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The 5 Most Unintentionally Horrifying Children's Video Games
When we talk about the most traumatizing moments in children's games, shows, or movies, there's always a section of the audience that says: "But those weren't meant for kids! Tiny Toon Adventures had mature themes such as ..." And then we stop listening, instead skipping away to play go-karts. We admit that they might be right, but it doesn't change the fact that the first time you experienced these things, you still slept in a race car bed and footie pajamas. It's a wonder you're not in an asylum right now after being exposed, far too young, to stuff like ...
#5. Ecco the Dolphin -- Discovering That Darkness Always Hides Terror
Ecco the Dolphin is a Sega Genesis game where you play as, surprise, a dolphin. Not, like, a radical anthropomorphic dolphin carrying a bazooka and riding a skateboard, as the '90s would normally provide; you're just a regular ol' dolphin swimming around in the ocean, looking for his kidnapped friends. It's the sort of title you rented when Blockbuster was out of the new Sonic, and even a dumb game was better than having to spend "quality time" with your family.
Ecco the Dolphin, like many old-school video games, was balls-to-the-wall difficult, so we're guessing that only around 15 percent of the kids who played it ever got to see the last stages. Today, you can recognize them by the vacant look in their eyes and the uncontrollable shuddering whenever they accidentally flip by a Flipper rerun on TCM. The game lulled you into a false sense of cuteness ...
"The only thing you have to fear are six-pack rings, pussy. Trust me."
... then smacked you square in the face with the Lovecraft stick:
"So long, and thanks for all the FUUUUUUUUUCK!"
That's the final boss, the Vortex Queen, an enormous, screen-filling alien head with teeth bigger than you are. In order to beat her, you have to charge against her jaw until it snaps off -- which is exactly as disturbing in action as it sounds typed out like that. Stop for a second to collect your wits or pray to a God who clearly wasn't looking when this thing was created and you're grabbed by one of the other murky alien creatures that swim from her mouth.
"Squeal like a pigfish! Squeal!"
Beat her and you're rewarded with a sense of unease about the ocean that will linger well into adulthood, leaving you constantly wary of the cold, uncaring immensity of the sea. Plus a credits screen.
#4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask -- Facing the Satanic Children That Represent Those You've Murdered
Everything about The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask seems specifically designed to give children nightmares, from the traumatizing mask transformations to that awful mummy guy living inside a closet. Just the simple act of looking upward stains your Osh-Kosh, since you'll be greeted by this sight:
No one ever wishes this moon a "Goodnight".
When you finally reach the end, the point where you'd normally expect to be dropped into some hellish dungeon, the horror seemingly takes a break as you're instead transported to a quiet and serene grassy meadow. The only soundtrack is the relaxing rustle of the breeze and the birds chirping in the trees.
You can even see children frolicking in the distance. How sweet! Get closer and you notice that the children are all wearing the same matching pajamas. They're best friends! Get closer and you spot the demonic masks featuring the faces of the game's four main bosses. Uh-oh ...
"You know what? Fuck this. The game's not even named after me. Let her handle this shit."
But wait, the horror doesn't end there! Take the time to stop and have a nice chat with the freakish devil-children wearing the faces of those you've slain and they cordially offer you some unsettling inquiries of their own:
"Who cares? I'm going to be wearing your face soon enough."
There's a fifth child wearing the titular Majora's Mask who can be found sitting by himself in the shade of the tree, rocking his head back and forth. Oh, and he wants to play with you.
Where's the "slowly move away from him" option?
If you answer "Yes" to his question (why wouldn't you? What harm ever came from agreeing to play with mysterious children, aside from all those hauntings and pedophilia charges?), he makes you fight his mask, which sprouts long flesh-colored appendages and madly skitters about the room, occasionally breaking into a twisted, mocking dance.
Note what appears to be a lack of pants.
Jesus. We wonder why people bother making up fake urban legends about this game when just soberly observing the plot is enough to send you gibbering to the asylum, In the Mouth of Madness-style.
#3. Space Station Silicon Valley -- Collecting Severed Human Heads
Take-Two Interactive
Space Station Silicon Valley had you playing as a little microchip named EVO that jumped into the bodies of various robot animals on board a colorful space station. As you played the game, you gradually learned that the robot animals rebelled against their human creators and took over the station. That's fine. That's not what we're freaking out over. Hey, maybe they just sent the bad old humans away to make a furry paradise. We are not here to judge.
Take-Two Interactive
"Hey, we're out of peanut butter. Again."
Most of the gameplay was standard stuff: exploring different areas and collecting robot parts, souvenirs, power cells, and severed human heads.
W-what was that last one?
Take-Two Interactive
Freddie Mercury!?! NOOOOOOO!
Yep, as you went around frolicking with the different cute robot animals, you'd occasionally stumble across the bodies of the dead scientists they'd just murdered.
Take-Two Interactive
"Those bastards told our kids they sent us to a nice big farm where we get to science all day."
And eventually you were sent on a mission to collect their severed heads. See, that's where you realize the scientists didn't just "die off," leaving the animals to their utopia -- somebody had to decapitate these poor bastards:
Take-Two Interactive
"We should never have shown them that Terminator/Highlander double feature."
One decapitation? Sure, maybe it was an industrial accident. Two decapitations? Uh ... maybe they were just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when they start sending you out to collect some of the many, many severed heads strewn about the landscape, well ... don't turn your back on the cute li'l bunny with the ax. He ain't chopping firewood for the sing-along later.


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The Hans Badrutt Suite is equipped with
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- Salons, library and study, kitchenette, terrace and dressing room
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- Steam bath and Jacuzzi

subset: commoncrawl


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It all started with this simple, yet great idea to design a t-shirt filled with all of the names of Black women in the world that rocked. But when Black Girl's Rock (BGR) Founder realized that she ran out of space on the t-shirts to include every girls name, she had an epiphany. That "ah-ha" moment led to the creation of a mentoring program, which would soon turn into one of the biggest anticipated awards show BET Networks would broadcast. Four years later, Black Girls Rock is bigger and better and inspiring young Black girls everywhere.
EBONY: Beverly, can you let our readers in on the real background of Black Girls Rock?
Beverly Bond: It was an idea I had for a t-shirt to include the names of Black girls that rocked and I literally had this big epiphany all at one moment. I knew the t-shirt could be really dope, and as I was writing down all of these Black girls that rock, I ran out of space for all the names to be included on the t-shirt. As I'm looking at the list, I'm thinking: "How come this is missing? How come our young girls don't know about these great women and where we come from? And how come these messages aren't out there in the world? That was back in 2006. There was, and still is, this very one-sided message to women of color. It's an alarming situation that needed to be dealt with.
EBONY: Have you known all along that a part of your purpose was to help young women and girls?
BB: I think BGR was just a continuation of what my place in this world is and what I've been paying attention to. I've been able to use my platform to be able to make a difference. I think that everybody has their own thing [of the world] that they get to see and I think that being a DJ was my platform. This whole thing came to me through music. Even the messages of women came to me through music. Being a DJ, I was paying more attention to the negative messages. A lot of people hum along to most of the degrading songs in the world, not realizing that those messages are there. Sometimes people don't even know the messages are there.
EBONY: I'm guilty of that. I have to admit that.
BB: You know, me too. I mean as a DJ I pay more attention, but there are songs that are definitely more degrading than others. And not in judgment, but there has got to be some care and concern about what's hitting the minds of the youth.
EBONY: And balance. I just feel like there is no balance. I can remember growing up hearing a little bit of raunchy music here and there, but it was a little more positivity. What happened?
BB: Right, and to have a lack of balance within our community and then an absence [of positive images of ourselves] outside of our community, it sends a dangerous message to our girls that they don't matter. And they start to feel that the only way that they are valuable is if they compromise their integrity and their dignity. That's a very dangerous message to send to young girls and young boys.
EBONY:What kind of push back did you receive when you first began Black Girls Rock?
BB: When I first started it, I initially went to women in the industry who I thought would actually speak out on this kind of thing. I never approached with this "holier than thou" attitude, though. You know I'm a DJ, so I can't even come from that position. But what I found was that a lot of women didn't want to be involved because at the time, it seemed to be that "speaking up" wasn't the popular thing to do. So I did it myself. I turned the press onto the work I was doing and that's how I got the ball rolling on BGR. But what I found was that the press would interview me and they would always ask about what I'm wearing and who's at my party! And I'm like okay but I'm doing this. Soon, everybody was like, "Oh, My, Gosh, what can I do to help?' A lot of Black women of color, all around the world, have felt the injustice towards them. It's like we've kind of sat there for a long time being picked on. You know what I mean? It's like anytime we spoke up against the injustices, we were "angry" or we had "problems." I knew to approach this in a way where I wasn't pointing the finger at someone.
EBONY: I think there are a lot of women in the world doing something like this, but you had a special


text: Hey all, welcome back to another fun, and awesome lesson that is going to be super exciting to replicate. Two days ago I drew a couple of zombie animals and one of them is already submitted. It was the zombie dragon, and it was a big hit. Today I will start the day by uploading the other zombie animal that was supposed to go up but I didn't have a chance to do so because I was swamped with work. So here is what I like to call a tutorial on "how to draw a zombie horse", step by step. The horse is what I like to describe as being a disgusting mess with a bunch of blood and gore. Now even though the horse looks like a toy gone wrong, it still has a very hearty look with a stiff mane and gnarly tail. The overall drawing took me an hour and half from start to finish. The steps took me another fifteen minutes to make, but I think you will have an awesome time tackling the task to creating an animal that is a perfect specimen for a Halloween drawing or decoration. I think that just about does it for this description on drawing a zombie horse. Stay tuned in to see if there will be more tutorials like this one on this warm autumn day. Peace out people and have fun!


