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The Best Thing About the Olympics Was That Amazing Opening Ceremony Sweater
Today, American athletes marched in the closing ceremony at Sochi. They were outfitted, once again, by Ralph Lauren. But gone were the bold patchwork sweaters the team wore into the arena two weeks ago. Instead, they sported navy pea coats festooned with a red stripe.
To which I say: lame. Yes, the opening ceremony sweaters were widely ridiculed. "I didn't know the ugly sweater contest was an Olympic event, Ralph Lauren," read one characteristic tweet. There were comparisons to Christmas sweaters. Even Jimmy Fallon, the kindest late night host of them all, was lacerating.
But the sweater wasn't ugly. It was misunderstood. Too often in matters of style, anything loud is assumed to be hideous. But not every bold pattern or bright color is misbegotten. Sure, you might not wear an electric-hued, star-bedecked, shawl-collar cardigan to the office. But if you consider the context for which the sweater was designed—a gigantic pageant in which those wearing it would be tiny, ant-sized participants, appearing in close-up on TVs for a short spurt of time—the solution Lauren came up with was charming, fun, and well-suited to the occasion.
Also: It seemed American. Too often in the past, Ralph Lauren has tried to dress the American Olympic team like a bunch of Air France flight attendants. Classy, fussy, a bit continental and a bit formal.
But America is brassy and garish, more Kate Upton than Kate Middleton (much less Catherine Deneuve). The only place in the world that I can imagine spotting the Sochi sweater is in some American cabin in winter—maybe on a Great Lake somewhere, maybe in snowy New England—near a wood stove, with some hot cider and a snowy game of touch football under everyone's belt. Sure, it's a fantasy. But it's an American one.
Finally, and most important, the sweater was memorable. No one will confuse it for something you picked up on a sale rack at the Burlington Coat Factory. Which may explain why the sweaters are now going for nearly $4,000 on eBay. That, more than anything else, is why I'd bet Ralph Lauren will be designing Olympic uniforms for many games to come.
"I Couldn't Be More Proud": 26 Years of Insincere U.S. Olympic Committee Post-Mortems
Team USA did not have the greatest Olympics ever. The U.S. speedskaters failed to medal. So did the U.S. men's hockey team. The United States lagged behind Russia in the overall medal count, and trailed the Russians, Norway, and Canada—Canada!—in gold medals. The USA won 28 medals, nine fewer than it did in Vancouver. And yet the U.S. Olympic Committee still says Sochi was an absolute, unmitigated, rip-roaring success. "I couldn't be more proud of our Olympic team," U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Larry Probst told the Associated Press. "We came here with a great team and they've done a great job," agreed Alan Ashley, the USOC's managing director of sport performance.
Are Probst and Ashley being sincere? Or are they just saying what USOC officials say after every Winter Olympics? Let's find out.
2010 Vancouver Games, 37 medals: "It's hard to imagine that we could have done better. On and off the field, it's been a great two weeks for the United States."—Scott Blackmun, CEO of the USOC
Sincerity check: Very sincere. The 37 medals won by the United States in Vancouver are an all-time record.
2006 Torino Games, 25 medals: "This has been an incredible performance. … It's probably a little bit our fault that this team has been viewed as a little less than that because of the high expectations we all had coming into these games."—Jim Scherr, CEO of the USOC
"We're not only happy with the medals we won, but we also had the most top-eight finishes of any nation in these games, more than 60 top-eight finishes. We were very close to ever more medals."—Scherr
Sincerity check: Highly insincere. A reply centering on the volume of top-eight finishes is a strong indicator of ass-covering.
2002 Salt Lake City Games, 34 medals: "I feel like a very proud mother today. … We all put a lot of work into these games. The USOC really made a plan. This is not serendipity."—Sandy Baldwin, president of the USOC
Sincerity check: Very, very sincere. Team USA more than doubled its previous best Winter Olympics medal haul.
1998 Nagano Games, 13 medals: "The performances here showed what we all believe about this team, that it had tremendous depth."—Paul George, USOC delegation chief
"We could have had 18 or 19 medals. … We had 60 athletes finish in the top 10. That's an all-time high."—Dick Schultz, USOC executive director
Sincerity check: Extraordinarily insincere. Note the regression from supposed pride over top-eight finishes to supposed pride over top-10 finishes.
