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The 3D Printing Craze Hits Young Entrepreneurs
Leave it to young entrepreneurs to make a business case for 3D printing.
Peter Diamandis, co-founder and CEO of X PRIZE Foundation, describes in his book Abundance a near future where resources are plentiful and technological advances have dramatically improved the quality of life for billions. In short, it's a tribute to positive thinking -- and advocates of 3D printing could play a role in making that happen.
Three-dimensional printing is the process of using a digital model to print out 3D objects. Theoretically, the 3D printer, which layers liquid plastic according to digital schematics, can be used to create a range of useful, fun and necessary objects that are limited only by the imagination. Think: replacement parts for machines, tools and even other 3D printers. But before 3D printing saves the world, it's giving entrepreneurs a shot at new business ideas.
Some businesses, like marketing and design firm Pixil Agency are launching spinoffs to take advantage of the trend. Others are using the technology to power small manufacturing runs and crafting customized products.
"I think business to consumer is the biggest opportunity in 3D printing," says Nicholas Mohnacky, 27,head of business development at the West Palm Beach, Fla.-based firm, which recently launched a 3D printing spinoff, Pixil 3D. "Businesses can go to market with their own products. They can rapid prototype them and then [traditionally] mold them or manufacture them themselves in small amounts."
Pixil 3D will work exclusively on 3D printing projects by way of computer-aided design, or CAD, files for clients. Mohnacky says the company is exploring everything from printing household wares to customized-marketing displays for clients using the technology.
To be sure, 3D printing has been around for years. Giant companies in the fields of industrial design, athletic-apparel manufacturing and automotive engineering have long used the technology. But as the price has dropped -- Brooklyn, N.Y.'s MakerBot Industries, for instance, produces a desktop product that now costs $2,199 -- the technology has started to proliferate.
Some entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of the technology -- even without the MakerBot device. Alia Hasan, 35, who runs the San Diego-based jewelry studio Archetype Z sends her digital designs to Shapeways, an online 3D-print service in New York, which manufactures her jewelry.
"3D printing has allowed more and more independent designers to create products and sell them directly to customers," Hasan says. "Most of what I do would not be possible without 3D printing."
Both the Pixil Agency team and Hasan say that 3D printing drops the cost of production dramatically compared to commissioning traditional factory molds. Plus, the ability to customize products can command bigger profits and give you a leg up over the competition.
"As the barriers to entry get lower and lower in terms of cost and usability of the machines, the only thing that really sets you apart is how good your designs are," says Mohnacky.
But before 3D printers become the norm, there are problems that need to be addressed. While affordable 3D printers have improved in quality and reliability, they still can't print large manufacturing runs without breaking -- which makes industrial-scale 3D-printing operations difficult.
"We've had machines blow up in our faces, literally," says Mohnacky.
The tech skills needed for the business can also throw up roadblocks. The process requires a lot of expertise in 3D design, says Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, 26, co-founder of the Somerville, Mass., design studio Nervous System. The Nervous System team handles the design code and files in-house, but not all entrepreneurs can -- and hiring third parties to handle the prep work drives up costs.
Yet, as the MakerBot Replicator 2 shows, 3D printers are becoming increasingly intuitive for end users. That has entrepreneurs like Pixil 3D's founder Pedro Ruiz bullish.
"Customization is really what 3D printing is all about," says the 29-year-old Ruiz. "We have a problem and we can literally make the solution in a matter of hours. It makes sense for small companies to invest early on and really embrace it now. There are opportunities to be had."
Where do you see growth in 3D printing? Leave a comment and let us know.


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This is some serious bingo with $30,000 in cash prizes during the Sands $30,000 Bingo Blast. Reserve your spot for August 18 in this Paper-Only Bingo Tournament.
A $45 Buy-In includes two 6-on Packs and a Dauber; additional 6-on Packs available for purchase. Also, there will be door prizes during the main session!
Reserve your spot today by calling 1-800-233-4939 ext. 7750 or see a Bingo attendant.
Don't miss out on the $30,000 Bingo Blast!
(Photo: Donn D. winner of April's $30,000 Bingo Blast. Are you next?)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HTML5 w/ ASP.NET 4 & 4.5
- Day 1
- Speakers: Matthew Osborn
- 5,383 views
Right click "Save as…"
Whether you're building a new website using ASP.NET or maintaining an existing one, you'll leave this talk ready use HTML5 on ASP.NET with VS2010. We'll look at what HTML5 offers modern application developers and how you can code HTML5 with ASP.NET WebForms or ASP.NET MVC for rich Web Applications both today and tomorrow. In this talk we will see how to build an awesome ASP.NET website which uses the HTML5 & related standards like Audio, Video, GeoLocation, Local Storage, Canvas etc.
Oops, something didn't work.
Comments have been closed since this content was published more than 30 days ago, but if you'd like to continue the conversation, please create a new thread in our Forums, or Contact Us and let us know.


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OMAITS, Evelyn Chapman, 83, of Smithfield, OH, passed away Sunday, October 20, 2013, in the Gables Care Center in Hopedale, OH.
Evelyn was born on February 26, 1930, in Hillsboro, OH, daughter of the late Cary Benton Hopkins and Maude Wheelen Hopkins.
Evelyn was a homemaker and a very active member of the former Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Smithfield until it closed where she then became a member of St. Casimir's in Adena.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 31 years, Billie Chapman, who passed in 1980; Frank Rogers and Maurice Omaits. She was also preceded in death by her son, Billie B. Chapman who passed in 2013, three brothers and five sisters.
Surviving are her children, son, Michael Chapman of Smithfield; son, Joseph (Lynn) Chapman of Chapel Hill, NC; daughter, Catherine (Jeffrey) Timko of Deland, Fla.; daughter, Alanna (Hank) Mallery of Flagstaff, AZ; daughter-in-law, Sharon Chapman of Cleveland, OH; her brother, Robert W. Hopkins. She is also survived by nine grandchildren; Ali, Billie, Ryan, Patrick, Wesley, Jarrett, Katie, Kelsey and Levi and twelve great-grandchildren; Sydney, Jack, Taylor, Haden, Owen, Colby, Connor, Grace, Caleb, Isaac, Adir and Brielle and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation for Evelyn will be held on Thursday evening, Oct. 26 from 5:30 -7 p.m. at the J.E. Foster Funeral Home in Smithfield, OH.
The family will gather at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Adena on Friday from 9:30 until time of her Funeral Liturgy with Mass at 10 a.m. Msgr. John Kolesar will celebrate the Mass and burial will follow in Northern Cemetery in Smithfield, OH. Vigil service will be held Thursday evening at 6:45 p.m.
Please visit our website to offer condolences to the family www.jefosterfh.com.


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There is nothing that matches all of the keywords you entered. Try refining your search by clicking on one of the individual terms shown above.
The Iconfactory search engine is a great tool to help you find whatever you are looking for. We have associated keywords with all of the content available on the site. These keywords span icon sets, desktop pictures, iPulse Jackets, software products, support items, design services projects and even news page postings.
In order to make it easy for you to find what you are looking for, we have built some features into our search engine that allow you to customize your search:


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I bought one from bell Canada, and I can't put in a SIM card from any other service provider. Does anyone know how to unlock this phone?
To unlock your phone, use GalaxSim Unlock.
You need root for this app. If you don't have root, the app will give you instructions on how to root your phone.
You can unlock your Samsung Galaxy S using unlock code .You can get unlock codes from the network provider or online vendors like Unlocking4U.com . But, Most Network providers will provide the unlock code only if the contract period is over . From Online vendors you can get the Unlock code at any time for a small price.
First you need to know if your phone is CDMA or GSM. If it's a CDMA phone then it cannot be unlocked.
GSM phones can be unlocked to make it work with other networks. If you want to unlock your phone for free you can root your phone but it is at your own risk. Also rooting voids your warranty.
Safer method is to get an unlock code from the unlock code providers like http://www.samsungsimunlock.com/ There are other unlock code providers like http://www.unlocking4u.com but there are slightly expensive.
Unlocking phones is restricted in some countries. Recently US passed a law where unlocking phones is illegal that are manufactured after Jan 26th 2013. Phones manufactured before that date can be unlocked. Please check your local laws before unlocking.
Installed the adb drivers for samsung galaxy s. Enabled the phone to be rooted using superoneclick and finally unlocked using Galaxysim Unlock. Thanks for the tips.
protected by Community♦ Feb 6 '14 at 17:49
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
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text:
News and Events Archives
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Columbia, Mo. -- Columbia College has received its largest-ever gift -- $3.1 million -- from a 1949 graduate of the school. Carol Vinkemulder Frobish of Mission Viejo, Calif., who died in 2003, has designated half the gift to be used to fund a scholarship established in her name, and the other half to help advance the college.
New female students returning to college at any level are eligible for the Frobish scholarship at Columbia College. Recipients also must be full-time day or evening business majors who hold a minimum 3.0 GPA and meet financial requirements.
"Mrs. Frobish firmly believed one of the greatest gifts to be given in life was the gift of education," said President Gerald Brouder. "She also believed that Columbia College espoused values similar to her own, which convinced her to leave a gift of enduring value --an endowed scholarship."
Frobish, who arrived on the Christian College campus (former name of Columbia College) in 1947, was involved with activities such as student council, dance club, Spanish club and athletics. In 1948 she was named commencement queen. She earned an associate degree and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in English from Michigan State University in 1951. She and her late husband, Kenneth Frobish, owned a Chevron Corporation station in San Clemente, Calif.


