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No, Morgan Spurlock's not hiding behind Klingon makeup or a superhero mask: you won't see the documentary impresario in his new film "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope," which opens April 6, but his geek heart fills every frame.
After spending his youth fantasizing about what it would be like to one day attend San Diego's annual Comic-Con International, the world's largest gathering of comic book, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and pop culture aficionados, Spurlock ("Super Size Me," "30 Days") was finally able to realize his dream in 2009, while shooting segments of "The Simpsons'" 20th-anniversary special.
The documentarian instantly connected with the kookily passionate vibe that permeates the Con, and at the suggestion of no less than Marvel Comics' Stan Lee, he quickly settled on making the center of nerd nirvana the subject of his next film.
Gaining unprecedented access, Spurlock bypassed his familiar technique of putting himself at the center of the on-camera action. Instead, he intimately focuses on a collection of smaller stories, both dramatic and comedic, playing out among real-life archetypes representing the Comic-Con faithful: two aspiring comic book artists showing off their work to publishers; an amateur costume designer trying to garner attention with her eye-popping creations; a longtime retailer of comic book back issues wrestling with the need to sell one of his most prized issues to keep his business afloat; a young fan nervously trying to pull off a very public proposal to the geek-girl of his dreams, and more.
Amid all this, Spurlock sprinkles in commentary from Con knowns (Lee, "Avengers" director Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Seth Rogen, Eli Roth and Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles among them) and unknowns alike. The director gives PopcornBiz and x-ray vision peek into the making of the movie.
This is a movie made for the obsessive by the obsessive, right?
I am such an obsessive, absolutely. I'm such an obsessive it's terrible, but it's great. That's the thing: there's not a lot of things that I really obsess about, but when I do, I REALLY do. I obsessed over 'Lost.' 'Battlestar Galactica' – that reboot was one of the greatest things ever made. I was such a freak for that show. As a kid there were just things that I loved. I loved video games. I could not get enough. Why I loved Plastic Man I don't know, but God, I loved Plastic Man! I understand a lot of that passion and a lot of that drive. That's why I wanted to make sure that the people we followed, that we made them real people. I didn't want to create cartoons. I didn't want people to laugh at them. I felt like there had been a lot of movies where that's what it was, like a fly-on-the-wall freak show. That's not what it is. That's what people love to think that Comic-Con is, and it's not.
No one's ever been granted this level of access to Comic-Con. How were you able to persuade them to give you free reign?
I don't think that they would've said yes to me had I not had the dream team on this movie. I think that Comic-Con would've been totally freaked out if I would've just come forward and said that I wanted to make this movie. They would've been, like, 'Oh, what's he going to do now? Who's he going to expose? What's he want to say? He's going to talk about the corporate influence over Comic-Con.' At the time when I first met with them Thomas Tull and Harry Knowles weren't even on board yet. It was literally the weekend. I met Stan Lee on Friday and Stan said, 'We should make a documentary about Comic-Con!' I said, 'Yes, we should – that would be amazing. We should definitely do that.' The next day I had breakfast with Joss Whedon, which was set up through my agent at CAA. By the next morning we'd kind of fleshed out a little more what the idea with the film would be, following different people who represent Comic-Con into this pop culture Mecca and telling the story of it through their eyes, so we told Joss, and Joss was like, 'I love it – I'm in!' Then I went right to meet my friend who's on the board of trustees, the board of directors for Comic-Con and that's when he said, 'Listen, we've said no to this to probably 25 people over the last two decades - But this time it just might work.'
I've done about ten Comic-Cons, both as a fan and as press, and even I had some revelations watching this movie. What were some of your revelations?
Well, I think the biggest surprise for me was Comic-Con as geek job fair, which I had no idea. You had this idea of it just being geek trade show versus geek job fair, so you go there and it's not just people trying to sell you swag and the next new thing that's coming out – the next new trinket, the next new toy or whatever it is – but it's people who are going there with their wares to say, 'I'm worthy – Please let me be a part of this cool thing that I've loved since I was a kid.' Whether you're [aspiring comic book artists] Eric Henson or Skip Harvey, who are coming in with their portfolios and trying to get a job at a Marvel or a DC or a Dark Horse, or someone like Holly Conrad who's coming in with her costumes and competing in the masquerade, saying, 'I want to use this as a calling card to get me into really being a professional.' So, for me, that was really eye-opening.
You zeroed on the heart of Comic-Con: the people who make it happen. Were you tempted to include anything on the sort of politics of Comic-Con, the overwhelming presence of the Hollywood studios marketing their product and that sort of thing?
Well, we touch on it. You hear Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon talk about it. You hear Harry Knowles allude to it where he talks about how it's not just so much about comics anymore, but for me I feel like the studios get so much play already. That gets attention, but that's not what the majority of Comic-Con is. That's what gets covered in the press because that's where the big stars show up. That's where Schwarzenegger or Angelina Jolie or whoever walks into Hall H and people go crazy. What gets press? Big star names get press, but that's not what Comic-Con is. That's not where the majority of the people spend Comic-Con. Hall H is 6,000 people. There's a 144,000 other people that aren't in Hall H.
How were you able to shoot a film like this for a particular audience, but also make it so universal that you're able to put the film out there for regular people, too?
I think the biggest thing, which I try to do with a lot of my work because I think you can track a much bigger audience by making something that's entertaining, I feel like if you can make someone laugh, make someone listen…I think there's a tremendous amount of humor and heart within this film. I think what this film also does very well, rather than other films in the past that looked at Cons or obsessive fans or whatever, is it humanizes everyone in this movie. Every character that we follow in this film is incredibly human. There's something very relatable. You start rooting for Holly. You're rooting for [fan couple] James Darling and Se Young. You're wanting [Mile High Comics owner] Chuck Rozanski to make it for his business. You really start caring for these people and that's something that you normally never get and I think that makes a very different film and a different experience. I think that makes it a lot more accessible.
Was there any pressure for you to be in the picture, given your profile in your previous projects?
No. There were people, investors, when we were chasing money to make the movie, who said, 'We're not going to give you the money if you're not in it.' I was like, 'Great – then don't give me the money.' I told my partner Jeremy, 'We'll find someone to fund this movie.' I said, 'I really believe that.' We probably met with four or five different financiers where that was their holdout. They said 'Well, we'll do it, but you have to be in the film,' all of them. I was like, 'Absolutely not.' Then finally when we met Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary Pictures, the guy who is the king of genre movies right now, and I said, 'Here's what the film is about.' Thomas also produced 'It Might Get Loud,' and so I knew that he liked documentaries. I had just read an article about him in 'Wired' magazine where there was a full-page profile of Thomas and I said, 'I want to meet Thomas Tull.' I said, 'He will get this movie.' Nobody does it better or bigger than him. I went and met with him, and he said yes in his office. He goes, 'I am in.' He goes, 'I'll find some other people to come in with me. We'll find the funds for the movie, but I'm tell you right now that I'm in.' I said, 'I'm not going to be in the film.' He said, 'Great. I'm in.'
It's quite amazing that the stories of all the people you follow in the film worked out in such interesting ways.
And there were people that we followed that didn't! We followed about ten people in there. Alodia Gosiengfiao was one of the people that we followed – the cosplayer who's so fantastically cosplayed up, the Filipino girl. Her story is amazing, but it just didn't work in the context of our film. She's a professional cosplayer. She gets flown around the world to show up and look bananas. She's walking around in her Witchblade costume and she looks amazing. She looks like an anime character, and that's her full time job. And then we followed a guy and his sister. We were filming in Colombia, South America, and they were launching a comic book around a hero folklore, this slave who kind of broke free and basically started to free his people. They made a comic book about this guy, so they invested all their money into this comic book. They mortgaged their house, and they said, 'We need to find someone who can help us distribute this in the States so we can get into the Latin American market there. The only chance for us to do that is to go to Comic-Con.' They basically got their passes to Comic-Con, got a booth at Comic-Con and then the day before they were supposed to fly his visa still hadn't shown up. So the sister flew there and was trying to navigate the waters, but without her brother, who's the passion – It was his business. He was the one that wanted to do this more than anything, and without him there it lost a catalyst. So it was interesting watching her trying to figure it out and talking to him on the phone, but had he been there it would've just been a different story. That was the hard part – we shot with her all the way to the end and then even followed her home, but it just didn't blossom. It was sad seeing her try to hustle and pull it together and not be able to, and then make some connections where she could, but it never felt cohesive.
You've made quite a name for yourself as a documentary filmmaker, but do you want to break out of that and do narrative films?
Oh, yeah. We're right now in development and preproduction on a narrative film that – knock on wood – we'll be shooting this summer. We're doing a rewrite on the script right now. It's more of a thriller in the line of like 'The Insider' or 'Erin Brockovich,' 'A Civil Action,' those types of the little man fighting the good fight. So that'll happen this year.
What about having a sci-fi film or a superhero movie in you?
I SO do! 'Scanners' was the movie that made me want to make movies. I love horror films. I grew up loving horror films. I think that I'd love to make a horror film next. There's one that we talked about that we pitched that people are liking. If that happens it'd be amazing. It is more like sci-fi/horror.