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Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church, 9238 Sulphur Springs Road, will hold its monthly Senior Adult Day at 10 a.m. Friday at the church's Christian Community Center.
There will be a potluck luncheon with games and prizes and music will be provided by local talent. Participants are asked to bring their favorite dish and enjoy the fellowship.
There is no admission charge and all ages are invited to attend. Details: Call Nedgie Bogan at 870-879-4234.


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UPGRADE: Please report anything out of the ordinary post-upgrade in this thread: http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,66430.new.html
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I got nothing.
I forgot the maps
Doesn't the Nestorian church have 2 Patriarchates? How does that work?I know that there's one in Chicago cuz i've walked by it a few times. Anyone have any info on this?
they have an Old Calendarist variety.
Are the Old Calanderists in Chicago, or in the Middle East? (Isn't their other one in Damascus? Or am I just confusing that with someone else?)
Do modern Nestorian Churches believe Mary to be the Theotokos/Mother of God?
Of course, to play the devils advocate here....It *could* be argued that the modern "Nestorian" churches do not adhere to the doctrine of Nestorianism, but are deemed heretical because they do not condemn Nestorius.Which may be just as bad as following Nestorianism....I am just pointing that one diocese of the Assyrian Church in the East has the Nicene Creed on their webpage.
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Shortly after World War II the Americans did observe and censor the newly made movies in Japan. Did Kurosawa make that many Shakespeare-adaptations in that time, because it was easier to get them accepted? Or was he simply a Shakespeare-fan?
One critic's opinion is that Kurosawa was indeed influenced by censorship, both Japanese and American, during World War II, but that was not the only reason that he produced a lot of foreign adaptations:
It looks like the opposite of your question might be true. Kurosawa attempted to release a film in 1943 based on a judo novel by a Japanese author, and Japanese censors deemed the film too Western in style or content. From Wikipedia:
Kurosawa began his career during the Showa war and during that time he, like all other Japanese filmmakers, was confined to making "policy pictures" that supported the militarist agenda. This necessitated a large amount of censorship. But there was no Shakespeare there and nor were there any films that would later be hailed as "masterpieces" or the likes.
After the surrender, Japanese film was censored under SCAP (1945-1952). Criticism of the American occupiers was forbidden and films like Drunken Angel and Stray Dog walked a thin line in their harsh portrayals of life under occupation. Indeed, it's likely that the fetid pond in Drunken Angel--ever present, overpowering and destroying the physical health of the neighborhood's inhabitants--is meant to be understood as criticism of the occupation and its deleterious effects on the Japanese soul.
During this time, Kurosawa made the following films:
Sanshiro Sugata Part II (1945) The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945) No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) One Wonderful Sunday (1947) Drunken Angel (1948) The Quiet Duel (1949) Stray Dog (1949) Scandal (1950) Rashomon (1950) The Idiot (1951)
This was an extremely fruitful time and the relationships (ie, Mifune) and themes that he established during SCAP proved the basis for the rest of his career. But no Shakespeare.
His two proper Shakespeare adaptations, Throne of Blood (1957) (Macbeth) and Ran (1985) (King Lear) as well as The Bad Sleep Well (1960) (inspired by Hamlet) were made long after the end of that period, when Japan had an independent democratic government with no censorship to speak of.
I would not call two adaptions of Shakespeare (Throne of Blood and Ran) many. And he made Ran partly because "Hidetora is me".
As a child Kurosawa read a lot. He was a particular fan of Russian literature and Shakespeare. while his early films were not adaptations of Shakespeare there was definitely a lot of influence there, for example, the manner in which he constructed his characters.
In Kurosawa there has always been a strong western influence, matter of fact one of his favorite directors and one of his biggest influences was john ford the american director.


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5 Ways Stores Use Science to Trick You Into Buying Crap
#2. You Can't Comprehend Numbers
The headlines after Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad mostly focused on how inexpensive it was. Only $499! That's a good price for a ...
... wait -- for a what? The thing didn't exist before that day. That's actually more than a netbook costs. It's more than a phone. So how did we decide $499 was a good price? Good question.
Also, why are we still doing the $_99 thing on our prices? Instead of just saying "It'll be five hundred dollars" we still frame it as $499, even when addressing a crowd full of educated, savvy consumers? As if we're too stupid to realize $499 is only one dollar less? We've surely figured that out by now, right?
Actually, no.
Humans are really bad with numbers, and it manifests itself in a whole bunch of different ways in the world of retail. It's the reason you will patiently wait for a sweater to go on sale so you can get it for 10% off, then buy it with a credit card and wind up paying more than the original retail price once the interest is figured in. It's the reason we'll take a longer mortgage on a house in exchange for a lower payment, because we can't wrap our minds around the idea that the longer mortgage means over time we're going to pay $50,000 more for the exact same house.
By the time you actually own this place the roof will have burrito stains.
So when it comes to setting prices, sellers know that it's mostly up to them to frame for us what the price should be. In the biz they call this price anchoring. So you'll go to Best Buy and see a new TV that's 25% off of the "Regular Price" or "MSRP." Then you Google around and find that what they're claiming is the "regular price" is in fact not the price, anywhere. You're saving 25 percent over an imaginary number.
As for the iPad's pleasant surprise price of $499? That was due to rumors leading up to the launch that it would cost $1,000 from sources like Apple Insider. Then in the unveiling, Jobs was sure to mention how everyone expects the device to cost a thousand bucks. He plants that idea in your mind and suddenly $499 looks like a steal.
Why It Works:
Picture three golf balls, lined up in a row.
Now picture a box full of 4,258 golf balls.
Not only can you not see in your head what 4,258 balls looks like, you probably don't even have a ballpark idea of how big of a box it would take. Our brains just aren't equipped to handle numbers instinctively. From an evolution standpoint, it's no surprise -- complex numbering systems weren't even invented until 5,000 or so years ago and sexual selection doesn't exactly favor math geeks, if you know what we mean.
The $499 vs $500 thing is a perfect example. Even though you know on a conscious level that there is no important difference between those two numbers, your perception of them is radically different because your brain just is not very good at equating those digits with a real world quantity. One study suggests it's because your brain is reading the price like it reads everything else: left to right. It puts a higher value on the first thing we see so no matter what comes after that, you still wind up relating it to the first digit. No matter how much you tell yourself otherwise, $499 still registers as "in the $400 range" rather than "essentially $500."
Or "enough Ramen to get you through graduate school".
But to really drive home how much we suck at math, this study found that the harder we try to keep track of what we spend, the worse we are at it. Budget-conscious shoppers who tried to track every penny in their cart wound up wrong by up to 20%. Why? Because the .99 thing makes doing the math almost impossible. Quick, how much does it cost for three cans of beer at $2.00 each? Six bucks, you knew that instantly. How much does it cost for three cans at $1.99 each? Most of you have to get out a pen and paper.
Strangely, the shoppers who weren't watching their budget actually did a better job of estimating their bill. They tended to just shrug and round the price up instead of doing the precise math and getting confused. Yes, they became better at math by admitting they sucked at math.
Hooray for ignorance!
#1. Your Tastes Can be Tricked by Brand Recognition
Brand loyalty makes perfect sense, to a degree. If you were happy with your last Toyota, it's perfectly reasonable to buy another car from the same people who built that one. Even the Apple fanboys got to where they are by, once upon a time, buying an apple product and having a positive experience with it.
Probably not the Pipp!n.
But then there's a point where the sight of a label starts playing tricks on you, overriding any actual enjoyment you get from the product. And no, we're not referring to those vapid brand-obsessed Sex and the City types always talking about their Gucci shoes and Prada jockstraps -- they're often sporting labels to impress other people. That's more of a peer pressure thing.
No, here is where it gets weird:
Back in the 1970s Pepsi built an entire ad campaign around taste tests they called the Pepsi Challenge. They'd simply pit their sweet diabetes water against Coca-Cola's and asked people which one they preferred after sampling both in a blind taste test, where the labels were hidden. Most Americans chose Pepsi, so the campaign was a complete success and Coca-Cola went down in a burning heap of sugary black syrup, never to be heard from again.
At least that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, Coca-Cola went on outselling Pepsi around the world, to this day, despite people admitting repeatedly that they liked Pepsi better.
Even worse, in a test where they could see the labels, the results were completely reversed: people loved Coca-Cola, when they could see the familiar logo and red can. This became known as the Pepsi paradox.
Likewise, in taste tests people will consistently prefer a $90 bottle of wine to a $10 bottle, even if the only difference is the price tag. In China, they have a very expensive beer ($44 a bottle) that if you were to taste it you might recognize as Pabst Blue Ribbon, a dirt cheap beverage westerners enjoy only ironically. They just stick a gold label on the bottle and jack up the price. And the Chinese pay it, because the label overrides their sense of taste.
Presentation matters.
Why It Works:
Basically you're involving separate areas of the brain, one that recognizes sensations (like taste) and another that does thinking and categorization (like remembering which brands make the good stuff). The second one can override the first, if you create a positive enough association with a brand or label.
Scientists figured this out by redoing the Pepsi challenge with the added fun of an MRI machine scanning volunteer's brains.
In the test without the labels showing, researchers noticed Pepsi stirred up the ventral putamen (brain chunk related to reward) more than Coke did. With the labels revealed, however, the medial prefrontal cortex (brain chunk related to, among other things, figuring crap out) suddenly got in on the action, drawing on the implanted knowledge from countless ad campaigns that Coke is Good and You Like It. It overruled the part of the brain that dealt in mere sensation. Yes, they can in fact brainwash you into liking something.
Thankfully, science went even further and found a solution. According to another study, those with damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex (brain chunk related to emotion) lose their brand loyalty and actually pick Pepsi even after seeing the labels.
In a few seconds, he won't care that he's using a Black and Decker.
To see how else you're being fooled, check out Dickonomics: How 5 Everyday Businesses Trick You. Or find out which awful, awful customer-type you are, in 8 Customers Everyone Hates.
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I'm wanting to travel from La Paz, Bolivia to Puno. What's the best way to do that?
For most travellers, there's really only one logical way - the bus. The airport is 50km away in Juliaca, and generally you fly from Lima.
I did this trip by bus back in 2010 - the 'fast' option around the lake, and you can read my brief bit about it on my blog.
From the Article on Wikivoyage:
Just go to the Bus Station in downtown Laz Paz. There are several buses to Peru, most of them will stop in Puno. Just double-check when buying your ticket.
It may be cheaper to take domestic buses and walk across the border but buses around there are so cheap that it is hardly worth the trouble.