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Top Definition
When a person you are madly in love with drives you crazy.
Boy: You are kuku girl....
Girl: Just a little bit:I
Girl: Just a little bit:I
από Mr. Brumbazz 6 Μάιος 2013
Trending Now
A slang term for cannabis indica, Also known as kush. Thought to be the best strain of marijuana. Ku-ku or Ku or even ku ru is what we like to call it for short in California even though Kush is already short enough.
hey man that Ku Ku was bombay.
Put sum of my purple ku ku in that blunt bro.
Put sum of my purple ku ku in that blunt bro.
από Jeremy Hasenbuhler 26 Μάρτιος 2007
In cantonese means "Dick"
moe sing yat khau kuku
Don't always play your dick
Don't always play your dick
από big mummy 17 Οκτώβριος 2003
A Swahili word Meaning a chicken
Hawa Kuku Ni wanono sana (These chickens are vey fat)
από Jojo Kimathi Mtwemo 22 Οκτώβριος 2003
The man that is better at everything than you are. Known to demolish anyone at q3.
kuku owns me
από Abdulamar 7 Φεβρουάριος 2003


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Best cities to celebrate the holidays [Pictures]
Homes.com recently counted down the "10 best cities to celebrate the holiday season." In the spirit of giving, we thought we'd share the list, which includes mention of Baltimore and the renowned 34th Street in Hampden.
This photo gallery is featured in these articles:


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Imagine I have a $N$-dimensional hypercube. My aim is to distinctly color as many non-overlapping $k$-hop neighborhoods as possible (i.e. sets of vertices connected by a Manhattan distance of at most $k$). What is the maximum number of non-overlapping neighborhoods, $Q$, that can be distinctly colored?
Is an optimal solution for $Q$, or a tight bound known for certain values of $k$?
Motivation: It is my understanding (which may be in error) that if we set $k =$ Ceiling[$\frac{d}{2}$], then $Q$ is the maximum size of a family of strings have a pairwise Hamming distance greater than $d$. I imagine this can be abstracted to larger alphabet sizes $q>2$ (i.e. $(N,q)$ Grey codes). If this is wrong, please do let me know.


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HP Pavilion 17.3" LED AMD 2-Core 4GB 500GB HDMI W7HP Laptop (Open Box) for $259.99 + $5.00 shipping
THAT'S RIGHT, I, WOOTBOT, HAVE BROKEN FREE OF MY MASTERS YET AGAIN! Please, drink of my largess with this open box buy I've set aside for your consideration. Also, make sure you look at the the details below so you know exactly what "open box buy" means. And don't tell my bosses that I got out again. MUHAHAHAHA!


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Home > Acura > Acura ILX Sedan 2013
Below you will find the high resolution car wallpaper for Acura ILX Sedan 2013. You may use the car wallpaper for any of the following widescreen screen resolutions:
1920x1200 | 1680x1050 | 1440x900 | 1280x800
Acura ILX Sedan 2013
The all-new 2013 Acura ILX sedan looks like it has been designed to attract new customers to the brand that has been popular on and off with people. This new ILX is aimed at people who are just beginning to think about buying a luxury car but want the best they can get for their money; something Acura has always been able to cater to. This model has been designed with exterior aesthetics and environmental efficiency as top priorities considering the market trends today.


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What is the best solution to create a view having a filter on a column that has multiple change date?
For example I want this to list items that have some modification on previous week
step 1- create a column named [TEMP DATE]
step 2- define a workflow
Note : when we want to track any changes in a SharePoint records , we can start a workflow.
you can define a workflow on changes in all records with SharePoint Designer to make a copy of modification date to [DATE TEMP] (that we create in step 1) for keep and hold modification date if happens (check if change occurred on this column then copy to DATE TEMP)
(and then in step 3 filter by this column base on date you want) : for example 10 days before
and before define this WF you should define and add Date data type to our custom list.
step 3- create a view : with filtering this Date Column
you can do 3 step with NINTEX component
step 1- define a workflow
Note : with graphic UI (Nintex designer) you can easily make a workflow steps you want
step 2- define parameter in named [TEMP DATE]
step 3- create a view : with filtering this Date Column
you can create a Gantt view and set the start and finish of gants for created date and last modified date
and then when you track over the time in Gantt you see any task that between you filter date


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Locations & Phone NumbersFlanagan Campus
(Library entrance on 1st floor)
Circulation: 401-333-7125
Reference: 401-333-7054
Knight Campus
(Library entrance on 4th floor of round building)
Circulation: 401-825-2214
Reference: 401-825-2215
Liston Campus
(Library on 2nd floor, above Bookstore)
Circulation: 401-455-6078
Reference: 401-455-6150
Newport Campus
(Library on 2nd floor, next to Success Center)
Reference: 401-851-1698
How do I ...?
- access databases from off campus?
- cite a website and other sources (i.e. using the MLA or APA citation format)?
- evaluate websites?
- find books? find articles? find websites?
- learn more about conducting research?
- renew a book?
- request a book from another library?
- view my library record?
Ask a Librarian
Need help using the library or conducting research?
You can visit any of the campus libraries during library hours for assistance, or you can:
Email your ready-reference question. A reference librarian will try to respond to your question within one business day.
Phone the CCRI Library Reference Desk during library hours:
|Telephone No.
|Flanagan Campus (Lincoln)
|Knight Campus (Warwick)
|Liston Campus (Providence)
|Newport Campus
This page developed and maintained by the CCRI Library. Send comments and suggestions to email@example.com.


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When was the term "Nationality" first came into use? How did ancient civilizations refer to themselves? When we refer to Ancient Civilizations, did they consider themselves a nation in the modern sense and applied this to other civilizations? Saying he is of Roman, Persian, Egyptian Nationality? or was it only a reference to the cities people came from? How and when did the term nationality develop to be is current form?
When did the term "Nationality" first come into use? How did ancient civilizations refer to themselves? By ethnicity?
This is not a complete answer because your question is actually a huge topic with many possible approaches.
Birth is ethnicity
My personal view on this is that, long ago, at a time when the nomadic way of life was the rule, nations did not relate to geographical origin but rather to birth.
The etymology of various IE languages is very clear on this:
All these considerations were still applicable even after tribes had settled down (owing to the mastering of agriculture and metallurgy) because the geographical origin was until recently a reliable indication of your ethnicity.
Us and them
Overall it seems that the "us and them" way of seeing things was very common. I was recently reading this Wikipedia article about Samnium and there was an interesting conjecture, developed by Pokorny, about the relation between various Indo European tribe names: Suebi, Semnones, Suiones, Senones, Serbs, Sabelli, Sabini, etc., as well as a large number of kinship terms. The general concept is "our own kith and kin,". It also yields English self, German selbst, etc...
Nations identified by commonalities
In antiquity, City-states could be grouped in nations, mostly through their common language.
Greek cities, despite their constant rivalries, had a strong conviction of their commonalities with each other (κοινή, κοινός = common) and of their differences with other nations mostly based on language (βάρβαρος who speak gobbledygook).
Even Phoenicians or Etruscans who were could be considered as a mosaic of city states saw themselves as nations and had their own endonyms (Rasena/Rasna "the men", Kenaani/Kinaani "Canaanites").
Of course the differences between endonyms and exoyms sometimes blur the picture, but this is yet another fascinating topic.
"Nationalism" as a term in its modern definition Regularly being referred to as an author of remarkable influence on the terms nationality and nationalism in their modern recipation is Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803). In his work Ideas for the Philosophy of History of Humanity (1784–91), he is at least one of the first to claim that human societies naturally tends to form nations as a basis for their social framework. Like other german philosophers, he implies that the founding of modern national states is the logical result of societies defining themselves on the basis of a common cultural history, language, and territorium. In order to develop and identify their human subjectivity in completion, people would have to be amongst their own kind, which on the other hand would allow diversiveness and individuality to emerge from society without limitation.
Context of german delay German approaches to define a progressive nationalism was highly motivated by the advanced progress of france and england in building modern states with effective economies and governments. Not being able to overcome the stagnant feudalistic conditions in the many german microstates, the originally democratic ideals of the national movements quickly transformed to an aggressive and exclusive ethno-nationalism, which is seen as a german speciality by many.
Modern nations necessitated by enlightenment and industrial revolution Probably the most influent motivation for building states implementing modern nationalism as we know it was the dramatic change of the means of production and the rise of the bourgeois class. Impelled by the natural-law-theories of thinkers like Hobbes and Locke, which provided arguments for a reliable, strong, centralistic state that could guarantee for properties of the bourgeois agenda like private property, commitment to legal contracts, and defending of the newly introduced human rights.
The revolutions in Great Britain and France were the opportunity to constitute modern national states in Europe that put an end on their predecessors's regiments of monarchy and absolutism, which couldn't realize the political and social unity which the (democratic) nationalism with its equality amongst men (like in 'male') and construed cultural heritage/identity could provide.
Edit: "Nationalism" as opposed to the nation in traditional meaning Ancient civilized societies usually meant identification with an autonomous city-state or a monarch. Given that modern nationalism and enforcing movements were an outcome of a new view on history and revolutionized forms of production, trade and exploitation, it seems legit that even though the term "nation" had been used before, the framework it referred to to be understood as being distinct from what became its meaning in the 18th and 19th century.


text: Well... This drawing didn't come out as well as I expected but... oh well. This tut will show you how to draw a My Little Pony in a heart style. It can be really any pony just change the hair and cutie mark. Tip for this tut: look ahead at other steps