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This Hiscox Hard Case for PRS Single Cut Style Electric Guitars is made from 1.5mm thick A.B.S. (Acrylonitrile Butadeine Styrene) plastic outer shell bonded to a semi-rigid polyurethane foam inner. The unique bonding of the inner moulding to the outer shell gives unbeatable, total structural rigidity which is UNMATCHED BY ANY OTHER CASE IN THE WORLD in this price range.
Added to this is the aluminium valance, which extends deep inside the case behind the plastic shell, into which all the hardware (handles, catches, hinges, etc.) is riveted. This not only increases the rigidity of the case, but ensures a positive location of lid to base when the two halves are closed and greatly reduces the possibility of fittings working loose.
With their incredible structural rigidity, all Hiscox 'Liteflite' guitar cases exhibit enormous crush strength and are tested to over 500kg.
The case is lined in a soft crushed velvet type fabric which is bonded directly onto the shaped foam moulding giving a neatly tailored luxurious feel, perfectly fitted every time. With cushioned pads for the body and neck, your instrument is held securely in place.
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subset: commoncrawl


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why is the "gold standard" in literary studies a book for tenure if we are not assigning them in our classes?I hadn't thought about monographs in our discipline from quite that angle before, but it's true that, consistent with what Sisyphus says about other disciplines, I remember being assigned quite a lot of scholarly books to read in their entirety when I was a history student, and doing assignments that were essentially a kind of book report or review. But it would never occur to me to assign more than a fraction of a scholarly book in one of my own undergraduate classes, or, for that matter, in my graduate classes. If I assign anything besides a stand-alone article, it is most likely to be the framing chapter(s) from a book, where the main theoretical or interpretive argument will be laid out, sometimes along with a chapter directly addressing an assigned primary text.
I'm not sure, though, how to connect these observations (keeping in mind, of course, that my practices in this respect may be anomalous) with what we ought to value when it comes time to assess tenure files. Our classroom work typically bears little overt relation to our published work, doesn't it? Also, as the students doing Sisyphus's library assignment discovered, however dynamic and engaging we are when we teach, in our books and articles our "academic voice" becomes "difficult, contentious, and completely boring"! That may be one reason why, as has been pointed out in a couple of places recently, even academics hardly read other academics any more.
Another likely cause of our own relative failure to 'keep up' with each others' output, as well as our reluctance (assuming this is a general phenomenon) to assign entire books along with--or, as every syllabus is a zero-sum game--instead of primary texts, may be the massive proliferation, and overwhelming micro-specialization, of academic monographs. No matter how narrowly I define my own research interests, it is physically impossible for me to read all the relevant available material, and as my interests in fact range across periods and disciplines, the labour of choice rapidly becomes overwhelming in itself. Inevitably, it seems to me, the excessive supply degrades the value of any particular book; it becomes hard to justify singling out one (or two, or even three) monographs that really demand and deserve such special notice and extended engagement. This is not to assume that any given monograph is not in fact, on its own terms, valuable, but here's a not entirely hypothetical case: I'm teaching a graduate seminar next winter on George Eliot. Which entire academic book would you assign in its entirety? My instinct is that the best candidate would be an older book--a critical 'classic'--because you'd want its range and applicability to be as broad as possible: Barbary Hardy's The Novels of George Eliot, for instance, or Dorothea Barrett's Vocation and Desire: George Eliot's Heroines. Books published since about 1990 get increasingly specific in their interests--George Eliot and science, or historiography, or empire, or Italy, or music--and thus decreasingly useful in a more general context such as my seminar (though, of course, they would be invaluable to students pursuing presentations or papers on related narrower topics).
The overwhelming number of highly specialized academic monographs was one of the things I wanted to talk to this university press acquisitions editor about. It's hard not to feel at times as if we should all just stop and ask ourselves what we are doing and why, and whether doing it in book-length manuscripts that may eventually be seen into print only to languish, expensive but unread, on library shelves should really be our goal. The MLA argues for decentering the monograph as "the gold standard" for tenure and promotion, but largely on practical grounds: publishing books is only going to get harder, for reasons that have little to do with the quality of their content. (It may have something to do with the nature of that content, of course, as the intense specialization typical of an academic book guarantees a small market.) If we could do that, though--if we could remove the expectation that junior scholars need to "have a book" to get tenured, not only could we release them from the vice but also liberate ourselves from the book glut. Because let's face it: how many monographs published in the last two decades are book-length because their arguments "need to be thought through on this level of scope and depth across a lot of pages," as Sisyphus sums up the usual pro-book argument, and how many for more careerist reasons? The standard model is a theoretical, contextual, or critical framing (the book's selling point) and then a series of chapters "reading" particular texts from that angle or through that lens. (That's exactly how my own monograph is structured.) That's not a terrible way to build a book, but almost inevitably the "readings" chapters lack urgency: they are illustrative, rather than integral or developmental. They show the main idea in practice, and they demonstrate how or why it is an interesting or useful or important idea. But they're arbitrary, rather than necessary, and they might do just as well as supplementary articles. They might even have more portability and usefulness in article form because they would need their own framing material, perhaps a refined version of the book's larger argument, and so would work well as assigned readings, whereas in chapter form their specific claims may not be entirely cogent without the explanation offered in the book's introductory chapters. (Now that I think of it, I do often assign articles that have eventually appeared as book chapters, but I use the stand-alone version, for more or less that reason.)
Lightening up on the book expectation would also remove the corrupting pressure to inflate, not only our prose and our manuscripts, but our claims. Book-length treatments of subjects do require justification, after all: the claim needs to be made that here is something really worthy of time, attention, space, and resources. So we make relatively grandiose claims about the innovation and importance of our work. It's no use having insight into a particular author or text: you need to propose a revision of a major critical paradigm, or a reconfiguration of traditional literary histories, or a radical new understanding of the importance of some side-angle in a particular writer's corpus (pickles, anyone?), or otherwise attach what may be a genuine but modest claim to something as big as you dare. You need to make it sound "interesting," even if that means knowing your reach will exceed your grasp.
The editor I spoke with was firm about the commitment of his press to specialized academic monographs, and we should all be grateful that there are publishers who recognize that some subjects do need to be treated, some arguments made, in long form, and that their value is not defined by the size of the audience they will reach but by their contribution to knowledge and understanding. We've all probably been delighted, too, to discover on the shelves hitherto unknown books, maybe books we are the first to sign out, that illuminate a topic about which we have suddenly discovered we want or need to know more. But something's wrong when "a book" as such is the goal. Shouldn't we work on a smaller scale until we discover we really can't explain ourselves without a larger canvas? Shouldn't a book be a capstone achievement, as it once was, rather than an obligatory and thus often perfunctory professional performance? If enough people keep asking these questions, maybe we can "be the change."


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A calming voice on the Brooklyn College debate about boycotting Israel.
Israel is a big boy. And so too, I like to think, are all those impressionable college students who know a load of bull when they hear it. BDS is not about a serious boycott movement. It's about denying the Jews the right to a state of their own. As broken as this record is, read the literature. It's not a two-state movement--it's a one-state movement and that one state is not Jewish.
(h/t @AdamHollandBlog)


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Saving Abel VIP - HERMON, ME
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Diamond Quilted Thermoregulated Barn Jacket
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- A corduroy collar barn jacket in nylon, featuring our Vintage check lining and a leather patch embossed with our refreshed logo. The quilted design is engineered with 37.5® thermoregulation technology to accelerate evaporation and breathability, so you never feel too hot or cold.
- Jacket length: 70cm/27.6in. This is based on a size UK S as proportions change slightly according to size.
- Model's height: 180cm/5ft 11in. Model wears size UK S.
- Outer: 100% polyamide
- Trim: 100% leather
- Lining: 70% cotton, 30% polyester
- Wadding: 100% polyester
- Concealed zip and press-stud closure
- Press-stud patch pockets, interior button-through patch pocket
- Press-stud cuffs
- Back press-stud vents
- Signature detail: check undercollar
- Leather patch with embossed Burberry lettering at sleeve
- Machine wash
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Item 80217511


