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Disclaimer: These interviews are not associated with a-m-v.org, and do not reflect the opinions of its administration.
Welcome to the Lip Flapper! Each week, we delve deep into the community and get a good look into both individual members as well as group discussions on various issues that surround our hobby.
This Week in "The Lip Flapper"
This week, we have an awesome double feature. We take a moment to talk about YouTube with an esteemed panel of editors, as well as get a moment to speak with BakaViking, who edited the very entertaining "It's Raining Bleach Men" video in the past few weeks.
The Panel
______________CodeZTM wrote:Youtube was originally a word that was very negatively associated around the parts of a-m-v.org. However, with the times changing, Youtube became a second home for a lot of editors, and many users utilize it alongside a-m-v.org.
What are your thoughts on Youtube as a medium for AMVs? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Just give me your honest opinion about the website and how you would compare it to animemusicvideos.org.
______________GloryQuestor wrote:In my opinion, YouTube is actually a good medium for all types of videos and the best way to get videos out onto the Internet. I have many subscribed video editors there, such as JamesNintendoNerd (James Rolfe) and IrateGamer (Chris Bores), just to name a few. A lot of people have built fandoms and cult followings around themselves through YouTube, so the medium itself is a great way to forge celebrity status where there was none. There are also settings to make YT videos privately-linked, which also makes it a nice beta video viewing tool for those working on video projects and only want select people reviewing it. So, in the end, I have no issues with YouTube or the community around it, but only have problems with those who seem to think that we are music video "snobs" or believe that the AnimeMusicVideos.Org community is "hard on them" for giving them honest constructive criticism. Our quality, our themes, and our creations may vary, but in the end we're pretty much all brothers and sisters in the art of AMV creation.
______________Otohiko wrote:I'll make a parallel here: it's a lot like what music fans think of iPods, digital distribution, streaming, podcasts, etc. For some, it's the worst thing to happen to music; for other people it's the best thing to happen to music. For some people, digital music is the death of albums, high quality sound, real listening parties, and most of all attention spans. For others, it's the best thing to happen to music because all of that allows them to listen to music anywhere, anytime, in any order they want, discover more music than they could've ever seen before, and interact with fan communities that you would never have come across otherwise.
Just like the traditional, at-home listening to music as albums, the .org has always been about the creator. Compared to youtube, it still allows AMVs to be packaged and presented a lot more thoroughly, and enjoyed in a setting where it is the center of attention. It still attracts the AMV equivalent of audiophiles, and as a result the community is often pretty technocratic. Youtube, on the other hand, like digital music, is all about the fan. It is extremely viewer-friendly and almost totally viewer-controlled. But it also tends to encourage a mode of viewing that's often inattentive and can undermine the editor's ability to get their big idea across.
Which one is better - well, that really depends on what you're really looking for from AMVs. From my perspective, I see both good and bad things about youtube. The .org's model is more appealing to me, but at the same time I can't help but agree that because youtube is so much more viewer-centered, it is simply better at making viewers come back and watch more and more AMVs. Here on the .org, I think we can - and even have to - learn a lot about what youtube does right. Because, like it or not, it's the standard of what people expect from watching video online today.
For the average editor, youtube is a useful tool and something worth putting your videos on - but you have to be careful, as many of those who've had their channels removed probably discovered. I think looking at youtube as a community or 'home' is a bit weird - it's not a community, it's a medium. Communities can and do form inside it, sure, but by itself youtube is just a tool/service. What you do with is up to you, and I think any AMVer can use it to their advantage if they want to.
______________AceD wrote:Firstly you need to start by wondering why was youtube even negatively thought of in the first place? Elitism as far as i can tell. People here thought they was better than everybody else, high up on a pedestal looking down upon everybody else. Of course criticism has always been a key factor towards improvement around here, but i remember some years ago a lot of the comments were straight up nasty towards people, not helpful at all...and so people left for youtube.
Then you come to today, it's a place where everybody uploads there work still; a fantastic reference for amvs and cataloging work (which is its true purpose?), but the community is almost non-existent. It's on youtube.
Am no editor but it's meant to be something for fun and enjoyment, too a lot of editors just generally having a good time and publishing their work is all they want; youtube wins. I would say for quite a few people (perhaps not the ones reading this) it's more a case of youtube is their primary home, a-m-v.org is secondary.
From the viewers angle; youtube is shocking for finding amvs. You really can't recommend youtube as a main source of videos unless you actually know where to look...for the average viewer they will struggle on youtube to find videos they like, where as on here its very easy.
If i say my channel (which most will have seen by now), basically a compilation of great videos from 11 different websites worldwide, whats to hate? everything you could want is sat on a single page.
I use these two sites in different ways, i don't browse youtube and am more "in the shadows" here, but ultimately as a "medium for amvs", youtube playlists are the -best thing ever-
______________mirkoSP wrote:Some might not know this, but I originally started on youtube. The first AMV I got the chance to see was AMV Hell 3 on youtube by chance, at that time I was a total newb and didn't even know what an AMV was ─ I think we're looking at the late 2005-early 2006 timeframe. In not too long I did find a-m-v.org, originally I subscribed just to download vids on local, since many good videos weren't on youtube, or I would have liked to keep a copy to rewatch whenever I wanted.
Fast forward about a year and I got to make my first AMV with a friend, which I entered both on org and uploaded on Youtube. Back then I didn't really mind about the difference.
However with time and getting to know AMVs better, I eventually deleted my Youtube account (and made a new one which I just use to watch videos), for three reasons:
1) The community was getting rather annoying. A lot of people would spam videos, ask for subscription exchanges and so on. It just was not what I wanted. People only cared about having more subscribers and upvotes than they wanted new people to genuinely see and enjoy their vids. It got to the point where everybody was just doing "betas", not actual AMVs anymore. Moreover this also caused the edited videos to get more stagnant: the userbase was actively making the hobby to become only more of the same, as AMVers would always edit the same things, except shorter, and people would not ask for anything more.
2) As I grew from a technical point, I started to recognize the limits of streaming and abhorring them. Resolution and bitrate limits being the most common and shared on org's preview too (but it's only a preview, so it's ok with me). However on youtube, streaming is the point and along with resolution and bitrate, it also limits framerate, which hits on both smoothness and sync, thus ruining the AMV. Quality is just not comparable with a proper download, and that is important for me. While there are old AMVs that are only available in low quality which I do enjoy to this day, a higher quality version would certainly be a lot more appreciated. It just feels backwards to me to be giving people a lower quality version of an AMV that required hard work to produce, it seems more logical to offer them the highest quality possible.
3) As Youtube grows more important and renown by the day, issues for AMVers become more appearent. Frequently I hear about editors which try to alter the audio and video tracks in an attempt to bypass Youtube's content recognition, often to no avail, which ends up in videos being available for a short time at best, and more hassles for both editors and viewers.
In the end, while I need to thank Youtube for initially letting me know about AMVs, I find that it ultimately is not thought out to be a platform for AMV enthusiast that genuinely care about the hobby in all the deepest details as a-m-v.org was meant to be right from the beginning, hence why I eventually shifted to this place in a stable manner.
While I don't condemn Youtube's choices, I just do not think AMVs is what it was thought for. It's certainly a good site with its own merits, with its broader appeal to the average joe which certainly has heard about it at least once, and it might be a nice way for people to get to know about AMVs (it worked for me, and not all the world has conventions with AMV contests), but it's not meant to be a growing place nor an alternative to the org. I can at most see it as a side thing to have, along with the org, just not as the main and only medium.
______________The_TEKnician wrote: I do not look down upon Youtube as a hub for AMVs and their creators. However, I have to say that I indeed frown upon the kind of AMVs I see posted there.
Youtube certainly has its convenient sharing capabilities that most people (including myself) find appealing. Even more so the assortment of "awesome" and "cool" comments one receives on a regular basis, the number of views, number of likes, etc. However, the trait it lacks entirely is something crucial to an editor: Constructive feedback.
To the creator of an AMV, if the feedback of his/her video is merely "awesome", then he/she may fall into the wrong mindset that their video was indeed "awesome". They then no longer feel the need to further their skills and can fail to see what we here at the .org would identify as major flaws. The threat Youtube can pose to a beginner-level editor is a false sense of security. Speaking from experience, sad to say, I thought that the videos that I made a few years back were "awesome". How foolish I was.
Compared to what I am exposed to here, often the AMVs I see on Youtube are by far "NOT awesome". We here treat the creation of AMVs not as silliness, but as a science, a skill... and silliness. We collaborate with other editors and technical experts to constantly improve our ability to produce true awesomeness. We receive unbiased commendation as well as constructive feedback. THIS community is certainly not lacking anything. We have guides, a kick-ass discussion forum, super searches, news/info, etc. We have available here all the knowledge we need to make a great AMV.
But if there is such a wealth of knowledge and companionship here, shouldn't we be exclusive to only this site? That is a definite no. The whole idea of "Sharing" condemns favoritism. As mentioned earlier, I my self do not look down upon Youtube as a Hub for AMVs. In fact, I myself post my creations to that site as well. I for one find it refreshing to receive random commendations and thumbs. However, if I wanted to further my skills and improve my editing, I would come here. To put it simply, Youtube offers quick-gratification for a job well-done. The .org makes you a better editor after each video. And both are necessary if one wishes to continue to make awesome AMVs.
