text:
While scouring the internet for a scoop, an independent news journalist who shall remain nameless is said to have stumbled upon a secret communique apparently issued by an inner grouping of the 1 percent to others in the same cohort. What follows, it seems, was never meant for our eyes, but only supposed to be read by those with the right connections. Yet, here the document is, in all its incriminating splendor, for all with internet access to see. Let us hold on to our hats as we take a rare glimpse into the inner ruminations of the rich and powerful.
What we in the 1 Percent don't want the 99 Percent to know
We don't wish to be rude, but if you are not one of us – part of the 1 Percent, that is – you are not meant to be reading this message. You should go back to whatever it is you have been doing. If you happen to be some kind of troublemaker, inclined, say, to question things or work toward change – a terrorist, to be frank – be assured that we know what you are doing. Thanks to our creeping surveillance apparatus we will soon put an end to your efforts, whether by misrepresenting your position, holding you up to public ridicule, sending you to jail, or making war with you. If you are not a terrorist, then we don't much care what it is you have been doing. But be comforted in the knowledge that you must be doing it well, because you have not inconvenienced us in the slightest. We thank you for your cooperation. Now kindly destroy this missive and never speak of it again.
We take it, at this point, that the 99 Percent have departed and gone back to whatever it is they do, and that it is therefore safe for us – the 1 Percent – to cut the niceties and be candid. The fact is that, in recent times, certain elementary truths usually known only to ourselves have seeped out to small sections of the 99 Percent. This process was most recently aided by the platinum coin saga– a fiendish proposal to make a complete mockery of Operation Great Delusion through the issuing of a single trillion dollar coin – which, if it had been allowed to carry on unimpeded, would have exposed to more of the 99 Percent the existence of these simple truths, some of which are not even comprehended by the dimmer members of our own, uppermost percentile, and brought our decades-long propaganda effort crashing to the ground. Fortunately the President, who is on the same side as the Treasury, Fed, and GOP on this issue – our side – frowned on the proposal. For now, at least, any light that might have been revealed remains concealed. Good o.
A few in the 99 Percent are beginning to cotton on to the fact that for societies in which the government issues its own currency and allows the currency's external value to float, such as the US, the UK, Japan, Canada, and many others (though, happily for us, not the member nations of the European Monetary Union), a number of basic truths apply. For these governments – the currency sovereigns – the following points hold.
1. Money, as most of us know, need not constrain economic activity below potential, since it is created out of thin air. It is resources (including labor resources) that matter and that present the only real constraint on what we do.
As long as the supply of goods and services can be expanded along with any extra monetary demand the government might create, there will be no threat in terms of inflation.
We pretend otherwise, of course, because we don't want the government to create money for the benefit of the 99 Percent. It should only be done for appropriate purposes, such as rescuing banks, redistributing wealth upwards, or engaging in wars with those who threaten our economic interests.
So, for example, when there are unemployed workers, it is obvious that more goods and services could be produced for the benefit of the 99 Percent. Or, at least, it would be obvious if we had not done such a great job of clouding the issue! The real cost of such employment would simply be the time and effort expended by those willing and able to do the work along with the raw materials they fashioned into output. The money needed to pay them is no object, because it can be created out of thin air.
We can see how dangerous this aspect of reality is. If it were widely understood, everyone who wanted a job would be enabled to find one. The 99 Percent would feel a greater financial security, have less fear, and be more difficult to control. They might start demanding stuff, like higher pay, better working conditions, or more entitlements, rather than being resigned to having less of all these things.
Similarly, since there is currently idle capacity in factories, warehouses, restaurants, motels, theme parks, and the list goes on, there is obviously the capacity to produce more goods and services at current prices. All that is lacking is the ability of consumers to pay for more goods and services, and this ability is easily solved by providing them with more of what can be created out of thin air: money.
Here, too, you can see how undesirable this would be. That's why we pretend the government can run out of money. It is in the hope that the 99 Percent will believe us. (So far, so good!) That way, output that could easily be produced is not, and entitlements that could easily be provided are taken away. LOL!
2. The government's deficit equals, by definition, the non-government's surplus. By logical extension, the national debt mirrors, by definition, the accumulated financial wealth of non-government. This means that an attempt to reduce the government's deficit is actually an attempt to prevent the non-government sector from spending less than its income, and an effort to reduce the national debt is at the same time an attempt to annihilate non-government financial wealth.
Some of us may wonder, then, why we do this. The truth is, we don't. We are not really trying to reduce the deficit or the national debt. Rather, we want to use the deficit and national debt as a pretext for cutting entitlements, social services, and implementing other austerity measures designed to undermine the living standards of the 99 Percent. This can work so long as the 99 percent believe that fiscal deficits need to be reduced (which, when some resources are idle, is not the case) or that the national debt imposes a burden on future generations (which it doesn't).
The beauty is that, in imposing austerity based on the fiction that the fiscal deficit and national debt need to be reduced, there will be negative effects on demand, output, employment, income, and therefore tax revenue, limiting the impact of any cuts in government spending on the deficit and allowing further additions to the national debt.
If, at the same time, the taxes on ourselves are cut further, or government spending or central-bank operations can be used to extend more privileges to ourselves, the scenario repeats itself quite exquisitely. A year from now the government will still be in deficit and the national debt larger than now, enabling us to convince the 99 percent of the need for still further austerity measures.
All this can continue for as long as the 99 Percent buy our story, which, for going on four decades, they have. ROTFL!
3. The interest owed on the national debt is at the discretion of the central bank, since it sets the terms on which the government issues its own liabilities.
Unfortunately for those of us in the 1 Percent, there is no hope of bond vigilantes forcing higher interest rates on this debt against the will of the currency issuer (for newcomers, see here and here). It is unfortunate because interest on debt is our main form of corporate welfare. For doing absolutely nothing productive, we stand to receive interest payments from the currency issuer whenever debt is issued!
Now, if the 99 Percent ever caught on, they might question why government issues debt at all. There is no real need to do so. The laws that currently require it have been retained to disguise our corporate welfare as a return on supposedly necessary lending. Rather than issuing debt, it would be much simpler if the government permitted itself just to spend money into existence, as appropriate, without issuing bonds to anybody. Bank reserves could simply be left to mount, with no need at all for them to attract positive interest unless the government deemed it appropriate.
Needless to say, any such move must be prevented from happening at all costs! Otherwise, reality would be easily perceived even by many in the 99 Percent, making it more difficult to justify our corporate welfare as legitimate income.
For an awkward moment, during the platinum coin debate, these simple truths threatened to slip out. Thankfully, the danger has now been averted. For the foreseeable future, it promises to be business as usual.
Related posts
Government Deficits and Net Private Saving
The Government is Not a Household