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Probably nobody besides Steven Soderbergh really believes he's retiring from making feature films, but if it's true, "Side Effects" isn't a bad way to go out. It's a gripping, maddening and thoroughly satisfying thriller, made with artfulness and integrity. Soderbergh sees things in his actors and gets things from them that other directors don' t.
The movie starts as an expos� of the pharmaceutical industry, about the culture surrounding mood-altering drugs and the monetary incentive that psychiatrists have to prescribe them. But slowly, the film takes other forms, acquiring velocity as it sets out in other directions. Ultimately, "Side Effects" is no serious exploration of prescription drugs in modern life, but rather a seriously entertaining movie that uses prescription drugs as a backdrop.
But that's more than good enough.
In a way it's the first important showcase for Rooney Mara, in that she was fairly unrecognizable in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and her role there was based on a prototype. Here, looking dainty and fragile, she plays a young woman who has been through a four-year trial: Married to her dream man (Channing Tatum) and whisked into a life of luxury, she saw her world cave in when he was arrested for insider trading. Now that he is back after a prison sentence, Emily (Mara) finds herself suffering from a suicidal depression. So she goes to a psychiatrist, who prescribes drugs to stabilize her moods.
If Jude Law, who plays the psychiatrist, loses any more hair in front, he runs the risk of being recognized as a great actor. Soderbergh seems to have caught on to that already. As he did in "Contagion," he brings out Law's inner goofball, as well as his neediness, his latent gentleness and his easily-aroused capacity for panic. Or to put it another way, Soderbergh was the first director to figure out that Law is not cool, that he not only can lose his composure, but that nobody bugs out better.
He gets plenty of opportunity to bug out -- and explain himself to people who won't listen -- and talk loud and be ignored -- all of which is hell on the psychiatrist, but is acting nirvana for Law, who is exactly in his element. But let's forget plot details, which are best discovered in the moment, and talk about Soderbergh's approach to the thriller genre.
In "Side Effects," Soderbergh is always doing two things at once, pumping the story forward, while creating the illusion of languor. Scenes are underscored with dreamy music, suggestive of people lost in a fog. The shot-lengths are longer than average. The camera movement is measured. At times, the style is a visual analogue to being in a depressed state. At other times, the seeming-slowness creates a hint of entrapment, as if from the point of view of a characters locked into circumstances, unable to free themselves no matter how hard they flail.
Yet this sense of crawl and sprawl is deceptive, because not only is there always something going on, but everything is happening quickly. "Side Effects" is a movie constructed of jolts and reverses, of scenes that end a line or two early, with information skipped and implied. Corners are cut, shortcuts are found, and other scenes are invested in, to the benefit of the actors and the audience.
It's not just Law who thrives, but after this, it's difficult to imagine Mara not having a long and productive career. And who would have thought of Catherine Zeta-Jones for the supporting role of a cold, austere therapist? Soderbergh is today's answer to Howard Hawks, totally different in style and yet with Hawks's feel for actors, story rhythms and genres, and with that Hawksian understanding that boring an audience is just not an option.
Thomas Hardy stopped writing novels and wrote poetry for the last third of his life. Let's hope Soderbergh isn't another notable exception.
Gripping, modern drug thriller
Probably nobody besides Steven Soderbergh really believes he's retiring from making feature films, but if it's true, "Side Effects" isn't a bad way to go out. It's a gripping, maddening and thoroughly satisfying thriller, made with artfulness and integrity. Soderbergh sees things in his actors and gets things from them that other directors don' t.


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This design features an embossed texture with a pearlescent element that creates a rhythmic effect. Delicate detail in the crosshatch texture combined with the accent shimmer of pearls and metallics; provide a striking visual that mimics the essence of a classic moiré.


