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Louis Vuitton monogram Musette Tango Bag Pre Owned
This item is no longer available
Authenticity code: Louis Vuitton SP0969
Authentic: Pre Owned
This authentic LV Mussette Tango bag features a versatile adjustable leather shoulder strap and a flap top closure. This bag can be carried over the shoulder. It features monogram canvas, gold tone hardware, and a convenient adjustable strap. The perfect everyday bag!
- Exterior: Gently used
- Interior: Gently used
- Description of Interior: Alcantara Lined
- Interior Pockets: One open pocket
- Color: Brown
- Hardware Description: Gold Hardware
- Material: Canvas
- Width: 10 in.
- Length: 2.6 in.
- Height: 7.5 in.
Product Code: 2234012
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This Louis Vuitton® item is guaranteed to be authentic. Louis Vuitton is a registered trademark of Louis Vuitton. LuxeDH is not affiliated with or represents Louis Vuitton in any way or form.


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|Color and Light by James Gurney
Here's my review of this brilliant new book - which in my honest opinion is set to become a standard for all artists working in the realist tradition.
|Title: Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney
|Synopsis: This is a comprehensive art instruction book about all the important aspects colour and light for students of art and those wishing to improve the quality of their painting in any media. It addresses the FAQs about these topics raised by painters and illustrators.
|Summary review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - This is a book for students and improvers and all those who want to know more about colour and how light and colour interact - in life and in a painting. Practical application of the lessons learned is made possible through a very accessible text coupled with excellent use of images and graphics. Coverage of this topic is comprehensive.
|Think Again?
|Who should buy this?:
|Who should not buy this?
|Author / (Publisher): James Gurney / Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC
Technical data: Publication Date: 30th November 2010
Paperback - 224 pages;
Let me be very clear on this point. This book comes very highly recommended by me.
I've not come across any other book which covers this topic in such breath and depth and makes it accessible as well.
- I've got ones which are more technical - but they're much less accessible.
- I've got ones which are as accessible - but they don't cover as much as he does
- It does not attempt to dumb down or omit important aspects of the way in which colour and light function and interact.
- It articulates very clearly how you can make choices about how to use different features of colour and light in a painting.
You can get an overview of what the book covers by reference to the Table of Contents.
There's so much one could say about this book - one could write a small book! The table of contents gives you the headings - the summary below is what they actually mean in practice. Here then are some of the more specific highlights of this book and reasons why it makes a good buy.
This book explains:
- how outdoor studies of colour and light and plein air painting influence great studio paintings
- how to look for sources of light in the paintings of others - in order to better understand their impact
- how colours respond to different types of light - and why red looks good in a painting
- what are the different types of lighting and how it impacts on form
- what's the best type of lighting for different subject matter
- how light impacts on colour saturation and detail
- five general truths about reflected light
- what are the different types of shadows - and how they behave
- how to simplify form in the context of the way light hits it
- how a subject's material and ability to transmit light impacts on colour and light effects
- how light and shade can add value (and drama!) to design of a composition
- the different types of colour wheel
- the different types of colour
- the characteristics associated with different types of colour
- what a chroma value chart looks like
- how greys and neutral colours can be your best friend
- tips for handling greens (and reds and pinks!)
- how tints and gradations are created
- the different - and important - characteristics of pigments
- how pigments can be charted
- why painters start from underpaintings in an opaque colour
- a simpler way of achieving an effective sky gradation
- how you can create glazes
- different ways of organising paint on a palette
- different types of limited palettes
- how to create mud
- the value of monochromatic colour schemes
- the effect of colour temperature on the viewer
- what are warm and cool colours and how to use them
- the different ways of mixing colour
- how a triadic colour scheme works
- the value of the colour accent
- how to make a colour string
- the value of premixing value steps
- why it's important to leave out colours
- what's the saturation cost
- how to create a gamut mask
- how a colour scheme can have a shape
- how to create your source colours
- what pushes you to identify accents
- why a colour script is useful
- how tonal and colour information gets processed
- what can help create a more effective nocturne
- how edges vary in different lighting conditions
- why Goethe was wrong
- how to isolate a spot of colour
- schemes which describe how colours influence one another
- colour associations and their impact on our psychology
- how transmitted light works and what its impact is
- what subsurface scattering is and how it works
- the different colour zones if the face
- how to create convincing hair
- what a caustic reflection is and how it is generated
- three rules of specularity
- the different types of highlights - and how they work
- how to use photographs more effectively
- how the color gradations work in a sky
- the impact of atmospheric perspective on colour
- what is reverse atmospheric perspective - and how it works
- why painters prefer to work at dawn and dusk
- how to paint sunsets from observation
- techniques for painting rainbows
- why transparency is important when painting trees
- how sunbeams and shadowbeams work - and when to use them
- the shape of dappled light
- three rules of cloud shadows
- how the lighting and colour of the foreground influences design and focus
- why the age of snow makes a difference
- reflections, refraction and shadows on water - and why they are different
- how the behaviour of water impacts on colour and light
I first commented on Color and Light in MAKING A MARK: "Color and Light" and Making a Mark.
.......and finally
James Gurney's first art instruction book was published in 2009. A year ago I published my review of it - see Book Review - Imaginative Realism by James Gurney
Note: I was sent a review copy of "Color and Light" by James Gurney.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reading tea-leaves
Clarkson Potter, Jan 24, 1995 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 90 pages
Reading Tea Leaves is the oldest book on the subject in English. Our guide is an unnamed Highland Seer, who reveals the general principles and practices of tea-leaf reading and provides an alphabetical list of the natural symbols commonly found in a cup and their significance.
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Aerial view of Lower Myakka Lake; Deep Hole is visible at the center left. Jul 25 2011 12:00AM.
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View Qualified Candidates
Early Voting, In Person
You do not need a reason to vote early! All voters may vote early, just like they are voting on Election Day. Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at designated locations in the parish from 14 to seven days prior to any scheduled election. When one or more state holidays fall within an early voting period, the first day for early voting will begin 15 days prior to the election. Refer to the schedule below for early voting time periods for upcoming elections and refer to the schedule of elections for future time periods.
For a complete list of the locations of parish registrars of voters and designated early voting locations, please refer to early voting locations.
The registrars of voters will open their offices from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for each day of early voting. When you go to cast your vote early, you will be asked to identify yourself with either a photo ID or signature on a voter affidavit. You may use a driver's license, a Louisiana special ID, LA Wallet digital driver's license, or some other generally recognized picture ID that has your name and signature. You may wish to contact your local Registrar of Voters Office for specific locations, dates and times.
See La. R.S. 18:1303 for more information about voting early.
March 30, 2019
Municipal Primary Election
Early voting is Mar. 16-23 (except Sunday, Mar. 17) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
May 4, 2019
Municipal General Election
Early voting is Apr.l 20-27 (except Sunday, Apr. 21) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Oct. 12, 2019
Gubernatorial Primary Election
Early voting is Sept. 28-Oct. 5 (except Sunday, Sept. 29) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Nov. 16, 2019
Gubernatorial General Election
Early voting is Nov. 2-9 (except Sunday, Nov. 3) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Assistance to Voters
A visibly disabled voter and the person assisting him or her in voting shall go to the front of the line when voting early at the Registrar of Voters Office or at designated locations for early voting.
A voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if he or she is unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.
A voter must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail if they need assistance in voting or provide certain documentation to the registrar or commissioner.
A voter may receive assistance by completing a voter registration application with a change requesting assistance in voting, by providing a physician's certificate certifying to the disability, a copy of a current mobility impaired ID card issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles or a copy of current documentation showing eligibility for disability benefits from either Social Security, Veterans, Paratransit Services, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities or benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.
Persons prohibited from assisting voters are as follows:
Requirements of a Person Assisting a Voter
A voter who is entitled to assistance in voting may receive the assistance of any person of his or her choice including the registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner, except those prohibited.
Before a voter receives assistance during early voting, the registrar, deputy registrar or early voting commissioner must print the voter's name and the assistant's name (including a registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner providing assistance) behind the tab for assistance to voters in the back of the precinct register and check the box if the voter is not marked on the statewide voter registration system as eligible for assisstance in voting. Then the assistant (including a registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner providing assistance) must sign his name next to his printed name before being allowed to assist the voter.
In the event that a paper ballot must be used during early voting, the person assisting the voter to vote a paper ballot must explain to the voter that a signature or mark made by the voter constitutes certification that all statements in the certificate are true and correct and that any person who knowingly provides false or incorrect statements is subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both.
The person assisting the voter to vote a paper ballot must sign the acknowledgment on the paper ballot envelope flap, verifying that the person providing the assistance has marked the ballot in the manner dictated by the voter.