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Cardinals Gather, Facing Varied Agendas
Attendees Seek to Navigate Range of Priorities, Geographical Loyalties as They Begin Conclave Tuesday to Pick New Pope
Eight years ago, cardinals from around the world gathered in the Sistine Chapel and swiftly picked a new pope who would continue on the same traditionalist path as his predecessor, John Paul II.
Possible Popes
Review some of the men being talked about as Pope Benedict XVI's successor.
The Changing Church
The population of Catholics around the world has grown dramatically and shifted southward, while the cardinals who elect the pope remain mostly European.
This time around, the choice doesn't appear as clear-cut.
The 115 cardinals who begin voting here on Tuesday are caught in a crosscurrent of priorities and different geographical loyalties. Cardinals inside the Roman Curia—the governing body of the Vatican—want to maintain their status in Rome. Without a strong internal candidate, however, they are looking outside their ranks for a new leader.
Cardinals from major dioceses in the U.S., Europe and Latin America, meanwhile, have united in publicly calling for an overhaul in the governance of the Curia. But they are weighing myriad candidates, and they are split over where the papacy should focus its attention: in Europe, where the Church's influence has faded, or in Latin America, where it is still a dominant force.
So far, the overriding question of how the church—particularly the Curia—governs is topping the agenda after months of turmoil, including a leaks scandal that exposed waste and infighting at the Vatican.
"A divide exists between the cardinals who work outside of Rome and those who work in the Curia," Rev. Thomas Reese, an analyst on Catholic issues, said Monday.
"There is a need for the general administration of the church to be put in good order," retired Cardinal Edward Egan said in a recent interview. He noted that over the past half-century, the central organization of the Vatican had gotten too large, inefficient and lost focus on what is happening in local parishes.
Some cardinals have suggested restructuring the Curia's chain of command, breaking up the all-powerful post of secretary of state, which was held by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone under Pope Benedict XVI.
One European cardinal said the Vatican needs to improve its internal communication by simply holding monthly meetings between the cardinals that head key departments on doctrine, clergy, bishops and other issues. Under Benedict, department heads met twice a year.
The challenges facing the 1.2-billion-member church, however, stretch far beyond Rome. Over the past century, nine pontiffs have overseen an evolution of the church beyond its traditional footholds in Europe and North America to increasing representation in Africa, Latin America and Africa.
Analysts, including Father Reese, have said this has led to the establishment of various camps among cardinals that don't always split among geographic lines.
Latin American cardinals, for instance, may unite around the feeling that they are underrepresented in Rome, but still disagree about many other issues. The 11 North American cardinals, meanwhile, have a relatively cohesive group, while 28 Italians are split into factions.
One issue cardinals can agree on: The need to get the conclave started as early as possible. Once all voting-age cardinals had arrived in Rome last week, a "great majority" swiftly voted in favor of starting the conclave on Tuesday, the Vatican said. The Tuesday start gives cardinals more time to deliberate in the Sistine Chapel and get home in time for Holy Week this month.
In the days leading up to the conclave, more than 150 cardinals, some of whom won't participate in the election because they are older than the 80-year-old voting cutoff, gathered in Rome to discuss the state of the church.
These men sat through 161 speeches on topics including the state of church finances, evangelization and the state of the Curia.
During breaks, dinners and other meetings over the past two weeks, cardinals spent significant time getting to know each other and studying the situation around the world.
But the next step could be the toughest as "the field is so wide open that it is difficult to pick even a handful of candidates who are on a shortlist," said Salvador Miranda, a Florida International University scholar who compiles data on the cardinals.
He said many past conclaves have begun with a pretty firm indication of what direction the College of Cardinals wanted to go, but "this time, it appears to be anyone's guess."
For now, it is unclear if any of the candidates have a broad enough base of support to garner 77 votes, the two-thirds support needed to win.
Cardinals inside the Curia are drawn to Cardinal Odilo Scherer of São Paulo, said longtime Vatican analyst Sandro Magister, because he is a polyglot who worked inside the Curia for years before moving to a local diocese. At the same, Mr. Magister said, they hope Cardinal Scherer's experience in Latin America will help draw a broader following.
Cardinals pushing for a new pope to clean house inside the Curia, the analysts said, are weighing candidates as diverse as Cardinals Angelo Scola of Milan, Timothy Dolan of New York and Marc Ouellet, the former Archbishop of Quebec who ran the department for bishop appointments under Pope Benedict.
The conclave is designed to take outside pressure off cardinals by sequestering them behind a wall of silence where communication with the outside world is essentially cut off, and much of the daily schedule is scripted.
Days begin, for instance, with a 6:30 a.m. breakfast, Mass at 8:15 a.m. and a first vote at 9:30. Lunch, another vote, vespers and an 8 p.m. dinner are also on the schedule.
Cardinals have been assigned rooms randomly in order to discourage the forging of blocs in living quarters. The election will begin Tuesday afternoon with one round of voting following an afternoon Mass.
Write to John D. Stoll at firstname.lastname@example.com and Stacy Meichtry at firstname.lastname@example.com
Corrections & Amplifications
The first name of Salvador Miranda was misspelled as Salvadore in an earlier version of this article.


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Just received the Arca style quick release clamp, overall it works as described but the spring in the lever to tighten it seems rather weak. Specifically the spring that holds the lever in place but also allows you to 'ratchet' it back. Mine just seems to have barely enough force to push its own weight back up so when you are tighten it down seems to have a rather flimsy feel to it and won't always engage if I don't make sure it re-seats itself properly. I was going to see if I can take the nut out the end but and put a stiffer spring in but appears its been put in with locktite or something.
Any suggestions?


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I do not know anything about the Waldensians. Specifically, do we actually know what their doctrine was and why the Catholic church opposed them?
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Most information about the doctrine of first valdensians that survived till today is contained in the inquisition protocols. According to "New Advent":
are among their doctrines that contradicted roman catholic faith, so I think, that yes, they can be view as sui specie 'protoprotestants'.
Contemporary Waldenses were 'assimilated' into reformation.
Well. Some of what they said makes sense from a Protestant point of view, but not all. The biggest doctrinal "Holy cow I can't believe they said that," is
This would mean that if your local pastor was shacking up with someone, any baptism they performed would come into doubt. That goes against Augustine's teachings and all (I believe) of the thoughts of the first Reformers.
The Catholic Encyclopedia also implies that they borrowed from the Cathars, which would have put them clearly within the realm of "heretic."
In this book, one curious point is their outright rejection of asceticism. This, of course, goes directly against Christ's statement that certain demons could only be removed by "prayer and fasting" and Paul's allusion in 1 Cor. 9:27 (he speaks of "beating his body.")
There are some things listed here which are concerning (though it is hard to tell which is Cathar/Albigenses and what is Waldenses. Of course, they are interbred). Most importantly:
A bit of a side note: it seems that the first and foremost reason they were condemned was that they did not submit to the local authorities. They were instructed to visit with the bishop (who, at that time, was a lord) and they refused. When this obstinacy continued they were de facto criminals endorsing criminality (if you are summoned to court, you go to court. God does not give us free passes to get out of traffic tickets). Once they were condemned for this behavior by the local synod of bishops (a synod represents a small geographic area), their doctrines started to diverge from Catholic (and I would argue eventually even what could be passed as Christian) thought.


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Cited: Sheila Marie Thompson, 63, 505 Pine Valley Drive, failure to yield; Anthony Blancato, 43, 316 N. 6th St., improper turn; Dominique O. Shafer, 23, 815 N. 6th St., speeding, no seat belt.
Arrested: Stephen Boyer, 37, County Road 189, Bloomingdale, warrant for child endangerment, driving under suspension, failure to obey traffic control device, consumption of alcohol in vehicle, Friday.
Arrested: Juliette R. Harton, 19, 1423 Oak Grove Ave., bench warrant, probation violation, Friday.
Arrested: Kwamaine Williams, 22, 913 Sherman, bench warrant, Saturday.
Arrested: Aaron P. Thompson, 20, 315 Spring St., Toronto, OVI, open container, possession of marijuana, Saturday.
Arrested: Daniel Kenefick, 33, 115 Welday Ave., bench warrant, Saturday.
Arrested: Jamiee Bing, 29, 913 Sherman Ave., bench warrant, Saturday.
Jefferson County
Arrested: Romina Harris, 19, 1340 Oak Grove Ave., probation violation, Saturday.
Arrested: Samuel Harris, 51, 8269 township Road 166, Bloomingdale, criminal trespassing, Saturday.
Arrested: Christopher MacGregor, 38, 1478 Sinclair Ave., OVI, driving under suspension, Saturday.
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Arrested: Teddy Gann, 34, Pittsburgh, OVI, Saturday.


