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Race Spotters - Spotter Tech
Some Tips on Spotting for Your Team
There is an art to spotting for a racecar and to be good takes a lot of observation and knowledge of what the driver needs. A spotter is just like a co-pilot in an airplane, in my opinion. In many cases, the spotter should be able to "fly" the car if need be, or have the kind of experience and knowledge needed to do that.
We talked to Shawn Reutimann, cousin and spotter for former short track and current Sprint Cup driver David Reutimann, to get some of his ideas. He gave us a measure of validation for my own ideas as well as some insider tips. He has been spotting for David for over fifteen years and has some valuable insight into the responsibility.
I have spotted for stock cars and road racing cars. I have been watching and listening in on teams' live race communications in all divisions including short track and NASCAR Cup races for as long as there have been radios. When I was a teenager growing up in Daytona, I was at every race watching the cars and the moves drivers made. I saw when they got good information from the spotter and I saw when they did not.
In the past few years, I have spotted in the Grand Am 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, doing 18 hours in 2006 and 16 hours this past January. I have spotted for veteran Bobby Labonte and Michael McDowell, the up-and-coming Sprint Cup driver. I have my style and others have their style. The best style is the one the driver likes.
I know when I am on my game and when I am slacking off. When on, the drivers know it, and although I get very little feedback when it is good, the drivers always want to make sure I am with them. When I find myself drifting off (after four or five hours in the rain) I snap back to it and remember why I am there.
From all of that, I formed some opinions as to what a driver needs and what the spotter should know in order to do a better job of spotting and keeping the car out of trouble. I offer some of my thoughts on the subject, keeping in mind I don't even begin to think I know it all, I just have some thoughts that might relate.
In order for a person to do a good job at spotting, they need to get educated about racing first. They need to watch a great deal of racing with the object of seeing how drivers work the traffic and how they react to traffic working them. Shawn told me, "a spotter should have a good knowledge of racing as well as good eyesight." Growing up with David, he learned what his driver wants to hear and what he doesn't.
If possible, early on, listen in on spotter/driver communications and get a feel for what sounds right and what makes sense. As a boy, I remember watching races and trying to figure out who was fast and how they worked to pass other cars. I could pick out a crash a good two or three laps ahead of time by observing a conflict early on. I would tell my buddies, watch the number so and so cars, it's fixing to get ugly. Sure enough, nine times out of ten, they would get into each other and the crash was on.
Back in the '60s, radios were not used and the driver was on his own. Conflicts between drivers happened a lot of time because a driver cut off another car for a lack of knowledge about the spacing between them, not on purpose. With the advent of radios, we now see much cleaner racing with fewer missteps.
Draw on your past experience gained just from watching races. How many times have you said to yourself, man that guy needed just a little help from the spotter and that wouldn't have happened?
Once you have taken on the role of spotter, do a lot of practice before an actual race. Work with the driver in testing and practice sessions. Get to know how much information he wants and needs from his perspective. It doesn't matter what you think, although you can offer suggestions. In the end, it is what the driver feels comfortable with.
You will inevitably need to do your first race. This trial by fire is the fastest way to learn. I remember having never spotted before and being asked to help a Dash team from back home at Martinsville. How hard could it be? Afterwards, I realized that I knew nothing about this art and I got informed in a hurry in case that happened again.
You develop your communication style around what the driver needs and likes. Some drivers need a lot of talk to help keep focused and others may be distracted by a lot of verbiage from the spotter. You need to know how your driver reacts to communication and what kind is tolerable.
In the case of Shawn and David Reutimann, being family is important to the chemistry of their driver/spotter relationship. "A big plus is having a personal relationship with the driver. David and my relationship is really great and has grown over the past fifteen years. He knows that I know what he wants to hear and that generates a lot of confidence," says Shawn. He thinks that the best spotter is one who is a good friend, a relative (Ryan Newman's spotter is his dad), a former crew chief or driver, or anyone with an extensive racing background.
For an example, most drivers do not want or need for you to tell them how to drive. In special cases when the spotter is the crew chief, dad, car owner or a consultant that is there to help improve the driver and/or team, moving the driver up going into the corner or telling them about other mistakes is acceptable. But be diplomatic. You are dealing with, in many cases, large egos.
And you can always tell a driver when he is doing great. "Nice way to work that traffic" and "good clean pass, way to go..." are typical accepted ways to help the driver know when someone is paying attention to their smart moves. They really appreciate being rewarded with kind words, just like the rest of us.
Keep your communication short and to the point. "Clear high" tells the driver he is okay to move up off the turn after passing on the inside and "fast car coming, two behind" means that a faster car is moving up to overtake and how far behind it is. The closing rate can be told by starting with "five back," then "four back," etc. The driver gets a feel for when to expect a challenge and can drive his line until it is time to fight or move over.
Get used to the radio and how quickly it keys up. One of the most annoying problems with race radio communication is when you key up and talk at the same time. Words at the beginning of the transmission get cut off if you don't wait a second before talking. If a situation is coming, key up several seconds before being required to speak. If it is a continuing situation, keep the microphone keyed up the entire time you are with the situation.
Work with the driver to define the terminology to be used. "Clear low" and "clear inside" mean the same thing. On a flat track, "clear low" doesn't make as much sense as "clear inside." A simple "inside" or "outside" will usually suffice unless the radio is not clear. A longer sentence may be understood more easily, like "you've got a car looking inside...he's inside your quarter...half way inside...at your door..."
The driver needs the following from the spotter:
- Help in lining up before a race. Tell the driver if he is out of his appointed starting position or if he needs to move back to allow another car to get to their position.
- Knowledge of when to expect the green flag. "Green next time by" or "one lap to go, be ready for the green" are ways to alert the driver to the start of the race.
- Notice for caution lights. Announce caution lights, or impending cautions and hazardous track conditions.
- The proximity of crashes and where to go. If you feel the driver needs the information, tell him where it is clear. Never, never talk while the driver is upon a sudden situation and can see well enough to make his own decision.
- Communication with the officials. The restart lineup may be relayed to the spotter for use in letting the driver know where to position himself after a caution. Penalties and warnings are other instructions the official may ask the spotter to relay.
- Clearance all around the car. Let the driver know when it is clear all around so he can run his line.
- Who is closing and how fast. If a faster car is closing, let the driver know so he can be prepared. If for position, the driver can judge if he needs to be aggressive or allow the other driver to pass. If you know you are holding up a car half way through a long race, it is wise to let the car go. Later on the situation may reverse itself. The car that was faster twenty laps ago might have worn his stuff out and is now backing up to you. If you are considerate, chances are he will return the favor. If you blocked him, get ready for a long delay.
- If there are slow cars ahead. Notice about slow cars on the track can help avoid trouble, especially when your car is involved in a race for position with another car.
- Information about the car. You might be able to spot trouble with the car before the driver or crew notices anything. Your vantage point is usually high, and you can see all or most of the track. If you see tire smoke or a sudden push developing, let someone know.
- Laps run and laps remaining. Let the driver know when the half way point has come, when there are ten to go or if it will be a green, white, checker at the end after a late caution.
- Lap times vs. leader. Some drivers need lap time information to judge how they are doing against the leader. If they are the leader, they might want the gap between them and second place called out. If your car is faster and is pulling away, it might be prudent to take it a little easy and sand bag to avoid unwanted scrutiny.
- Moral support and encouragement. Offer support to the driver, especially during long cautions. Tell him what he did right and possibly what might make the run better.
- Directions to victory lane. In all of the confusion of winning, the driver might get disoriented burning all of those donuts and lose track of where Victory Lane is located. Help him along while you enjoy a mutual win.
Every driver is different when it comes to their personalities and thinking processes. You need to get to know your drivers way of thinking. Does he need encouragement or does he need to be restrained?
The spotter may be in a position, depending on their relationship with the driver, to manipulate their mood and strategy if needed. After an inadvertent spin or bad start, you need to reinforce the fact that it is over and we need to move on with the rest of the race. You might hear, "did you see what that guy did?" or "wait til' I get to his bumper, I'm gonna pay him back big time..." In these cases, do what you can to calm the driver down and encourage him to see the big picture. "Hey, I don't think he knew you were there," or "that's okay, we can make it up, let's get ready for the green..."
Never, ever encourage a response to an incident. It is your job to remain calm and to direct information that has a positive affect on the outcome of the race for your team. If you can't do that, then you don't need to be in that position.
Before the season and/or before a particular race, do some pre-planning with the driver and crew chief about strategies and alternatives in the event certain things take place. For example, some teams choose to pit during an early caution in a longer race that requires a stop, so that when the rest of the field pits, they will be at the front for the final stint.
This only works well if you have gotten behind due to a spin or flat tire that put you to the rear and you need to get back up front. The drawback to this is that the late pitting teams will have fresher tires (if everyone puts on new rubber) and be faster.
Pre-plan contingencies such as what to do if a caution comes out and you need to make an adjustment. The spotter must, in most cases, eye the pit entrance to make sure pit road is open. He must also tell the crew what is happening with the car so they can be ready. And, he has to keep track of the pace car's location and relay that to the team so they don't go a lap down.
A flat tire going into Turn 1 may not get noticed by the crew, so the spotter can relay the situation to the crew so they will be ready. The driver may say, "I've got a tire going down," but not know which one. The spotter may be able to eye which tire it is so the crew can have the correct size and pressured tire for that corner ready.
On the restart, if the car behind is laying back and making a run at your first place position, tell the driver so he can make him lift and brake, then say "go, go, go" once the car behind has committed to lifting. Oh, the possibilities.
Spot like you are in the seat beside the driver. In my spotting for road racing, I had a great time. The Daytona Prototype cars run with the GT class that are a bit slower, so that there is always overtaking of these cars. At times you are clearing your driver so he can move over to set up for the next turn.
You are letting him know that ahead is a very slow car. This is important because the closing rate may be too quick for the faster car to avoid a collision. This holds true for circle track racing, too. If you are side-by-side with someone racing for position, you need to know about a slow car on the inside so you can, a) crowd the other car to make him lift if you are on the outside, or b) move the other car over enough to get by the slower car if you are on the inside.
Know that you must "feel" when the driver needs to be cleared, just like if you where driving. Never clear too early, but don't hesitate either. Know when a driver needs the information and what information he needs. When your driver is passing a slower car on the outside down the straightaway, he needs to know exactly when he is clear so he can either take the normal line into the corner or stay up. It's either one or the other and if the information is delayed, he may lose valuable time if he could have taken the low line.
In this case, by all means, key the mic early and as soon as clear happens, say "clear." If it happens to be a sudden announcement, I usually say two words, "you're clear," so that if I cut off the first word, "clear" comes through.
There are a few advanced techniques you can develop and use when spotting. When you get comfortable, you can begin to look well ahead and watch other cars at times when your car is all clear. Let the driver know every time he is all clear. That gives him a chance to relax his guard a little until he reaches new traffic to reduce fatigue.
Watch for future conflicts developing and if need be, alert the driver to them. If two cars get to racing side by side up ahead, they may be slowing down and this may be an opportunity to be alert to an opportunity to pass both cars if they were to get together and move up the track.
Be on the alert for caution situations, not necessarily waiting for the caution to come out. If an obvious caution situation develops, tell the driver immediately so he does not get into it. The flagman may be looking in another direction, as often happens, and the actual caution may come out too late for your car to avoid a problem.
If a car blows a motor, tell the driver to "stay high in 3 and 4, oil on the track," so he doesn't go flying in there and then slide into the wall. This kind of knowledge is a bit advanced and only veteran spotters, like Reutimann, are good at it, but it will drastically help your racing program if you can develop a holistic approach to your spotting duties.
Good driver/spotter relationships often are a significant part of winning a championship. The longer you work together, the better it gets. Talk to other veteran spotters and let them help you to get better. These guys are going to be beside you at every race, and a sort of camaraderie can develop in many cases. Good luck and speak clearly.