If a voter is assigned to a polling place that is not accessible, the voter may cast his or her vote at the nearest polling place with the same ballot, or at the Registrar of Voters Office.
AVC Edge Voting Systems for Early Voting
As of the fall of 2006, all Louisiana's voters began using the AVC Edge voting systems for early voting in person. Early voting in person is done the week before an election and is conducted in every Registrar of Voters Office. On this touchscreen system, the voter will scroll through their entire ballot to vote.
The voting systems are small and easy to operate. The ballot is easy to read. The AVC Edge voting systems are wheelchair accessible and every voting system is capable of having an audio voting keypad for voters with disabilities. The election results are easily printed and are stored on a cartridge which is delivered to the parish board of election supervisors for tabulation on Election Day.
View a demonstration of the AVC Edge voting system.
AVC Audio Voting Keypad
As of the Fall of 2006, all of Louisiana's voters have had access to using the AVC Audio Voting Keypad on either the AVC Advantage voting system or the AVC Edge voting system. The AVC Audio Voting Keypad will make both of these voting systems accessible to individuals who are visually impaired, physically disabled, struggle with the written word, unable to read the written word, or unable to read English.
There are no requirements for a voter to use the AVC Audio Voting Keypad.
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Economically speaking — to loosely quote Charles Dickens — this may be the worst of times. However, it may be the best of times to take a Las Vegas golf vacation.
Feeling the economic crunch just like the rest of the world, Las Vegas hotels, casinos, hotels and entertainment venues are offering incentives to make sure guests keep pouring into southern Nevada. Whether you're looking for a place to stay, a place to eat, a show to see or any other attraction, it's not hard to find bargains in Las Vegas right now.
Even getting to Las Vegas nowadays is fairly economical. Airfares from most major cities in early 2009 are running about $200 or less. And with gas prices less than half of what they were six months ago, driving from nearby states isn't a bad option either.
The incentives and discounts being offered by resorts are as good as they've been for quite some time, according to John DeMarco, managing director of LasVegasGolf.com.
"In many cases, resorts at all pricing levels have slashed their rates in an effort to attract guests to their properties," DeMarco said. "Even 'high end' properties such as the Bellagio, Venetian and Mandalay Bay have offered amazing room deals to entice guests."
Indeed, the luxurious Bellagio, for example, as of press time had an online promotion for a free third night after staying two nights, or rates on some nights as low as $129. There's also a Caesar's Palace special for as little as $125 a night, including a $25 dining credit. Or if you wanted to go off the Las Vegas Strip, you could stay at one of the Station Casino properties for $15 off the regular rate by booking online.
Save on green fees, too
Many of these resorts are also offering packages with golf. And depending on the days you want to go, you might be able to strike some pretty good deals.
You can also find packages that bundle courses such as the Lexington and Concord golf courses at the Revere at Anthem together with courses like Silverstone Golf Club and Painted Desert for special rates.
Las Vegas nightlife
After golf, of course, it's time to hit the tables or take in a show or two. Lately, some shows have been offering two-for-one admission or discounted tickets. Hotels also are packaging some shows with dinners. For example, all six Cirque du Soleil shows, including the new Criss Angel Belief show at the Luxor, are offering packages that include dinners at one of the respective hotel's restaurants.
Slideshow: Viva Las Vegas! There is also plenty to do for little or no charge if you are looking to save a little money. In addition to attractions such as the downtown Las Vegas Freemont Street Experience, the Bellagio Fountains show and the Sirens of Treasure Island pirate show, the volcano attraction in front of the Mirage just reopened. The Mirage partnered with Wet Design, which was behind the Bellagio Fountains, for the new show, which features fire shooters and a tribal-themed background beat by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.
And despite the economic downturn, don't expect the shows to run dry, said Alicia Malone, spokesperson for the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority. Divas Bette Midler and Cher, for example, replaced Celine Dion at Caesar's Palace, the Broadway production of Disney's "The Lion King" comes to Mandalay Bay in May, and ventriloquist Terry Fator, of "America's Got Talent" fame, opens a long-term engagement at the Mirage in March.
"We're continuing to bring in more shows and attractions and will continue to develop the destination even during these economic times," Malone said.


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Facing so many unknowns about multiple sclerosis, researchers explore the immune system, the neurons and the gut to fight the disease.
By simulating the changes that occurred during the warm Pliocene epoch, researchers are trying to predict Earth's future hundreds of years from now.
Call to Action
Editor's Note
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill wonders what it would be like if scientists could see into the past and the future.
By simulating the changes that occurred during the warm Pliocene epoch, researchers are trying to predict Earth's future hundreds of years from now.
Facing so many unknowns about multiple sclerosis, researchers explore the immune system, the neurons and the gut to fight the disease.
Experiments in mice show Alzheimer's protein can travel from the blood of an affected mouse to the brain of a healthy animal.
Friction in Enceladus' porous core could help heat its ocean enough to keep it liquid for billions of years.
Bit by qubit, scientists are edging closer to the realm where quantum computers will reign supreme.
Self-limiting genetic tools already in development may be able to get around concerns surrounding the use of gene drives.
An examination of 54 human brains suggests that adults don't grow new neurons in the hippocampus, contrary to several widely accepted studies.
Stress may change sperm via packets of RNA in the epididymis, a mouse study suggests.
Three orb-weaving spiders may have the shortest circadian clocks yet discovered among animals.
Pluto may be the only place in the solar system whose atmosphere is kept cool by solid hazes, not warmed by gas.
New simulations can better predict when pedestrians cause a bridge to shimmy.
By correcting genes in stem cells and growing new skin in the lab, a new therapy repaired a genetic skin disease.
The weirdest supernova ever has lasted more than three years, and may be the third outburst from the same star.
Sheep trained to recognize celebrity faces demonstrate that the animals have face-recognition capabilities similar to humans and other primates.
Reptiles with big bites complicate claims of Stone Age butchery.
New hypertension guidelines broaden the range of those considered to have high blood pressure and emphasize lifestyle changes to combat the condition.
International cholera strains, rather than local ones, have caused raging epidemics, according to research that examined the bacteria's DNA.
The most ancient spiral galaxy seen to date is 11 billion years old and could help reveal how galaxies sprout arms.
A fan of tiny, elegant plumes on their legs helps certain water striders dash across flowing water without getting wet.
Leafhoppers produce microscopic balls that absorb light rather than reflect it and help camouflage the insects' eggs.
50 years ago, scientists found that a lack of folic acid in pregnant women could cause birth defects. But now, how much is too much?
Nudibranchs' stolen meals blur classic predator-prey levels.
Reviews & Previews
'Bombshell' tells the story of Hedy Lamarr's double life as a Hollywood starlet and tech inventor.
The book 'A Cold Welcome' examines how the Little Ice Age and other climatic and geographic factors shaped colonial history.
Letters to the Editor
Readers raised questions about using gene editing tools to bring species back from the dead.
Science Visualized
Diseased corals fluoresce less than healthy corals, and a new analysis technique can help spot the reduced glow.


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Microsoft to kill Select Agreement rebates, rain cash on cloud deals
UK enterprise partners to lose 'hundreds of thousands' of pounds – sources
From tomorrow, Microsoft will put a bullet in Select Agreement rebates handed to UK business partners as part of a wider shake-up of the overall fees structure.
Licensing Solutions Partners (LSPs) were making 2.5 per cent in back-end margin based on a deal's revenues and used this to offer discounts to customers to get them to put pen to paper.
But it appears this was a problem for Redmond, which felt the money could be better spent elsewhere.
A number of LSPs we spoke to confirmed that Microsoft will replace Select Agreement rebates with the Next Generation Volume Licensing programme.
Details about this future incentive scheme are sketchy at best, and LSPs want Microsoft, for obvious reasons, to continue shelling out like-for-like rebates.
"LSPs will not be paid to manage Select Agreements, which is what the rebate was for," said one. "Contract management, reporting and all other sorts of operational aspects carry a cost to deliver."
One enterprise partner estimated that LSPs will collectively lose hundreds of thousands of pounds in Select Agreement rebates.
A Select Agreement allows the customer to buy extra software licences whenever they need them – an ongoing arrangement, paid monthly, where all a customer's orders over a year build up to get them better discount rates. It is, however, generally more expensive than software bought under a three-year Enterprise Agreement.
Microsoft's UK team is making this change locally – this is not a decision from Redmond – and the Blighty-based bods have the potential to insert financial accelerators for LSPs to drive whichever parts of the portfolio suit their strategy.
But a wider global overhaul to the LSP rebate programme is also to be introduced from 1 October, some three months after Microsoft initially gave partners a heads-up on the plans.
