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In late December I interviewed Clive Thompson, author of Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better.
Jess Kimball: Let's get right to one of my favorite ideas from your book: on page 44 you say, "Our ancestors learned how to remember, and we will learn how to forget."
Clive Thompson: I think that epiphany comes from conversations that I had with Cathy Marshall. Cathy's a researcher from Microsoft; she has spent years studying how people deal with their exploding digital archives. What do people do with it all? I've been meaning to write a piece one of these days that's just about her work. I said, "Isn't it weird that we have to deal with all this stuff?" I take photos of my kids on my iPhone, on my Nexus, and now I've got 4,000 photos or so that I may never look at again." Cathy said that we're facing a question archivists have long had to deal with, which is, 'What of this massive corpus of stuff is worth preserving? What should we remember, and what should we forget?'
Up until now, within our entire 200 year photography experiment, we only took a photo when we wanted to preserve it.
Jess Kimball: So how are we learning to forget thus far?
Clive Thompson: Some of it might be active acts of saying, "I don't want all this stuff." We're seeing that already with SnapChat. If you talk to people who use SnapChat, they'll give you a couple reasons why they like it. One idea is that it's evanescent: the photos aren't being stored, so they are more conversational, more fun, and people feel more free to just do silly, stupid things.
Secondarily, people like the idea of not clogging their phone with lots of photos because the SnapChat photos aren't saved. People could do like 30 SnapChats a day but after a month, they weren't going to have to go through this onerous task of going, "All right. My phone's full. What am I going to get rid of?" That turns out to be an emotionally difficult moment. When you think about photos, it's a really funny thing because up until now, within our entire 200 year photography experiment, we only took a photo when we wanted to preserve it.
Jess Kimball: And now part of photography's purpose has shifted.
Clive Thompson: Now that a photo can be sent in the moment to just say, "Here's what I'm doing," it can become a communication act that's completely separate from the act of archiving and saving. It's taking us a long time to decouple the photo as an expressive act from the photo as a permanent archive.
Jess Kimball: So nowadays we all have these big banks of personal, digital ephemera: our photos, videos and text. I think the existence of these banks creates a set of fascinating challenges and opportunities for artists. Take the MTV show Catfish, they've created a new documentary style using people's Facebook posts, iChat sessions, and iPhone pictures to enrich and contextualize a story...
Clive Thompson: Absolutely.
Jess Kimball: ...And that collateral completely changes the emotions that you have about the characters' love lives.
Clive Thompson: I think you're right, they've really nailed it. There was that great little thing that went viral on YouTube, a relationship breakup purely through the Facebook interface...
It depicts all these weird documents in our lives: bits of conversations that are written down, bits of video like Skyping or Google Hangouts. Again, this is one of the reasons why I think it's so interesting to pay attention to the aesthetics of these new records that we're making because they violate all the aesthetics of how we used to use recording devices.
Jess Kimball: I never thought of it like that, but it's so true.
Clive Thompson: I like to joke that it would be interesting to figure out what the most common shot in the entire history of the moving image is, if you took every second of recorded image, every movie and every home video and everything on YouTube and categorized it into types of shots. There's the tracking shot, there's the close up, but I'll bet the most common shot someone staring into a web cam or into a phone cam.
Jess Kimball: As you reference it in the book, the "confessional shot" from reality television.
Clive Thompson: It's almost Freudian, the confessional un-baring of the soul to a camera ensconced in your bedroom. Now the confessional shot, by Hollywood standards, is unbelievably ugly. The lighting's bad, the talking into the camera is always a little off, and you're breaking fourth wall. You're acknowledging that there's something behind the camera; it was rarely seen in movies and when it was seen, it was very jokey.
In the early days of video games, in the 80's and 90's, there was this libel that everyone was just 'staring at the screen,' and it was always written by people who didn't play video games.
Jess Kimball: I'm looking forward to seeing the John Hughes of the future bring our digital lives to the big screen in a new way: I mean, think about the cinematic opportunity, a hundred 17-year-olds are silently staring into their iPhones right now but their minds are being blown, they're texting with some girl or guy and they're learning that love exists! They're having the times of their lives, but in an altered form.
Clive Thompson: Those kids are going to grow up and realize that there's a way to actually write about this stuff that actually honors their experience. I think one of the reasons that I'm sensitive to this, too, is that I'm a video game player. In the early days of video games, in the 80's and 90's, there was this libel that everyone was just 'staring at the screen,' and it was always written by people who didn't play video games. My defense was, "Well, we're not just staring at the screen. There's actually something very complicated going on in our heads. There's this enormous thinking process going on and we're also getting a huge amount of socializing outside of the game." In fact, often, we were playing with someone there with us and talking about it. This was all invisible to people that had nothing but contempt for the form.
Jess Kimball: What type of cinematic devices will we use in the near future to depict these stories in movies and TV?
Clive Thompson: One interesting, really fun example is the BBC version of Sherlock. Whenever Sherlock would look at a camera and write something, the text would sort of float in front of them. There's this one moment where a police commissioner is giving a press release and Sherlock sends a text to all the 30 journalists at once, simultaneously, basically saying, "He's lying," or something like that. Tim Carmody wrote a wonderful essay about [some of] this, and it was picked up and riffed on by my friend Michele Tepper, who is a designer.
Tim and Michele were fascinated by the use of diegetic texts: a text that back in the old days of silent movies would show up in between each scene and say, "Here's what they said." It was a way of saying, "Well, we don't have any way to capture the audio but we need to let people know what's going on in these people's heads, so we're going to insert these text frames."
Jess Kimball: When I think about the future of the TV, film, and tech worlds, I see a common problem, which is that they all have to figure out how to handle advertising with integrity. Advertising is creepily, insidiously everywhere in content now. A couple months ago you made my favorite ever point about the current state of advertising: Facebook is only making $5 per year, per user in revenue off of its current ad-based model. I mean, seriously! All that sacrifice of content quality for 5 lousy bucks?
Clive Thompson: I know, exactly. You could bill that to me on my mobile phone and I wouldn't even notice it, and you could lay off the ads...
Jess Kimball: You could bill me $10!
Clive Thompson: You could probably lay off half your staff, and then you could start designing features that actually served users instead of serving advertisers.
Jess Kimball: I think that adding the word "free" to the homepage was a fundamental error on Facebook's part. They took this precious experience that is in itself so personal and fragile and expressive - the creation of a person's life log - and by being deceptive, they made their own product worse.
Clive Thompson: It would be interesting at this point in time if they copied LinkedIn, where there's a free model but there's also a paid model. The paid model has no ads, different algorithms, and more control. There's also Evernote, which offers a free version but if you want the cool stuff, then you pay for it. The model allows them to never have to think about ads; it's a business that doesn't have to scour your memory to advertise. The CEO, Phil Libin, is really insistent on it. I hope he remains CEO for awhile.
Jess Kimball: I'm really waiting for Hollywood to learn this lesson of "there is a better way," because I feel like the big studios especially have gravitated toward a model where the Fortune 500 brands are there sitting next to the screenwriters and tapping them on the shoulder, like, "Please mention Tide 19 more times." When are they going to learn how destructive that behavior is? How a critical mass of people will pay to circumvent it? Hello, HBO...
Clive Thompson: It's terrible. Actually, it's really bad in TV. It's something my wife, Emily, has written a bunch about. It's happening all the time. One of her last stories for New York Magazine was all about branded product placement and TV.
In some respects, the VCs are like inadvertent Medicis.
Jess Kimball: Do you see a way past this - hopefully adolescent - phase of purposefully obfuscated advertising practices?
Clive Thompson: No, the truth is, I don't at the moment see a path beyond it. I am already amazed at how much cultural and cognitive value we've managed to get out of these services, given that they're based on selling ads. It's a testimony to the human spirit! I've jokingly said that they're all probably doomed in the medium term, they've all got maybe a ten year run in the sun before people move on to something else. A few of them, like Facebook, will be temporarily profitable before they crash and are abandoned, but a lot of these services just get like paid for by venture capitalists who are never making any money. We have a lot of fun with these services and then we discard them. In some respects, the VCs are like inadvertent Medicis.
Jess Kimball: Totally!
Clive Thompson: They're paying for experiences where we go, "Dude! This is awesome!" for two years and we're like, "Yeah, we're over it," and they never make a penny and everything goes away.
Jess Kimball: Only if instead of producing art, it's a Medici era that's producing...
Clive Thompson: An experience.
Jess Kimball: An advertisement.
Clive Thompson: My favorite ones are the ones that never get to the advertising level at all. They just burn through $20 million in VC capital and we have fun with their toy, and they go, "This is never going to work." Then they pull the plug and it's gone. In one respect what made Twitter rise was its willingness to observe what its users were doing. When they created the @-reply, that was because they saw that people doing @-replies. They were like, "Oh, so people actually want to cross-talk."
Then people started using hashtags. Twitter said, "Oh, they wanted to have theses floating conversations that are pinned down by words. Let's do that." As they followed what people actually wanted to do, they grew and grew and grew. Now they're at the point where they're starting to do things that people don't want and didn't ask for, because nobody said, "If I could just have an advertised post pushed to the top of my feed, that would be great."
Jess Kimball: "If I could just follow Denny's Restaurant and figure out what kind of YouTube clips it likes..."
Clive Thompson: "...If Twitter could just suggest a useless celebrity for me to follow, then Twitter would be much better."
Jess Kimball: In your book you do a fair amount of exploring the creative process and the importance of cognitive diversity. I must now reference your favorite pencil sharpener.
Clive Thompson: I've got a pencil sharpener right here. I'll show you one of the pencils that I use a lot of, Palomino Blackwings. And check these out, too, hundred year anniversary editions: Clive's Tombow Pencils.
Anyway, yes, this is all classic cognitive diversity. The computer is an amazing tool for letting me get my notes and thoughts down, and sometimes I organize on the computer, but I find a lot by organizing just works better for me on paper. I really do love the type of thinking that comes out of my head when I'm using a pencil and paper. I almost never use pens. I'm either a computer or a pencil person. A pencil, because the lead wears down, after a while requiring its user to stop and sharpen it...
Jess Kimball: It has a pause built in.
Clive Thompson: It has a pause built in.
Jess Kimball: I just read the book Daily Rituals...
Clive Thompson: Yes, yes.
Jess Kimball: It really made me think about artists' processes and cognitive diversity. Closely related, I've been Googling like a madman trying to find the word the science of using different, specific textures in a creative process, this type of paper, this pen, this desk...
Clive Thompson: The closest thing is probably embodied cognition, the idea that your thinking is not just in your head, it's in your body so the way that you get your ideas out and the way that you interact with information matters. There's a different type of feeling from reading something on a screen versus reading it on paper.
An amazing artist working in this world is Austin Kleon. He's pioneered a great form of modern poetry called blackout poetry; he takes a New York Times, blacks out all the words except for five or six and those read like a lovely little poem. He's a great artist and wrote a book called Steal Like an Artist. He's blogged about his work flow... he actually has two desks. One of them has his computer, and his tablet, and the other one has his artwork and all his pencils and stuff so he can sit there and work without staring at screens. Man, if I had a little more space, I would do just that.
Artists need to really understand their tools to really push them to the breaking point. Heck, in the Renaissance you had to make your own paint and your own paintbrushes and pull your own canvases together and in the process of doing that, you wrestle so deeply, on a molecular level, with the materials you were using. I think that the same thing behooves people who are using digital tools.
[For example, as a writer] when I'm reading something, if there's something that I know I'm going to want to remember, I force myself to open up my Scrivener. I use Scrivener as a writing tool, a database of all my stuff.
I then clip the thing I'm seeing and make a note about what I think about it, right at that moment. That's the generation effect: when you write about something, you actually synthesize it more deeply and you're going to remember it with greater ease because it becomes part of your meaning. If you just cut and paste stuff, it's like intellectual Olestra.
Jess Kimball: What did you think of The New York Times producing "Snowfall," something of homage to cognitive diversity? Did you agree with the naysayers' arguments - that the 'digital heehaw' was essentially detrimental to the text - or did you think the piece's overall effect was really futuristic and powerful?
Clive Thompson: I thought that it was pretty well done. I thought it was still prototypical but I loved the way the team tried to wrestle with the key issue facing media right now, which is what medium works best for what type of story and knowledge.
Only when you get a million people banging on something are you really going to stumble upon the awesome stuff.
There are going to be a lot of experiments. One of the things I think that we need to figure this out is that we need lots of people to start doing it on an every day basis, and not just professionals. Only when you get a million people banging on something are you really going to stumble upon the awesome stuff.
Jess Kimball: So a more sophisticated Storify or...
Clive Thompson: Well it's already started to happen. There's a tool it's called Scrollkit, it was basically designed as, "This is a tool to make Snowfall experiences."
Jess Kimball: Where do you think we'll see art that's really capturing us in the now, our screens and all, falling in love and living our lives as always, only now while staring through some Guerrilla Glass? Will it be TV, or film, or maybe a 'zine of some sort, funded on Kickstarter...?
Clive Thompson: I think the place you would see it first is literary fiction, because they're good at depicting internal states. However I think a lot of literary novels have sort have been repelled by social media because literary novelists are very isolated folks; if you want to write a literary novels, you have to sit in a room, alone, for three years. It is hard, hard, hard work to do.
Jess Kimball: Know of any close-ish novels?
Clive Thompson: I don't know of one, but you should ask Cory Doctorow. He would know.
Update: I reached out to the fantastic Cory Dotorow, and within minutes he suggested the novel "Constellation Games."
Clive Thompson (cont'd): I know that years before us in Japan they had these cell phone novels - books written on cell phones, using the cell phone as a word processor which is kind of an awesome concept. All the utterances were of cell phone length, and in totality they created a novel. It became a kind of way to use the form to evoke what the form was doing to you. I blogged about them.
We were looking for something that looks like TV but maybe YouTube is just that, the future of TV.
You would expect that given that these novels were written on a cell phone they're going to be shorter, stupider words, but actually the average linguistic complexity was slightly higher than that of the literary novels being published using regular word processors.
Jess Kimball: That's a fascinating future indicator.
Clive Thompson: Oh my God, this stuff is totally coming. It's going to be awesome. We're going to see more and more of it. We're going to hate it. I'm 45 so at my age when the next great aesthetic wave arrives, I find it ugly because it violates all of my known dictates of quality. I was talking about this once with my wife [Emily Nussbaum]. We sort of wondered five years ago, "Wow, when is TV going to be reinvented online?" After a few years of not seeing it, I realized that maybe we were just looking for the wrong thing. We were looking for something that looks like TV but maybe YouTube is just that, the future of TV. We're not recognizing it because we're old people who expect it to look like our old TV.
Ten days later, Lindy West wrote this piece in response to her youthful Christmas compatriots not recognizing Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt.
I laughed out loud and thought of Clive.
Jess Kimball Leslie is a trend spotter in New York.
(Top photo credit: Catalina Kulczar.)