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San Francisco Ballet 2008New Works Festival
Posted 26 April 2008 - 10:41 PM
After Alastair Macaulay's comment in the Times that the first three works in this program were 'ghastly', I approached the afternoon matinee with a good bit of trepidation. Not to worry: some good, some interesting, some just plain weird, but mostly reasonably entertaining.
Choreographer: Stanton Welch
Composer: Poulenc (Concerto in D minor for Two Pianos)
My alternate title: How to be Naked with All Your Clothes On
Not sure why this was called Naked; everyone was fully clothed -- men in pinkish pants and shirts, women in conventional pancake tutus, also pinkish. Plotless, slight, pretty, utterly conventional. Pleasant enough, but of the four works today, this is the only one I wouldn't really care to see again.
A Rose By Any Other Name
Choreographer: Julia Adam
Composer: J.S. Bach (Goldberg Variations, arranged for orchestra by Matthew Naughton and Martin West)
My alternate title: How Aurora Grows Up and Becomes a Lingerie Model
I'd read some pretty negative comments about this, but it turned out to be enjoyable, though it could have done with five minutes cut out.
So, here's the Sleeping Beauty story, filtered through Ms. Adam: Aurora's mom and dad meet, fall in love, get married, shed their clothes, have their wedding night, and produce a baby, all within the first four minutes. Aurora appears and spends the rest of the ballet sometimes wearing, mostly not, a fetching little teddy. At some point, the fairies (danced by men who double as suitors and, later, a forest) give their gifts. Particularly funny: Beauty who manages to twist himself into various pretzel shapes while keeping his mirror planted firmly in front of his face; and Generosity, who graciously gives away all his money and then has second thoughts (I mean, we are paying $4+ for gas out here in California, so, really, who can blame him). Carabosse, who's definitely got some issues, shows up and gives Aurora the fatal spindle. A gigantic black pillow is produced, Aurora goes to sleep on it, the Prince (who also danced Lilac, though I'm not sure when) fights his way through the forest (fairies/suitors carrying tree branches), sees Aurora, falls instantly in love (must be that teddy), tries to wake her by picking up a foot (which flops), arm (flops), head (flops), tries to turn her over (splat - falls off the pillow); finally, she starts to revive but can't quite maintain the vertical. At last, she recovers, falls instantly in love with the Prince, off comes the teddy, curtain down. Maybe a little slapstick and lowbrow, but more fun that I expected.
Adam has a very individual sense of movement: there was an almost Egyptian feel to the sideways, hands forward stance used repeatedly. I'd love to see more of her work, preferably something with a little less plot.
Cast was great, Kristin Long as Aurora particularly appealing. According to Maria Kochetkova's website, she also learned this role and I think she'd be very good.
The Ruins Proclaim the Building Was Beautiful
Choreography: James Kudelka
Composer: Rodney Sharman after Cesar Franck
My alternate title: How the Costume Designer Went Wacko with the Pinking Shears
According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet.
Corps de ballet of 12 women enters wearing tattered tutus and fright wigs (I think they represent 'social decay' though it looks more like 'tutu decay'). After some dancing in the dark (crepuscular lighting throughout), three men appear wearing gray Victorian frock coats, gray makeup on faces and bare chests, and Beethoven wigs (think Sweeney Todd with attitude). They dance with the corps, wave their arms like airplane propellers, and generally look menacing. During all of this, two female soloists in longer tattered tutus dance. Don't know what they're supposed to be. About 2/3 of the way through, Yuan Yuan Tan shows up wearing a red dress and red high-heeled shoes (red shoes: you KNOW that means trouble). Everyone else disappears, she and the main gray man (Pierre-Francois Vilanoba) have not so much a pas de deux as a pas de hissy fit: she pushes him, he pushes back, she kicks out, he restrains her. This goes on for a while, finally she ends up on the floor, face up, corpselike, he folds his arms and smirks. Yup, another uppity woman bites the dust.
The work was saved by the superb performances by the two soloists in the longer tattered tutus, Frances Chung and Elana Altman. Tan is always lovely, but she's as fragile as an icicle and doesn't come across as a match for the beefy Vilanoba. I'd live to see someone like Sarah Van Patten in the role; if she pushes the drama button, that would be a fight of equals.
On the whole, very, very weird, worth it for the fine performances.
Choreographer: Mark Morris
Composer: John Adams (Son of Chamber Symphony)
My alternate title: Gee Mr. Morris, Why Are the Dancers Dressed Up Like Cans of Tuna Fish?
Well, it's not really that bad, but the costumes by Isaac Mizrahi do have that look at first. Some full length neck to ankle, some neck to mid-thigh (like biker shorts), all either silver or gold metallic. Digital numbers on the midriffs flash randomly (tuna talk?). Odd, but effective with Morris' breakneck, spiky choreography. There are movements like kick boxing; sometimes the dancers take the position of a racer at the starting line; sometimes a pose vaguely resembling a body builder. The whole thing is headlong and a good showcase for these fine dancers. For example, a couple of times, the dancers, in unison, do a simple double pirouette, but they do it together, rotate at the same speed, end -- BAM -- exactly together. I suspect that's partly the dancers' skill and partly the music; it gives no quarter -- you're either on the beat or lost in the Pine Barrens. Superb performances all around and undoubtedly the major work of the program.
Sunday: Program A
Posted 27 April 2008 - 07:30 AM
and review!
Posted 03 May 2008 - 02:05 AM
Given the subject matter, you were probably lucky that it was limited to 30 minutes
According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet.
Many thanks for your descriptions and reviews of these new works!
Posted 03 May 2008 - 09:34 AM
My DS is joining SFB in July as an apprentice so I am interested to read all I can about it as I am not so familiar with the company.
I also loved the alternate titles. Very funny.
There also a very interesting series of Podcasts on their website about the festival that I really enjoyed listening to the insights of the choreographers about their pieces.
Wish I could get up there to see it but work does not allow it. There has been a lot of buz about this festival and I salute the company for introducing so many new works.
Posted 03 May 2008 - 09:45 AM
On the other hand, one hears that everything in the 21st century seems to be happening so much faster. It took the Roman Empire quite a few hundred years to reach decay and fall. Possibly 30 minutes -- in today's culture -- is all we have time (or attention span) for.Given the subject matter, you were probably lucky that it was limited to 30 minutes
According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet.
Posted 03 May 2008 - 09:47 AM
On the other hand, one hears that everything in the 21st century seems to be happening so much faster. It took the Roman Empire quite a few hundred years to reach decay and fall. Possibly 30 minutes -- in today's culture -- is all we have time (or attention span) for.Given the subject matter, you were probably lucky that it was limited to 30 minutes
According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet.
Hey why not microwave it, 30 minutes is way too long.
Posted 03 May 2008 - 10:30 PM
[size=4]Program A[/size]
Matinee, Sunday, April 27
Two solid works and one disappointment.
Choreography: Yuri Possokhov
Music: Graham Firkin, Rahul Dev Burman
A great showcase for the dancers, particularly Yan Yan Tan in her pas de deux and solo; Possokhov allows her to be herself -- no acting required, just flexible, graceful, lovely. And Vanessa Zahorian was a treat; she was the only one who really 'got' the jazz-inflected music of the middle section. Never out of sync with the rest of the dancers, and without losing her beautiful classical placement, unlike the others she didn't dance on top of the music but down inside it, allowing the jazz rhythms to propel her movements. Good show.
Inside the Golden Hour
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Ezio Bosso
Like Fusions, an abstract ballet but with more substance. There's a beautiful pas de deux for Sarah Van Patten and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba that seemed to be done entirely in slow motion; amazing control. The many pleasures included the exquisite lighting, and a marvelous ending image as the dancers formed rows, hands crossed and clasped in front, each row rocking, rocking side to side as the curtain came down; hard to describe, but stunningly beautiful. Probably the major work of the festival, Inside the Golden Hour will bear repeated viewings.
Choreography: Paul Taylor (staged by Patrick Corbin)
Music: performed by the Mamas and the Papas
A disappointingly fluffy bit of hippie nostalgia, Changes benefitted greatly from the fact that these young dancers didn't look nearly as ridiculous in the clothes of that era as we old timers probably did. The biggest problem for me was the music: when I moved to San Francisco in 1969, musical tastes ran to Janis and Jimi, the Airplane and the Dead; my friends and I would have given up our Red Mountain wine ($1.79 a gallon -- those were the days) before we'd have listened to the Mamas and the Papas -- they were soooooo Southern California. The dancers were fine, as usual: in particular, Courtney Elizabeth as the in-your-face hippie chick, and Pauli Magierek as the unattainable glamor girl.
[size=4]Program C[/size]
Matinee, Saturday, May 3
Choreography: Margaret Jenkins
Music: Paul Dresher
From the program note: "Thread embodies a contemporary reading of the myth of Ariadne and the labyrinth of Knossos...Ariadne and her double serve as guides, spinning out their thread along the many windings of [the] path..."
Ms. Jenkins is a well-known Bay Area modern dance choreographer; this is her first work for a ballet company. My knowledge of modern dance is too limited to judge how well Jenkins melds modern and classical dance, but the movement vocabulary she developed for this work makes good use of the dancers' classical technique while, at the same time, nudging them pretty far away from it. I'd be curious to see this performed by Jenkins' own company of modern dancers: how would their attack differ, would they be sharp and angular where SFB dancers were soft and curved? Worth another look.
Ibsen's House
Choreography: Val Caniparoli
Music: Antonin Dvorak
Five couples, each a woman and a man in her life from one of Ibsen's plays (Hedda Gabler, A Doll's House, Ghosts, Lady from the Sea, Rosmersholm). Like most poorly educated Americans, I've heard of Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House (actually saw that one on TV long ago), and that's about it, Ibsen-wise. So it's fortunate that, despite the theatrical sources, the ballet is plotless; instead, each character, in solos and pas de deux, expresses her or his emotions: the women repressed, oppressed, depressed; the men repressing, oppressing, depressing (if this one ever shows up on the same program as The Ruins Proclaim the Building Fell Down, they'll have to provide vats of Zoloft in the lobby). It's an unusual way to tell a story, but fairly effective due in large part to some very good performances, particularly the Hedda Gabler of Lorena Feijoo( who is rapidly becoming my favorite dramatic ballerina), and all the men (Orza, Willis, Scribner, Vilanoba, Norman).
Double Evil
Choreography: Jorma Elo
Music: Phillip Glass, Vladimir Martinov
Fifty-odd years ago, my mother taught me that, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Edited to add performance dates.
Posted 04 May 2008 - 04:19 AM
Oh yes Peggy, Lorenita surely projects that dramatic aura around-(can't miss Alonso's old school on her). She was also one of my favorites back at her Havana days with Ballet Nacional de Cuba and now through her appearances with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. (BTW, she's due to dance "Carmen" for the CCBM's next Season!. )
It's an unusual way to tell a story, but fairly effective due in large part to some very good performances, particularly the Hedda Gabler of Lorena Feijoo( who is rapidly becoming my favorite dramatic ballerina),
Posted 04 May 2008 - 09:52 AM
PS: Thanks Peggy for your good wishes. Hopefully you will be able to spot him before too long.
Posted 04 May 2008 - 10:15 AM
From what I hear I'm sorry I didn't get to see the new Wheeldon.
My friends were dazzled by it.
I enjoyed Adam and Caniparoli very much.
Their works are exquisite. It is a pleasure to see how they've grown.
I think they are two of the best this country has to offer and I know that many directors from here and abroad have become interested in them through this festival.
James Kudelka's THE RUINS PROCLAIM THE BUILDING WAS BEAUITFUL blew my mind.
I'm so glad I saw it twice. I don't have adequate words to review so I won't but I do believe as just as Mr. Caniparoli and Lorena Feijoo must work together often so should Mr. Kudelka and Yuan Yuan Tan.
I was sorry that Julianne Kepley did not dance. Parts were created for her by Adam and Caniparoli but she was hurt in a dress rehearsal.
I still think we will hear from this talented lady in the future.
Lastly I must mention Tina LeBlanc just back from last year's injury.
She is more gorgeous than ever and in A Rose By Any Other Name she looked twelve years old at least from row N.
Posted 04 May 2008 - 10:48 AM
It's a shame you missed the Wheeldon, but it's part of the 2009 season so maybe you can see it then.
From what I hear I'm sorry I didn't get to see the new Wheeldon.
My friends were dazzled by it.
BTW, what did you think of Double Evil? I seem to be the only ballet-goer in San Francisco who didn't like it. I'd be interested to know what others saw in it that I missed. That one is being shown next season too; guess I'll have to give it a second look.
Posted 04 May 2008 - 11:10 AM
But I would rather see THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS which I love before seeing DOUBLE EVIL again. Just my personal taste.
DOUBLE EVIL has great energy and I can tell that young dancers love dancing it but it's just not my cup of tea though I didn't dislike it.
Posted 04 May 2008 - 04:51 PM
Posted 05 May 2008 - 08:04 AM
Posted 18 May 2008 - 08:00 AM
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text:
Source: ConsumerFed
quote: It could be said that everyone was ignoring the voice of the customer...really, how many industries truly listen to what you want?
quote: But, I feel it would have eventually made it there just not as fast. I can recall the early 2000s - if you wanted a vehicle that had decent MPG (20+) and cost less than 25k you would be looking at mostly compacts with very few or limited features.