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This was posted by Jonathan on the 30th of November, 2009 and filed under Uncategorized
Tagged: Fashematical
29 Comments »
Ohhh so exiting, I've got my credit card ready.Comment by The Fake Sartorialist — November 30, 2009, 4:45 am
BTW, the buy link doesn't seem to be working, it just takes me to my Paypal account and does not initiate a purchase. Don't know if im the only one experiencing this…?
Oh no! Disaster. Sorry about that, it should be all fixed now… How embarrassing!Comment by Jonathan — November 30, 2009, 1:09 pm
Looks great! Can't wait to get hold of a copy. BTW – love the Star Wars/Abbey Lee/Victoria's Secret post below. Brilliant! XxComment by Casey — December 1, 2009, 2:40 pm
Thanks so much for all of the orders everyone. I really appreciate it! They're all in the post and I'm fast running out!Comment by Jonathan — December 4, 2009, 1:45 pm
You do some real good job! Keep on working !!Comment by Samuel — December 4, 2009, 6:05 pm
Can't wait to have my copy !!
Mega excited.Comment by BRADT. — December 7, 2009, 6:01 am
ordered now.
omg.Comment by bunny — December 7, 2009, 6:26 pm
i just came here to get my weekly hit and ended up buying this without a thought….. it just happened
I just received mine today and it's fantastic! I love how you chose the more architectural and structured outfits for the robots and the deconstructed, free-flowing looks for the zombies. Keep on keeping on with that visual deconstruction!Comment by Sarah — December 9, 2009, 11:32 am
[...] genius behind these little equations also made a zine called fashematical which can be purchased here- and consists of "a collection of illustrations reinterpreting the stars of the catwalk as [...]Pingback by mathematics « goldzmine — December 17, 2009, 10:01 am
hi, love your website,ur work was part of my inspiration to my tailoring fashion at rmit! just want to know if there is any copies left?Comment by tiffaeny — December 18, 2009, 11:41 pm
Such a great idea, putting all of your fashematics equations into a book. I'm definitely buying it! Congrats!Comment by Kimberly — December 20, 2009, 11:40 am
Hi Tiff – thanks! IzRock have printed a few more copies, you can buy one from them here – I hope you like the zine as much as the blog.Comment by Jonathan — December 20, 2009, 3:42 pm
Someone who likes fashion, zombies, and androids as much as i do!Comment by Lixxsor — December 23, 2009, 11:25 pm
Zombie/Android Karl Lagerfeld? GENIUS!
Love your work. Look forward to more!
I just received my copy in the mail – I absolutely love it! The illustrations are brilliant!Comment by Louise — December 29, 2009, 6:31 pm
[...] aqueles que ficaram interessados, o livro pode ser comprado por aqui. O preço é $ 16, já com entrega internacional. Vale a pena! Autor: Alline Cury – Categoria(s): [...]Pingback by Matemática fashion | Bombom — January 6, 2010, 8:57 am
I don't like any of these designs. They don't show any taste or style. Both the models and the designs are dead.Comment by Meg — January 8, 2010, 2:17 pm
Great variation of math.Keep good workComment by Serhan — January 26, 2010, 11:29 am
[...] That's a fashematic up there. I'm assuming you don't need us to explain what it. Mr Fashmatic is Jonathan Zawada, an Aussie graphic design guy who works with Tina Kalivas and Ksubi, puts together a seriously bookmarkable design blog, has his own fashion comic, Petit Mal and has now turned the fashematics thing into a zine. [...]Pingback by HELLO MR FASHEMATICS | VICE FASHION BLOG — February 3, 2010, 6:06 am
[...] einen eigenen Fashion-Comic namens Petit Mal zeichnet und nun dieses Fashematics Ding in einem Magazin [...]Pingback by VICE FASHION - HELLO MR FASHEMATICS « Vice Germany — February 3, 2010, 9:54 am
[...] favorieten kan en zijn eigen mode-strip Petit Mal heeft. Van dit fashematics ding heeft hij nu een zine [...]Pingback by HELLO MR FASHEMATICS « VICELAND VANDAAG — February 9, 2010, 2:58 am
All sold out any more coming soon?Comment by Wendy — July 15, 2010, 6:09 am
I've just started working on a new one, so keep your eyes peeled for it over the coming weeks!Comment by Jonathan — July 15, 2010, 2:50 pm
[...] Fashematical Zine (Click Here) [...]Pingback by Fashematics/Fashematical – Art Wednesday — July 21, 2010, 7:24 am
Ha! Great can't wait for it, it was money well spent.Comment by The Fake Sartorialist — July 21, 2010, 1:44 pm
I especially liked the Karl sticker, which now proudly adorns my laptop.
pretty sure the 'stella mccartney' picture is a lanvin outfit.
everything looks great, though.Comment by alex — January 4, 2011, 3:00 pm
I love it!!! I want it!!! AND CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE!!!!Comment by K.D. Gray — January 27, 2011, 3:10 am
[...] + Math.random(); $("#post-30769 .retweet").append(myscript); }); Images via Fashematics and Vue [...]Pingback by ModCloth Blog » Blog Archive » Our Favorite Fashion Zines — February 4, 2011, 1:31 pm
Love the magazine!! Please say there will be more released!! Also any way to buy karl sticker or the iphone cases (besides from Japan, which the shipping is more than the case!)
Love your work and would love to promote it through merchandise!Comment by Gabriella — May 18, 2011, 12:25 am
Stay tuned – we are just about to release issue 2 of Fashmatical! Sorry I don't have any of the phone case available. Thanks for your lovely comment!!Comment by Jonathan — May 18, 2011, 4:22 pm


text:
Raspberry & apple crumble squares
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal230
- fat9g
- saturates5g
- carbs37g
- sugars21g
- fibre1g
- protein3g
- salt0.35g
- 1 Bramley apple, peeled and diced
Grown in temperate regions, apples are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. There are…
- 100g butter, softened
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 1 egg
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 280g self-raising flour
- 125ml milk
One of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a 'complete' food…
- 200g raspberries
A member of the rose family, raspberries have a wonderfully intense, sweet taste, and many…
For the crumble topping
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 20 x 30cm cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apple in a small pan with 2 tbsp water. Cook for a few mins or until the apple starts to soften.
Meanwhile, make the crumble topping. Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and lemon zest until it resembles big breadcrumbs, then set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, then gradually add the egg. Tip in the flour and milk, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Incorporate the apples then spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface, then dot with the raspberries. Sprinkle over the crumble topping and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, and the topping is golden.


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Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton correctly argues this morning that the state budget can't be saved by cutting pensions. After all, pension payments from the general fund are expected to be $3.7 billion, and the state is facing a two-year budget shortfall estimated at $25 billion.
However, if California had less generous pension payments, it could save money. And every little bit matters. Imagine if just $1 billion could be saved via pensions. That would be enough to restore the cuts that Gov. Brown and the legislature made to the University of California and the California State University.
Of course, cutting pensions isn't as easy as that. Pension obligations for current retirees are untouchable. And it's a difficult matter to cut pension payouts for current employees. But just as pensions shouldn't be an excuse for not making tough decisions on the budget (which is Skelton's argument) the fact that we can't solve the whole budget crisis shouldn't be a reason not to make our pensions more sustainable -- and less costly -- for current employees.
U.S. & World
The money we don't spend on retirees could be put to good use on, to borrow a phrase, winning the future.


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Bauer's trimmers: Give her your tired, exploited
Here's how naïve Mary Bauer was at age 21: "I thought people went to law school because they wanted to work for justice."
Now older and wiser, Bauer still hasn't succumbed to cynicism about her profession. In fact, as director of the Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers, she's out on the frontlines of helping poor litigants.
For instance, the center is currently representing 14 Mexican tree-trimmers who allege they were forced to live in a stifling locked warehouse, sharing one toilet and shower with 50 to 60 workers. For this privilege, they say they paid a Norfolk landscaper $220 a month. The landscaper denies the allegations, and Bauer won't talk about that case, but she's got one even more horrifying.
"I have pictures," she says, of a motel room in Independence that owners rented for $400 a month to white workers, but refused to allow Mexican Christmas tree harvesters to use, instead charging them between $900 and $1,100 a month to rent rooms with rats and raw sewage running through them.
She clearly admires her clients. "I represent workers who are standing up for justice against enormous odds," she says. "Standing up for their rights and going to court are extraordinary things for them. I don't stand to lose my job or get evicted or be deported" as many of her clients do.
"Mary has the keenest and best instincts for recognizing injustice of anyone I know," says her old boss, Kent Willis, head of the Virginia ACLU. He says that many lawyers have a legal "filter," that lets them look at injustice by applying existing legal theory.
"Mary first sees the injustice, then applies the legal theory. It enables her to more fully embrace a purpose and more creatively apply the law," he says.
Some of her friends from law school, locked in high-paying jobs, take pro bono cases to find some satisfaction in their work. "I don't need to do pro bono," says this 2001 Virginia Legal Aid Lawyer of the year, but she does admit, "I wouldn't mind if they paid me more."
Married to former Charlottesville Legal Aid chief Ed Wayland, Bauer is never going to be accused of going into law for the money. And while she likes the Legal Aid Justice Center's hip new digs at the old Bruton Beauty Supply building on Preston, she seems a bit worried that clients and contributors might think they're a little too nice.
She points to rugs on the floor that photographed in the daily newspaper like expensive orientals. Lest anyone think Legal Aid is squandering funds on décor, "They actually came from Lowe's," Bauer tells a visitor.


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Social media can aid in selling homes
Most of us use some sort of social media, whether it's Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. But have you really harnessed the power of these sites?
This week, First News helps you make the most out of social media.
Kellie Konz found out how social media could help her in the real estate business.
"Eighty-five percent of my business last year was from Facebook. Eighty-five percent! That's huge," Konz said.
In her first full year of selling real estate, Konz was named Rookie of the Year at Deeb Realty. That success can be traced back to utilizing social media to its fullest, something anyone can do.
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On Tuesday, we continue our series on social media by helping you find great deals at restaurants.