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Our Story
What is KOR and why do we exist? We invite you to join us in our mission to celebrate and protect water.
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They say necessity is the mother of invention — and so began KOR. Read our story.
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Our logo isn't a water drop just because we do water. There's a deeper meaning behind the shape and colors.
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Our Mission
Call us water advocates. We celebrate and treasure water by creating the world's most stylish, functional personal hydration products. We call our approach, "Better Me, Better World" because we believe you can make a difference without giving up everything you love.
Giving Back
We believe passionately in the importance of clean water to human health and to the health of our planet. By promoting the use of reusable water bottles, we seek to raise awareness and engage the public on important water issues.
Sustainable by Design
We believe that well-made, beautifully designed products are inherently more sustainable than commodity products that are quickly discarded and end up in landfills.
Health Matters
Proper hydration is crucial to your health, but what you hydrate with matters too. That's why we make all our products with health-safe materials such as Eastman Tritan™ and food-grade stainless steel.
Our Story
They say necessity is the mother of invention — and so began KOR. Eric Barnes' wife, Stacey, was the first to tell him that his habit of refilling an old Gatorade bottle was a really bad idea. "It's a bacterial trap," she warned, "and you're not supposed to reuse those bottles." Yet, after several visits to retail stores, Eric's failed search to find a reusable bottle that he would actually use left him unsatisfied — and intrigued. Bottled water sales continued to explode as those companies redesigned their packaging and marketed stories of water from exotic locations, yet the practice of sustainable hydration (i.e., drinking from reusable bottles) remained stagnant. It was becoming common knowledge that bottled water waste was a major environmental problem with four out of every five empty bottles being land-filled, but that fact by itself was not changing consumer behavior.
What if the tactics of design and story used by bottled water were employed in the reusable category? Why couldn't great industrial design — where form and function are meticulously analyzed — be incorporated into a new product line that anticipated the user's every need? There was no law that stated environmentally friendly products must deliver less convenience and inferior performance, yet most "green" alternatives often delivered that experience.
Eric was no stranger to taking on a challenge, particularly one with which he had no experience. "One can see with new eyes what others miss" — or at least that's how he rationalized diving head first into the hydration market. Previously, Eric had launched several Internet startups, including Ivysport.com and ePrep.com, but KOR felt more like a mission than a company.
Soon, Eric was introduced to Paul Shustak by a mutual friend. Paul was engaged in a successful product management career with experience at Microsoft, Sony and Adobe. Having personally experienced the same divide between great design and sustainable products, Paul and Eric joined forces and KOR began the journey to develop and launch its first product in early 2007.
KOR sought far and wide to find the best design partner to help make the company's vision a reality. In RKS Design, a world-class design firm based in Southern California, KOR discovered a team that deeply understood how KOR's focus on design could be the driver that motivated change, creating not just products, but also a company and a movement.
KOR brought over 100 functional design requirements to the project, and after nearly three painstaking years of development with RKS (and over 15 abandoned concepts), KOR emerged in the summer of 2008 with the KOR ONE Hydration Vessel. A lightning rod product, the KOR ONE immediately gathered global attention for the concept it represented — that great, iconic design could be embedded in a product that stood as a beacon of sustainability.
What started as KOR's simple goal of perfecting the reusable bottle has expanded into a company charged with celebrating, protecting, and treasuring water — in our personal lives and the world. Today, KOR is hard at work spreading "sustainable hydration" to the world in a growing line of design-driven hydration products and enlisting water advocates, one customer at a time.
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The Water Drop Logo
KOR is an elemental expression of the word "core," which refers to the central, innermost, or most essential part. Every person has core values, a core personality and core aspirations. Some understand their core; others search for their core. To us, water is at the core of physical life.
The KOR logo both resembles a water drop and is inspired by the Chinese concept of yin-yang, which describes two opposing, yet complementary aspects of any phenomenon. The green and blue sides of the KOR water drop join to represent the dualistic relationship and balance of earth and water.
You might notice that the KOR logo's green and blue arms reach upward to close the water drop, but don't quite touch. The gap acknowledges the constant divide between our goals and achievements. Once you're on the path to "being green," you find there's always something more you could do — and in the eyes of some, you're never doing quite enough. That's OK. Finding balance — in ourselves and in the environment — is a continuous process that never truly ends. It only matters that you're on your way.