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Jason KingSports Anchor
Jason King is the Weekend Sports Anchor and Weekday Sports Reporter at WMUR-TV. He joined the WMUR sports team in August of 1997 and has enjoyed covering Granite State sports ever since.
Aside from promoting local high school and college athletes, Jason has also covered several major sports stories for WMUR, including the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series titles, all three Super Bowl runs by the Patriots, as well as the Celtics and Bruins championship seasons. He cites the final NFL game ever played at the old Foxboro Stadium, the "snow bowl" playoff game between the Raiders and Patriots, as his most memorable event to date.
Jason has been recognized several times by the Associated Press and NH Association Of Broadcasters for his work in the Channel 9 sports department. He is an active member of his community and serves on the Franklin Pierce University Sports Management Advisory Board.
Jason grew up in Merrimack, and graduated from Merrimack High School, where he served as captain of the football team and also played baseball & basketball. He then attended Syracuse University and the University of New Hampshire before graduating with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Communication from Rivier College.
In his spare time, Jason enjoys coaching football, watching movies and spending time with his wife, Nancy, and their four children, Tyler, Jackson, Kathryn, & Meghan.
Follow Jason on...

subset: commoncrawl


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Jack received the Scouter's Key, Award of Merit, and the Silver Beaver. He earned the adult Religious Award, and was a Vigil Honor member of Order of the Arrow.
Jack served in many leadership positions at the troop, district, and council level. A small sample of these include serving as the Committee Chairperson for Troop 288, District Commissioner for Great Frontier District, and Advancement Chairperson for North Star District. Additionally, Jack directed the council's Sharing Native American Ways Seminar for many years.
Jack saw combat in Europe while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was called back for service during the Korean War. Prior to his retirement, he worked as an engineer for the Corps of Engineers.
Jack served on the Bartle Camp Staff for many years. Staff positions held include Sawmill Camp Director, Lone Star Camp Director, Mic-O-Say Advisor, and Reservation Commissioner.
Jack received the Silver Coup in 1992, became the Directing Medicine Man in 1995, and the Senior Medicine Man in 1998.


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Movies and TV are a dream world, and I get that. But lately, the trend has been gritty, hyperrealism–take the hungry, dirty cast of The Walking Dead and the depressing personal lives of everyone on Mad Men, for example. Everything about modern movies and shows is as real as possible…but damn, do they still forget some important details. Such as…
- Periods. Yeah, people, I'm going there. Sometimes–usually about once a month–girls have some "lady business" going on. And for those of you who don't know, it's not a one-day affair. I am really not sure how all the women of The Walking Dead are coping without tampons. And if you're saying, "Oh, they have some but they just don't show it," bullpuckey. They made a whole episode about getting baby formula, so don't tell me one of those girls isn't in need of some feminine hygiene products. And Lost is even worse. There is NO WAY they were getting pads from anywhere, but nobody breathes a word about that.
- Haircuts. See above–how the fuck is anyone in end-of-the-worldia making time for a nice trim with haircutting scissors? Or a straight shave?
- Dead bodies. In a lot of movies and shows where a large number of people die, there are WAY less bodies around than one would expect. Or, said dead bodies are pretty as a peach, since no movie wants to show the beloved main character looking like a bloated beluga whale. Let's get real here–corpses aren't cute.
- Bullet counts. Oh, wow, the main character of EVERY MOVIE EVER has a magical 42-round pistol! Better buy me one of those before it's illegal, ammIright? Count the shots in the next big fight scene you're watching, and I'd bet my bottom dollar the hero is not reloading when his double-barrel shotgun kills 9 people.
- Makeup. Unless the movie is about beauty queens, you're supposed to assume that everyone just looks like that. They show the girl next door lying down peacefully with a full face of makeup, and you're supposed to believe part of her "natural beauty" are eyelash extensions and lipliner. Or said girl will be running through the woods for 6 weeks without food and water, but her eyeshadow is still flawless.
- Clothes. No one in movies or TV shows EVER repeats an outfit. Even characters that aren't supposed to be loaded seem to have a limitless closet. Take Sookie from True Blood–she's a bayou waitress with noooo money and yet she owns more sundresses than a Macy's.
- Sex. I know that showing the two hot-and-heavy leads taking out a condom kind of kills the magic, but damn, people, STDs!
Now, I could go on and on, but I'm in the middle of a movie marathon, so I've gotta go soak up more deliciously flawed entertainment.


text: Find Tennessee - A Guide to Hunting in Natural Beauty Your browser does not support iframes. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is an organization of more than 600 professionals dedicated to the preservation, conservation and enhancement of Tennessee's fish and wildlife. The agency was housed under various state departments until 1949 when it became a separate state agency known as the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission. Reorganized in 1974, the modern Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is funded primarily by sportsmen and plays a major role touching many aspects of everyday life. The agency's operations are directed by a 13-member commission of private citizens appointed by the governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Speaker of the Senate. For more information about Tennessee: http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/ Official State Travel/Tourism Web Site: http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/travel/tourism.html Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/index.html State bird: Mockingbird (Northern Mockingbird) State flower: Iris State fruit: Tomato State natives and residents: Bill Dance - host of Bill Dance Saltwater Stories From Tennessee Fishing : Posted 02-25-2010 Berkley Experience Trailer Headed for Kodak, Tennessee View Comments GET A LICENSE State agencies often require licenses, permits or certifications for a wide range of activities impacting fish, wildlife and boater safety. States work to prevent overcrowding and control the harvest of game on wildlife management areas. The links below will help you find license and permit information, and how to apply. HuntingFishingBoating


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Musica Legal para tus Videos
Many musicians choose to release their songs under Creative Commons licenses, which give you the legal right to do things like use their music in your videos.
What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a new system, built upon current copyright law, that allows you to legally use "some rights reserved" music, movies, images, and other content — all for free. CC offers free copyright licenses that anyone can use (without a lawyer) to mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. For instance, a musician would use a Creative Commons license to allow people to legally share her songs online, make copies for friends, or even use them in videos or other compositions. For more information, visit our Learn More page.
Where can I find CC-licensed music?
Several sites offer music published under Creative Commons' flexible copyright licenses. Here are some:
- ccMixter
- Free Music Archive
- Jamendo
- Magnatune
- Simuze
- BeatPick
- CASH Music
- SectionZ
- Opsound
- Podsafe Audio
- AudioFarm
- Internet Archive's Netlabels Collection
Can I use any song with a CC license on it?
Almost — you need to make sure that what you want to do with the music is OK under the terms of the particular Creative Commons license it's under. CC-licensed music isn't free for all uses, only some — so make sure to check out the terms (you can find these by clicking on each song's license icon).
Most importantly, you need to use music that is not licensed under a No Derivative Works license. This means that the musician doesn't want you to change, transform, or make a derivative work using their music. Under CC licenses, synching the music to images amounts to transforming the music, so you can't legally use a song under a CC No Derivative Works license in your video.
Also, make sure to properly credit the musician and the track, as well as express the CC license the track is under. For example, you might include text like this at the end of your video:
This video features the song "Desaprendere (Treatment)" by fourstones, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.