If I were to look back on my AMV career if I hadn't discovered this site, this is what I would think
______________TwilightChrono wrote:One thing that A-M-V.org has that Youtube doesn't have is the ability to Coordinate precisely with other editors for a project such as a MEP. It's easier to get into contact with others and discuss certain things regarding the project. It also makes available well thought out statements about your videos that offer TRUE insight. While Youtube comments are normally along the lines of "Most Awesome AMV I have ever seen" or "Epic" or the dreaded "FIRST!"
Youtube on the other hand has the ability to get your videos out there to a wider range of viewers in a shorter amount of time. So it's kind of a double-edged sword. But uploading to both sites can be a positive factor as well, as not only will people see your videos on youtube, but if they like the video then they can go to your .org page and download them.
In my opinion however, I would have to say I prefer the org. The community here is much more stable and tailors to my editing craft, where as videos posted onto Youtube, normally only get shown to a certain demographic such as Otaku's and others who aren't really interested in AMV's won't ever see it unless they actively search for it. The org is for opinions and the organising of projects. Youtube is more for Quick Comments and the perverbial View Count.
______________ngsilver wrote:I personally don't find Youtube to be a great medium for amvs. This is mainly due to their policy of taking down videos or muting music on videos that their systems deem as copyright infringement. As much to do with this hobby is considered infringing on copyrights, at least as far as the distribution of ones work goes, Youtube just isn't a very friendly place. Take the recent megaupload video controversy with UMG using Youtube's content filter to remove a video they had no rights to. True, the video was later re-instated as UMG could not make any claim other then having a 'special agreement' with Youtube which it would seem is false, but the initial damage is there. Without legal clout, once an AMV is removed from Youtube it will keep getting removed. Plus after so many strikes they ban your account. I know many editors have been banned multiple times and each time they have to create a new account and put their videos back up on those accounts. Personally, I don't find that very friendly. I'd much prefer to not have to keep re-creating accounts, re-uploading videos, and setting all my favorite vids, playlists, and preferences back up every few months/years/ect.
Sure, I've seen people make up tutorials on how to get your videos re-instated by claiming fair use. What about this hobby is truly fair use? You're often using more then 30 secs of footage from the anime source of it is rare that you would use less then 30 secs of your audio source. It's been debated long and hard and as an author myself who deals with his own legal matters I personally don't see any real claim for fair use as far as AMVs go. As such just based on this I find YouTube to be a hostile environment as it is an extremely well known site and as such due to it's popularity it is constantly in the eye of the copyright holders.
However, if I overlook the copyright aspect of things, I can say that for sharing video YouTube has it's merits. It's upload engine is robust and works extremely well and is easy to use. True, it can glitch out and if you have a flaky connection the glitches are more prevalent (something I have experienced) which leaves me wanting an FTP option so that I can resume uploads rather then having to delete the original and restart from the beginning. There are a lot of other features that YouTube provides which helps an editor out, such as annotations (which admittedly I don't use) and video editing tools (which I have used on many occasions to fix errors on my iPhone clips,) and overall the whole process of putting up a video is streamlined and easy.
If I take in contrast the org, I find a lot of things geared for but also against editors. First, the system we use to catalog and store videos is old and archaic. It hasn't really been updated since it was created. Sure some changes have been made, but most of them were additions to, not direct alterations. Overall this old system, while I still enjoy it as I've used it for 9 years now, is cumbersome and daunting for new editors to tackle. This aspect often turns new editors away. It's just much easier to submit their work to YouTube. Sure, we're planning on re-designing the org, but honestly, we lack the dedicated coder base in order to actually do this. The ones that we do have just don't have the time.
Next we need to look at the community. YouTube has a community that is all about the here, the now, and overall just isn't very critical. It's an easy place to go if all you are looking for is a quick view and a few words of praise. If you don't get praise you can easily remove the negative comments. Overall, it can be an uplifting experience for a new editor and they can kill any negative feedback. But then due to the massive size of YouTube in order to get noticed you have to do more, you have to really promote your videos put in lots of keywords and what not and basically do a ton of work outside of your editing.
In contrast the org is a much more AMV centered community. True it has become more about the look of a video then perhaps the feeling and as such is highly critical. This in turn can be a turn off for new editors or editors who are not really looking for proper honest feedback, especially lacking the control to remove negative feedback. This drawback however is also one of the better elements of the community as it is centered on the art and craft of AMV creation thus in turn it is dedicate to raising the bar and pushing the envelope of the medium. To get noticed on the org also doesn't take as much work really. You don't have to troll other videos and post keywords. All you have to do is submit your video and for increased numbers put your video out on the forums for view either in the opinions or announcement forums. New names may get overlooked, but a true creative video will get seen and spread with little work on the editors part beyond making the video.
Overall, I find the org to be a much more inviting place for AMV creators. I do understand the plus side of YouTube, after all it is one of the only places I can release my Live Action and MLP videos since they're not allowed here, but there are many drawbacks. I just find the drawbacks to be too much for me so I'll continue using the org and my own website to distribute my videos.
_________kireblue wrote:I think that both Youtube and a-m-v.org are invaluable to the AMV community. Youtube is the place where many editors (including myself) first started getting interested in AMVs. I just can't imagine how the AMV community would have become as big as it is today without the prevalence of youtube. Most people that watch AMVs at conventions have never even heard of a-m-v.org. The org is definitely the best place to share knowledge between AMV editors, but youtube is the best place to expand the popularity of AMVs in general. Even people that don't watch anime can sometimes stumble across AMVs on youtube and enjoy them.
And on another note, I just wanna point out that when I first created a org account in March 2007, I didn't do it to upload my own AMVs. I made this account just to download Breaking Bonds after I saw it on youtube. This why I put a org download link in the video description of almost all of my videos. I think that instead of shunning youtube, the org should use youtube as a medium to expand itself.
The Interview
Q: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Why don't you start off by introducing yourself?
Hello! I'm actually a Viking. Or at least as close as you get: I'm Norwegian. I wear normal clothes and don't have a habit of burning monasteries and killing people, I watch anime instead. I'm female and work as an archaeologist. I've been watching anime for a few years now, and AMVs for nearly as long. I'v been editing for less than a year, and after a few failed attempts I recently finished my first AMV.
Q: Norewgian eh? Care to share a little about the anime/AMV culture there, or perhaps some fun facts about your part of the world?
Anime has been getting bigger the past few years, and the larger cities have shops that sell DVDs/manga/overpriced Pocky now. There's an annual convention in Oslo (=capital) each year. You even see random cosplayers on the streets. Personally I don't know a lot of anime fans, and even fewer that have heard of AMVs. So I'm pretty Internet-based.
Fun facts? Oh dear, where to start? Norway, the home of A-HA, the paper clip, cheese slicers, caerosol spray and no more that 4,500 000 people. We love skiing so much that in the summer, people use little skis with wheels attached (srsly, google "roller skis"). Our crown princess runs a school that teaches people how to communicate with angels. Our biggest cultural export is Black Metal. The average Norwegian consumes 10ish kgs of coffee a year, that's three times more than the average American. Yeah.
Q: Well thank you for joining me today BakaViking. Let's start off nice and easy and find out what made you want to start editing?
I'm a creative person, and I seem to be always working on at least ten different projects at a time. I love music, and I love anime. I've been watching AMVs for years, and it got to the point where I had so many ideas of my own that I just had to get started.
Q: Ten different projects? Care to share a little about what other projects you're working on at the moment (even if they're not AMV related)?
I draw and do some digital illustrations (nothing anime-related though), I dabble in graphic design, I do crafts (anything from geeky embroideries to knitting to reconstructions of historical clothing), I cook a lot, I write a blog about food and science, and I seem to generally have an interest in...everything. My day does not have enough hours.
Q: You recently joined a-m-v.org. What made you decide to join our community?
I'm a n00b, and I know it. I want to learn, and I wanted to get constructive criticism. You don't get a lot of that from places like YouTube, the comments are often very superficial and over-the-top-positive no matter how terrible the AMV is. I've been familiar with the org for a while, and had a good impression of it.
Q: So you came to a-m-v.org for quality feedback? The harshness/bitchiness isn't a turnoff? Aren't the positive YouTube comments a little empowering?
Of course they are, I'd be lying if I said something else! I'd also be lying if I said I don't get frustrated and grumpy over harsh comments. But generally I don't think it's THAT bad in here, I've seen a lot worse. I think it has a lot to do with attitude: you can't post a video and expect only praise.
Q: Was there any difficulty in making the decision to join our community? (We've been known to be a little more harsh than other communities).
Nope! Probably because I wasn't aware of the rumors. I've seen the org mentioned a few times in blog posts, other forums and on YouTube, but as far as I can remember it hasn't been anything negative.
I had also read a few threads on the forum as well as some opinions on uploaded AMVs, so I knew roughly what to expect. I'm not always the best to deal with direct criticism, but after sulking in a corner for a few minutes I can usually learn from it.
Q: As a newcomer, how do you enjoy our community thus far?
I like it! I've gotten lots of useful feedback. Not surprising, some comments are more polite than others. But they've all been helpful and to the point. I've been reading some of the guides and threads, and there is just so.much.to.learn. I feel like I'm in the right place here
Q: You said that there's a lot to learn from the org. Any trouble finding specific guides or any organizational issues that you feel we should improve upon to make the guides more user-friendly? (Oh, and be honest!)