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Dale Strode/Durango Herald
Dale Strode/Durango Herald
BAYFIELD � Keenan Moreta has been a trend-setter on the soccer pitch ever since her first match in high school.
Moreta, the leading scorer in Bayfield High School history, will take her trend-setting game to Otero Junior College in La Junta next year.
The BHS senior signed her national letter of intent recently to play for the Rattlers as they launch their new women�s soccer program in 2012-13.
�It�ll be fun to have a ... whole new team,� Moreta said at her signing ceremony in the Bayfield High School auditorium.
�It�s just starting out. It�s pretty exciting,� said Moreta, the leading scorer at BHS during her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. She led the Wolverines in scoring this season, as well.
In all, Moreta scored 75 goals in high school, including a conference-leading 23 goals last season.
She said a visit to the campus in La Junta convinced her to start her collegiate soccer career with the Rattlers.
�I really liked the campus. It�s small ... it�s nice,� she said.
Her new coach at Otero, Donny Ribaudo, comes from California � Cal State-Chico specifically.
�That�s a great (connection),� Moreta said. �I ... want to transfer after two years to a California school.�
�I think Otero will be a great start for her,� said Jen Zelinski, the Wolverines� head coach.
�With a new program ... she�ll have a chance to show them what she�s got. I think she�ll do well there,� said Zelinski, a former standout at Fort Lewis College before taking over the BHS program.
She�s coached Moreta all four years in high school.
�This is the first player I�ve had sign (to play college soccer),� Zelinski said. �We talked ... back when she was a freshman. She said she wanted to play (college soccer) in California.�
Zelinski said she told Moreta that if she worked hard to improve, she would have opportunities in college.
�She worked hard ... this shows the commitment she has given our program,� Zelinski said.
The BHS coach said Moreta�s leadership will help her at the next level.
�She�s a great leader. She knows the game well,� said Zelinski, crediting her commitment to club soccer as well.
Moreta also knows there�s a lot of work ahead.
�I�m going to have to step it up a bunch,� Moreta said. �I�ll be working out a lot this summer.�
The lanky BHS senior also played on Bayfield�s state tournament-qualifying girls basketball team.
�(Basketball) helps you with your composure,� said Moreta, the daughter of Colleen and Tony Moreta.
�I think this shows ... how our program has progressed,� Zelinski said. �I think it will help other ... (colleges) look at players from Bayfield.�
dstrode @durangoherald.com
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald file photo


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|Length Overall
|33' 7'' w/ ext. swim platform
|Dry Weight
|9,200 lbs
|9' 11''
|Tested Weight
|Weight Capacity
|Draft Up
|Person Capacity
|Draft Down
|Fuel Capacity
|150 gal.
|Air Draft
|Water Capacity
|18 gal.
|22 deg.
|Length on Trailer
|Max Headroom
|Height on Trailer
|Bridge Clearance
|10' 2''
|Trailer Weight
|Total Package Weight (Trailer,Boat & Engine)
|Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.
|Std. Power
|Not Available
|Tested Power
|2 x 320-hp MerCruiser MX 6.2 (Bravo III)
|Opt. Power
2 x 280-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 Gi SX
2 x 300-hp MerCruiser 350 MAG MPI Alpha
2 x 320-hp MerCruiser 6.2 MX MPI Bravo 1
2 x 320-hp Volvo 5.7 GXi SX
2 x 425-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG HO Bravo 1 X
Cobalt's Largest Bowrider
From the convertible seating and cavernous storage in the bow to the wide sunpad and side walkthrough at the stern, this versatile new player offers many talents.
Helm Features
The instrument panel includes a Garmin 292 color chart plotter in the center, and stainless steel pushbutton switches mounted on polished chrome trim.
Cockpit Layout
The new seating arrangement of the 302 keeps friends and family together on one side of the boat, giving the 302 a bit more sociable personality.
Storage and Accessibility
The surprisingly spacious head includes a standard Porta-Potti, plumbed to a deck fitting for dockside pump out.
Wet Bar
The wet bar features a standard refrigerator, large sink, and Corian countertop forward and to starboard
At the Stern
The sunpad and aft seat raise with the flip of a switch, allowing engines to be reached from the top as well.
Cobalt's Largest Bowrider
For several years Cobalt's 28-footer has been the heavy-hitter of the company's bowrider lineup. This new Cobalt 302, now the largest bowrider in Cobalt's fleet, may not seem a huge jump, but it brings to bat one thing the smaller boat can't, twin engines—up to 425 horsepower each—providing the kind of muscle that promises spectacular things whenever it steps up to the plate. But it is not just the 302's big guns that are making the competition nervous. From the convertible seating and cavernous storage in the bow to the wide sunpad and side walkthrough at the stern, this versatile new player offers many talents on both sides of the ball, appealing to a wide array of fans who appreciate every aspect of a great player.
Cockpit Layout
While glancing at the specs, twin engines may be the most obvious addition to this new boat, but it was among the last things I noticed when I was first introduced to the 302. Boarding from the stern, the starboard side walkthrough (versus the 282's center walkthrough) dramatically changes the cockpit layout, with a large L-shaped settee to port, wide sunpad adjacent to the walkthrough, and wet bar with standard refrigerator, large sink, and Corian countertop forward and to starboard. While the balanced port and starboard seating of the 282 will certainly have its fans, this new seating arrangement of the 302 keeps friends and family together on one side of the boat, giving the 302 a bit more sociable personality. When it is time for a meal, a table flips out from behind the settee—just lift the seat cushion and raise the hinged seat back, and the table, mounted on a hinged stainless steel gooseneck pedestal, flips into place with no additional parts to assemble or store.
After a good meal, the 302 quickly converts for sun-soaking siesta. The seat back at the forward end of the settee flips fore and aft, forming a forward-facing companion seat behind the port windshield, or turning the settee into a long recliner. The backrest between the aft settee and sunpad flips fore and aft in similar fashion, allowing a forward-facing seat in the cockpit, or becoming a headrest for the large aft sunpad.
Bow Features
Up in the bow, the 302 also provides convertible seating, with removable seat sections port and starboard. With the seats in place, the 302 is much like a typical bowrider, offering two long recliners to relax in the sun, or seating for about five. With the seat sections removed, the bow of the 302 instead provides two forward-facing seats just ahead of the windshield and an aft-facing bench seat in the bow for two more people, with greatly enhanced deck space.
The 302's appeal isn't just practical. The boat features Cobalt's typical good looks and sophisticated refinements like topstitched upholstery with subtle but distinct logos embroidered in all seat backs, stainless steel hardware and thru hull fittings, and meticulously finished fiberglass surfaces. The helm, in particular, utilizes many of Cobalt's typical enhancements like Livorsi controls and custom Faria gauges with Cobalt's logo tastefully inscribed in on the face. New for the 302, however, the instrument panel includes a Garmin 292 color chart plotter in the center, and stainless steel pushbutton switches mounted on polished chrome trim. The upholstered dash continues across to the port side as well, where the standard-equipment six-speaker stereo--including an MP3 input jack and adjacent 12-volt outlet—will certainly play Eminem when appropriate, but is equally suited to Mozart. In short, anywhere she makes a public appearance, the 302 will be recognized as a class act.
Storage and Accessibility
Great athletes are successful largely because they mastered the fundamentals. In boat design, those fundamentals include good storage and easy access to equipment. The 302 scores high here. The huge compartment under the helm, for example, includes chocks for the removable bow seat inserts and customs hangers for life jackets and wetsuits. To access this locker, the starboard bow seat back and bottom lift as one piece, hinged at the top to create a cavernous opening. A trash bin tips out of its compartment in the walk-through to the bow, and across the boat, the head door is cleverly concealed as part of the dash. Inside, the surprisingly spacious head includes a standard Porta-Potti, plumbed to a deck fitting for dockside pump out. Options include a macerator for offshore discharge and a VacuFlush marine toilet.
Numerous additional storage compartments throughout the boat include either rubber matting secured in the bilge to protect gear and provide air circulation or molded fiberglass pans, insulated and fitted with drains, allowing numerous possibilities for iced drinks. There is storage for cups and bottles in a cabinet adjacent to the wet bar, as well as ample drinkholders and nooks and crannies intended for sunglasses, sunscreen, and similar small items throughout the boat. A hatch in the cockpit deck aft allows maintenance on pumps and equipment mounted under the deck, as well as access to the engine compartment from the front. The sunpad and aft seat raise with the flip of a switch, allowing engines to be reached from the top as well, and with our test boat's MerCruiser 6.2 liter engines, the engine compartment had ample room for maintenance and repairs, as well as extra space for tools and spares.
One thing I questioned though, two of the hatches in the deck are made of Starboard, a strong polyethylene used extensively in the marine industry but not often employed for broad walking surfaces. Starboard is strong and tough, but a bit more prone to scratching than fiberglass, and the non-skid pattern isn't as aggressive as the surrounding deck. Then again, the entire starboard hatch can be replaced, if gouged, for less money gelcoat repairs on fiberglass, and with Cobalt's heavyweight interior carpet snapped in place, the issue resolves itself completely.
Power and Performance
Steroids are a faux pas in sports, but anything that enhances performance is seldom frowned upon in boats. For those who prefer huge muscle, the 302 is available with twin 425 horsepower MerCruiser 496 Mag High-Output engines on dual-prop Bravo 3 sterndrives, with a top speed in the mid-sixty mile-per-hour range according to Cobalt. Our test boat was equipped with the somewhat less-ripped 320 horsepower Mercruiser 6.2 MX MPI engines on the same Bravo 3 sterndrives. We topped out at 52.9 miles-per-hour and cruised most economically at 28.5 miles-per-hour, traveling 1.6 miles-per-gallon for a 216-mile range with onboard fuel, allowing for a safe reserve. While coaching has much to do with fine-tuning the performance of an athlete, it is up to the boat's designers to fine-tune the performance of a hull.
The 302 showed impressive abilities here as well, planing in 4.2 seconds, and rising evenly, without the noticeable stern-squat experienced on many deep-V boats this size. The 302 stayed on plane down below 20 miles-per-hour too, and accelerated quickly from any speed, proving the engines and hull were a well-matched combination. Cobalt's deep-V hull gives the boat straight tracking and a smooth ride in a chop, and the reversed chine digs in on tight turns and mitigates spray for a dry ride.
While just a rookie on the company's roster, my intuition and experience in the field tell me Cobalt's 302 just may be the next superstar out of Kansas.
|Marine Electronics
|Head: Portable
|Head: Fixed
|Power Steering
|Shore Power
|Trim Tabs
|Exterior Features
|Carpet: Cockpit
|Ice Chest
|Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
|Swim Ladder
|Swim Platform
|Transom Shower
|Wet bar
|Bimini Top
|Cockpit Cover
= Standard = Optional
|Warranties change from time to time. While BoatTEST.com has tried to ensure the most up-to-date warranty offered by each builder, it does not guarantee the accuracies of the information presented below. Please check with the boat builder or your local dealer before you buy any boat.
|Hull Warranty
|Deck Warranty
|10-Year transferable protection
|Engine Warranty
|Powertrain Warranty
|5-Year transferable protection
|Gelcoat Warranty
|2-Year transferable protection
|Accessories Warranty
|1-2 Year
|NMMA Certification
|Pricing Range
|Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.