subset: commoncrawl


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Didier Drogba scores in easy Ivory Coast victory
Captain Didier Drogba was among the scorers as title favourites Ivory Coast warmed up for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 friendly victory in Austria on Wednesday.
Captain Didier Drogba was among the scorers as title favourites Ivory Coast warmed up for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 friendly victory in Austria on Wednesday.
Veteran striker Drogba, who moved to China last year after helping Chelsea win a maiden Champions League title, scored on 61 minutes in Linz to put the Elephants two goals ahead.
Lacina Traore completed a comfortable win for the No 1 ranked African national football team with a goal 14 minutes from time after Didier Ya Konan opened the scoring just before half-time.
It was an encouraging result for the Ivorians, who lacked injured Arsenal forward Gervinho, as they seek a second Cup of Nations title in South Africa next February.
But to conquer Africa, Ivory Coast must ditch a 'chokers' tag after losing two of the last four finals against hosts Egypt and surprise package Zambia following penalty shootouts.
Drogba said last month that the 2013 Cup of Nations will be his last, and it is also likely to be the final shot at glory for ageing stars like Kolo Toure and Didier Zokora.
While Ivory Coast are 53 places above Austria on the FIFA world rankings, the ease with which they succeeded can only boost morale ahead of a January 22 Cup of Nations opener against Togo in Rustenburg.
Defending champions Zambia deserved to defeat South Africa more comfortably than 1-0 in Johannesburg on a Soccer City pitch in poor condition after a rock concert at the venue last weekend.
Recalled striker Collins Mbesuma struck the mid-second half winner with a fierce shot from just outside the box and he should have won a penalty when brought down by Bafana Bafana (The Boys) captain Bongani Khumalo.
Substitute James Chamanga missed a sitter for Zambia, who lacked injured midfielder Rainford Kalaba from the team that pipped Ivory Coast on penalties for the African crown in Libreville last February.
Ghana, desperate for a first Cup of Nations title in 31 years after finishing fourth, second and third in the last three tournaments, defeated shock 2013 qualifers Cape Verde Islands 1-0 in Lisbon.
Spain-based Mubarak Wakasu snatched the winner on 64 minutes as Ghana rested many first choices and captain Asamoah Gyan was unavailable after a family loss.
Among those who started for the Black Stars were teenage Inter Milan midfielder John Duncan and striker Abdul Majeed Warris, who joined Spartak Moscow on a five-year contract last weekend.
Togo surprised Morocco 1-0 in Casablanca courtesy of a second-half goal from Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor, and Algeria and Tunisia also lost at home on a bad night for North Africa.
A goal two minutes into stoppage time earned Bosnia Herzogovina a 1-0 win in Algeria and Xherdan Shaqiri struck even later as Switzerland overcame Tunisia 2-1 in Mediterranean resort Sousse.


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When No Press Is Good Press
There's a fairly brilliant article over at MLBTradeRumors.com featuring the Astros' former lefty reliever, Tim Byrdak, who now pitches for the Mets. In the article (which you should read in full,) Byrdak talks about following every minute whiff of a story involving a left-handed reliever.
For those of us who follow trade rumors, it's sometimes easy to forget that there are some people who are very interested in these rumors: The players themselves.
When one lefty gets signed, it can have a dramatic influence on other lefties. The difference between a major league signing and a minor league invite are major – they are, literally, the difference between getting a job offer and getting an offer for a job interview.
Byrdak, who pitched pretty well for the Astros over three years, wound up in New York. But the way he tells it, it sounds like a cyclone, spinning you around and around with no idea where you're going to land until you wake up the next morning and take stock of your surroundings.
Excerpts below, but you should read the entire article.
"I thought we'd have more of an opportunity to secure a big-league job," Byrdak continued. "So you have to keep watching the wire, MLB Trade Rumors, all these sites to see who is going where, who has interest in guys. So it became a pretty valuable tool for me to keep an eye on other lefties that were still on the market, and how that market was developing."
What may seem like a minor post to a reader about a team's interest in a middle reliever is seismic to someone like Byrdak, and he found it hard to avoid getting frustrated by some of the things he read.
"There were a couple [of times]," Byrdak said. "You would hear from a couple of different teams, and you thought you'd be starting the negotiation process. People have asked me, 'How come I don't play for the White Sox' [Byrdak is from nearby Oak Forest, IL], and I tell them, 'Well, you know, they've never offered me a job."
"I read somewhere, Chad Durbin said the same thing, that you've got to take what was out there," Byrdak said. "There wasn't a big-league job out there for us to get. I'm a guy who usually is coming into camp – you're in shape – but it's about getting your arm strength, getting everything together without the pressure. It was different this year. You have to compete, put up zeroes as early and often as you can."


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Thursday, September 15
September's Golden Harvest: Grilled Peaches Stuffed with Mascarpone Cheese and Rosemary
This season's peaches have been like the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." July's peaches were too hard. August's peaches were too soft. September's peaches are just right. In fact, Southern California's September peaches are often plumpest, juiciest, prettiest peaches of all with appealing names like Summer Flame and Suncrest.
After you've eaten your fill of peaches out-of-hand, baked into pies, slipped into cobblers, and mashed into jams, try some grilled and stuffed with mascarpone cheese and rosemary. They're deceptively simple to make and deceptively delicious. I should tell you that they taste best when eaten al fresco, with a loved one, while sipping a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, and watching the sun set.
Grilled Peaches Stuffed with Mascarpone Cheese and Rosemary
Makes 4 servings
Printable recipe.
2 large ripe peaches
Olive oil for brushing peaches
About 2 ounces mascarpone cheese
Zest of 1/4 lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus some for garnish
A few shakes of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Slice the peaches in half and discard the pits. Brush the flesh with a little bit of olive oil. Heat a grill to medium or place a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stove top. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until the flesh begins to caramelize and light grill marks appear.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Divide filling evenly among the four peach halves. Serve.
You might also enjoy these grilled peach recipes:
Grilled Peaches recipe from Sugar Crafter
Grilled Peach Prosciutto Kebabs recipe from Rosemary and the Goat
Grilled Peaches and Humboldt Fog Panini recipe from Panini Happy
21 comments:
- T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...
Delicious, Susan! Looks like your peach story has a happily ever after ending!
- September 15, 2011 at 11:08 AM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
TW-A sweet ending, indeed.
- September 15, 2011 at 1:31 PM
- Soma said...
O my gosh! I could dive into these right at this moment. :)
- September 15, 2011 at 1:40 PM
- kellypea said...
I think I blinked and stone fruit season was waning. This sounds wonderful. We've grilled them to enjoy in a salsa with meat, but not as a dessert. K.I.S.S. right? ;)
- September 15, 2011 at 3:03 PM
- K Allrich said...
So gorgeous! And no gluten required. xox
- September 15, 2011 at 3:17 PM
- Lynne said...
Those look delicious Susan - proof positive that less is more!
- September 15, 2011 at 4:08 PM
- Joanne said...
Peaches here have been pretty good all summer, but you're definitely right that this latest batch has been the best! I love this simple preparation...this time of year, you don't need to do much to make them shine!
- September 15, 2011 at 5:32 PM
- Maia said...
These look absolutely delicious and right up my alley. Thanks for the heads up that peaches are "just right" in SoCal at the moment - I live in LA and will definitely be snagging some at the farmer's market this week based on your recommendation!
- September 15, 2011 at 10:57 PM
- Deliciously Organic said...
These look delightful and perfect for my current grain-free diet. Thanks!
- September 16, 2011 at 10:47 AM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
kelly-I know what you mean. It wasn't as robust as previous years.
karina-Nope. Not a drop!
lynne-That's what I like to hear!
maia-Oh, I'm so happy to have helped. They always are the best this time of year, so enjoy!
joanne-I'm glad you've enjoyed them all season. And it's true, they're shining all on their own!
carrie-Yes, perfect!
- September 16, 2011 at 2:02 PM
- Goody said...
Susan, those look perfect. Hard to go wrong with peaches and cheese.
If you are lucky enough to have peaches worth preserving for later, here's a quick method for making puree that freezes well. You won't be able to grill the peaches in December, but you can make a Bavarian, or ice cream, or a chiffon pie, or fruit leather...you get the idea.
Halve and pit the peaches and place in a large pot with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice. Cover, simmer until fruit is soft-about fifteen min. Put them through a food mill to get rid of skins (a food processor will mush them up too much and become watery). Cool, pack into freezer-safe jars leaving 1/2 inch headroom for expansion.
It sounds like a lot of work, but we're talking maybe 30 minutes, tops.
- September 16, 2011 at 2:06 PM
- Cookin' Canuck said...
Your Goldilocks reference hit the nail on the head! We have been enjoying some wonderful peaches over the past couple of weeks. What a wonderful savory and sweet combination in this recipe.
- September 16, 2011 at 3:01 PM
- Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood said...
One of my culinary school chefs used to say we ate with our eyes. Looking at those peaches, I think he is right (I wrote about it here, if you like: "Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood" - http://amzn.to/oqXw1R ).
- September 16, 2011 at 3:48 PM
- averagebetty said...
So luscious! Those sweet, juicy grill marks and that Mascarpone! Makes me want to put on a sundress :)
- September 16, 2011 at 3:55 PM
- Unknown said...
we just picked about 30 lbs of peaches and aside from eating out of hand or canning/preserving, i was at a loss of how to eat now. i love this idea and thinking they would be gorgeous as the featured bit of a composed starter salad for my dinner party this week (i might just toss in some rosemary-caramel pecans). thank you for the inspiration
- September 17, 2011 at 3:51 PM
- ChichaJo said...
Oh this looks soooo good! Our peaches here are imported and never as good...will have to appease myself with that gorgeous photo!
- September 19, 2011 at 12:06 AM
- Neil | Butterfield said...
looks awsome, although I must say I am a little hesitant to mix fruit with savory items. Tomatoes being the exception of course.
- September 19, 2011 at 5:48 AM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
goody-That is awfully kind of you to take the time to share. It does sound easy and delicious! Thanks a bunch! :)
dara-Oh, thank you! I'm all about mixing sweet and savory flavors.
cookingschool-Sounds like a neat blog.
sara- It's still warm enough for one. :)
christy-30 lbs? Whoa! That's a LOTTA peaches. I hope you do make them as a starter, and I think I'll add your caramelized nuts next time too. Delicious!
neil-I personally love savory fruit dishes, but I understand if you don't. If you like tomatoes, peaches aren't that much of a stretch in terms of flavor since both are mildly sweet. I hope you give it a try!
- September 19, 2011 at 12:23 PM
- Unknown said...
Um...yes please?? What an amazing recipe - I can taste the killer combination already :) Yummmy!
- September 24, 2011 at 6:47 PM
- farida said...
This is an excellent post. It contains great Ideas that help in cooking.
- September 27, 2011 at 3:08 AM
- Unknown said...
Lovely desert for an afternoon tea or a dinner. I just love it.
Greets short term rental london
- September 28, 2011 at 2:36 AM