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What are some concepts/techniques/language features that every decent C programmer should know/be aware of (exclude general software engineering and similar and focus only on C specific stuff). I would like to know so that I would be able to fill in some possible gaps in my C knowledge.
Sign up
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- Anybody can answer
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closed as not constructive by gnat, Giorgio, thorsten müller, GlenH7, Jalayn Apr 20 '13 at 13:45
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, visit the help center for guidance.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Specific to C? Aside from standard constructs common to most procedural languages, I'd have to say:
Understand pointers and you will understand computers.
In addition to pythagras's excellent answer,
how to write (or at least read) complicated declarations, such as
funcs is an array[4] of pointers to a function returning pointer to array[10] of char
A C programmer should know... other languages! ;-) It is always fruitful to know concepts from others languages of various paradigms, like OOP, functional programming, and so one.
More seriously, a look at the obfuscated programming contest is fun and, curiously, a good experience too.
I mentioned "buffer overflows" in a comment to Pythagras's answer, I should probably clarify what I meant a bit. In C, it's not enough to know that working directly with memory is dangerous - you should also understand the precise ways in which it's dangerous. I don't really like the "shooting yourself in the foot" metaphor for all of these cases - a lot of the time, it's not you pulling the trigger, but often it's an actor with interests contrary to yours and/or your users'.
For example, in an architecture with a descending stack (most popular architectures fit this bill - x86 and ARM generally included), when you call a function, the return address for the function will be placed on the stack after the local variables defined in the body of the function. So if you declare a buffer as a local variable, and expose that variable to the outside world without checking for buffer overflow, like this:
an external user can send you a string that overwrites the return address from the stack - basically, he can change your program's run-time idea of the call-graph that lead to the current function. So the user gives you a string that's the binary representation of some executable code for your architecture, enough padding to overflow the stack from
C exposes you to low-level details about how your machine works, and it gives you more direct control over your machine than any other user-edited language in widespread use today. With great power comes great responsibility - you actually need to understand those low-level details in order to work with C safely and effectively.
In addition to the other good answers I would like to add defensive programming techniques to the list.
E.g. using asserts at start/end of functions to verify contract.


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ODI - Hive and NoSQL
By David Allan-Oracle on Dec 31, 2012
The Hive external table let's us do lots of cool stuff including processing data from NoSQL. We have seen how custom SerDes are used, Hive storage handlers also provide some cool capabilities. Using the Hive storage handler defined here, an external table can be defined to project data from a NoSQL key-value store. The external table can then be used as a source in ODI, very simple.
The illustration on github has the following data stored in a Oracle NoSQL Database (the key is the lastname/firstname etc):
- /Smith/Bob/-/birthdate: 05/02/1975
- /Smith/Bob/-/phonenumber: 1111-1111
- /Smith/Bob/-/userid: 1
- /Smith/Patricia/-/birthdate: 10/25/1967
- /Smith/Patricia/-/phonenumber: 2222-2222
- /Smith/Patricia/-/userid: 2
- /Wong/Bill/-/birthdate: 03/10/1982
- /Wong/Bill/-/phonenumber: 3333-3333
- /Wong/Bill/-/userid: 3
Using the Hive external table and the custom storage handler for a key value store, we define a mask to project the data through the external table.
- ADD JAR /home/oracle/kv/HiveKVStorageHandler.jar;
- CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE MY_KV_TABLE (lastname string, firstname string, birthdate string, phonenumber string, userid string)
- STORED BY 'org.vilcek.hive.kv.KVHiveStorageHandler'
- WITH SERDEPROPERTIES ("kv.major.keys.mapping" = "lastname,firstname", "kv.minor.keys.mapping" = "birthdate,phonenumber,userID")
- TBLPROPERTIES ("kv.host.port" = "localhost:5000", "kv.name" = "kvstore");
There are a few interesting properties here;
- we specify the keyvalue store using TBLPROPERTIES, identify the host/port and the keystore name (kvstore).
- the SerDe properties contains the mapping of the keys to column names, you will get a row for each value of birthdate, phonenumber, userID
Fairly straightforward. We can then reverse engineer this into ODI, using the same mechanism as I described in previous posts here setting the ODI_HIVE_SESSION_JARS and so forth. The data projected looks like this;
- hive> SELECT * FROM MY_KV_TABLE;
- Smith Patricia 10/25/1967 NULL NULL
- Smith Patricia NULL 2222-2222 NULL
- Smith Patricia NULL NULL 2
- Smith Bob 05/02/1975 NULL NULL
- Smith Bob NULL 1111-1111 NULL
- Smith Bob NULL NULL 1
- Wong Bill 03/10/1982 NULL NULL
- Wong Bill NULL 3333-3333 NULL
- Wong Bill NULL NULL 3
In ODI by defining the Hive collect_set function as an aggregation function, we can then aggregate the data and pivot the data to get it as a row;
- SELECT lastname, firstname, collect_set(birthdate)[0], collect_set(phonenumber)[0], collect_set(userid)[0]
- GROUP BY lastname, firstname;
So another interesting illustration of external tables in Hive and what they can provide.


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If I am posting wallpaper, is it still necessary to apply joint compound? I though that corner could be cut because the surface won't be exposed especially if i cut all the beveled edges off and achieve a uniformly thick surface. i thought that wallpaper adhesive would fill the little holes.
Yes you should still mud, tape and sand all of the drywall joints especially if your drywall has beveled edges. Ideally you would also apply a coat of primer before you apply the wall paper as this makes removing it easier down the road, and if you do ever decide to paint it, at least all you'll need to do is remove the wall paper and paint and not have to deal with mudding the joints.
If you don't mud it, the wallpaper is gonna highlight every screw, seam and flaw. It will have air bubbles over every screw and gap. Would look like a real hack job. Anything worth doing is worth doing well.