MS spending money to feed 'the cloud'
Generally, the fees Microsoft pays to LSPs transacting enterprise agreements look set to fall, with those selling licences to larger customers hit hardest, partners told El Chan.
"Overall there will be less money available [on EAs]," said one LSP, "The message from Microsoft is that is it realigning the fees to invest more in promoting the cloud".
He added: "[The rebate] relates to the mix and size of customers that you sell to. Those that sell to large customers will be hit more than those selling to medium sized corporates."
The fees paid out on cloud business are set to soar, but the problem for most LSPs is that their cloud revenue stream is developing and not large enough to offset declines in the classic on-premise portfolio fees.
Calculating the fees made on specific agreements seems to be as much of a dark art for partners as advising customers on which licences to opt for in the first instance.
LSPs had expected the introduction of the new structure to be delayed to give channel partners extra time to prepare for them.
The last major changes to LSP financial programmes came less than two years ago, forcing partners to reshape their product business to maximise rebates.
One LSP was pragmatic about the latest shift, commenting: "You might not like it but you have to grow with a vendor".
Microsoft told us that it "doesn't have anything to share at the moment, but will let [us] know if anything does come through". ®


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According to Alan Hahn of Newsday, Jerome Jordan is likely to miss the Knicks free agent camp June 8 and 9 at the Madison Square Garden training center. Jordan is still recovering from an appendectomy. I wouldn't say this is crushing to the Knicks as Jordan isn't even guaranteed to be brought across seas but this is definitely an inconvenience. With all the hype surrounding Jordan around the Knicks community, this is a letdown as the team will be unable to see him in person. With the upcoming lockout, the summer league may be wiped out, eliminating the Knicks ability to scout Jordan in person. This may lead to an impact with the upcoming draft in that the Knicks may be unsure of Jordan's ability which would prompt them to draft a center at 17. Hopefully Jordan can recover before June 8 and get into the gym to show Knicks hierarchy what he can do.
May 30 2011
Jerome Jordan to miss Knicks Free Agent Camp


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JUPITER, Fla. -- It's commonly assumed that the St. Louis Cardinals traded for Peter Bourjos as a pure defensive upgrade.
Consider that Bourjos, from 2010-2013, has amassed more value via Ultimate Zone Rating than any center fielder but Carlos Gomez. And he's done so in fewer innings than Gomez, playing a full season in just one of the past four.
It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that Bourjos simply isn't a good enough offensive player to stay on the field, regardless of his defensive value, by looking at his games played over the past two seasons. The bigger picture is more complicated.
Bourjos struggled in his 2010 debut at the plate, but his .271/.327/.438 slash line in 2011 was good for an OPS+ of 116. He drove the ball pretty well, with 49 extra-base hits, including 11 triples and 12 home runs. At age 24, he gave every indication of being not just a defensive specialist, but a complete player.
But the 2012 Angels made the decision to play Vernon Wells more regularly in the outfield alongside Mike Trout and Torii Hunter. Bourjos, relegated to a defensive replacement, got only 195 at-bats. And making it more difficult to get into any rhythm, those were spread out over 101 games.
So Bourjos dedicated himself to becoming the kind of player the Angels couldn't keep out of the lineup, revamping his swing and hitting the ball on the ground more.
"Last year, coming into 2013, I worked a lot off the tee," Bourjos told me in the Cardinals' clubhouse last week. "Really concentrated, had an emphasis on staying low, going hard up the middle. Line drives, and hard ground balls, and trying to keep the ball out of the air. I made an effort to do that.
"I set up the tee, and I had a high tee, and set up a pitch almost out of the strike zone. And I focused on hitting line drives with that, sitting on top of the baseball. And then I lowered the tee and hit the low pitch, tried to hit a low pitch through the infield. And I'd move the tee around, try a different approach, low and hard through the baseball."
And so it continued, two to three times a week at his offseason Arizona home, through November, then increasing to four, five, even six times a week straight into spring training. It was a first for Bourjos to keep hitting throughout the winter.
"It wasn't like I was taking 600 swings," Bourjos said. "But I'd say it was more like 100, 200 swings, but swings with a purpose."
That purpose, putting the ball on the ground more and achieving better results in the process, paid off for Bourjos in 2013. Bourjos posted a decent 46.8 percent ground ball rate in his strong 2011 season. By 2013, he'd increased that to 58.7 percent, good for a top-10 finish in ground ball rate among 2013 hitters with at least 170 plate appearances.
"You know it's there," Bourjos said. "It's just a matter of it coming in the game. It's a process. You get that feeling off the tee. Then you take it into BP, and then you take it into games. It doesn't come all at once. Certain things come easier. You might get that feeling in the tee, and then you get it later in the game. But eventually, it shows up.
"I felt it on and off through spring, and then April, right before I pulled my hamstring, I really felt like I was starting to get it, was consistent, felt like I had it every day. Then I pulled my hamstring. The first two weeks I came back from that, I felt great. I felt like I had really honed in on that, up the middle, a lot of line drives. When I was missing balls, they were balls in the gap, rather than what they had been, which was pop ups."
Not only did it show up for Bourjos in games, but the results were impressive enough that he'd forced his way into Mike Scioscia's starting luneup by June. On June 29, his season line stood at .333/.392/.457. His ground balls had mostly come at the expense of his fly balls, with his line drives staying pretty consistent.
"So it was all really happening," Bourjos said. "And then I broke my wrist."
That fateful pitch came from Jordan Lyles of the Houston Astros, and obscured what Bourjos believed would be his season to prove 2011, and not 2012, better represented him as a player.
"I really want to continue what I started last year," Bourjos said. "I really felt like I didn't get to finish that. And I think, with that approach, it's really helping me to control the strike zone. I'm starting to lay off pitches that I'd usually chase. I was hitting some pitches that I normally don't hit that well.
"I didn't have an opportunity to play in 2012. I just sat around, I didn't do a whole lot. I came in in the ninth inning, pinch-run or come in for defense. So I never had an opportunity to show people that 2011 wasn't a fluke. And I don't think a lot of people believed I could do that. I proved a lot of people wrong. And then I didn't have a lot of opportunities in 2012 and then last year, when I was playing well, I got hurt. So it's been a tough couple of years."
He attempted to avoid surgery and rehab it, but a 5-for-46 span in August and September ended weeks before the season did, with surgery to correct it.
"It really didn't feel 100 percent until I got here, a couple of weeks into camp," Bourjos said of his wrist. "It was still sore, the strength wasn't there. But now it feels really good. It's taken some time to get back to normal, but now it feels really good."
And while opinions may differ on his offensive potential, essentially everyone on the planet reacts to Bourjos' defense the way Lucille Bluth responds to Oscar's hair.
"He hasn't been tested that much," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Sunday morning during a morning media availability along the first base line. "But we're watching things in between pitches. We're watching his play away from the ball. His conscientiousness -- which I talk about, catchers and center fielders, I think that's one of the main criteria for a guy who's doing exceptionally well. You take a guy who's into every pitch. He's into how we're approaching a hitter. Counts, previous swings, it's all kind of dictating what he's doing in center, and how he's approaching the other outfielders.
"And that's all been spot-on. He's done a great job. He's always been given that reputation as a baseball rat, doing those little things. And his approach on those little details like that really support that statement."
Still, Matheny sees Bourjos as someone who can help fill out his lineup, not just support his overflowing stable of young pitchers in the field.
"He has the potential to be a very good offensive player," Matheny said. "He's got the bat speed. He's got, obviously, foot speed, which throws a whole different mindset on the defense and on the pitching. So there's things going on that he brings to the table automatically, that help him. And we think that he hasn't even tapped into the potential he has as an offensive player."


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The Pacquiao-Cotto fight fires up his appetite for Filipino food — and Tita's Kitchenette knocks him out
The Buzz
Tita's Kitchenette
2720 E. Plaza Blvd., Suite E,
National City; (619) 472-5801
Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
The food: Traditional Filipino cuisine
The scene: Lunch-line style cafeteria
The bottom line: Combo plates with rice and two entrees, $6.50; BBQ skewers, $2.75; sides and other appetizers, $3.50.
Parking: Strip mall parking lot.
Don't miss: The deliciously tangy chicken adobo, or the sweet BBQ chicken and pork skewers.
It was a Saturday night in November and
After one watches a 5-foot-6, 145-pound man exhibit such speed, power and agility, it is only natural to wonder what fuels him. This was the highest weight at which Pacquiao had ever fought, and, I thought, there must be some secret ingredient in his native land's cuisine that provided pounds of muscle while maintaining dexterity.
So, the next day I went with a friend to find out if Filipino food would give us the fuel needed to develop iron fists and sculpted six-packs. The dining room at Tita's Kitchenette in National City, an institution in the Filipino community for about two decades, was buzzing with excitement from Pac-Man's decisive victory.