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And just for good measure, lets have one of Freddy Foreman sending the Staines keeper the wrong way with the perfect penalty shall we (yes, why not - Ed).
After that it's reports on Wealdstone v Lewes in the FA Cup and Weston-Super-Mare v Lewes in the league before we head out to Holland. Don't ever accuse us of being glory hunters here at EFW - In Holland we're going to see three of the bottom four teams in the Eredivisie in action. We love an underdog. Woof woof!
Whilst I'm here, thanks to the thousands of Croatians who have been logging onto EFW this weekend. Evidently, someone posted a link to EFW on a Hadjuk Split website and as such things have gone nuts on the old hits front. Puno hvala my Croatian friends!


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- STOW, OH--Audio-Technica is offering the "Experience More Freedom Rebate" on the following professional wireless systems: 4000 Series, 3000 Series and 2000 Series Wireless Systems, through December 31, 2009. All end-users who purchase these products from an authorized U.S. A-T dealer between October 1 and December 31, 2009, will be eligible for either a $40.00 rebate on the 4000 Series, a $30.00 rebate on the 3000 Series, or a $20.00 rebate on the 2000 Series.
- Audio-Technica's 4000 Series Wireless Systems provide outstanding clarity and versatility for live performance, regional touring, fixed installations and more. Features include 200 selectable UHF channels per band, IntelliScan (which finds and sets the best available frequencies on linked receivers), True Diversity operation and Dual Compander circuitry for unmatched audio quality. The 3000 Series is specially designed for wireless users ready to step up to an advanced system. Features include 200 selectable UHF channels per band, True Diversity operation and an easy-to-read LCD information display. The 2000 Series provides easy setup, clear sound and automatic scanning. All 10 channels are compatible, with no confusing frequency groups. Other features include True Diversity operation and automatic frequency scanning.
- The mail-in rebate form can be found online at audio-technica.com. Claims must be received at Audio-Technica by January 31, 2010, to be valid. Along with the mail-in rebate form, buyers must simply attach the original sales receipts for the Audio-Technica wireless products with the store name, date of purchase, model number and price paid clearly legible, along with the original UPC code cut from the carton of each product purchased.


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An appropriate choice for high-power pedal-assist bikes, the Electrak Armadillo tire also performs amazingly with other bikes that can handle this tire size. The Armadillo construction provides maximum flat protection, while also supporting the entire casing to handle the rigors that these bikes dish out when roaming city streets. The slightly rough, round profile allows for fast riding and ultimate grip, along with smooth transitioning into corners. It's also an excellent choice to install on 29-inch mountain bikes that get plenty of time on city streets and the open road.
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How to compare XML in unit tests
When writing unit tests that compare basic XML I have historically just kept it simple and used string comparison. Granted it's highly error prone and an extra whitespace, tab, or incorrect order can cause the test to fail, but it's quick and when your test is simple enough it's sufficient. The strategy I tend to take when writing code also extends to my unit tests: start simple and improve the code as you go along. So when string comparison works; use it. When your unit test demands more then perhaps you should look at XMLUnit. It's actually quite simple and helps you avoid that nasty feeling you get when you use .equals().
Your first iteration might look something like this. Here you are expecting the method
getResult() to return back
String expectedXml = "<basic/>";
String result = xmlBuilder.getResult();
assertEquals(expectedXml, result);
Now lets say
getResult() returns back
'<basic></basic>'. Now the test will fail even though the XML is equivalent. At first it's tempting to just add another test that expects the new format, and to be honest I seem to recall doing that. But now I have a new tool to use, so here is how you can use XMLUnit to test XML.
First start by adding it as a dependency. If you are a maven2 user add the following to your POM:
Next refactor your unit test to extend
org.custommonkey.xmlunit.XMLTestCase instead of
Finally replace the
assertEquals() with
assertXMLEqual() and that is it. So now your test would look like:
String expectedXml = "<basic/>";
String result = xmlBuilder.getResult();
assertXMLEqual(expectedXml, result);
And would pass for all combinations of
'<basic/>'; such as
'<basic></basic>'. As an additional hint you also might want to turn on ignoring whitespace. To accomplish this insert the following line in your code (I placed it in my constructor) to ignore whitespaces:
Now the other combinations will pass such as:
'<basic> </basic>'.
For more information on XMLUnit see their Java User's Guide.


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- Home
- About
- 目次
- コミュニティ
- サービス
- 検索
- イベント
- 使い方
The ECLAP Timeline is based on a set of tools to solve, browse and navigate on the several kind of dates associated with content. In the performing arts context, each single content may have several different dates associated with. For example, the date of the first performance, those of the other performances, the date of upload on ECLAP, the date of production, the date of publication, the last modification date, etc. The ECLAP Timeline provides a set of tools to resolve, disambiguate, browse and navigate on the several dates associated with content.


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Cool Inside: Hank's Seafood Restaurant
Locals know where to get a great fish dinner—and now you do, too, with recipes from Cool Inside: Hank's Seafood Restaurant cookbook by chef Frank McMahon and Melissa Bigner.
Now in its 13th year of business, Frank McMahon has been more than just a lucky charm for Hank's Seafood Restaurant. Born and raised in Ireland, McMahon has also served as Hank's first and only Executive Chef.
Specializing in serving traditional seafood dishes laced with a special Lowcountry flair, McMahon's flavorful meal options are varied enough to please even the pickiest of palates. Hank's Seafood Restaurant has been the recipient of the "Best Seafood Restaurant" honor by the Charleston City Paper for 12 consecutive years. Hank's also garnered a mention in Esquire as one of America's Best New Restaurants.
McMahon is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, New York, where he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by his graduating class. Before starting work at Hank's, McMahon worked at a few other local Charleston favorites, such as Restaurant Million, McCrady's, and Elliott's. More notably, McMahon also worked at the popular Le Bernardin in New York City and served as sous chef at Opus in Santa Monica.
Lucky for us who maybe aren't as skilled in the kitchen, Chef McMahon has shared more than 100 of his recipes, as well as some interesting tidbits about the history of Hank's in his first cookbook, Cool Inside: Hank's Seafood Restaurant. The book was co-written with Charleston Magazine senior editor, Melissa Bigner, and Peter Frank Edwards is responsible for the many full-length photos in the 256-page book. The book is currently selling for $50 and is available through Wyrick & Company, as well through Barnes & Noble.
Hank's Seafood Restaurant is open for dinner every night starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are not required but recommended, call 843/723-3474 or book online through OpenTable.


