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SAN FRANCISCO — The 2012 California wine grape harvest yielded generous amounts of high quality fruit, and winemakers across the state are describing this year's vintage as "excellent," "outstanding" and "ideal." "The 2012 vintage will offer consumers in our growing national and international markets fantastic choices," said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute. "The California winegrape harvest is estimated at 3.7 million tons, up from 3.3 million tons in 2011."
A California vineyard worker celebrates the completion of harvest.
George Rose photo.
"Mother Nature smiled upon the California wine harvest this year with a bountiful crop of amazing quality," said Kathleen Heitz, President of Heitz Wine Cellars. "The diversity and depth of talented winemakers throughout the state promise some exciting and vibrant wines from the stellar 2012 vintage."
"The 2012 harvest has been exceptional," said Frank Cabral, Director of Grower Relations for Trinchero Family Estates. "Moderate weather throughout the growing season has put little pressure on the vines, and provided grapes with well-balanced chemistries. The 2012 harvest is making up for the low yielding 2011 crush, with most varieties picking at above average yields. The 2012 harvest is shaping up to be one that will become known for its abundance of fruit and quality of wines."
"The 2012 harvest on the North Coast can be summed up in one word, 'outstanding,'" reported Bob Blue, Winemaker at Bonterra Vineyards in Ukiah. "It was back to a normal harvest picking timeline, only slightly later on the calendar than an average year, with an abundance of sunshine. Overall the quality has really been special this year, the fruit is ripe and concentrated. There were no disease issues with any of the grapes. The Pinot Noir has amazing fruit intensity, with classic varietal tones of strawberry and spices. Chardonnay has wonderful concentration and a mélange of fruit flavors from peaches to apples and lemon. Merlot has beautiful color and ripeness, with rich blueberry flavors. The Cabernet has outstanding flavors."
"This was one of the more idyllic growing seasons that we've had," concurred Aron Weinkauf, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery in Napa Valley. The fairly mild weather allowed us to wait for fruit maturity in order to make our preferred style of wine. We were pushed to our limit to accommodate the quantity of fruit we harvested, but I am extremely happy with the overall quality and balance of the wines."
"This year we have been blessed with ideal weather," continued Hank Wetzel, Managing Family Member of Alexander Valley Vineyards in Sonoma County. "The harvest has been excellent. Growing conditions throughout the year have been ideal for producing a bumper crop of mature grapes with balanced flavors. In the spring, our vines set a large crop. During the summer, we had an abundance of California coastal "sweater" weather, fog in the morning, and warm sunshine in the afternoon, often sending temperatures into the mid 90s and then quickly cooling off after sunset. These daily temperature swings help make California, Sonoma County and the Alexander Valley great places to grow wine grapes. This daily cyclical temperature shift, occasionally hitting 50 degrees, continued into September ripening up fruit evenly and slowly, allowing us to bring in harvest at a steady measured pace. "We are now harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon. Clusters are packed with tiny bluish black flavorful berries."
Paso Robles had more heat, and the crop level was not quite as abundant as in the North Coast, but we had similarly high quality fruit. "Overall, we're excited about the 2012 harvest in Paso Robles," said Jason Diefenderfer, Winemaker at Hope Family Wines. "Verasion was just ahead of schedule and was rather quick, so we've had great hang time. We experienced about three weeks of extreme heat in late August and early September, which didn't raise the Brix levels as quickly as one would expect. It was good for the vines to catch up. Flavor-wise, the grapes are really showing great which should lead to round and robust flavors. The slight rain in mid-October didn't do too much, as it cleared out and warmed up quickly. As our flavors continue to mature, it's looking like this could be one of the better vintages we've had in the last 10 years."
Michael McCay, Owner and Winemaker of McCay Cellars in Lodi, is also enthusiastic about the harvest: "I am very excited about 2012! I love the brightness and the deep, rich flavors we are getting across the board. The Zinfandels are upfront but also showing great potential. I think 2012 has the potential to outperform 2010, which was even more "perfect" in terms of numbers and ease of picking. The 2010 Zinfandels were great, but at this point in time, the 2012s taste even better! All of our 2012 Zinfandels are finishing at alcohols lower than 15%—most of them closer to 13.5%. With such intense flavors, we couldn't ask for much better! I really believe it's going to end up being the best wines we've ever made."
"It was a good harvest season for the California wine grape crop, and both growers and vintners should be happy," said Nat DiBuduo, President CEO of Allied Grape Growers. "The quality of grapes was very good, and the crop was average to above average depending on the region and variety. Although there were late rains in October, 85-95 percent of the crop had already been harvested. The California wine grape crop should hit the 3.7 million tons estimated earlier in the year. Overall, the biggest problem this year was that many of the red varietal grapes came in at the same time, filling wineries to capacity. Wineries dealt with the problem by scheduling growers as tank space came available."
Nick Buttitta, Winemaker, Rosa d'Oro Vineyards
Our typical spring and early summer favorable weather brought low pest and disease pressures, setting Lake County growers on the path to a very nice growing season. Mid- and late summer heat spikes with multiple days in excess of 100 degrees did slow maturity in some areas, creating a situation of elevated sugar levels along with lower pH levels in some vineyards. For us at Rosa d'Oro Vineyards the choice was made to wait for full flavors to develop and full bodied and balanced wines. 2012 was a good year to be a winegrower in Lake County and I am sure there will be many wines that evoke the comment "excellent!"
Stuart Spencer, Owner/Winemaker, St. Amant Winery
The 2012 harvest was a welcome sight after several difficult harvests the past three years. Overall, the appellation saw a fairly large crop after several years of light crops. Zinfandel, Lodi's signature grape, saw a very large harvest. The larger crop pushed picking back for most red Zinfandel into October. Yields for other varieties were above average. September's warm temperatures allowed grapes to gradually ripen delivering outstanding quality across the region. A relatively dry October, compared to the previous three years, allowed most late ripening reds to be picked at optimal conditions delivering flavor-packed balanced wines. I look forward to seeing the 2012 wines develop in barrel - they should be outstanding.
Julian Halasz, Winemaker, Concannon Vineyards
The 2012 season had dry and warm weather in Livermore Valley. The warm dry spring nurtured the wines and helped achieve a good fruit set across all varieties. Although cluster counts were normal, cluster sizes are larger than average this vintage with high berry count, which became evident as clusters were filling out and the season reached the veraison. Generally the reds are dark & have good tannic structure and fully ripe flavors with balanced structure and alcohols. Overall an appropriate and much needed follow up after a couple years of lighter crops.
Karl D. Wente, Winemaker, Wente Family Estates
2012 Harvest was a great year! The weather in the Livermore Valley has been moderate, and yields look good to great on all cultivars. The Merlot season is late this year and, as a result, is overlapping with the Cabernet Sauvignon season. In my opinion, this is mostly due to the best set in Merlot that I have seen. All of our whites are finished in Livermore (except our Late Harvest Orange Muscat) and we are finished with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Arroyo Seco, Monterey.
John Kinney, Owner/Winemaker, Occasio Winery
Livermore Valley reports an exceptional harvest, with above average yields and the most balanced flavors in recent memory. Smaller bunch sizes in the Bordeaux varietals have concentrated grape flavors and encouraged ripening. On the cooler east side hills, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc are benefitting from the longer season. Thus far, the rains have passed quickly, and have not dampened our expectations for a superb finale to harvest 2012.
Peter Ficklin, President and Winemaker, Ficklin Vineyards
With a near average start date, the harvested grape varieties showed impressive maturity and quality. Weather during bloom in the early spring led to slightly above-average yields, without sacrificing balance and intensity of flavors. Fruit condition was excellent, leaning toward small clusters and berries. The usual June/July warm weather compacted the length of the crush season somewhat, and the grapes seemed to ripen all at once. We certainly look forward to seeing where these wonderful wines are in a few years.
Ray Krause, Owner/Winemaker, Westbrook Wine Farm
Less than normal rainfall and extended heat during August and September 2012 required the application of more water than usual in the sandy valley vineyards, resulting in an increase in over normal vegetative growth and a rapid rise in fruit pH prior to physiological maturity. However, most Madera County winegrowers have learned to appropriately farm their climate but this was a highly abnormal year for all.
Milla Handley, owner/winemaker, Handley Cellars
2012 was one of the best vintages I can remember in Anderson Valley. Summer temperatures were warm but not too hot, with cool nights both on the valley floor as well as the ridges. There was some fog, but most days were sunny with moderate temperatures. After the last two vintages, the extra sunshine was wonderful. Moderate temperatures all summer helped ripen the grapes without any major heat waves. The mild late summer and fall weather created a fairly long harvest. It allowed us to harvest fruit when it was mature at reasonable sugars and good flavors. It truly has been a very good year from bud break to the harvest of our final grapes.
Dean De Korth, Winemaker, Bernardus Winery
Summer on the Central Coast was on the cool side again this year and with slightly larger than normal yields. Our Sauvignon Blancs were slower than usual to ripen, but as September ended, we were able to bring them in with moderate sugars, crisp acidities and wonderful varietal expression. For Sauvignon Blancs, Pinots and Chardonnays, we are seeing beautiful full and bright fruit expressions. So far, it really looks like an excellent vintage!
Janet Myers, Director of Winemaking, Franciscan Estate and Mount Veeder Winery
What a fantastic harvest. It was a low rainfall year, with a return to more normal summertime temperatures versus 2010 and 2011. While the crop was on the heavier side, three heat waves during September and October really helped propel the vines along to achieve excellent ripeness. Color is deep, and the wines are very structural and concentrated. We are very pleased with how things are turning out.
Kathy Corison, Owner/Winemaker, Corison Winery
The season was nearly perfect. Relatively cool throughout, it allowed long, even ripening without drama. Even the late rains were followed by dry, windy conditions allaying any fear of rot in the Cabernet still hanging. Indian summer blessed us throughout the fall—perfect weather for finishing up the season. The ample crop overall made tank space the only real challenge this year. We have a bumper crop of deliciousness in our cellars.
Laurie Hook, Winemaker, Beringer Vineyards
At the outset, we anticipated a relatively quick and compact harvest but the mild weather throughout September slowed things down considerably. The typical order of ripening was jumbled a bit due to a warm inversion layer at 1500 to 2000 feet throughout September that kept mountain vineyards warmer than those on the valley floor. We had Chardonnay from Gamble Ranch, Merlot from Oakville and Cabernet Sauvignon from our mountain vineyards being picked all in the same week! Showers towards the end of October washed the dust off the fruit followed by temperatures in the low 80's which did a nice job of ripening the balance of fruit still on the vines. All in all, 2012 promises to be a beautiful vintage!
Kurt Ammann, General Manager, Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards
2012 has been as close to a "perfect vintage" as we've seen in quite some time. The yields are up but so too is the quality. Judging from what we have tasted so far we couldn't be more excited! Talking with friends and colleagues around the county this seems to be "the norm" not the exception. All in all we couldn't be happier!
Jim Stollberg, Vineyard Manager, Riverbench Vineyard and Winery
The harvest season was one of our better as far as ripening weather. We saw variable yields between blocks, but overall average tonnages across most varieties. Winemakers have responded with positive feedback on the resulting wines thus far, and we did see very nice balance of maturity numbers and flavors in the vineyard.
Doug Margerum, Owner/Winemaker, Margerum Wine Company
Good year for growers as the yields were high and the quality was very good. Nice cool mild summer, low wind spring, so a great set. No rain, no frost, and no storms – amazingly. It was the best summer EVER – little fog and perfect clear warm (not hot) days. The wines are all concentrated. I have never seen such low juice yields (lots of pulp and thick skins), low alcohols, low malic acids for better aging, brown seeds and full lignation or drying of the stems. This all leads to great color and tremendous concentration, and should have good persistent tannins and lots of structure.
Jason Robideaux, Winemaker, Clos LaChance
The 2012 growing season was pure perfection. Great weather during bud break and fruit set gave us our best looking crop to date. Fabulous summer weather with no heat spikes or cooling trends gave us the best true growing season we have seen in the Central Coast in nearly a decade. At Clos LaChance Estate we are seeing yields up around 30 percent in most white varietals and 15 percent in Cabernet and Merlot. The great fruit set and ideal growing season has given us some of the highest quality grapes that we have ever seen off the Estate and promises to be a standout vintage. Late October rains slowed down production, but with mainly Cabernet left on the vine there was no concern for any hiccups in the quality. We are extremely excited to get all of these wines into barrel and start the early spring evaluations.
Steve Millier, Owner/Winemaker, Milliaire Winery and Black Sheep Winery
2012 saw a return to a more "normal" weather pattern for Calaveras County after several growing seasons of cooler weather conditions. This year started out with lower than normal rainfall followed by a dry early spring without frost, a welcome relief in the foothills. Several hot spells through the summer drove a slightly larger than normal crop into a ripening mode. September was extremely busy, starting with harvesting the century-plus-old Ghirardelli Zinfandels. Everything reached peak maturity with beautiful colors and deep flavors balanced with crunchy acidity. Fortunately, we finished a day before a large storm system brought heavy rains.
At our Black Sheep Winery, it was the third Cinsault harvest for this vineyard and each year the wine becomes a little more concentrated with more depth to the color. We had a very good year.
Jeff Meyers, Winemaker and General Manager, Terra d'Oro and Montevina
This is going to be a very good to excellent vintage, with reasonable crop loads and excellent quality reminiscent of 1997. Zinfandel is plentiful and Petit Sirah looks great. With Pinot Grigio we are seeing some true varietal characteristic such as ripe Bartlett pear qualities. This year, we blended our Syrah with 3-5 percent Viognier in the fermenter to lighten the wine and give it a floral aspect. Our Muscat quality appears to be fantastic with intense flavors. For Montevina Petit Sirah and Zinfandel, we are going for bigger tannins, bigger style, with spice and clove. Our 2012 harvest will reflect the true Amador county definition.
Montse Reece, Assistant Winemaker, Pedroncelli Winery
Great vintage. The yields were up by 20 percent. A warmer growing season made for an even ripening, no big heat spikes, rain or cold weather made berries develop intense varietal flavors. In red varieties, like cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel, we see deeper colors and softer tannins than in previous vintages. Definitely a vintage to look forward to when released.
Joe Shirley, Winemaker, Folie à Deux, Sonoma
We finished Folie a Deux Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on October 23. Overall, we are seeing good quality as a result of no rain, little fog, and weather that has been mild— not too hot or cold and no extreme heat.
Ken Zignorski, Senior Co-Owner and General Manager, Monte De Oro Winery
Temecula Valley, Southern California wine country, had a great 2012 grape harvest. The season started with a cool spring and early summer, giving grapes quality time to develop, though offset by concern for early morning condensation and mildew management. While this resulted in an extended growing season for the grapes, high heat in mid-August and early September led to quick white grape ripening and quick-paced harvesting across the valley. A good portion of red grapes were harvested in mid— to late September. Overall, yields were slightly higher than forecasts—5-8 percent higher in some areas. Grape quality was really nice— terrific color and strong flavor concentration resulting in balanced juice. Syrah, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon were some real standouts for Monte De Oro Winery.
Journalists requiring further information should contact: email@example.com