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Early $2.50 (1796-1834)
Draped Bust (1796-1807)
At the turn of the 19th century, two and a half dollars represented a considerable sum of money—five days wages for the average U.S. Mint employee. It was unlikely however, that anyone outside the Philadelphia Mint would see that amount in the form of the new quarter eagle coin: so few were made, and fewer still entered circulation. The denomination may as well not have existed at all. A few large Northeastern banks did occasionally order quarter eagles, but apparently more as a whim than out of necessity, as most remained in their vaults.
Although authorized by the Mint Act of 1792, by all appearances the coin was an unwanted stepchild: it was the last denomination made, and then only in such small quantities as to be of little use in commerce. The cent, half dollar, and half eagle took center stage during this era—they were the real workhorses. The paucity of early quarter eagles has a flip side for numismatists however, as these coins—in their many variations—are among the rarest in numismatics, and have both fascinated and frustrated collectors and researchers for years.
The first quarter eagle—the 1796 Draped Bust without stars—was designed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot. The obverse depicts Liberty facing right, wearing a soft cap, with the inscription LIBERTY above, and the date below. The cap was long thought to be a liberty or Phrygian cap, taken from an ancient Roman model. However, even Mint Director Samuel Moore identified this cap in 1825 as a fashionable headdress of the 1790s, and indeed there are portraits of Martha Washington wearing just such a hat. The coin's reverse features a heraldic eagle—Scot's adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States—with clouds arcing from wing to wing, enclosing stars, with the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the margin.
These first quarter eagles lacked stars on the obverse because they were placed on the reverse as part of the new Heraldic eagle design. However, the half eagle and eagle were still using the small eagle reverse, with stars on their respective obverses. Whether due to artistic taste or uniformity of design, the quarter eagle obverse received stars for the last coinage of 1796. With Tennessee's recent admission to the Union, 16 stars were on the obverse: eight left, eight right. After Tennessee was admitted however, Mint Director Boudinot realized the impracticality of adding a star for each new state. Thereafter, only 13 stars were to be used, symbolizing the original states. The No Stars variety of this year stands alone as a distinct separate type, but date collectors generally include it as a part of the extended series.
The 1797 issue had thirteen stars on the obverse, 7 left, 6 right. The reverse of the coin though, was from the previous year—it had 16 stars. Thus began the dance of changing obverse and reverse dies for this design. The position of the obverse stars changed almost every year, mimicking the arrangement on the more popular coins. The reverses genuflected within several years, reflecting the Mint's haste or fear of waste. Reverse stars ranged from thirteen to sixteen, and not in any particular order, at that. Many reverse dies were also used to mint dimes when quarter eagle production was completed.
Only 20 examples are believed to survive of the 1797 issue out of a mintage of 427 pieces. The 1798 issue saw two reverses—with either four or five berries on the olive branch. The Five Berry reverse is significantly scarcer, but receives little attention, as the date is very scarce regardless of variety. Next came the 1802—one of the few so-called "common" dates in this series. Long attributed as an overdate, this status is now in doubt among specialists. Following was the 1804, with both thirteen and fourteen star reverses. The thirteen star variety is extremely rare and without question the key to the series: Only nine examples are believed to exist in all grades. The 1805 is one of the more frequently encountered issues, but its mintage of 1,781 pieces would certainly thrust this date to the forefront of almost any other series of U.S. coins. There are two overdates for 1806, one over a 4 and the other over a 5, the latter being considerably scarcer. The 1807 is the most available issue of the design, and is generally sought by those seeking a high grade example for a type set.
Draped Bust quarter eagles saw production in eight years between 1796 and 1807, totaling 19,487 coins, encompassing eleven recognized varieties. More rarities are in this short-lived series than common dates. Few collectors in recent years have attempted to complete a set of these coins—most consider themselves lucky to locate a problem-free VF-AU example at a reasonable price. The With Stars issue is rarer than the No Stars variety, but it is not as widely recognized, being overshadowed by the No Stars' significance as a one year type.
No proofs were made, but several 1796 No Stars coins have enough mirror-like finish to support the theory that they were included in presentation sets of coins distributed on June 1 of that year—celebrating Tennessee's admission to the Union.
Counterfeits are virtually unknown, but there is an interesting piece with a similar design associated with the series—the Kettle token. These are actually brass gaming counters made in England, and while vaguely resembling the Draped Bust design, anyone familiar with a genuine quarter eagle will not be fooled. They are dated 1803, a significant date for quarter eagles, as the annual Director's Report shows a delivery of 423 coins in that year (actually dated 1802). The lack of quarter eagles with the 1803 date makes the dated Kettle tokens an appealing adjunct to the series.
Grading this design can be quite a challenge, as striking weakness is often seen in the center of both sides. When such softness is encountered, high grade pieces must be graded by the mint luster remaining. Well-struck coins will first show friction on the cap and the highest point of the hair on the obverse. On the reverse, rub will first show on the wing tips of the eagle and on the clouds.
The Draped Bust design was current for eleven years, until Mint Director Patterson ordered John Reich to redesign all denominations in 1807. Reich's improved design, first used on the quarter eagle in 1808, lasted only a year, and while Scot's Draped Bust motif may have been retired prematurely, it remains one of the most beloved of all designs on early gold coins.
Capped Bust (1808)
The fledgling United States Mint opened in 1792 with a full complement of machinists, administrators and other sundry personnel, but it sorely lacked in artistic talent. After several years of negotiations, Secretary of State Thomas Jeffer-son's attempts to hire French inventor Jean Pierre Droz, one of the finest engravers and coiners in the world, had proved futile. Mint Director David Rittenhouse appointed artist Joseph Wright as Chief Engraver in August 1793, but Wright hardly got started before he died a few weeks later in one of Philadelphia's annual yellow fever epidemics. Desperate for an engraver, Rittenhouse engaged the aging Robert Scot, an English born watchmaker and banknote engraver. Unfortunately Scot's limited talents as a die engraver, exacerbated by his advancing years and failing eyesight, provided the Mint with marginal designs at best.
Criticism of Scot's designs was immediate and widespread, but the hired-for-life chief engraver thwarted any effort to challenge his position. By 1807, Mint Director Robert Patterson became concerned that the aging Scot could die at any time, leaving the Mint without a trained replacement.
The logical successor to Scot's post was John Reich. A refugee from the Napoleonic Wars, Reich had sold himself into indentured servitude to escape to America. By 1801, his reputation as an engraver had earned him a recommendation from President Thomas Jefferson. Reich was assigned miscellaneous jobs at the Mint, but in deference to the professionally territorial Scot, he was not allowed to design coins. After six years on the job, Reich's considerable talents were going to waste, and he began to make preparations to return to his native Germany. It was at this point that Mint Director Patterson intervened with a well-placed letter to President Jefferson, and Reich was promoted to Assistant Engraver at an annual salary of 600 dollars—half of what Scot was earning.
Reich's first assignment was to improve the designs for all denominations. After preparing dies for the half dollar and half eagle of 1807, he created a single pair of dies for the quarter eagle of 1808. Reich's design was a total departure from Scot's Draped Bust/Heraldic Eagle motif of 1796-1807. Miss Liberty faces left, wearing a mob cap inscribed with LIBERTY. Critics of the day remarked on the European influence apparent in Reich's Liberty, and many ridiculed his depiction as "the artist's fat mistress." On the reverse, Reich replaced Scot's stiff heraldic eagle with a naturalistic spread-winged bird perched on an olive branch, holding arrows in its talons. Above the eagle is a ribbon with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, and all are surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 2 1/2 D. While the coin was designed with denticles surrounding both sides, apparently these elements were lightly or incompletely sunk into the die, resulting in coins that are very weak at the borders.
Only 2,710 coins were struck from these dies, and no more quarter eagles were produced for more than a dozen years, making this date an instant rarity. Estimates are that fewer than fifty 1808 quarter eagles exist today in all grades. Most survivors are in the higher circulated grades, but several mint state examples have appeared over the years. Even among the low mintage quarter eagles, the 1808 is a very scarce date. But with so many collectors pursuing design types alone, this issue has assumed much greater importance than merely another scarce date in the quarter eagle series. It is one of the premier rarities in U.S. numismatics and undoubtedly one of the most eagerly sought of all type coins.
These highly prized coins are held in major gold collections and rarely enter the numismatic market. No proofs are known and no special strikings are even rumored to exist. The finest 1808 quarter eagle known traces its pedigree to the collection of the famous Colonel E.H.R. Green, son of the notorious "Witch of Wall Street," fabulously wealthy Hetty Green. Since the 1930s sale of the Colonel's collection, this remarkable coin has been the cornerstone of gold collections owned by such notables as Jerome Kern, Dr. J. Hewitt Judd and Congressman Jimmy Hayes.
Several circumstances contributed to the small mintage and subsequent rarity of 1808 quarter eagles. In the early years of the Mint, depositors of foreign gold or bullion could specify which denominations they preferred to receive. By 1808, only half eagles and quarter eagles were in production, and the overwhelming demand was for half eagles. Banks preferred the half eagles for international payments and reserves, and they rarely ordered the smaller coins. As only one set of dies was prepared for quarter eagles in 1808, it's obvious the Mint had no intention of striking any large quantities, but early die failure probably limited production to far fewer coins than officials had planned.
All but one of the 1808 quarter eagles known today show a die break on the obverse from the cap through the stars on the right. As this fracture progressed, most likely the die broke and came apart, stopping production at that point. With no replacement dies, no more quarter eagles could be minted, and the minuscule demand for the denomination didn't justify preparing new dies. Demand remained almost nonexistent until 1821, when some small orders for the denomination were again received.
No hoards are known of 1808 quarter eagles and no reasonably convincing counterfeits have surfaced over the years. These coins are invariably weak at the rims and softly struck on the peripheral stars. Because of this, care must be taken to differentiate actual wear from the effects of a weak strike. On the obverse, friction first begins to show above the eye and on top of the cap. Wear on the reverse is first evident on the eagle's wingtips and talons.
After never receiving a raise in a decade and fed up with Scot's harassment, Reich left the Mint in 1817. Ironically, the jealous Scot wasted little time in replacing Reich's designs. When the quarter eagle reappeared in 1821, Scot copied his 1813 half eagle design for the smaller coin, creating the Capped Head quarter eagle. Over the next decade, Scot's replacements for Reich's designs were certainly no artistic leap forward, and are most likely a reflection of the lingering professional jealousy the tenured Scot harbored for the talented Reich. Yet, Reich's design of 1808 left a lasting impression on future Mint engravers. His eagle remained virtually unchanged for the next century, until finally replaced by the Bela Lyon Pratt design in 1908.
Capped Head (1821-1834)
Early quarter eagles: little seen by collectors today, they were almost as rare when first made. Few were minted and most never saw circulation. Napoleon's rampage through Europe had seen to that. A worldwide rise in gold prices, fueled by the chaos following the "Reign of Terror" in France, affected U.S. gold coinage disastrously. Bullion dealers bought U.S. gold coins, often with legal tender Mexican silver coins, and shipped them to Paris, London or Hamburg to be melted. The result was inevitable: Eagles were discontinued, half eagle mintage occurred almost exclusively for banks, and quarter eagle production remained minuscule, finally ceasing in 1808.
The War of 1812 only made things worse. The 15:1 silver/gold ratio established by Congress as "law of the land" in 1792, rose in Europe—by 1813—to over 16:1, allowing bullion brokers substantial profits on every ounce of American gold exported. At the same time, Spain's preoccupation with Napoleon had allowed her colonies in Latin America to break free and establish Republics, and the huge flow of South America silver previously destined for Spain now flowed to the United States, further diluting silver's value vis-à-vis gold.
The promise of huge profits enticed exporters to risk fortunes and face innumerable hazards. Often, ships perished in storms, were ravaged by pirates, or the gold was hijacked once ashore. Profits could be great—an ounce of silver or more per ounce of gold—but large amounts of bullion were required to make the overseas voyage worthwhile. Many would still buck the odds, and soon nearly all U.S. gold coins disappeared from circulation. J. Laurence Laughlin, a Harvard assistant professor, in his 1892 book, The History of Bimetallism in the United States, described the Mint in this era as "a useless expense to the nation, but a source of profit to the money-brokers."
By 1821, relative calm had settled over world and national affairs. The war with England was long past, and the turmoil in Europe a distant memory. Indian wars in the Northwest were ended by William Henry Harrison and in the Southwest by Andrew Jackson. The "Great Migration West" had begun. James Monroe was inaugurated as President for his second term, running unopposed the previous December. The future was indeed bright for the growing nation.
For whatever reason (the late Walter Breen, a renowned numismatic researcher, speculated that they might have been used as Christmas presents or souvenirs), in 1821, quarter eagles were once again requested by several banks. Although gold didn't circulate during this era, bullion from Mexico, and later from the new mines in North Carolina and Georgia, did find its way to the Mint. Under the Mint's "free coinage" policy, anyone could deposit foreign coins, or native silver or gold bullion, and request coinage of specific legal denominations. Usually, gold deposits were made by banks, accounting for what little gold coinage there was at the time. Generally, banks requested the larger denomination, half eagles (eagle production ceased in 1804 by order of President Thomas Jefferson), so the sudden demand for quarter eagles was totally unexpected. Chief Engraver Robert Scot, seventy-seven and eyesight failing, was in no condition to create an original design. He responded with a design borrowed from his 1818 half eagle, itself an adaptation of former assistant John Reich's 1813 Capped Head motif.
Scot's matronly, thick-necked Liberty on the new 1821 quarter eagle wears a headdress in the guise of a Phrygian or Liberty cap, really a mobcap, typically worn by women around the turn of the 19th century. Thirteen widely spaced stars surround the bust, with the date below. An eagle with outstretched wings graces the reverse, and the motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM appears above. Both are surrounded by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 2½ D.
The Capped Head quarter eagle maintained the legal weight standard, but was slightly smaller and thicker than the previous quarter eagle, Reich's 1808 Capped Bust design, which had lasted only one year. In 1829, William Kneass, who had replaced Scot after his death in 1823, modified the coin by reducing the diameter further, punching in smaller stars on the obverse and redrawing the Liberty head and eagle. Kneass created a beaded border surrounded by a high, plain rim, taking advantage of a recent Mint innovation, the "close collar." Essentially a steel doughnut with a hole the size of the coin and grooves to impart a reeded edge, the close collar gave an even, finished look to the coin.
From 1821 through 1834, 42,065 business strikes and fewer than 150 proof Capped Head quarter eagles were made. Although numismatists recognize the 1821 through 1827 issues as a separate type from the later, smaller coins, the rarity of the entire series generally limits type collectors to just one example of this design. Collecting the eleven issues by date is a formidable challenge not attempted by many, as every issue is rare in any grade and some, like the low mintage 1826 and the 1834 are particularly so. The 1834 coin is almost legendary in its rarity, as the bulk of the mintage of 4000 pieces was never released, but melted at the Mint.
None of the dates in the series appear in mint-state with any frequency, but type collectors will most often encounter the 1825 or 1829-31 coins in high grade. Most issues are usually found in grades from VF to Uncirculated, with more mint-state specimens among the later dates. Much of the mintage has disappeared, probably spent during the "Hard Times" era of 1837-44, and the few survivors are often impaired. When grading this design, look for wear on the hair above Liberty's forehead, on the top of her cap, and on her cheek. On the reverse, check the eagle's wing tips and claws.
Destruction of U.S. gold coins reached a pinnacle in 1831, when 40,000 half eagles were melted in Paris at once. Even U.S. banks were liquidating their coins. Finally, Congress was forced to address this decades-old problem. Responding to the pleas of Eastern businessmen and Southern mine owners, the legislators passed the Coinage Act of 1834, which reduced the gold content of U.S. gold coins by 6%, allowing them to circulate—virtually for the first time. The new law ended the flow of gold out of the United States and enabled holders of the "old tenor" quarter eagles (now worth about $2.66) to sell their coins directly to the Mint instead of shipping them overseas.
The new weight standard called for a new design. Mint Director Samuel Moore instructed William Kneass to prepare enough dies to accommodate the expected demand for the new lighter weight coins. Kneass' 1834 Classic Head quarter eagle was easily identified by the missing motto on the reverse. It would be minted through 1839, when it was replaced by Christian Gobrecht's Coronet Head design.
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TASER: The Whole Story
October, 15, 2012
Special Committee to Inquire into the Use of Conducted Energy Weapons
and to Audit Selected Police Complaints
Monday, October 15, from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Douglas Fir Committee Room, Room 226, Parliament Buildings.
I would like to thank the committee for inviting me here today. I am a Registered Psychologist (in private practice) that has worked in the area of police psychology for over 30 years. I completed basic police training at the RCMP Training Academy (Depot Division) in 1988. I specialize in the area of crisis management and have experience in the application of force across a broad array of police tasks including: hostage/barricade incidents; kidnappings; incidents of public disorder; and crisis intervention. I have been instrumental in the creation and delivery of crisis intervention, crisis negotiation, and incident command courses from the Canadian Police College (Ottawa, Ontario) to the B.C. Police Academy (New Westminster, B.C.). I have been an adjunct lecturer at the FBI Training Academy. I have consulted internationally and with several law enforcement agencies including: Colombia, Mexico, Singapore, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Iceland, Sweden, Australia, and Europol. I have consulted operationally at a variety of incidents including: the old BC Penitentiary (hostage takings); Waco, Texas; Gustafsen Lake, B.C.; Jordan, Montana; Ft. Davis, Texas; the G8; the G20; Apex Alpine; and numerous kidnappings from Iraq to Indonesia, and Kashmir to Colombia. I am familiar with both Use of Force Models; the RCMP's Integrated Model of Incident Management and the National Use of Force Framework. I provided testimony at both phases of the Braidwood Commission of Inquiries.
The BC Government failed its citizens when TASER technology was introduced to the Province. As someone who is trained to construct, conduct, and be critical of research, I was taken aback last week to hear the Assistant Deputy Minister and Director of Police Services cavalierly gloss over the inadequate and flawed process used to approve the use of TASERs in this Province. Those who appreciate the scientific method prefer to regard that process as amateurish, at best, and replete with misrepresentations provided by what appears to have been a seriously compromised policeman/project manager. I would like to elaborate. There was not enough rigorous science applied by the manufacturer to guarantee the safety of the weapon. TASERs were anecdotally not scientifically developed. Universally, public officials failed to verify the safety claims being made by the company and its spokespersons. TASERs were rushed into service by decision makers and police in B.C. and throughout Canada in 1999. The weapon has caused problems for the public and the manufacturer. For example, TASER International is presently engaged in damage control by offering trade-ins to "recall" older, more powerful weapons. (Are you aware that the M-26 model is powered at 26-Watts, the next generation model the X-26 is lower powered, and the newest model the X2 will be even lower? This begs the question as to why the manufacturer would lower the power of the weapon without alerting law enforcement first and providing some explanation). It appears that with the lack of regular and rigorous peer reviewed independent measurement, no policeperson could be sure of the amount of current being emitted from the weapon at any given deployment; for unlike breathalysers, defibrillators, and radar guns, the police do not routinely measure the output of their TASERs.
1. It does not determine electrical safety of ESWs
2. It only tests to determine whether ESWs are "in tolerance" or "out of tolerance".
3. A test result of "in tolerance" does not indicate or imply that injury or death will not result from use of the tested ESW, or that the tested ESW will incapacitate a person against whom the ESW may be deployed.
4. It does not measure the electrical energy delivered into a body (i.e. invasive shocks).
5. It also does not disclose scientific references or rationale as to why 600 Ohms is identified as the measurement base vs. a range of resistances.