Tita's is a cash-only, lunch-line style cafeteria in a strip mall serving traditional fare to a loyal local Filipino community and to dedicated fans who have come to love the unique mix of indigenous Malayo-Polynesian, Chinese, Spanish and Asian flavors that the Pacific archipelago produces.
"It's the comfort factor. It's the fact that you can go to Tita's and get the same food that your mom used to make, unchanged," said Anthony Sinsay, who grew up in San Diego in a Filipino family and now is executive chef at Harney Sushi. "I've been going there since I was a kid, and when I go now, I make sure to get there early so I can be sure to get my favorite things."
The service is fast, the prices cheap, and a single portion provides enough calories for a whole gym of hard-training boxers. The dishes are laid out along a buffet-style counter, and Filipino staples are dominant. There is lumpia (spring rolls), pancit (stir-fried noodles), kare-kare (oxtail and vegetables in peanut sauce), and dishes using goat, pork, beef and chicken.
Adobo is a good example of the mix of cultural influences in the Philippines producing a delicious result. It is a popular Filipino dish of braised chicken or pork that draws its name from the Spanish word for marinade, but incorporates Asian ingredients like soy sauce, bay leaf and vinegar into the preparation.
Meals are served as "combo plates" ($6.50, or $5.49 for a mini-combo plate), which come with two entrees and a mound of white rice as big as Pacquiao's biceps. The chicken adobo was a star of my combo plate, which was enough for three meals. The marinade was reminiscent of teriyaki but with more tang, and was so good I could not resist licking every last bit off my fingers.
They also serve pork and chicken barbecue skewers ($2.75 each) that are well-cooked with a sweet marinade and very popular. Tita's offers a lot of comfort foods like a version of chicken soup and sinigang, a popular Filipino stew with a sour flavor made with tamarind. The mechado — a beef stew with potatoes, pimento and tomatoes — was flavorful, well seasoned and mixed well with rice. Sisig, a minced meat dish with chili, liver and onion, is always in high demand by the regulars.
Newcomers at Tita's may be intimidated by the unfamiliar names on the menu, lack of descriptions and curt nature of the lunch-line servers, who, much like the fighter, can be intimidating, especially when someone holds up the flow of their line. Do not be afraid to point at the items, act friendly and ask questions, and the staff and longtime customers will point you in the right direction.
It is a good thing that the food shines at Tita's, because the dining room itself can be kindly referred to as drab. The surroundings are spare, with white tile floors, boring beige tables, simple black ceiling fans and very few decorations.
In the end, Tita's left us full and satisfied, providing the calories and protein needed for rigorous training, but, unfortunately, not the inspiration to hole up in a gym for hours a day or get up at dawn to run. I will keep knocking out the adobo and BBQ skewers, but probably leave the boxing to Pac-Man.
Tovin Lapan is a writer for SignOnSanDiego.com.


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Hi, I live in center city and am looking for either male or female to play singles with. would say am advanced beginner/intermediate level. Would like to play ideally at fitler courts in center city (25th and pine). Let me know if you are interested in playing! Abby
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Replies to This Discussion
hi, I am looking for a partner to play with also - same level as beginner/intermediate. I am rusty and would need some refreshing. I am near Exit 30 Cottman Ave. near Russo Park ( It has 3 decent tennis courts ) but never played at Fitler Courts. How is the parking situation there ?
I would be willing to come and play there as Center City is not that far.
When would you like to play - if you give me some choices, I can pick a time and day and we can take it from there.
Hey Abby I can usually play weekends if the weather is nice...but not weekdays as I am too busy with work. If interested let me know or give me a call 856-383-6683
I am available this week, 9/30. Seger Park is closest, 10th and Lombard. I can drive to 25th and Pine also. Am intermediate player, rated 3.5. Looking to rally for hour or two. Cell phone is 650-315-8252.
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Switch up to 16 sources and 16 displays using any combination of legacy AV equipment and new digital systems. The Modular Video Matrix Switcher supports up to 4K video resolutions on HDMI, but can also switch seamlessly from older legacy video formats.
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Switch audio and video with up to 4K (Ultra HD) resolution as well as extend signals up to 70 m with HDBaseT technology.
I/O cards to customize the switch
The system is completely modular and allows you to pick the input or output cards that fit your application. This switches support (2) or (4) input cards each with four inputs and (2) or (4) output cards. AVS800 has also a built-in analog audio card. Any combination of input and output cards can be used including VGA, HDMI, DVI, analog video, or HDBaseT for extension. The universal card even supports any kind of analog or digital input.
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Supported output cards
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Front-panel and IR remote control, plus IR, RS-232, Web interface, and TCP/IP control compatible with major control systems.
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Perfect for corporate, government, military, and education markets where signal management and distribution of high-resolution video signals and audio is crucial.
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Switcher Approvals —FCC, CE, UL
Connectors —
AVS800: (2) Input Card Slots, (2) Output Card Slots;
AVS1600: (4) Input Card Slots, (4) Output Card Slots;
(1) RJ-45 for TCP/IP Control
(1) DB9 Serial Port
(1) C13 Power Connector
Indicators —
(1) Power LED
(1) Text Screen
User Controls —
(16) or (20) Push Buttons for Source Selection
(7) Function Buttons
Environmental —
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F);
Operating Humidity: 90% non-condensing
Power — Input: 100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz
Dimensions —
AVS800: 8.8H x 48.3W x 32D cm (3.5"H x 19"W x 12.6"D)
AVS1600: 13.3H x 48.3W x 32D cm (5.2"H x 19"W x 12.6"D)
Weight —
AVS800: 3 kg (6.6 lbs.)
AVS1600: 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs.)
I/O Cards Approvals —CE
Connectors —
AVS-4I-HDM: (4) HDMI F for input, (4) 3-pin terminal blocks
AVS-4O-HDM: (4) HDMI F for output, (4) 3-pin terminal blocks
AVS-4O-HDB: (4) RJ-45 for HDBaseT output, (4) 3-pin terminal blocks for serial, (4) 3.5mm for IR
AVS-4I-DVI: (4) DVI-D F for input
AVS-4O-DVI: (4) DVI-D F for output
AVS-4I-VGA: (4) VGA F for input, (4) 3-pin terminal blocks
AVS-4O-VGA: (4) VGA F for output, (4) 3-pin terminal blocks
AVS-4I-UNI: (4) DVI-I F for input
Operating Temperature — 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F);
Power —Powered from Modular Video Matrix Switcher
Dimensions —each 2.5H x 19.5W x 16.7D cm (1"H x 7.7"W x 6.6"D)
Weight — each 0.2 kg (0.4 lb.)
AVS800 and AVS1600:
(1) Modular Video Matrix Switcher
(1) Power cord
(1) IR remote (cell battery not included)
(4) Plastic cushions
(1) RS-232 cable
(1) User manual
Live chat
Black Box Explains
Modular Video Matrix Switcher Datasheet
Flyer/Short Overview
Manual AVS1600
Nov 20, 2017
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WESTMINSTER – Police seek the public's help as they continue to search for a transient who fled from a traffic accident that left a pedestrian fatally injured.
Authorities on Thursday identified Derek Wright, 45, as the driver of a Dodge Ram that struck Shawn Keith, 34, on Wednesday night.
Keith was pronounced dead at UCI Medical Center in Orange shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday, several hours after police and fire crews responded to reports of a vehicle striking a pedestrian in the 14100 block of Springdale Street.
Investigators believe that Keith, who was not in a crosswalk at the time, was walking eastbound across Springdale about 8:30 p.m. when he was struck by a black pickup traveling southbound on the roadway.
Bystanders performed CPR on Keith, who had been thrown into the northbound lanes of Springdale by the force of the collision, Westminster police Sgt. Richard Mize said.
Keith, a Westminster resident, was taken to surgery at UCI but died a short time later.
The driver of the Dodge, who police suspect to be Wright, reportedly fled on foot before officers arrived, leaving his vehicle and a passenger behind.
Investigators believe Wright ran into a nearby residential tract and was able to elude a search of the area.
Wright was described as a white male, about 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds.
Police say Wright is a transient who is known to frequent the area around Springdale Street and Mahogany Avenue.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Wright's whereabouts to contact the Westminster Police Department's traffic division at 714-898-3315.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7939 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
A British fisherman thought he had a big one when his pole bent and the reel screeched, but it wasn't a mackerel fish on the line.
John Goldfinch snagged a scuba diver from the beach in Devon, and almost reeled the hapless diver in, before his girlfriend surfaced and removed the hook from her diving partner's crotch, according to the Telegraph.