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There are the two that got a bit burnt in the oven.
The one you have to try to see if they are done.
The three with tea when Mum comes around, awww, perhaps just one more.
Go on.
There's the one that wouldn't fit in the biscuit jar,
the one that you sneak when you get home from work and can't think of what to make for dinner.
There are three that go to work in a lunch box
four that are missing when you get home to find crumbs on the counter.
There are the two that were used as a little extra to make a bowl of vanilla ice cream special.
Two are dunked in hot espresso with Dad at the dining table.
Three eaten when Cate drops around unexpectedly - served on a china plate with a tiny rose buds pattern.
And then there is one.
The one that rolls around the jar with the crumbs for a week - the one that no one dares to eat.
And then it's gone.
Makes 24.

subset: commoncrawl


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gunas1 needed a new print or packaging design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 52 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
We are a manufacturer and wholesaler of self defense and security products. We have customer's who sell in many different ways and we've created another unique way for them to sell. The product teaches them how to build a home party business.
We are targeting our existing customers and new markets as well. Mostly people interested in home based businesses and earning extra income.
We need artwork for all of our print materials. Outter DVD cases inserts, outter CD case inserts, art to print directly to the CD and DVDs.
Basically a large high resolution file that we could resize to fit each piece would work.
Prefer files in ai or psd.
We don't have a set title at this time so you're free to be creative with that and we can see what comes up.