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WEATHER: Sticky to the point of slippery. Sit-still-and-sweat weather.
WHERE TO: All over.
MOOD: Remorseful
Bless me, O Running God/Gods, for I have sinned.
It has been four days since my last post; six since my last REAL post, and the wrath of the net is upon me. Yea, it is like chaff upon the ground after harvest; it is like salt upon my face after a shitty, 90-degree race; indeed, yea, it is like those stupid water belts upon novice runners.
And so today I confess my running-related transgressions unto you.
I have been neglecting my physical therapy exercises. May God have mercy upon my soul.
I have neglected to wear sunscreen during my runs for a period of a duration of several weeks now. May God have mercy on my soul.
Whilst running in the land of Minnesota last weekend, I saweth women with abdominal muscles which, unlike mine own, did not look like pasty haggis, and lo, I was filled with several of the deadly sins — envy, greed, rage, and indeed lust…but yeah, mostly envy. May God have mercy on my soul.
In high school track, when I was given even a hair's breadth of room on the left side of a runner, I passed on the inside. May God have mercy upon my soul.
In high school track, I also spat to excess as I ran. I knoweth not why; perhaps a nervous tick, perhaps to get rid of the cotton-mouthy-feeling-of-dread that was given unto me when the announcer shouteth, "FIRST, LAST, and ONLY CALL for the GIRLS' THREE-THOUSAND-METER RUN!" But for this reason (and this reason ALONE), I acquired the nickname "Spitter." And yea, though I kneweth that "Spitter" had carnal connotations, I did not exactly knoweth the nature of such connotations, and yet I acteth as though I did, and lo, did I use the name "Spitter" to comedic effect. May God have mercy upon my pathetic soul.
Just before it came to pass that I broke up with my last boyfriend, a boy who indeed did skip my races, during a time when I still hath the privileges of the keys to the door of his dwelling, I did enter said studio apartment in the dead of night, whilst he was out, I knew not where, presumably with a woman of a hipster nature who, yes, perhaps did not have abdominals like a compressed, pasty haggis, and who perhaps looketh friggin' fabulous in painted-on jeans of two-percent spandex, and who hath also, perhaps, a greater familiarity with the works of Thomas Pynchon and also The Who than I, but who also presumably hath never sweat one drop in her existence and really when you think about it probably had a name like "Caitlin" or "Ashley" or some damn shit, well let me tell you I drank all the alcohol in his home (i.e., about a half cup of Listerine), coated my body in BodyGlide Anti-Chafing formula and slid around on the floor of his goddamn studio apartment humming the Indiana Jones theme song and periodically interjecting in a snide fashion, "Watch THIS race, ass-hat!" and "I'LL show you a FEAR OF COMMITMENT WHEEEEEE" and various other things that didn't really make sense, in retrospect, and furthermore in retrospect this wasn't so much punishment for him as a good time for me, and though he did mop the floor really vigorously for like a week, he did also fall during his next uberdramatic "I feel TRAPPED" tirade and bonk his head on his guitar amp, which did, OK, sort of make me giggle, and May God have mercy on my soul, I guess.
I may or may not have forever ruined running gels for a dear fellow runner of mine by comparing the substance inside to a fluid that cannot really be described except by the word "splooge." I would ask for mercy, but let's face it: it wouldn't really be sincere, now would it.
I wrote this entire rather subpar post without any real idea of where I was going or what to write about at all, and I'm still not sure, to be honest. But now that I've said "splooge," I'm pretty sure I can't go anywhere but down. Because "splooge" always comes at the climax. Ahahahahahahahaha.
<sniff, awkward shuffling of feet>
I'm going to hell.