1994 Lillehammer Games, 13 medals: "I think this answers the question of whether we should be fielding full teams in every sport. A lot of these athletes should be considered national treasures. I think we've shocked a lot of people, especially in alpine skiing. … I'm glad we've been able to see such positive record results because of the hard work of our athletes."—Harvey Schiller, USOC executive director
Sincerity check: Deeply insincere. The United States certainly shocked a lot of people in Lillehammer, but that was because of the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan soap opera, not our athletes' performance on snow at ice. When "at least we fielded full teams" is the highest praise you can give, maybe you shouldn't be giving any praise at all.
1992 Albertville Games, 11 medals: "Some people measure in medals, and I don't want to take away anything from that, for what it means to the athletes, their families and coaches. But in terms of competitiveness in every discipline, our performance has been enhanced since Calgary."—USOC executive director Schiller
"Not only are the medals a success, but the overall performance of all the athletes is, too. … In just about every discipline, there has been movement from 1988 to now. Even if we don't win a medal, that shows the strength of the team. In men's figure skating, for example, there truly were three world-class competitors."—Schiller
Sincerity check: Pretty sincere. Even though Team USA only won 11 medals, Albertville was a relative triumph compared to the disastrous Calgary Games.
1988 Calgary Games, 6 medals: "There's no reason we can't do much, much better. Our athletes have the capability. What we're looking for is support, financially and with programs. … Focusing on medals is a mistake. What does count is competing and if we compete and compete well, medals will come."—Robert Helmick, USOC president
Sincerity check: Sincere, if smarmy. For once, the USOC is honest about wanting a fat load of gold, silver, and bronze. Even so, it's a bit lame to say that "focusing on medals is a mistake" when you are acutely embarrassed that America didn't win more of them.
Nude Mesh vs. Nude Lycra: Figure Skating's Faux-Nudity Secrets Revealed
This is the enduring image of the Sochi Games: Russia's Adelina Sotnikova with her palms facing the ceiling, imploring the crowd to cheer her on during the women's free skate. The home fans complied, helping to lift Sotnikova to a controversial victory over South Korea's Yuna Kim. Take a closer look at that iconic photo, and you'll see something else besides Sotnikova's sly grin. The 17-year-old gold medalist is wearing flesh-colored fabric in three different places: on her upper torso, her hands, and her legs.
Faux nudity was all the rage at the Iceberg Skating Palace over the last few weeks. To understand why, I consulted with Brad Griffies, who designed American skater Gracie Gold's dashing blue costume for her free skate in Sochi. The 31-year-old Griffies, who lives in Atlanta and is the proprietor of an eponymous figure skating apparel line, says strategic deployment of nude fabric allows him to create more versatile designs. "If you're going for strapless, it's nice to have that nude in there, to make everything stay," he says. That is to say, simulated straplessness decreases the risk of a wardrobe malfunction when a skater contorts herself into various non-cocktail-party-friendly positions. (Skaters must be especially cautious when attempting the upright, one-foot-in-the-air Biellmann spin.)
A figure skating fashionista must hew to the golden (and frequently sequined) mean: not too clothed, not too bare. The International Skating Union requires that costumes "be modest, dignified, and appropriate for athletic competition" and "not give the effect of excessive nudity." Griffies uses a stretchy, translucent fabric called nude mesh; he prefers it to the alternative, nude lycra, because it allows you to see a skater's muscle tone. In creating his readymade line of dresses, Griffies says, he'll go through a couple hundred yards of nude mesh per year, at a cost of $6 or $7 a yard.
Figure skating costumes are made to be sparkly enough to be seen from a distant galaxy, or at least the back row of a large arena. In close-up shots and on high-definition television, it's a certainty that the nude illusion will be broken. Nevertheless, designers try as best they can to incorporate flesh-colored fabrics that are truly flesh-colored. Griffies says this is more of a challenge for black skaters, "because they have so many colors on their skin." The costume that Griffies created for Mae Berenice Meite to wear in Sochi featured nude fabric the designer custom-dyed to match the French skater's skin tone.
What about the nude gloves that Sotnikova was wearing? Griffies, who was a competitive figure skater before he moved into fashion, explains that most triple-toe-loopers wear gloves in practice to stay warm, as well as to prevent cuts and scrapes (which can arise from falling on the ice or grabbing your blade during a spin). It feels strange to compete without them, Griffies says, so many skaters go with flesh-colored gloves, which make them feel comfortable but don't distract the judges.