So far: no. But then again, I haven't exactly read all the guides. I'm working my way through those that are most relevant to me now. There's quite a few confusing topics, but I thinks that's more due to the fact that most of this is new(ish) to me. Between the guides section, the larger threads in the forum, AND the possibility to ask questions there, most things are probably covered? I'm sure there are things that could be improved upon though, I just don't have any suggestions right now Is there a guide/thread about what NOT to do? I know the topic is touched upon in several guides, but there should be some sort of a list aimed at us newbies. You know, things that probably seems like a good idea at the time, but definitely isn't and why.
Q: You also stated that you feel like you're "In the right place here". Care to elaborate on that a little?
Not much to elaborate on really: helpful people, an active forum, tons of great AMVs, and the opportunity to learn lots! And the opportunity to be bitchy on a bad day. *evil grin*
Q: Ok, ok, enough about our community. Let's talk about you for a bit! Your first video was "Raining Bleach Men", which was a combination of two very overused sources (Bleach & The Weather Girls), and yet it was a very successful/enjoyable piece. What made you decide to edit this, and how'd you go about editing this?
I wanted to do a Bleach AMV, but I wanted to stay away from the usual ideas. Things like action vids mainly featuring Ichigo with something like Three Days Grace. Or "OMG look at all teh sexeh fanart!" slideshows. One day while waching one of the later eps, it struck me that people are falling and jumping a lot in Bleach. Like, silly amounts. "It's raining men" immediately came to mind, and the idea was born.
I'm usually an Adobe-fangirl, but I ended up using Sony Vegas Pro, which I had played with a bit before. I tried to get the basics down first (sync, scene selection etc.) before adding any effects. And then I played around with those. Nothing fancy though, I think a lot of newbies get caught up in all sorts of funky transitions and colours and whatnot, and forget about the big picture. Having said that, I'm looking forward to playing with Vegas a lot more
Q: Out of curiosity, where'd you go in order to get the basics (sync, scene selection, ect) down, or how did you know how to edit this piece together? Had you been watching a lot of videos, or did you refer to a guide first?
I watched a lot of videos. I've been analyzing the AMVs I like for a while, so I had a pretty clear idea of what I think works and what doesn't, and some general ideas of what maks an AMV good. I also watched many AMVs with the same song, in order to avoid making something that was too similar to those. And I got some ideas from those on what to do and what not to do. I also had to think through what I could do, being a beginner and all that. The falling men and the idea of syncing that too the music was the starting point of the vid, the rest came along as I worked on it. I'm not usually one to have a finished and fixed plan when I start a prioject, this was no exception!
Q: The only real issue with the video was its poor visual quality. Do you have plans of improving this in the future?
Definitely. I was aware that the quality was an issue, but decided to go ahead anyways, since it's mainly a light-hearted and humorous AMV. [poor excuse] Also, there was no way I was going to get hold of that many high quality Bleach episodes. [/poor excuse] Next AMV will hopefylly be much better!
Q: So the time/monetary expenses in acquiring better footage was the main dissuading point in your decision to edit with what footage was available. Now that you realize the popularity/success of your video, do you think you might one day come back and edit it again with higher quality footage?
Hm. Right now I can't see that happening (I tend to get a bit fed up when I finish a project) but maybe? It'd be fun I'm sure - along with making other improvements.
Q: Can we expect more AMVs from you?
Yes! I've got several ideas already. Might take a while though, as I tend to work slowly, go back and change things a lot, and have periods where I get fed up and don't work for a while.
Q: What makes you come back from the "fed up" periods?
Usually new ideas. It could be any random thought I get while doing something else, or ideas I get if I sit down and re-think old projects. Or anything else that gets me in the creative mood. Sometimes boredom works. Or having something else that you need to do but don't want to - procrastination is always such an inspiration.
Q: Care to share what you might work on next?
I haven't decided yet, there are a few things I'd like to do – I just need to come up with a strong enough concept first. I definitely want to try out different genres. I finished Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt not too long ago, so i might just go for another silly AMV. Then again, I'd also like to do something a bit more serious, maybe Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood? Oh, and i'm a frantic Gintama fan, that NEEDS to be done!
Q: So you've got a lot of ideas, but nothing solid yet? Got anything on a timeline yet that we might see in the future, or is there a way that we'll know when you're working on something?
It's getting there, but I'm not too sure yet. Not too sure when I'll be working on it either, but I have a feeling I'll be bombarding the forum with stupid questions.
Q: Is there anything you'd like to share with the AMV community, or just a-m-v.org in general?
…be nice to the newbie, plz?
(and thanks for all the comments so far!)
Q: What's the best way that the Org can be nice to the newbies?
Be helpful! Give useful feedback, and point people in the right direction. Positive or negative, there's no need to be too harsh, but there's no need to sugarcoat things either.
Q: Well thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions. To close out, how about you give some advice to anyone that might want to get involved in the hobby?
Give it a try, have fun. Ambition is good, but don't have unrealistic expectations! All the polished and perfected AMVs are a great inspiration, but if you're aiming for that chances are you're likely to be disappointed. Instead, try to analyze them and figure out what they're doing right – and try to apply that to the editing level you're at.
Next Time on "The Lip Flapper"
Join me next week in our last interview of the month when we speak with Kosmit, editor of the hit comedy videos of 2011.
Monthly Calendar
January 9th: Lip Flap Discussion
January 16th: AimoAio Interview
January 23rd: Youtube Discussion + Bonus BakaViking Interview
January 30th: Kosmit Interview
Past Interviews/Discussions
Lip Flap
Youtube Panel + Bonus BakaViking Interview


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Click to viewThe new RoboCop movie won't just be a remake of the original Detroit cyborg police saga. Instead, it'll be a sequel. But how will a new RoboCop follow-up deal with the tangled mess of sequels, TV shows and TV movies that followed the first film? Click through for details.
Bloody Disgusting uncovered the plot of our Robo hero's latest outing, it's set in "Present day Los Angeles - 20 years after the termination of the RoboCop program. The city decides to reinstate the program." So will this movie be denying the existence of RoboCop 2 or any of the other robo sequels? What about Murphy? Is he going to come back as the old-timey robot that trains LA's new robo recruits?
And just to throw to add more exciting news to the future RoboCop movie, director Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain) is still being tossed around as a potential director for the film, and may be close to signing. Which means it could be an actual think piece... or ponderous and confusing, depending on which of Aronofsky's films it takes after.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Sweet-n-Spicy Dipping Sauce is Asian-inspired [or more accurately, CSA-inspired since I still have a huge bunch of scallions from last week's haul sitting in a mason jar in my fridge]. It's a veritable United Nations-inspired melange of flavors that play nicely together, despite their differences – a little sweet, – gracias agave; a little salty – domo arigato, miso, and a little spicy – kob-kun, kah, Sriracha You will have leftover dipping sauce, but it has legs. Use it as a marinade for seitan or soy curls, or as a salad dressing. [I'm thinking baby arugula and spinach with chickpeas, sliced pears, candied pecans and a wee sprinkle of wasabi powder]
popcorn tofu bites with sweet-n-spicy dipping sauce
- 1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed for about 2 hours, then cut into 32-36 1-inch cubes
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 T soy sauce
- 3 T vegetable broth [I use Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base]
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 whole clove
- 1/2 cup panko [Fear not, my gluten-free friends. Yes, Virginia, there is gluten-free panko]
- 2 T nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika [or substitute regular paprika, but the smokiness of the Spanish adds wonderful, almost grill-like complexity!]
sweet-n-spicy dipping sauce:
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 T vegetable broth [I use Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base]
- 1/2 tsp Sriracha [or to taste. Start with less!]
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 T agave nectar
- 1 tsp miso
- 1 tsp sesame oil [Olive oil is a fine sub, but sesame is so much better]


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Resolutions always come about from revelations. You know, it never fails.
Whenever a new year dawns and we get to studying about ourselves, trying to figure whether lifestyle changes are needed, that's a revelation.
All those plans and promises to do better are just resolutions. Revelations don't come into play until you resolve to do better.
Take "Little Bill," for instance.
Every year, when Christmas was over and school started back, I resolved to study more, mainly because teachers had six weeks worth of tests lined up.
My goodness, Christmas seemed to slip in on us and now we are facing a brand new year.
I seriously doubt if the Evans household will splurge on any extravagance celebration to welcome in 2008. We will face it with a month- old great-grandson who has no idea what may lie ahead.
Two events of major concern for us are paying property taxes by Jan. 15 and celebrating my 75th birthday in February.
That's as good a reason as any (not the taxes) to pause and look at New Year's past.
Most folks picture Christmas in many ways.
Families gather around a roaring fire with a glittering Christmas tree shining in the background and brightly colored packages scattered around it.
I remember a lot of Christmas celebrations just like that.
But there was a very special one that was as pretty to me as a Norman Rockwell painting, thanks to the generosity of a man on a Christmas Eve long ago.
During those lean years of the Depression, Christmas was sad for folks who couldn't afford to give the smallest of presents to their children.
You know, I used to think we did a pretty good job decorating for the Christmas season.
Of course, we didn't have inflatable snowmen or Santa's out in the yard. Reindeer with bobbing heads didn't grace the front of our house.