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Along with a fresh start, the new year brings uncertainty about changing tax laws, growing concern over online privacy and security, and challenges for almost every demographic group—even the wealthy, who face steep tax increases.
To help you get ready to tackle your own money goals for 2013, we gathered our best advice from the past 12 months and organized it into 50 bite-size steps:
1. Be a year-round discount shopper.
Specific holidays used to loom large in the world of coupon hunters, who expected to see massive discounts on July Fourth, Labor Day, Black Friday, and other big shopping days.
But recently, that's been shifting as retailers are offering sales all year long, and often at unexpected times.
In 2012, for example, retail experts noted that Christmas sales started in October, and continued all season, partly in response to customer demand.
That means shoppers should always be on the lookout for the best deals, regardless of the calendar date.
2. Ask for what you want.
As the economy recovers, retailers are eager to pick up the biggest share of consumers' spending what they can, and in some cases, that means adopting more flexible pricing policies.
Towards the end of 2012, several big-box stores, including Target and Best Buy, launched temporary price-matching policies.
That trend could continue into 2013, which means customers can be more assertive about asking stores to match prices they find elsewhere.
3. Coordinate budgeting with your partner.
Much stress can come from disagreeing with your spouse or partner about how you should be spending shared income.
Indeed, in author and yoga teacher JoAnneh Nagler's case, it even contributed to divorce. But she and her husband were able to reconcile (and remarry) when they jointly agreed to a disciplined debt-free lifestyle.
By scaling back on restaurant meals and other splurges, they're able to invest in what they really value, including their creative pursuits and romantic weekend getaways.
4. Pay off debt slowly.
When you've built up a sizable amount of debt, it's virtually impossible to pay it off overnight, and attempting such a feat can be frustrating.
That's why Nagler, who had $80,000 in credit card debt at one point, urges fellow debt-strugglers to go slowly. First, she changed her spending habits and set up individual savings accounts for each of her goals.
Once she got those costs under control, she started paying off her debt.
5. Prepare for tax changes.
Tax rates are likely to rise for many Americans next year, especially high-earning ones.
To lessen the stress from those changes, taxpayers should adjust their spending and saving habits as early as possible to prepare to hand over more cash to Uncle Sam.
Taking advantage of any credits and deductions, as well as putting more money into tax-advantaged retirement accounts, can help ease the impact.
6. Calculate your retirement number.
Just 1 in 10 Americans have done the math to figure out how much they need to save for retirement, but it's an essential step in making sure there's enough cash for those much-deserved golden years.
Financial advisers generally recommend saving enough to replace 80 percent or more of your income; that means someone who earns $80,000 should probably save around $2.1 million.
Online retirement calculators can crunch the numbers for you.
7. Find services that will help you make better 401(k) choices.
Paying high fees, choosing portfolios that are overly conservative (or overly risky), and failing to update or even check on those investments on a regular basis are just a few of the common mistakes people make with their retirement accounts.
To avoid missteps, employees can often rely on free services offered through their company's human resources department or retirement services provider.
Fidelity, for example, offers free seminars and online information to clients.
8. Save a quarter of your income.
Alicia Munnell, director of Boston College's Center for Retirement Research, cautions that putting aside 9 percent of your income into a retirement account is "grossly inadequate."
Someone who starts saving at age 35, plans to retire at age 67, and expects a 4 percent return, for example, needs to save double that, even after taking Social Security into account.
Other financial experts recommend saving as much as one-quarter of your income, in both retirement and after-tax accounts, to make sure you're fully covered.
9. Make banking automatic.
If manually shifting money into savings and investment accounts is too time-consuming or too painful, consider setting up automatic deposits.
Many banks make it easy for customers to do that, and, in fact, might even offer rewards for doing so.
Wells Fargo, for example, waives monthly service fees on some of its accounts when customers set up recurring automatic transfers.
10. Leverage your credit card rewards points.
If you pay off your credit card bill each month and earn rewards for your spending, don't forget to cash in on them.
The biggest bang-for-buck often comes from purchasing retailer-specific gift cards, which have been pre-negotiated by card companies.
Farnoosh Torabi, financial expert and television personality, recently picked up an Apple Macbook Air with her points, which she also uses to buy gift cards for family members.
11. Find your perfect piece of plastic.
If your credit card isn't meeting all your needs, it might be time to find one that does.
Comparison websites such as nerdwallet.com, indexcreditcards.com, and creditcards.com make it easy to compare the benefits of different cards to figure out which one suits your needs.
If you carry any sort of balance, there's only one factor to focus on: finding the lowest interest rate.
12. Upgrade your bank.
Bank policies can vary widely, from offering above-average interest rates on savings accounts to making it easy to budget online with extra tools.
Consider your own lifestyle and then find the bank that best matches it.
If you travel a lot, you probably want a large bank with thousands of ATMs throughout the country (and beyond).
If you're trying to save more, then you might want to focus on the savings rates.
13. Demand more from the bank you have.
Customers are increasingly voting with their feet and switching banks when they're not happy with their current one.
That also means customers have more leverage to ask for the changes they want from their current bank, as banks struggle to retain loyal customers.
If you want lower fees or a higher interest rate on your savings account, ask your bank what they can do for you — they might be able to offer you a better deal than the one you're currently getting.
14. Consider a credit union.
Frustration with banks' policies, such as new fees, has motivated thousands of customers to jump ship and join credit unions, according to the Credit Union National Association.
It can be a good decision, especially considering that credit unions often offer higher interest rates on savings accounts as well as lower fees and lower rates on auto loans and mortgages.
They also prioritize spreading financial literacy to their customers.
15. Get a raise.
Just because the economy's struggling to make its big comeback doesn't mean you have to delay asking for a raise.
Certified financial planner Lauren Lyons Cole suggests first checking out salary-comparison sites, such as Payscale.com and Salary.com, to see if your own income is out of whack with that of your peers.
If it's lower than it should be, review your accomplishments and present them to your boss, along with a request for a raise.
16. Earn more money on the side.
The lack of job security these days has inspired many Americans to pick up a second stream of income by moonlighting.
According to the website Payscale.com, the highest-paid moonlighting gigs are in law, clinical psychology, senior copywriting, and information technology security.
Freelance website Elance.com predicts that the trend toward freelancing, especially in the creative-services sector of the economy, will only grow throughout 2013.
17. Manage your time better.
When people juggle more than one job, they can quickly feel overwhelmed with responsibilities.
Veteran job-jugglers say they survive by staying organized, waking up early, and avoiding time-wastes such as television.
Many also work on the weekends and some even take a sabbatical from their day jobs to focus exclusively on their second job for a few months.
18. Take advantage of your HR department.
When you land a new job, the human resources department can help you sign up for all of the new benefits, from flex spending accounts to health insurance to retirement accounts.
Signing up for retirement benefits as soon as possible can pay off later: The earlier you start putting money away, the sooner it can start growing.
TD Ameritrade calculates that saving $100 a month between ages 21 and 41 will create a nest egg of $471,358 by age 67, assuming a return of 8 percent per year. Waiting until age 41, however, will generate just under $60,000.
19. Prepare to earn less after 40.
If you want more motivation to ramp up that side income in 2013, here it is: In most professions, income stops rising around age 40.
Payscale.com reports that in many professions, you earn quickly in your twenties and thirties as you become more valuable.
Then around mid-career, you plateau, and as a result, salary increases slow down. (Certain careers, including those in law and high-tech, are exceptions.)
One way to make up for that loss is to earn more money outside your full-time job.
20. Burnish your entrepreneurial skills.
According to a survey by Generation Y research and consulting firm Millennial Branding, 1 in 3 employers want their employees to have entrepreneurial experience.
Knowing how to conceive, build, and promote a business idea is increasingly valuable in the new economy, even for those seeking more traditional jobs.
21. Learn to cook.
Replacing take-out and restaurant meals with home-cooked goodness can save you hundreds of dollars throughout the year.
If you feel hesitant in the kitchen, a few hours with the Food Network or browsing foodie blogs will help get you in the mood.
Investments in certain tools, such as cookbooks, immersion blenders, or quality pots and pans can also make the kitchen more enticing after a long day.
22. Invest in your home entertainment system.
If you're a movie buff, you have a lot of new choices that are cheaper than seeing movies in the theater.
Hulu Plus, Apple TV, and Roku are among your relatively affordable options, especially when you consider how much you'll save by skipping weekly trips to the theater.
23. Focus on home improvements that pay off.
Leaky windows and attics can drive up heating bills in the winter and cooling bills in the summer.
Consider investing in insulation as well as a programmable thermostat, which can cut energy costs by 30 percent over the year.
Smart power strips, which cut power to electronics when they're off, can also help reduce electricity costs. LED lights are another smart option.
24. Give better gifts.
Do you know what people really want for holidays and their birthdays? Money or gift cards.
It might sound impersonal, but a survey by Discover found that such fungible items top wish lists for both men and women.
In fact, the National Retail Federation went so far as to name gift cards as the hottest gift of 2012, because they've grown so much in popularity.
The fact that fewer cards come with fees and many offer extra loss protection has also contributed to that trend.
25. Get to know the holes in your homeowners' insurance policy.
The worst time to discover that your homeowners' insurance policy doesn't include reimbursement for water damage is right after a flood.
Yet many homeowners don't understand the ins and outs of their policies, which can lead to nasty surprises.
In fact, most standard policies don't cover earthquake damage, flood damage, or water damage from sump pump backups. (Homeowners have the option of adding supplemental coverage to handle these scenarios.)
26. Protect your online identity.
The past 12 months have seen a series of high-profile security breaches, including at Zappos and Barnes & Noble.
To make sure you're as protected as possible, consider changing your passwords regularly, reviewing bank account statements each month to check for errors, and being especially wary of hyperlinks to deals promoted over social networking sites.
Hyperlinks embedded within emails should also be treated with suspicion.
27. Stop before you shop.
When you're surrounded by advertisements and material temptations, it's easy to buy without thinking.
But one organization, Jews United for Justice, urges people to first ask themselves a series of questions about the purchase.
The questions include: "Is this something I need?" "Can I borrow, find one used, or make one instead of buying new?" and "Will this purchase enhance the meaning and joy in my life?"
The group distributes credit card sleeves with the questions to encourage more thoughtful spending habits.
28. Ignore official-looking (but dubious) solicitations.
It's one of the most common scams around: A company poses as an official government agency in order to solicit your attention (and funds). It might send out mail that's covered in intimidating warnings, such as "$2,000 fine, 5 years imprisonment, or both for any personal interfering or obstructing with delivery of this letter."
But they're really just trying to sell you something you probably don't need.
The Federal Trade Commission calls the practice outrageous and says it's illegal to falsely suggest something bad will happen unless the recipient asks quickly.
The bottom line: Ignore such solicitations.
29. Donate for free.
You don't have to be rich to be charitable.
Consider donating your blood, gently used books and CDs, and your time this year.
For extra power, get together with friends to form a giving circle, so you can leverage your dollars and give to causes together.
30. Learn how to talk about money with your kids.
Parents are famously awkward when it comes to talking about money. A T. Rowe Price survey found that just half of parents talk to their kids about savings goals and spending and savings trade-offs, and even fewer discuss higher-level concepts such as inflation and investing.
But research routinely suggests that parents play a powerful role in how kids handle money as adults, so if you have children, try to get over your awkwardness to share some important life lessons this year.
31. Protect your money from your children.
Baby boomers have been generous toward their adult children, inviting them to move back home and offering them direct financial support.
But often, that kind of generosity hurts parents' own retirement nest egg.
In fact, even the parents of two Olympic gold medalists, Gabby Douglas and Ryan Lochte, revealed major financial troubles of their own.
Before putting their own financial security at risk, parents should consider whether they can really afford the help they're offering.
32. Use technology to ease those conversations.
If you're struggling to explain the concept of limits to your children, there's an app that can help: "Can I Buy?" designed by the husband-and-wife team behind the Massachusetts-based developer Sqube.
After crunching some numbers for you, the app tells you whether or not you can afford that purchase that you're considering.
The creators themselves got the idea when they were trying to explain to their young daughter why she could not buy a new toy.
33. Take advantage of other new online money tools.
A new website, SmartAsset.com, hit the Web this year, and it's a useful one: It helps users make complicated personal-finance decisions, such as whether they should buy or rent, or which mortgage to take out.
If you're looking for some help with number-crunching, the site could be the one for you.
Mint.com is another useful site for budgeting and getting organized.
35. Be an alpha consumer (Challenge the system)
Jon Yates, the official problem-solver at the Chicago Tribune and author of What's Your Problem? Cut Through Red Tape, Challenge the System, and Get Your Money Back, says persistence is often the most important factor when seeking a response from a company.
That might include threatening to take your business elsewhere, or asking to speak to a manager or executive until you get the answer you want.
37. Pay less for gas.
In addition to seeking out the lowest-priced gas station in town, you can also stretch your gas dollars through more creative means.
Those include lightening your car by unloading any heavy items stored in the trunk, carpooling, making sure tires are properly inflated, and replacing clogged air filters.
An even safer bet is replacing some of your car time with public transportation or biking.
38. Refinance your mortgage, or not.
When interest rates are low, refinancing to lock in a lower rate on your mortgage is tempting.
But doing so also comes with costs, including closing costs and your own time. (Completing the paperwork can take hours.)
Before jumping on the refinancing bandwagon, crunch some numbers with an online refinance calculator to help you figure out if it will really save you money.
39. Improve your credit score.
Credit scores can hold a lot of power over your life; they influence your loan rates and the ability to rent apartments, and they can even play a role on job applications.
According to money expert Liz Weston, author of Your Credit Score, the most important steps you can take to improve your score include removing any errors and making regular, on-time payments to all revolving accounts, including credit cards.
Paying down debt helps, too.
40. Get your credit report.
You're entitled to a free credit report every year, which you can access through annualcreditreport.com.
Reviewing it regularly makes it possible to check for (and correct) any mistakes, as well as catch potential problems, such as identity theft, before they escalate.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also announced this year that it will start supervising the credit bureaus as part of an attempt to make the world of credit scores and credit reports more transparent to consumers.
41. Learn patience.
Research co-authored by Columbia Business School professor Stephan Meier found that impatient people tend to have lower credit scores, which means they pay more for loans.
Study participants who were most willing to wait for their cash rewards had, on average, scores that were 30 points higher than those who were the least patient.
The suggestion? Learning to wait for rewards can pay off in the form of lower loan rates.
42. Check your life insurance policies.
According to MetLife, just 3 in 4 married couples with young children have life insurance. That means 1 in 4 do not.
Given the high cost of raising children (the Agriculture Department estimates $234,900 per child before age 18), that leaves families in a vulnerable position if one or both parents were to die.
While there's some hassle involved, the cost of taking out life insurance is relatively low (a half-million dollar policy on a healthy 35-year-old might be one dollar a day, says MetLife), so consider signing up if you haven't already.
43. Organize your financial paperwork.
When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, thousands of people on the East Coast had to quickly leave their homes.
If your paperwork is in order, it will be easy to know what to grab if you suddenly have to do the same thing.
Essential papers to carry with you include identification, insurance information, and family documents, such as birth and marriage certificates and wills.
44. Create photographic evidence.
Just in case you ever have to file an insurance claim, take photos of your most valuable possessions, including furniture, jewelry, and televisions.
Creating a paper trail of those goods, any damage they sustained, and subsequent claim filings can make it easier to follow up with the insurance company and collect reimbursements.
45. Prepare for emergencies.
In the spirit of always being ready, consider coming up with a plan for an alternative place for your family to stay in an evacuation scenario.
When the power goes out, it's harder to find the closest available hotel, or to talk to friends about staying with them.
It's also a good idea to get an emergency kit together, so if you have to hunker down in your basement for a few days without power or running water, you know you could survive.
The kit should include batteries, flashlights, water, changes of clothes, cash, non-perishable food, and a first-aid kit.
46. Beef up your emergency savings account.
No matter how prepared you are, emergencies can end up costing a lot of money.
Consider funding an emergency savings account that could cover you in the event of weather disasters, car breakdowns, and other unexpected calamities.
Financial advisers generally recommend putting away three to six months' worth of expenses.
47. Plan to work well past retirement age.
Older Americans are increasingly working into their 70s, for financial as well as psychological reasons.
In other words, many of them enjoy their work. A Charles Schwab survey found that one in three 60-something middle-income workers don't want to retire.
To prepare for a long career beyond age 65, career experts recommend making sure you're doing work you love. That might mean launching a second career, unrelated to your primary one.
48. Change your habits.
In his book The Power of Habit, New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg explains how we can change our habits by focusing on the cue and reward.
If you want to start exercising every day, for example, "cue" it up by putting on your running shoes before breakfast, and then reward yourself afterward with a piece of chocolate.
Eventually, the new habit will become a natural part of your day.
49. Focus on your future self.
Here's an easy way to motivate yourself to commit to big changes in 2013: Focus on your future self.
Research by Hal Hershfield, assistant professor of marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business, has found that showing people aged photos of themselves makes them more likely to put money away for later.
You can get in touch with your future self by writing a letter or even downloading an aging app, such as AgingBooth, for a sense of what you'll look like in 30 years.
Spending more time with your grandparents can also help.
50. Think about where you want to be (financially) in a year.
When you're brainstorming for your big money goals for the year, try to focus on specific steps, instead of big, overwhelming dreams.
For example, if you want to build financial security, goals might include spending less on food or developing a second stream of income.
BJ Fogg, director of Stanford's Persuasive Technology Lab, suggests breaking big goals into small baby steps.
Here's to a prosperous 2013!