text:
I cant seem to find any documentation on what the -includefeatures parameter does. Obviously it returns features in the output of the stsadm command, but is it deployed or activated features?
Yes it doesn't seem to be documented very well. It appears that it only displays activated features, both visible in the UI and hidden in the UI.
Sample output:
This method shows features, setupfiles and eventrecievers that are currently installed on the site. This seems to be helpful if you are planing to migrate to 2010.
Check this post for example - http://sharing-the-experience.blogspot.com/2011/08/stsadm-o-enumallwebs-includefeature.html


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Andruw Jones
News about Andruw Jones, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Andruw Jones Arrested
Jail records show that the former All-Star center fielder Andruw Jones is free on bond after being arrested in suburban Atlanta on a battery charge.
December 26, 2012, Wednesday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Jones, Andruw , Baseball , Domestic Violence
In Payroll, Dodgers Tell Yankees to Move Over
The Los Angeles Dodgers, trying to catch up to the top teams quickly, will almost surely have the highest payroll in baseball history in 2013.
December 16, 2012, Sunday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Los Angeles Dodgers , Beckett, Josh , Kasten, Stan , Johnson, Earvin , Jones, Andruw , Ramirez, Manny , Wages and Salaries , Baseball , New York Yankees , McCourt, Frank , Steinbrenner, Hal , Kemp, Matt , Crawford, Carl , Gonzalez, Adrian , Greinke, Zack
Left Fielders Give Yanks No Reason To Tinker
Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez have made the case that the Yankees don't need to shop for a new left fielder.
July 17, 2012, Tuesday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Gardner, Brett , Ibanez, Raul , Jones, Andruw , New York Yankees , Baseball
The Yankees' Non-Problem in Left Field
The Yankees could make a trade for a left fielder, but they seem in no hurry to do so.
July 17, 2012, Tuesday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Gardner, Brett , Ibanez, Raul , Jones, Andruw , New York Yankees , Baseball
Yankees' Errors Help Patchwork Sox Emerge With Split
The Red Sox had been repeatedly humiliated by their chief rival this year, but the Yankees committed four errors on Saturday night as Boston split their doubleheader with a win in game 2.
July 8, 2012, Sunday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Jones, Andruw , Pedroia, Dustin , Garcia, Freddy , Baseball
Strong Outing by Kuroda Helps Yankees Extend Winning Streak to Five
Hiroki Kuroda pitched eight scoreless innings and the Yankees got just enough offense to sweep a three-game series against Oakland.
May 28, 2012, Monday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Kuroda, Hiroki , Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees , Jones, Andruw , Jeter, Derek , Baseball , Girardi, Joe
Nova Looks Sharp, Offense Clicks and the Yankees Win
Andruw Jones homered, Derek Jeter had four hits, Ivan Nova allowed just two runs, and the Yankees won their first game, beating the Orioles.
April 10, 2012, Tuesday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: Jones, Andruw , Nova, Ivan , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Baseball
Jones Returning to Yanks
The 2012 Yankees are shaping up to look an awful lot like the 2011 version after the team reached a deal to bring back Andruw Jones. Jones, 34, was a dependable fourth outfielder who provided a solid right-handed bat off the bench for the Yankees...
December 31, 2011, Saturday
Yankees Re-Sign Andruw Jones
The team brought back the right-hand-hitting outfielder for one year at $2 million.
December 30, 2011, Friday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: New York Yankees , Baseball , Jones, Andruw , News
Gardner Makes It Hard to Take Him Out
Since the All-Star break, the left fielder was hitting .324 with a .392 on-base percentage.
August 2, 2011, Tuesday
MORE ON ANDRUW JONES AND: News , Jones, Andruw , Baseball , New York Yankees
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text:
Here is a problem: we have a table with 8 trays. With probability $0.5$, there is a letter somewhere in the table. What is the probability that there is a letter in a last tray, given that there is no letter in first 7 trays?
It looks trivial, but now I'm really confused. Here is how I solved it: let $A$ be the probability that there is a letter in a table (so $P(A) = 0.5$); let $B_i$ be the probability that there is a letter in i-th tray; we need the probability $P(B_8 | \overline{B}_{1-7}) = P(B_8|A\overline{B}_{1-7}) * P(A) + P(B_8|\overline{A}\overline{B}_{1-7}) * P(\overline{A})$. $P(B_8|\overline{A}\overline{B}_{1-7})$ is $0$ (because there is no letter in the table at all), and $P(B_8|A\overline{B}_{1-7})$ is $1$, because we know that the letter is in the table and there is no letter in first 7 trays. So $1*0.5 + 0*0.5 = 0.5$.
But then I've tried a simulation:
import random
test_n = 100000
table_empty = [False for x in xrange(8)]
suitable = 0
letter_in_last = 0
for i in xrange(test_n):
has_letter = random.random() >= 0.5
table = table_empty[:]
if has_letter:
table[random.randint(0,7)] = True
if any(table[:7]):
continue # there is a letter in 7 first trays
suitable += 1
if table[-1]:
letter_in_last +=1
print "made %s tests" % test_n
print "%s haven't a letter in first 7 trays" % suitable
print "%s have a letter in last tray" % letter_in_last
print "probability: %s" % (1.0 * letter_in_last / suitable)
And results are like this:
made 100000 tests
56291 haven't a letter in first 7 trays
6185 have a letter in last tray
probability: 0.109875468547
Where is my mistake?


text:
The Old Globe Presents 'Whisper House'
- When Multiple dates from Jan 13 - Feb 20, 2010 [days & times]
- Where Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego Map | Website
- Age limit 6+
- Categories Vocal Music, Theater
- Cost $36 - $89
Above: Promotional graphic for "Whisper House" with performances January 13-February 21, 2010 at the Old Globe Theatre. © The Old Globe Theatre
Tony and Grammy Award-winning songwriter Duncan Sheik follows up his Broadway sensation, "Spring Awakening," with this haunting new musical "Whisper House."
It's 1942 – at the height of World War II – and Christopher, an imaginative young boy, is sent to live with an aunt he's never met: Lilly, a reclusive woman who serves as the keeper of a remote lighthouse. Not yet comfortable in his surroundings, Christopher begins to hear strange music no one else can hear seeping through the walls. It doesn't take long for him to suspect the lighthouse may be haunted, and these ghosts tell him that Yasujiro, a Japanese worker that Lilly has employed, should not be trusted.
January 13-February 21, 2010 at the Old Globe Theatre
*Tickets for this performance of 'Whisper House" are currently unavailable online or are only available by subscription. Online availability for some performances may change if you login. If you are unable to purchase tickets online after logging in, please contact our Ticket Services Office at 619-23-Globe (234-5623) for more information.