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Unlike "consumer-grade" wireless 3G/4G routers and stand-alone cellular modems,
Proxicast 3G/4G (LTE, HSPA+) routers are specifically designed to work with RTUs, PLCs, data loggers, video & web cams, controllers, industrial computers, and digital signage, as well as PCs and laptops.
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Leighton Meester's talents don't just end at playing "Gossip Girl's" Blair Waldorf. The actress debuted a new single, "Somebody To Love," featuring Robin Thicke on Tuesday.
Leighton has already proved she has vocal chops thanks to her part on the Cobra Starship song, "Good Girls Go Bad," and she's back with another potential hit.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Gossip Girl's' Queen B — Leighton Meester
"Well, I couldn't say the 'f' word, so somebody to love is like a good [compromise.]," Leighton told Ryan Seacrest on Tuesday for his "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" radio show. "I'm just kidding!"
Leighton first recorded the song solo and then enlisted the help of Robin – who she says she's "obsessed" with vocally.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Gossip' Guy Chace Crawford
"I really wanted to make something completely different than anything that's on the radio right now," she explained. "I feel like it's really dancey and fun, but it's still laid-back, relaxed and moody and sexy."
And the song is inspired by her own life.
"It's defiantly about what's going on in my life," she told Ryan. "You're crazy, you're busy, you're young, you're running around, and it's really hard to find somebody to love… People love you but you don't really love them."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Blake Lively: From Hollywood To The Upper East Side!
Leighton said she's hoping her debut album will drop before the end of the year.
CLICK HERE to listen to Leighton Meester's "Somebody To Love," and tell us what you think in our comments section below!
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Tyra Banks Fired Up For 'Gossip Girl'
PLAY IT NOW: Chace Crawford Talks 'Footloose' Remake, 'Gossip Girl' & More
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Leighton Meester - Gossip Girl - TV - CW - Music


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Moms make it all happen: one Mother's Day per year simply isn't enough to celebrate all their hard work! That's why it's so important to ensure that all
moms are empowered and supported to reach their personal breastfeeding goals.
The United States Breastfeeding Committee is a nonprofit coalition of nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations
working together to "advance breastfeeding on our Nation's agenda through Collaboration, Leadership, and Advocacy." Join our work to make a difference for our Nation's families: www.usbreastfeeding.org/signup. In the words of Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, "Everyone can help make breastfeeding easier."
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17 Feb Julie Samuels, Ray Oldhafer, and Deaf Frat Guy
[download_link link="http://serve.castfire.com/audio/2083438/2014-02-18acs_2014-02-17-231138.64k.mp3?ad_params=zones%3DPreroll%2CPreroll2%2CMidroll%2CMidroll2%2CMidroll3%2CMidroll4%2CMidroll5%2CMidroll6%2CPostroll%2CPostroll2%7Cstation_id%3D1726″ target="blank"]DOWNLOAD HERE[/download_link]
Show Summary
Adam opens the show with a follow up to the abundance of zit cream he now has and doesn't want. He also complains about having to get up early this morning and drive across town while everyone else enjoyed President's Day. Adam then rants about deep-dish pizza and talks with his buddy Ray Oldhafer about this week's home improvement tip. After that, Deaf Frat Guy calls in for a round of JV or All Balls.
After the break, Adam takes a call from Julie Samuels. Julie informs the group about the latest updates in the battle against patent trolls, and explains why they are getting in the way of important advancements and growing businesses. Alison then opens the news discussing the Ethiopian man who hijacked a plane to steer it toward asylum. They also discuss Zimmerman's PTSD, Ellen Page coming out of the closet, and the latest efforts to curb runaway productions in Los Angeles. As the show wraps up, Alison talks about the phenomenon of Flappy Bird.
For more information, visit http://trollingeffects.org
You can also follow on Twitter @JuliePSamuels, @RayOldhafer, and @DeafFratGuy
Superfan Sidebar
Click Here for Superfan Giovanni's recap and commentary on today's episode.
For more, go to AdamCarolla.com/Gio.
Show Credits
Producers: Mike August, Mike Lynch, and Mike Dawson
Co-Producers: Gary Smith, Chris Laxamana, Matt Fondiler and Jeff Fox
Newsgirl: Alison Rosen
Sound Effects: Bryan Bishop


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Fayetteville, NC's Nolla Mainor—dancer, band manager, bass guitarist, songwriter, nightclub disc jockey aka "Queen Bee" aka "Queenie", mother, grandmother, and much more—celebrates the big "47" today (do what you will with this number, that's how she gave it to me). Happy birthday! We pay tribute with these pictures of Nolla and friends through the years:
Dancing days.
The Soul Rockers, the first group that Nolla managed, circa the late 1960s. The trio, plus an organ player, cut two Mainor originals "Reach Down And Get It" b/w "Center Of My Heart" for Charles O. Johnson's Rocky Mount-based Goldleaf imprint (No. 010, as Nola [sic] And The Soul Rockers, even though Nolla wasn't on the recording).
Nolla (bottom right) with the Beboppers, the second group that she managed, circa the early 1970s.
October 1975, in the era of the Tempo's Band (post Soul Rockers, post Beboppers). "This Is A Song" b/w "Ease It To Me" (Elvitrue 673, as "Shirlean Williams & The Tempo's Band") had just come out, featuring two more Mainor originals. In addition to holding down the managerial duties, Nolla took up the bass, for the first time playing in one of her groups.
Nolla's Christmas card and picture, 2007.
Posted by Jason at 10:00 AM. Filed under: North Carolina • Fayetteville • Rocky Mount •