text:
Indian Wells: Are You Being Serb'd?
Posted by gauloises1 on March 16, 2011
(My thanks to ShankTennis for the title.)
A very Serbian day in Indian Wells today. First of all, we had Novak Djokovic crushing Ernests Gulbis with the ridiculous score of 60 61. Ernie threatened to break in the first game and then did nothing for the rest of the match. I didn't see it, but one feels I didn't miss very much.
Djokovic will face compatriot Viktor Troicki after the latter defeated Michael Llodra 63 63. And then we had these two.
Ana Ivanovic beat defending champion Jelena Jankovic 64 62, and she did it by looking to dominate the points whenever she could and not getting down on herself when she missed. Simple, right? You'd think so, but the time it's taken for her to get back playing this way suggests that's not the case, despite the fact that she makes it look so natural when she plays as well as she did today. Ivanovic is still too tense and desperate to be relaxing to watch, but there was a real sense of joy in her tennis today. The fact that she managed to win the first set despite only breaking serve once speaks volumes.
JJ … JJ, in a familiar refrain, was disappointing. She had so much success moving Ana from side to side that it was infuriating to watch her squandering the opportunities she got to put width on her shots, she didn't return at all well and some of her net approaches were frankly baffling. There was simply no spring in her step or, apparently, in her brain.
But the way Ana played today, JJ would have had to be near her best to beat her. The openings to rattle her were there, but she came up with big serves at important moments and went for her shots at the right moments and with conviction. Again, it sounds simple but she has a simple game – simple, but terribly effective when it's on. Her entire problem is overthinking and she kept that in check today. If she can repeat that against Bartoli, she'll be in the semi-finals and there will be no repining.
Well, maybe a little bit.
Sssshhhh … JJ 4EVA.


text:
Phone: 831-623-2100
Fax: 831-536-1635
Monday - Friday 7a.m. - 2p.m.
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 60
San Bautista, CA 95045
Shipping/Receiving (Cooler):
1681 San Justo Road
San Juan Bautista, CA firstname.lastname@example.com
Monday - Saturday 7a.m. - 7p.m.
Palo Alto Farmer's Market
Download Palo Alto, on Gilman at Hamilton
8a.m. - 12p.m. on Saturdays (May - December)
Menlo Farmer's Market
Downtown Melo Park, on Chestnut Street,
between Santa Cruz Ave & Menlo Ave
9a.m. - 1p.m. on Sundays (Year Round)


text:
A provincial draft wolf-management plan is little more than a veiled attack on the predator that all but ignores the species' ecological role, social structure, and potential for tourism, a critic charged Friday.
Pacific Wild's Ian McAllister, an environmentalist who has followed wolf packs for 20 years on the B.C. coast and written two books on them, said the draft plan envisions the slaughter of individuals and entire packs through trapping, liberalized hunting and in some cases use of aircraft.
"It's basically open season," he said in an interview. "We haven't progressed. It's appalling to consider how wolves are going to be so-called managed in this province."
McAllister added that the draft plan is full of information gaps and appears slapped together; it incorrectly listed the scientific name for the wolf as Canis lupis when it should say Canis lupus. The province has since corrected the mistake, along with other glitches that failed to properly show graphs and tables in the plan online.
The plan says B.C.'s "wolf harvest" is at its highest since 1976, when the species was declared a fur-bearer on which royalties are paid to the Crown; a high of 1,400 "wolf removals," occurred in 2009, the plan said.
McAllister said wolves are a "socially cohesive species" but the report makes no mention of areas of the province where they should be allowed to run free without fear of being shot or trapped by humans.
"If you're a B.C. resident or rancher you can go out in large parts of this province and kill as many wolves of any sex or age as you want without mandatory reporting and that's just fine according to this plan," he said.
Paul Paquet, a biologist and University of Calgary academic who has worked extensively in B.C., described the draft plan as "refreshingly candid concerning the uncertainties surrounding wolf ecology, population estimates, management, and conservation." He added it does a poor job of incorporating relevant literature and contemporary conservation science.
Kevin Boon, general manager of the B.C. Cattlemen's Association, agreed that wolves are an emotional issue but said allowing them to run free and unmanaged is not the responsible solution.
The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture reports that compensation payments to ranchers for livestock losses to predators — not just wolves, but bears, cougars and coyotes — totalled $63,800 last year based on 133 losses verified by conservation officers.
Boon noted that a six-month-old calf is worth about $800, but is valued at $400 under the compensation program, of which the rancher receives 75 per cent. Not all losses are reported or can be confirmed as caused by predators.
Livestock losses can occur on private ranches, Crown range land, even in several large provincial parks and protected areas that allow cattle grazing, including Churn Creek, Big Creek, Ts'yl?os, and Itcha Ilgachuz in the Chilcotin.
"We have to be able to target the areas that are a problem," Boon said. "At what point did the wolf become the prize jewel where we can't touch it and everything else is to be sacrificed because of it."
He noted ranchers can help to protect their cattle by not aligning their machinery in the field so that wolves can herd the cattle and more easily kill them. He said there are also discussions underway into removing cattle that naturally die on range land to avoid attracting wolves; the same might be done with roadkill.
Randy Saugstad runs cattle in the Big Creek area of the Chilcotin and said wolves are partly responsible for the decline of moose in the area. "We have been telling government the moose were in trouble for a long time and were ignored."
As for cattle, he said: "We cannot sustain 10-per-cent predation losses. It is a huge issue with no easy solutions that are going to be socially acceptable."
The draft plan, released Wednesday, supports hunting and trapping of wolves, including to reduce cattle losses and to benefit species at risk such as mountain caribou. It does not support controls to increase prey populations such as deer and moose.
After a history of persecution through bounties and poisonings, B.C.'s grey wolf population has recovered and is now expanding and estimated at 8,500 animals, up from 8,100 in 1991, according to the plan.
But the 8,500 estimate is actually an average, with estimates ranging widely, from 6,100 to 10,800 wolves.
The draft document suggests wolf populations have increased over the last 10 to 15 years in the Thompson, Kootenay and Okanagan regions, appear stable in the Cariboo, Skeena, Omineca and Peace regions, and may have declined on Vancouver Island.
McAllister is asking the province to extend the Dec. 5 deadline for public comment on the draft plan.


text:
Earlier this month a marketing survey indicated that Sony was considering (draws breath) "PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale" for its rumored fighting game featuring iconic characters from the publisher's library of titles. That nine syllables is a mouthful of marbles and would make a GameStop sales associate breathe into a paper bag after answering the phone "Thank you for calling GameStop where you can trade in your used Xbox 360 or PS3 games and preorder PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale my name is Chad how may I help you sir or ma'am."
Luke thought it sucked. I do too. Title Fight was either a project name or a work-in-progress but it was much more compact and, sure, maybe the game has to reflect the Sony branding. But what the hell is wrong with PlayStation Title Fight?
But the domain www.playstationallstarsbattleroyale.com has been registered by Sony, reports PlayStation Lifestyle, which also first reported the marketing survey bearing the dreadful title suggestion. I'm crossing my fingers that this is a red herring, or just Sony parking a domain for SEO purposes before some shitbag cybersquatter gets on it. Because I cannot imagine anyone typing out all that just to see the game's official page. But, PSLS says, Sony has not registered anything containing the words "title fight," though it has registered playstationallstars.com, which is a little better, if not as distinctive or evocative of a fighting game.
Guess we'll find out soon enough. A Sony game is set to be revealed this week, but it may be God of War 4/Ascension. It may also be this thing, too.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Name is Real, Site Owned by Sony [Update] [PlayStation Lifestyle]


text:
With 12 of its most popular games coming to the next generation of Microsoft's mobile platform, I can stop complaining that games like Asphalt 7 and N.O.V.A. 3 aren't on Windows Phone 7 and start whining about not having a Windows Phone 8. Huzzah!
Along with bringing back the relative oldies-but-goodies, Gameloft is also ready to release the new Modern Combat 4 on Windows Phone 8, a game that should no doubt put Nokia, HTC and Samsung's devices through their paces. Each game is optimized to work with Xbox Live for Windows Phone, so we can expect achievments, leaderboards, and online multiplayer for select titles.
Here's the full list of what Gameloft has coming:
• Ice Age Village
• N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
• Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour
• Shark Dash
• Asphalt 7: Heat
• The Dark Knight Rises
• UNO & Friends
• Order & Chaos Online
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Fashion Icon
• Poker for Prizes
• Real Soccer 2013
Now that Gameloft is paving the way for other publishers to drop their catalog on Windows Phone 8 devices I suppose I'll have to acquire one for testing purposes, just in case.