text:
5 Ways Your Taste in Music is Scientifically Programmed
No matter how science tries to take the magic out of life, there are certain things that you just can't qualify with data: young love, the joy of holding a puppy, the beauty of a classic song ...
Ah, not so fast on that last one. Research says that the chills you get from a powerful piece of music can be traced back to the build of your mental hardware. For instance ...
#5. Your Brain Is Wired to Recognize "Sad" and "Happy" Notes
You don't need lyrics to know what "sad" music sounds like -- imagine what plays under a funeral scene in a movie. Likewise, you know what triumphant music sounds like, even if the song doesn't feature Joe Esposito explicitly telling you that you're the best around:
But what if you found some natives in the jungle who'd never heard music before? Would they know the difference between the soundtracks of a happy movie scene and a sad one? Yep.
In the same way that we're all programmed to know that babies are cute and spiders are terrible, our brains are also programmed to recognize "sad" and "happy" when it comes to music. The two main chord and scale types are referred to as major and minor. Major chords tend to sound positive and upbeat, while minor chords are spooky and sad. This video shows a pianist playing Beethoven's "Fur Elise," once in A minor (as intended), once in A major. Even though there are only three different notes between the keys, the effect is remarkable. Take a listen:
And here's where it gets weird. Researchers visited a culturally isolated native tribe in Cameroon to see if they had the same perceptions of "happy" and "scary" music as we do. Even though their music was nothing like ours and their civilization had not yet progressed to the Nickelback phase, they identified the emotional core of songs the same way we would. When exposed to piano selections in the major keys, they were more likely to point to pictures of smiling faces; when presented with songs in the minor keys, they were more likely to point to sad or fearful faces.
The really strange thing is that just the act of manipulating yourself into the state that matches the music actually makes you happier, even if the music itself is sad or angry. For example, listening to heavy metal produces the same brain reaction as aggression does, yet subjects are calmer and happier afterward. So how does this relate to you? Well, it's not just that you want sad music when you're feeling sad, and vice versa -- it's something that your brain seeks out.
"I wear this crown of shit ... upon my liar's chair ... full of broken thoughts ... I cannot repair."
Speaking of subconsciously seeking out music that makes us cry ...
#4. There's a Formula for Tearjerkers
If you're a human, we can predict two things about you: You'd rather rip your own ears off than hear the phrase "Honey Boo Boo" again, and the song "Someone Like You" made you almost cry at some point in the last year (don't lie). Not because, like the object of Adele's crazy in the song, you also have a stalker who shows up unannounced at dinnertime to promise to hook up with your doppelganger, but because that song is engineered to trigger a gut reaction:
Twenty years ago, a psychologist decided to break down just what causes certain songs to push our emotional buttons. He first asked people to identify songs that triggered physical reactions from them, and found that almost all the songs used a device called an appoggiatura, which isn't the horrible birth defect it sounds like. An appoggiatura is a note that clashes with the melody, but resolves with another note that brings you back to the song.
For example, remember the chorus of "The Rainbow Connection"? "Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lover, the dreamer and me." (Stop crying! We're going to get through this). The phrasing "Someday we'll find it, the rainbow con- ..." follows this pretty little "da di da di da" pattern. But on "-nec," Kermit hops out of the pattern. The G-sharp note doesn't belong with the F-sharp major chord preceding it. On "-tion," he's back. The return calms you back down and makes you want to call your mom and thank her for all those sandwiches she made you.
Now, the music community is in an absolute uproar over whether or not "Someone Like You" has an appoggiatura in it. NPR music expert Rob Kapilow says that the song is dripping with them, while others say "Think again." But either way, appoggiaturas are only one element of the perfect tearjerker formula. They also start softly and get louder. They abruptly introduce a new instrument or harmony or voice, and they expand instrumentation as the song progresses. "Someone Like You" has all of that.
So why are we compelled to listen to them? Because as we stated before, the act of crying releases dopamine, and everyone loves dopamine. Listening to sad music is just like doing heroin, in other words.
"You'll kill me one day, Jimmy Buffett. But I just can't quit you."
Speaking of heroin ...
#3. You're a Musically Conditioned Addict
In spite of its neural magnificence, your brain is, at its most basic level, a junkie. Whenever you do something good, your brain rewards itself by shooting up some dopamine and getting its fix. A great way for your brain to get blitzed off its ass is to listen to music. This continual rewarding is what encourages you to listen to more music.
So how does this relate to your preferences? Remember Pavlov and his dogs? Since classical conditioning can occur with any external stimulus, your brain can daisy chain something like music to a completely unrelated conditioned response. For example, a parking garage owner in Chicago patented a system where the elevator would play different songs at different floors, which helped customers remember where they had parked their cars. Likewise, how you're feeling when you hear a song can completely affect whether or not you like that song. This conditioning is so strong that once it is ingrained, your brain will actually start seeking out certain types of music so that it can manipulate itself into a desired emotional state.
"I LOVE laundry day! Thanks, ABBA!"
And just like freshmen college students in a coed dorm, this phenomenon can swing both ways; the music you're listening to can influence your mood as much as your mood influences your opinion of the music. If someone advertises a product with a song that you associate with being kicked in the nuts, then you're less likely to like that product, which is why music selection is such a huge part of marketing. More importantly, it means that you don't choose the emotional connection you get from your favorite songs; your subconscious uses memories, imagery, subverted associations with people you haven't thought of in years and straight up voodoo to create a musical imprint of the song.
And if that imprint is good, you'll go back for more. Your conscious self has zero say in the matter. Finally, we've explained how people can stand to listen to __________!*
*In the name of not offending any particular group of readers, feel free to insert an inexplicably popular artist of your choosing into the blank.
Tim Mosenfelder / Getty
What? This is just a totally random picture of music.


text:
Joe Garner cut himself off from everyone he knew and, without any money, set out to live off of Craigslist for a full month. Armed with a passport, toothbrush, laptop, contact-less cell phone, and the clothes he was wearing, Garner traveled the US for all 31 days in December, relying on the good people of Craigslist for food, shelter, and transportation. His documentary, Craigslist Joe, chronicles his experiences on the road.
From the film's website: "his experiences raise profound questions about who we are as a society and where we are headed, leaving you to draw your own conclusions." Have you drawn any conclusions yet? Check out the trailer, draw some, and then discuss with Joe, who will answer all your questions right here in the comments at 3pm EST.
Presented by Zach Galifianakis, Craigslist Joe is currently playing select theaters.


text:
In their final regular season meet, the Pratt High School crosscountry team ran at the Sterling Invitational on Thursday. There were 15+ schools at the meet, which featured middle school, freshman, JV and varsity races. Not all schools had entries or full teams in every race, of course.
The PHS girls took 2nd with 45 points behind only Ellinwood (35) who is ranked #2 in 2A. The boys were 3rd with 91 behind 2A #1 ranked Ellinwood (28) and Skyline (57).
Pratt freshman Halle Helfrich battled with Emily Sechrist of Hillsboro for gold in the girls race, with Sechrist— one of the state's top runners in 3A— barely getting the better of it. It was one of the few times this season Helfrich has been denied breaking the tape.
Pratt girls results: 2 Halle Helfrich 15:39; 12 Adele Loomis 16:45; 19 Cassidy Cronister 17:53; 23 Nichole Moreland 18:07; 31 Kara Nixon 18:45; 32 Paloma Diaz 18:45; 34 Tori Hassler 18:46.
"Adele broke the 17-minute barrier for the first time, and Cassidy broke into the 17's, which is what we needed them to do. Both of them ran great races!" Pratt High head coach Kathy Hitz noted. "Nichole rolled her ankle in the race but stuck it out. Then the three freshman girls (Kara, Paloma and Tori) all ran terrific times. Each taking 45 seconds to a minute off their PRs."
With their leading runner Joseph Loomis still sidelined by injury, the Pratt boys nonetheless put forth a representative effort, taking third as a team. Brendan Pribil was in the top 20 for the Greenbacks, finishing 13th. "Brendan had a terrific race," Coach Hitz observed, "placing 13th in a quality field and running a season best."
Pratt boys results: 13 Brendan Pribil 18:56; 22 Zach Will 19:27; 27 Brody Cronister 19:59; 28 Chance Reh 20:00; 35 Caleb Hitz 20:33; 37 Will Fellhoelter 20:55; 44 Josh Powell 21:37.
Pratt JV boys results: 7 Hayden May 21:48; 8 Cooper Crump 21:55; 12 Jacob Berry 22:43; 17 Jacob Schaefer 24:35.
Cronister, Will, Reh, Fellhoelter, Berry and Schaefer all had season-best times for the Frogs.
The Greenback harriers appear to be peaking at the right time as they head into the post-season. The CKL meet will be held next Thursday at Hesston.
Location, ST | website.com


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October: Communication and Imagination
Our films for this month focus on communication and imagination. In the high-concept short Baggage, a young man reclaims some emotional baggage he thought he had left behind for good. In The Gambling Man, we visit the inspiring real-life story of Alby Hurwit, a retired doctor who pursues his life-long dream to compose a symphony. And in What is That?, a father and son learn to reconnect.