"The funniest thing was that his girlfriend then surfaced, helped him remove my tackle from his tackle and nonchalantly handed the hook back to me and apologized," Goldfinch, 61, told the paper.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair said they were sorry and disappeared back into the sea.
Goldfinch said the incident would never have happened if the embarrassed diver and his girlfriend had been swimming with a diving buoy, as required. The Express reported the pair was swimming 50 feet from shore.
"My brother-in-law's a diver and he said it served the bloke right - at the end of the day he could have ruined his kit or even worse," Goldfinch told the Telegraph.


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Wine Style
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- Valpolicella Classico La Corte del PozzoVeneto, Italy£13.75 // bottle // pack
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The Parkinson's Voice Initiative is testing a new technology that aims to detect Parkinson's through a phone call.
While at Oxford, mathematician Max Little developed an algorithm to detect voice disorders. When he tried those algorithms to detect Parkinson's disease, he did so with about 86 percent accuracy, he writes on The Huffington Post.
Now, the Parkinson's Voice Initiative is in the process of analyzing 10,000 voices collected using the standard telephone network.
"This incredible and unique dataset will tell us whether it is possible to use something as ubiquitous as the telephone to detect and monitor the disease," Little writes. "This now becomes a 'big data' analysis problem, and until the analysis is done, we can't know for sure if it will work."
Somewhere between four and six million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease. The current form of testing is very costly, time-consuming, and logistically difficult, Little says. If this technology actually works, it would be possible to test roughly 75 percent of the world's population at a very small cost.
Watch Little's TED talk on the test below.


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|It's Mr Cupid to you...
They're soon suited and booted and on their way. Discussion en route is about the teams - after last time's double firing, there's three on one team and five on the other. A bit of elementary mathematics suggests that one candidate will move to the other team, making four each (with number skills like this, I have just ensured I'll never actually feature as a candidate myself... Still, that's Lord Sugar's loss). Alex, Prince of Darkness, tells Myles and Leah that he'll be project manager and make sure they'll win the task, no matter what. Leah looks unimpressed (though I think that's just her natural catsbum mouth).
The task reveal sees the candidates ranged in a function room in the Old Marylebone Town Hall, the busiest register office in London. Are they there to witness, finally, the marriage of Karren Brady and Nick Hewer? Or perhaps Lord Sugar and his ego? Nope. The task this week is to come up with an online dating concept and create an advertising campaign - a website and a television advertisement. They'll present it to a team of experts - but it'll be Shugs who makes the final call and decides which team has won.
They've got two days - let's see whether they can make a total hash of this one, just like the English wine sparkling lot did of theirs.
Now comes the team reshuffle, and Lord Sugar moves Jordan the Nondescript across to Endeavour (now comprising Myles (Broccoli Pants Smug Bastard), Leah (Bulldog Licking A Pissy Nettle) and Mr Vampire Himself. This leaves Evolve with Francesca (Squinty Eyeliner), Neil (Mr Motivator), Jason (Clickety-Boo) and Luisa (Through A Hedge Backwards).
But wait! Alex wasn't told he had to be PM - so will he get his way this time? Time will tell...
The teams head off to brainstorm. Myles reveals that the first time he saw a picture of his wife was online, but he doesn't elaborate any further. Thai bride? Come on, we're all thinking it.
Neil hasn't ever done online dating. He just doesn't think... He couldn't... He just doesn't... Luckily, Francesca's there to put his stammering into words - "you think it's for losers". Nice. But she's done it herself, so this could be an interesting dynamic AKA fight.
Alex is busy describing the many variations of sexuality to Leah, saying it's important that they cater for everyone. Leah's disgusted by the whole idea, wrinkling her nose and saying it needs to be done tastefully. Perhaps a medieval theme, eh, Leah, very classical. Alex puts her mind at rest, briefly...saying they won't have any of that 50 Shades Of Grey nonsense - but then again, he is Christian Grey of the Valleys. Now, if I'd read the tortuous bag o' shite that is 50 Shades, perhaps I could make more jokes here, but since my literary standards won't allow me to read such poorly-written drivel, I can't. Hey ho. On with the process.
Both teams are in Farringdon, at creative agency Karmarama (have a look at their website - there's a little lucky cat waving hello). Hilariously, one of the meeting rooms is entitled "Red" (I haven't read it, OK, I know nothing of the Red Room and what Grey gets up to in there). And it's on with the traditional first task - picking project managers. Will Alex be "it"?
Jason has headed a dating website before. And he's not been PM before. He goes into more detail, saying that his nickname on the website was "Cupid". And, just like that, he's project manager.
Alex lays out his credentials (no broccoli, thank goodness) - he's got experience of graphic design, websites and he's used dating websites before. BUT, what's this? Jordan has also thrown his hat into the ring. Alex interrupts Jordan to say that he's going to be good at business strategy too. What will Leah and Myles think? Leah says she thinks Jordan will have a better overview and not just focus on the website. Myles agrees. Is Alex happy? "Not really". But it's a done deal - and they crack on.
What's their target market? Young professionals. They're all on board with that. Jordan's role is obvious to him - make sure he coaxes the best out of everyone and ensure there's a clear theme running through the whole thing, from the website through the advertising materials. Wisely, he separates Leah and Myles from Alex - he's sent Frosty Face and Broccoli Drawers off to do market research and he'll stay and work with Alex on the website and branding. They may need to give it rather a lot of thought, given that Alex's first idea is "50 Shades Of Work".
Cupid Clickety-Boo and his team are thrashing out their target market. Over 50s seems to be going down well (are you in the "everything sounds like an innuendo" zone? Hmm, thought so), until Luisa suggests young professionals, because they know that market, because they are those. Except for her - she's a hairdresser's dream. Anyway, Jason wants to bring passion and vigour to the over 50s (what did he get up to in the back of that folding caravan trailer he sold last week, hmm?), but Luisa thinks it's a risk. Francesca's eyes narrow at the prospect...oh, no, hang on. That's just her face.
Myles and Leah are talking to the great unwashed about their online dating experiences in a market research bonanza. Myles has a camera, with which he takes photos of members of the public for their website. And one poor sap ends up being Leah's imaginary boyfriend, with Myles making all sorts of "hold hands" "look more wooden(!)" suggestions to the unfortunate blighter.
Luisa is struggling to relate to...well, anything. But mainly Jason's concept of the over 50s in lurve. She tries her best, asking him if the website should be "timeless, elegant, classic" (has she been at Leah's vocabulary?) or "cheeky, fun...a little bit on the line"? They want it very young and vibrant, apparently. Francesca and Neil are doing the market research, asking a focus group of their target audience what they'd like to see. Answer - classy. Not too cheeky. Market research feedback always gets followed through by Apprentice candidates, so I'm sure this will be no different.
Friendship and flowers is Francesca's suggestion - rather nice.
Back with the other team and Jordan and Alex are trying to get into the head of a woman (not literally - Alex prefers necks anyway). A professional woman who works long hours and doesn't want to spend her free time in a bar, waiting for men to come and talk to her. But Alex isn't sure that putting her on a throne and having her pick men is the way forward (sounds ace to me - c'mon, guys!). Jordan seems on the money - describing women choosing men in this way as strong and sexually liberated. Karren looks interested, keen even. But then Alex fucks it all up by saying, "But when men do it, it's like buying a wife from Russia" and Karren holds her head in her hands.
So, given that they're aiming for strong, professional women, they go for a brand name that speaks to modern working women. "Cufflinks". Mm, all the women I work with wear cufflinks, course they do. Fgs.
Neil and Francesca phone their feedback through to the other half of the team. Luisa, predictably, hates it, but they go with Friendship & Flowers, because they'd be "mad" to go against what their focus group has suggested. Looks like some lessons have been learned from "the process" thus far (anyone remember the heap of crap that was the Tidy Sidey? No? Thought not). Mind you, Jason doesn't like it much either - not enough vim and vigour for him. Still, they go with it. Half-heartedly. Ooh, goody - Shugs loves "half-hearted". It's about his favourite thing (after "blaggers" and "bullshitters").
Leah and Myles hear the name "Cufflinks" for the first time. And they hate it. Leah, as a woman, says the thing almost all women would say, "I don't wear cufflinks". But Jordan and Alex are set on it. The logo looks good, after all.
Jason's dragging his feet finalising the logo. Perhaps he'd be quicker if Luisa wasn't repeating over and over "make...a...decision", scathingly. And telling him he's given her a headache. And then bawling him out for not making a decision. Mm, maybe she should just let him bloody talk. Perhaps she could pop out and brush her hair or something? They attract hilarity from the people of Karmarama as they argue the entire length of the walk from the office (late to the next task, as Luisa's mentioned in passing half a million times already).