text:
International Terminal
Cape clasp c. 1875
Celluloid Manufacturing Co.
Newark, New Jersey
celluloid, metal
Courtesy of Julie Robinson Robards
In the 1800s, ivory was used for all manner of things, from buttonhooks to boxes, piano keys, and combs. One of its most frequent uses was for making billiard balls. Celluloid, which could be rendered in creamy ivory hues, became the first semi-synthetic plastic alternative to ivory. English inventor Alexander Parkes developed an early version in the 1850s, which was refined by American John Wesley Hyatt in 1868. Hyatt invented the new material while attempting to create an alternative to ivory billiard balls.
Hyatt's celluloid served as an adequate substitute for ivory, but it did not make very good billiard balls. Celluloid billiard balls lacked the bounce and resilience of ivory, and the material was highly volatile. The first balls Hyatt made produced a loud crack, like a shotgun blast, when they knocked into each other. Celluloid could, however, be easily made into a variety of practical and decorative items such as vanity sets, picture frames, jewelry, toys, and combs. To appeal to clerical and service workers, manufacturers even made celluloid cuffs and collars for men as an alternative to constantly having to wash, press, and starch dress shirts.
Accordion c. 1920s
Colombo & Sons Accordion Mfg.
San Francisco
Courtesy of Skyler Fell, Accordion Apocalypse, San Francisco
To make celluloid, the first semi-synthetic plastic, patented in 1870, plant cellulose was mixed with camphor, a derivative of the laurel tree, and nitric acid. The mixture was then combined with additives including pigments, stabilizers, and alcohol to form puffy dough. Next, it was pressed into blocks and sliced into thin sections. After being partially softened again by heat, it was stamped, pressed, or molded into a variety of goods. By replacing materials that were hard to find or expensive to process, celluloid democratized a host of goods for an expanding middle class market. Celluloid, its makers proclaimed, made it possible to produce counterfeits so exact that they deceived "even the eye of the expert."
Celluloid could be made in rich creamy tones to emulate ivory; mottled in browns and ambers to resemble tortoiseshell; traced with veining to look like marble; infused with the bright colors of coral; blackened to look like ebony or jet; and produced with a pearlescent luster to resemble mother-of-pearl. Manufacturers offered piano keys from celluloid that resembled ivory or mother-of-pearl by the late 1800s. In 1924, chemist William Lindsey discovered that the chemical reaction of mercury on celluloid produced a beautiful pearlescent effect. Prior to this, the technique of reproducing mother-of-pearl finishes involved repeated applications of ground fish scale and/or mica to the surface of celluloid.
(left to right)
Desk phone, model 102 c. 1920s
Western Electric
Bakelite, metal, fabric
Collection of the JKL Museum of Telephony, Mountain Ranch, California
Desk phone, model 40 c. 1940s
Automatic Electric
plastic, metal
Collection of the JKL Museum of Telephony, Mountain Ranch, California
Plastic provided the perfect medium for telephone design. Bakelite allowed the telephone to become a commonplace item in homes across the United States. Before synthetic plastic, telephones were costly, decorative items constructed from wood, metal, and hardened rubber. Mass-produced Bakelite phones displayed simplified designs. The first phones made of plastic, introduced in the United States in 1925, were also the first to have the handset resting on the body of the telephone. Western Electric was the major manufacturer of telephones and telephone-related equipment in the United States for almost a century.
Polka dot bracelets c. late 1920s–40
United States
Bakelite or Catalin
Anonymous lender
Bakelite is the brand name for the first thermosetting plastic that sustained a permanent, fixed shape. It was invented by the Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907 and manufactured by the General Bakelite Company, later the Bakelite Corporation. Bakelite's uses ranged from purely industrial to decorative. True Bakelite, derives from phenol-formaldehyde resins or gas and coal derivatives. It tends to be dark and opaque due to added fillers that range from rags to cotton and wood. When the patent for Bakelite expired in 1927, it was acquired by the Catalin Corporation, which produced much of the jewelry referred to as Bakelite today. Catalin, although very similar to Bakelite, contained no fillers and was produced in a brighter range of solid, translucent, and marbleized colors.
Plastic costume jewelry became popular after World War I. Prominent designers such as Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli designed plastic pieces in the 1920s, which made it highly desirable and fashionable. Such costume jewelry was initially offered in upscale department stores at costly prices. By the 1930s, a much larger audience began to appreciate and acquire Bakelite jewelry. Forms ranged from floral bracelets to whimsical pins and necklaces in the form of fruits and animals.
Addison model 2A radio c. 1940
Addison Industries, Ltd.
Toronto, Canada
Courtesy of PAB
The world's first radio broadcast took place in the Netherlands in 1919. This was followed by broadcasts in the United States a year later, then England and Germany in 1922. By 1931, radio as a public service broadcasting medium had spread all over the world. The radio became the most important source of news and entertainment. Early radios were large pieces of expensive furniture. By the 1930s, when radio popularity reached its zenith, table radios were among the first goods to be made of Bakelite. Shortly after, a similar plastic, Catalin, which could be dyed in a variety of brighter colors, replaced Bakelite.
As more households purchased radios in the 1930s, radio design took center stage. Not only did Americans want something to listen to, they also wanted something visually attractive to display in their homes. The automobile, airplane industry, and Art Deco style influenced radio designers. Streamlined designs and unique shapes, such as world globes, were among the interesting forms created.
Model 24A12 Admiral Television 1948–49
Admiral Continental Radio & Television
Bakelite, metal, glass
Courtesy of Tom Albrecht
This television is the largest piece of plastic cast from Bakelite. Developed in 1907, Bakelite was the first entirely synthetic thermosetting plastic. All plastics are classified according to their molecular structure and their response to high temperatures. Some plastics derive from natural sources including horn; others, such as celluloid, are semi-synthetic, or the result of chemical action on a plant-based substance. Synthetic plastics are chemically engineered from derivatives of coal or oil. Plastics can be further categorized by how they are affected by heat: thermoplastics, like candlewax, can be reshaped when heated; thermosets such as Bakelite, sustain a fixed shape and cannot be melted back into a liquid form.
Bakelite reached its height of popularity from the mid-1920s to 1950. Manufacturers used the material to make a variety of objects from jewelry to household appliances, radios, and later televisions. By the 1950s, more colorful, flexible plastics began replacing Bakelite.
Armchair 1950
Designed by Charles (1907–78) and Ray Eames (1912–88)
Herman Miller, Inc.
United States
fiberglass-polyester, metal, wood
Courtesy of Steve Cabella
New technologies developed during World War II were applied to the mass production of domestic goods after the war. Furthermore, the 1950s introduced revolutionary developments in the field of plastics that inspired leading designers of the era. Chairs, in particular, caught the imagination of many designers who sought to create pieces that were strong and durable, yet attractive and comfortable. Charles and Ray Eames, two of the most influential mid-century designers, pioneered the use of fiberglass in chair design in 1948. Previously, the material was used to fabricate aircraft parts during World War II. These lightweight fiberglass chairs would never chip, peel, or stain. First manufactured by Zenith and sold by Herman Miller, the molded fiberglass shell chairs were offered with or without arms and in a variety of colors. Customers could choose their preferred chair bases: wooden, metal, or rocking. The chairs, which were in production for forty years, were mostly purchased for offices and institutions.
Wind-up toy c. 1945–52
Courtesy of Julie Robinson Robards
After World War II, manufacturers took advantage of a variety of novel plastics to create children's toys. Less costly, plastic replaced toys made from traditional materials including wood, cloth, and tin. Injection-molded plastic allowed toys to be easily mass-produced. Millions of simple toys such as cars, trains, and dolls appeared at five-and-dime stores across the country, as well as in Cracker Jack snacks and cereal boxes.
Handbags 1950–55
Florida Handbags or Patricia of Miami
Lucite, metal, rhinestones
Courtesy of Danielle Originals by Danielle Kaplan, San Francisco
German-based Rhom and Haas developed acrylic resin, a crystal-clear thermoplastic, in 1931. DuPont introduced their brand of acrylic plastic in 1936 under the trade name Lucite. Lucite could be easily molded and sculpted, enabling designers to make purses in fun shapes, such as hatboxes, beehives, drums, and guitars. Plastic handbags, created by leading designers, appeared in upscale department stores at the close of the 1940s. By 1950, the plastic handbag became extremely stylish. Less expensive acrylic purses were offered to a broad audience. Hundreds of different styles were created. Bags were laminated with glitter, multi-colored confetti, and other colorful materials on their rigid plastic sides. Others were studded with rhinestones or hand carved.
Dress c. 1950s
United States
nylon, rayon, beads
Courtesy of Vintage a la Mode, San Francisco
Nylon, the first entirely synthetic fiber, derives from coal. It consists of long, synthetic filaments that can be spun, then woven or knitted. Invented in 1935 by a chemist working for DuPont, the company proclaimed it "as strong as steel, yet as fine as a spider web." It was first used for toothbrush bristles in 1938. Nylon eventually became the new "silk replacement," overshadowing rayon.
As hemlines continued to rise throughout the 1930s, silk and rayon stockings became a necessary part of every woman's wardrobe. But such stockings were delicate and prone to runs. In response, DuPont initially focused on using nylon for ladies' fully-fashioned hosiery. DuPont caused quite a sensation when it pronounced May 16, 1940 "Nylon Day" by offering nylon stockings to the public. Women lined up for hours in front of storefronts. Four million pairs of nylons stocked in stores throughout the country sold out within two days. World War II, however, quickly halted sales of nylon hosiery; instead nylon was used to make parachutes and war supplies. It was not until 1945 that nylon stockings once again appeared on store shelves. Eventually, nylon made its way into everything from upholstery to women's eveningwear and undergarments. In 1969, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong planted a nylon flag on the moon.
Cobra-matic record player and radio 1950
Bakelite, metal, paint
Courtesy of John Eckland
Sound recordings were made from wax, and later, celluloid cylinders in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Flat, round records made from shellac, a cotton compound, powdered slate, and a wax lubricant were offered beginning around 1900. These records, which remained common for a half century, were brittle, with varied sound quality.
A German chemist developed an early version of vinyl in 1872. In 1926, scientist Waldo L. Semon discovered the material while researching a synthetic adhesive. Shortly after, vinyl-based products such as insulated wire, raincoats, and shower curtains appeared on store shelves. Vinyl's most famous use, however, was for making recorded music. In 1930, the first vinyl record was pressed and played for select RCA executives, but nearly two decades passed before vinyl records became mainstream. Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, Michigan, made early use of vinyl in recorded music with their Vogue picture records, which were produced for less than one year. In a complex process, a central core aluminum disc was sandwiched between colorful paper illustrations and pressed in vinyl.
In 1948, Columbia introduced the LP, or long playing record, crafted from lightweight, unbreakable vinyl with a sound quality that surpassed 78s made from shellac. A year later, RCA Victor introduced the smaller, 7-inch, 45-rpm record, the choice for popular music singles as it contained less than five minutes of playing time per side. Vinyl LPs and 45s soared in popularity during the 1950s and remained standard until the late 1980s.
Brownie Star Flash camera 1958–60
Eastman Kodak Co.
Rochester, New York
plastic, metal
Courtesy of Geoff Turner, Random America
Babette camera c. 1950s
Hong Kong
Courtesy of Geoff Turner, Random America
3-D camera c. 1930s–40s
United States
Courtesy of Geoff Turner, Random America
The art of photography owes much to the invention of plastics. Celluloid had a profound effect on the evolution of still photography, and later, moving picture film. The earliest cameras were based on the principle of a glass plate coated with a light sensitive emulsion of silver nitrate. Film development posed a challenge; the notion of replacing the rigid film with a flexible material first occurred in the late 1880s. A chemist working for George Eastman's photography supply house in Rochester, New York, devised a method of producing bendable, photographic film from cellulose nitrate in 1889. This film could be sent to Kodak for development so that hobbyists no longer had to worry about developing their own film.
Early cameras were large, bulky objects that had to be mounted on tripods. In 1900, Kodak introduced the Brownie, the first point-and shoot-portable camera. The camera, which sold for one dollar with film that cost fifteen cents per roll, allowed greater numbers to easily take pictures wherever they traveled. Not long after, the Brownie and other portable cameras were molded from Bakelite and other plastics.
Florence dinnerware c. 1955–60
Florence, Massachusetts
Courtesy of Steve Cabella
Melamine, or formaldehyde resin, was developed in the 1930s, though it was not used in the domestic market until after World War II. The Ohio chemical company American Cyanamid, created the first melamine dinnerware for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The shatterproof, lightweight tableware proved to be a practical choice on rough seas. The plates also kept food warmer than metal. Initially apprehensive about offering plastic dinnerware, American companies began experimenting with plastic as an alternative to china in the early 1950s. Makers commissioned well-known designers to create their collections. The sleek appearance of plastic and its inability to chip or break appealed to consumers. For the first time in history, people began to replace their china with plastic dinnerware. Advertisements often featured cups and plates being dropped to no ill effect. Because it can absorb strong dyes, brightly colored mix-and-match tableware became mainstays in kitchens across the country. Although a success, melamine had its drawbacks, as the tableware was prone to scratches.
Eyeglasses c. 1915–70s
United States or Europe
plastic, glass, metal
Courtesy of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Museum of Vision, San Francisco
In 1876, Spencer Optical introduced the first eyeglass frames made from celluloid in the United States. Prior to synthetic plastic, frames were made primarily of metal, hardened rubber, or were handcrafted from tortoiseshell and horn. Plastic was a less costly alternative to these materials and more comfortable to wear. The most popular colors were black and imitation tortoiseshell.
Most people viewed early eyeglasses as medical devices that needed proper fitting, not as stylish accessories. In 1917, silent film actor Harold Lloyd made the wearing of eyeglasses, particularly, large, round faux horn or tortoiseshell spectacles, fashionable. Ironically, he did not actually need eyeglasses, but wore them in his films as part of his onscreen persona.
Beginning in 1955, American manufacturers teamed up with designers to introduce brand-named spectacles to the market. Around the same time, the formula for plastic lenses was perfected and its use widespread. People who needed a large amount of magnification or "high-index" lenses were particularly eager for plastic lenses to become available. Glass, high-index lenses were especially heavy and hard to wear, but obtaining the same magnification in plastic proved difficult. The first plastic high-index lenses became available in Japan during the 1980s.