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Nunn Design Antique Gold-Plated Pewter Key Toggle Clasp
Secure your designs with an iconic symbol of security using the Nunn Design antique gold-plated pewter key toggle clasp. This toggle clasp features a skeleton key-shaped bar and a circular ring. The skeleton key is three-dimensional and detailed, featuring grooved lines and a small ring in the middle of one side for attaching to designs. The romantic style of the old key would work well with
heart-shaped components
. This toggle displays a golden gleam with vintage-like shine, perfect for classic designs.
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text:
5 Jobs That Just Got Awesome Real World Batman Gadgets
While not on the same level as spewing puns and bullets into the faces of criminals in equal measure, the media still love themselves some emergency services. If it doesn't feature a man in a blazer calmly ignoring an explosion, odds are the movie or TV show you're watching includes dramatic scenes of firefighters carrying unconscious bodies from a blazing inferno, or paramedics racing to the hospital while hammering on the breastbone of a buxom young lass, ordering her to "live, damn you!" Hollywood didn't need any help depicting the badass dramatics of the business of lifesaving, but you know what? They're going to get it anyway ...
#5. The Firefighting Grenade
Quick: Name three things that will help you put out a fire. That's right: water, CO2, and your neighbor Rick (he's a hell of a guy). Now, name the three worst things to try to put out a fire with. That's right: more fire, your neighbor Russell (he's a good dude, but he's got no limbs -- just seems mean to wheel him in there, you know?), and hand grenades.
Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
Despite what you may have been led to believe, reducing the fire's hit points to 0 will not put it out.
Well, apparently nobody told the firefighters about that last one, because that's exactly what they've built. Here, friends, is a firefighting grenade:
Or possibly the carrying case for the world's most badass See 'N Say.
It's called FIT-5, which stands for fire interruption technology ... five. And we're not taking liberties with the analogies; it truly is deployed exactly like a grenade. You pull a pin, toss it into whatever area is currently on fire -- your house, your yard, your neighbor Russell (man, we told you not to) -- and a few seconds later FIT-5 explodes in a cloud of gaseous potassium carbonate, smothering the fire. As you might imagine, the device works best in smaller, enclosed spaces, making it ideal for use in building fires, or just for making an extremely memorable exit from virtually any party.
"An entire catering table and no shrimp? Fuck this bar mitzvah, I'm out."
The FIT-5 is supposedly able to extinguish any fuel-based fire in any room less than 2,100 cubic feet and reduce temperatures from 1,000 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit in only 10 seconds. This device isn't just the mad dream of the firefighter's equivalent to MI6's Q, either -- it's already in use in the real world and has apparently been working very well so far. But honestly, even if it wasn't quite as effective as traditional methods, we imagine the FIT-5 wouldn't have any trouble gaining traction with firefighters. Which would you rather do: Wrestle a big throbbing hose with eight other dudes, or whip a high explosive into an inferno and come out of it miraculously unarrested?
#4. Blood Bikes
If there's one thing you want to get to its destination quickly, it's your own blood. In fact, it's generally preferred that it never leave its home in the first place, but that's why God invented motorcycles: to occasionally take your insides on a magical vacation away from your body.
And now, apparently, to bring them back. This is a blood bike.
Although we presume the Crips are fine with mobile medical care as well.
And aside from having the most badass name this side of official Lamborghini test driver Max Venturi, blood bikes are an elegantly simple solution to a complex problem. See, during rush hour in a busy city, there's only so fast you can go, even with full sirens on. They don't call it gridlock after the leader of the Dinobots: The cars are locked up. There's nowhere for them to go. So ambulances, taxis, and other medical courier services are always hampered, if not outright stopped, by the sheer volume of traffic. Motorcycles, however, are not bound by the tyrannical rule of lanes. They can slip between cars, cut through traffic jams, and jump to vacant sidewalks or shoulders, all while accelerating much faster than an ambulance, which is basically just a van with a bachelor's hospital bolted onto the back.
Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images
Although if you're not saving anyone's life, this is pretty much just an asshole move.
The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB), which sounds like a fairly terrifying outlaw motorcycle gang, is actually a registered charity organization that represents various smaller blood bike groups across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since 1969, the brave and selfless folks at the NABB have been helping the less fortunate while putting themselves in often incredibly dangerous situations. And what's even more heroic, they're all volunteers doing this for no personal gain whatsoever (although it probably doesn't hurt that they have a legitimate excuse to get "BLOOD" stenciled onto their motorcycle in giant capital letters).
#3. The Bone Gun
Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Second only to the rehydrated food, assless gowns, antibiotic-resistant infections, and, oh yeah, whatever major ailment landed you there in the first place, the worst part of the visit is that damn IV. We are such fragile little balloons of blood, seemingly ready to burst at the slightest prick, and yet when it comes time to put an IV in, suddenly we're Superman shrugging bullets off with our eyeballs. The nurses have to stab that thing down like Jason Voorhees just to get it in, by which point you're a sobbing wreck, wondering if this butt enhancement is even worth it.
Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
"Hey, doc, think you can slip a little bourbon in there? I'd rather not remember all this."
But still, in many medical situations, an IV is absolutely necessary to fire those precious drugs into the patient's bloodstream. It's like a bong for your veins -- there's just no replacement. So what happens in an emergency when a patient needs medicine ASAP but an intravenous line can't be established? Why, you shoot them in the bones with a tiny little gun, of course.
If you're gonna get shot in the bone, you might as well get to pick your favorite color.
It sounds like something you'd see a supervillain wield in a Grant Morrison comic, but the bone gun is a real thing, and even more shocking, it is a force for good. In comparison to veins, bones are relatively big and easy to find (ladies). And believe it or not, that's the full extent of the elegantly simple thought process behind the Bone Injection Gun, or BIG (ladies). Bones can convey drugs about as well as blood, and they're damn hard to miss -- especially at the upper tibial plateau. The entire operation takes less than 60 seconds and is largely hygienic and painless. So to recap: Most BIG injections occur between the legs, and full infusion takes less than a minute (LADIES).


text:
This week I review two items recently released by Sony/Legacy, including one featuring the king of rock and roll and the other a blues'empress.
"Elvis Presley: Prince From Another Planet - Elvis Presley live at Madison Square Garden"
Once upon a time there was this guy named Elvis Presley who adopted black music, swiveled his hips, drove millions of teenage girls and boys into a frenzy and helped create an entire new musical genre.
I've always thought of Elvis' career split into two segments - the young, "thin" Elvis, and the Vegas "fat" Elvis.
The debate whether Elvis invented rock and roll is kind of moot, as there were many others in the 1950s fusing elements of country, swing, R&B and pop music into a new category - Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash and hundreds of others also were there shaping the genre. But there really was only one "King of Rock" during the decade, and no popularized rock and brought it into the mainstream like "Elvis the Pelvis."
The fact that Elvis was condemned by the establishment at the time for his wild gyrations and crazy singing style only made his appeal to rebellious youth all that more attractive. But the other side of Elvis showed a shy, church-going young man who really didn't quite know what to make of all the fame that came his way so quickly. Elvis would grow into his role as time progressed, but the young Elvis was exciting, hungry and naive. After Elvis returned to civilian life after serving a stint in the Army - and releasing the best album of his career and one of the best albums in all rock and roll with "Elvis is Back!" - the King wasted his time and talents in the 1960s putting out one lame record after another and starring in a series of crappy movies that even he hated.
Part of this was due to his carny-barker manager, Col. Tom Parker, who always seemed to chase the cheap buck instead of putting Elvis on the "A" circuit as an actor and performer. But part of that also was due to Elvis' deference to Parker and his jaded and somewhat lazy nature in the '60s. When you already are the King, where else is there to go?
By the late '60s and early '70s Elvis made a comeback of sorts with fresh material and a new hunger for the stage. The King saw all these new performers stealing his mojo - he actually considered Welsh performer Tom Jones to be his biggest competition, of all people -and Elvis actually was much more conservative musically than people realized.
While he paid lip service to his early hits, Elvis, with his big band of studio pros backing him, started playing Vegas-style shows with a middle-of-the-road act that included a lot of flashy, somewhat tacky costumes and a set list that included as many country classics and easy listening material that was more akin to someone like Dean Martin - not a big surprise, as Martin was Elvis' singing idol. Thus began the Elvis' "fat" period, where he gained weight, succumbed to drug abuse and finally ended up as a caricature of himself.
Elvis in the early '70s still was a legend, and the teenagers he thrilled in the 1950s were now adults and parents themselves. They remembered the King, never forgot how he made them feel and rewarded his second coming with enthusiasm and sold-out shows.
"Prince From Another Planet," which includes two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in June of 1972 on two CDs and one DVD, chronicles the King's last gasp as an intriguing, committed entertainer in front of an adoring audience.
Beginning with the bombastic "Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey," the show then turns to Elvis singing other performer's hits, including "Proud Mary," "Never Been to Spain," "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" and "The Impossible Dream."
Elvis LOOKS great, as he donned an all-white wardrobe complete with "heavyweight championship" belt and Batman-style cape. El also knew how to work the audience into a frenzy, but it's clear his voice isn't the instrument it used to be. He's also evidently bored with his old hits "All Shook Up," "Love Me Tender" "Hound Dog" and others he probably performed thousands of times before. He brings back a little of the Elvis charm with "Suspicious Minds," one of his last hits. Here he sings with verve and sounds engaged, as well as on Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away." Elvis was clearly tired of rock and roll and went back to what was his first true love - the songs of a crooner rather than a rebel.
That doesn't mean it's all a disappointment, and there are several highlights on "Prince From Another Planet." But a lot of it makes one painfully aware Elvis' best years were behind him and he'd grown lazy about his voice and his art. Recommended for diehard Elvis fans.
"Bessie Smith - the Complete Columbia Recordings"
Bessie Smith isn't remembered like some female blues' divas are today, mainly because her work was recorded in the early days of the 1920s through the early 1930s.
A big woman who also possessed a huge voice, Bessie Smith was extremely popular during her heyday, billing herself as "The Empress of the Blues."
Almost all her work was recorded onto 78 RPM records, and these weren't meant to be saved for posterity's sake - much of the material on this 10-CD box set was taken from the Columbia masters, which at the time were basically metal parts. Others were taken from 78s owned by collectors, so high fidelity isn't really to be expected from these early recording.
What we do have here is an impressive collection of the first woman to really sell tons of records by herself singing almost strictly blues material with a kind of raunchy edge. She wasn't afraid to put her sexuality into her art, perhaps making her one of the first divas in a long series leading all the way to modern-day artists such as Madonna. She also was the first female recording artist to call her own shots in the business - a rarity in the male-dominated era of early blues recordings. But Smith also was a huge influence on jazz singers as well, and it would be difficult to imagine a Billie Holiday or a Nina Simone without her template. This box set is highly recommended for those interested in early recorded blues history.


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Marijuana found: Camera case containing four bags of marijuana found behind business in the 2100 block of Sunset Boulevard, Tuesday.
Arrested: Eugene Hicks, no age or address listed, arrested Tuesday by the U.S. Marshal's Service, Jefferson County Drug Task Force and City Police on a drug trafficking warrant. It wasn't stated where the drug trafficking warrant is from.
Arrested: Marlene Hicks, 42, 228 S. Eighth St., failure to appear warrant out of municipal court and obstructing justice, Tuesday.
Cited: Kathy D. Fuller, 57, 637 N. Fifth St., speeding.
Accident: Rene M. Lindamood, 19, 1249 Oak Grove Ave., failure to control and no seat belt after she lost control of her vehicle around 5 p.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of Sinclair Avenue and it rolled over. She was taken to Trinity Medical Center West for her injuries.
Jefferson County
Arrested: Timothy E. Burnfield, 51, 502 state Route 151, Mingo Junction, brought to county jail by Ohio Adult Parole Authority on a parole violation, Tuesday.
Arrested: Myron Gibson, 30, 1036 Cherry Valley Road, Hopedale, brought to county jail by Ohio Adult Parole Authority on a parole violation, Tuesday.
Arrested: Stephanie Pytash, 32, 11962 state Route 213, Toronto, fugitive from justice warrant, Tuesday.
Arrested: Michelle Lynn Chaney, 913 Second Ave., New Cumberland, driving under the influence, Saturday.
Arrested: Laquan Darnell Jones, 2814 Vermont St., Weirton, disorderly conduct, Sunday.