text:
Stocks squeezed out small gains in lackluster trading Monday, with the S&P 500 closing at a new high, but a batch of mixed earnings reports and weaker-than-expected existing home sales weighed.
(Read more: Four reasons tobelieve in the bull market)
Stocks squeezed out small gains in lackluster trading Monday, with the S&P 500 closing at a new high, but a batch of mixed earnings reports and weaker-than-expected existing home sales weighed.
(Read more: Four reasons tobelieve in the bull market)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a gain of 1.81 points to end at 15,545.55, buoyed by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. McDonald's led the blue-chip laggards. The Dow traded in a narrow 60-point range.
The S&P 500 logged a four-day rally, adding 3.44 to close at 1,695.53, posting a record closing high. The S&P 500 is on pace for its best monthly gain since October 2011. And the Nasdaq advanced 12.77 points to finish at 3,600.39.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, slid near 12.
Among key S&P sectors, financials led the gainers, while energy dipped.
(Read more: Who needs volume? Stocks are doing fine without it)
"The Fed is done talking until next week and we're going to be subject to earnings reports and talk from Congress this week," said Brian Battle, vice president of trading at Performance Trust Capital Partners. "We could be in a holding pattern if the market can resist a selloff, but to propel higher, we need better fundamentals…we're still running on Fed liquidity and the pullback caused by the tapering talk has been reversed in the last two weeks."
Gold surged to its highest level in nearly a year, piercing above a key resistance of $1,322 an ounce, as fears abated that the Federal Reserve will curb monetary easing. Gold miners rallied sharply, led by Kinross Gold, Yamana and Iamgold.
Dow component McDonald's fell after the fast-food giant posted earnings and revenue that disappointed Wall Street expectations, weighed by weak sales in Europe and Asia.
Toymaker Hasbro reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings, citing a shift by young boys to iPads and other electronic devices from traditional toys and action figures. Last week, larger rival Mattel missed earnings expectations and smaller toymaker Jakks Pacific lowered its full-year outlook.
Gannett slumped after the parent company of USA Today posted total quarterly sales that matched expectations, as advertising revenue at newspapers continued to show no signs of improvement.
Halliburton ended lower even after the oilfield services company topped earnings expectations and increased its share buyback program by $4.3 billion.
Netflix and Texas Instruments are scheduled post numbers after the closing bell.
(Read More: McDonald's finance guide 'insulting' to low-wage workers)
More than 20 percent of S&P 500 companies have already reported, with 64 percent topping earnings estimates and 50 percent beating on sales, according to the latest data from Thomson Reuters. If all remaining companies post earnings in line with forecasts, earnings will be up 3.1 percent from last year's second quarter.
Nearly one third of S&P 500 companies due to report results throughout the week in addition to eight Dow components. Apple,Caterpillar, Boeing, Facebook, Qualcomm and Amazon.com are among notable names on tap to report throughout the week.
(Read more: Earnings growth todrive equity markets: Goldman Sachs)
Yahoo dropped to lead the S&P 500 laggards after the Internet company said it will repurchase 40 million shares of its common stock beneficially owned by Third Point at $29.11 a share and that three directors nominated by Third Point have submitted their resignations.
Apple ticked higher after BMO lifted its target price on the iPhone maker to $480 from $450 with a "market perform" rating.
On the economic front, existing home sales in June slipped 1.2 percent in June to an annual rate of 5.08 million, according to the National Association of Realtors, missing expectations for a reading of 5.25 million units. Still, the reading was still the second-highest level of sales since November 2009.
Meanwhile, NAR's chief economist Lawrence Yun warned that while momentum in the housing market appears to be strong, mortgage rates will have a greater impact on sales in the coming months. He also cautioned that the continuing increase in home prices was unsustainable.
Homebuilders traded in the red following the report, with KB Home and DR Horton leading the biggest laggards.
—By CNBC's JeeYeon Park (Follow JeeYeon on Twitter: @JeeYeonParkCNBC)
On Tap This Week:
TUESDAY: FHFA home price index, Richmond Fed mfg index, 2-yr note auction, Silicon Valley innovation summit, new Verizon Droid unveiled; Earnings from Altria, DuPont, Travelers, United Tech, UPS, Apple, AT&T, Broadcom, Discover Financial, Electronic Arts
WEDNESDAY: MBA mortgage applications, PMI mfg index, new home sales, oil inventories, 5-yr note auction, Dell shareholder mtg, Google breakfast; Earnings from Boeing, Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, Facebook, Qualcomm, Visa, Akamai, Baidu
THURSDAY: Durable goods orders, jobless claims, natural gas inventories, Kansas City Fed mfg index, 7-yr note auction, Fed balance sheet/money supply, weekly rail numbers, USDA food prices outlook; Earnings from Bristol-Myers, GM, 3M, Colcate-Palmolive, Credit Suisse, Sirius XM, Amazon.com, Gilead Sciences, Starbucks, Zynga
FRIDAY: Consumer sentiment, AT&T Next debuts; Earnings from Tyco
What's Trending on CNBC.com:


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Marc Klaas looks fondly at a painted portrait of his daughter, Polly, and says, "If there was a fire that is the one thing I would grab."
He says the painting makes the 12-year-old appear a bit older. He never had a chance to see Polly grow up.
Richard Allen Davis kidnapped the girl from inside her own Petaluma home on Oct. 1, 1993.
Klaas remembers the fear and anger raging through him during the 65-day search for his daughter.
"Until you prove to me she's dead I will believe she's alive," he says. "It had to be that way, if we gave up hope there would be no hope left."
Klaas for more than two months kept Polly and her story in the news and he kept pressure on police.
The Bay Area was stunned by the kidnapping and desperate to find the little girl safe. Her body was later found after Davis told police where to find it.
The kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas changed Petaluma forever. Klaas would never be the same.
Klaas has spent the last 20 years working to protect children and find the missing. The Klaas Kids Foundation is now a go-to group for families facing the unthinkable.
"Returning calls to families is the hardest thing to do because I know the difficult journey they are about to embark on," he says.
The foundation has helped 866 families.
In the Bay Area the foundation has helped the families of Sierra Lamar and Michelle Le by handling investigators, media campaigns and even organizing the ground searches.
Klaas says knowing where a loved one is, no matter the circumstance provides some peace.
Since Polly's murder three strikes and Megan's Law helps keep violent criminals in check. Amber Alerts and interconnected police departments help investigators work faster and smarter.
But Klaas said there is still a lot of work to do.
The 64-year-old says Polly would be proud of her old man.
"We've helped them through something," Klaas says of the work that has been done the past 20 years. "Something difficult and that's gratifying. That's giving meaning to Polly's death -- that's what that is."
Klaas will mark the day that changed his life at a private event in San Francisco. He also will meet with the investigators who searched for Polly, kidnapping survivors and with families who are still searching for missing loved ones.


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Latest News
CNN Grill: For insiders only (plus me)
There is an innocent explanation for how I wound up on the floor of a bar with the governor of Montana. I was engaging in journalism.
The key to political journalism is to gather insider information, and to do that, you need to go where the political insiders hang out. We're talking about sophisticated, discerning people who are deeply immersed in analyzing the issues of the day. They do not hang out just anywhere. They hang out where there is free liquor.
At the political conventions, this means many of them hang out at the CNN Grill, a temporary bar/restaurant set up by CNN that serves free food and drinks. You need a special pass to get in. I don't have one of these passes, because I am not seen as a political insider. I am seen as more of a writer of booger jokes. Maybe if I wrote positive things about CNN – such as "CNN is easily the finest achievement in human history," or "without CNN, the Earth would quickly become uninhabitable" – I would get a pass to the CNN Grill. But for now, my journalism strategy is to stand around outside looking sad and homeless and thirsty, hoping that a pass-holder will take pity on me and invite me in.
Anyway, I got inside, and I was chatting with veteran TV political analyst Jeff Greenfield, whom I mention here because I want to thank him publicly for finding me my hotel room. Hotel space is very tight for the convention; I was originally assigned to a hotel located in, basically, Nova Scotia. I mentioned this to Jeff in an email, and he replied that he had found a place that still had rooms available right in downtown Charlotte. So I booked a room there. Immediately upon arrival, I realized WHY this place still had vacancies: It is seedier than a Burpee catalog, and old.
Q. How old is it?
A. Some rooms are occupied by troops still awaiting deployment to the Civil War.
I am, frankly, concerned about bedbugs. Also, crack. Also, bedbugs on crack.
Anyway, Jeff (Thanks, Jeff!) and I were sitting at the CNN Grill bar enjoying complimentary margaritas when up walked famous political insider strategist James Carville. He chatted with us for several minutes, during which he revealed some fascinating inside political information. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it was, because I can never understand anything Carville says. I know he is brilliant, but he sounds – and I mean this respectfully – like an extremely Cajun version of the Aflac duck. My notes just say: "Carville."
Also enjoying complimentary CNN margaritas with us was radio personality/actor/lunatic Jay Thomas, who was a regular on "Cheers" and "Murphy Brown," and who was involved in the best anecdote in human history, which features the Lone Ranger. You should stop reading this column right now and watch this ... I'll wait right here. You will thank me.
You're welcome. Anyway, while Jay and I and Jeff "Hotel Adviser" Greenfield were talking, up walked the governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer, who declared that he is a huge fan of Jay's show on Sirius radio, especially (I am not making this up) all the penis jokes. It turns out Gov. Schweitzer is something of a wild man. Here is an actual exchange between Jay and him:
Jay: How did you get elected in Montana?
Schweitzer: They were drinking.
In addition to being governor, Schweitzer is a rancher who raises heads of cattle. I asked him if he has ever castrated one.
"Hell yes!" he said. He then proceeded to tell me, in extremely explicit detail, how he did it. The more he talked, the more enthusiastic he got; finally he got down on the bar floor to demonstrate his technique. He was down there for several minutes. I squatted next to him, taking notes and becoming increasingly faint. I was very grateful when he finished. (His conclusion was: "And then you throw them in a bucket.")
After the castration lecture, Gov. Schweitzer presented both Jay and me with official Montana governor belt buckles, which are made of solid metal. This is now the manliest thing I own. Gov. Schweitzer is leaving office in January; if we don't elect this man, at bare minimum, president of the United States, we are even stupider than I think we are.
So that is your Inside Politics Report from Charlotte. Meanwhile, I am hearing rumors that the Democratic convention may have started. I will spare no effort to find out about this, unless I get back into the CNN Grill. Which would be a LOT easier if I had a pass.


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DES MOINES – At its regular January meeting today, the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approved a new rule regarding how the DNR handles enforcement actions.
Despite many comments at the meeting claiming the new rule weakens environmental enforcement, the rule simply clarifies the variety of compliance and enforcement documents and other communications the DNR considers in response to a potential violation of state law or rules. The DNR has used procedures similar to the proposed Chapter 17 rule for many years, and this rulemaking simply formalizes this practice.
The DNR takes enforcement on a wide variety of violations, from submitting late reports to willful violation of state and federal environmental standards. "Our primary goal is to achieve compliance and minimize impact to the environment," said Barb Lynch, chief of DNR's field services and compliance. "This rule helps us achieve more consistency on how we approach the varying levels of severity when we must take enforcement action," she added.
"The DNR works hard to educate people on the front end," said Chuck Gipp, director of the DNR. "We would much rather provide assistance in meeting environmental regulations so that people understand and know what's expected of them to protect our resources, than say 'Gotcha' when they mess up."
The new chapter is intended to meet the DNR's responsibility to protect public health and the environment, while, at the same time, providing regulated entities and the public with transparency, clarity, consistency and fairness in addressing potential violations of Iowa's environmental statutes and rules.
In other action, the commission approved the quarterly plan for state revolving loans to fund clean water and drinking water projects, and authorized a new method of funding water quality, the "Water Resource Restoration Sponsored Projects."
Commissioners also finalized their annual report to the governor and the general assembly. The report is available on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/BoardsCommissions.aspx.