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Archive for August 2016
How We Go to War
AS CITIZENS it's vital that we understand the devious but predictable means by which our government gets us into wars. When enough do, perhaps the day will come when we can stop our country from continually plunging into unjust and disastrous wars.
As we learn from the works of writers like Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, the process by which we go to war is fairly consistent. It can be seen as having four steps: (1) Motive, (2) Opportunity, (3) Pretext, and (4) Consent.
1. Motive
First the government needs some motive for fighting a war. Almost always the motive is economic gain; occasionally it is self-defense; but it is never humanitarian. If the government were motivated by sheer humanitarian concern, it would recognize that there are far better ways to help the poor and suffering of the world (e.g., with food, medicine and education) than by fighting wars. Wars tend to produce worse humanitarian conditions than those they purportedly set out to remedy or prevent.
Often our government wants war to please foreign allies (e.g., Israel, Saudi Arabia). However even in such cases motives are ultimately economic. That is to say it isn't the people of these countries that want the US to fight a proxy war for them, but rather elite oligarchs (e.g., Saudi billionaires) or vested interests (e.g., Israeli defense contractors) within those countries.
Besides motives specific to each situation there are also constant background factors that predispose our country to war. Among these are (1) the military-industrial complex, which thrives on war, whether necessary or not; (2) banks and financial institutions, which can usually find ways to make huge profits from wars; and (3) politicians for whom war is a way to gain popular support and/or to distract attention from domestic problems.
2. Opportunity
Having a motive isn't enough. There needs to be some window of opportunity that makes a military intervention appear to have reasonable probability of achieving its goal. An unpopular or authoritarian ruler or general domestic instability within a foreign nation are two examples.
This principle helps explain why there is usually a rush into war. The politicians say, "We don't have time to deliberate this carefully. The situation is too urgent. We must act immediately."
It's also important that the country being targeted for intervention not have too many powerful allies, and that it not itself pose a credible military threat.
3. Pretext
A government can't very easily say, "we're fighting this war for our own gain." There needs to be a socially acceptable pretext. Common ploys are as follows:
Exaggerate threats. Sometimes there already exists a convenient pretext, such as actual violations of human rights. These are then exaggerated. They are also presented in a one-sided way. For example, we are told of terrible actions committed by a foreign ruler, but not of equivalent acts by opposing factions. Every effort is made to demonize and dehumanize the enemy.
Instigate. If there isn't already a convenient pretext, our government has almost unlimited power to create one. A standard method is to sponsor a rebellion within the target country. This tactic has been used countless times by our government.
The example of the Panama Canal is illustrative. At the beginning of the 20th century, the US had an immense economic interest in building a canal through the Isthmus of Panama. At the time this area was part of Colombia. Colombia was willing to lease rights for a canal to the US, but balked at the first offer, seeking better terms. In response an angry Teddy Roosevelt promptly resorted to 'Plan B': for the US to work with a faction of Colombian businessmen to orchestrate the secession of Panama. A warship, the U.S. Nashville was promptly dispatched to Central America. Once it arrived offshore, a small revolutionary force (actually, a fire brigade paid by the New Panama Canal Company) declared Panama an independent country. The Nashville then quickly landed its troops to keep Colombia from interfering; high-ranking Colombian military officials were also bribed.
From the newly independent Panama, the US procured extremely favorable arrangements for building and operating a canal, including de facto ownership of adjacent land (the Canal Zone remained a US territory until 1999). As one Senator at the time put things, "We stole it fair and square."
Some may say, "But it's perfectly legitimate for the US to back a popular insurrection. After all, didn't the French help us during our revolution?" There is, arguably, a small grain of truth to this argument — but no more than that. There are dissidents and malcontents in every country. The question never asked is whether such a group represent a popular rebellion, or merely a small faction. When are rebels honest patriots, and when merely warlords, thugs, and greedy opportunists?
In this case the US helped orchestrate the secession of Panama. Other times it connives to depose an inconvenient foreign regime via a coup. Confirmed (from since-declassified official documents) cases of the CIA's global campaign of regime-ousting coups include Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Congo (1960), the Dominican Republic (1961), and Brazil (1964).
But these are only the cases where our own official documents confirm the activity. In addition there are over two dozen more instances where there is little doubt of active CIA involvement in a foreign coup. A classic study of this topic is William Blum's Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since World War II.
Outright lies. As people are only all too willing to assume the worst, this tactic seldom meets with much resistance. The most wild, illogical and preposterous charges are accepted as truth. There is no shortage of sources who will gladly concoct and feed to the government false stories, which news media happily repeat. A classic, recent example of this is the ridiculous charge that Libyan president Qaddafi distributed Viagra to his troops to facilitate a genocidal campaign of rape. In reality, the only genocide that occurred in Libya is when the foreign-backed, armed and trained rebels, upon deposing and brutally killing Qaddafi, besieged the hapless sub-Saharan immigrants whom he, a staunch pan-Africanist, had brought into the country to supply construction labor.
Provoke. Provocation is another regularly used tactic. One simply needs to make aggressive advances towards a foreign government, with the calculated intention of provoking a military response. That defensive response of the foreign government — which might be no more than a minor, face-saving action — is then vastly exaggerated, and demands are made for a full scale war in retaliation.
When in 1846 the US wanted to acquire large expanses of new territory, and most importantly, California, it stationed troops on the disputed border between Texas and Mexico. The purpose was to provoke military action by Mexican troops. Eventually an American scouting party sent into disputed territory ran into a Mexican scouting party; shots were fired and eleven Americans killed. Scarcely had the blood from the skirmish dried before President Polk, a fervent expansionist, sent an outraged message to Congress, which then rushed to approve measures for all-out war.
An unwilling witness to proceedings in Texas, Colonel Ethan A. Hitchcock, wrote in his diary at the time:
I have said from the first that the United States are the aggressors…. We have not one particle of right to be here…. It looks as if the government sent a small force on purpose to bring on a war, so as to have a pretext for taking California and as much of this country [Mexico] as it chooses…. My heart is not in this business, but, as a military man, I am bound to execute orders. (Zinn, 2010)
False-flag activities. There is almost always some dissatisfied faction within a foreign country that can be goaded by our government into staging a rebellion or coup. But if all else fails, there is an even shadier recourse: false-flag operations.
These come in two varieties. One is to direct our covert operatives to pose as rebels or dissidents and perform an act of violence against a sitting regime. When the foreign government takes reprisals against the actual rebels, it is accused of being a brutal dictatorship, and this used as an excuse for our military intervention.
The other is for our operatives to perform or sponsor a malicious action posing as agents of the foreign government itself. That government is then held responsible, and the events used to justify going to war.
4. Manufacture of Consent
Now all that is needed is to convince the American public to support the war. Usually this isn't very hard to do: unfortunately, many Americans still consider it their duty to support every war under a misguided sense of patriotism and maintenance of unity.
When every news source recites a war mantra like, "So-and-so is an evil dictator who kills his own people" the public begins to uncritically accept this as fact. As is well documented, the same marketing techniques that are used to sell cars and laundry detergent are enlisted to manipulate the public thinking into accepting war.
Without going into detail here, we can briefly note several characteristic means of manufacturing consent for war. These include:
- Propaganda. The US government today can basically write its own news story and hand it to media sources to uncritically repeat. The number and nature of specific falsehoods is beyond counting. ("Truth is the first casualty of war.")
- Censorship. News media do not publish information which might contradict the official government narrative of events.
- Intimidation. At home, protestors, dissenters and other anti-war activists can be subjected to actual or implied intimidation, including black-listing, arrest, tax audits, and so on.