There were no icicles hung from porch overhangs, nor blinking lights transforming to rows of running lights adorning the banisters.
I guess we didn't do up Christmas very well.
Let's get one thing straight – the fact I grew up in simpler time doesn't mean I'm simple-minded and reject progress.
We've come a long way baby, from plowing with mules, to walking on the moon.
Alas, behold the multi-colored, multi-functional cellular telephone.
Now, when I was a lad, telephones came in one color, black, which was OK by Mr. Henry Ford, who was a genius in the manufacturing of black automobiles. The only exception was the white version of the telephone, which only showed up in Hollywood movies and in the hands of paper doll cut-outs.
An early Christmas gift arrived at our house last week, just a couple of days before Thanksgiving Day.
I have been blessed with a great-grandson who weighed in at 6 pounds, plus some small change.
It's been almost 30 years since a newborn has been under our roof.
I must admit that this blessed event has been an eye-opening experience for me.
I never realized all the stuff it takes to support a tiny little person.
I don't know if it was tradition or custom, but a couple weeks before "Big Thursday" or Thanksgiving Day, my daddy and I journeyed down to Tradesville to pick up our big ole gobbler.
There was a man my daddy knew who raised turkeys just for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course, they didn't come all plucked, dressed and oven-ready. These were honest-to-goodness strutters that looked right at you and lowered their wing feathers until they touched the ground. The toms, or male turkeys, were proud fellas and couldn't resist showing you just how important they were.
It had been simmering for a few days; I hit a stretch where it seems like I couldn't do anything right. It was one mess right after another.
I was all of 6 years old, with a whole year of grammar school to look back on.
Shucks, I was doing my best, but my best just didn't seem to be pleasing anybody.
I came to the conclusion that nobody loved me anymore.
That had to be it; I was getting jumped on at the supper table on a right regular basis.
They wouldn't even let me have a piece of white meat chicken and I was tired of drumsticks.
The Christmas of 1941, was just awful. Pearl Harbor got bombed.
Just when folks were beginning to see a little daylight with the Depression winding down, we were jolted into the cold reality of war.
All the work I did trying to get that new J.C.Higgins' Roadmaster bicycle was wiped out by a single letter from Sears, Roebuck and Company in Greensboro, N.C.
"Your recent order has been canceled due to the war effort," it read.
More than 60 years later, I still vividly remember Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941.
Momma shouted the news to me while I was playing outside.
With avid deer hunters such as a son-in-law, a son and a grown grandson, I have been out of the loop for a great number of years.
My last hunting trip was on a snowy December day just after I returned from overseas.
You know, I sensed on that cold, dreary morning that hunting no longer held my interest.
While some family members display mounted deer heads on their den walls, my thoughts linger on picture show memories of Bambi.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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FRITZ!Box 7560 Service - Knowledge Base
AVM Content
- FRITZ!Box 7590
- FRITZ!Box 7583
- FRITZ!Box 7582
- FRITZ!Box 7581
- FRITZ!Box 7530
- FRITZ!Box 7490
- FRITZ!Box 7430
- FRITZ!Box 7390
- FRITZ!Box 7369
- FRITZ!Box 7360
- FRITZ!Box 7340
- FRITZ!Box 7330
- FRITZ!Box 7272
- FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE
- FRITZ!Box 6840 LTE
- FRITZ!Box 6810 LTE
- FRITZ!Box 6591 Cable
- FRITZ!Box 6590 Cable
- FRITZ!Box 6490 Cable
- FRITZ!Box 5491
- FRITZ!Box 5490
Setting up FRITZ!App Fon
With FRITZ!App Fon, you can make convenient calls via the FRITZ!Box using your smartphone as an IP telephone. FRITZ!App Fon can also be used with several FRITZ!Boxes; this means that you can use different FRITZ!Boxes to conduct calls, depending on your location. To do so, you have to register FRITZ!App Fon once with each FRITZ!Box as described here. Once it is registered, you can also conduct calls over a VPN connection. Besides making calls from home, you can then also make calls over the FRITZ!Box from anywhere.
Requirements / Restrictions
- iOS 10.0 or later or Android 4.0 or later is installed on the smartphone or tablet.
- A maximum of ten IP telephones (including FRITZ!App Fon) can be registered.
- FRITZ!App Fon cannot be registered or used over the wireless guest access.
- Various FRITZ!Box functions cannot be used with FRITZ!App Fon. This includes call transfer, busy on busy, call-back on busy / no response, do not disturb function for individual numbers, the ability to control certain FRITZ!Box functions such as enabling or disabling wireless LAN, loading factory settings, or setting up call diversions.
Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.
1 Configuring the FRITZ!Box to allow applications to access it
In the factory settings, the FRITZ!Box is configured to allow applications to access it. If you changed the FRITZ!Box's settings, configure it so that it will once again allow applications to access it:
- Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Network" in the "Home Network" menu.
- Click on the "Network Settings" tab.
- Enable the option "Allow access for applications" in the "Access Settings in the Home Network" section. If the section is not displayed, enable the Advanced View.
- Click "Apply" to save the settings.
2 Setting up a wireless connection to the FRITZ!Box
The smartphone or tablet must be connected with the FRITZ!Box's wireless network when you set up the app (not the guest network):
- Set up the wireless connection to the FRITZ!Box.
3 Installing FRITZ!App Fon
- Download FRITZ!App Fon from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and install the app on your smartphone.
- Start FRITZ!App Fon.
- If you set a password for the FRITZ!Box user interface, enter the password.
- If you enabled "login with FRITZ!Box user name and password", enter the user name and password. The user must be authorized to use FRITZ!App Fon. You can edit the access rights of users under "System > FRITZ!Box Users" in the user interface.
- Confirm that the procedure may be executed on the FRITZ!Box, if asked to do so.
FRITZ!App Fon is now automatically configured as an IP telephone on the "LAN/WLAN" port in the FRITZ!Box.
4 Assigning telephone numbers
- Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Telephony Devices" in the "Telephony" menu.
- Click the (Edit) button for FRITZ!App Fon. When it was installed, FRITZ!App Fon was automatically configured with the telephone's device name on the "LAN/WLAN" port in the FRITZ!Box.
- From the drop-down list "Outgoing calls", select the number that FRITZ!App Fon should use for making calls.
- Select the numbers that FRITZ!App Fon should react to when you receive calls.
- Click "OK" to save the settings.
5 Enabling international calls
IP telephones (for example FRITZ!App Fon) and telephones connected to a Mesh Repeater can only be used to make national calls and calls to emergency numbers. You can disable this security feature:
- Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Telephone Numbers" in the "Telephony" menu.
- Click on the "Line Settings" tab.
- Click on "Change Selection" in the "Security" section.
- Disable the option for all IP telephones that are allowed to dial international and premium numbers.
- Click "OK" to save the settings and confirm that the procedure may be executed on the FRITZ!Box, if asked to do so.
6 Configuring FRITZ!App Fon for VPN
If you set up the VPN connection in Android or iOS, then you must configure the following settings in FRITZ!App Fon so you you can conduct calls over the VPN connection:
Configuring FRITZ!App Fon for iOS
- Start FRITZ!App Fon.
- Tap "More" and then "Settings".
- Tap "Select FRITZ!Box".
- Tap "Enter the IP address manually".
- Instead of entering fritz.box, enter the local IP address of the FRITZ!Box (192.168.178.1 in the factory settings).
Configuring FRITZ!App Fon for Android
If you are using Android 5 ("Lollipop") or higher, you can use FRITZ!App Fon over a VPN connection without having to configure any settings first. The following settings are necessary in Android 4.4:
- Start FRITZ!App Fon.
- Tap "More" and then "Settings".
- Tap the menu key and then "Advanced".
- Enable the option "In all networks - Connect to FRITZ!Box even if WLAN is not connected".
7 Selecting a telephone book
FRITZ!App Fon allows you to access the contacts stored in your telephone and all of the FRITZ!Box telephone books, regardless of whether the telephone books are saved in the FRITZ!Box or you are using a telephone book of an email account:
Granting access to contacts in iOS
For FRITZ!App Fon to access the contacts on your iOS device under iOS, you must grant FRITZ!App Fon access to your contacts:
- Open the iOS settings.
- Tap "Privacy" and then "Contacts".
- Grant FRITZ!App Fon access to the contacts.
Switching telephone books
- Start FRITZ!App Fon.
- Tap "Phone book".
- In iOS, tap "Switch To"; in Android, tap the menu key and then "Select telephone book".
- Tap the telephone book you want to use with FRITZ!App Fon. "Phone contacts" or "iPhone contacts" are the contacts stored in your telephone. The names of FRITZ!Box telephone books correspond to the names you gave them in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
When you now start FRITZ!App Fon, FRITZ!App Fon automatically connects to the FRITZ!Box and remains active in the background. This way you can then quickly and easily make calls over the FRITZ!Box. If you also use other telephony apps (such as Joyn) on your smartphone, then you must always start FRITZ!App Fon before you start the other telephony apps because otherwise automatic registration with the FRITZ!Box can fail. If you want, you can also completely close FRITZ!App Fon in Android. FRITZ!App Fon is always open in iOS.


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
:? I'm pretty sure AHW designed well over 1000 thingys, I'm not sure the Broadfield house pic. is comprehensive!
Pip, do you think maybe the seller of your hankie vase has been reading these new threads???