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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - As the saying goes, history has a way of repeating itself. Unfortunately for the Tennessee Tech baseball team, that's precisely what occurred Tuesday evening as the Golden Eagles fell to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 12-9.
Just six weeks after losing a 7-1 lead to the Blue Raiders in Cookeville in what turned into a 9-7 loss, the Golden Eagles found themselves in an eerily similar position in Murfreesboro. Through four and half innings, Tech looked comfortable with a 7-1 lead and ready to take down the Blue Raiders for the first time in nine games. Middle Tennessee proved unwilling to allow that to happen on its home turf, however, rallying for the second time this season to take the contest 12-9.
Earning the win for the Blue Raiders was relief pitcher Heath Slatton (1-1), who pitched 2.2 innings while allowing three hits, one earned run, and one walk. He struck out four Tech batters. First baseman Trent Miller led the comeback attempt for Middle Tennessee, recording four RBI on a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Catcher Michael Adkins drove in the eventual game-winning run, grabbing an infield single in the bottom of the sixth.
Three Tech players recorded multi-hit days including lead-off man Zach Zarzour, center fielder Austin Wulf, and first baseman Zach Stephens. Zarzour scored three runs in the contest, grabbing two hits and a walk to set up the RBI attempts for his teammates. Stephens led the Golden Eagles with four RBI, ripping two two-run singles. The junior also walked once in the game as well.
Sophomore David Hess (3-2) was handed the loss, giving up three runs in 1.1 innings of relief work for starter Garrett Baugh. Baugh cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one run. The Blue Raider bats found another gear, however, smacking Baugh for six more runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 7-7.
The Golden Eagles will return home for the first time in over a week on Friday when they host Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Illinois in a three-game series. Game one is set for a 6 p.m. CDT start as the Tech squad will look to continue its hot start to OVC play, going 12-3 through its first 15 league games.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2013 News Releases > December 2013 > Wayland's Masters of Divinity program off to flying start
Wayland's Masters of Divinity program off to flying start
December 13, 2013
PLAINVIEW — In only its first semester in operation, Wayland Baptist University's Master of Divinity program is off to a flying start. With 18 students already participating and 29 more in the pipeline, faculty and administrators couldn't be more pleased and they see an even brighter future for the online program.
Dr. Paul Sadler, dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy, expressed that joy as he reflected over the past semester.
"We've been very pleased to have the number of applicants we did," he said, adding that the program continues to receive applicants on almost a weekly basis.
According to religion professor Dr. Jay Givens, who is the director of the School of Religion and Philosophy's online program and chaired the committee that researched and developed the Master of Divinity program, courses began being offered this past fall. He explained that the primary emphasis behind the program was to give ministers and those interested in ministry who did not live near an existing seminary the opportunity to continue their training and education. In particular, he said the university wanted to help students who wanted to become chaplains.
"The initial impetus," he said, "was we had a number of students at a number of our campuses asking about, specifically, chaplaincy. They were wanting to go into military chaplaincy. Many of them were already military. We did not have a degree that could help the student meet that goal. We began to investigate and look at it and we just came to the decision that it would be good for our school to provide an opportunity for those who are not near a seminary to have some means of honing their skills of being a minister wherever they are located."
Wayland has 13 campuses, counting the home campus in Plainview, and many are linked to military installations where they cater not only to the military but also to non-traditional students, in general. Givens said that some of those campuses supplement the online offerings with face-to-face courses. He said that many of the participants in the program are Wayland grads, but the school also is seeing some new faces.
Sadler said that the Master of Divinity degree is more-or-less the "gold standard" for ministry, particularly for pastoral ministry, but in many instances people are not in a position to be able to move to a physical seminary. Either they already are involved in a ministry and don't want to leave it or their spouse has a job and their children are involved in the community and they don't want to uproot their families.
"We have students who genuinely desire the education but because of various reasons cannot relocate to a seminary. There are a number of factors that make it very good to have it available online."
He went on to explain that the program has even begun to reach students who are part of Wayland's Kenya program. And, he continued, it is gaining recognition across the United States, as well.
An example of that is a growing interest in New England, according to Director of Church Services Michael Summers. Summers explained that last fall he attended the New England Baptist Convention's annual meeting, and had the opportunity to talk about the Master of Divinity program, as well as all of the university's other online offerings.
"They have no Baptist college up there that offers that," he said, adding that the M.Div. program availability has the potential to open the door for an extended partnership between the New England Baptist Convention and Wayland.
"The exciting thing about New England is that not only are they excited about the Master of Divinity degree and the other school of religion degrees but their students from their Baptist churches are looking at costs, even in the public school system, the public colleges, that are far greater than what our cost is," Summers explained, adding "the online bachelor's degrees, religion and non-religion, is something they just have been thrilled to discover."
Summers said that excitement is being shared by state conventions across the country, and Sadler agreed.
"We're excited that people all over the country have become aware that the program is available," Sadler said. "It's available through a mainline Baptist institution like Wayland and they can access it online. That's what is exciting. We think the further we go in the program you will see the same (enthusiasm) happening with our Baptist constituency all over the country and even beyond the U.S."


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The Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" had picked up so much momentum from honors by Hollywood trade unions that awards watchers generally thought it would land a best-picture nomination.
CLICK HERE to see photos of the nominees, and movie trailers for the honored films.
"Benjamin Button" producer Frank Marshall said "it was a bit of a surprise" that his movie would not be competing with "The Dark Knight" for the top prize.
"The fact that `The Dark Knight' did so well at the box office was probably a good thing and maybe a not-so-good thing," Marshall said. "People tend to think films as successful as that are not well made, but certainly, `Dark Knight' is exceptionally well made."
As expected, "Dark Knight" co-star Heath Ledger earned a supporting-actor nomination on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. If Ledger wins, he would become only the second actor to receive an Oscar posthumously, following Peter Finch, the best-actor recipient for 1976's "Network."
Josh Brolin, competing against Ledger with a supporting-actor nomination for "Milk," said the acclaim for Ledger was bittersweet.
"It's too bad, because every time I think of Heath, I'm split down the middle," Brolin said. "I think of his performance. I think of the work that he's done, and then the fact that this tragedy happened. It's an uncomfortable situation, for sure, but it makes sense to me, because I thought he did a bang-out job."
"The Dark Knight" picked up seven other nominations for technical achievement, among them cinematography and visual effects.
Yet it missed out on other major categories, including directing and screenplay. The directors and writers guilds both had nominated "The Dark Knight" for their top honors, while the Producers Guild of America nominated it for the year's best film.
"Benjamin Button" leads a bold batch of best-picture candidates, among them Golden Globes champ "Slumdog Millionaire," which came in second at the Oscars with 10 nominations.
Based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, "Benjamin Button" stars Pitt as a man aging backward toward infancy, caught in a tragic romance with the love of his life (Cate Blanchett) as she ages in the opposite direction.
The Oscars will be a family affair for Pitt, whose romantic partner Angelina Jolie has a best-actress nomination for the missing-child drama "Changeling."
The honors for "Benjamin Button" include a directing nomination for David Fincher and supporting actress for Taraji P. Henson, playing the black foster mother who raises Pitt's wizened white character.
"What I identified with on the first reading was, she understands love and how unconditional it is and should be. At the beginning of the film, she's barren and can't have children, then stumbles on this funny-looking creature on her doorstep," Henson said. "She's able to look past race and how odd he looked. She just knew he was a human being."
Marshall and producing partner Kathleen Kennedy spent 18 years trying to make "Benjamin Button" and have been rewarded with a critical and commercial hit as the film crossed $100 million at the box office last weekend.
The film is "about perseverance, about life, about how you can control your own destiny. That's kind of what happened here. Finally, a time came when all the right people came together at the right time to make the movie," Marshall said. "Live your life forward or backward, we just hope you live it well. Now to have the audience respond to the movie has been thrilling."
"Slumdog Millionaire" has found similar acceptance, its poor-boy-makes-good theme mirroring its success among fans and critics.
Shot on a modest $14 million budget, "Slumdog Millionaire" tells the alternately heartwarming and horrific tale of a street orphan in Mumbai whose pursuit of love carries him to triumph on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
"Slumdog Millionaire" swept all four categories for which it was nominated at the Golden Globes, where it won best-picture over a field that included "Benjamin Button." The film's cast of unknowns was overlooked for acting nominations, but its Oscar categories include best-director for Danny Boyle and adapted screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.
"I just have to keep remembering that the film nearly went straight to DVD," Beaufoy said, referring to a distribution hitch that nearly left the film without a theatrical run to qualify for the Oscars. "There was a week or two when it might never have appeared on a big screen in the United States, and the fact that it did, and Americans have taken it to their hearts is just fantastic."
The best-picture field includes two 1970s tales of fallen political figures. "Frost/Nixon" stars best-actor nominee Frank Langella as the disgraced president in his battle of wits with TV interviewer David Frost. "Milk" features best-actor contender Sean Penn as the slain gay-rights pioneer.
Along with Langella, Penn and Pitt, best-actor picks are Richard Jenkins in the cross-cultural drama "The Visitor" and Mickey Rourke in the sports-comeback story "The Wrestler."
Joining Jolie in the best-actress field were Anne Hathaway for the family drama "Rachel Getting Married," Melissa Leo for the smuggling saga "Frozen River," Meryl Streep for the Roman Catholic tale "Doubt" and Kate Winslet for "The Reader."
Winslet plays a woman having a fling with a teenager who encounters her again years later as she is on trial for Holocaust atrocities.
At the Globes, Winslet was a dual winner, as dramatic actress for "Revolutionary Road" and supporting actress for "The Reader." But the Academy saw Winslet's turn in "The Reader" as a leading role, and one worthy of nomination.
It was Winslet's sixth nomination. If she loses, she will tie the record of Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter for most nominations by an actress without a win. Stephen Daldry, a directing nominee for "The Reader," suspects Winslet will be going home with an Oscar.
"I'm delighted for Kate," Daldry said. "I think she did two astonishing performances in 'Revolutionary Road' and in 'The Reader.' Whichever one the academy went for, I think it's her year. I think it's her turn."
The 81st Oscars will be presented Feb. 22 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre and broadcast on ABC.
On the Net:
Oscar Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Director
Best Foreign Film
Adapted Screenplay
Original Screenplay
Animated Feature Film
Art Direction
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Two Japanese Airlines Ground Dreamliners; One Makes Emergency Landing
It's the latest in a series of problems reported on the aircraft in the past two weeks. Tuesday's incident involved an All Nippon Airways flight with 137 passengers, all of whom were evacuated from the aircraft.
The problem continue for Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner: News reports say that an All Nippon Airways flight made an emergency landing Wednesday in Japan following problems with its battery.
Japan's Kyodo news agency is reporting that all 137 passengers and crew were evacuated from the aircraft.
Here's more from Kyodo:
"ANA flight 692 landed at the airport in Kagawa Prefecture at around 8:45 a.m. after smoke was detected inside the aircraft, which had left Yamaguchi Ube Airport in western Japan about 35 minutes earlier for Haneda airport in Tokyo, according to the officials."
NHK, the Japanese broadcaster, reported that All Nippon Airways says that it would ground all 16 of its other Dreamliners pending checks; Japan Airlines is also suspending the flights of the five Dreamliners it operates.
Several problems have been reported on Dreamliners in the past two weeks, but no injuries have been reported.
As we reported last week, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered a review of all 787 aircraft.
Two incidents involving Dreamliners at Boston's Logan airport earlier this month prompted the scrutiny of the aircraft.