Evening, first day
Jordan and Alex are making Cufflinks look even more corporate than it already does (a big ask, but they're managing it), much to the derision of Karren. This is aimed at people between 20 and 30, they want fun, not sterile business presentations to look at.
And Alex won't let Jordan be an international spy on the mock-up resume on the site either. Sob.
Jason and Luisa are two hours late for their website developer. So they have an hour and a half to design three pages. So Jason puts Luisa in charge of the website design. And she's also going to ask him if he wants her to take over as PM. Ooh. Handbags.
Endeavour are talking about their telly ad. And deciding who'll play the ugly guy. Will it be...Alex? He'd be my first choice, fo sho. Eek! Put those fangs away!
Jason and Luisa didn't get the website finished. Neil's not happy with the coup Luisa's staging to oust Jason as PM. Will this be the undoing of Team Evolve? Shugs won't be happy about this tomfoolery... But Luisa's project manager - and Jason's stepped down (he says for the benefit of the team - and describes that team as "a nest of vipers with blood in their lips"). Happy days! The beginning of the second day sees Luisa and Jason back with the logo designer, designing a bus stop advert. Can they do it in under half a day? Let's hope so. Jason gives Luisa more of a chance than she did him - he doesn't yell "DO IT NOW, YOU GREASY FUCKER!" at her constantly.
Myles and Jordan are out gathering market research about their website. It's "corporate". And not much fun.
Amusingly, Alex the Vampire is with Leah and a camera crew to make the ad. I say "amusingly", because Alex seems to think he's some sort of film director. And top actor. Is that...cheese...I can smell?
Anyway, he's playing the part of "bad date" for the actress they have playing their lead, before she meets her "good date". And he's dressed in shorts, a T-shirt with a crucifix on the front and most of Francesca's eyeliner, seemingly. He looks hideous.
Neil and Francesca are filming their advert, in the altogether more sedate and, dare I say, elegant surroundings of a room wallpapered with some sort of flock. There's chintz. There's uncomfortable and ornate chairs. And there are two silver-haired folk, of at least 52 (you know, "the elderly"). Neil wants to say "ACTION". So he does. A number of times. And it all seems to be coming together rather nicely. Maybe they'll save Jason from the boardroom after all.
Or perhaps the other team will ensure that Jason gets a treat, not taken out the back and shot. Leah and Alex are doing their absolute best to help Jase out - by making a total cock of the advert shoot. They're both trying to direct it. Surely this'll end in tears. Maybe Karren's - she's looking on in frustration - it's "mayhem".
However, back at the Friendship & Flowers shoot - Nick Hewer's not impressed either. The advert is "mumsy and cosy" not "classy". It's his age group - and he'd run a mile.
Myles and Jordan are at back at the advertising company's offices, looking at photos from their ad shoot. Photos, specifically, of Alex - as their bad date character, Herbert. As Jordan highlights - the risk with Alex is that he'll end up some way from the original brief by putting his own spin on it. And, indeed, the photos demonstrate that he's "gone panto" and ended up being a total Aladdin cockstain. Even Dame Wishy Washy couldn't fix that one...
Two from each team put the finishing touches to their ads, whilst the other two work on the wording for their pitches. Jordan's decyded to let Myles lead thys one and Myles is quick to hylyght that he thinks thys ys a mystake (I'll stop now, I can't keep it up - unlike Myles, who continues to spell his name with a "y" - the prick).
Luisa and Jordan applaud Neil and Francesca for their advert, complete with middle-aged lady winking over her shoulder at the camera, before disappearing for a pint, a pie and a quick fumble round the back of the cinema. Romance, eh, can't beat it! Neil reckons they'll either love or hate the wink. I think that's so vague as to probably be true.
But, what's this? More trouble for Evolve - they can't decide who's going to do the pitch. Luisa wants to. But so does Neil. Given Neil's track record with public speaking at the team-building task, surely Luisa would be a fool to turn him down. But - oh, yes. Luisa's a fool. She'll sleep on it, then decide it's her in the morning, apparently.
The Alex the Herbert Panto advert is being viewed by Team Endeavour. Myles and Jordan are speechless, initially. But then Myles speaks - and he's got concerns. It's verging on silly and he has to pitch it to some serious people. But - c'mon, chaps - they let Alex loose with a camera. What did they expect?
The pitch
A whole lotta advertising execs and dating website experts see Luisa's pitch - beginning with the "work in progress" website, which gets raised eyebrows and scornful mouths and wrinkled noses and I couldn't see their ears, but I don't think they were impressed either. And then the advert with That Wink - which attracts hoots of laughter. So, very much the reaction Team Evolve were after then...
The feedback is full-on and scathing. They've played safe, but they've also positioned it wrongly - 50 plus isn't that old, they've targeted the 80 plus market and the ad could've been in a funeral parlour. The wink made them cringe. And the website was unfinished.
Evolve leave, with Luisa saying they listened to the focus groups too much and Francesca pointing out that they had to listen to someone, because they didn't know anything about the target market. Ouch.
Next up, Endeavour's Cufflinks.
Myles starts strongly, opening the pitch with the website, saying they wanted it easy to use and functional - and then introduces "Herbert" - who epitomises bad dates. The audience aren't sure. If "aren't sure" means "nauseous".
Still, on with the advert. And it makes the audience laugh in what might not be a 100% mocking sort of way, which is pretty good.
But what's this? The audience is also full of young professionals - and not one of them's wearing cufflinks - so the name's wrong, surely? Still, Alex tries to explain. Then bites the woman for asking. Mwahaha.
Also, the advert and the website don't go together - there's a fundamental disconnect there.
As the two teams travel to the boardroom, Shugs takes calls from the experts, to give his tongue lashing substance.
How did Jordan get on as PM? But, first, why didn't people vote for Alex as PM, Karren wonders? Does he know? No. Thud. So they play the advert and Evolve piss themselves laughing at it. Shugs isn't quite so amused - why didn't Herbert feature on the website?
Was Jordan a good PM? His team say yes. Karren points out that he was a good delegator - Myles did the pitch, Alex was in the advert, Leah directed. Is he "the great statesman" who doesn't like to get his hands dirty? Jordan says no, he wanted to get the best out of his team.
Jordan gets a rest as the spotlight turns to Team Evolve and Jason's project manager hokey-cokey. Surely Mr Cupid was the obvious choice for PM - what went wrong? Jason tells it one way (he decided to relinquish the reins), Francesca tells it another (Jason buckled under the pressure) - but Nick Hewer gives the definitive story - Luisa nipped at his heels like a terrier at a bewildered sheep and drove him into a corner in "the most disgraceful display of bad manners" he's seen "in many a long day". Ooh, that'll go down well with Lord Sugar (remember, this is the man who has the final say on the advertising task - so he can pretty much get rid of whoever he chooses this task - canny, Shugs, very canny).
Can Luisa defend herself? She blames Jason for taking 45 minutes to choose the colours on the website - Neil asks if she should be taking some responsibility for that too.
Lord Sugar congratulates Evolve on being the first team ever to have a PM abdication - it's a "bloody mess" - and he goes on to pull apart their website. Or, rather, the single page of the website they've half finished. Then they run the ad. There's some tumbleweed, Leah yawns ostentatiously and a tortoise ambles past.
It finishes, quietly. And Lord Sugar (the wag) says it made Last Of The Summer Wine look like an action movie. Yowzers.
The result
Lord Sugar says his industry experts are somewhat at sea. Endeavour have a funny advert - and they often pay off. But their website is ditchwater dull. So they failed miserably in the coordination - it's disjointed.
As for Evolve - they picked the right market (big tick, Jason), but it was boring. And the wink was cringe-worthy. The only thing going for it was that it was cohesive. What, like it was all shite? Seemingly - because Evolve have lost the task.
Endeavour's prize? They're off to Mayfair to taste
And Team Evolve - they need to go and have a long, hard think about being total shits and come back for a whipping in the boardroom in a bit.
The caviar scoffers are eating it off the backs of their hands (is this the done thing? I'll stick with actual fish fingers, I think, made of fish and breadcrumbs and white beards and twinkly eyes - that's right, isn't it? Only the best at the Captain's table! #jollysmile Or something. Anyway, I'd rather that than the fishy hand slurping that's going on from Endeavour). Jordan doesn't think it's fair that he was told he delegated and wasn't responsible for anything - he was responsible for the success of the whole task. I think that caviar's gone to his head.
Cafe of Sorrow
Neil describes their performance as "a joke". He's embarrassed to be a part of it. Luisa says it's not Jason's fault that they failed (an attempt at avoiding boardroom blame?).
Anyway, they're in the boardroom. And who's Shugs talking to, as project manager? Both Jason and Luisa. Why didn't they go for cool and vibrant as Jason had wanted? Francesca says the focus group hated it. Why didn't they go with their gut instinct? Why didn't Francesca and Neil give better feedback from the market research? And the advert was boring, boring, boring.