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From Behind the Bar: Tales from Tales of the Cocktail
Those of you who follow the spirits/cocktails/bartender game might know that this is the week for the annual cocktail conference known as Tales of the Cocktail. Held in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tales consists of seminars on the minutiae of what is happening in the world of cocktails, street-side reunions where bar professionals of all stripes roam cobbled paths drinking Abita Amber, and a four day party in a city that truly never sleeps.
Tales is a unique experience for someone in the bar business because it dumps everyone you've ever wanted to meet next to a gaggle of people you never want to run in to again, all of which is leavened by a larger group of people with whom your only connection is that everyone works to sell or promote the spiritous lifestyle in some way, somewhere around the world. Copious numbers of hands are shaken, hugs given and cards exchanged. The best part is, all of this takes place in and around the storied bars of The Big Easy.
If it sounds boozy, I assure you it is. Beer is for breakfast when it's not Bloody Marys. Seminars start at 10 a.m., most of which feature cocktails. Tales is not for the weak of heart (or liver), but for those of us who get to experience it, the opportunities for networking, bonding, meeting fellow travelers, and rubbing shoulders with the lions of the industry cannot be surpassed.
Over the next few days, I will be posting to this site from on the ground at Tales of the Cocktail. I will be participating in seminars, sampling new spirits, attending celebrations, and generally giving myself over to the spirit of the event. Alongside Serious Eats editor Carey Jones, I'll be talking to people from all aspects of the industry and from all over the world, and we'll be reporting back to you our impressions of what we see and do.
Check back to this space for regular updates. You can also follow us on Twitter (@coyotesallover for me and @careyjones for Carey Jones) for photos, musings, rants, and thoughts on what it is to attend Tales of the Cocktail.
Next up: How to survive Tales of the Cocktail.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Wire Fencing - Quotes for Africa
Fill in the quote form and we will get wire fencing companies in your area to email you free quotes today. This service is free and available from anywhere in South Africa.
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Our database of wire fencing companies is a free resource for you to use to get your wire fencing requirements seen to in a very quick, easy and cost effective way.
Our aim is to provide a quality wire fencing service that saves you time and ultimately money. Expect nothing but convenience, quick responses and great wire fencing deals.
Fill in your details, wire fencing requirements, sit back and let us do the work.


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Patrick Kelly Exhibit
November 19, 2017 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 8:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, repeating until January 22, 2018
An event every week that begins at 8:00 am on Sunday and Saturday, repeating until January 22, 2018
Patrick Kelly, an acrylic painter, exhibited at the Festival of Arts for over four decades beginning in the 1960's. His extensive travels and adventurous spirit is evident in his colorful and diverse work. Kelly also made outstanding contributions to the Festival of Arts, where he served as a board member, curator and membership director. Two of his works, "Series II" and "Monolith," were purchased by the Festival for its Permanent Art Collection and will be on display at foaSOUTH alongside recent works created in his Palm Springs studio.


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» NetBeans.org Site Tools Help - Home Page
Setting Up Your User ProfileIf you click the Community tab and log in, you can set your user profile.
If you want to reset your password, change your email address, add to the tags that help people find you, upload a picture of yourself, say where you're located, or specify what appears on your public profile, you need to set your user profile settings. In addition, you can also do things like viewing a list of your mailing list subscriptions, displaying a map of your location on your public profile, listing your instant messaging IDs and social networking pages, and seeing the projects you've joined.
You do all this on the Manage Profile page, as described below under Editing Your User Profile Settings.
- 1 Viewing Your Public Profile
- 2 Editing Your User Profile Settings
- 3 Settings Tab
- 3.1 Changing Your Email, Name, or Country
- 3.2 Setting Your Student Status
- 3.3 Setting Tags so People Can Search for You
- 4 Networking Tab
- 5 Image Tab
- 6 Password Tab
- 7 Privacy Tab
- 7.1 Setting What Displays on Your Profile Page
- 7.2 Displaying a Location Map on Your Profile Page
- 7.3 Displaying Your School on Your Profile Page
- 8 Subscriptions Tab
Viewing Your Public Profile
Your public profile is a page that provides other users with information about you. To see your public profile:
- Click the Community tab and, if necessary, log in.
- Click your username link in the right navbar to display your personal home page, your My Page.
- In the right navbar under Profile, click View Public Profile.
Editing Your User Profile Settings
To edit your user profile settings, open your My Page, then on the right under Profile click Edit My Profile.
The Manage Profile page opens. You select the tab that has the settings you want, such as Settings for basic information like your email address, your name, tags describing you, your status as a student, and your location, or Subscriptions to see all your email subscriptions.
Settings Tab
Changing Your Email, Name, or Country
Click the Settings tab on the Manage Profile page and enter values for Email, First Name, Last Name, or Country, then click Update. If you want any of this information to display on your public profile page, click the Privacy tab and check the fields you want others to see.
For information on the Location field, see below, Displaying a Location Map on Your Profile Page.
Note: When you change your email address, a notification is sent both to your old email address (in case you didn't make the change) and to your new one. As with an initial registration, you have to click the link in the email sent to your new address to verify the new address. Once the new address is verified, it appears in your profile. Until then, the old email address continues to be displayed.
Setting Your Student Status
Click the Settings tab on the Manage Profile page and check or uncheck the Student checkbox. With Student checked, you can optionally enter your school name to the right of the Student checkbox.
Setting Tags so People Can Search for You
Click the Settings tab on the Manage Profile page and in the Tags field enter terms that describe you or might help people find you on the site.
Networking Tab
Listing Your Instant Messaging (IM) IDs
Click the Networking tab on the Manage Profile page. You can enter up to three IM IDs under Instant Messaging Networks.
To enter an IM ID, click the droplist to the right of an entry field to choose a network, and then enter the ID you use on that network.
Note: The ID isn't your alias, but the name you use to log in to the network. For example, for Google, it would be your gmail.com email, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Listing Your Social Networking or Other Sites
To list your web sites, such as a home page, blog page, or social networking page, first click the Networking tab on the Manage Profile page. You can add up to four pages under Social Networks and Other Sites.
To add a page, first select the type of site from the droplist on the right and then paste or type the site's URL in the corresponding entry field. For example, if you have a Facebook page, you can get a URL by logging into Facebook, right-clicking your username link at the top right of the page, and copying that address. In Firefox, the right-click menu item would be Copy Link Location. In Internet Explorer, you'd right-click and choose Copy Shortcut.
Image Tab
Adding a Picture to Your Profile Page
Click the Image tab on the Manage Profile page and upload an image from your local system. A square image works best, and the size can't be greater than 500K. You can remove the graphic at any time and display a generic placeholder instead.
Since the image will be cropped to a square image, you might want to work with the image in a graphics editor and make it square before you upload it. Also, an image that is at least 150 X 150 pixels will get better results than a smaller image.
For example, the following image isn't square. Here's how it looked before uploading:
And here's how it looked after being uploaded to the site and automatically cropped and resized. Note that the top of the head was cut off.
One way to make this image look better is to edit it before you upload it. If you crop it to a square image and center the part you think is important, you're more likely to see what you want on the site. Here's how it looked after first cropping it in an image editor and then uploading it to the site:
Password Tab
Changing Your Password
Click the Password tab on the Manage Profile page and enter your current password, then enter your new password twice and click Save.
Privacy Tab
Setting What Displays on Your Profile Page
By default, your profile page shows your username, your tags, and any image you might have uploaded in the Image tab of the My Profile - Manage page. You can also show your first name, your last name, the date you became a member, your country, your language, and your location as a map. If you've registered as a student, you can also show your school name.
To change what displays on your profile page, click the Privacy tab on the Manage Profile page, then check the items you want to make public.
Displaying a Location Map on Your Profile Page
- Click the Settings tab on the Manage Profile page and enter any location that can be found by Google™ Maps, then click Update. For example, you can enter city name and state or province, county or other administrative district, country, or whatever combination is necessary. Some examples:
- Minneapolis,MN
- Saskatchewan
- Karnataka
- Prague
- Vanuatu
- Bhutan
- Siberia, Jujuy, Argentina
- 37.3926722,-121.954501
- Click the Privacy tab, then check the Location as a Map checkbox and click Save.
For more information, try some locations on Google Maps or see Google Maps Help.
Displaying Your School on Your Profile Page
If you're a student, you can make your school show up on your profile page.
- Click the Settings tab on the Manage Profile page.
- If necessary, check the Student checkbox, then enter your school's name and click Update.
- Click the Privacy tab, then check the School checkbox and click Save.
Subscriptions Tab
Seeing a List of Your Mailing List Subscriptions
Click the Subscriptions tab on the Manage Profile page. You see a list of all your mailing list subscriptions. You can browse a list's archives by clicking Browse Archives.


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About Labelz
Labelz are small self-adhesive labels one can put on things that are somewhere in publicly used enviroments like hackerspaces, offices, workshops and so on. The label should make it possible to understand who owns this thing, what you are allowed to do with it, what to do if it is broken, if you can move it someplace else, and things like that.
The labels contain QR Codes and human readable Info (Text and Icons). Both contain the same info, the QR-Code has some failure-tolerance. It can be cut and used by itself.
They can be created at the current test-implementation using Firefox. After the creation, check that in printing page setup all the header and footers are disabled, and that the page borders are minimal. Also, select the right printer, otherwise things go to the lazzzor... The paper format should be set to 62x30mm. Usually, the settings are safed by the web browser.