Sotnikova completed her flesh-colored look with a set of over-the-boot tights. Griffies hates that look—he prefers the classic feel of a bright white skate. (So does Gracie Gold.) Sotnikova and other skaters wear those "OTB tights" for a bunch of reasons: because they supposedly make their legs look longer, and to protect their skates so they don't need to be polished as often. But over-the-boot tights can lead to a different kind of wardrobe malfunction, as Sotnikova discovered during her free skate.
This skate-peekaboo situation, thankfully, did not cost the Russian her gold medal.
This Insane 120-Mile Speedskating Race Makes the Winter Olympics Look Easy
As the 2014 Winter Olympics draw to a close, one thing, at least, is clear: The Dutch are the greatest speedskaters in the world. The Netherlands won 23 speedskating medals in Sochi; the second-most-successful nation, Poland, only won three. Why are the Dutch so good at speedskating? For one thing, the sport is a bonafide national obsession. (Seriously: I hope someday to care about anything as much as the Dutch apparently care about speedskating.) And if you want to understand the depths of that obsession, it helps to understand the Elfstedentocht.
The Elfstedentocht—Dutch for "Eleven Cities Tour"—is a 200-kilometer outdoor speedskating race over the frozen canals of Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. It has been described as "the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and World Series rolled into one"—and it might just be my favorite athletic event of all time. The race was first held in 1909, and has since become a national tradition, an epic test of Dutch citizens' endurance, athleticism, and sanity. On the website Cafe Babel, a fan posted an ominous ode to the race: "Think, endless stretches of ice in a barren landscape/ Think, the wind cutting on your face and sweeping snow in your eyes/ Think, frozen toes, fingers, noses and ears/ Think, the hardest race in the world." Sign me up!
There's no set schedule for the Elfstedentocht; it only happens when the ice is sufficiently thick—at least 15 centimeters in depth throughout. But the impromptu nature of the race is a big part of what makes it so exciting. Once the organizers decide that the conditions are right for an Elfstedentocht, plans are made, and the race is held within 48 hours of the official announcement. The race kicks off at 5:30 in the morning, and must be completed before midnight that same day. The skaters pass through 11 cities, collecting a stamp in each one, cheered by millions of spectators. Though professional speedskaters are the ones competing for the fastest times, thousands of ordinary Dutch citizens skate the route, too, just for fun. In 1986, Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander skated the Elfstedentocht, under the pseudonym "W.A. Van Buren."
The most memorable Elfstedentocht happened in 1963, when temperatures were so low and conditions so snowy and windy that fewer than 200 out of approximately 10,000 participants actually finished the race. Countless skaters suffered frostbite and other weather-related injuries. The race became known as "The Hell of '63," and this video gives you a sense of why the name was apt:
There hasn't been an Elfstedentocht since 1997, when the race was won by Henk Angenent, a speedskater and Brussels sprout farmer, who finished in 6 hours and 49 minutes. But every winter, the Dutch hope that the race might happen. In 2012 temperatures dipped low enough that an Elfstedentocht seemed possible, and the Netherlands went crazy. Skating fans booked every hotel room in Friesland. Speedskaters declared that they would skip the upcoming world championships to skate the Elfstedentocht. "Busy sharpening skates, rummaging through layers of clothes, training soon for the elfstedentocht. I'VE GOT THE FEVER," Vancouver speedskating gold medalist Mark Tuitert posted on Twitter. Unfortunately, the organizing committee decided that the ice was insufficiently thick, and the race was canceled. According to the BBC, an Elfstedentocht official "urged skaters not to despair and instead get out on the ice and skate their disappointment away."
And I think that explains why the Dutch are so good at speedskating. All year, they look forward to this horribly grueling outdoor skating contest, and when it doesn't happen, they console themselves with more skating. Now that's devotion! With global temperatures trending upward, some wonder whether conditions will ever again be right for the Elfstedentocht. Let's hope so. Until then, the Dutch will have to console themselves with continued international dominance of a sport that nobody comes close to caring about as much as they do.