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'It's excellent overall, and an improvement over last year's version. '
'Clear, bright, 12-inch, 2,160-by-1,440-resolution display. '
'Below-average battery life.'
'Despite its small size, the speakers in the Surface Pro 4 made an impact. '
'The new MacBook is brilliant.'
'A genuinely unique laptop for those seeking a Retina display in the most compact and light chassis around, the fact remains that the new MacBook's many compromises mean it won't suit everyone. '
'Impossible movie was loud and clear, even at the highest volume setting.'
'Just get ready for some sticker shock, as this system costs $1,299.'
'Battery life is problematic.'
'The biggest weakness of the quad-HD T300 Chi was its poor battery life. '
'too-short battery life'
'Poor connectivity compared to normal laptop.'
'The Satellite Radius 12 is definitely a system to consider if you're a photographer or videographer who's tired of lugging a 15-inch laptop, and is willing to make some compromises in order to get a 4K display in a very portable package. '
'With improved, category-leading performance and a solid convertible design, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 12 is an easy pick as our top pick for convertible-hybrid ultraportable for business. '
'The webcam, which Lenovo claims is HD 720p, captured noisy and grainy images. '
'The sound provided by the built-in stereo speakers is reasonably clear, with some help from Dolby Advanced Audio software, but the overall volume is on the quiet side.'
Comfortable keyboard, trackpad, and touch screen
Beautiful design, Solid and thoughtful construction
Innovative flip-screen design, More than 9 hours of battery life
Keyboard not exposed in tablet mode, Outstanding battery life
Thin and portable
Switching to tablet mode is awkward
Display Is Exposed Even When Closed
Easy to hold and transport
Convertible tablet form factor
Impressive touch responsiveness
Short battery life, Small and hard-to-locate power button
Display with wide viewing angles
Pros: Brilliantly built, great materials and design.
Resurrects the flip-and-fold display
Great keyboard, Impressive screen, Very powerful
ReviewGist helps you find the best products to buy by making sense of online reviews.
We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,474 products.
© 2019 ReviewGist.com. All Rights Reserved.


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Gravitational waves
— filed under: g-spotlight
More about gravitational waves, how they are produced and how they will hopefully be detected: a survey of current detectors, how to make gravitational waves audible, the space-borne detector LISA, Einstein@Home
This page features an overview of all our "Spotlights on relativity" dealing with gravitational waves. There is a spotlight text explaining the wave's Basic properties, and a text in the category Gravitational wave sources which deals with ways of making gravitational waves audible; the texts under the heading Detecting Gravitational Waves describe the experiments to measure gravitational waves directly. Also, there is a text describing one of the Cosmological applications of gravitational waves.
Useful background information on gravitational waves can be found in our introduction Elementary Einstein, especially in the chapter Gravitational waves.
Basic properties
The wave nature of simple gravitational waves
A closer look at the way that simple gravitational waves propagate through space with time
Gravitational wave sources
Chirping neutron stars
For some gravitational wave signals, one can go beyond graphs and animations - they can be made audible
White Dwarf binaries as gravitational wave sources
White Dwarf binaries, their properties, and the role they will play for the planned space-borne gravitational wave detector LISA.
Detecting gravitational waves
More about gravitational wave detectors on earth and in space
Listening posts around the globe
Overview of the gravitational wave detectors currently operational, or under construction
Einstein@Home - gravitational waves for everybody
Informations about how you personally can help with the search for gravitational wave - by donating processing time on your private computer
Catching the wave with light
Some information on how interferometric detectors such as LIGO or GEO600 work
Small vibrations
Some information on how the vintage models among gravitational wave detectors work - resonant detectors
eLISA - Hunting waves in space
Information about the latest version of the most ambitious gravitational wave project - a detector in space
Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein predicted in his general theory of relativity the existence of gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time propagate at the speed of light and were directly observed for the very first time on September 14, 2015.
Cosmological applications
Of gravitational waves and spherical chickens
Information about a class of simple model universes, each an expanding cosmos filled with gravitational waves


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This week, the designers were brought to Spin, a ping pong social club owned by Susan Sarandon.
The challenge is for each team (same teams) to design five looks for the employees of Spin. Three for female servers, one for a male server, and one for a ball boy (the poor guy who has to run around Spin and pick up stray balls).
I'm gonna spoil it for you right now: YES, lots of balls jokes are made. No, none of them are particularly good.
Dream Team is confident with Platinum Aussie saying "I'm a natural born leader" again. He said that last episode too. 2 for 2.
At Mood, the central conflict of the episode -- and probably the season -- begins. Platinum Aussie is breathing down Six Feet Under's neck and she doesn't appreciate it very much.
In the work room, Daniel (Mustache Man) is teaching Layana about life and she is just sucking up knowledge gratefully. It's like Daniel is who Platinum Aussie thinks he is. Again, Team Keep It Real actually does, while Dream Team is a nightmare (see what I did there?)
Everyone seems to be getting fed up with Platinum Aussie's management style, which is funny, because no one asked him to manage anything, he just did. Furthermore, he goes around brag-plaining about how he doesn't have time to focus on his own stuff because he has to help everyone else.
Platinum Aussie is an ass (Disclaimer: Editors and producers of reality TV get to pick and choose which scenes we see in order to give us certain perceptions of "characters;" he might be perfectly lovely in real life.)
Keep It Real:
They're going with a skort (skirt shorts) which makes me nervous since it isn't 2001. They have decided to put a holster on the back of the ball boy look, which is genius! You know what men love? Pretending they have a sword. Putting a katana-like sheath on the back will be bad-ass if they can do it right.
Water Lilly is jazzing up those leggings and not in a good way. Tim Gunn frets about it, and she tells him about how she needs to do more construction for the judges. "I'm sensing ego," Tim says. Um, no. Self-preservation.
Dream Team:
Geek Chic continues to impress with interesting use of elastic for comfort and pockets for functionality of a server. They decide against jeans, since the servers could just go buy jeans. They want to give the ball boy a kilt. Fashion forward, maybe. Funny, yes (his balls are out). Practical, no (see last reason).
Elsewhere on the team, Platinum Aussie designed a dress that had nothing to do with Six Feet Under's jacket. Tim Gunn called it "whackadoodle" (and somehow made that sound classy) and asked "Did you look at Cindy's jacket?!" which is to Project Runway as "did you taste your food?" is to Top Chef.
Dream Team is in trouble.
On the morning of the show, Dream Team is still sewing when it's time to go.
Dream Team:
Female Server 1: Geek Chick did a good job. The pockets look great and the lapel is chic.
Female Server 2: The zipper in the front of the top is riding too low, showing the model's bra. She looks like a '90s bad girl.
Male Server: Dude! Tank top and capri pants? Is this a gay surf resort in Europe?
Female Server 3: a very boring short, but I don't hate the jacket.
Ball Boy: DUDE! Mesh top? With the tank, with the kilt, with "balls are our business" right over the crotch. Wow. I think these male designers aren't designing for a ping pong social club, they're designing for gay bars.
Team Keep It Real
Female Server 1: I can see the vest is well done, I just hate the asymmetrical scoops in the back.
Female Server 2: I like the back, but overall, the dress was just too simple.
Male Server: It's cool and masculine. Looks comfortable and functional.
Female Server 2: I think it's a super cute little black dress, but it's for a female server. This is a commission job that has to take into account functionality, and that skirt is just too short to work in.
Ball Boy: The writing on the pockets is pretty cool, I like the top, and love the holster from the back. Unfortunately, from the front, the straps of the harness, combined with the shirt which is black on the bottom and white from the chest up, makes it look spaghetti strap.
Of course, the winners are Team Keep It Real!
Top Designs:
Female Waitress Vest Look: Sexy and functional.
Male Server: That T-shirt is sweat shirt material! "Edgy and cool" -- Nina
Ball Boy: They chose white on the top of the shirt so dandruff wouldn't show, but black on the bottom to look chic. It worked. As Heidi said, "There's a lot going on, but it doesn't look silly."
Bottom Designs:
Surfer Server: Heidi brings up the very good point that it's a tank for a male server, probably with hairy pits. You don't want a hairy armpit reaching over your table giving you food. Good point Heidi.
Waitress Jacket and Short: I didn't hate the jacket, but Heidi did: "She looks like a receptionist in some suburban hotel." I had to pause and laugh. I have never heard anyone use the word "suburban" as such an insult.
Ball Boy Kilt: Susan Sarandon says it is ballsy and bold, but her male employees would NEVER wear it. Zac says there are too many elements. Nina appreciates the provocative element, but points out that this challenge has a client with specific wants and needs.
In the end, the winning look was Keep It Real's vested female server. Daniel says that Layana should win since he has immunity. I kind of want to hug him.
The worst look was the capri pant travesty. At least the kilt travesty was creative. James goes home.
How did you feel about the episode?