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December 11, 2013
Martha J. Kanter, under secretary of education at the U.S. Department of Education, has been appointed as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Higher Education at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
At NYU Steinhardt, Kanter will join the faculty in the Program in Higher and Postsecondary Education. Under the two-year appointment, she will teach as well as advise and mentor the program's students.
NYU President John Sexton said, "It is crucial for universities and their schools of education to be at the forefront of the national discourse about how we improve opportunity, broaden access to education, and maintain high educational standards in post-secondary education. I have known and admired Martha Kanter, and I am delighted to have her as a member of the NYU community, where she will contribute not just to the Steinhardt School, but also to the quality of the national debate on these important matters."
"We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Kanter to the Steinhardt School," said NYU Steinhardt Dean Mary Brabeck. "She is an experienced higher education administrator who brings a commitment to higher education excellence and equity."
"Martha is a natural fit for our program in higher education," said Ann Marcus, director of the Steinhardt Institute of Higher Education Policy. "Her expertise in community colleges, federal higher education policy, and federal initiatives for minority populations mirror many of our program priorities."
"The access, equity, and success of and for our nation's students will be first and foremost on my mind," Kanter said of her move to NYU during the Department's Farewell Party today in Washington. "I will teach, write, and work on what I hope will be only those things where I can have the greatest impact on excellence and equity to change the lives of others for the better."
Kanter, who will begin her tenure at NYU in January 2014, served as under secretary of education from 2009 until December of this year. In this role, she oversaw policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education, adult and career-technical education, and federal student aid. She also supervised six White House Initiatives on: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Educational Excellence for Hispanics; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; American Indian and Alaska Native Education; Educational Excellence for African Americans and Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Prior to her tenure at the U.S. Department of Education, where she focused on educational excellence and equity in education, Kanter served as chancellor of the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District in California (2003-2009) and as president of De Anza College (1993-2003) in Cupertino, Calif. Kanter holds an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco (1989), an M.Ed. from Harvard University (1974), and a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University (1970).
About the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (@NYUSteinhardt)
Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development prepares students for careers in the arts, education, health, media, and psychology. Since its founding in 1890, the Steinhardt School's mission has been to expand human capacity through public service, global collaboration, research, scholarship, and practice. To learn more about NYU Steinhardt, visit: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu.
This Press Release is in the following Topics:
Research, Faculty, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Type: Press Release
Press Contact: James Devitt | (212) 998-6808


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On November 14, 2010, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO) commemorated a quarter century of remarkable accomplishments with a full day of exciting events at Sun Center Studios in Aston. The day began with several screenwriting panels and seminars culminating in a press conference revealing the winners of the 2010 Shoot in Philadelphia (SIP) Screenwriting Awards. Later that evening, more than 500 of Philadelphia's film and TV professionals gathered for an invitation-only party. Guests included the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Photography by Scott Weiner Photography.
On November 13, 2010, Eagles kicker David Akers was honored with the first Luminary Award, a commendation given by the Little Rock Foundation, a group who helps blind and visually impaired children. The event was hosted at the Crystal Tea Room by CBS 3s sports director, Beasley Reece, and meteorologist Kathy Orr. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a sit-down dinner, and an exclusive silent and live auction.
On Saturday, November 13, 2010, Episcopal Community Services hosted Sharing the Harvest: Together We Can Make It Happen at the Pyramid Club. Guests enjoyed an elegant reception, live music and an exclusive live auction. The live auction was led by Roger LaMay of WXPN and featured a day sailing trip for 22 people on the impeccably restored vintage Black Watch yacht in Newport or the New York Harbor, VIP box seats in the Phillies own Box 35 and a one-week vacation at a 5-bedroom home in Maine. A Fund-a-need item allowed donors to underwrite childrens educational programs at ECS St. Barnabas Mission, a homeless shelter for women and their families. Photography by Abdul Saleyman
On November 13, Virtua hosted its 6th Annual Womens Health Symposium at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. More than 1200 women enjoyed information sessions, panel discussions, health screenings and a special presentation by talk show host Rachael Ray. Photography by Jessica Vermeer Hawkes.
To celebrate the opening of the National Museum of American Jewish History, celebrities including Jerry Seinfeld and Bette Midler performed. Photography by Jeff Fusco
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copyright © 1998 Parag Parikh
Can everyone remember Chatty Patty, the girl in English class who liked to "clarify" things?
Then there was Mr. America, varsity athlete in three sports by sophomore year.
And don't forget Miss America, cheerleader and homecoming queen.
And not to be over-looked, Nerd-Man, the pocket-protector-wearing cliche.
Ah yes... the nostalgic memories of high school, chockfull of the most bothersome characters ever to live in one small town. But when you have cancer, even the "normal" people transmogrify into...Witless Woman and Dick Dumb.
As my mom explained to her friend, Witless Woman that I have Hodgkin's Disease, she gathered her information, gleaned from hours of watching soap operas, and asked, "Can he still walk?"
Why wouldn't I walk? Hodgkin's Disease manifests itself as a small bump on my neck. Obviously, this ounce of tumor does wreak havoc with my coordination, causing me to fall down often. But, I think she fell down the steps as a child, along with Dick Dumb.
Dick discovered I needed surgery when he overheard me say,
"I might not be able to run track this year."
Using the combined brainpower of twenty slugs, he thought, "Parag might not be able to run track because of surgery-- You need legs to run."
So, utilizing his Logic Slug, the cannabis leaf-chewer, he deduced, "They're going to amputate Parag's legs!"
Quite proud of themselves for starting an unfounded rumor, Dick and his slugs squirmed in unison.
The worst characters are the Tony Tell-Me's. Their nosiness is only overcome by their foolish phobias. Here is an example of a conversation I actually had with Tony.
Tony asked, "What's catheterization?"
I fumbled, "Well, it lets me go the bathroom."
"No, but how does it work? Huh? Huh?", Tony repeated, like a Scottish terrier barking after finding some garbage.
I answed, "O.K. They stick a tube through my penis all the way up to my bladder."
Tony's face contorts in mock pain as he lovingly massages his groin as he screamed, "Ugh. Gross. That must have hurt! Why did you tell me that?"
I apologized, "I don't know, sorry."
Silently, I thought to myself, "Did I ask you to ask me? Did I want you to ask me? Did I need you to ask me?!"
Ralph Kramden said it right. "One of these days. One of these days, Alice. POW! Right in the kisser!"
Of course, the I Feel So Bad group hits me. The members of this group are fond of saying things like,
"Oh my God, I feel, like, so sorry for you."
I wonder, "Why? Do I have a personal hygiene problem I am not aware of?"
Another favorite of this group is, "Parag, I hope you feel better."
Silently, I think, "So do I. That's understood, unless you're hoping I feel worse."
What about the condescending, "How are you feeling?" They are talking through me to satisfy their humanitarian instinct, they perfunctorily perform their duty, which doesn't include looking at me or waiting for an answer. Off they walk, leaving me to peer at the wall and ask, "Was she talking to me or you?"
Then, Harriet Hospital must inform me of her hospital stories, like when she was six years old, and had to get her tonsils removed, and didn't like the doctor, and was going to get sick when they hooked her up to an IV machine... Or how Harriet's great uncle on her mother's side had some disease and he went to the hospital and he had to be operated on right away but now he's better... As my head lolls to one side in boredom, my eyes glazing over, my mouth hanging agape, I ask God, "Can I please just die so I don't have to listen to this?"
And then God answers, "Y'know I was in the hospital once, and..."
But seriously, as if school weren't enough, I come home to see Thermometer Man! Champion of all overprotecting dads, protector of...well, me! He seeks out point-one-degree fevers. He tries to stick a thermometer in my mouth as many times as possible. I no longer slouch in his presence; any sign of "tiredness" and he pulls out that thing.
He'll say, "Parag, your left eye shut for a moment. Are you feeling all right?"
I answer, "I just blinked, Dad, you know, what an average person does once every thirty seconds."
He answers "Well, just to be safe, why don't I get the thermometer?"
The repeated plunging of a cold metal rod under my tongue irritates me to the point where I am considering purchasing a rectal thermometer, just for variety. Otherwise, someday, in the future, a descendant of mine, will ask, "Mommy, why do we have a little hole under our tongue?" Mommy will then need to explain the story of great-great-great-grandfather Parag.
When my children or grandchildren ask me, "What was it like having cancer as a kid?" my answer won't mention God so much as the attitude of other people. The inexplicable weaving of Clothos, Lachechis and Atropos do not leave me with questions such as "Why did this happen to me?" or "Does God not like me?" Rather, my only question is this, "Why don't people just treat us like normal kids?"
My pal, Jessica, a five-year-old leukemia patient, controls our Oncology Room on Fridays. As Queen, she can cheat at the Candyland game, explore the hospital, or not share her pictures. She only worries about the next day. Up at the hospital, we don't sit and complain about our troubles. Instead we play Legos, build with blocks, read Dr. Seuss books and draw with crayons.
What more in life is there?
Editors Note: Editors Note: Dr. Parikh is currently a resident in Radiation Oncology. To reach him by email send a message to: email@example.com.
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Study Abroad Opportunities
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| Sociology of Diversity - Puerto Rico
Trip Date:May 17 - 25, 2014
SOCI 3110A Sociology of Diversity and/or POSC 3130 Public Policy
Faculty Leaders: Joyce Avila, email@example.com and Jeff Brauer, email@example.com
Credits: 3 or 6 (both courses)
Sociology of Diversity examines minority groups and diverse heritages from a sociological perspective. Students will have the opportunity to experience language, culture and diversity first hand in Puerto Rico.
Public Policy will apply public policy concepts, assess how multicultural and diversity issues impact public policy, participate in a service learning course, and experiential exercises.
Total Cost: $1,750.00
Includes: Airfare, transportation to and from Newark, trip insurance, all accommodations, transportation, expert local guide, activities, and meals.Application Deadline: November 1, 2013
Phone: 570-945-8252
Email: email@example.com
Apply Now


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3-Sided Easel, Simply White
- Overview
Drawing upon years of research into how kids work and play, this easel is designed to encourage young artists' creative side with a special place to color and paint.
- 23" wide x 23" deep x 48" high
- Expertly crafted pine and MDF.
- Two sides have a chalkboard and one side has a white board.
- Comes with a 18" paper roll.
- Dimensions & Care
- Rigorously tested to meet or exceed the highest industry safety standards.
- Masterfully crafted from solid wood and MDF, an engineered wood that lends exceptional strength and ensures that the table will endure over time.
- All wood is kiln dried for added strength and lasting beauty.
- Overall: 23" wide x 23" deep x 48" high
- Weight: 18 pounds
- Dust often using a soft, dry cloth.
- Protect from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.
- Blot spills immediately with a clean, damp cloth.
- We do not recommend the use of chemical cleansers, abrasives, furniture polish or wax.
- Shipping & Return Info
This is an oversized item.
View Our Shipping Information
Return Policy
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. We also cannot accept returns of final-sale items, which are identified by a price that ends in $0.99.
For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
For assistance, please contact Customer Service at 800.993.4923, 7 days a week, 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. PST.
International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.