Why All of the Worst (and Most Lovable) Winter Olympic Athletes Are in the Men's Slalom
If you're the sort of person who thinks the Winter Olympics have been going downhill ever since they stopped letting Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards blunder his way through the ski jump, then you're probably a big fan of the men's slalom race. Slalom skiing is the last bastion of enthusiastic amateurism in these modern, professionalized Winter Games, a venue in which world-class racers like Ivica Kostelic and Ted Ligety compete against Olympic tourists like Kanes Sucharitakul of Thailand (average yearly snowfall: zero) and the eccentric 55-year-old Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico. How does this happen?
To be eligible for the Winter Olympics, skiers must rank in the top 500 in the International Ski Federation standings for their respective events—a standard which Mexican and Thai skiers will rarely meet. But! If a nation doesn't have any skiers who meet those standards, they can still send a male and a female athlete to the Olympics, as long as those skiers have competed in at least five FIS-sanctioned races and received no more than 140 FIS points in each.* (With a little bit of training, you could probably meet that standard. Well, OK, a lot of training.) If a skier meets those relatively low standards, then he can come to the Olympics, but he can only compete in the slalom and the giant slalom. This is to prevent overmatched skiers from maiming or killing themselves in the speed events.
And so, at every Winter Games, the slalom start list is longer than that of any other event, filled with proud representatives of the just-happy-to-be-here brigade—many of whom, it must be said, actually live in the nations for which they're competing. The best known of these Olympic tourists is the aforementioned Hubertus von Hohenlohe, the 55-year-old Mexican skier and aristocrat who is finally having his Olympic media moment in this, his sixth Winter Games. "If you cannot win, then at least be stylish," he told the Today show recently. Words to live by.
Prince Hubertus lost a ski not long after he started down the mountain on Saturday, and he was unable to finish the course. "I feel cool," he said, which is understandable given that he was wearing a mariachi-themed outfit. "I gave my best, I would have liked to make it down, but I'm OK with this." He continued, "But honestly, it was so difficult, I'm kind of happy that I don't have to do the second run. It was really tough." Now that's the Olympic spirit!
Prince Hubertus is wonderful, for sure. But the slalom skier with the best story is Yohan Carlos Goutt Gonçalves, who skis for Timor-Leste, and is the first Winter Olympian in that young and troubled nation's history. Goutt Gonçalves, who grew up in France—his mother is from Timor-Leste—is 19 years old and is ranked No, 2,263 in the world in the slalom. On his Facebook page, he posted a photo of a letter he received from the prime minister of Timor-Leste. "Enjoy your day and go fast! Viva Timor-Leste!" the prime minister wrote. What a nice note!
While the FIS lets these lesser-known athletes take part in the games, it doesn't do them any favors. They are forced to ski at the end, after the course has been torn up by the good racers. Nobody even bothers pretending that they have a shot at winning a medal, which is sort of hilarious and sad at the same time. During the second run of today's slalom race, the announcers on the NBC online feed called the gold medal for Austria's Mario Matt even though there were many, many skiers left to go.
And yet! The slalom course was very difficult this year, with subpar snow conditions, and many of the medal favorites failed to finish the course. As a result, several of the underqualified skiers—who were not skiing aggressively enough to crash—ended up placing much higher than they could have ever dreamed, simply because they finished the course where others did not. Before the Olympics began, Yohan Carlos Goutt Gonçalves told the media that he knew he wouldn't finish first. "But I have a friend, Samir Azzimani, who represented Morocco at the Vancouver Games and came 44th in the slalom," he said. "I would love to do better than that so that Timor is ahead of Morocco!" Goutt Gonçalves made his way down the slope with great deliberation, finishing at a glacial 2:30.89—49 seconds behind the leader. He came in 43rd place. Viva Timor-Leste, indeed!
Correction, Feb. 27, 2014: This post originally stated that skiers must have competed in at least five FIS-sanctioned races and finished no worse than 140th in each to qualify for the Olympic slalom and giant slalom. In fact, the skiers must average no more than 140 FIS points per race to make the Olympics. (As with golf, lower point totals are better in skiing.)
The Saddest Olympian in Sochi Says He Feels "Like One of Those Stray Dogs"
On Saturday morning, the loneliest snowboarder in Sochi competed in the least popular event of the Winter Olympics, to the complete disinterest of his teammates, the media, and the American public. The event is parallel slalom snowboarding. The snowboarder is Justin Reiter, a 33-year-old American who has been racing competitively for a decade and a half, getting no attention and little support from the snowboarding community and the sporting media. But Reiter embodies the Olympic spirit more than anyone else on Team USA. And he could really, really, really use your support.