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Monday, November 30, 2009
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Last night I attended my first ever Thanksgiving dinner. Few days late, I know, but for various logistic reasons, our Tallinn-based American hosts, Rachel & Stefano, decided to throw a party on Sunday night instead. Four couples, four kids and lots of good food (including a locally sourced non-frozen 8 kg turkey!). Rachel had asked me to bring along a Pecan Pie, and as I couldn't decide which recipe to choose, I decided to make a non-traditional pie instead. I liked it - a pre-baked pie crust is covered with dark chocolate ganache that hides a cup of caramelized crunchy pecans - an idea I got from a Finnish Ruokamaailma magazine. Truly chocolaty - and thus a 10-inch cake easily feeds a dozen!
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Serves 10-12
100 g unsalted butter, softened
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
200 g all-purpose/plain flour
1 large egg
a pinch of salt
For praline:
100 g pecans, very coarsley chopped
4 Tbsp muscovado sugar
300 g dark chocolate
150 ml whipping cream
100 g unsalted butter, softened
Using the food processor, blend butter, flour, sugar and salt until fine crumbs form. Add the egg, pulse couple of times. Then press the dough into the base and sides of a 24 cm springform tin.
Blind bake in a preheated 200 C oven for 15-20 minutes, until the dough is baked and nicely golden brown.
For the praline, mix the sugar and nuts on a frying pan and heat on a moderate heat, until the sugar melts and sticks onto the nuts. Remove from the heat.
For the ganache, bring the cream almost to a boil. Add chopped chocolate and stir, until melted. Stir in the soft butter. Stir, until combined and uniform, then fold in the pecan praline.
Pour the ganache over pre-baked crust (decorate with some toasted pecans, if you wish). Place into a cool storage or fridge for at least 4 hours for the chocolate pecan filling to harden.
4 comments:
- Jeanne said...
Oh my... that looks absolutely sinfully delicious!!
- 10:04 am, December 01, 2009
- Katrina said...
god, you just want to put your face into this chocolaty gorgeousness and stay there!:) I'm going to try it..to bake the cake, not putting my face
- 3:05 pm, December 01, 2009
Another delicious-looking pie of yours!
- 1:23 am, December 03, 2009
- Pille said...
Jeanne & Paz - thank you :)
Katrina - might be a bit sticky & sweet, but tasty nevertheless ;)
- 5:10 pm, December 03, 2009
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FBI Wants To Make It Easier For You To Tell Your Customers They Might Be Felonious Pirates
from the yeah,-that'll-work deptThe following may look familiar to you:
However, this program is about to expand in a big, big way. The FBI is about to release new rules (pdf and embedded below) that expand the program so that any copyright holder will be allowed to slap this logo on their product. Expect to start seeing it everywhere... and to feel that much more like the content creator you're legitimately buying from thinks you're a crook subject to federal law enforcement action. Way to "connect" with fans, huh?
The document from the FBI discussing this repeats a few times that the FBI really feels like this program is effective and important. Could they be any more out of touch?
First, the FBI believes that the APW Seal and accompanying warnings convey important messages to the public and are a significant component of its efforts to deter and to investigate federal crimes involving the piracy of intellectual property. Allowing use by copyright holders who are not members of industry associations will enhance those efforts. Second, although broader access may make unauthorized use more likely, this concern is overshadowed by the value of increasing public awareness of these prohibitions and the FBI's role in investigating related criminal activity.There are all sorts of issues with this. The first is that this whole campaign is ignoring a key point: nearly all copyright infringement is a civil infraction, not a criminal one. Most ordinary users don't understand the difference between civil and criminal infringement -- and the FBI and its silly seal do nothing to explain that difference. It's pretty clear that the purpose is to falsely imply that sharing with a friend music you legally purchased might somehow lead you to being targeted in an FBI sting operation. It's FUD, plain and simple. Second, the idea that spreading this logo further will deter actual criminal infringement? Are they serious? Remember, one of the requirements for criminal copyright infringement is that the action is willful. That means that the person knows they're breaking the law. So educating them on the fact that they're breaking the law... er... shouldn't make much of a difference.
Finally, notice that nowhere does the FBI provide any data on how effective this program has been. Because there isn't any. The MPAA shows this logo before movies, and it's not like there has been any less infringement. In fact, the FBI and ICE recently decided to double up and extend the warnings on DVDs , and it's not like that made a difference either. No, instead, all it's done is piss off tons of legitimate customers, who paid good money for the content, only to be interrupted by a giant FBI logo warning them that they may be criminals facing federal charges. The FBI even admits: "it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of the APW Seal program at preventing piracy," but apparently that won't stop it from expanding it. Who in their right mind thinks this is a sensible strategy?
Either way, it's interesting to read through the comments and feedback on this program -- including someone who suggested that the FBI should make sure the warning is skippable at the beginning of movies (the FBI notes that's up to the film producers) or another one that says this seal should be mandatory on copyright-protected works (the FBI rightly points out it has no such authority). Repeatedly, when people raise issues of more widespread use of the seal (dilution, confusion, belief that works without the seal aren't protected, etc.) the FBI insists that the supposed benefits of blanketing the universe with this logo far outweigh any downsides.
There were also concerns raised that the logo will have serious chilling effects on fair use -- which is definitely a major possibility. And the FBI's response is ridiculous.
Five comments also expressed a concern that the broader accessibility of the APW Seal may have a "chilling effect" on fair use, as some copyright holders may attempt to use the APW Seal to discourage uses of their copyrighted work that would otherwise be permissible under the fair use doctrine. The FBI fully recognizes that fair use, which is authorized under Title 17, United States Code, Section 107, does not constitute infringement, much less a federal crime. The warning language does not suggest otherwise. The FBI intends to address this matter on its public website.Because we all know that everyone who sees the logo will go to the FBI's website and read the fine print at the bottom of the page.
Of course, what's really crazy in all of this is that the FBI is famous for having an itchy trigger finger when anyone uses its normal logo. Remember, this is the same FBI that, just two years ago, sent a threat letter to Wikipedia, because the Wikipedia page on the FBI shows the FBI logo (leading to an awesome reply from Wikimedia General Counsel, Mike Godwin).
Honestly, the whole thing is silly, but because of this kind of cluelessness, expect to see those pointless FBI warning logos on all sorts of content in the future, so that every time you legitimately purchase content, you'll be reminded that the copyright holder thinks you're a lousy stinking thief who deserves a federal investigation. I'm still trying to figure out how that could possibly be good for business, but I guess I just don't understand copyright...
Filed Under: anti-piracy, chilling effect, fair use, fbi, warning
Companies: bsa, esa, mpa, riaa, siia