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I've reading some introductory quantum group material and am trying to understand the algebra-space correspondence in the classical case. One object I'm stuck on is the adjoint coaction $$ Ad_R: a \mapsto a_{(2)} \otimes S(a_{(1)})a_{(3)} $$ of a Hopf algebra $H$, where $a \in H$ and $S$ is the co-inverse of $H$. I assume this is the dual of the standard conjugate representation of a group on itself $$ \hat{g}(h) = g^{-1}hg. $$ But shouldn't this map $$ a \mapsto a_{(1)} \otimes a_{(2)} \otimes S(a_{(3)})? $$ Or why not try $$ Ad_R: a \mapsto a_{(2)} \otimes a_{(3)}S(a_{(1)}) $$
I suppose my problem arises from the fact that I don't really understand the precise correspondence between actions $(R,G) \to G$ ($R$ a ring, $G$ a group) and coactions $G \to G \otimes R$.


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Red Zone special: Oxford High
For the first time since Oxford High opened in 2007, the Wolverines' football team conducted practice without having to look into the future.
The long-awaited FieldTurf was installed in the offseason, allowing head coach and athletic director Joe Stochmal to conduct 10 days of spring football practice with a purpose. He didn't have to worry about poor drainage on the makeshift grass fields in the woods adjacent to the high school.
"We don't have to worry about bees, or poison ivy or even snakes," joked Stochmal. "It was great to be able to have hash marks. In the past, we had to put down cones in the area for hash marks and yard lines."
The future is now for the Wolverines, who have rapidly improved their standing in the South-West Conference. The 2013 season is the final one in the SWC before the Wolverines move to the Naugatuck Valley League in the 2014-15 season.
They head into the summer with high hopes, thanks to the team's best season in the five-year varsity history. In 2012, Oxford went 8-2, knocked off Pomperaug in the season finale, only to miss out on a Class S playoff appearance by percentage points.
Of the eight graduating seniors, the major losses are co-captains Brennen Diaz (quarterback, linebacker) and Bucky Gumbrewicz (guard, defensive tackle).
Stochmal had 41 players in the spring, including as many as nine returning starters.
During the spring game on June 15, junior inside linebacker Noah Lisewski injured his left knee chasing a player who intercepted a pass and will be sidelined for the season. While there was no contact, the knee buckled. Lisewski will undergo surgery on his ACL July 10.
The key returning players are quarterback-defensive back Kyle Chudoba, tailback-linebacker Marcus Esteves, fullback-linebacker Jeff Haney, receiver-defensive back Chris VanKamerik, left tackle-nose guard Dan Carbonaro, right tackle-defensive tackle Justin Hanna, tight end-defensive end Eric Jensen, receiver-strong safety Kevin Loschiavo, and tailback-free safety Steve Persson.
On paper, they look strong, but Stochmal stressed to his team that they can't look into the past.
"As long as they work hard, they can achieve great things," said Stochmal. "If they don't, it could be a difficult year. Last year, nobody thought we would go 8-2 with only eight seniors. This season, we will have a target on our back; we're not used to being the hunted. This year is different. We can't sneak up on anyone anymore. We can be great. It's how we handle it."
Oxford will be attending the Southern Connecticut State University football camp on July 8.
Chudoba, who pitched the Wolverines' baseball team to the Class S state title, missed the first week of spring practice. He will replace Diaz (1,731 passing yards, 18 TDs, 335 rushing yards, 25 TDs) at quarterback.
"Brennen is a great leader and I learned a lot from him," said Chudoba."I'm more of a dropback passer. He is more mobile. I will hope to make connections with Chris and Kevin and our other receivers and hand the ball off to our running backs and help set up the play action. It will be exciting."
The Wolverines open up the regular season at Weston on Sept. 12 at 4 p.m.
"We know we have a lot of challenges, including Weston, which was a playoff team last year; we have never beaten them before," said Stochmal.
Reach Mark Jaffee at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @TheRealJaffman.
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September 18, 2012
Cape Town Bierfest 2012
Kayli Vee Levitan
I am Kayli Vee Levitan.
A Durbanite living in Cape Town, and absolutely loving it.
I still say things like "Spraaite" and "fyish".
Copywriter by day and Foodblogger by night – I write reviews to make you foodgasm, and ads to make you weep.
Or at least, I try.
Words are my friends, they make me happy. And so do the people who read my articles, whether they love them, or not. It's all about learning.
Have a look at www.food-blog.co.za for the food thing.
The ads, well, you'll see those on TV.
Over and Out.
My second favourite thing in the world, after sushi, is something that is celebrated all the time, beer, and this year I celebrated it some more at the much-anticipated Cape Town Bierfest.
A tented Bavarian Brauhaus, decked out with authentic German décor and long wooden tables and benches that seated around 2 500, was created at the Newlands Brewery Village Green for the Bierfest, which ran from September 13 to 16, 2012. Jolly German music and performers entertained the crowds while the Fräuleins served thirsty beer lovers.
All the SAB brews were available, as well as three Bavarian-styled varieties created by SAB brewmasters specifically for the event – Munich Dunkel, Krystal Weiss and Royal Bavaria. For those who attended the beer festival for the atmosphere and not the beer, and of course those who were driving, there were also wines, spritzers and cool drinks.
The Bierfest currency, called crowns, were R20 each and beers were one crown for 500ml and two for a litre. My favourite beer was the Munich Dunkel, with its smooth, chocolatey tones, so I spent quite a few of my crowns on that.
To line the stomachs one could choose from either giant pretzels, roast pork knuckle with mash and gravy, paprika roast chicken with sauerkraut, sausage platters, schnitzel, potato salad and so much more. The pretzels were warm, doughy and divine and the schnitzel was crispy but succulent. I was told that the pork knuckle was an absolute winner – it was so enormous it looked as if it may have once been attached to a dragon.
You were able to book tables inside the Brauhaus but it became a little warm in the tent and celebrations were loud, so we preferred to bask in the sun, sipping on our refreshing beer and snacking on the German treats.
Prizes were awarded to the best-dressed people, and some really got into character. You could buy hats, wigs and more at the venue or even pre-order your gear. Ladies, if you enjoy seeing men wearing shorts and long socks, it was the place to be. And gents… well who doesn't like a girl in lederhosen.
After a very merry day, the Good Fellas drove us home – gosh they are handy if you've had a few drinks and shouldn't be driving.
All in all, Bierfest was a fantastic day – sunshine, wholesome food, friends and beer – what more could a gal ask for? Well, maybe some sushi.
Kayli Vee Levitan is a writer for FoodBlogCT. Follow her on Twitter at @KayliVee for more of her foodie escapades.


text:
The Downtown Hotel was not only designed to blend in with its natural structural environment but also built with the concept of 'a home away from home' in mind.
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Italian Guesthouse is built in wood and vulcanic stone as a typical colonial house.
Select your destination in Saint Lucia. Browse thousands of listings for accommodations, adventures, tours and travel services.