Reiter has the misfortune to compete in Alpine snowboarding, a discipline that few Americans even know exists. Alpine snowboarders race downhill on a weird elongated board, focusing on speed, not style. The discipline does not involve tricks, or halfpipes, or Flying Tomatoes; it's not very sexy, and thus doesn't get much attention. Reiter is probably the best competitive Alpine snowboarder in America. He is also one of the only competitive Alpine snowboarders in America.
Reiter used to have a colleague, an American slalom snowboarder named Vic Wild—until Wild moved to Russia, which treats its Alpine snowboarders like kings. "If I was still riding for the [U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association], I'd be back home maybe with some mediocre job, doing something mediocre," Wild told the Wall Street Journal the other day. When Wild won gold for Russia in the giant slalom on Wednesday, Reiter, who finished in 24th place, started crying. (Tears of joy, he claimed.) "The only difference between [us] is that he has a complete team of people supporting him," Reiter said.
Reiter does not. He apparently gets so little support from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association that "he spends much of his time living in his truck," according to the Wall Street Journal. Reiter raised some money to fund his Olympic bid via a crowdfunding project on the website RallyMe. He didn't raise all that much, though: When last I checked, he's raked in $14,566. The Jamaican bobsled team, by contrast, got almost $200,000 in four days.
"I bust my ass to be here and make a lot of sacrifices because I love what I do," Reiter told ESPN recently. "But to not even be recognized by your own industry, an industry that raised me and hopefully I've put something back into ... I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt." Truly, Justin Reiter is Sochi's saddest Olympian.
Reiter should be followed around everywhere he goes in Sochi by a guy playing a sad trombone. During the opening ceremony, most of the other skiers and snowboarders apparently thought Reiter was a coach. When freestyle snowboarders learn that Reiter is an alpinist, they automatically assume that he is lame and square. Reiter isn't, and he recently told ESPN that his teammates "don't take the time to look below the surface, dig a little deeper and ask." (The jerks.) "Everyone's talking about stray dogs in Sochi," Reiter recently told Al-Jazeera. "I feel like one of those stray dogs." This is a sad, sad man.
Going into Saturday's parallel slalom race, Reiter had high hopes. He had done well on the world circuit this year—he took silver in parallel slalom at the 2013 World Championships—and he thought he could compete for a medal. "I'd like to show kids that they can do this without the support of the USSA, without an industry behind them, without a country behind them," he told ESPN. "They can succeed on their own." Instead, he showed kids the exact opposite, failing even to make it out of the qualifying rounds. Then, to add insult to injury, he had to sit and watch as Vic Wild won yet another gold medal.
Reiter's Sochi experience feels like it was scripted by Charles Schulz. But you know what? At least he made it to the Olympics, and he got there on his own, which is even more impressive. The man can hold his head high. On his Facebook page in January, Reiter posted a quote from Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics: "The important thing at the games is not to win but to take part, for the essential thing in life is not to conquer but to struggle well." Justin Reiter took part. Justin Reiter struggled well. And now, somebody needs to buy Justin Reiter a drink.
A Field Guide to Olympians Who Really, Really Hate Their Bosses
Over the last few weeks, Sochi has become a hotbed of dissent. Not political dissent, mind you—that's still being suppressed with horsewhips. Rather, Sochi is full of athletes who hate their bosses. All over the Olympic Village, various competitors have voiced their displeasure with the federations that supervise their sports, blasting those bodies for mismanagement, poor financial support, and general idiocy. Which athletes are angriest, and are their complaints justified? Read on and find out!
U.S. speedskaters vs. US Speedskating: American speedskaters have had their worst Olympics ever, and their terrible performance has exposed a rift between the athletes and the federation that supports them. In a recent interview, Maria Lamb, who finished dead last in the women's 5000 meters, ripped US Speedskating, claiming that the organization is hampered by "leadership that's really just systematically not listened to athletes," and has really bad taste in futuristic racing suits.
Merit score: It seems cheap for the American skaters to blame anyone but themselves for their abysmal performance in Sochi. But the fact that every single skater underachieved makes you think that the organizational chaos is real, and that it has had a real effect on how the skaters train and prepare. We'll give the speedskaters an 8 out of 10.