Jason is nice about how Luisa dismantled his project manager role, saying he thinks she probably felt she was being constructive, but it wasn't an approach that helped him. He stepped aside because he felt they'd waste more time bickering if he didn't. Very noble.
So, who does Jason think should come back into the boardroom? Francesca. And who does Luisa want back? Neil. They can't even agree on that! But Francesca says that if her input, with making a finished advert, is a problem, then they should bring her back in, so Neil goes safely back to the house.
Shugs asks Nick and Karren what happened on the task - is Luisa powerful? Karren says that Jason tries to come across as a deep thinker, but he's really just a ditherer. Nick isn't impressed with the choice to bring Francesca back - she was calm and collected. Perhaps Jason's frightened of Neil. But did Francesca ask the right questions in the market research? Maybe she just told them how she'd wanted to be a policeman.
Back in the boardroom
So, Jason, why's Francesca back in the boardroom? She was the director of the video and didn't get good feedback from the focus group. Francesca narrows her eyes. Or maybe that's just her, you know, eyes. But she defends herself - she made the video based on the theme Jason went with (the one she got the duff feedback to create, but she glosses over that bit). Weirdly, Luisa goes into bat for Francesca, meaning Shugs turns the spotlight onto her and Jason. Who should be fired? I wonder what she'll say... Oh...! No surprise there - she wants Clickety-Boo out of the picture.
But what's this? Shugs doesn't want to hear from Francesca or from Luisa (who he thinks intimidated Jason with her constant "we need to make a decision!" banging on) - he wants Jason to speak. And Jason is rather eloquent - he says that if the team works together, the team wins and nobody on the team is fired. Francesca rolls her eyes and tries to speak, but Lord Sugar asks her what she doesn't understand about "shut up". Nicely done, Shugs.
But why did Jason give up the project manager role? He says that he could have said shut up, I'm PM, I'll rule the roost...but he took the courageous decision to step down. Shugs isn't sure that it was "courageous". Luisa and Francesca continue being shrill at Jason, till Lord Sugar shuts them up.
Francesca - produced an advert that was a total mess.
Jason - last week, Shugs was impressed by his caravan sale last week.
Luisa - he's very concerned that they'll have more problems with her. Shugs felt that he browbeat Jason and wore him down.
But, nice, academic fellow that he is, it's the end of the road for Jason, as Lord Sugar points the finger of fire at him.
And I, for one, will actually miss him rather a lot - we're left with Luisa and Francesca - out for themselves and nasty of character. Shugs, you've got it wrong, mate, this time. Tsk.
Karren wants to follow Luisa next week to see if she's a strong businesswoman or whether she'd just be too hard for Lord Sugar to handle (c'mon, Brady, see through her!).
And we're left with the "magnificent" seven, as they come up with their own ready meal.
Will it be a chilling experience, or will they savour the moment? We'll have to wait till next week to find out.


text:
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The Path To a Pedicure Is Painful/
When my mother was gestating me back in the days of yore, she was told she was having a boy. For ten months I listened (in utero) to people referring to me as a 'him.' My parents bought blue baby clothes and lovingly picked out a boys name to bestow upon me when I finally made my grand entrance.
When Dr. Rose held my squalling slimey body up by the ankles for my exhausted mother to view for the first time my father looked up and joked I had the smallest penis he had ever seen.
I was born without the promised stem. I've been trying to recover it ever since.
Perhaps due to all the subliminal manly messages I received as I was percolating in the womb, I have never been much of a girly girl. I can count on two fingers the times I paid a stranger to glue fake nails onto my finger tips, only to spend the next 96 hours chewing them off like an angry beaver.
I am a boy stuck in a woman's body. I'm okay with that, mostly because I get to play with my boobs whenever I want to.
My husband knows this and sadly accepts the fact his wife is often more manly than he is. He jokes that I'm woman enough in the bedroom and that's all that matters. Really I think he only puts up with me because I can string barb-wired fence and never curse about breaking a nail.
But last week I decided I was going to change my manly ways and try embracing the feminine side of life. I started wearing an apron while cooking (only because it had skull and crossbones on it) and was somewhat surprised by how feminine it made me feel.
There might be something to this woman crap, I thought to myself. So in a daring maneuver I phoned my friend, a local business owner who runs a small spa in a town nearby and told her I was coming in to see her.
"Why? To make fun of me again?" she laughed?
"Nope. I decided to try out one of those pedicure things you are always harping about. It's sandal season and I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about."
I really didn't think much of it before walking into the salon. When I saw all the other gussied up women I looked down at my grubby jeans and stained teeshirt and was just thankful I remembered to run a brush through my stringy hair so I didn't look like a completely homeless bum.
My friend saw me and lit up like a christmas tree. Then she saw my cowboy boots and sighed.
"Tanis, would it have killed you to wear sandals? Sheesh."
"Whaat? What's wrong with the boots?" I asked, genuinely befuddled. "They're comfortable!"
She shook her head and led me to her pedicure station and told me to roll up my pants and take off my boots. After I pried my foot wear off and tried to rub all the sock lint out from between my toes she sighed and muttered something about having her work cut out for her.
Gesturing to the tub of hot water beneath the chair she told me to stick my feet in and just relax. "Let the water work it's magic," she told me.
Peering down I half hoped to see magical water with leprachaun blood or something mixed in the water. Sadly, I was disappointed.
"Magic eh? Whatcha got in there? Acid?" I half joked.
She rolled her eyes at my naivety and then said something about hoping to one day try fish.
"Fish?" I asked. "I just got the cutest aquarium. But I don't think these tubs would make a great aquarium. Hard to see through the plastic walls." Cuz I am a dumbass.
"No, you dumbass," she laughed. "Carp. It's all the rage in the high end sophisticated salons of the world. I'd like to try it myself and see if it's worth the hassle of keeping them."
Puzzled, I scratched my messy hair as the water swirled around my feet, feeling very unmagical. "You mean a fish pedicure? How does that even work?"
She explained that dozens of little carp chew off the dead skin on the feet and help soften the skin.
"That's disgusting." I mean, what next? Beavers used to trim the toenails?
"You are such a hillbilly."
"No, I'm a REDNECK. Get it straight woman," I laughed while still trying to get over the gross image of fish nibbling on my toes.
After the nonmagical waters swirled for what she deemed to be an appropriate amount of time she lifted on of my feet out of the tub and towel dried it. "Sheesh Tanis. You have hobbit feet."
"I do not!" I huffed very indignantly. I have cute feet!"
Apparently my version of cute feet and hers are very different, or so she told me after explaining to me that cute feet don't have enough hair on their toes to shear and weave into a small blanket. What-evah. Muttering something about wanting to wax my toes (wherein I snottily replied "Over my dead body!) she leaned over and grabbed a wicked looking tool and held it to my feet.
"Um, what is that and what are you planning on doing with it?" I asked as I eyed the curious looking implement. It reminded me of a cheese grater.
"I'm going to shave the dead skin off your feet. This might take awhile. Hold still so I don't cut you."
Words every virgin pedicure victim wants to hear. Great.
As she went to town on my stumps a large pile of skin shavings quickly grew. Then she slipped.
"Ow! That hurt!" I said as I yanked my foot out of her talon like grasp.
"Whoops. I told you to stay still."
Feeling duped by this distinctly and now bloody unmagical experience, I held my foot as still as stone and hoped I would be able to walk after she got down shearing my flesh off.
With a sigh of relief (from me) and a shudder of disgust (from her) she reached back into her tool box and grabbed another tool.
Then she started jabbing at my toenails.
"Ouch. What the hell?"
"I'm making your feet pretty. Don't be such a baby," she growled as she stabbed at the nail bed of yet another toe.
Oh ya. This experience? Truly magical, I thought to myself as I peered at my toes to see if they were bleeding. After what seemed like forever, she then grabbed her chainsaw toenail clippers and asked how short I wanted my toenails to be.
"You mean you don't just trim them all the way down?" What kind of weird ass pedicure is this anyways?
"No Tanis," she sighed and then started talking to me like I was a tantruming two year-old. "Some people like theirs a little longer so they look prettier when painted."
"Isn't the whole point of the pedicure just an overpriced experience to have one's toenails cut? You're telling me some people don't even want them cut?"Â Rolling her eyes so hard I'm sure she hurt herself, my friend (who was likely wondering why she was my friend in the first place) just sighed and started hacking at my nails.
Then she filed them. With a vengeance. I'm sure she was taking out some of her inner frustration because when I yelped from the heat of the friction she was creating she laughed. An evil laugh. And called me a pansy.