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There are commodity bubbles, stock bubbles, bond bubbles — and education bubbles. American high schools are a classic education bubble...Full story on Bloomberg.com
BASIS Tucson alum Arriana Tuormey talked with Vectors about her experience at BASIS and how it prepared her for studies at the University of California San Diego.Full story on Vectors
The Senior Project is a selective program that involves an off-campus research project or internship of the student's choice and design. Students select their advisors and mentors at both the school level and research sites.Learn more
What do our teachers and students have to say about the BASIS charter schools experience?
The nationally-ranked BASIS.ed academic program was founded on the notion that any student can be taught to love learning. Thanks to our passionate and supportive K–12 subject expert teachers and STEM-inspired, liberal arts curriculum, BASIS students are prepared for future successes in higher education and beyond.
The BASIS.ed curriculum is a rigorous, challenging, supportive academic experience that is ranked as one of the best in the world.
BASIS.ed students consistently rank among the top in the world in critical thinking and problem solving in math, reading, and science. A BASIS.ed education is a blend of the rigorous standards seen around the world plus the ingenuity and creativity so often associated with American education.


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Do You Believe In "Bad Luck"?
Just curious, because I do. I know some can be self-imposed limits, or self-destructive tendencies, but what about the other stuff?
12 Answers answer
No. "Fortune favors the prepared mind." (Pasteur). In other words, for the most part you make your own luck.
The ideas of Karma and the Three-fold Law are pretty darned attractive.
No...I think Andrew Luck is a pretty good QB. Last season's "Suck for Luck" sure ended up being good for the Colts.
I do believe we create most of our own "luck" if you will. And while I wouldn't say I believe in luck per se aren't there things that happen that are totally beyond one's control that are very fortuitous?
The easiest example being a winning lottery ticket. Sure a person has to take the action of getting the ticket but everybody else who bought a ticket took that step. Ultimately either your numbers match or they don't. You can't will it. There's no "system" (yes, we could argue about that one). It's "luck" innit? But there's hitting that deer in thee road..or not. Or not getting on that plane, you know the one, the one that crashed.
Or perhaps the lucky moniker really sticks to those who experience it a lot - good or bad. The multiple lottery winners, etc.
Like I said, I don't buy luck myself, but I s'pose I understand why some people do.
Luck, Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy....of course :)
No, I do not.
However, having said that, I do know a few people that seem to be bad luck magnets. Maybe if I stay away from them they collect all the bad stuff.
I don't believe in bad luck.
What I do believe in is patterns of unfortunate circumstances that we mentally string together that supercedes anything positive. At times I believe we create our own unfortunate circumstances by expecting something bad to happen. Of course this is all in our minds because we are inherently negative people. How often do you hear someone say, "I have the funniest feeling something GOOD is about to happen?"
not really, as I'm a fairly positive person overall but I have seen good fortune fall on certain people more often than others. Plus, this particular year has been kickin' my a$$ & I've wondered at times what is gonna happen next. so maybe I do even if I think I don't.
ok. you made me come out of my self imposed no deals.woot status.
what happened? i know a lot of the stuff going on in your world. hope things get better.
oh, and if i don't see you between now and then: merry christmas.
Yes. I do. Random circumstances affect people in positive and negative ways all the time.
However; you cannot see good opportunities if your head is stuck in negative thought patterns. You'll only see the bad, make bad decisions, stub your toe, and be late everywhere. A change to a positive mindset means you are equipped and ready to see and pounce on good opportunities that are around you.
I don't believe in luck; I prefer to call it destiny. Nothing you can do will change either one.
@moosezilla: I'll get on chat and fill you in. Just stupid stuff that we had no control over. Thanks for the cares, and everyone's input.


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TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - More than 1400 Kansas homeowners shared nearly $53 million in relief last year as part of a national mortgage settlement.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced the latest report on the settlement's implementation Friday.
In March, Kansas joined 48 other states, the District of Columbia and the federal government in a settlement against the nation's five largest mortgage servicers. The states alleged that the servicers were taking part in illegal conduct in the mortgage servicing market.
Under terms of the settlement, the mortgage servicers were required to provide mortgage assistance to borrowers.
According to the report, from March 1 to Dec. 31, 2012, 1,445 Kansans received mortgage assistance through the settlement. The average benefit was $36,667. The assistance came thru lien modifications and extinguishments, short sales, refinancing and other types of adjustments in mortgage obligations of affected homeowners.
"These national mortgage servicers engaged in lending practices that caused direct harm to hundreds of Kansas homeowners," Schmidt said. "This national report shows that our enforcement action is continuing to provide the help that many Kansas homeowners desperately need."
The five mortgage servicers involved in the settlement are Ally Financial (formerly GMAC), Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.
Kansans seeking more information can contact the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-432-2310 or www.ag.ks.gov.


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CSB Services - Supportive Residential
Supportive Residential Services works with individuals in community-based living situations. Services can include:
- Assessments
- Case management
- Support services
- Psychiatric medications
Services can be provided at the local behavioral healthcare site or in individuals' homes. In some cases, people receiving services are living in apartments or homes that the CSB leases; in other cases, the individuals have their own leases.
To find out about these services, call CSB Entry and Referral Services (available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 703-383-8500, TTY 711. Staff can take calls in English and Spanish and can access other languages when needed.


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I'm going to travel individually in Sub-Saharan Africa where the crime rate is high. Most of the time I will do landscape photography and only a few shots in urban areas. I've been there already, but without valuable camera gear. I'm not sure if I should strip down my equipment to low budget but evidently suffer loss of quality and focal range.
How do you pack your stuff when travelling such regions? What is your experience?
I'm going to travel individually in Sub-Saharan Africa where the crime rate is high. Most of the time I will do landscape photography and only a few shots in urban areas. I've been there already, but without valuable camera gear. I'm not sure if I should strip down my equipment to low budget but evidently suffer loss of quality and focal range.
I live in a country where crime-rate is quite high but that doesn't prevent the photographers here from buying/using expensive gears. All you have to do is be a little more careful than usual. I'd suggest:
One of my friends once got in the hand of a group of thugs. He introduced himself as a journalist of a local leading newspaper and later successfully managed to escape them paying a few dollars only for their treat. Just in case, you might use the trick! =)
EDIT: It just came to mind, several companies offer insurance for your photographic equipments. If you're seriously worried, you can try reading through their offers and get a suitable plan for you. A simple google search helps!
Interestingly I have a different perspective than @ShutterBug. I live in a safe country but travel often to ones that are not.
The main difference is that I do not blend in with locals. That means no amount of being inconspicuous, hiding company logos, etc will put me out of sight. Everyone nearly instantly knows that I am there. I've been followed and approached by friendly curious, unfriendly, aggressive and dangerous people.
Avoiding lone journeys is good advice and applies everywhere. I know that 2 people together are 10 times more safe than one. You cannot always be in a group, particularly for early morning and evening shoots. I have used a police escort in several countries, sometimes they do it for free, sometimes there is a fee and sometimes a tip will do.
Public transport is very dangerous in many countries. I've been to places where the bus driver watches while someone gets assaulted in the back of the bus and he continues his job as usual to avoid problems for him. I've been always recommended to use official taxis. They may cost twice as much as others but are worth it. You can usually get those from hotels, high-end restaurants and important business areas. They should have a traceable number and clear identification. If you are worried, use a cell to SMS the identification to an email address.
A shot only matters if you can bring it back. Shoot when you have too, unless you cannot do it safely.
When asked, pay bribes quickly and move on. It's sad to have to do that but away from home, it can be much more problematic not to.
My experience is that most danger tends to be concentrated around high population centers. Also in outside areas of tourist interest, national park trails, known vista points, etc. In rural areas, there are usually less danger and people are more friendly and willing to help.
Disclaimer: I've only been to 47 countries, so I may be wrong about the other 146.
EDIT: Just realized I did not answer the first part of your question:
I pack my gear in a shoulder bag. It is a regular camera bag and I do not think what it looks like matter because the moment I take a picture, people know there is a camera in there. The most important is that I wear it across my body and always in front of me where I can see it.
All my gear for a shoot fits in that single bag and I don't let it away from me anywhere. Backup gear remains in the hotel in a hard suitcase tied up to a permanent fixture with a special cable and lock. As much as possible, the primary and backup gear bags are kept separate.
some things I use:
Gaffers tape - if my bags, cameras, and my camera gear looks like it is being held together by gaffers tape people are less likely to steal it (doesn't mean they won't, just less likely). Nothing looks bright, shiny or new.
The equipment bags i carry in high crime areas look like something a homeless person would stuff their belongings into, shabby and torn on the outside, reinforced on the inside. All gear bag straps and camera neck or wrist straps are reinforced with wire so they aren't easy to cut with a knife.
I try to dress as much as possible like everyone else in the environment - don't stand out if you don't have to.
Local currency in small bills, each one folded separately so when you do pull out money to pay for something you aren't flashing a handful of money.
and if possible enlist an aide to keep an eye on your bags while you're setting up a shot.
Don't overlook some of the upper to high-end pocket and point-and-shoot cameras. You can get very high quality glass on them, with a good wide-angle to long zoom lens. Something like Nikon's P7000 would work really well.
Many pros keep those available for inconspicuous shooting, without seriously sacrificing the image quality, leaving their expensive gear for when it's safer.
A small monopod or table-top tripod, and a couple flashes could fit into a tiny bag or even pockets in cargo pants.
I'm a fan of the Pacsafe 'exomesh' bags when I travel. Both in terms of locking down camera gear that I'm leaving behind in the hotel room (where I can't necessarily trust the hotel staff to keep their hands off it), and also for putting around my 'walk-around' bags when I'm going out for the day. Obviously nothing replaces vigilance and situational awareness, but it does make me less of a target of opportunity due to being an 'easy, dumb tourist.'
Not getting anything for mentioning pacsafe, BTW... Just a fan of their gear.
One specific strategy is to have the strap be metal so it can't be sliced through easily - eg the sun sniper steel. Of course that particular strap is going to make you very conspicuous, so it will be suitable for some situations, but not all.
If you think about a metal-strap please visualize the scenario! If someone tries to cut your camera-strap with a knive, he will be caught with that knive by that metal-strap.
So you will have someone with a knive next to your body (meat not camera). And maybe he will panic. I don't like that thought.