The labels can be printed on 62mm endless thermo-paper on the labelprinter on the Lazzzor computer. It is a Brother QL-560.
The flags should apply not only to junk in the lab, e.g. Beamer,Printers,Displays,Styrofoam Cutters,Toolboxes, Repraps, Food?, Bikes, Furniture, unfinished projects, you name it; Also a more general use context should be kept in mind.
Basically all the information should boil down to a short, coded, still human readable string<200 Letters, that is also replicated by the QR-Code There should be data fields, The Flags should be two-byte values that are at least human interpretable if possible, i.e. Public Domain="PD".
Software Architecture
Currently, the form is created using php, the stuff is transfered via Post to create.php. There, the plaintext string is created, skipping unspecified fields. The QR-Code is created by a found php script. Ouput is sloppyly aligned by css/divs. The text is rescaled using java-script, to be as large as possible. This only works with mozilla, and thats sufficient.
it might be cooler to go a different workflow: html form->data->executeable->png->html->printer
executeable might benefit from:
or maybe just html form->display->html->printer
current proof of concept: Labelz test Maybe use some existing online service for generating the QR codes or implement the QR library in JavaScript so we don't need an active component on the server?
Development Notepad
Currently, the thing only works with firefox. Also, the QR-Code contains too many bytes of data, as the plaintext string is directly encoded. This causes the pixels to be too small for and some smartphones have a hard time reading it. Some compression might be useful, but then you would need to make the data package a web link to a page that decodes. Needs to be solved somehow.
Content String schematic
You have flags, that are defined by a one letter. Then you have flag-specifiers, by two letters.
e.g. OwnershipType-Flag="O"
e.g. OwnershipType-Flag-Specifier="pd"=Public Domain
-> Opd
If there are strings included
"R"=responsible person
"8" number of characters following
-> R8bkubicek
as http:// links can be encoded in qr-codes, and are understand automatically by most qr-code decoders, one could per principle encode using a link [i know .lz does not exist]: http://labe.lz/V1aOpdUfrD010110 could be something like "Version 1a Ownership Public domain Use Freely". The linked page could then decode the qr-code string and present it nicely.
Included info:
- Labelz version Flag
- OwnershipshipType
- Private
- Borrowed
- Public Domain
- Sponsored for Public Use
- HiveOwned
- OwnershipString: Name of owner/responsible person/
- Owner contact Flag
- M email
- T telephone
- A im
- J Jabber
- Owner contact String
- Date of tagging
- UseageFlag:
- Use as you wish
- Ask owner before use
- Use only if you know what you are doing
- do not touch
- use ultra carfully
- UsageString: intended useage
- LendingFlags:
- Permanent remove permitted
- borrowing allowed
- borrowing allowed with allowance of one owner
- borrowing allowed with allowance of the hive
- Moving to different room ok
- If broken
- return to owner
- repair yourself, if fail tell owner
- repair, if fail, throw it away
- destroyer rebuys, if no destroyer, notice owner
- if unwanted
- return to owner
- just throw it away
- store forever
- Value of thing
On a new install, the Preferences print.printer_Brother_QL-700.print_margin_* have to be 0, also print.printer_Brother_QL-700.print_header* set to "" and print.printer_Brother_QL-700.print_shrink_to_fit => true.
In the printer driver a new format has to be created with width 62mm and height 30mm, printing in portrait mode.


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Actor Randy Quaid and wife Evi are in trouble with the law after their landlord ratted them out for living at a home they no longer owned and trashing it.
The couple's property owner had the Quaids arrested at the California house Saturday evening for illegally mooching off his guest house and racking up $5,000 in damages, according to AP.
Now the Golden Globe-winning actor and his wife are facing counts of felony residential burglary and a misdemeanor charge of entering a noncommercial building without consent, with bail set at $50,000 for each. Evi is also hit with charges of resisting arrest.
When Santa Barbara sheriff's deputies showed up, Dennis Quaid's younger brother and Evi claimed that they had owned the place since the 1990s.
But a representative of the property owner showed the deputies documents that said another client bought the place in 2007, several years after another man purchased it from the Randy, 59, and Evi, 47.
A contractor chipped in to the Quaids' mounting legal troubles by showing police damages worth thousands of dollars that he blamed on the Quaids'.
This isn't the first time someone is trying to kick the couple out of their residences. A year ago they were busted for conspiracy, burglary, and defrauding an innkeeper of more than $10,000.
Although the felony charges were eventually dropped against Randy Quaid, his wife was sentenced to three years' probation and 240 hours of community service after pleading no contest to the misdemeanor count.
Selected Reading: AP, PopEater


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This one may not be for all the marbles, but the winner will certainly have a couple jars full more than anybody else around.
The Mountain Empire District lead and the inside track to the district title will be at stake tonight when Galax (4-2 overall, 1-0 district) travels to C.F. McKinney Stadium for a key MED meeting with Fort Chiswell (6-1, 1-0). After knocking of Grayson County 23-14 last Friday, Galax is looking for wins over the district's two biggest hurdles in back-to-back weeks, and will have only Bland County and Narrows (combined 3-10) between itself and an outright championship.
Meanwhile, Fort Chiswell has been rolling merrily along despite losing some studs off of what was Fort's best football year ever, but will still need to get past Grayson County to seal up its second straight crown.
Regardless of the outcome, Maroon Tide coach Mark Dixon and his staff have already reached one goal for the program.
"It's neat for these kids to be in a position to play in games that really matter," said Dixon between sessions of scratching his head about how to stop the Pioneers. "And that's all we've really wanted as coaches, is to have people show up for games, and for the kids to play in games that matter. Friday's going to go a long way in determining who wins the district, and that's great for our kids.
"This is the biggest game we've been in in a long time. Most people may think we'll be lucky to hang in there, and they may be right, but you never know. We're going to play it and we'll see what happens."
Dixon's words came during a break in trying to figure out just the opposite of what he had to do a week ago. Last week against a multi-talented and balanced opponent, Galax's defense had to be everywhere at once. This week, the trick is for everybody to be at one place at the same time against a straight-ahead power running attack.
Such is the dilemma in preparing for the Anti-Grayson.
"Their power stands out, how physical they are, how big they are," said Dixon with admiration in his voice. "They can just pound you to death."
Tabbing Fort Chiswell the best team he's seen other than Eastern Montgomery, the Tide coach admitted to actually enjoying watching the Pioneers on film.
"I love what [Fort coach Steven James] does," he said. "I think he does an unbelievable job. I love when teams go four and five yards a pop. I love that kind of football. But I know how hard it is to go 80 yards like that. There's a penalty here or a missed assignment or an incompletion on a three-step route. Anything can throw that kind of drive off. The thing with these guys is they can pound you for seven or eight or 12 or 15 yards at a time."
Dixon's planning is just as tricky on the offensive side. For perhaps the first time all year, he isn't so sure that the Tide can sustain the running attack is has shown through its first six games.
"As good as our run game has been, it's been right at you, and we can't do that against them," he said. "If we are going to run it it'll have to be a different style. Even against Radford I felt we could run power, but this is the first week I've felt we might not be able to do that."
Asked whether he was more proud of the fact that Galax held in check Grayson's highly-potent offense or the fact that Jacob Fisher played his first downs of the year at runningback and responded with 159 yards, no fumbles and no negative yardage runs on 21 attempts, Dixon had to take a moment.
"I thought we'd be able to run it," he said, despite going in without leading rusher Jordan Vaughan, who remains sidelined with a broken foot, "but I really didn't think we would stop them. That's the thing I was the proudest of. I knew Jacob Fisher. I knew what he was capable of. Pound for pound he's our best athlete. The thing about him is he plays so much bigger than he is. He plays so big."
Dixon is just hoping for a lot of big, from a lot of people, against Fort Chiswell.