text:
Source: Investigators recover circuit board believed used to detonate Boston Marathon blasts
Investigators combing through the scene of the deadly Boston Marathon terrorist attack have recovered a circuit board that they believe was used to detonate the bombs, according to an official briefed on the investigation.
Investigators have also recovered components of the bombs, enabling them to determine that they consisted of two 6-liter pressure cookers packed with nails, ball bearings, and other metal. The makeshift bombs were placed in black duffel bags, the official said.
The one that exploded first was placed on the ground on Boylston Street, across from the finish-line viewing stands where dignitaries, including Governor Deval Patrick, had been sitting earlier. The second bag was placed on the ground about 75 to 100 yards down the street, outside the Forum restaurant at 755 Boylston, according to the official.
Just before 3 p.m. Monday, the bombs detonated about 12 seconds apart, killing three people and injuring 176 others, including 17 who are still in critical condition. The attacks created a scene of bloody carnage near the finish line of a race that is a colorful rite of spring in Boston and draws runners from around the world.
President Obama, speaking to reporters at the White House this morning, called the attacks a "heinous and cowardly act'' and said that the FBI was investigating it "as an act of terrorism.''
"We will find whoever harmed our citizens and we will bring them to justice,'' he said.
Governor Patrick announced late this afternoon that Obama would be coming to Boston Thursday to attend an 11 a.m. interfaith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Eight-year-old Martin Richard of Boston was one of those killed in the attack. A second person who died in the blast was also identified today. She was Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, her grandmother said. The third person killed in the blast was a Boston University graduate student, the university said this afternoon, though it did not release the student's name.
Doctors at several major hospitals in Boston said they had seen evidence that the bombs contained some kind of shrapnel.
Dr. Ron Walls, an emergency physician from Brigham and Woman's Hospital, said items were removed from several patients that "clearly were designed to be projectiles that were built into the device.'' He described the items as small ball bearings and nails.
Similar comments were made by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Boston Medical Center.
A federal investigator who responded to the bombings also said authorities had recovered shrapnel that appeared to be ball bearings or BBs.
"Anything can cause shrapnel, even a soda can nearby, but it appears this was prepared shrapnel,'' said the investigator, who insisted on anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the investigation.
"There appears to be beyond the normal stuff. It looks like the device was prepared with it.'' He said agents were collecting evidence and taking it to the Hynes Convention Center.
Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the Boston FBI office, said pieces of black nylon consistent with a black backpack or bag had been found, along with fragments of BBs and nails "possibly contained in a pressure cooker device.'' He had no comment when asked whether a circuit board had been discovered.
He emphasized that the person who detonated the bombs is "someone's friend, neighbor, coworker, or relative.''
He urged anyone to contact authorities who if they had heard someone talk threateningly about the marathon or the date of April 15, or knew someone with an unusual interest in explosive devices. He said someone might have heard the bombers testing the explosives in a remote area.
He also asked people who had attended the marathon to report if they had seen anyone carrying a large, heavy black bag that day. Authorities believe the bag would have been heavy due to the size of the explosion and the materials required.
"Someone knows who did this. Cooperation from the community will play a crucial role in this investigation,'' DesLauriers said.
He said no one had claimed responsibility for the blasts. "The range of suspects and motives remain wide open,'' he said.
Law enforcement officials today also asked the public to provide them with video and photographic evidence that could provide clues.
"I would encourage you to bring forward anything. You might not think it's significant, but it might have some value to this investigation,'' said Colonel Timothy Alben, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.
Officials emphasized that, contrary to rumors and reports on Monday, no other explosive devices had been found by authorities on Monday. DesLauriers said "there are no known additional threats.''
But the officials also said that a major investigation was underway, with local and state authorities getting the full backing of the federal government, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
They asked people for their cooperation as investigators fan out over the area, interviewing witnesses, and they asked for the public's patience as security is stepped up and experts process the expansive crime scene in the Copley Square area, where the blasts occurred.
"We want people to come and go. We want you to live your life,'' said Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis. But at the same time, he said, "We want you to be vigilant … give us a little room in the Copley Square area.''
He said the Copley Square area was "the most complex crime scene in the history of the department.'' The crime scene area was 15 blocks on Monday but had been reduced to 12 blocks today and "we will continue to collapse the crime scene,'' he said. But he expected that the scene would be closed off "for another two days anyway.''
Davis said that there had been two sweeps of the marathon route by bomb technicians before the blast. More officers were also assigned to the race than ever before. But he also said the marathon was a "soft target'' because there was open access to the race.
Law enforcement and elected officials, who held two major news conferences to brief the public, also thanked the police, firefighters, emergency medical workers, volunteers, and doctors and nurses who aided people.
DesLauriers commended the public for its assistance so far, saying authorities had received "voluminous tips.''
Overnight, a wave of law enforcement officials swarmed a home in Revere, looking at what the Revere Fire Department described as a "person of interest.'' But by late this afternoon, sources told the Globe that the Saudi Arabian man who was being scrutinized was not a suspect.
"He's just a victim. He appears not to be involved,'' said one official briefed on the investigation.
President Obama, in his White House comments, lauded the stories of first responders and ordinary people racing to people's aid with "heroism, and kindness, and generosity, and love.''
"The American people refuse to be terrorized,'' he said. "If you want to know who we are, what America is, how we respond to evil, that's it — selflessly, compassionately, unafraid.''
Be civil. Be kind.Read our full community guidelines.


text:
The Apple rumor du jour is that it will release a low-priced phone at the end of the year to address emerging markets like China.
Interestingly, Apple's SVP of marketing, Phil Schiller just did an interview with Chinese paper, the Shanghai Daily. He was asked about Apple making a cheaper phone.
According to a translation from The Next Web, Schiller said, "At first, non-smartphones were popular in the Chinese market, now cheap smartphones are more popular and non-smartphones are out ... Despite the popularity of cheap smartphones, this will never be the future of Apple's products. In fact, although Apple's market share of smartphones is just about 20%, we own the 75% of the profit."
It's a provocative comment, but it doesn't shoot down reports of Apple doing a cheaper iPhone. Apple's future is going to be making premium products. But that doesn't mean it won't produce a product that is in the low-end to capture more of the market.


text:
Rutgers coach Mike Rice returned from his three-game, two-week suspension today and answered questions from the media for 18 minutes after running a light walk-through for the Syracuse game. Here are the highlights:
On his feeling about returning: "It's awesome. It's tremendous to be with the team. My staff, I've been telling people for two and a half years now, how good my staff is. I'm proud of the way they responded. They not only held the rope, they got better. I'm also proud of the way my players have handled this adversity. They seem to have gotten stronger."
On how he followed the games: "RVision. I was a fan. It's a unique experience."
"For 21 years I've asked my players to develop, to change, to attack their weaknesses. Now I have this opportunity to do that."
"I thought a lot about the way I do things. I'm going to use this as a positive. I'm going to change. I'm going to develop some of the things I need to work on, whether it's behavior or language, I'm going to do it."
"There's a perception of me and there's what I really am. I have to kind of change that perception. The first thing I did after I had the discussion with Tim was to thank him. I called President Barchi and a couple of people around the university and thanked them for giving me a second chance, for believing I could change. That's rare in life. You've got to look at yourself and do it."
On how he spent the time off: "For two decades I've never had a chance to spend time with my family (around Christmas). I went to my son's basketball games, I went to my daughter's—my daughter couldn't wait until I got back here, by the way. I went Christmas shopping with my wife for the first time ever."
"I spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking (Rice paused here to fight back tears). The worst part of it was when my family was getting ready to come and watch UAB (at the RAC) and I couldn't go. They wanted to be there for the kids, for the team. That was hard for me. If that doesn't make you change, I don't know what will."
On the practice monitor: "I brought it up, to make sure they know I'm all in with this. There's no avenue I'm not going to look toward to improve. I want transparency. I know what we do here, and the majority of it is positive. And I know what I did that I'm not proud of, and things I do regret. Now (going forward) it will all be on record and I don't have a problem with that."
"I did this to myself. I had so many colleagues and so many former players reach out to me. The support was overwhelming. You just know you have this second chance, and I'm going to take advantage of that. I'm going to be very cognizant of how I interact with my team, correcting mistakes."
On what he said to the players when he arrived today: "We talked about our midterm grades and I'm so proud of a number of guys and how they've changed academically. Of course they kidded me and joked about, "Does Coach Cox still get to use your parking spot?" I apologized to them again, told them how proud I was of them again, and said let's move forward and be successful in the Big East."
On taking an anger management course: "That's something I'll talk with Tim about. That's something I'll take with open arms. If it's going to get me better as a coach and a teacher, I'm all for it. I'm not perfect. I will learn from this and improve from this."
"I hate putting a stain on Rutgers basketball and Rutgers University. I hate putting a bad light on it. You are going to be proud of how I behave, whether it's on the sideline or in practice. Now I'm still going to have passion and energy—that's who I am."
"There's a large portion of basketball fans who don't know me, who have never been to a practice, who don't understand there's just as much positive reinforcement as me getting in someone's face perhaps. But I did this to myself. There's no one else to blame. If someone thinks negative of me, all I can do is try to change that. Not by talking to you people, although I love the fact that I'm talking with everyone right now, but by my actions. It's about what I do daily in practice and what I do with my team. That's truly what's going to count."
"I want to develop. I want to get better. I want to have NCAA banners, because not only did my program improve but so did Mike Rice."
"I'm not going to take this for granted. It made me understand what I was missing. Made me understand the tremendous opportunity I have, coaching at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, coaching these guys, representing all the alumni and former players."
"If everybody sees this as a cloud over the program, I'm not going to. I refuse to do it. This is going to be a positive for Mike Rice."