- Conformity. Human beings are herd animals, and the government knows this. Hence it tries to create the impression that a public consensus exists, even when it doesn't. Once people are told "most Americans support this war" they tend to go along with it.
- Patriotic appeals. Having the Blue Angels fly over a football stadium is always a nice way to rouse the war spirit. Or maybe have beer commercials featuring wounded veterans. Call dissenters traitors.
Because the historical facts and the principles at work basically speak for themselves, this is an intentionally short article. More information can be found in the sources listed below. However the point of writing this is that today generally — and perhaps even more especially in the weeks preceding the November 2016 election — the public needs to be on its guard lest our government plunge us into another war. Several potential crises are looming, including Syria, Libya, and the Ukraine. All three of these fit the pattern outlined here.
Note in any case that everything said here applies only to how our government tries to create a perception of just cause for military intervention. Establishment of just cause is only the first step of sincere war deliberations. Several other conditions must also be met, including: exhaustion of all other alternatives (i.e., the principle of last resort); assurance that the war will not create greater evils than it seeks to redress; and reasonable prospects of winning the war (which, as recent experience shows, are almost nil). In actual practice, none of these other components of just war doctrine are realistically considered. Once the case of a just cause has been made, we jump immediately into war.
All the more reason, then, to exercise utmost vigilance lest our government commence yet another disastrous military adventure.
In conclusion, it is vital that we as citizens examine the record of history to learn how our government lies us into wars. As the anti-war journalist Richard Sanders put it:
The historical knowledge of how war planners have tricked people into supporting past wars is like a vaccine. We can use this understanding of history to inoculate the public with healthy doses of distrust for official war pretext narratives and other deceptive stratagems. Through such immunization programs we may help to counter our society's susceptibility to 'war fever.'
We must learn to habitually question all government narratives that try to lead us to war. We should be skeptical in the utmost. We need to train ourselves to ask questions like these:
What is the actual danger we are trying to address?
Where is the documented evidence of this danger?
Why is immediate and lethal force needed to redress this injustice?
Perhaps most importantly we should always ask: who benefits (cui bono)? If we do so we will inevitably find that the real motives are private gain.
Further Reading
Blum, William. Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II. Revised edition. Zed Books, 2003.
Perkins, John. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Berrett-Koehler, 2004.
Herman, Edward S.; Chomsky, Noam. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Revised edition. Knopf Doubleday, 2011.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. Revised edition. Harper Collins, 2010.
Zinn, Howard. Zinn on War. 2nd edition. Seven Stories, 2011.
You can also find lot's of videos (speeches, interviews, documentaries, etc.) featuring Zinn, Chomsky, Blum and Perkins.
Written by John Uebersax
August 18, 2016 at 11:27 pm
Posted in 2016 election, Agent provocateur, Anti-war, Culture of peace, Globalization, History, International Affairs, Iraq War, Just War Doctrine, Media brainwashing, Middle East, Militarism, News, Peace, Politics, propaganda, War
Tagged with false flag operation, Iraq, Libya, manufacture of consent, pretexts for war, propaganda, Syria, Ukraine, War


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I knew the night was going to be very special. The Fashion Show premiering Sue Wong's "JAZZ BABIES" SPRING 2014 Collection was to be held in the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. The Cicada Club in located on multi levels of the Oviatt Building on Olive Street.
There was a red carpet event preceding the fashion show, which would allow all the celebs to show off their finery too. Lastly, there would be a private After Party to be held at Sue Wong's home, The Cedars, up in the hills of Los Feliz (the After Party will be covered in a subsequent follow-up article).
Here was one event embracing all of my passions. I was like a kid in a candy store. In the course of my lifetime I have been, and am, an oil painter, a photographer, a builder of FINE CUSTOM HOMES. Mansions, some call them [I dislike the term personally]. I've loved fashion since I was in my early twenties and have always felt that ifashion was very similar to designing and building, buildings. For me, its all ART !
Buildings, and Clothes, have a great deal in common. The best require planning, use of quality products, and attention to detail in execution. And now that I think of it, so does a good painting. For Me, it's all ART.
The night started on the Red Carpet. There for the eyes to caressed were stunning women, and debonair men. Of note were Kelly Hu (CW's Arrow, The Vampire Diaries), Breann Johnson (Red Wing), Sloane Avery (MTV's Teen Wolf), Sarah Dumont (Don Jon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Erin Cahill (ABC's Body of Proof), Lindsay Seim (Insidious Chapter 2 ), Kaili Thorne (CSI Miami), and many others I don't have space to name. The night was warming up indeed. Things were about to get much hotter as we moved inside for the much anticipated Fashion Show.
The Oviatt Building is an Art Deco Building, at 617 Olive Street. Construction began in August 1927, Two years before the Great Depression began. LA architectural firm Walker & Eisen designed the building for partners, James Zera Oviatt and Frank Biard Alexander.
And a better place for the premier of Sue Wong's 2014 Spring Collection could not be found. For inside The Oviatt Building is the Cicada Club and Restaurant. A huge, ornate, Art Deco space on the building's ground floor and upstairs mezzanine. The Restaurant is a 1920s-'30s style nightclub, Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club. Inside, we were transported back into time
I love these old buildings here in LA. The sense of nostalgia harkens back to a time long ago, when men were men, and Dames, was Dames. The Twenties, Jazz, Fappers, and old Art Deco buildings. I knew I had to do something different, and special, for the photos I would take at the fashion show for Sue Wong's Jazz Babies. This would be the premier of the 2014 Spring Collection, and for me, I wanted to capture something extra in the images. Something to compliment the new creativity of Sue Wong's designs, to harken back to that Noir look. And when I saw the inside of the Cicada Club it hit me. When I first got into photography, Kodak's Tri-X was king of B&W film, and I fell in love with the saturation of Agfa's Ultra, colour print film. And when encountering low light situations back then, especially when I could not slow down the shutter, I had to push the film a couple of stops, creating that famous grain. So in this new digital age and as the 2014 Spring Collection was about to bloom, I would go back in time, and use all those old photography elements to Showcase the Sue Wong Spring 2014 Collection. I wanted to create in my photos, the sense of noir nostalgia I saw in the Oviatt Building and the interior of the Cicada Club, and use that to showcase Sue Wong's Collection.
Inside, a buzz filled the air. Everyone attending anticipated a great show, an were eager to see what Sue Wong would present for Spring of 2014.
Personally, I've long admired Ms Wong's work, and what has always caught my attention is the structure of the garments and the workmanship with which they are constructed. Couple that with incredible attention to detail and lots of gorgeous fabric, this Season's Spring Preview would surely excite all the senses.
And as the show began, jaws began to drop. "Jazz Babies" strutted. Music was in the Air and there were gorgeous models galore. Michael Peer escorted us throughout the show with his gorgeous voice.
"Underscoring the collection's core theme are intricately embroidered cocktail numbers and exquisitely draped floor length ball gowns that contrast solid skirts with jewelled bodices fit for any special occasion. There are also a range of day-to-evening pieces in beautifully muted shades including pinks and lilacs, classic blacks and beiges, and more paparazzi-bait showstoppers." - Sue Wong Studio
The strong structure in the silhouettes allow the flirty femininity and the serious sensual undertones to ring out. All the dresses designed by Sue Wong were perfectly paired with hats and purses, stockings, and shoes. Enough to make every woman a girl, and every girl a woman. For this Night, all the Ladies were Jazz Babies
Some of the Sponsors for the evening were Prive for Hair, Mud Makeup Designory for Makeup, and Leg Luxury for Hoisery.
Shooting Fashion Shows often evoke ideas of imagery that solely focus on the fashion. And rightly so. I did not want my images to look like a catalog shoot, and I wanted to capture the essence of the night, created by Designer Sue Wong, her amazing Staff, and all the Talent that put of a SMASH HIT.
And for all this, the night was not over. We would adjourn to a private After Party at The Cedars. Sue Wong's private residence in hills of Los Feliz. See my article and photos from the After party, in my next article, in Splash magazine. You can also see this article with additional photos, at my BLOG.
Read my article on the after party at Sue Wongs After Party at The Cedars Review - A Night of Hollywood Glamour Seduces as well as Delights
Photography and Post Production by Greg Autry
A Special Thank You to Lawrence Davis at Splash Magazine, and to Alison and Allie at Sue Wong's studio.