text: Confirmation is a vibrant ministry for young people to claim their baptismal promises. Join youth in grades 6-8 as they engage God's story every week. Visitors are always welcome! If you would like to know more about confirmation at Good Shepherd, click here or email Director of Youth and Family Ministries, Mark Halvorson


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It's All about Balance, Even Cholesterol
It is difficult to know who to believe when it comes to the impact of cholesterol on risk for developing heart disease. If you believe your television set, we could all benefit by taking medication (or three) for lowering our heart disease risk, yet we also know you have to treat a whole lot of people for high cholesterol before just one heart attack is prevented!
If you believe much of what you read online, cholesterol doesn't matter, and all you have to worry about is getting the right ratio of fatty acids in your diet, or via supplements, and all will be well.
If you believe your family doctor, or at least most family doctors, you should probably take a statin (because the guidelines say so), but you don't need to take any steps to improve your diet, get more exercise, or reduce stress (because the guidelines say so). Unfortunately, most of the data that gets incorporated into "guidelines" is either so corrupted by the influence of pharmaceutical companies (because the "experts" like to make a few extra bucks on the side consulting and performing pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials), omits the data on diets like the Mediterranean diet, or is based on studies performed on lots of middle-aged white men (i.e., not women, or racial minorities, who are at the highest risk for heart disease).
So, who do you believe? Well, I suppose I am asking a lot to believe me, after all I'm just another doctor - which are really a dime a dozen, (well maybe a co-pay a dozen). Hopefully, you are at least intrigued by my attempts at frankness to keep reading!
Total cholesterol vs. LDL vs. HDL vs. their Ratio
Most of you know that LDL is the "bad" type and HDL is the "good" type. (See Complementary Corner 11/06 for more information). "Total" cholesterol is the sum of LDL, HDL and VLDL cholesterol, but VLDL is rarely measured directly. VLDLs mostly carry fats, called triglycerides.
In the past five years, a large international study called INTERHEART was published, providing very convincing data about the importance of cholesterol and the risk for having a heart attack. INTERHEART is unique because, unlike some previous studies, it was performed internationally, including 52 countries and almost 30,000 participants. INTERHEART compared the contribution of LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, the ratio of LDL to HDL, and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. According to the study's findings, the ratios predicted risk far more accurately than either total cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol alone! (1)
So, if the ratio is most important, then what is the optimal ratio? According to INTERHEART's findings, we are all at increased risk if our ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol is greater than 2.7! And having a less than optimal ratio, world wide, accounts for approximately 32-54% of all heart attack risk! (1)
Some examples of optimal ratios include the following:
total cholesterol = 175, HDL=65
total cholesterol = 200, HDL=74
total cholesterol = 220, HDL=81
So, you can quickly see that reaching an optimal ratio is possible while maintaining high levels of LDL cholesterol, but it requires also having very high healthy HDL cholesterol.
How Can I Reach a Healthy Ratio?
Well, simple math suggests that reaching an optimal ratio can be reached by three main strategies:
1. Lowering LDL
2. Raising HDL and/or
3. Lowering VLDL.
For the purposes of this article, I am going to focus on the last two, because lowering LDL was covered in good detail here.
Lower VLDL and triglycerides
Lowering VLDL is not discussed in great detail in most clinical recommendations, mostly because VLDL is not commonly measured or reported. However, VLDL is elevated when triglycerides are elevated. In diabetes, it is recommended that triglycerides be lower than 150 mg/dl. This can be achieved by primarily watching your diet. Interestingly, until recently, dietary recommendations focused on lowering fat in the diet in order to lower triglycerides becayse lowering saturated fat (the type in red meat, pork, dark meat poultry and full fat dairy), in particular, does lower triglycerides.
However, better designed nutrition research also demonstrates that lowering dietary carbohydrates actually has a large effect on lowering triglycerides, and replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats such as olive oil and oils from nuts is actually more beneficial than replacing fat with more carbohydrates! (2) In diabetes in particular, lowering dietary carbohydrates is one of the most effective dietary methods for lowering blood glucose, as well. The two are intimately connected, as when more carbohydrates and fat are eaten than get burned off from daily activity and exercise, the body stores these extra calories as triglycerides. As triglycerides get high, the body looks for places to store them, including around our waist and in our liver!
What is discussed even less than how to lower triglycerides, is the impact triglycerides have on HDLs! It is nearly impossible to raise HDL cholesterol when triglycerides are too high. This is because when triglycerides are too high the body runs out of places to put them, and runs out of places to move them around in the blood. The body actually shifts triglycerides out of VLDL and into both HDL and LDL cholesterol. There are two primary downsides of this change when it comes to HDL. The first is that when HDLs are filled with triglycerides they become smaller and denser and the body eliminates them from the blood stream much more quickly. Unfortunately the rate of production stays the same, so HDLs actually go down (or don't come up) when triglycerides are too high.(3)
The other negative affect of having too many triglycerides in HDLs is that HDL can no longer do their job as well. HDLs actually protect LDLs from oxidation (review Complementary Corner 11/06 for more information on the impact of oxidized LDLs), and when HDLs become too triglyceride-filled they are no longer as protective to LDLs. So, not only does having triglycerides too high keep you from getting your HDLs high (and thus improving your ratio), but it also leads to having more oxidized LDLs in circulation. Yikes!
Raising HDL
The section above discusses the important link between triglycerides and HDLs, so the first step to raising HDLs, and getting your ratio closer to 2.7, is making sure your triglycerides are under control. After that, the approaches described below work more quickly and with a greater total effect.
Several medications can be used to raise HDLs. Triglyceride-lowering drugs such as fenofibrate, may be necessary to lower triglycerides which stay too high despite reducing dietary carbohydrates and saturated fats. Because of the link between triglycerides and HDLs, medications that lower triglycerides do typically raise HDLs.
Another medication that is probably the best option for raising HDLs is niacin. Niacin is a B vitamin that can be used in very large dosages as a medication to both lower LDL and raise HDL. Niacin works by reducing the clearance of HDLs by the liver. Again, I would be sure your triglycerides are low first, because although this hasn't been definitively proven, reducing the clearance of less effective HDLs can't be nearly as good as reducing the clearance of optimally effective HDLs! Niacin does have side effects, including a flushing reaction which can be very uncomfortable. However, for most people, the flushing gets less significant in a few days to weeks, and can be reduced by following a few simple recommendations, including taking it with a snack, taking it at bedtime, avoiding alcohol soon after taking it, and, if necessary, taking a low dose aspirin about 20-30 minutes before hand. Niacin is not recommended if you have liver problems, or have gout, and some people develop mild inflammation of the liver when they start taking it; your doctor should check your liver periodically if you begin niacin therapy.
Finally, although I am sure few of you want to read this, statin medications do raise HDLs, but not nearly as well as niacin.
Lifestyle Options
There are two primary lifestyle approaches to raising HDL cholesterol: exercise and moderate alcohol consumption. Exercise is the time tested approach to raising HDL cholesterol, and this effect is part of the reason why people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing heart disease.
Alcohol consumption has a bad connotation in our society, because of its potential for addiction and because it is often used as an excuse for lack of self-control. However, for those people - even people with diabetes - who can handle alcohol responsibly and not over-indulge, moderate alcohol consumption may actually be good for you. Those who choose to drink moderate amounts of alcohol not only develop less heart disease, they also live longer (4,5). "Moderate" is defined as up to two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women. A "drink" is defined as a 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. of wine and 1-1.5 oz. of spirits (depending on the proof). Because red wine is also high in the potent LDL-protecting antioxidant resveratrol, I believe to be best choice for heart disease protection (although the data does show all alcohol to be protective).
There are a few special considerations for people with diabetes regarding alcohol. As mentioned, recent studies suggest moderate alcohol intake in diabetes is associated with improved blood sugar control, even in those individuals who did not previously consume it (6).However, many alcohol beverages contain a moderate to high amount of carbohydrates, especially mixed drinks and dark beers, and so these carbs need to be included in your daily carb intake. Also, because many people with diabetes have mild inflammation in the liver due to triglyceride storage, it may not be appropriate to consume alcohol at all! Also, many medications do not mix with alcohol, so talk with your doctor about the safety of your medications with alcohol. Finally, alcohol is not a solution to depression. If you think you may be depressed, please do not start consuming alcohol, and ask your doctor for an effective treatment.
For those of you who have always thought there was more to heart disease then just your LDL cholesterol, you are absolutely right. Your HDL and VLDL are important too! Although the focus of most doctors is on LDL cholesterol (because statin drugs work very well at lowering it- thus it is easy for them), it is truly the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol that appears to be the most important risk factor to optimize. This is good news because it provides options other than just statins for optimizing your risk factors to avoid heart disease! Remember, the optimal ratio is very low - around 2.7- so if your LDL is too high, and you have changed your diet and do not want to take a statin medication, it is important that you raise your HDL through lifestyle, and when necessary taking appropriate medications to lower triglycerides and/or raise HDL.
Low carbohydrate intake, minimal saturated fat, moderate alcohol use, and regular exercise remain guaranteed approaches to optimize your ratio and lower your cardiovascular risk.
Salud! Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH
December, 2008
McQueen MJ, Hawken S, Wang X, et al. Lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins as risk markers of myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): a case-control study. Lancet. Jul 19 2008;372(9634):224-233.
Hollenbeck CB, Coulston AM. Effects of dietary carbohydrate and fat intake on glucose and lipoprotein metabolism in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. Sep 1991;14(9):774-785.
Singh IM, Shishehbor MH, Ansell BJ. High-density lipoprotein as a therapeutic target: a systematic review. JAMA. Aug 15 2007;298(7):786-798.
van Dam RM, Li T, Spiegelman D, Franco OH, Hu FB. Combined impact of lifestyle factors on mortality: prospective cohort study in US women. BMJ. 2008;337:a1440.
Ferreira MP, Weems MK. Alcohol consumption by aging adults in the United States: health benefits and detriments. J Am Diet Assoc. Oct 2008;108(10):1668-1676.
Shai I, Wainstein J, Harman-Boehm I, et al. Glycemic effects of moderate alcohol intake among patients with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, randomized, clinical intervention trial. Diabetes Care. Dec 2007;30(12):3011-3016.