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After the Storm Comes the Calm – And The Scammers. Here's What to watch For
It is beyond appalling to prey on people affected by flooding and tornadoes. As if the on-going insurance process, gathering your belongings that are strewn about the lawn, flooded basements, and trying to provide for your displaced family isn't enough, there's another worry that victims have to deal with: storm chasers.
These are the individual who show up from out of nowhere to offer help with repairs, insurance policies, clean up, restoration, who have no other intention than to take your money and run.
Better Business Bureau, serving Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa, is warning both businesses and residents affected by the recent storms to beware of storm chasers/out-of-town contractors (travelers) soliciting business.
"These firms typically set up temporary shops in the area to capture construction work caused by the storm's damage. Sometimes they canvass the area with flyers or go from door to door offering their services. While some of these contractors may offer a low price and fast repairs, they may not stand behind their work or have the proper licensure." - BBB President and CEO Jim Hegarty.
Your BBB offers the following tips for storm victims:
- Get the company's complete name, address and phone number. Be skeptical of any vague or hesitant answers, or no offers of contracts, brochures, or anything in writing. Beware of high-pressure sales tactics. A reputable company will be happy to let you check them out first.
- Make sure your contractor has all the appropriate permits for the work they are doing and verify that the company has liability and worker's comp insurance. If a contractor cannot provide proof, beware. If possible, verify that the insurance is active by contacting the contractor's insurance company directly.
- If it is an out-of-town or out-of-state company, ask how any warranty issues or problems will be addressed after the work is done - and the company is gone.
- Ask for references from previous jobs and check them out before signing the contract.
- Before work starts, have a signed, written contract including start and completion dates, exact costs, specific work to be done, and warranty information. Read any fine print carefully and understand all terms before signing.
- Get at least 3-4 quotes from contractors and insist that payments be made to the company, not an individual.
- If you have damage, check with your homeowners' insurance to have an adjuster sent to determine if and how much they will cover to repair or replace damaged property.
- Be highly suspicious of a contractor that asks you to pay for the entire job upfront. He may take your money and never return.
source: The Better Business Bureau