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Consistency is one of the policies on the Wiki and it is something that people ignore, so I have been going back to renaming the character images, as I had been doing before. The other, 'more useful', things are more likely to be done by other members of staff. It is also something I have no problem in doing at the moment and is a project big enough to keep me going for quite a while, as it is something I would eventually spread to all/most images across the site. And thank you for the welcome back, just started to play GTA San Andreas again and remembered how awesome the series used to be. A-Dust 02:20, December 2, 2009 (UTC)
- Just to say that you might want to think about new staff members. I've updated the Staff page and moved a number of staff to the inactive list. Not sure on who would be suitable, having not been around for a while. As the contributions, over 13,500 so far. A-Dust 02:39, December 2, 2009 (UTC)
I'm glad to the site doing so well after a lot of work has been put in by the community. Another quick question, is there anything we can do about the Social Profiles? They look awful and people tend to message me more than edit my talk page, which makes it difficult to easily see who has sent the message. The way they used to look was fine, so I don't know whether we can get them back that way or not. As for the edits thing, remember: quality over quantity. A-Dust 02:53, December 2, 2009 (UTC)
Thanks for the comment and certainly thanks for telling me how to remove it and the help. I'll try and help with that too,just got to try and use my capture card again haha.
Could i have help on how to add them please?--Snake. 21:56, December 3, 2009 (UTC) Don't worry mate,i found out i guess i should stop being so dumb haha :)--Snake. 21:58, December 3, 2009 (UTC) Thanks for the additions there,I will add more and more to the weapons section. --Snake. 22:12, December 3, 2009 (UTC) I appear to have a problem trying to move pics on edit,it keeps crashing my browser and saying that this application might make windows slower. Do you know why this may be occuring?--Snake. 22:51, December 3, 2009 (UTC)
I know that references aren't a big thing here and do take up a lot of room, but is there any way to put them in at the bottom of the article, whilst leaving a tag next to where you want them to appear? Also, the character image files have now all been moved to the new names. A-Dust 01:24, December 5, 2009 (UTC)
Does this[1] answer your[2] question? Gboyers talk 01:58, December 5, 2009 (UTC)
- ↑ This is a reference http://gta.wikia.com
- ↑ This is another reference http://www.thegtaplace.com
- I'm aware about that reference system but when using long passages of game dialogue as reference the article can become difficult to edit, although it is something I think does add to the article. I meant more along the lines of being to add something like Template:Ref1 at a point in the article you want to reference, and then adding that again at the bottom of the article with the actual reference located. That way long passages of script could still be used whilst the article would not be full of long references. A-Dust 02:13, December 5, 2009 (UTC)
Thats what we use subpages for. Like {{/transcript}} or {{/infobox}}. Lets you put in large chunks of content without cluttering the code. You could also make that minimised (like in {{navbox}}) or just link to a subpage. Long passes of game dialogue should not be in the article, they should be in a subpage. Huge articles should be split up into subpages anyway. There is no way of including content from one part of a page to another. Gboyers talk 03:10, December 5, 2009 (UTC)
I have learned my lesson
I know now pretending to be staff was dum thing to do and got me susbended an Circumventing a block on 2 occasions was stupid I have learned from my mistakes and it won,t happan again--Chip2008 14:47, December 5, 2009 (UTC)
About Claude.....
I was using the quiz "Grand Theft Auto: Which Character are you?" in Facebook, which is linked with the Rockstar News Wire and Rockstar Games website and I found this one: Blaise completed the quiz, "Grand Theft Auto: Which Character are You?", with the result Claude.
Claude Speed is the ultimate strong and silent type. With ties to the Liberty City Mafia, Japanese Yakuza, and Colombian Cartels, Claude is constantly between a rock and a hard place - and not exactly lucky in love, after being set-up and left for dead by ex-flame Catalina. Claude is a man of few words who knows how ...to get things done with little pomp and circumstance.
So, meaning that Claude in GTA III is Claude Speed, possibly, I think. There is also his artwork when I post my result of the quiz.--Blaff 60 16:02, December 7, 2009 (UTC)
- No, no, no, it's wrong! Who the f*ck make this kind of quiz?
- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 10:59, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
- We don't know if Claude from GTA III is Claude Speed, but th guy who created this quiz obviously does not know either. So he must just be going on what he thinks. Oh and yes, I played the quiz. Chimpso 13:56, January 15, 2010 (UTC)
- Give me the link to the quiz please.
- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 13:42, January 22, 2010 (UTC)
In the Tanker Commander article, you add the videos. Why? I can just add the links. --|0ComeKillLah|Choose good San Andreas vehicles images to post articles! 13:21, December 10, 2009 (UTC)
- Embedding the videos allows people to watch them here rather than going to another website, lets them see all the available videos on one page, lets them read the content at the same time, and lets them continue to read navigate around this wiki instead of leaving. Please embed videos rather than linking them. Gboyers talk 13:33, December 10, 2009 (UTC)
- Ok. --|0ComeKillLah|Choose good San Andreas vehicles images to post articles! 14:33, December 10, 2009 (UTC)
How Do I edit A Page?
I would like to edit the Grove Street Families page because there is a piece of information that is wrong. It is in the top section/first paragraph, but unfortunately this has no edit button. How can I reword this?
This link Ok. |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 04:49, December 15, 2009 (UTC)
Empty Page
I spot a page with only blank. The link. --Stephendwan 20:20, December 22, 2009 (UTC)
- Dude, just add in {{delete}}.
- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 10:52, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
& n b s p ; ?
Hello Gboyers. Sorry if this sounds like an ameture question but recently in articles I have seen " & n b s p ; " (excluding the spaces, as it will still appear as nothing even when I use no wiki) in many articles. Some only have one of them and others have many. I would really like to know what "& n b s p ;" (excluding spaces and Quotes) means as when written in an article it has no real effect and does not appear unless you decide to edit the page. Thanks Chimpso 00:39, December 24, 2009 (UTC)
- NBSP stands for "Non-Breaking SPace".
sp;is basically the HTML for a space (eg between letters). The Wikia WYSIWYG editor seems to put it in far too often. There's no real reason for it to be used in a wiki page, although some complex templates might need them. Gboyers talk 09:59, December 24, 2009 (UTC)
- Ok, thanks GB. I have been removing them from pages and there did not seem to be any difference. I will keep removing them if you like. Oh, and by the way; Merry Christmas :). Chimpso 13:00, December 24, 2009 (UTC)
- I kept finding them always. I think the Wikia team should fix it.
- Also, wish you good luck in a new year 2010!
- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 10:54, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
Technical Files
Hi there!
I am CeeX, administrator on the Burnout wiki and I was checking this wiki out by curiosity...
I was also actually looking for the text data files found in GTA games for the PC; if this is the gta encyclopedia, surely you must include technical information! Such as The Vault for instance.
I am willing to contribute Vice city's and San Andreas' as I think they are nearly essential!
On the other hand your wiki does not deal with modding so I can understand that this may be a reason.
I await your response. C_ee_X (Here is my main wikia page)
- Hey there, thanks for getting in touch! This wiki has grown quite slowly and steadily, and I think the only way that has worked is down to its restrained and planned approach. As such , we have not really covered technical or modding issues (in favour of in-game information). However, I agree that now would be a great time to move into these large and useful areas of information - particularly given the huge modding community. Were you looking for the default config files (such as carcols, handling etc)? We don't have these, but definitely should. Just need to figure out how to organise this, but please by all means feel free to upload what you have and we can shuffle it around! Thanks again - Gboyers talk 23:34, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
- GB, I can help you with anything. Just tell me. -- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 10:56, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
- Hey!, I'm glad to see you are considering this! Indeed, the files you have just mentioned were just the tip of the iceberg, I was actually thinking about uploading all of the text readable/editable files in the game directories (this is what has been done for The Vault for instance). Seeing as a wiki is like an "encyclopedia" I was thinking that such a "modification-popular" game's data files (like Fallout's) would definitely need to be made available online. One of the many uses for this would be for instance to remove the need for a full backup of the game's data and thus save hard disc space, giving an easier time to modders and reverse engineers...
- GB, I can help you with anything. Just tell me. -- |0ComeKillLah, Meh|Talk to me!| 10:56, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
- As for the actual uploading, I understand that you will accept my contributions, but leaving you free to organize them around. I will adopt a standardized format, heavily inspired from The Vault's data articles. The article title will follow the filename's in full caps (EXAMPLE.EXP for instance); but since some games share the same filenames, I shall append the game's initials in brackets at the end ("HANDLING.CFG_(VC)"). Do tell me what you think of the first file (HANDLING.CFG_(VC)). BTW, I won't tinker around with categories for now, unless you come back to me, requesting it. C_ee_X
My Activity
Hey, Gboyers. I'll be on the site again after my long period of absence. It seems my interest in the wiki is back, though I only wish to cleanup the articles that were somehow left out, and to edit the articles from the GTA III Era games. This is one of the reasons why I momentarily left the wiki; I'm not into the newer GTAs anymore. I do hope I can help again, though studies are hectic; I'm on my final quarter of this school. I'm going to graduate. Well, I do have lots of work in the computer that needs to be done, so maybe, once in a while, I'll drop by. By March, though, I think I'll be as active as I was May of last year. Thank you for taking time to read this. I'll drop by again tomorrow. Masterpogihaha 14:19, January 18, 2010 (UTC)
Ya its okay I think it would be easier with just putting it on the BAWSAQ page.
can u help me by telling me how to download grand theft auto iv on computer please
- Downloading a game without paying for it is illegal, stealing from Rockstar, and we will not help you with this. However, you can legitimately an cheaply purchase the game from Steam. Gboyers talk 12:05, January 22, 2010 (UTC)
Kenji Kasen article
Just to ask whether you know why the Kenji Kasen article is not showing as being in any categories, except the main characters one, despite being linked to several others. A-Dust 21:38, January 25, 2010 (UTC)
- There is definitely a problem there. Whenever you save/preview a page, it ignores the categories, and only includes those which are within templates. I've informed Wikia. Just make sure the right code is in the page, then when it works again they will show up as normal. Thanks for bringing it to my attention though. Gboyers talk 22:18, January 25, 2010 (UTC)
- User:CatherineMunro Figured out the problem. It was a
</gallery>ending tag that was mis-coded, causing the categories to be ignored. See here. Gboyers talk 21:24, January 26, 2010 (UTC)
- User:CatherineMunro Figured out the problem. It was a
To Do Boxes
Hey GB!. I was wondering, how do you create user boxes. I don't have a clue!. If you could help, it would be of great help to me. Cheers. FXX Talk 20:44, January 31, 2010 (UTC)
- A todo box or a userbox? Simply use {{todo}} for a todo box. For userboxes, see Help:Userboxes. Gboyers talk 21:44, January 31, 2010 (UTC)
Cheers mate. FXX
Special Vehicles
- Moved to Talk:Special Vehicles
Could you tell me if these pages should be deleted, because I already tagged them for deletion. --Gta-mysteries 07:27, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
- Yes they should be deleted, but the information might be able to go somewhere else. For example, a list of examples of Player Modifications, sorted by type (new clothes, new model, new accessories) and group (eg video game characters). Gboyers talk 11:26, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
Do you mean it should be on the Skins page, like an external link or something?--Gta-mysteries 12:02, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
- I think there should be a page all about skin mods, with a list of SOME examples. That page could include not just skins, but also complete model replacements, swapping models, and clothing item replacements. We should NOT list every skin mod ever. We should NOT have a page for individual skin mods (unless that are really important. Gboyers talk 16:18, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
GTW skins
I was wondering if there is a way to permanently fix the problem I'm having with skin selection, after coming back today and finding the main design, which looks unprofessional, and unappealing. I've tried to change it back to MonoBook under the preferences section and held Ctrl and pressed refresh, as it states at the bottom of the preferences page. The MonoBook skin then appears but only for that page. Every time I then go to another, the skin reverts back to the main one. Do you know of a solution? A-Dust 13:20, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
- Is there something with the main design you wish to change? If you think it is unprofessional, we can (and perhaps should) change it. Make sure that your preferences actually got saved, then I'd suggest clearing your browser's cache and perhaps restarting it. If you go back to the preferences, does it list your preference as our main "custom" skin? Gboyers talk 16:04, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
We're definitely going to need some adjustments if we want to go ahead with this design change. For one, the GTW logo on the upper left corner needs some transparency, and the poll on the main page is stretched beyond the standard web width. - ZS 17:52, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
- Whoah steady on! I did not say to immediately change the default skin for all users! I asked if you had a problem with the design, then we could improve it. We can't use Monobook as a default, but we can completely customise Wikia's Monaco skin (which is what we have as default now). Once we've finished customising it, then we can make it default. But it's better to have a finished design than a broken one! Gboyers talk 18:05, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
gboyers im leaving a message .thanks for witting me a letter byet
I apologize
I am an admin on the Call Of Duty wiki and PGB and I were discussing a matter related to a block on that wiki. If you'd prefer, we can take the discussion somewhere else. I have no wish to disturb the peace here--WouldYouKindly 00:25, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
The short version of what happened was he got blocked and feels someone else whom he dislikes and was involved in the incident, but got off with a warning, needs blocked as well. And he just won't let it go. Again I apologize, we can take it elsewhere if that's what you'd prefer, I'm not here to cause problems.--WouldYouKindly 00:58, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
PS: As for the swearing, we have a similar User Treatment Policy over on the COD wiki, and yes, I could easily extend his block on the COD wiki for the way he's been talking. I'd prefer not to "fan the flames" as it were, though (he's already got a 1 month block). Though most of what he's said is simply out of anger and he'll (hopefully) cool off eventually. As for what you wish to do about it here, though, that's not really my place to decide. I'll go ahead and take the discussion to a less populated wiki so as not to cause any more problems. Again I apologize for any problems this may have caused--WouldYouKindly 01:05, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
Heh, that's what I've been trying to do for the past few hours >.>--WouldYouKindly 01:12, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
Different wiki
I got banned on some other wiki some jackass started tihs big fight and I got the short end of the stick, and we're discussing it, because like I said, I'm blocked. I'm still willing to contribute here, but damn this wiki is so big. Peter Griffen Boy 01:10, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
- That "jackass" is apparently me, and I apologize for arguing on your wiki. I never intended for it to go here (Peter Griffen Boy started it). He will remain blocked and if he keeps harassing me or WouldYouKindly on here I suggest you block him here as well. Apparently by blocking him I turn into a "jackass", when he was the jackass all along. Regarding the swearing, I would be more than happy to extend his block on the Call of Duty Wiki. If there is any hint of him becoming hostile on here, block him straight away and spare yourself the trouble. Once again I apologize and I hope the situation does not escalate any more. --CallofDuty4 07:00, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
alright dude,i'll check on you if i find something weird on gta4
That shouldn't be much of a problem and I'd be happy to update the "featured suggestions" every week or so. The "click here to add your suggestion" feature was a good idea and should reduce the amount of mistakes made by users who edit there, so thanks for doing that. - Hardrock182 11:51, February 18, 2010 (UTC)


