay, but don't mix it with other alcoholic drinks. Accompany the shots with water.
Which pálinka?
You will see, there are hundreds of different types of pálinkas. We suggest for those who try it for the first time, to choose a top quality one, an awarded one. Try pálinkas made of the fruits you like anyway. Good pálinka is not a cheap thing. The quality has price, but worth it.
If you have the chance, ask anything about the products from the staff. If you are lucky, you may have a chat with the distiller-master in person, who can tell you a lot of interesting and heart-warming stories about his passion, the fruits, and the methods.
Rules of drinking in Hungary
According to the operative laws, the available blood-alcohol level to driving is 0.000%. After 10 p.m. no stores allowed to sell alcoholic drinks.
Where is the festival?
The Pálinka Festival this year takes place at Erzsébet Square, right in the centre of downtown (5th district). 16-19 May 2013. Have a nice time there!
What will be on the festival?
As on every pálinka event, there will be concetrs, traditional and international dishees and desserts, for example chocolates filled with pálinka. There will be more than 400 types of pálinkas, including the sour cherry pálinka of the year. The newest attraction this year is that visitors can design their own pálinkas. Find out more on the spot!


text:
[Live Review] Avenged Sevenfold/Deftones/Ghost B.C. In Detroit, MI
This past Sunday I went to the "Hail To The King" tour, which features headliner Avenged Sevenfold with direct support from Deftones and Ghost B.C.. While each band represents rock/metal they also present a very unique sound, bringing their own flavors to the genre. So, in theory, this tour should be a fun, exciting celebration that pays homage to the heaviness that only metal can bring. And while this tour almost got it right, there is one glaring problem, one issue that I just couldn't shake off. Head on down to see what it was.
I've been trying to catch these guys for a few years now, so seeing them was a real treat. The best adjective to describe them would be "theatrical", as it speaks to their stage presence as well as the visuals that supported them. The band had no pyrotechnics nor any stage set pieces. Instead, the mood of their performance was based heavily upon the almost Argento-esque use of color. Deep purples washed the stage while green beams shone upon the audience, as though the band was trying to find the perfect victim for a ritualistic sacrifice.
The nameless ghouls of the band performed with enthusiasm, engaging the audience and obviously having a great deal of fun. Vocalist Papa Emeritus II stood on stage with gravitas, addressing the audience with charm and an infectious dry, wry humor. Papa also paid homage to Detroit, the Motor City, by referencing the KISS "Alive!" tour, drawing huge cheers from the audience.
Ghost B.C. was a fantastic opener and kicked the night off wonderfully.
This was not the first time I had seen Deftones, so I knew what I was getting into. And let's just say that the band did not disappoint in any way. Vocalist Chino Moreno leapt around the stage with seemingly boundless amounts of energy, jumping off the drum riser and stage monitors, climbing on top of the bass speaker cabinets, and even getting right up against the audience. He sang with such crazed fervor that he went through at least three microphones, slamming each on the ground when one would stop functioning and quickly grabbing another.
Bassist Sergio Vega also seemed filled with the same kinetic energy, running around, jumping, and singing with a huge smile on his face. Drummer Abe Cunningham furiously played, his sticks a blur as lights reflected off the cymbals, creating shimmering waves against the plain white backdrop. Electronics man Frank Delgado bobbed sinuously through each song while guitarist Stephen Carpenter had his feet firmly planted in his spot, headbanging with his hair wildly splayed thanks to a small stage fan. The entire group fed off of the crowd, playing such favorites as "Change (In The House Of Flies)" and "Shove It" as well as several tracks from the recently released Koi No Yokan.
Once again, Deftones have shown that they are a live band that is well worth every penny to see.
And now we come to the problem child, the point where things not only went downhill but where they plummeted right off a cliff: Avenged Sevenfold.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a huge fan of the band. I like a few songs here and there ("Critical Acclaim" is badass) but they've never drawn me in. But this "performance" (if you want to call it that) was nothing short of boring, and, in a way, insulting.
So let's start with the good, shall we? The stage design was pretty awesome. The backdrop was built as though it were the front of a medieval castle. The center door was framed on both sides by two large screens that were used to display various scenes, such as rotting corpses and skeletal figures locked behind jail bars. The center door opened a few songs in and a large skeletal king emerged, sitting on a throne made of skulls. The head of this statue moved side to side, surveying the audience. Flames shot forth from nearly everywhere, a river of fire often appearing in front of drummer Aaron Ilejay. Bursts of fireworks would appear at timed intervals, creating shockingly loud eruptions. So overall, the stage production was pretty badass.
But onto the problem: the band. They played with almost zero enthusiasm, wandering aimlessly around the stage and barely engaging the crowd. Actually, in a "quite the opposite" move, they very often had their backs turned towards the audience, facing Ilejay. Their complete lack of enthusiasm was mind boggling. Here's one of the biggest bands in the rock/metal world and they can't muster the energy to put on a performance that matches their numbers?
It was almost the complete opposite of Deftones. Avenged Sevenfold had an amazing stage production while the band had no enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Deftones had no stage production whatsoever but played with more excitement in one night than most bands can pull out over an entire tour. I'm sure you can guess which one I find more important.
Here's how bad A7X's show was: I left five songs in. While I was walking out of the Joe Louis Arena, there was a large crowd gathered around a small television. They were watching the Tigers/Red Sox game (damn those Sox) instead of watching the band perform. I could only laugh as I realized that I was not alone in my views on the band's "show".
The Final Word: For a concert that is dubbed the Hail To The King tour, I truly wish the "king" had been dethroned. While it's always a pleasure seeing Deftones and Ghost B.C. were amazing, I can safely say that I never have to nor want to see Avenged Sevenfold again.
Banner credit: Christopher Mark
Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!


text:
Nice, but where's the door?
Karelian Front is Continuation War modification for Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad. Continuation War was fought between Finland and the Soviet Union in '41-'44. The war ended in Finland's defeat. Our goal is to create a historically accurate total conversion modification for RO2, without forgetting the fun gameplay. The team behind the mod is so far Finnish with varying modding experience: some working in the gaming industry, some have done mods before in RO and for other games, and some are totally green. Good mix of people, eager to stop the long lasting outcry for this mod.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
Model: Susi
Texture: Susi