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Straight Up Bull
January 1, 2013 4 Comments
To believe anything that a prominent public figure says these days would be naive. Charlie Brown believing that Lucy won't pull the football away when he tries to kick it naive.
For some reason though, I think we all wanted to believe Bill O'Brien when he stated that he was "committed for the long term to Penn State." After what was possibly the most tragic scandal in sports history, Bill O'Brien was promising something more than winning football games to not only the men at Penn State but every loyal supporter of the program in Happy Valley.
He was promising hope.
Hope is exactly what Bill O'Brien gave Penn State this year. He walked into a situation worse than what anyone could have had nightmares about and made the Nittany Lions respectable again. Respectable wasn't expected right away but Bill O'Brien somehow managed to do it. He promised hope and he delivered.
At least for one year he did.
However, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Bill O'Brien is now rumoured to be considering interviews for the many vacant NFL head coaching positions following the dreaded Black Monday.
Even though this shouldn't be a surprise, I think we all expected more out of Bill O'Brien. Given the circumstances, it wouldn't be fair to the young men that he promised hope to and it wouldn't be fair to everyone who thought Bill O'Brien was being genuine when he said he was completely on board to reviving Penn State football.
Bill O'Brien has shown us that he is no different than most any other high level professional head coach in North America.
All of these head coaches preach commitment, brotherhood and loyalty. They expect the players to buy into these things that they preach but in the end it is all just garbage they spew out for their selfish gains. Their ultimate goal is not to help mold teenagers into young men or fight the good fight with their players as if they were brothers. It is simply a means of furthering themselves in the cutthroat world of professional coaching.
It is more of a do as I say, not as I do kind of thing. Get the players to buy in. That's all that really matters.
Bill O'Brien said what he said because he knew he had to. There was no other way he was going to convince the current players at Penn State not to jump ship. But to look those young men in the eye and tell them that he was going to be in it for the long haul with them is plain old disgusting. This was a disaster for the ages and Bill O'Brien is choosing to ignore the unique situation in favour of me, myself and I.
Whether he decides to interview for an NFL job or not is irrelevant. The fact that it has gone public that he is even considering it is enough to prove that he is no different than any other selfish professional head coach.
You know, the ones who portray themselves to be family men but in actuality spend 18 hours a day working, never seeing their wife or kids. What about the college coaches that tell their superstar player they would be better served staying the extra year in school (I'm looking at you Pete Carroll).
I should have learned by now that the circumstances of their program or team is not important. Coaches will say whatever it takes to get ahead in the game. They can't practice what they preach because so much of what comes out of their mouths is a bunch of blinkin' fertilizer. A coaches supposed steadfast commitment to their current team and players is about as trustworthy as the National Enquirer.
They are committed to themselves.
If someone in Bill O'Brien's shoes is willing to say he is in it for the "long term" and that he would do everything in his power to "help guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance and operational excellence" then pretty much everything is fair game.
Bill O'Brien has every right to explore his options as an NFL coach but it's not as if those opportunities won't be there down the line for him.
Is Lane Kiffin really that much worse than any of these other guys? Lane Kiffin doesn't give a damn about anyone except for himself but he is just not as subtle about his overt selfishness. Really, none these coaches give a damn about anyone else.
So the next time you hear a coach speaking about dedication, loyalty and commitment, call it out for what it is.
Agree? Disagree? Reply in the comments section below or e-mail me at email@example.com
Also, you can follow me on twitter @paintstheblack and I will happily return the favour.


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Trying to get myself together before I get on the Road for Ottawa. Reggie Evans tweeted at me that it is cold up there in Ottawa. I have some experience with that. I had friends who use to play for the Ravens when they had a football team. I remember going out to Ottawa and waiting for their practice to end and freezing my butt off. But I use to have a lot of fun in my times in the city. It is a great town. I was there the last time the Blue Jays won the World Series. That was a long time ago. Now making the journey back to see what I can find out about this new Raptors team.
There is lots of things I would like to do. Will see how much of them I can do. But it is going to be a good experience to actually look from the inside even if it is just for a day. I am really excited to see a number of guys. Reggie Evans, Demar DeRozan and Jarrett Jack at the top of that list. That is just 3 of 9 new faces that are on this roster. In all honest it will be like going to an amusement park and trying to go on all the rides. I would love to talk with everyone. However that is no doubt impossible in just 1 day. I'll do my best that is why I put up the poll so you guys can help guide me. Demar DeRozan is winning at the moment. I will give the poll a look before I head out the door so you can vote and have your say.
I have not been around NBA players in many years. It is an experience when you get a chance to meet an NBA player. The first think that blows you mind is how tall these guys are. I remember the first time I saw Vince Carter. Now I knew he was taller than me but it was really amazing to see it face to chest. I never have met Chris Bosh or Andrea Bargnani but I did meet Alonzo Mourning and him sitting on a chair was the same height as me.
Anyway I am pretty excited and I admit a bit nervous which is rare for me. Doing interviews on the phone 1 on 1 is a much different animal from doing them in scrums with other media folks around of bigger stature than me. However I look forward to it and hope I can get some good from this experience.
Anyway wish me luck and if I can figure out how to make my computer work from Ottawa that is where the next Dino Nation Blog will be written from in a hotel room in Ottawa. Not being the most tech savvy person on planet earth it might not. But let's hope I figure it out. One way or the other I will share my experience with you all be it sooner or later.
Talk with you Friday.....Hopefully.
Last Call Before Ottawa
Posted by Unknown at 6:19 PM
Labels: Raptor Training Camp 09
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The days are longer, sunnier, and warmer. Summer is finally here!
Stella McCartney's Spring/Summer shoe collection whimsically uses organic materials such as canvass, raffia, linen, wood, and rubber soles. Stelly shows her vegan flirty side with adorable cherry appliques on flats and sandals. The hot Sailboat shoe is a patriotic red & blue eco wooden wedge heel that's perfect for an Independence Day celebration. This eco collection has something for every summer day, flats, wedges, platforms, thongs, espadrilles and is, of course vegan friendly.
Please check out this great video of Stella McCartney's 2009 Spring/Summer collection by shoebunny.com Her Eco friendly collection is as refreshing as glass of cold lemonade.


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The brand new single...
Order on iTunes now
Watch the new video ...as premiered by Kerrang
"Oh… My… Word, those guys have the makings of a legendary band" Alex Baker, Kerrang!
"…this has blown my mind… absolutely phenomenal"
– James Santer (BBC Introducing)
"Fucking ace, nothing more, nothing less", Noctis Mag
The years have shown the best bands are often the ones that remain unafraid of change. The
ones that embrace their own natural evolution, following their hearts first and foremost. Reigning
Days are in many ways a band reborn, and since their formation four years ago, their
accomplishments and travels have been what most British bands dream of – taking them as far
and wide as India, Russia and America. Having just inked up a deal with global booking agents
CAA after extensive support from Radio 1, Kerrang! and US giant KROQ, with an EP and an
album in tow, 2016 is very much shaping up to be their year.
Originally formed as These Reigning Days, the Devonshire trio have been compared to some of
the most exciting British rock bands in recent history, from local heroes Muse to chart-topping
newcomers Royal Blood. And while those comparisons are perfectly just in terms of the
breathtaking ambitiousness of their music, in truth Reigning Days are a band most reluctant to
be pigeonholed.
"We're just three lads from Devon trying to make waves in a sometimes dull, turbulent scene,"
grins singer/guitarist Dan Steer. "We're all over the shop with our influences, which works well
for us because we get unique sounds. It's not as if we're stuck in one genre like some indie kids!
It's probably me bringing the electronic influences; I love a good synth pad. But we've moved
away from that… the new material is more riff-oriented and about getting the biggest sound
The realisation dawned in a most peculiar setting indeed – least of all for three lads from the
South Western seaside. The band were minutes into their set some 4,000 miles away in the
Indian capital of New Delhi when, lo and behold, their synth tracks crashed and left them no
choice but to continue on without them. Most peculiar of all, it was by their own admission the
best thing that ever happened to them.
"We fell back in love with the freedom of just being three musicians in a room again," offers
drummer Joe Sansome. "Not playing to click or worrying about things not working… since then,
we've taken a whole new approach to how we do things. We went back to basics. It has to feel
natural, it has to feel real. If I have to think too much, it puts me off. That's goes for life in
Released last November, lead single Friendly Fire served as the first taste of the self-titled EP
coming this April, where the trio have redistilled their music to its very core. Inspired by the sonic
purity of bands like Nirvana and QOTSA, whose sense of sheer honesty made them stand tall
among countless peers, follow-up single Renegade could be the heaviest song Reigning Days
have ever written. And the rest of the EP, produced by Jamie Evans (Mexicolas) and mixed by
Ade Bushby (Foo Fighters/Muse), lives up to the arena-conquering promise of the anthems
released in its anticipation. Chemical is dark and introspective, with Dan baring his soul and
making his guitar sound like a malfunctioning robot struggling to comprehend its place in an
organic world, while bassist Jonny Finnis fills our ears with thick rhythms that never cease to
hypnotize. Another standout track is Crazy Horse, which came from a concept inspired by
negative influences in life which facilitate downward spirals without actually causing them…
"I was in a dark place," admits Dan. "I was exploring the idea of being with someone who's
completely poisonous for you and gets in your head. Not makes you do things, but rather opens
up a side of you that you don't necessarily like. It's probably like being hooked on crack… so
welcome to the Crazy Horse saloon. We've all been in relationships like that, losing your shit
over something so simple. So when I reference a 'rock' in the song, I'm talking about her as a
drug-like influence. And Friendly Fire was inspired by the 'fame' industry, how you can go from
being someone really loved one minute and then shat on the next. We've spent a lot of time in
LA, walked past people who once had massive dreams become washed up wannabes with just
a trolley to their name. It's people in your own industry turning on you."
It might sound like everything is lining up quite perfectly for Reigning Days, but you'd be amazed
how much being a band from an area with no real music scene and refusing to fit into any
specific genre entirely has forced them to work even harder to make themselves heard. The trio
don't really have favours they can call in from an extensive support network of like-minded
creatives. They're doing this on their own terms, which by proxy means they're pretty much on
their own…
"Coming from Devonshire has its logistical problems," admits Jonny. "If you're in London, you
hear about other nights and you can get the tube and be anywhere in an hour. For us, it's a five-
hour drive in the van, £200 in fuel and then back again after the show. You've got to weigh it
up… there's more to think about. But even if there are just 50 people there, we're happy. We
don't really fit into a bracket, it's not like we're a hardcore band that will definitely get invited to
play 'This Is Hardcore' Festival, you know? That imposes as many problems as the benefits we
get out of it..."
"People get confused too," adds Dan. "If they can't instantly go, 'That band's in that scene!'
sometimes they're not sure whether they can like it or not… which can be interesting at festivals
ha ha! We're not pretending to be something else with great theatrical display, we're just being
ourselves and going out on a limb! I don't really like the term genre. You get judged on
preconceptions before you've been heard. That's why we always look at each other when
people ask! To this day, we still wouldn't know. If you wanted to be pedantic, you could probably
try and 'subgenre' every track on the EP. We know we've made life harder for ourselves, we
don't want to tag on the tails of someone else's band, that's just not what we're about…"
Sometimes in life the difficult choices are also the right ones. Refusing to be categorised may
very well be what has made the band's 20,000 strong (and perpetually growing) army of fans fall
in love with their musical odyssey. Considering just how busy a year it's shaping up to be, with
the album arriving just months after the EP and the prospect of high profile tours ever-looming,
all signs point to this reign being tremendously long and fruitful indeed. Amit Sharma, Kerrang!
Click an image to view or click here for the full gallery