text:
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Cozy Days of Summer aren't always Cozy
by: Kari Lee Townsend
"The cozy days of summer aren't always cozy!"
I'm Kalli Ballas--a shy, slightly OCD fashion designer with a prissy calico cat and hand sanitizer always at the ready. I hate germs and this blistering summer heat is breeding plenty. It doesn't help that my neighbor, loud and boisterous Detective Nik Stevens, has a big, sloppy St. Bernard and a devil-may-care attitude.
Living next door to him is a nightmare!
The problem is I was adopted into a big Greek family, so I'm Greek by association, and Nik is half-Greek, which is apparently "Greek enough" for the mamas. Ever since spring fever set in for the both of them, they won't stop trying to fix us up, even though it is crystal clear that we are NOT a good match. Throw in a freak accident giving me the gift of reading minds through the power a touch--a nightmare for someone like me--and my best friend being accused of murder, and the cozy turns into chaos pretty quickly.
Is it so wrong that I just want my life to return to normal? Something tells me I will never see normal again.
So tell me, what do you all do during the cozy days of summer? Anything has to be better than solving a murder.
***Kari's 4th Fortune Teller Mystery: POISON IN THE PALM will be out in October***
Don't forget to enter our Cozy Days of Summer giveaway. Kari is giving away a copy of any of her mysteries--winner's choice (check out her website and pick one @ karileetownsend.com ) Leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight for a chance to win. At the stroke of 12:00 the next drawing begins! Check back the next day to see if you won.
Good luck!
56 comments:
I have not tried this series before, but it sounds great, The heroine has a cat what could be a better recommendation?ReplyDelete
This sounds wonderful. I love the thought of reading minds.ReplyDelete
debby236 at gmail dot com
Nothing better in the cozy days of summer than sitting in the shade on the porch, fan turning slowly overhead, cool drink - and a book!ReplyDelete
What could be better than sleuthing! Got to have a book, and a garden to read it in!ReplyDelete
I forgot to leave my email! firstname.lastname@example.com
I try to make everyday a little bit of a 'cozy' summer day, even if it's just for an hour or 2.....I love watching my shows & reading.........ReplyDelete
cyn209 at juno dot com
I have not as yet read any books written by this author but I would love to—thanks for the opportunity to win a book!ReplyDelete
skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net
- Dawn FrazierJune 19, 2014 at 7:50 AM
I love to read during summer, also bike riding. Thanks for the chance to win! firstname.lastname@example.com
I always love the chance to find a new email@example.com
- Dianne B.June 19, 2014 at 7:56 AM
I haven't read this author yet but am looking forward to doing so. As for summer activities, I have a vegetable garden to tend too and I enjoy reading. firstname.lastname@example.com
I haven't had a chance to try this series yet.ReplyDelete
My favorite cozy thing to do in summer is to sit in my backyard and read or knit under my big shade tree!ReplyDelete
I haven't heard of this series before. But it sounds wonderful. That's what I do for cozy summers - read a lot and discover new authors.ReplyDelete
bevarcher AT me DOT com
- Elaine EllenJune 19, 2014 at 9:16 AM
I am certainly with you on the "blistering summer heat breeds plenty"! I really dislike the icky, sticky feeling that the summer heat and humidity brings. It makes it hard to want to cozy up to anything! Fortunately I have not had to find clues to solve a murder, but I have murdered a few hundred mosquitoes. This book sounds very good and could maybe take me away from this weather for a while, if I am not carried away by the bugs before...ReplyDelete
Haha you guys are awesome! I have fun in this series just like I do in my Fortune Teller Mysteries. Enjoy and good luck! My family hates the heat, but I would rather be hot than cold. I just sit still and read a book and I'm fine. When I am cold, I can never seem to get warm.ReplyDelete
I enjoy the Fortune Teller Mysteries. The setting reminds me of a community not to far away from me.ReplyDelete
Awww thanks Carol ;)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 19, 2014 at 9:44 AM
Hi Kari. This book just arrived, can't wait to start it. By the way, I loved Kicking the Habit and I am excited that Sunny has a new adventure to look forward to.ReplyDelete
You rock Mary Louise! And if you win, you can get a copy of Poison in the Palm in October when it comes out (since you've read everything else of mine ;) Or choose one of my romances or women's fiction under Kari Lee Harmon.ReplyDelete
I like to read and relax as much as possible in summer. firstname.lastname@example.com
- AnonymousJune 19, 2014 at 10:39 AM
You had me at cat. I'll be starting this series next week as a reward for turning in my edits. Thanks.ReplyDelete
Wonderful series. During the summer I sit out back, read and enjoy the sunshine and a tea. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)comReplyDelete
Love sitting outside reading a good book.ReplyDelete
I am captivated with this lovely post. Summer is my time to be outside in the garden and read and relax. love every minute of it. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)comReplyDelete
- Sue FarrellJune 19, 2014 at 11:20 AM
I love to read and play golf during the summer---just send some warmth my way, so far it's been a cool summer here.ReplyDelete
"normal" is a setting on the washer/dryer--not life!ReplyDelete
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Interesting coverReplyDelete
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Another day of rain - so will spend some quality time reading inside! Read Trouble in the Tarot a few weeks ago - SUPER - and looking forward to book 4.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 19, 2014 at 1:05 PM
Hi Kari! Just went to your website and checked out your writings. You certainly have an imagination! I'd love to win Peril For Your Thoughts. This summer, my DH and I are doing something really special. We're going to Alaska for two weeks to visit our children and grandchildren. We have a grandson we've yet to see who is 19 months old already. Going to do a bit of halibut fishing too. Thanks for a chance to win.ReplyDelete
Have fun in Alaska! We went there on our 15th wedding anniversary and loved it.Delete
I have Peril for Your Thoughts on my t-b-r list, but haven't read it yet. I'd love to win a copy. :-)ReplyDeleteReplies
Sweet! Good luck ;)Delete
I've read both your OCD and the fortune tellers series and really enjoyed them. I'd love to win Peril for Your Thoughts. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. kuzlin(at)aol(dot)comReplyDelete
I have enjoyed this series. I first picked it up since we share the same first name. ThanksReplyDeleteReplies
Nice! Glad you enjoyed them.Delete
I keep cool in the air conditioning, watch TV, read, and sometimes go to a festival and play Bingo. It's only 71 today which is great because the last three days were 89 or hotter. One day it got up to 92 here in Ohio. Glad to hear that there will be another fortune teller mystery coming out.ReplyDelete
This sounds like a great series. Thank you for this opportunity.ReplyDelete
Keep cool and try not to melt. Raquel36m (at) gmail (dot) comReplyDelete
During the cozy days of summer I prefer to stay in the air conditioning! I can't take the heat. I did just buy my dog a pool...but so far he doesn't want to go in. Sigh. I enjoy your fortune teller series and need to start this one!ReplyDelete
cozyupwithkathy ay gmail dot com
- AnonymousJune 19, 2014 at 7:24 PM
Haven't heard of this series but look forward to adding this fun read to my TBR stack.ReplyDelete
Becky Prazak
- ChristineJune 19, 2014 at 7:33 PM
Cozy days of summer mean laying out in the sun with a good book.ReplyDelete
I prefer staying in with some light A/C (it's currently too cool in the house for me) and a good book. And maybe some tasty popcorn. Not a big fan of the heat! Grateful to be moving to the coast after I get married next month!ReplyDelete
I love to sit in a sand chair on the beach & read a cozy mystery! My idea of heaven!ReplyDelete
i love a big family..great setting for lots of characters.ReplyDelete
I love reading a cozy by the side of the pool, or on the porch in the evening, or even curled up in my reading chair with the fan, some sweet tea and popcorn.ReplyDelete
brookeb811 at gmail dot com
I love to read.ReplyDelete
This book sounds like a lot of fun. I love cozy mysteries. I was also checking out her Diva series and they sound fantastic too.ReplyDelete
sherry @ fundinmentalReplies
Aww thanks Sherry ;)Delete
Congrats to Booklady (bevarcher) for winning the prize on June 19th! Go to my website www.karileetownsend.com and choose from any of my books (print or ecopy your choice) and email me with your snail mail address so I can get it out to you (email@example.com). Enjoy ;)ReplyDelete
I haven't read this series yet, but it sounds great!ReplyDelete
love all these authorsReplyDelete
Thanks lvivianka and I had a blast writing this one, Lisa K ;)ReplyDelete
- martha RowleyJuly 28, 2014 at 12:48 AM
Would love to start reading these books and I love a good mystery.ReplyDelete
- martha RowleyJuly 28, 2014 at 12:53 AM
Would love to start reading these books. I love a good mystery. And if a cat or dog is involved all the better.or a Diva, I can relate to a pet loving Diva..ReplyDelete
- martha RowleyJuly 28, 2014 at 12:57 AM
My comments keep diapering!ReplyDelete


text:
• knack •
næk • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A special, inexplicable skill or talent for carrying out a specific action.
Notes: Today's Good Word has an eccentric family. Not all of its members changed along the lines of today's word (see Word History). The verb knack means "to crack, to make the noise of cracking", reflecting the original meaning of knack, the noun. Knacker "something that makes a sharp cracking sound", bears the same meaning. Knick-knack once meant "clatter", the alternation of knicking and knacking sounds. It followed the noun knack to its second historical meaning, "a trick" before ending up with its current sense, "a trinket, gimcrack, kickshaw".
In Play: A sense of mystery and magic swirls around today's word: "I don't know how she does it, but Mary Weather has a knack for throwing successful parties." It implies a sure skill: "Maud Lynn Dresser has a knack for wearing the wrong outfit everywhere she goes."
Word History: Today's Good Word started out around 1380 meaning a cracking sound. This is confirmed by its cousins in other Germanic languages, knacken "to crack" and Norwegian knake "crack". (We also find Gaelic cnac with the same meaning.) For some unknown reason, by the time it reached the middle of the 16th century that meaning had given way to "deception, trick". Probably along the lines of crack shifting its meaning to "snide remark". The sense of "special talent" was first recorded in the 1580s, showing that "trick" took little time to be interpreted as a "special talent". (Let's thank Susan Kappel, who has the knack for spotting extremely Good Words, as her suggestion of today's amply demonstrates.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!
Come visit our website at <http://www.alphadictionary.com> for more Good Words and other language resources!