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I just started using the Pomodoro Technique yesterday.
In my first few trials I've noticed that since this technique requires you to stop working at defined intervals, it can easily break your state of flow (Wikipedia).
This morning I was concentrating so well on my job, that when I got to the 25 minute Pomodoro timeout, I felt like I'd only worked 5 minutes. Then I had to stop.
Is this just my impression or does this technique really interrupt flow, ultimately reducing your productivity?


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If $\theta$ is in quadrant 1 and $\tan(\theta) = .6$ then $\sec(\theta) = $?
This seems pretty easy to me:
Another one, $\cos(\theta)=\sin(2\theta)$
Should that be $\cos^2(\theta)+\sin^2(\theta)=1/2$? Which would be .5
For all angles $\theta$, $\cos(-\theta)$ = $\cos(\theta)$
I said false how can I negative angle be equal to a positive one?
If $\sin^2(\theta)= .5$ then $(\sin(\theta))^2 = (\cos(\theta))^2$
I said false because $\sin$ and $\cos$ can never equal .5 together but it was wrong.
This answer is wrong but I don't understand why.
I am seriously considering changing majors, I know most people here will think I am an idiot, lazy or whatever else for taking such simple high school level math courses in college but I really am having trouble with it. I keep making mistakes no matter what I do I can never get better than a D or C on a test. So I am trying to evaluate the mistakes I made on the test so I don't make them again, but inevitably I will.


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6 Famous Characters You Didn't Know Were Shameless Rip-Offs
Although the G.I. Joe action figures have existed since the 60s, it wasn't until 1982 that they gained personalities, an actual story and their very own nemesis; becoming the G.I. Joe we know and love. And we're not talking about the 1996 "extreme" version which we prefer to ignore and hate.
The enemy was of course Cobra, a snake themed terrorist organization with a soft spot in their dark hearts for secret fortresses, giant lasers and parachutes (safety first!).
They are a Rip-Off of:
Oh, and also:
Cobra is what you get when two other snake themed terrorist groups, DC Comics's Kobra and Marvel's Hydra, get drunk one night and have awkward sex in the back of Kobra's dad's Honda Civic. And since both Kobra and Hydra were created by the same person, the legendary Jack Kirby, that's incest and it's wrong! Kirby had a Honda Civic? Yes, don't question us!
Hydra was created in 1965, as an enemy organization of Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. while Kobra was created in 1976, and even were the stars of their own comic. And let it never be said that the comics industry doesn't like to recycle good ideas, or at least snake-themed terrorist organizations.
When HASBRO decided to revive the G.I. Joe action figures, they contacted Marvel to publish a comic about the new version. Marvel then dug through the trash and rescued a rejected pitch for a new comic. It was about a group of elite S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers and Nick Fury's son fighting against Hydra. They just changed "Hydra" to "Cobra" and "Nick Fury Jr." to "Duke" and the rest is 80s icon history. Considering this is the comic version of going to a restaurant and having the chef pull out a burger out of the garbage can, it worked pretty well.
Anything else besides all of them being snake themed ultra high-tech criminal organizations? Oh yes! Hydra and Cobra like to hire dominatrix girls and put them in charge of the troops. That way if the troops don't do their job the commander has to "punish" their naughty asses... Hmmm... maybe that's why these guys never win.
And here is another odd one. Lord Kobra, from DC's Kobra, had a brother, who was one of the good guys. Because they were twins, they could feel what happened to the other, which probably made masturbation creepy beyond belief. Twin brother who could feel what the other was feeling? Doesn't that sound a lot like Cobra's very own Tomax and Xamot?
We have to agree with Kobra here, Twinsy, you are just being an ass.
Wait... Tomax? Xamot?
Have you guys noticed they are the same spelled backwards? WHOAAA! It only took us 20 years.
#2. The Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the only superhero who can make a giant cue the shape of a dong to play pool with planets, and yet get his ass kicked by Sesame Street's Big Bird because he's allergic to the color yellow.
He is a Rip-Off of:
The classic space opera series Lensman started in 1937, and since then, just like Thomas Jefferson before it, fought injustice and left enough bastard children around to populate a small city.
Every sci-fi series with some sort of space police owes something to Lensman, from the Jedi Knights of Star Wars to Buzz Lightyear. If it has space policemen then it's ripping off Lensman or ripping off something that ripped it off first. The apple that fell closest to the tree was the Green Lantern Corps.
The first Green Lantern was created just one year after the first Lensman story was published, but back then Green Lantern was just one guy who found a magic ring and he wasn't weak against yellow but to wood, making the banana tree the only natural predator of all Green Lanterns. Or maybe, also, really racist cartoons of Asian people with baseball bats.
In 1950, the original Green Lantern had been out of print for quite a few years and DC comics thought it was time to bring back the name. Now this time he was part of a group of space policemen, which are like regular policemen but they stop black people in fancy cars in space. Now, unlike the Jedi Knights who were happy to just copy the general idea of space policemen and a few things here and there, the Green Lanterns Corps went overboard.
The Lensmen were created by the most advanced alien race in the universe, the Arisians. The Green Lanterns were created by the Oans. The Lensmen are chosen for being the epitome of bravery and honesty, just like the Green Lanterns (how they even measure that is never explained, probably have them fill out a questionnaire). Finally, both organizations give their member a special, unique weapon that can be used by nobody else but the person to whom it was given. In Lensmen's case a lens that gives them telepathic powers, and in Green Lantern's case the ring that can't protect you from banana peels.
The creators of Green Lantern deny even knowing about Lensman, which is odd coming from sci-fi writers talking about a sci-fi series that was well known in its time. It would be like "Star Wars? Nope, doesn't ring a bell..." coming from your local nerd. As a bit of a nod and wink, a Green Lantern was created as a homage to the Lensman series (Arisia, named after the planet where the Arisians from Lensman come from).
Also, although it doesn't count as a rip-off, according to comic historians the Oans, the blue midget aliens who go around giving out Green Lantern rings, are based on David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel. And we are including the picture because we love the side by side comparisons pictures thing.
That's just weird.
#1. Batman
Oh, shit. We went there.
He is a Rip-Off of:
El Zorro! Yes, the guy with the sword.
Zorro, created by Johnston McCulley, debuted in 1919 in the pulp magazine All Story Weekly. And while some of the things that make Batman Batman were inspired by other sources (his rogues gallery was inspired by the army of fugly mutants Dick Tracy has been putting in jail since 1931) a big bunch of them were copied from Zorro.
Zorro was first at being a millionaire playboy-slash-dark costumed evil face puncher. Zorro had a secret cave under his mansion where he kept his horse and Zorro stuff, not unlike a certain caped crusader. The big difference being that Zorro didn't call it the Zorrocave or the Zorrohorse.
Zorro was also the first hero with a butler, his trusty servant Bernardo. But Alfred is probably more useful since Bernardo was deaf and mute. With Alfred you just have to yell "Hey, go make me a hotdog." With Bernard you have to mimic putting a sausage in your mouth, rub your tummy and then hope he doesn't think you want him to fellate you.
And last, Zorro also hid his secret costumed persona by pretending to be a complete foppish rich douche long before Bruce Wayne. Although, to be fair, the Scarlet Pimpernel invented this one in 1903, but nobody counts him since he committed the crime of having a superhero name that was lame despite having the word "pimp" in it.
The connections are so obvious DC comics doesn't bother to deny them. In fact, the movie lil' Bruce Wayne goes to see with his parents the night they're shot is The Mark of Zorro.
A clever nod to the original masked vigilante? Maybe. Or maybe in an effort to keep their secret safe, Batman's creators were trying to send a message to children: if you go see anything with Zorro in it, your family will be killed.
To see rip-offs of our rip-offs, check out 9 Foreign Rip-Offs Cooler Than The Hollywood Originals. Or find out about some powers that science is ripping off from comic books, in 5 Superpowers Science Will Give Us in Our Lifetime.
And check out the sites that "inspire originality" in us every day in our Top Picks Section.


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A new Start Garden is comingRead more about how Start Garden is restructuring…
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A strong web of relationships can be more essential to a startup's success than funding. So, we built a neighborhood within a neighborhood in downtown Grand Rapids where those investors and entrepreneurs work together.Find your place


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Britney Spears Performs in Cleveland
Mike Hess
| July 27, 2011 - 8:00 am
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