text:
Recycling history: Modern 'green' scene not so modern
My partner Lee Scouten and I have lived "green" lives for as long as we can remember.
For one thing, our parents were naturally green because they were children of the Depression and, for the most part, also children of the defeated, depleted post-Civil War South. Lee's North Carolina-born mother (whose father helped found the Scottish Bank of NC – complete with tartan-lined mailing envelopes and penny-pinching ways) and Kenya-born (of missionary parents from Canada and Northern Ireland) father, lived a self-sufficient existence in rural Pennsylvania when he was born and his dad was on the University of Pennsylvania faculty. And my parents– whose Charlottesville roots went back to the mid-19th century– were of necessity savers and reusers.
Everybody was "dog poor," an aunt of my mother wrote of her growing-up years.
I remember my mother suffered lifelong pain from reflexive recycling of shoes. In her family, they were handed down by age, not by foot size. Unfortunately, her feet were bigger than those of her two older sisters. So by the time she was an adult, she had bunions and bone spurs and other such problems that plagued her to the end of her days.
I remember my mother coming back from a talk at the Blue Ridge Sanitarium by a Jordanian refugee. The speaker had lamented Americans' waste of paper, saying how valuable every scrap had been when he was growing up in post-WWII Palestine. From that I developed a lifelong habit of– instead of using new paper– writing notes, letters, etc. on the backs of documents others would have trashed.
At about the same time I learned lessons about charity, dignity, and related subjects. My mother's First Baptist Sunday School class regularly held rummage sales where prices often fell so low many might consider them as no price at all. But my mother explained to me why charging even a little bit for something made it much more valuable than giving it away and making the recipient feel like a charity case.
Once she told me about an obviously very poor woman who'd spent a great deal of time deliberating over a really nice winter coat priced at 50 cents. My mother watched for a while, then went over and told the woman that because the sale would be closing in an hour, the coat price was reduced to 25 cents. The woman lit up, she said, and paid the quarter, obviously feeling as though she was the smartest– and warmest– shopper in the world.
I first learned about communal recycling from a grade-school friend whose father, Charles Carter (a long-time, fondly remembered employee of Charlottesville Hardware), continued into the 1960s a World War II habit of saving and recycling newspapers. I don't remember where he took them, but I do remember him piling them up in his Park Street basement until time to take them to some collection center. As soon as newspaper recycling came back, I saved papers, too, along with glass, metal, cardboard, etc.
Even before Lee and I had property of our own– we bought 406 Oak Street in 1987– we began to practice not just reusing and recycling but "pre-cycling"– which is to say, not buying anything that was overpackaged if we could possibly avoid it.
We started a compost heap in '87. Anything organic that we couldn't dispose of otherwise– by eating, by making stock, by burning in our highly efficient little woodstove– has gone there. And the resulting compost has gone on plants.
The abundant availability that modern people of all income levels take for granted– the availability of things, of space, of time, ad infinity– would be utterly incomprehensible to people of only a slightly earlier era. It's true that our ancestors were clueless in some important respects. I cringe when I remember the lunch break at every Labor Day White Hall community horse show during which an oil truck would circle the show ring spraying fuel oil right on the ground to keep down churned up dust just 20 yards from Moorman's River.
On balance, though, I have to believe that even the darkest of the Industrial Revolution's "dark Satanic mills" did minor environmental mischief compared to modern lifestyles that promote world-class waste and abuse on a minute-to-minute basis.
As for the modern "green" scene, I find it sickeningly hypocritical in the extreme. Putting a sedum roof on and "bird-friendly" glass windows in a behemoth of a building cannot by any stretch of the imagination be construed as "green" if construction of said building begins by clear-cutting more than an acre of trees, piping a stream, and gouging a steep slope.
How many ways do we behave greenly– and, it would appear, frugally at the same time? Here are a few in no particular order:
~~We plant a great deal. Therefore, we need a lot of mulch. On rare occasion, we've bought shredded bark or something similar. Mostly, we pick up City-offered detritus for free. Indeed, every year we drive our ancient, 250,000-mile-plus pickup truck around the City on the Sundays before official leaf pickups and take home the best looking bags we can find of leaves others have raked for disposal. And we've also gleaned fallen straw at Southern States– with management permission, of course– to bulk up compost piles. Also, much of what we plant is found stuff– volunteers on our own property, seedlings that would be mowed or weeded from public property, stuff discarded by others.
~~We don't waste food. We think and make lists before buying. We wash, core, trim, crisp, etc., what we buy and store it properly to give it the longest possible useful life. And if we can't use something in the way we first intended (like as a main dish), then we use it another way (like as an ingredient in a stock).
~~We walk. Lee drives to work at Monticello daily. I drive to Harris-Teeter or Whole Foods once a week. When we have to, we make a special run to Sneak Reviews or the dentist or whatever. Otherwise, we walk.
~~We're super stingy with water. What's left in the tea kettle, salad spinner, whatever, goes into a watering can for redeployment on plants or in the bird bath. Boiling water from pasta cooking goes on driveway weeds as an instant organic herbicide. We have a little clothes washer with wheels that hooks up to the kitchen sink. In growing season, we capture the rinse and distribute it to plants. We also capture rainwater in containers for redistribution.
~~We keep electricity use down. We make a point of seeing that all vampire appliances are unplugged when we aren't using them. We have a portable clothes dryer to go with our little washer. To minimize its run time, we start clothes drying on racks. And once we've started the machine, we stop it frequently to empty the filter. Things dry much faster if that's done. After doing our best to live without air conditioners for years, we finally gave in because City heat was rising. So we have two small high-efficiency units in upstairs north-facing windows, which means that we take advantage of the Venturi effect. And we also use pieces of Reflectix insulation (meant for attics and crawl spaces) as easily cut-to-fit window coverings to deflect sun before it can get inside and heat up the house.
~~We shop second (or third or fouth) hand– a habit that started with my mother's regular visits to the Opportunity Shop. With negligible exception, everything we wear and most of what we use comes from thrift shops. We get our best finds from FanTastic Thrift and The Coat Rack (the Junior League shop) in Richmond and from Twice Is Nice and SPCA Rummage here. We also pick up the occasional bargain at the Salvation Army and Goodwill shops here and in Richmond. And we've bought a number of items at Habit for Humanity shops here and in Richmond and Staunton and also picked up eminently useful items at the Blue Ridge Home Builders' annual yard sales. Plus, I'm an avid dumpster diver and picker of what others leave on the streets.
–Oh, did you know that prior to the 1870s and '80s, when wood pulp milling expanded exponentially, newspapers regularly ran house ads for rags? They needed them to make paper for more newspapers. And, of course, that's why many early papers are much better preserved than much later papers. Highly acidic wood-fiber paper turns to dust apalingly fast while rag-based paper can last close to forever. A practice worth reviving maybe?
Antoinette Roades is a Charlottesville writer, editor, historian, and local preservationist who, for as long as we can remember, has never been shy about making her views known.
1 comment
While in the same house for 20 plus years I have reduced electricity use to less than half of what it was by use of simple expedients that include compact fluorescent light bulbs everywhere, hanging clothes to dry, taking shorter showers, and (this is the biggest of all) turning AC way up during the day to 80+ and dropping it down to 72 at night and using ceiling fans. Before I would leave it at 70 all the time and lower it at night. Dominion Va. Power sends out those periodic mailings comparing my electric use to that of my neighbors and I blow them out of the water. As for heating fuel, I heat up the house a bit while doing my morning routine and cut it way back when I leave the house. At night I find the low to mid fifties is just great for sleeping under lots of blankets. By so doing I have cut the quantity, if not the cost, of my heating fuel use down to about 60% of what it used to be in the eighties. Abandoning the foolishness of thinking it's a precondition of civilized life that one by able to run around the house all winter in "barefoot comfort" ( an actual advertising expression used by the heating business in time past), has kept me comfortable at 62 during the days when I'm home, thanks to wool slippers and sweaters. I do all this even though I am easily able to afford profligacy and I do it because it just seems right.
Cars are another matter; I live in the 'burbs and have to commute, but the difference between a car that averages 16 and one that averages 25 is huge.
During WW2 people were encouraged to heat no higher than 68 in the day and 55 at night. It was strategic since WW2 was won not so much by valor as through the winning sides having more petrol than the others, but those heating numbers remain a good standard that's easy to live with. My parents who were depression children used their thermostat that way throughout my childhood and continued to do so right up to their deaths.


text:
Once again catching up on old posts... The 3M Family picnic was held in early August and again was a success. The girls love the jumpy houses and pony rides as well as the slides from over a half century ago!
Sylvia and Violet spent a good amount of time in the traditional jumpy castle, while the other ones were really only fit for Sylvia.
While Violet wasn't quite sure about this next part, after feeding the pony a bunch of carrots...
Until next year when the jumpy houses and pony rides continue!