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THE SPORTS DOCTOR- Hoping against... For Cubs, 100 years become 101
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross identified five stages of grief: shock and denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and then acceptance and hope. She said these five stages are natural human reactions to all kinds of loss, be it death, divorce, addiction, or separation. I know Ms. Kübler-Ross included baseball on her list.
The tears I shed for sports are few and are usually reserved for movies about Rudy, the 1980 Olympic hockey team, or Lou Gehrig.
Occasionally, I get misty over a particularly touching piece on Real Sports, but I've never actually cried over a real game– until last Saturday night. By the seventh-inning stretch, with the Cubs down 3-0 to the Dodgers, I couldn't hold back the tears.
For some people, sports are frivolous at best and ignorant and childish at worst. These detractors refuse to acknowledge that sports can have profound meaning, can be a reflection of life at its finest or most depraved. Instead, they see sports as indulgent and wasteful. To these cynics I offer my tears.
A baseball season is 162 games, the longest in professional sports. A true baseball fan commits half a year to hope, a hefty investment. Expectations can be low or high, but six months of watching hope live and die demands a sustained emotional expenditure only devoted fans can bear.
Every team claims the most devoted fans, but no doubt the Chicago Cubs take the honor. On September 20 of this year, Leo Hildebrand– who was four years old when the Cubs last won a World Series in 1908– got out of his wheelchair and threw the first pitch at Wrigley Field. Not one fan of any other team has seen 100– no, 101– years of life go by without a Championship.
For Hildebrand and other Cubs fans, grief is the natural reaction this October. ESPN and Sports Illustrated had tapped the Cubs to win the World Series, and Cubs' fans concurred. This 2008 season, the losing-est team in baseball didn't just deserve to win the Series; it had earned the crown.
This year the Cubs played beautiful baseball. Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter, the team led the National League with 97 wins and 855 runs, and Kerry Wood stayed healthy. The defense was strong, the pitching formidable, the Cubs were scary-good. As each of the 162 games came and went, the fans' hope rose: "Next year is this year" was the mantra.
But hope is a strange thing, dependent on suffering, perseverance, and despair. To hope is to look beyond suffering, to persevere through despair in anticipation of better things. If there's one thing Cubs' fans know, it's despair, the utter despondency and desperation of being the worst team in baseball, the laughingstock, the accursed. To hope, to believe with all one's heart that all that wreckage is past, is to take a very dangerous risk.
There's no reliable way to figure the total number of Cubs' fans, but with satellite television, satellite radio, cable, and the Internet, it's safe to assume that millions of people felt the 101-ton weight of the Dodgers' heel this past Saturday. In a best-of-five-games series, already down two games to L.A., the Cubs had one last chance to fulfill the hope.
In baseball, each game's loss makes way for the next game's victory. Despite all the errors, all the walks, all the home runs given up in the first two games of the Series, the Cubs had a clean slate for game three.
When I cried on Saturday night, I cried for the 10 men left on base. I cried for checked swings, for thrown bats and lost balls. I cried for a team that shouldered not just a 100-year burden, but the immeasurable weight of a million hearts ready to be broken.
And hearts are broken. The Dodgers swept the Cubs, and fans are still in a state of shock and denial. It may take only nine innings for 100 years to become 101, but arriving at the final stage of grief– acceptance and hope– is going to take a lot longer.


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Today's new books are entered. Like the past two days, there are some new PA fiction (ie never free before)
As always, please double-check the price before you "Buy" your free books.
Free books are found under the tab headings above. (You'll have to go to the actual site if you're reading this on a "feed reader.") These books have been found to be free in the USA as of this morning. Different countries may have differing pricing. Please check prices before clicking "buy" to make sure they are still free.
The new books each day are added to the top of each list. Once you hit the books you saw yesterday, you can stop. I will delete books as I have time to check they're no longer free. (This may be never!) Amazon makes it complicated and time-consuming for me to tell from Canada whether they're free in the US.
Some books that will end up at the bottom of the different lists are long-term free.
Shared at:
Natural Living Link-up
Simple Lives Thursday
Small Footprint Fridays
Strut Your Stuff Saturday
- Home
- About (Q & A)
- Gen. Preparedness, Self-Reliance, Survival
- Farming/Gardening
- Home, Food, Craft
- Health
- Theory, Politics
- Personal Skills, Finance
- True Accounts
- FIC-Nature Survival, War, Hardship
- FIC-Politics, Terrorism, Conspiracy
- FIC-Collapse, Post-Apoc., Futures
- FIC- + some Sci-Fi/Fant
- Comments Page
You don't need a Kindle!....
You don't need to own a Kindle reader to read these books! You can read them on the internet or with the free Kindle apps for your computer, tablet, or smartphone:
...The Cloud Reader is automatically there when you have an Amazon account; you'll see it under the buy button. In Cloud Reader, the books are stored on the internet and read on the web page.
...To download free Kindle reading apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry, IPad, or Android Magnet, go here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771
Friday, June 14, 2013
Free books updated June 14, 2013
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text: avatar July 7, 2014 Clay Asbury Founder, father, and Licensed Caffeine Therapist After working over 10 years for a Microsoft Gold Partner in Richmond, Virginia (4 years as Manager / 4 years as Director), I started TWELVETWO in 2012 to combine two of my greatest passions, technology and design, into one career. Applying these passions towards solving practical problems is its own reward. No Comments Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Name * Email * Website Notify me of new posts by email.


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My friends, We are glad to present you a free game Sonic 3D Blast for Wii.Sonic 3D Blast Redeem Code Free
The evil Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik) stumbles upon an alternate dimension where some odd birds called Flickies have the ability to travel anywhere. In order to get help in his search for the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman transforms the Flickies into robots that will help him track down his coveted gems. Of course, it's up to our favorite blue hedgehog, Sonic, to step in and save the day! Jump into this 3-D adventure as Sonic or his buddy Tails, and collect the golden rings to help free the Flickies and defeat the doctor!


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I have a very old VST synth that doesn't really work that good with my latest OS version. It crashes a lot. The thing is I don't really need it that much anymore, but I have a few nice patches in it that are hard to reproduce in other synths.
How can I create some kind of a soundbank with the sounds I like from it, so I can use them instead of the VST?