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To use the Solaris installation program to install a Solaris Flash archive, use the following procedure.
Begin the Solaris installation program and proceed through the panels until you reach the Specify Media panel. Continue with Solaris Flash installation.
For the step-by-step procedures, see either of the following procedures.
Specify the media you are using to install.
Type the information that you are prompted to enter.
Media Selected
DVD or CD
Insert the disc where the Solaris Flash archive is located.
Network File System
Specify the path to the network file system where the Solaris Flash archive is located. You can also specify the archive file name.
Specify the URL and proxy information that is needed to access the Solaris Flash archive.
Specify the FTP server and the path to the Solaris Flash archive. Specify the user and password information that allows you access to the FTP server. Specify any proxy information that is needed to access the FTP server.
Local tape
Specify the local tape device and the position on the tape where the Solaris Flash archive is located.
If you selected to install an archive from a DVD, CD, or from an NFS server, the Select Flash Archives panel is displayed.
For archives that are stored on a disc or an NFS server, on the Select Flash Archives panel, select one or more Solaris Flash archives to install.
On the Flash Archives Summary panel, confirm the selected archives and click Next.
On the Additional Flash Archives panel, you can install an additional Solaris Flash archive by specifying the media where the other archive is located. If you do not want to install additional archives, select None.
Click Next to continue the installation. Follow the steps to complete the installation.


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A new study of post-war reconstruction in Picardy, France offers both a historical narrative and regional perspective on Modernism, writes Robin Wilson
Between 2007 and 2009, photographer and artist Nigel Green conducted a series of documentary forays into the Picardy region of northern France. Commissioned by Picardy's regional photography organisation Diaphane, Green made a comprehensive photographic record of the architecture of post-war reconstruction, the heritage of French Modernism built in the wake of the First and Second World Wars. A book of the project was published in 2010 and, following major exhibitions in France, it is currently on show for the first time in the UK at the Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury.
Green has long been fascinated with the remains of Modernism, and Reconstructionfollows an earlier book, Transmodernity, on the post-Second World War reconstruction in Calais (2001). What this new project offers is an immersion into a regionally specific history of Modernism. Green portrays a modern architecture of hybridity. On the one hand, this is the result of a more historically cautious, local inflection of modern principles, such as the combining of a new tectonic and aesthetic use of concrete with more traditional stone and brick facing. However, there are also buildings of uncompromising severity and peculiarity, the expressions of a kind of a primitive, Modernist-Art Brut.
The main text of the book is written by Martin Kew Meade, a Paris-based historian who is one of the few specialists on the period. Meade's contribution lends the publication a strong historical narrative and contextualisation of the architecture, in terms of the evolution of construction technology and French urban policy. Thus, while many of the photographs stand alone as distinctive images within the pictorial tradition of 'new objectivity' photography, the project is also grounded by its aim to provide a detailed and systematic record.
Green writes of how he responded to 'archival necessity'. He comments on how an unmodified and authentic confrontation with this earlier, modern material culture can still be discovered in the backwater towns and B-road destinations of Picardy, such as Ham, Moreuil and Soissons. He says, 'To find an environment that consistently exhibits this condition enables a contact with the past that is unique and genuine. This is not a representation of history reconstructed in the present, rather a revelation of the past that is unadulterated and actual'. For Green, these are radical environments, not just historical curiosities. But they are also often left unprotected from the forces of change. Green notes that two silos he photographed had been destroyed by the time of the book's publication, and further buildings have been razed since then.
The book organises the architecture into 11 categories that separate distinct building typologies, such as 'churches', 'hotels and cafés', 'sport, services and utility structures'. The last category of the book is 'street views and corners', which functions as a thoughtful postscript and reveals much about Green's photographic approach in general. In this more spatially defined category, he highlights how his attention encompasses the wider built environment, not just individual buildings. He portrays the continuity of surfaces and spaces that define not simply isolated architectural forms, but more complete pockets of this indigenous, modern urbanism.
One of the most complex images of this type occurs in the 'agricultural buildings' section from the town of Villers-Cotterêts. Green has photographed a 1920s stone townhouse, bordered by industrial, agricultural buildings to either side and behind. Its original features look impeccably in order. The shutters of the house all closed, its iron gates shut and rusted. It is unclear whether the house is permanently abandoned or temporarily vacated, while the industrial infrastructure looks more definitively derelict. Moreover, this ensemble seems to comprise the entire extent of the town's depth beyond the road. Through architecture, the image portrays the atrophying of a community, and a powerful disjunction between the resilience of built matter and the transience of the social and economic conditions that brought it into being.
Green's study spans the mundane to the most monumental and bespoke structures. One section is dedicated to 'rotondes', the turntable infrastructure of the Northern Railways network. The example at Hirson-Buire could plausibly be the stripped remains of a fascist parade arena. Hirson/Buire also boasts the ruins of what Meade identifies as the 'Florentine tower', an ornate control tower by Gustave Umbdenstock (1920).
Indeed, towers could have made for another category in Green's documentation. From a four-storey stadium entrance tower in Albert, to Auguste Perret's vast housing and office tower, part of his redevelopment of the train station of Amiens (1947-52), the tower is a ubiquitous typography on Green's itinerary. Perhaps more than any other structure they represent the distance Green's project has calibrated between the civic and social ideology behind this Modernism and its current status as an architecture of uncertainty and estrangement.
Robin Wilson is a writer on architecture, art and landscape
The Herbert Read Gallery, UCA Canterbury
20 January – 14 February, free
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The forecast for the end of this century seems to be getting worse. New measurements, reported by E&E here, indicate that Greenland is shedding ice rapidly — and Antarctica is also shedding:
Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are shrinking three times faster than they were in the 1990s, and their contribution to global sea level rise is growing, according to a new study by many of the world's top ice experts.
Melting of the two massive polar ice sheets raised the world's oceans 11.1 millimeters between 1992 and 2011, or just under half an inch, accounting for about one-fifth of the total sea level rise during that period.
Scientists already knew that sea level rise was at or above the high end of model predictions, as discussed here, and the polar melting may well be the reason. One meter (more than a yard) of sea level rise is now looking like an increasing possibility.
In the meantime, predictions about temperature rise are also gloomy. Business-as-usual — meaning the continuation of current trends — could result in a 4 degree temperature increase well before the end of the century. (See here). The World Bank has issued a report warning of the dangers of a 4 degree Celsius increase. The key conclusion:
The 4°C scenarios are devastating: the inundation of coastal cities; increasing risks for food production potentially leading to higher malnutrition rates; many dry regions becoming dryer, wet regions wetter; unprecedented heat waves in many regions, especially in the tropics; substantially exacerbated water scarcity in many regions; increased frequency of high-intensity tropical cyclones; and irreversible loss of biodiversity, including coral reef systems.
And most importantly, a 4°C world is so different from the current one that it comes with high uncertainty and new risks that threaten our ability to anticipate and plan for future adaptation needs.
Like interstellar colonizers in a science fiction movie, our children may be living on a new planet, superficially like the earth we know, but with unpredictable differences and unknown dangers.