I squeezed out three kids the size of overgrown watermelons and I'm fairly certain it was a more pleasant experience than I was experiencing in a small swanky spa.
When she was down filing my toenails down to the nubs, she looked up and laughed at my facial expression. "Come on sissy. You are almost done. What colour would you like your toenails painted?"
"None," I huffed. "Keep them bare."
"Tanis, you said you wanted the full pedicure experience. That includes a paint job. And trust me, your feet need all the help they can get to be pretty and distract from the ugly hobbit thing you've got going on," she joked as she pulled on my toe hair.
My hobbit feet before the pedicure.
"Fine. Red. Bright red. To match the blood pouring out of my feet." An old lady sitting next to me getting a pedicure looked up in horror and then quickly gazed at my feet to see if I was really bleeding. My friend grabbed more toe hair and yanked as she smiled to the elderly patron and told her to "Ignore my friend. She tends to exaggerate whenever they let her out of the mental ward."
How my hobbit feet were supposed to turn out after the pedicure.
The old woman looked at me to see if I had a sign stamped "Nut Job" on my forehead and then nodded and once again turned her attention to her own nasty feet.
After my friend painstakingly applied the red polish to each of my now somewhat shorter toes, I looked down and asked, "Is that it?"
What my hobbit feet rather look like right now. Only with more hair and less pigmented skin.
"Nope. Now we wait for the polish to dry, then I'll lube your feet up and give you a good massage to get you on your way."
Funny, that sounds startling familiar to what my husband might say, I joked. The old lady next to me did NOT laugh. Heh.
When all was said and done and I stood at the register to pay for my bill my friend smiled coyly and said, "Don't forget to tip me."
"Are you kidding me? First I'm shelling out big bucks to have you to hold a razor blade to my skin, stab at my toes, surgically shorten them and then apply paint to cover up my injuries. Now you're telling me I'm supposed to tip you? For hobbling me?" I laughed incredulously.
"Yep. If you think that's bad, wait until you have to tip me after I convince you to let me take a weed wacker and some wax to your bush."
After I hobbled to my car, I decided I wasn't cut out to be a girly girl.
It takes bigger balls than I have to be beautiful.
Somehow, I'm okay with that.


text:
Dude, We've Been There…
2 Responses to "Dude, We've Been There…"
Gbpfan Says:
January 25, 2010 at 12:14 pm |
Wow. Were these the same fans that were rubbing Fav-ra in our faces for the last six months. Haha, well then don't come crying to us. We warned you. Have a fun, Brent-waffling offseason, Vikes fans.
PackerBelle Says:
January 25, 2010 at 9:54 pm |
What is amazing is how Viking fans basically gloated every time Favre did something exactly like this and every year he waffled on retiring. Yet somehow they deluded themelves into thinking he wouldn't do that with them.


text:
Remember when the U.S. model of "flexible" labor markets, deregulated transportation and innovative finance was supposed to be an example to the world? Freed from the constraints of minimum wages, burdensome product regulations and troublesome unions, American corporations would develop qualitatively superior products at competitive prices.
Today our financial architecture is in shambles and the U.S. is easily surpassed in most measures by such social democratic pariahs as Sweden and Germany, where unions are strong and wages - and vacation time - relatively generous.
Meanwhile, what has happened to the core productive capacity in the U.S.? Why have corporate managements failed to deliver on the promise of unleashing new waves of product innovation and productivity enhancements?
Writing in the February issue of Dollars and Sense magazine, University of California at Chico economist Michael Perelman points out that the U.S. does lead the world in one category. That leadership role does a lot to explain our current travails.
U.S. corporations rely on a far higher percentage of supervisory personnel than any other advanced economy. In 1890, supervisory workers made up less than 1 percent of the U.S. labor force. Today they represent nearly 16 percent. "Rather than empower workers to take on more responsibility, employers restrict workers' auton-omy by relying instead on guard labor, supervisors," Perelman wrote.
Examples abound, and some may provide possible clues to recent news items. Perelman cites work on the introduction of computer controls in the paper industry. When these first were introduced the system was accessible even by frontline production workers. Workers used this new information to make profitable modifications of the production process, but management soon moved to limit access.
Why? Doesn't profit maximization drive management? The real question is profits for whom. In our current political economy, where ownership and control of capital assets is concentrated in a few hands (sometimes even stockholders have little voice), corporate executives worry about workers who become too knowledgeable. "To admit that workers have something to contribute - besides blindly carrying out the demands of management - undermines the ultimate rationale for management's dominance," Perelman wrote.
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Equally, knowledgeable workers are in a better position to demand higher wages. Broadening worker control of the production process may increase sales and total revenue, but management and stockholders may find they receive a smaller share of that increased pie. Thus capital markets and even many banks are often wary of lending money to such "unconventional" enterprises. In addition, beyond these narrowly economic motives, the exercise of power can become intoxicating in itself, a source of entrenched personal identity.
What are the consequences of workplaces organized around management prerogatives and distrust of workers? Most of us don't like taking orders or being treated as naturally devious or stupid. The rise of guard labor is not an inevitable feature of modern technology. The U.S. employs about twice the percentage of supervisory personnel as does Sweden. Not only does the proliferation of supervisors add costs, it wastes workers' capacities and sometimes even channels them into destructive ends.
The Los Angeles Times reports on unsuccessful efforts by production line Toyota workers to call management's attention to persistent quality problems years in advance of current recalls. In response to persistent and often demeaning supervision, workers in certain historical junctures have rebelled.
Perelman cites a late '60s auto plant where workers revolted against the production of a poorly designed car. When management rejected their suggestions, they initiated a counterplan by deliberately omitting parts.
The implications of this management model go beyond the individual firm. Perelman points out that one consequence of the decline of U.S. manufacturing has been shrinking incentives to invest in productive activity here.
When businesses are less innovative in quality and cost, customers are lost, and workers see their incomes decline. Capital then turns to finance, where the wealthy devise new schemes to lend money to a stretched middle and working class. Finance comes to represent a large share of corporate profits, dominates politics and pushes a strong dollar, thereby further hurting exports.
The finance bubble, full of deceit and manipulation, has itself been one leg of a squishy productive model. Important as it is to reform and rebuilding finance, workers gaining a stronger voice and stake in productive enterprise is equally vital.


text:
by Terry Hemphill
Times Square by Bert Monroy
"Adobe Illustrator was crucial for Times Square because of the sheer size. Everything being resolution independent, everything was planned in Illustrator. It's a 25-foot file. If I had done it completely in Photoshop, it would have been a 130-foot file—which Photoshop can't handle."
Artist Profile
Bert Monroy has had a long career in the graphic arts. His first printed piece appeared in 1963, and by the early 1980s he and a business partner had their own ad agency. It was his partner who had the idea to computerize. "I told him fine, get your computer, but don't expect me to be entering data," said Bert.
Soon enough, though, Bert was experimenting with early graphic arts programs like MacPaint. "I got hooked," he remembered, and he even created one of the first graphic arts packages, "Human Forms," a clip-art collection of more than 1,000 human forms in different positions.
When Illustrator 1.1 debuted in 1987, Bert got hooked once again. Illustrator was "clean and sharp," and without the "pixelated look of MacPaint."
"I just went crazy with Illustrator. I started using it for all kind of things. Everything I could, I would do in Illustrator. That became my major tool."
Bert kept up with every new version of Illustrator, and his own evolution as a digital artist kept pace. One of his favorite tricks became playing with the resolution-independent capabilities of the program: "I could create as much detail as I wanted and then shrink it down as much as I wanted, yet preserve the detail and integrity. I once made a drawing of a Mac Plus into a tiny dot. It added 20 minutes to the processing time on a Linotronic 300—but to be able to do that!"
At Photoshop World 2006, Bert unveiled what was, at the time, his largest and most ambitious work: Damen, a digital painting of a Chicago train stop created in Illustrator and Photoshop. A massive work, it measured 40 inches by 120 inches and 1.7 gigabytes. It took nearly 2,000 hours over the course of 11 months for Bert to create it, and Illustrator was integral to his process.
"These little arches are a perfect example of the blend tool. To get that perspective, I would create a single arch, put it closer to the viewer, then I would duplicate it and shrink it and put it in position at the end. The blend tool was crucial."
Just a few years later, Bert would outdo himself yet again with his painting Times Square. But through it all, Illustrator was the foundation of many of his paintings. "I don't touch traditional media anymore," he said. "With Illustrator and Photoshop, I can get more detail, I can change my mind, I can change colors. It's enhanced my workflow. My imagination just flows—it's not hindered by tools." With traditional media, Bert "would lose the feeling for an image after changing colors and cleaning tools." Running out of tools would never be a problem in Illustrator.
The Time Square illustration is AMAZING!