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? Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the first mandatory evacuation in New York, but shelters were not even close to capacity.
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the first mandatory evacuation in New York, but shelters were not even close to capacity.
NEW YORK — The normally bustling streets emptied out and the rumble of the subways came to a stop.
New York buttoned up Saturday against Hurricane Irene, which threatened to paralyze Wall Street and give the big city its worst thrashing from a storm since at least the 1980s.
City officials cautioned that if Irene stayed on track, it could bring winds of 85 mph overnight that could shatter skyscraper windows. They said there was an outside chance that a storm surge in Lower Manhattan could send cold seawater streaming into the underground vaults that hold the city's cables and pipes, knocking out power to thousands and crippling the nation's financial capital.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the first mandatory evacuation ever in New York. More than 370,000 people were told to be out by 5 p.m. from low-lying areas on the fringes of the city, mostly in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
All subway service was suspended because of the threat of flooding in the tunnels — the first time the nation's biggest transit system has shut down because of a natural disaster.
"Heed the warnings," Bloomberg said, his shirt getting soaked as the rain fell in Coney Island. "It isn't cute to say, 'I'm tougher than any storm.' I hope this is not necessary, but it's certainly prudent."
People arrived in a trickle at a shelter set up at a high school in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Some carried garbage bags filled with clothing; others pushed carts with their belongings.
They were evacuated from a public housing project in Red Hook, a low-lying area in Brooklyn. To get them to leave, tenants said, management told them the water and power would be shut off at 5 p.m.
Construction came to a standstill across the city, and workers at the World Trade Center site dismantled a crane and secured equipment. Bloomberg said there would be no effect on the opening of the Sept. 11 memorial on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Con Edison brought in hundreds of extra utility workers from around the country. While the foot of Manhattan is protected by a seawall and a network of pumps, Con Ed vice president John Mucci said the utility stood ready to turn off the power to about 6,500 customers there in the event of severe flooding. Mucci said it could take up to three days to restore the power if the cables became swamped with saltwater, which can be particularly damaging.
The New York Stock Exchange has backup generators and can run on its own, a spokesman said.
Con Ed also shut down about 10 miles of steam pipes underneath the city to prevent explosions if they came in contact with cold water. The shutdown affected 50 customers around the city who use the pipes for heat, hot water and air conditioning.
Irene came ashore in North Carolina on Saturday morning, slightly weakened but still powerful, and was expected to roll up the I-95 corridor. More than 8.3 million people live in New York City, and nearly 29 million in the metropolitan area.
A hurricane warning was issued for the city Friday afternoon, the first since Gloria in September, 1985.
While Bloomberg strongly cautioned against staying put, he also said no one was going door to door to force residents out. And many apparently chose not to go.
The city opened more than 90 evacuation shelters with a capacity of about 70,000 people. But by early evening, only about 3,700 people had checked in, officials said.
The area's three major airports — LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark Liberty — closed at noon Saturday to arriving flights. Departing flights were to be shut down by 10 p.m.
Subway trains began grinding to a halt at noon.
At the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, stragglers hoping to reach Brooklyn scurried down the steps of a subway station. Salvatore Laudadio missed one train and was sweating it out. He had been on a mass-transit odyssey of several buses and subways.
"I got kind of a late start so I've been a little worried, but I think this will all work out," he said, holding his bags.
Then the train rolled up and he got on.
The transit system won't reopen until at least Monday, after pumps remove water from flooded stations. The subways routinely flood during even ordinary storms and have to be pumped out.
The city's transit system carries about 5 million passengers on an average weekday. The last time it was seriously hobbled was an August 2007 rainstorm that disabled or delayed every one of the city's subway lines. It was also shut down after the 9/11 attacks and during a 2005 strike.
With the subways and buses shut down, many New Yorkers were left to hail taxis. To encourage cab-sharing, taxis switched from metered fares to zone fares, meaning passengers were charged not on mileage but according to which section of the city they were going to.
Cab drivers weighed whether to work in the storm.
"It's a weird day to be working," said Ivan Mitchell. "People are subdued, they're anxious, they don't know what to expect."
Boilers and elevators were shut down in public housing in evacuation areas to encourage tenants to leave and to prevent people from getting stuck in elevators if the power went out.
Dozens of buses arrived at the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league ballpark in Coney Island to help residents get out. Nursing homes and hospitals were emptied. About 80 percent of the more than 111,000 people in the Rockaways evacuated the peninsula, officials said.
At a shelter set up at a high school in the Long Island town of Brentwood, Alexander Ho calmly ate a sandwich at one of several long tables in the cafeteria. Ho willingly left his first-floor apartment in East Islip, even though it is several blocks from the water, just outside the mandatory evacuation zone.
"Objects outside can be projected as missiles," he said. "I figured my apartment didn't seem as safe as I thought, as every room has a window."
Associated Press Writers Amy Westfeldt, Verena Dobnik, Tom Hays, Meghan Barr, David B. Caruso, Colleen Long and Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this report.


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Car Seat Attachments
Car Seat Attachments
LP, as author of the thread you can hover over the Tesla motto in the upper left and delete (or edit) one of the duplicates.
That would be pretty cool. Our Suburban has plenty of space for three across but only two LATCH pairs. The most annoying thing is that one pair is in the middle.
Listen-up Tesla, we need LOTS of LATCH anchors!
I don't know about the Model X (and I don't think Tesla has even decided that yet) but the Model S Spec page says that it will come standard with "Two second row LATCH attachments for child seat installations". If that's a concern for you wrt to the Model X, I think you should contact your rep so that he or she can feed your request into the right channels.
I don't mind if there are only two LATCH attachment points, but as a current Model S owner (I actually have two), I am really annoyed by how close the seat belt receptacles (I'm not sure what the technical term is) are to each other. In a normal booster seat, in the back seat of the Model S, my kids can't get themselves in and out of the car. That's not good (my kids--future Tesla owners?--prefer to ride in a Prius because they can be more independent!)...so much for being a family car.
As a work around, I bought a new set of more narrow booster seats, and seat belt extenders...but if you really want to be family-friendly, design the Model X around real-world constraints (like the most popular booster seat model!).


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Non-Contact Thickness Measuring System
AA-826 - Spherical / Button Point
Spherical 10mm dia. (4-48) Contact Point
Directly compatible with the EG-series gages.
If you wish to use a Gage with (M2.5 threads) attaching the 4-48 contact point, you will need to use an AA-848 thread adapter.
AA-848 - M2.5 to 4-48 Thread (conversion) Adapter
AA-847 - 4-48 to M2.5 Thread (conversion) Adapter
AA-848 - M2.5 male to 4-48 female Thread (conversion) Adapter
AA-848 - M2.5 to 4-48 Thread (conversion) Adapter
AA-889 - AGD 4-48 Contact Point Set (includes AA-821 thru AA-826)
EG-225F - Digital Linear Gauge with Flat back
< Back to Non-Contact Thickness Measuring System


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Microsoft believes that focusing on search intent will help it pull ahead in the race of the search engines, or at least give it a little boost. The company discussed some of its ideas for improving Live Search during a panel at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose this week, and revealed that it has been looking at user behavior to see how it can better tune its search engine to people's individual needs.
Microsoft's senior VP of search Satya Nadella said that a full half of search queries performed on Live Search are part of an average 30-minute searching session. Apparently, Microsoft's users are spending quite a bit of time researching information online, and aren't using the search site to just perform quick lookups. Nadella said that by taking a closer look at people's search patterns over the period of time they're using the site, Microsoft could refine its results to better serve that specific user.
"I believe this notion of understanding user intent—being able to analyze (search queries) and come up with search patterns and use them to shape the search experience—is one of the most important areas for us," Nadella said, according to CNet.
Microsoft's plans seem to go hand-in-hand with its acquisition of PowerSet last month. The natural language search company appealed to Microsoft because the two seemed to share the same vision of gaining further understanding of the intent behind users' search terms. In absorbing Powerset, Microsoft plans to transform its search from the typical user experience of getting back pages of results based on keywords to something that clearly shows a more tailored approach.
As CNet points out, however, transforming search results based on search behavior could end up being a tricky proposition. Many users are sensitive to having their search data stored or even temporarily cached, which has been the driving force behind many search companies' initiatives to anonymize logs after a certain period of time. And actually using that data to tailor future search results? While it will most certainly offer a more-customized experience that may help users find what they're looking for more quickly, it will also no doubt spark an outcry from those who would like to just keep plodding along with the semi-anonymous keyword approach, thankyouverymuch.
Still, Microsoft will soldier on, as it needs to figure out some way to make itself stand out against the fierce competition. Google still dominates the search market with Yahoo and Microsoft trailing far behind, so Microsoft is taking a lesson from the little guys and attempting to define itself by doing something unique. The acquisition of PowerSet and a focus on search intent seem to reflect a move toward actual innovation (as opposed to buying up users with the offer of cold, hard cash back), so if Microsoft manages to pull it off without upsetting privacy advocates, it might eventually be able to chip away at Yahoo and Google.


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Well, that's the word from Minnesota today. Apparently the ankle is not healing like they had hoped and he's apparently told teammates and coaches that he's done. Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, all the talk people are talking about it and interviewing Vikings reporters and sports talk radio people. Just listened to a bunch of radio coverage and most people who have commented doubt Favre will truly retire. I myself am going to hold out for a few weeks before believing it myself.
What do you think? Will he really retire this time or will he come back? Let us know.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) — HSBC Holdings PLC said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with U.S. authorities in relation to investigations regarding inadequate compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and will make payments totaling $1.921 billion.
— Pact includes a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA, with the U.S. Department of Justice.
— HSBC has also reached agreement to achieve a global resolution with all other U.S. government agencies that have investigated HSBC's past conduct related to these issues and anticipates finalizing an undertaking with the U.K. Financial Services Authority shortly.
— Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive, said: "We accept responsibility for our past mistakes."
— In the past several years, the Board of HSBC Holdings has taken decisive action to direct management to fix past shortcomings as they have come to light.
— Since 2011, with new senior leadership teams in place at both HSBC Group and HSBC North America, HSBC has taken extensive and concerted steps to put in place the highest standards for the future.
— Agreement notes that HSBC Bank USA and HSBC Group have "provided valuable assistance to law enforcement."
— HSBC conducted multiple extensive internal investigations, voluntarily made employees available for interviews, and collected, analyzed and organized voluminous evidence and information.
— Shares closed Monday at 641 pence