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Milpitas, Calif., November 9, 2010-SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that its integrated solid state drive (iSSD) has been named a CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award Honoree within the Enabling Technologies category. Products entered into this prestigious competition are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press to honor outstanding feats of design and engineering in consumer electronics from around the world.
Tablet PCs and ultra-thin notebooks require fast, high-capacity storage with a tiny footprint, and the SanDisk iSSD solid state drive enables greater design flexibility for OEMs who seek to create the next generation of mobile computing products. SanDisk iSSD is the first product in a new category of embedded solid state drives (SSD) that are radically smaller and thinner than existing storage options for highly portable consumer electronic devices.
The SanDisk iSSD offers up to 160 megabyte per second (MB/sec)1 sequential read and up to 100MB/sec sequential write speeds for greater system responsiveness. Smaller than a postage stamp and weighing less than a paper clip, iSSD is the world's smallest 64 gigabyte (GB)2 SSD and the fastest high-capacity embedded storage solution at this physical size.
The renowned Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have recognized achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. The awards program is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, which produces the International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow. The SanDisk iSSD will be displayed at the 2011 International CES, which runs January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is the global leader in flash memory cards - from research, manufacturing and product design to consumer branding and retail distribution. SanDisk's product portfolio includes flash memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders; digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state drives for computers. SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.
1 Based on internal testing of sequential read and write speeds; Performance may be lower depending upon host device, OS and application. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes.
2 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.
SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/media-kit/
SanDisk's web site/home page address: www.sandisk.com
© 2010 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder (s).
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for our products, performance, applications, features, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or there may be a slower adoption rate for these products in new markets that we are targeting or capacities that we anticipate, our products may not perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.
|Media Contact:
|Mike Wong
|SanDisk Corporation


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Jan. 26, 2009
CAMBRIDGE, MA-Two members of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's indoor track and field team turned in good performances when they began second semester action at the MIT Pentathlon at the Howard W. Johnson Athletic Center Saturday. No team scores were recorded at the meet.
For the women, freshman Kristina Lundquist (Yarmouthport, MA/Dennis-Yarmouth HS) finished second with 2382 points. She ran the 55 meter hurdles in 9.48 seconds, high jumped four feet, 4 ¼ inches, threw the shot 29 feet, one inch, long jumped 15 feet, 6 ¼ inches, and ran 800 meters in 3:04.44. Her overall performance and her performance in the 55 meter hurdles qualified her for the New England Division III Championships.
For the men, senior Jimmy Knuuttila (Lunenburg, MA/Lunenburg HS) finished ninth with 2257 points. He ran 55 meter hurdles in 9.71 seconds, long jumped 16-7, threw the shot 24-10 ½, high jumped 5-7 and ran 1000 meters in 3:15.46.
The Corsairs will return to action when they compete at the University of Rhode Island's Sorlien Invitational next weekend.


text: 'Billiards' is a leisure sport played on a billiard table in Salem. The equipment used are a stick known as cue stick, billiard balls, rack, scoreboard, dart board, chalk, mirror lights and cloth-covered table with pockets and cushion boundaries. The cue stick is used to hit the balls, moving around the table and score points. This indoor game increases one's focus and attention and also sharpens one's practical knowledge of physics and geometry. Pool and billiards both are a type of cue sports in Salem and this is the only similarity between the two. Generally, 'pool' is not the real name of the sport. The game which we now refer to as 'pool' was initially known as pocket billiards. In pool, there are 16 cue balls. There would be one black, one white, seven yellow, and seven red balls. 'Billiards' comprises of only three balls: one black, one white and one red. Cloth used on a 'pool' table makes the movement of the cue balls a little slow, whereas the cloth used on the 'billiards' table makes movement fast and as a result it helps the ball move swiftly. The cue sticks used in pool game are generally longer and are very slender. However, the cue sticks used in billiards are shorter and thicker with a small tip.


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Rembrandt and Freud: Conversations in Etching
January 29th, 2010
by Brenda Rix, Assistant Curator, Prints and Drawings
The exhibition REMBRANDT / FREUD: Etchings from Life opens Saturday, January 30.
"With etching there is an element of danger and mystery. You don't know how it's going to come out. What's black is white. What's left is right."
— Lucian Freud, March 2007
More than three hundred years separate the lives of Rembrandt van Rijn and Lucian Freud, two great masters of the human form. Both artists made printmaking an integral part of their art practice, and both have created extraordinary images using the etching process. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1663), better known today for his paintings, was hailed in the seventeenth century as "a great virtuoso" for the astonishing range and variety of his work in the etching medium. Contemporary artist Lucian Freud is the grandson of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He was born in Berlin in 1922 but has lived in England since 1933. Celebrated internationally as both a painter and a printmaker, he has been called the "Rembrandt of our times."
Now, a provocative exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario juxtaposes the etchings of Rembrandt and Freud, encouraging visitors to make new connections between these two influential artists. Rembrandt / Freud: Etchings from Life showcases remarkable and uncompromising images of the human face and the human body. These are powerful works of art that go beyond surface appearances to reveal the inner life of their subjects. The exhibition includes self-portraits, nudes and portraits of family, friends, animals and landscapes.
The AGO has an extensive collection of Rembrandt etchings, thanks to a major gift in 2006 from Esther and Sam Sarick. The Mira Godard Gallery, the McMaster Museum of Art and several private collectors have generously loaned Freud etchings to this exhibition.


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Hollywood Needs The Internet More Than The Internet Needs Hollywood... So Why Is The W3C Pretending Otherwise?
from the get-on-with-it deptLast week, we wrote about the MPAA joining the W3C almost certainly as part of its ongoing effort to push for DRM to be built into HTML5. Cory Doctorow has a beautifully titled blog post about all of this, saying that "we are Huxleying ourselves into the full Orwell." It's a great way to think about it, and Cory's quite pessimistic about the outcome:
Try as I might, I can't shake the feeling that 2014 is the year we lose the Web. The W3C push for DRM in all browsers is going to ensure that all interfaces built in HTML5 (which will be pretty much everything) will be opaque to users, and it will be illegal to report on security flaws in them (because reporting a security flaw in DRM exposes you to risk of prosecution for making a circumvention device), so they will be riddled with holes that creeps, RATters, spooks, authoritarians and crooks will be able to use to take over your computer and fuck you in every possible way.While I am quite frequently in agreement with Cory, I'm at least marginally more optimistic than he is about the eventual result here. Putting DRM into HTML is monumentally stupid, and he's right that it will create massive security and legal liabilities for almost everyone. But the history of DRM has shown, over and over again, that it gets broken to bits in minutes once released, and even if there is legal liability involved in such things, it always happens. It will happen again here, and there will be "patches" made pretty quickly. It will be a tremendous waste of resources on pretty much everyone's part, but I'm not convinced that it will be effective in making things that much more unsafe.
That said, the larger point that Cory raises reminds me of the key point that I'm still at a loss to understand here. Why the W3C and others who support this proposal seem to be so willing to kowtow to Hollywood on this. Yes, as Cory explains, it's really Netflix driving the bus here, but it's the Hollywood studios that are out there telling Netflix they need DRM:
And it's basically all being driven by Netflix. Everyone in the browser world is convinced that not supporting Netflix will lead to total marginalization, and Netflix demands that computers be designed to keep secrets from, and disobey, their owners (so that you can't save streams to disk in the clear).But here's the thing: the internet wasn't built to be the next broadcast medium for big Hollywood blockbusters. It was built as a computing and communications platform. That's what made it special and it's why so many people have flocked to it. It's why it's "the internet." Hollywood came late to the party and has been trying to redesign the web in its own image ever since -- and that means locking it down so it's more about a broadcasting model, in which the "professionals" in Hollywood get to determine what you, the peons, get to do.
But there's a reason Hollywood so desperately wants to control the internet: because all the people are here. And that's an important point. Hollywood (and, by extension, Netflix) need the internet much more than the internet needs Hollywood. Sure, the Hollywood folks like to claim that the reason the internet is so popular is because of professional content, but there's little to no evidence to support that. Yes, people like to have access to that content, but it's never been the driving force for why people want to be online.
And we've seen this game before. The record labels demanded DRM from online music stores for years... until they realized that this was a complete waste of time and money for no benefit. And they finally agreed to what the public wanted: no DRM. There's no reason for the W3C to make this same mistake. The studios and Netflix can resist all they want. They can stick with their proprietary Silverlight players no matter how annoying and technologically backwards they might be. But, in the end, they'll come around to better, more open technologies like HTML5 because that's where the people are and that's what the people want.
So, the W3C has a serious choice to make here, and it's been betting on the wrong horse. Sure, Netflix will resist HTML5 for a while. Because that's what it feels it needs to do. But it won't last. Because it can't. History has shown over and over again that companies will eventually follow the will of the public and it will happen again here. There's no reason to go through a stupid, shortsighted and wasteful process of DRMing everything, only to see it cracked and broken within hours of being launched. Just drop the DRM, focus on building a system that better provides what the public wants... and Hollywood and Netflix will get there eventually as well.
Filed Under: drm, hollywood, html 5, internet, movies
Companies: mpaa, netflix, w3c


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Mayor's Office
Mayor Chris Beutler today called on the residents of Lincoln to honor veterans and the armed forces with one minute of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31. The National Moment of Remembrance was established by Congress and is observed nationally.
"Taking a minute from our holiday activities to remember those who died in service to our country is a patriotic act of national unity," said Mayor Beutler. "It's a simple tribute all of us can do with our family and friends to honor these heroes who gave their lives for our freedoms. Men and women continue to put their lives on the line around the globe, and we also need to remember the sacrifices being made for our nation every day by those in the military and their families. We honor those sacrifices by doing what we can to support our military, our fellow citizens and our community. "
Mayor Beutler served in the U.S. Army, mostly in Thailand, from 1969 to 1971, rising to the rank of First Lieutenant.