text:
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text:
That AutoTrader still exists in the post-Craigslist world may come as a surprise to some car shoppers. But the company is apparently alive and well, and will be going public, having just filed a $300 million IPO.
Prospective shareholders will, of course, be expected to pony up to buy shares, but the company announced that it will not pay dividends on those shares "for the foreseeable future."
For its part, Atlanta-based AutoTrader said that its refusal to pay dividends stems from creditor agreements that have a stranglehold on that kind of generosity. The company brings in about $1 billion per year, and private shareholders already got their payoff from increasing its longterm debt by about $400 million, but that means public investors won't see a dime until the company sorts out its debt.
Sneaky devils. Oh well, I like Craigslist better anyway. Maybe Joe Dirt will throw a few bucks into the kitty, though.
Photo credit: Associated Press


text:
Kings Sign Terrence Williams to 10-Day Contract
SACRAMENTO, CALIF., Mar. 21, 2012 -- The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent guard/forward Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today.
Williams averaged 4.5 ppg (.351 FG%, .421 3PT%, .500 FT%), 2.3 rpg, 0.8 apg and 15.1 mpg in 12 contests for the Houston Rockets this season before being waived on March 16th. The 11th overall pick out of Louisville in the 2009 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Williams has posted career averages of 7.4 ppg (.394 FG%, .319 3PT%, .695 FT%), 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg and 20.1 mpg through three seasons with the Nets and Rockets.
About Maloof Sports & Entertainment (MS&E):
Maloof Sports & Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings and Power Balance Pavilion. Owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to being a contributing member of the Sacramento community. Teaming up with local leaders and non-profit organizations to give back to those in need throughout the region, MS&E has donated millions of dollars to charity in 12 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment, please visit Kings.com, PowerBalancePavilion.com or call 916-928-0000.


text:
A year minus a couple of days ago I wrote a disgruntled-but-still-hoping post about my guild at the time and a few weeks later I gave up and left.
I joined Team Sport as a temporary fill-in between progression raiding guilds. They were aware of this and accepted it. But as I was starting to consider moving on, I decided I kinda liked these people. After I wrote "The 5 Traits I Want in a Leader", I realized I described Team Sport's leadership. And when several of my guildies decided they wanted to raid more progressively, I was excited about the project and jumped on board.
So now, nearly a year after I joined, I think we've made good progress as a raid team. Raids start on time, or very close to on time. Our pace is much faster (though not completely to my liking). Raid discussions occasionally interrupt the tumbleweed on the forums. And we have a few players who've discovered a love of raiding within themselves.
But a bit over a week ago, I realized that we'd gotten as good as we're going to get. We have a team of good players, as in players who show up and do a good job. Their characters are gemmed and enchanted and we rarely have deaths due to standing in the fire. But for most of them, raiding isn't a passion.
When I raid, I turn off my phone (unless I'm waiting for an important call, in which case I warn the team ahead of time). I tell friends/guys I'm dating/etc that I'm not available during raid hours. I want 100% of my focus to be on what I'm doing. Then after raids, I review logs and I want to talk about the night.
On Tuesday night, as we were waiting on some afkers in between wipes on Ozz'nozz, I wiped away my tears of frustration and gave my raid leader my two weeks notice.
It's not about "good" style or "bad" style, it's about "different" styles
Talking about our guild situation with black-and-white thinkers can be quite amusing. Going afk mid raid? That's "bad". Oh, but baby aggro involved? Then that's "good". Spouse aggro? Some say "good", some say "bad".
Me, I say I don't have a spouse and I don't have kids. I totally understand those who have to put their spouses and their kids before the raid. If I had a spouse and/or kids, I'd put them before my raid too. In fact, I would judge someone negatively if they were jerks to their families while playing a video game.
But I don't have a spouse or kids. I'm not ready to put other people in front of myself, thus I choose to be single and childless at this point in my life. It's all about the social contract and I find myself wanting a social contract for other single and childless people.
It's All About Soul
I love raiding. I had to put up a big fight at my job and negotiate to have raid nights off.
I look forward to my raids all day. I can't wait to jump on the computer and get ready to go. I eagerly await my raid invite and let everybody know if I find it doesn't come fast enough.
During raids, any interruption is a tragedy and, while necessary, breaks kind of annoy me. I pee before the raid, why doesn't everyone else?
After a raid, I want to talk about it. I want to comb through the logs and find all the nitty gritties that'll help me perform better next time.
If you suspect that I become impatient with those who don't share my enthusiasm, you would be correct.
Now, that passion does waver. It's usually dependent on what's going on in my real life. When my real life was overloaded, I was so grateful to have a team who understood irregular schedules. I loved having a team that wouldn't notice if I didn't have time to study the boss fights before the raid. It was a relief to have frequent breaks to take care of real life stuff mid raid.
But, as soon as my real life stabilized, I found myself being deeply jealous of guild working hard modes. And of 25 man guilds. That's when the cravings for something more took over.
I'll miss the people
I'm so afraid that my guildies will read this post the wrong way. I really hope they don't, because this is the first time I decide to move on from a guild with zero hard feelings towards anyone.
They were (are?) fantastic to be around. I couldn't even say how often I've spit beer all over my keyboard from laughing too hard. The sports talk (and the subsequent discussions of the appropriateness of sports talk during raids), the serenades on vent, the guild cheers… I don't think I'll ever find a guild that comes close in term of atmosphere.
You can tell they really enjoy each others company, and care about each other as people. I remember one night, one of our players was having a really rough go. He asked to be sat, but the team refused. They wanted to be there for him and cheer him up, even if it meant wiping all night. It was terrible for progression, but so heartwarming that even I was moved.
Another memory… At Blizzcon I got cornered by The Feminists. (I describe myself as a feminist but I'm not well versed in the more scientific side of the movement and The Privilege still confuses me.) We got into a talk about guilds, they were telling me about how they had to reform their guilds to be more respectful toward women. I so proud to be able to tell them that my guild was already great when I joined and totally didn't need any reforming. So proud.
All joking aside, I did really appreciate being treated as "one of the team". Despite being the only girl in the guild at the time (over the course of the year, there have been a couple of wives/girlfriends and another girl who've logged in a few times and maybe did one raid with us; and Valithria who comments here sometimes logs in and says hi as well, but I'm the only regular, and the only raider), I've always been treated with respect. There's even never been issues with hatespeach, and girlfriend-ranting has been kept to a minimum without any input from me.
It's actually pretty cute that the rare times I say/do anything remotely girly or sexual, my teammates get all confused, as in "it…it can do that?".
I had left my previous guild for a myriad of reasons, but the one that cut the deepest and still hurts today was gender discrimination-related. So being valued as a player and as a member of the raid team, without gender interfering, has become something that I don't take for granted.
Toward the future (or If you are a guild recruiter…)
When I announced I was leaving, everyone was super nice and supportive. A few people even asked to come with me (this is how great the team is, it's hard to keep us apart!).
Of those who wanted to come along, one, I think, has pretty much the same goals I do. So here, it is, Holy Pally and Mage/Warlock (he says he'll play either character, but I think he secretly prefers to be a warlock) looking for guild!
Demographics: I have a strong preference for 25 man Alliance (I prefer 25s, and I don't want to loose my achievement points…), my friend doesn't have a preference as long as the raiding and the people are good.
Schedule: I'm West Coast and often work evenings so schedule is usually the limiting factor for me. I can raid after 9pm PACIFIC any night, and after 6 pm PACIFIC on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays. I believe my friend is available after 5pm pacific any day, and would prefer a team that doesn't raid too late. 2 or 3 raids/week seems to be ideal to both of us.
Progression: As two people coming from a 5/8 normal Dragon Soul, 1/7H Firelands guild, we're obviously not the most geared people in the game. But we're both fast learners and dedicated players. We run the LFR, cap out our valor points and read our boss fights. We're disciplined during raids, communicate well and drink up constructive criticism like it's lifewater.
Environment: We're coming from a very tight knit guild, so we'd both feel happiest in a guild where the teammates are also friends. Both of us being about 30, we'd like to play with people about our age and maturity level.
Ideally, we'd like to find a home together, but if our dream guilds end up being separate, that's ok too. Bonus: a guild who takes both of us, may also get a kickass resto shammy bench-warmer.


text:
Cops: Tot spent night in car while mom went to bar in Bristol
BRISTOL >> Police in Connecticut say a toddler spent the night in a car outside a bar after her mother went drinking and ended up in the hospital.
Police say the 2-year-old girl was found asleep Saturday morning inside the locked vehicle in Bristol. She was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Police say her mother, 22-year-old Kelsey James, was found intoxicated and asleep inside the bar late Friday. Emergency responders took James to a hospital for treatment and evaluation.
Several hours later, the hospital called police to say James was awake and asking where her daughter was. Police then located the car.
James is charged with risking injury to a minor and leaving an unsupervised child in a vehicle. Connecticut's child welfare agency is investigating.
James couldn't be reached for comment.