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Have you seen the new "all-designs" feature on shirt.woot?
Pretty cool! But I'm not sure my wallet will agree...
49 Answers answer
So. Very. Awesome!
$18 for crappy shirts that won't last 2 months? Not for me. I am so frustrated, and can't even share my opinion over there. I get censored/deleted every time. I've tried to share this post twice, only to have it deleted...
I'd be on a mission to order a smaller size of every shirt I own and love that is too big if only they were on the same quality shirt as the ones I own and love. When I say heartbreaking, I really mean it. I guess this truly means there is nothing left for me to buy unless we have another rare color plus sale.
@trekmiss: I saw that censor! My wallet doesn't have to worry too much afterall. :(
@trekmiss: You have made no secret of the fact that you don't like the new blanks. I'm sorry you continue to be disappointed. However, the blog is to announce and discuss the catalog of shirts. There are a lot of questions about this and we're trying to get answers as fast as we can. It would help if you keep your comments on topic - the catalog.
@thunderthighs: With all due respect, my responses were in fact on topic for the catalog. If you had let my post stand, I doubt I'd have anything else to say. If you'd just back off a little bit, it sure would be a lot less frustrating. I'd take this to PM's, but you removed that option from me. I've never been abusive, never used profanity, I've only stated my opinion. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but it's not personal against you.
@thunderthighs: I also want you to know that out of respect for you, I have not switched to another account and continued my conversation. I have a 2nd account that I have used back in the day for ordering when 3 shirts wasn't enough. I just hope that you will understand that I'm here because I love Woot, and would do anything to be able to replace my Woot shirt wardrobe. I had my hopes up with all the hints flying that something amazing was about to happen. When it finally happened, it wasn't so amazing, because the shirts still don't fit me.
Jeez, lots of censorship going on in that thread.
Since my comment will be deleted shortly, I will have to copypasta here:
I'd have to echo what Fez said... (his comment was there before I commented and gone afterward)
Anvil blanks are the only thing preventing me from wanting to buy any of the older designs.
As such, I haven't bought a shirt for myself in almost a year. Designs weren't great when AA was available, I like purple but that shade just didn't do it for me. I think the other time was during the Woot Games, where I had like $0 spending money. So while the effort didn't go unnoticed, I still will wait.
Otherwise, I'd probably be looking at buying like 2-3 shirts right now.. like that Da Vinci Koopa shirt, a few ninjas, and something cute for my girlfriend.
EDIT after 3 minutes deleted.
Not gonna lie, that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Totally on topic, but since I'm on probation (wish I could share my nice doggy icon with you) I'll post here that I think it's hilarious that Green Space is listed as out of print!
There had been speculation about this for a while, but it was a PM from @slacker44, who sent me a cryptic email that service had sent her, that made all the pieces fall into place. Thank you for helping us figure this out!
I'm loving going through the catalog. Making a list of the shirts I want, the ones I missed before, the ones I want to replace, just about everything by James Cho, etc. Even if I can't buy now, I want to be ready if more options become available.
@neuropsychosocial: Thanks for the shoutout! @trekmiss Exactly! Although I do wish the shirts were on AA, and I probably won't buy very many because they are on Anvil, I will be happy to spend a lot of my downtime at work browsing the archives!
@thunderthighs: I preferred the AA shirts, but I don't hate Anvil. Don't really have a dog in the fight here, but it seems rather absurd to censor someone's posts based on the fact that it doesn't fit in with the company's advertising strategy. Are the forums for legitimate discussion amongst the consumers (and inexpensive market research for Woot) or are we only allowed to tell each other how awesome it is just to have the opportunity to purchase from an authorized Amazon subsidiary? Just a thought on freedom of speech on what is still Veterans Day until I go to bed.
I have to say that this is not a freedom of speech issue. I absolutely have a freedom of speech. Woot does not HAVE to provide the means for me to express my opinions. Posting is a privilege and not a right. So, even though I disagree with the decision to censor or delete my posts, I will stand for Woot's right to do that.
@sgtgreeneusmc: We often remove off-topic posts from product discussion threads. The catalog blog is very similar in that we want the conversation to be on the topic of the catalog. There are obviously a lot of questions about this new feature and we want people to be able to browse the thread and easily find information.
There are plenty of threads in World of Woot Shirts for discussion of shirt blanks and you are invited to continue your discussions there.
As to freedom of speech, our Terms and Conditions of Use #12, states: Notwithstanding the foregoing, we reserve the right to modify or remove any Content at any time.
@thunderthighs: I spent probably 40 minutes trying to create a response I saw fitting to yours, each seemingly reflecting the 5 stages of grief.
Woot has lost it's charm, I've said it before... but with every change it seems to get worse.
I don't mean to come down on you, I think your a great person and I understand your doing what your superiors tell you to do, and that Woot is in the business to make money.
However, understand this.. if I cannot voice my opinion I'll do it another way, and the simplest way is to tighten my wallet, and to think about my purchases more carefully.
Because I feel like the business I want to support doesn't care nor has any interest in my opinion.
I really would love to have a sample of the new digital printing in my hands before I spend $18 on a shirt...shirt.woot! feel free to send me one for evaluation purposes in size MXL :)
@thunderthighs: I wonder if anyone at Woot has thought of a different way to censor without completely "disappearing" a scathing, but respectful or off topic comment?
Perhaps there is a way to collapse those comments into expandable links with something like "woot does not think this comment adds to the conversation. click here to read this comment," message?
I believe Amazon does this in their comment system. It keeps the cries of "censorship" down to a dull roar and it allows people to feel while their voices & opinions may be minimized, they're not crushed under some dictatorial Woot thumb.
What a shame, all those wonderful shirts and none that fit :P And all this post deleting and censorship. I guess there's two way woot could take the never-ending feedback - listen to it, or just repeatedly delete it. How disappointing.
@trekmiss, et. al.: Here's how I see it.
The switch to Anvil represents the end of an era at Shirt.Woot.
They will not go back to AA.
This is the reality.
Community and passionate people are nice to have, but realistically the vast majority of shirt purchasers could really give two shirts what blanks they are on.
Woot lost many passionate folks, and I'm sure staffers lament that fact, but profits are up, and more buying options are available, and Woot doesn't really need those passionate folks anymore.
Smalller boutique shops like "GoodJoe" are where you need to direct that passion. I'm sure they would apprieciate it.
I just noticed that the reckoning is now listed as Top 20 on the main page
Thank goodness. Randomly noticed it this morning while oggling my favourite old shirts. Came here to confirm it's true.
Worried about some colours and designs.
@natedogg828: Agreed. I would like to know how the digital prints shape up. Maybe someone can post here when they get one and leave a review?
@countdown: I have some DTG prints from Goodjoe and like them pretty well.
In fact, I suspect these will print better than the current silk-screened side-sale shirts because it eliminates some of the error vectors.
I'm so excited!! I finally get to order "Uh Oh" for my cousin, the helicopter pilot!
I'm sure there are other shirts I need too... I can't wait until I have time to browse 48 pages of Woot Goodness. :D
I think this is a cool idea, but like many others, I think it would be an even much cooler idea if the shirts were printed on higher-quality AA blanks.
I remember offering to pay a few bucks extra for AA. Instead, they've given us the option to pay extra for something custom. Eh.
The new catalog is pretty great - though I was disappointed when I found the ONE shirt I wanted to order (out of dozens I own) to be 'out of print'. Perhaps it is due to offbeat blank color. Curse my uncanny ability to get ketchup on every one of my "favorite" shirts...
Doesn't it bother anybody else that Woot has completely forsaken their business model?
@thepenrod: Yes. It's bothered a lot of people - but they are not going to go "backward" in this plan to become a powerhouse.
@trekmiss: I agree with your views on AA. I too am seriously disappointed that I cannot order great designs, because the shirts are a terrible fit on me. (I will leave all of my other Anvil issues out of this ATM.) I am curious though - did you ever get a chance to try on an Anvil?
I figured the launch thread would be tightly moderated, so kept my thoughts to myself. Namely this one:
"I would be so broke right now... if these were on AA."
@thepenrod: It concerns me a bit. I would've expected something like the Threadless model where styles go out of print, people can vote for them to reprint, and they're back until the batch is gone. Here, it loses a lot of the urgency and compromises the once-a-day uniqueness. In fact, it's contrary to woot and woot plus, as you noted. Still, I prefer the shirt.woot styles compared to most other shirt-a-day sites.
@thumperchick: I actually have a few Anvils now, mostly MXL. Next random, I still need to try an ML, but I doubt it will be any better. The MXL is already too short, but the neck is so huge it falls off my shoulder. I tried WXL, and it was too short out of the bag, even before washing, and the sleeves were too tight. Due to my weight loss, I have a very tough body to fit, but AA shirts did the trick. Each time I went down a size, they still fit in all the right places.
@j5: I have ordered a handful of shirts from Goodjoe. Love them! My main disappointment right now is realizing that I may never be able to replace my favorite Woot shirts that I've had for years, but are way too big.
@j5: More so than country of origin, there are folks who hate the switch because of the fit (or lack thereof). I don't think there would be as much outcry if they went to blanks that did offer a similar (or better) fit. Both DBH and TeeTurtle uses Next Level blanks (made in Nicaragua, Mexico, El Salvador, or China), and I found them to be more acceptable in their cut than the 980's or even the new Threadless shirts which are made in the USA.
BTW, @trekmiss, don't bother with the ML ... you've seen my pic. And I still need to make it to the PO ...
@mistamoose: Threadless pays a flat rate on a reprint, whereas the artist's commissions are ongoing here at Woot for each and every sale. It's a positive to allow everything to be available at all times.
@thunderthighs: As for removing off-topic comments, I completely agree....if the topic is the new "all Woot shirts" and someone chimes in with "I like pizza." Not sure that expressing one's distaste for the fact that the older designs will in fact NOT be the same shirts because of a supply chain change qualifies as off topic, unless, again, we are talking about deleting any opinion that doesn't fit with company self-image or bouncing the complainer over to a double secret probation thread.
Secondly, I don't need to go to another thread because I'm not discussing the shirt blanks.
Finally, I'm not questioning your RIGHT to arbitrarily delete content, but instead, the WISDOM of the corporate policy to do so. It isn't even so much that you removed the posts as it is about how you did it with such disdain and malice. Perhaps a little tact is in order when squashing others' opinions.
PS - thunderthighs, this is not a personal attack on you; we all know you're just doing your job.
It's about time! All the people who asked "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SHIRT" and then got a "Woot, but it's gone" reply will be very happy.
ignores thread drama
@narfcake: The only reason I would try anyway, is... well, there are 3 reasons.
1. To show that I'm trying the shirts myself to validate my opinion.
2. Because there is still a lot of fun in ordering a random shirt and wondering which one will come.
3. I'll have another shirt that I can donate to my Shirts for Bolivia project.
@trekmiss: Don't give up on the shirts quite yet. You've lost weight and that's fabulous! You might find that your body shape continues to shift for an extended period of time and clothing will continue to fit differently. Until then, do what I'm forced to do, buy to fit the boobs and then pull & tuck all the extra fabric at the waist into the back of your jeans.
@narfcake: Don't know much about Next Level, would they be able to meet the volume requirements Woot has?
I love Kitties :D
Do random days now come from the whole catalog?
@jeeperwoot: No. The whole catalog is DTG, meaning printed only when ordered. The daily offerings and side sales will continue to be screen printed with their nominal productions overruns for the reckoning sales.
@j5: No idea, but we're still having some inventory issues with Anvil now. @ramyb, do you by chance know if your printer/supplier had logistic issues before?
People like/prefer AA, just bring back AA.
It's like the children of divorced parents begging for a reconciliation after the parents have remarried.
Not going to happen kids.
@trekmiss: Don't feel too bad about being censored - they're censoring other wootployees too.
Meh. I've read enough about the Anvil blanks that I'm not willing to try one.
@lavikinga: Unless I gain 100 lbs in my neck, it will never work!
@trekmiss: The neck holes aren't so much of an issue for me. A bigger hole gets less make up on it. ;)
Ever since thyroid issues reared their ugly heads years ago, I've hated anything up around my throat, especially crew neck shirts and have been known to cut the ribbing off a few AA shirt necklines in the past. I left the fabric raw edged and it conveniently curled to make an interesting neckline.
My objection to the Anvil necklines is they always look like they've been shoved in a pocket whether line or machine dried.
@lavikinga: Believe me, I understand about the thyroid issue. I can't wear turtlenecks for the same reason. As far as crew necks, I don't have a problem. I am uber modest, and these neck holes are so big I show a bra strap, and the neck just about falls off my shoulder. That is due to the fact that my upper body is a couple sizes smaller than my middle. The more fitted style of the AA shirts seem to help that issue. Anvil shirts just look frumpy and sloppy on me.
@lavikinga: just a side note, every time I see your name I read it as "lava-king".
@j5: I know. I get that pretty frequently. Capital letters and proper punctuation can make a world of difference. Are you reading this, Woot?
@natedogg828: Agree; same size too ; )