Galax (4-2,1-0) at Fort Chiswell (6-1, 1-0)
Friday, 7:30
C.F. McKinney Stadium
Radio: WWWJ 1360AM, www.wwwj1360.com
Last week
Galax defeated Grayson County 23-14
Fort Chiswell defeated Bland County 35-7
Last meeting
2009 – Fort Chiswell won 31-8
Last Galax win
2007 (18-0)
Common opponents
lost to Galax 45-0 Aug. 27
lost to Fort Chiswell 42-7 Sept. 10
The series (since 1970)
1984–Galax 12-0
1985–Galax 34-8
1986–Galax 7-6
1987–Ft. Chiswell 6-3 (ot)
1988–Ft. Chiswell 22-20
1989–Ft. Chiswell 21-7
1990–Ft. Chiswell 27-12
1991–Galax 14-7
1992–Galax 15-0
1993–Fort Chiswell 19-10
1994–Ft. Chiswell 29-15
1995–Ft. Chiswell 28-7
1996–Ft. Chiswell 25-6
1997–Ft. Chiswell 35-6
1998–Galax 25-13
1999–Galax 41-20
2000–Ft. Chiswell 29-6
2001–Galax 49-16
2002–Galax 56-41
2003–Ft. Chiswell 42-14
2004–Ft. Chiswell 28-23
2006–Ft. Chiswell 33-30
2005–Galax 22-16
2007–Galax 18-0
2008–Ft. Chiswell 47-6
2009–Ft. Chiswell 31-8
Fort Chiswell leads 15-11
The season
Fort Chiswell Galax
D Rural Retreat 41-19 8/27 D Northwood 45-0
D Auburn 41-0 9/3 D Alleghany, N.C. 35-0
D Northwood 42-7 9/10 L to EastMont 38-26
L to Chilhowie 35-7 9/17 L to Radford 27-21
D Floyd Co. 22-21 9/24 D Craig County 30-21
D George Wythe 16-14 10/1 Open
D Bland Co. 35-7 10/8 D Grayson Co. 23-14
Galax 10/15 at Fort Chiswell
Narrows 10/22 at Covington
Open 10/29 Bland County
Grayson County 11/3 at Narrows
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It's an omnibus series about four different couples living together in one apartment complex. Oh Do Si who's a voice actor and Ryu Du Ri who's a reviewer who runs a blog play the main couple in their 30s, who've been living together for two years. Choi Jin Nye and Jung Young Joon are couple that's twelve years apart in age. She's a penny-pincher who basically supports her younger boyfriend, and he's a musician who carries a guitar but doesn't know how to play it. Ha Seoul Eun and Park Hwan Jong are a 20-something couple that just moved in together. She's the type of woman who doesn't want her boyfriend to know that she isn't the perfect embodiment of femininity, and works tirelessly to keep up the illusion. Lee Joon Jae is a loner who prefers to stay at home, but is forced to get a roommate for financial reasons. Takuya is the new roommate, a young man from Japan who's on a trip around the world.
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Yolo County Real EstateCommunities within Yolo County
Located just west of Sacramento, Yolo County boasts all the perks of its extreme proximity to the capitol as well as being that much closer to the Bay Area. The rural county does boast its own appeal and amenities, however, and is home to Raley Stadium and the River Cats, U.C. Davis, its own wine country, and a plethora of agricultural and culinary offerings.
The county is comprised of bountiful farmland and fields surrounding quaint towns full of charm and history. Its main hubs include West Sacramento, Woodland, Winters, and Davis, home of the nation's best farmers markets and one of the top ten public universities in the U.S. The campus features the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and a 100-acre arboretum. It's also rated number one in both veterinary medicine and agriculture.
Yolo County communities have retained their quaint and off-the-beaten path allure while simultaneously cultivating cultural and environmentally friendly ways of life. Bike paths were carefully planned to connect neighborhoods and towns and local farmers were the pioneers of the farm-to-fork movement. Food celebrations, farmers markets, and produce stands are commonplace throughout the county, while gourmet dining, wineries, and breweries are on the rise. On the art front there are numerous galleries, art walks, and theatre companies.
Both Interstate 80 and Highway 5 traverse Yolo County, giving residents easy access to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and beyond.
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My favorite interior last week featured in Matchbook Magazine's latest issue, was the beautiful home of Bailey and Pete McCarthy. After briefly living in Chicago and Austin, the husband and wife interior design team behind Biscuit Home and the Peppermint Bliss blog settled in Houston. For the home's design, the couple incorporated items they've been collecting as they moved from city to city. Their curated look is inviting, multi-layered and has a wonderful mix of period styles.
I will say I have never considered my style fearless. My style has evolved over the years and I think it has gotten better and more refined, but it really is just my style. I am flattered that people like it but I am always a little amused when the work is called "fearless"- like maybe I should be afraid of putting it out there because it is testing the boundaries of good taste? Whoopsies. – Bailey McCarthy
Head to Matchbook Magazine to read the interview and see more inspiring images of this darling home!
Photo credit: Emily Anderson


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Words can't express our thanks and appreciation for our great neighbors, the Rogers' family, the Worford family for helping us open our road. We all worked together to clear eight to 10 downed trees on Flatrock and Mt. Glead Roads. A big thanks to the Shelby Rural Electric men, who worked endlessly to get our light lines back up and running. Neighbors and friends like Shelby Rural Electric, working together, in the time of need gives us all hope for the future.
Wendell and Barbara Parks
New Castle
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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Florida Travel Agency Subjected Women to Verbal and Physical Abuse and Disrespect, Manager Fired for Complaining, Federal Agency Charged
TAMPA, Fla. - A federal jury has returned a unanimous verdict awarding a total of $20,251,963 to eight former employees of Four Amigos Travel, Inc. and Top Dog Travel, Inc., a former Florida vacation agency with offices in Largo, Orlando and Lake Lauderdale, Fla., who suffered sexual harassment and retaliation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.
According to the EEOC's suit, travel agency owner Ronald Schlom and male managers working at Four Amigos / Top Dog's Largo facility subjected a class of female employees to egregious sexual harassment on a daily basis. The abuse included unwanted sexual advances, physical touching and repeated propositions for sex in a work environment filled with sexual banter, abuse of power and outright disrespect for women. Further, the EEOC said, the company fired a manager for bringing forth the victims' complaints. Members of the class of victims, as well as the three intervenors, testified as to how the hostile work environment affected their lives.
Sexual harassment and retaliation for complaining about it violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The case was tried by EEOC Senior Trial Attorneys Gregory L. McClinton and Aarrin B. Golson.
On April 30 the jury returned a unanimous verdict awarding $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages to five former employees. The court also awarded them $99,876 in back pay. The jury also awarded two former female employees, Anne Patricia Matacchiero and Lisamarie Huskey-Egan, along with former manager Brian Egan, $1.25 million in compensatory damages and $6 million in punitive damages. The court awarded these three employees an additional $402,087 in back pay. Matacchiero, Huskey-Egan and Mr. Egan intervened in the EEOC's suit.
The trial was limited to damages as the corporate defendants defaulted and presented no defense or evidence at the hearing. The EEOC's verdicts on behalf of the female class members have been reduced to the $200,000 caps on compensatory non-economic and punitive damages under Title VII. The court has also reserved jurisdiction to hear requests for injunctive relief from the EEOC.
"This was a long journey for these women who were forced to work under unspeakable conditions at this workplace," said Gregory Lee McClinton, the EEOC's lead attorney in the case. "Their testimony about how the sexual harassment occurred and how it affected their lives was very powerful."
Preventing workplace harassment through systemic litigation and investigation is one of the six national priorities identified by the Commission's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). Eliminating practices that prohibit individuals from exercising their rights under employment discrimination statutes is another one of six national priorities.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.


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Vaccinium vitis-idaea (lingonberry or cowberry) is a short evergreen shrub in the heath family that bears edible fruit, native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. Lingonberries are a staple in Northern Fennoscandia, picked in the wild and used to accompany a variety of dishes.[2] Commercial cultivation is undertaken in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.[3]
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is most commonly known in English as lingonberry or cowberry.[4][5][6][7] The name lingonberry originates from the Swedish name lingon for the species, and is derived from the Norse lyngr, or heather.
The genus name Vaccinium is a classical Latin name for a plant, possibly the bilberry or hyacinth, and may be derived from the Latin bacca, berry.[8][9] The specific name is derived from Latin vitis ("vine") and idaea, the feminine form of idaeus (literally "from Mount Ida", used in reference to raspberries Rubus idaeus).[10][11]
There are at least 25 other common English names of Vaccinium vitis-idaea worldwide, including:[4]
Vaccinium vitis-idaea spreads by underground stems to form dense clonal colonies. Slender and brittle roots grow from the underground stems. The stems are rounded in cross-section and grow from 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 in) in height. Leaves grow alternately and are oval, 5–30 mm (0.2–1.2 in) long, with a slightly wavy margin, and sometimes with a notched tip.
The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pale pink, 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long, and produced in the early summer.
The fruit is a red berry 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) across, with an acidic taste, ripening in late summer to autumn.[6][13]
Vaccinium vitis-idaea keeps its leaves all winter even in the coldest years, unusual for a broad-leaved plant, though in its natural habitat it is usually protected from severe cold by snow cover. It is extremely hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as −40 °C (−40 °F) or lower, but grows poorly where summers are hot. It prefers some shade (as from a forest canopy) and constantly moist, acidic soil. Nutrient-poor soils are tolerated but not alkaline soils.
There are two regional varieties or subspecies of V. vitis-idaea, one in Eurasia and one in North America, differing in leaf size:
Lingonberry has been commercially cultivated in the Netherlands and other countries since the 1960s. Empress Elizabeth ordered lingonberry to be planted all over Peterhof in 1745.[14]
In cultivation in the United Kingdom, the Koralle Group has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[15]
The berries collected in the wild are a popular fruit in northern, central and eastern Europe, notably in Nordic countries, the Baltic states, central and northern Europe. In some areas, they can legally be picked on both public and private lands in accordance with the freedom to roam.