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Huntsville, TX (PRWEB) December 12, 2012
Methodist Retirement Communities is set to open the first and only memory support retirement community in the Huntsville region, Creekside, in early 2013 and will provide care specifically designed to meet the needs of individuals with dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory loss.
CreekSide Retirement Community, a senior living community owned and operated by Methodist Retirement Communities (MRC) of The Woodlands, is located at 1433 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Huntsville. Upon completion in early 2013, the community will include 18 memory support units on the bottom floor of a 3-story structure and will become an integral part of the new community's mix of catered independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing services.
According to CEO Ron Jennette, memory support has been a top priority for the entire MRC system, which currently operates specialized memory support units within its communities at its Cornerstone community in Texarkana, Crestview in Bryan, and Pinecrest in Lufkin. MRC plans to expand the service to a fifth location by 2015 as part of a planned new community in League City. Jennette believes CreekSide residents will benefit as staff tap into the specialized programming and training throughout the MRC system.
"This will make CreekSide a draw from many surrounding areas, along with Huntsville and Walker County," Jennette says. "Onsite healthcare is cited as one of the primary reasons for choosing a retirement community, and many of us have seen the effects of memory loss on parents, grandparents and friends. As the population ages, quality programs, services and care provided by well trained caregivers for those affected by these dreadful dementia diseases will become a necessity, not an option."
Alzheimer's disease is the fastest-growing disease in the developed world, with nearly one in eight of those over 65 affected in the U.S. alone, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Jennette notes that the new properties are a far cry from the traditional "healthcare" models. "They're designed to be much more resident-focused in a home environment in terms of technology and design," he explains. "We will be able to offer a calming environment, private rooms, easy access to activities, dining and an enclosed courtyard, special lighting that will mitigate restlessness, and better monitoring with GPS devices. They're subtle touches, but they make a world of difference."
Staff members will also be trained specifically to work with residents who have varying levels of cognitive abilities. "Many of those with memory support issues do not necessarily require a lot of help with activities of daily living," he says, "so our focus is often about allowing them to live their lives to their fullest capacity, and feel important and needed, rather than imposing a strict regimen on them."
MRC has been cited as an example of progressive care in the state of Texas by a number of organizations. Existing memory support efforts include sensory rooms based on a European design equipped with special lighting and audio that stimulate the senses in a calming manner, as well as a Montessori-type learning program, and an early childhood life skills education program that has been repurposed for older adults. The latter, inspired by Darla Partin, a former teacher and wife of MRC administrator Todd Partin, taps into the theory that memory care residents often respond positively to younger points and experiences.
Families and primary caretakers are encouraged to be a part of the process. "There's often a lot of guilt, and many caretakers feel that they're 'putting their loved ones away,'" says Jennette. "However, experience has shown that those caretakers often ignore their own health as a result of that tremendous responsibility. We're able to care for their loved one in a safe, supporting environment while allowing everyone to remain involved and engaged. Everyone can benefit through this approach."
MRC's ultimate goal is to become a resource for the entire state by strengthening partnerships with healthcare entities such as hospitals, along with universities and physicians, to conduct studies and research related to the disease. Jennette, who also serves as chair for LeadingAge Texas, the state association for non-profit senior living communities throughout the state, is working to bring memory support to the organization's leadership training program.
CreekSide will aim to obtain a certificate of occupancy by the end of the year, complete a state clinical survey, and begin transferring residents by February. The community expects to be fully operational by spring of 2013, and includes open space reserved for future development.
"Regardless of the need, our focus is trying to inspire and serve," Jennette says. "It's not about buildings, but about people living life to their fullest."
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/12/prweb10190203.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


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Sketch It's 2020, and a schoolgirl is doing her homework.
"Daddy, what's a press licence?"
"Oh, that. Well a press licence allows you to call yourself a journalist and get into official events, for official journalists."
"What for?"
"Well you get into events held by the government or a company, or for example a football club, and can then write about them."
"So it's like a parking permit. But I don't understand. Everybody is writing about everything anyway. On the internet. Why would I need a press licence?"
"Well, sometimes you need to ask somebody a question in person."
"What for? Will they tell you the truth, then?"
"Probably not."
"So why would you need a press permit?"
"So they can give you official version of something."
"Can't they use the internet to do give out that official version of something?"
"Er, yes. And they do."
"Hmm. So what if you have a question they don't want to answer?"
"Well... I suppose you can hear the answer they don't give you in person. Although usually that is never reported, except when it's a really silly question and everyone has a big laugh together. That's how we hold people to account – it's a very important job."
"So can people who ask awkward questions not attend?"
"Not anymore, I'm afraid."
"I don't understand why you need a permit? How did it happen?"
"Er. Well you see, once upon a time, people used to buy newspapers and watch TV news, and these outfits could afford to pay people to do journalism full-time. It wasn't all blogs. Why are you laughing?"
"That's a funny idea."
"And some of it was good and some was, well... Do you know who Hugh Grant is?"
"Hugh who?"
"Well Hugh Grant was a famous actor. Actually, not that famous, but never mind. And he couldn't keep his trousers on."
"I've never heard of him."
"And there was another actor called Steve Coogan who couldn't keep his trousers on either."
"Ah. Lord Grant and Coogan, yes Dad – yes, it's all here in the National Wikicurriculum. But so what?"
"Well they didn't like getting in the papers when they were caught with their trousers down. So they kicked up a fuss and demanded that you needed a sort of parking permit to write stories about them.
"Why couldn't they just keep their trousers on?"
"I er, well. Actually politicians were caught with their trousers down sometimes, too, or cheating their expenses, so they were very keen on permits too."
"Hmmm. You can read anything you want on the blogs now. Especially that Lord Grant – have you seen what he did last week, he..."
"Stop right there, I can guess. Now there was something else behind it, let me try and remember. One of the more rubbishy Sunday blogs, er, newspapers did something quite dreadful. It deleted voicemails on a missing girl's phone."
"That's horrible"
"Yes. But it turned out it wasn't true, they hadn't. Except nobody remembers that now. Yes, looking back, I think that's how it all started."
"So was the rubbishy newspaper that printed the untrue story about the other rubbishy newspaper the first to need a permit?"
"I think so. Actually, they thought it was all a really good idea."
"I still don't see why anyone should need a permit, no blogs have one."
"Well, all the journalists go to school with the politicians they write about, and sometimes the actors they write about too. The permit stops other people, who didn't go to school with them, from writing something they don't want to read."
"And they can ignore the internet and all pretend everything's all right? That's really stupid."
"Anyway. What's your next assignment?"
"Oh it's great. It's about these City of London guilds. But I don't know what most of them are. What's a Mason? What's a Haberdasher?" ®


text:
I think they look fantastic.
Congrats! It looked amazing today!
"When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it." - Steve McQueen
'78 Rabbit, '06 Dodge 2500 5.9L Cummins, '14 Touareg TDI(wife's), '14 GTI
Thanks guys!Thinking of doing a gofundme so I can go to the WaterWerks on the Bay show in San Fran so I can finish in the top ten in points for the season. If you don't know WaterWerks hosted three shows last year and kept running point total. After the last show they had a awards dinner for the top ten. This year it's four and I have done two.
I should be in the top ten now, but won't be sure for a couple of weeks when all the results are posted. Just think it would be fun, turn 40 next month and have never been to California. Hell I have only been out the state three times, to Portland for maybe a total of ten hours. A quick estimate of cost for gas, hotels, registration etc... I would need $750ish to do it.
From personal experience, plan on raising an additional 10% when using GoFundMe. They take a cut from the whole amount, and their credit card processor takes a cut from each transaction.
I did, not going good so far though. Wish I could do some p-n-p part flipping, but we are trying move, so I cleared out everything I had already and haven't restocked because I don't want have to move it. Very little chance it is going to happen.
what's the minimum amount that you need? Just leave it open the whole time, maybe it will pick up speed, don't lose hope yet.
$711 is the minimum, I did all or nothing, because I need to know by the end of the month to get rooms and time off from work.
I think you would do better raising money by offering to do future work on cars. Llike IOU's? Nobody here doubts the level of work you do. I wish you were closer.
I am officially registered for one of the 50 judged car spots at Oktobugfest 2015!
Congrats! and they are only judging 50 cars at the show? Is it still is Puyallup or has it been moved?
It is at Bellevue Community College parking garage, they limited the judged spots to 50, have no clue why.
Been working a lot of OT, haven't had time to update. A few weeks ago it started dying when coming to a stop, think I got it figured as to what happened. I had randomly heard a whistling during idle, but couldn't track it down, till now. There is a 90 degree elbow hose that connects to the plastic hose between the ICV and the intake manifold it is to weak to hold pressure and collapsing. I am thinking that led to the ICV burning out. I was able to make a "new" hose from a obd1 ABA ICV hose. I had a old weak ICV that kinda works, a new one is $200 I already bought a used one, but it was a dud. So I am just going to have to bite the billet and pay up for a new one.
The bad elbow
Also I upgraded all my grounds and alternator wiring, voltmeter stays pegged with all my accessories turned on now.
Wow, congrats!
Thanks! Was totally caught off guard by the best watercooled award, there was a couple of cars I would have thought they would have got it.


text:
2deep4u is an abbreviation of "too deep for you," indicating that a piece of artwork or internet media may be too profound or obscure in nature for its audience to appreciate. It is most frequently used on Tumblr as an indictment of pomposity that often prevails in the hipster subculture, or in sarcastic defense of a niche subgenre in music or visual art.
Hashtag of the Day is a feature series following the latest trending hashtags on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.