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Rodgers, No. 1s go on offensive
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers spent a good portion of his conversation with reporters Monday being the calming voice of reason.
Whether he was defending backup Graham Harrell from what he finds to be overly intense criticism or allaying concerns about the way the No. 1 offense has scuffled in the first two preseason games, the Green Bay Packers quarterback was doing his best to explain why there's nothing to worry about.
While Harrell – and the backups around him – will have to play better before Rodgers' words of reassurance convince some doubters, Rodgers has numbers to back up his contention that what the starting offense does in preseason will have no bearing on how the unit will fare in the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.
"You can't take any of the things that occur in the preseason over to the regular season," the NFL MVP said Monday.
In the Packers' first two preseason games – losses to the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns – the Rodgers-led starting offense has managed just one touchdown, and that came after the Browns turned the ball over at their own 23-yard line. The other five drives have ended in two fumbles, one punt, one interception and one failed fourth-and-2 play. The unit has managed just 130 yards offense, with only seven first downs.
The starters are slated to play the first half of Thursday night's third preseason game at Cincinnati, and wide receiver Greg Jennings (concussion) and tight end Jermichael Finley (quadriceps) are expected to make their preseason debuts.
"You've been watching the games. We've been looking a little sloppy," Finley said of the starting offense. "So it's key to come out with the first group and get that half in and execute right."
But how much does it matter? In the past three seasons, the Packers have had varying degrees of offensive success – and it didn't translate to how they played in their first game that counted.
In 2009, Green Bay's starting offense was downright unstoppable. In 13 series, the unit rolled up 646 yards and produced nine touchdowns, one field goal, one missed field goal, one punt and one failed fourth-and-1. Rodgers was 29 of 41 for 465 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions for a 147.9 rating.
In the regular-season opener against the Bears, the unit managed just 226 yards, converted just 4 of 15 third-down situations and scored just 21 points, pulling out a 21-15 victory on Rodgers' 50-yard touchdown pass to Jennings with 1:11 to play. On the night, Rodgers was 17 for 28 for 184 yards with the one touchdown and no interceptions (92.0 rating).
In 2010, the first-string offense again played 13 series, gaining 542 yards on 78 plays. The unit scored seven touchdowns, punted three times, lost two fumbles and turned the ball over on downs on a failed fourth-and-1. Rodgers, who didn't even suit up for the preseason finale at Kansas City that year, finished the preseason having completed 41 of 53 passes for 470 yards, with six touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 141.2 rating in three preseason games.
In a 27-20 victory at Philadelphia in the regular-season opener, the Packers gained 299 yards of offense, were 6 for 14 on third downs (43 percent) and held on to win. Rodgers went 19 for 31 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions (73.1 rating).
Last exhibition season, the No. 1 offense played 11 series and gained only 360 net yards. Its 10 full-fledged drives ended in three touchdowns, one field goal, one missed field goal and five punts; the unit's one other possession was one play before the end of a half. Rodgers finished exhibition play having completed 37 of 47 passes for 395 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a rating of 130.1.
Despite the comparatively unproductive preseason – at least whenever the group wasn't running its no-huddle offense — in the regular-season opener against New Orleans, the offense was magnificent, gaining 399 yards, converting 8 of 12 third-down situations, scoring five offensive touchdowns and winning, 42-34. Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (132.1 rating).
"You know, specifically in '10 I remember we faced a lot of real vanilla looks and that's what the preseason is all about. When we get to the regular season, San Fran(cisco), Chicago, Seattle and New Orleans are probably going to be a lot different looks than we're going to see in the regular season," Rodgers said, referring to the team's first four regular-season opponents. "As much as you want to do well, you realize it's not going to be vanilla once the season starts.
"There's not a lot of game-planning that goes into these games on both sides. We're not going to game plan for Cincinnati and they'll probably have one or two things in like we do for them, but at the end of the day, it's about staying healthy and having a good feeling coming out of these situations. I'm not too worried about the (offense)."
What Rodgers is worried about is making sure the offense gets work in a variety of situations – situations that haven't presented themselves so far.
"We're trying to hit targets, hit some new plays, new thoughts we want to get in, hit some situational stuff you might not work on in practice, some backed-up situations, some crowd noise when you play on the road," Rodgers said.
"We really haven't had a really good red zone (opportunity). We got the turnover and scored outside the red zone last week, so to get in the red zone, maybe with a goal-to-go opportunity, to be able to punch that in is going to be important for us. No third-and-short for us last week, to get a third-and-short and convert is going to be important for us. Last year, we were below the league average, I believe, in third-down conversions and third-and-one, so to convert a couple of those would be nice, keep drives going.
"(We) haven't had a 10-plus play drive yet. That's something that would be good for our guys. I don't know if (the offensive linemen) want one, but it would be good to kind of get some reps where we're real tired and they're real tired, so a 10-plus play drive would be nice."


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Saginaw, TX Real Estate
Population: 12,850 The city of Saginaw is located 9 miles north of downtown Fort Worth and 37 miles west of Dallas in Tarrant County. The community is located at the intersection of Interstate Loop 820 and Highway 287 and is less than a mile from Interstate 35W. The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is 20 miles east of Saginaw, and Fort Worth Meacham International Airport is only three miles away. View Properties in this Community > Ebby Halliday Offices Serving this Community: Arlington > Colleyville > Other Ebby Offices > Education Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District Area Colleges and Universities Arlington Baptist College College of St. Thomas Moore Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary University of North Texas Health Science Center Tarrant County College University of Texas at Arlington University North Texas Texas Women's University Texas...
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Fossil Leaf Red Necklace - Regular
The process of harvesting and gently processing prayer leaves results in the otherworldly beauty of fossil leaves. The delicate structures of leaf veins are then tinted with natural dyes. The resulting material is pressed between two panels of clear eco-resin to create a stunning design.