The berries are quite tart, so they are often cooked and sweetened before eating in the form of lingonberry jam, compote, juice, smoothie or syrup. The raw fruits are also frequently simply mashed with sugar, which preserves most of their nutrients and taste. This mix can be stored at room temperature in closed but not necessarily sealed containers, but in this condition, they are best preserved frozen. Fruit served this way or as compote often accompany game and liver dishes. In Sweden and Norway, reindeer and elk steak is traditionally served with gravy and lingonberry sauce. Preserved fruit is commonly eaten with meatballs, potato pancakes. A traditional Swedish dessert is lingonpäron (literally lingonberry pears), consisting of fresh pears which are peeled and boiled in lingondricka (lingonberry squash) and then preserved in the pear-infused lingonberry squash and commonly eaten during Christmas. This was very common in old times, because it was an easy and tasty way to preserve pears. In Sweden and Russia, when sugar was still a luxury item, the berries were usually preserved simply by putting them whole into bottles of water. This was known as vattlingon (watered lingonberries); the procedure preserved them until next season. This was also a home remedy against scurvy. This traditional Russian soft drink, known as "lingonberry water", is mentioned by Alexander Pushkin in Eugene Onegin. In Russian folk medicine, lingonberry water was used as a mild laxative. A traditional Finnish dish is sautéed reindeer (poronkäristys) with mashed potatoes and lingonberries, either cooked or raw with sugar. In Finland, a porridge made from the fruit is also popular. In Poland, the berries are often mixed with pears to create a sauce served with poultry or game. The berries can also be used to replace redcurrants when creating Cumberland sauce to give it a more sophisticated taste.
The berries are also popular as a wild picked fruit in Eastern Canada, for example in Newfoundland and Labrador and Cape Breton, where they are locally known as partridgeberries or redberries, and on the mainland of Nova Scotia, where they are known as foxberries. In this region they are incorporated into jams, syrups, and baked goods, such as pies, scones, and muffins.
Lingonberries are a staple food in Sweden. They are often sold as jam and juice, and as a key ingredient in dishes. They are used to make Lillehammer berry liqueur; and, in East European countries, lingonberry vodka is sold.
The berries are an important food for bears and foxes, and many fruit-eating birds. Caterpillars of the case-bearer moths Coleophora glitzella, Coleophora idaeella and Coleophora vitisella are obligate feeders on V. vitis-idaea leaves.
The berries contain plentiful vitamin C, vitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.[16] In addition to these nutrients, they also contain phytochemicals that are thought to counteract urinary-tract infections, and the seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
In folk medicine, V. vitis-idaea has been used as an apéritif, astringent, antihemorrhagic, anti-debilitive, depurative, antiseptic (especially for the urethra), a diuretic, a tonic for the nervous system, and in various ways to treat breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, and various urogenital conditions.[17] In traditional Austrian medicine the fruits have been administrated internally as jelly or syrup for treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and urinary tract, and fever.[18]
Vaccinium vitis-idaea differs from the similar cranberries in having white flowers with petals partially enclosing the stamens and stigma, rather than pink flowers with petals reflexed backwards, and rounder, less pear-shaped berries.
Hybrids between Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Vaccinium myrtillus, named Vaccinium × intermedium Ruthe, are occasionally found in Europe.[6]
Erica, Ericoideae, Rhododendron, Alternative medicine, Antarctica
Extinction, Threatened species, Canada, IUCN Red List, Conservation biology
Sweden, Wales, Commons, Property, Game theory
Meat, Alaska, Alaskan Athabaskans, Berry, United States
Wheat, Porridge, Sweden, Food, Finland
Coleophoridae, Russia, Italy, Romania, Biological classification
Mitchella repens, Gaultheria procumbens, Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Vaccinium, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium uliginosum


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Change (on Climate Change) We Can Believe In?
|Obama prepares for climate change action in his second term
|Related Posts
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|On Climate and Human Change - What Hurricane Sandy Tells Us
|Read More
Superstorm Sandy helped catapult climate change onto the national agenda. (Pete Souza // The White House)
Following the call to action and sweeping plan of attack offered by President Obama during his second inaugural address last month and State of the Union this week, it is clear that he has made climate change a priority in his second term. From outlining the need to increase renewable energy research and installations to setting an ambitious goal of improving efficiency in homes and businesses by 50 percent over the next twenty years, President Obama's wide-reaching plan has the potential to once again make the United States a global leader in environmental action.
While President Obama's renewed commitment to address climate change has raised hopes, it is important to review the successes and failures of his last four years in order to set realistic expectations for what is possible during his second term.
Early during his first term, the United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen presented President Obama with a major international opportunity to demonstrate how his Administration would differ from the previous eight years of the United States playing foil to international environmental cooperation during the Bush Era. The Obama Administration did not rise to the challenge, instead offering minor concessions while continuing to push for stalling the negotiations until 2015 and beyond, effectively deferring the responsibility for an international treaty to the next Presidential term.
Domestically, Obama's environmental track record fared somewhat better. The Administration has advanced environmental protection by increasing vehicle mileage standards, expanding protected areas, strengthening air quality standards, and raising federal investment in clean energy to the highest levels in US history. On the other hand, the Obama Administration failed to oversee comprehensive climate legislation, and has drawn out the decision on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
Of course, there are some extenuating circumstances that Obama faced in his first term that made success more difficult to achieve. While a lack of political readiness or will to move may be to blame for the Administration's lack of forward progress at international negotiations, domestically the Obama team's success was tempered by a divided Congress, the prolonged economic depression, and a desire to remain an appealing candidate throughout a hotly contested re-election.
But with pressing economic and social issues and an arguably more partisan divide in Congress continuing to present barriers similar to those in the first term, why should we believe that success on environmental action in Obama's second term will be any different?
For starters, the President has already demonstrated that he is not afraid to bypass Congress this term, especially in achieving his ambitious social policy reform agenda. In his State of the Union address, President Obama urged the joint houses of Congress to once again pursue a market-based solution to climate change, but affirmed, "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will." Sending a strong message, this call to action indicates that the Environmental Protection Agency will finalize carbon emission standards from new power plants and move forward to establish emission limits from existing power plants, regardless of action from Congress.
With new momentum for environmental action at the start of his second term, President Obama has filled several positions in his Administration with appointees well known for their leadership on environmental issues. By bringing in Dennis McDonough, an advocate of urgency in tackling climate change, as Chief of Staff, and nominating Sally Jewell, former CEO of REI and outspoken conservation advocate, as Secretary of Interior, President Obama demonstrated his commitment to addressing environmental challenges this term. Notably, President Obama chose John Kerry, who as a Senator sponsored a comprehensive climate bill, as Secretary of State – a position that will place him in charge of international climate negotiations and make him instrumental in the decision on the Keystone XL pipeline.
Additionally, President Obama made a point of linking environmental action with other priorities of his second term. The President could not have been clearer about the role that environmental action will play in continuing the long path out of the recession, explaining to Congress that "we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth." And when President Obama addressed the need to improve our national infrastructure, he did so through the lens of creating climate-resilient infrastructure, integrating environmental action into the solutions our nation's problems need.
Finally, increasingly stranger and more powerful weather patterns, such as the superstorms, droughts and wildfires that caused billions of dollars of damage across the US, are helping to contribute to a rise in public awareness and interest in taking climate action, presenting a unique window of opportunity for the President to act. As the evidence continues to stack up and point towards the need for increasingly immediate action to stall global emissions, and as citizens become more and more vocal in their support for action, President Obama is gaining the momentum needed to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
In what is perhaps the best demonstration of the public's increasing support for environmental action and the increasing pressure on the Obama Administration to fulfill its environmental promises, thousands of activists are expected to descend on Washington, D.C. this weekend for the latest rally against the Keystone XL pipeline. President Obama's decision on the pipeline will be one of the first tests of his seemingly renewed environmental resolve, signaling whether he is truly committed to transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence. With no shortage of environmental issues to address in the next four years – from the path to energy security, to the call to end fossil fuel subsidies and the need for a serious U.S. proposal for an international climate treaty – the Keystone XL decision will set the tone for the rest of his time in office, either confirming or undermining the President's promise to take environmental action.
Spencer Fields is a research intern with the Climate & Energy Program at the Worldwatch Institute.


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Apple opened a new retail store in Palo Alto at the end of October.
With Italian stone floors, a huge glass ceiling and entrance, it's a typically gorgeous Apple store.
There's just one tiny problem. It's "unpleasantly, almost unbearably noisy," according to Jean-Louis Gassee, a technology industry veteran who lives in Palo Alto.
The problem is that Apple's glass and concrete can't absorb sound. Therefore the conversations of dozens of people rattles around the space creating a terrible din.
Gassee measured the sound in the store, and found it to be at 75 dB. He stepped out on the street and measured the noise of traffic, and found it was 65 dB. And this was on a quiet day in the store. When he visited the store on the day of the iPad Mini launch, he said it was even noisier.
However, Gizmodo writer Mario Aguilar thinks Gassee might be making too big a deal of the noise. He says the average conversation registers at 65 dB. And city traffic tends to register at 85 dB. A toilet flush registers at 75 dB, says Aguilar, who burns Gassee and the good folks of Palo Alto saying, "Indeed, 75 dB is probably only a big deal for library-loving nerds from Stanford."
Still, Gassee spotted a device for measuring the sound pressure in the store. So, it looks like Apple is at least somewhat concerned that its beautiful store in the heart of Silicon Valley is too noisy.


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The TrueBlue Society recognizes Middlebury's most loyal donors—those who make a gift to Middlebury every year. Whether a gift is $10 or $10,000, consistent support is a measure of alumni satisfaction, an important factor when foundations and corporations are considering Middlebury grant requests.
Society members have made a gift to the College for the past three consecutive years or more.
The extraordinary education each Middlebury student receives is made possible with the support of our TrueBlue alumni. Year after year, gifts from True Blue donors not only sustain Middlebury but help it to thrive.