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Forums that are set up to look like PR but are actually just elaborate scams where people are tricked into sending money to the forum owners. Please only post about forum sites here, no threads about online pharmacies in this section.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
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Yep, the first round-up of 2009. A brand new year, and here we are again, delicately crafting a round-up introduction that you won't even read, because you're only interested in whether or not you made the notable comment, or the craptions.
Nothing ever changes.
The 12 Most Embarrassing Photos of 2008
If you're gonna dress up as a cow, just try not to get arrested.
Notable Comment: Jaimetown made us laugh: "Louisa Tuck's middle name wouldn't happen to be "Fitty" would it? 'Cos I am so there."
2008: The Year the Geeks Took Over
So, what does this mean for 2009? Who will take over next year? Nerds? Fat people? Ants?!?!
Notable Comment: lordastral says "hell yeah. I want a neural implant. I can't wait to comment on cracked.com without needing a keyboard." Well if that isn't a terrifying view of the future, we don't know what is.
5 Drinking Myths that Can Kill You
Hopefully, you read this article, listened to its advice, and had a safe and happy new year. Or maybe you didn't, and now you're dead. In which case, you aren't reading this right now. Unless you're a zombie, which we would be okay with. Please tell Cracked if you are a zombie.
Notable Comment:POLLIE says "It's actually possible to beat a breathalyzer by drinking a gallon of raccoon urine and eating your own feces. No lie." True story, you should all try that. But the urine has to be fresh, and from an angry raccoon.
5 Homeless Guys Who Accomplished Amazing Things
And here YOU are, reading the Cracked round-up. Why can't you be more like homeless people?
Notable Comment: TJL says "Great. Now I'm hung over AND depressed. Happy New Year to you too Cracked!" Looks like our New Year's Resolution to 'Stop Depressing TJL' isn't working out for us. Oh well. Maybe next year.
7 Classic Disney Movies That Taught Us Terrible Lessons
Also, The Little Mermaid teaches us the lesson that Godless, talking fish-monsters deserve rights and, frankly, that's bullshit.
Notable Comment: Chadster says "Thankfully, children lack the skewed yet zaney thought process of a cracked writer." And that's the first time someone has said that Cracked writers are smarter than children. We are loving 2k9.
The Saddest New Years Party Ever
Let's hope your New Year's party was slightly better than this one.
The 12 Most Embarrassing Photos of 2009
We're practically giving money away! Wait, not practically. Totally. We're totally giving away money to people, people with mediocre to decent Photoshop skills. People like you. Wouldn't you like to be a person like you? This week, you can be by entering our latest contest, If Everything in Life Came with a Warning Label.
In Soviet Russia, Toilet shits YOU!!
by wiggles
Editor's pick:
You don't even wanna know what made them put a sign up.
by BowToTheBard
While driving away, Ted wondered whether he had done the right thing by giving the stranger directions to the orphanage.
by bcanders
Editor's pick:
How dare you question my credentials. I'm a board certified physician.
by Fairview
Finally! A way to tell Asians apart!
by Plan+B
Editor's pick:
by Bionic_Crouton
Ted couldn't go shopping after Christmas.
He was broke.
by Leaf
Editor's pick:
Everyone's focusing on the legless guy in the foreground ... why isn't anyone mentioning the guy attempting to walk through the wall?
by RivenHale
In less than 24 hours, little Billy's nightmares had gone from cutting back on transit costs to being out of work altogether.
by linx
Editor's pick:
I'm no journalist, but I think that camera is pointed the wrong way...
by Leaf
due to the economy, little Billy's nightmares had to take the bus
by Zaphod
Editor's pick:
Rosa "Jurassic" Parks
by sdc11
"Luke! I am your Forefather!"
by Bionic_Crouton
Editor's pick:
Someone files on their taxes under occupation "Makes Darth Vader Heads"
by Cheekstheclown


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Among the many things I like about the wonderful Far Cry 3, one of the most remarkable is how polished it all is. This is an ambitious, massive game, so it's all the more noteworthy that everything works so well.
Ubisoft Montreal has nailed all the big stuff, sure—combat is punchy and fluid, guns feel great, stealth is consistent and fun, and traversal feels grounded and solid. But they've also gotten so many little things right, and it's in those details that Far Cry 3 truly sets itself apart.
Of all things, the climbing encapsulates the game's polish for me. Check out the video above—you're walking along, and you'll see these vines hanging down from a cliff. Obviously, they're a subtle signpost indicating that they can be climbed. Up we go.
But where most games would have you scale the wall while a climbing sound plays, likely skating above the vines, Far Cry 3 goes the extra mile. Jason Brody's hands actually grasp the thickest vine and climb it all the way up. Check out how he flattens his hand when he reaches the top, levering himself up realistically. Then, on the way back down, he braces his legs and slides.
It's in the little things, the believable physicality of Jason's movements, that Far Cry 3 sets itself apart from most shooters. In the past, only Call of Duty games have so realistically placed you within the shoes of your protagonist. I'd argue that Far Cry 3 outdoes even Call of Duty in this respect. Comparisons notwithstanding, it's just nice to play a big-budget game that is both this open-ended and this polished, and Ubisoft's attention to detail is simply one more reason Far Cry 3 is such a resounding success.


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I'm resigning from designing effective the end of this month, September 2011!
If you haven't already grabbed what you want from my store, you'd better get it quick! My store will CLOSE PERMANENTLY in a few days and you will never again have the chance to get these kits and templates! And now is a good time to do that since SBM currently has a sale going on (see the current issue of The Groove for details).


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[Link to official FDA notice]SOPAKCO, Inc. Announces a Nationwide Recall of Certain SURE-PAK 12 Meals Containing Peanut Butter Products
SOPAKCO, Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Mullins, SC (January 27, 2009) -- SOPAKCO, Inc., of Mullins, South Carolina, is voluntarily recalling certain Sure-Pak 12 Meals because peanut butter packages in the Meals may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
This recall follows the announcement of recent recalls by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and Boca Grande Foods Inc. indicating peanut products from PCA have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Boca Grande Foods manufactured peanut butter with peanut paste from PCA, and supplied sealed peanut butter packages to SOPAKCO. The Sure-Pak 12 Meals with the lot numbers listed below contain 1 oz. or 2 oz. packages of peanut butter recalled by Boca Grande Foods. The recalled Sure-Pak 12 Meals were sold by SOPAKCO to distributors and costomers nationwide and several foreign countries. Some of the Sure-Pak 12 Meals were sold at stores specializing in emergency preparedness and camping gear and rations.
SOPAKCO is not aware of any reported illnesses involving Sure-Pak 12 Meals. However, as a precautionary measure, SOPAKCO is recalling Sure-Pak 12 Meals with the following lot numbers (located on the cases of product):
Customers are asked to take all Sure-Pak 12 Meals manufactured with the lot numbers listed above out of distribution immediately. This recall does not affect any other products or lot numbers made by SOPAKCO. Other lots of Sure-Pak 12 Meals may contain peanut butter packages, including 1.12 oz. packages from Boca Grande Foods; however, peanut butter packages in those Sure-Pak 12 Meals were obtained from sources which have not been linked to any Salmonella contamination.
- 8261
Customers who received any products affected by this recall will be contacted directly by a SOPAKCO customer service representative. Customers with questions or concerns about the recall may contact SOPAKCO at 423-278-1437 for further information on what to do with the product.
Lot Numbers = Date Packed
In the case of Sopakco Sure-Pak 12 MREs, the lot number is the same as the "date packed" or date of manufacture. These datecodes can be read as ordinal numbers where the first number is year and the next three numbers are the day of the year. So a datecode of "8261" would indicate a year of 2008, day 261 - or September 18, 2008.
So it looks like the recalled Sure-Pak MREs were produced between September 18, 2008 and January 12, 2009.
I've put up an official MREInfo.com webpage on this same subject here:
http://www.mreinfo.com/civilian/mre/sop ... ecall.html


text:
Four people were taken to local hospitals Thursday afternoon after a six-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 98 at Sunrise Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
NAVARRE � Four people were taken to local hospitals Thursday afternoon after a six-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 98 at Sunrise Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
See photos from the scene courtesy of Navarre Beach Fire Department. >>
Five vehicles were stopped in the inside eastbound lane at the traffic light at Sunrise at 4:45 p.m. when a 2002 Dodge Ram driven by 29-year-old Casey C. Norris of Holt failed to stop and hit the rear of a 1993 Toyota Camry driven by 42-year-old Peter C. Mihm of Fort Walton Beach, the FHP reported.
That began the chain-reaction crash in which each vehicle hit the one in front of it.
The Camry hit a 2007 Dodge Caliber driven by 23-year-old Brendan J. Greene of Navarre. The Caliber hit a 2007 Chrysler Sebring driven by 27-year-old Calista A. Wallick of Navarre.
The Sebring hit a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 40-year-old Daryl P. Thibodaux of Cut Off, La., and the Silverado hit a 2011 Ford Fusion driven by 70-year-old James R. Watson of Navarre.
Mihm and his passenger, 26-year-old Traci S. Griswold of Crestview, were taken to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. Both were had serious injuries, the FHP reported Thursday.
Thibodaux also was taken to Baptist Hospital with minor injuries, the FHP reported.
Wallick was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with minor injuries, the FHP reported.
Norris, Greene, Watson and Watson's passenger, 68-year-old Theresa C. Watson of Navarre, were not taken to a hospital.
Norris was cited for careless driving, the FHP reported. Greene was cited for having no proof of insurance and driving with a suspended license.
The wreck shut down eastbound U.S. 98 for several hours.