"Team Outcast" vs. the Australian Olympic Committee: Australian snowboarders Jarryd Hughes, Belle Brockhoff, Scotty James, and Torah Bright think they don't get nearly enough support from the Australian Olympic Committee. This foursome has been calling themselves "Team Outcast" as a way to protest how the AOC allegedly supports some Olympians—like snowboarder Alex "Chumpy" Pullin—while leaving others to fend for themselves. Before the games began, James said, "We're not part of a team and we are not helped along the way in our journey to the games or any other events." This week, Brockhoff's father released a statement blasting the federation for its cheapness and noting "anger and disgust among the Australian snowboard cross community" at the way Team Outcast had allegedly been treated.
Merit score: Bright is a celebrity who can support herself, to be clear, but the other Australian Outcasts aren't quite as fortunate. I'm not sure what to think here, but I will note that Alex "Chumpy" Pullin failed to medal, so if the AOC is indeed unfairly favoring some athletes over others, well, the strategy appears to be ineffective. 5 out of 10 for the Aussies.
U.S. bobsledders vs. the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation: Some American bobsledders have blasted their federation for allegedly putting marketing ahead of merit when choosing which athletes to send to Sochi. When USBSA named track star and famous person Lolo Jones to its Winter Olympic squad, some longtime bobsledders protested. This week, American bobsledder Charles Berkeley, who competed for the United States in Vancouver but did not make the squad for Sochi, fanned the flames when he told the Associated Press that "There are athletes who deserve to be there who are not there, on the women's and the men's sides. And you have to ask yourself why is that the case. What is wrong with the selection process? Why is it flawed? Why is it corrupt?"
Merit score: You can certainly empathize with athletes who become upset when they work hard, only to be passed over. But it's not as if anyone else would have done that much better than Jones on the third-string American sled. Jones and her partner may have finished in 11th place, but they had the fifth-fastest average push times during the first two heats. (And as Slate's Ben Blatt has established, the first two heats in bobsled are really the only heats that matter.) USBSF may have had an ulterior motive for choosing Jones, but that doesn't mean Jones was unqualified to be there. Plus, the USA has won five combined medals in bobsled and skeleton thus far. If this federation is doing a terrible job, we should all be so terrible. 2 out of 10 for the bobsledders.
Canada Makes Winning 1–0 Look Incredibly Easy Against Team USA
It wasn't the result the Americans wanted, nor the game casual hockey fans had hoped for. But the Canadian men's 1–0 victory over Team USA in Friday's Olympic semifinal was a thing of order-restoring beauty for the sport's faithful, and a hard-fought victory for a squad that had struggled to play the type of hockey expected from one of the most talented international teams ever assembled.
It was also a reminder that for all the promise the Americans showed in rolling through the group stage, they're still not (if they ever will be) on the level of their hockey-loving neighbors to the north. Canada's victory wasn't easy, but at times it looked that way.
In the lead-up to the big game, the consensus was that the Americans were playing the best hockey of anyone in Sochi. They had beaten two world powers in Russia and the Czech Republic, and dominated two lesser teams in Slovenia and Slovakia. Canada, meanwhile, managed to look uncharacteristically shaky against a slate of teams that were outmatched on paper, if not on ice. The polite handwringing in the Great White North reached its peak on Wednesday during Canada's 2–1 quarterfinal victory against a Latvian team with only one NHL-er. But overshadowed by Team Canada's offensive struggles was its defensive prowess: They'd given up just three goals in four games, the fewest allowed by any team. And, as they showed Friday, it's impossible to lose a game if your opponent never scores.
The Americans entered the game as the highest-scoring men's team at the Olympics, but could not put the puck past Canadian keeper Carey Price, who stopped a total of 31 shots in recording the shutout. More troubling was the fact that with only a handful of exceptions—Phil Kessel's chance in the game's opening moments comes to mind—few of those shots seriously threatened to put the Americans on the board.*
On the other end of the rink, Canada largely controlled the pace of play, cycling the puck in the American zone when they had it and forechecking aggressively when they didn't. Breakaways and slapshots find their way into the highlight reels, but it's tip-ins and redirections that decide the victor in games like this one. Canada scored one of those goals that only a hockey fan could love in the second period when Jay Bouwmeester threw the puck in front of the net and Jamie Benn managed to get his stick on it, deftly redirecting it into the U.S. net. American goalie Jonathan Quick managed to turn away 36 shots on Friday, but he never had a chance on that one.
If there was a surprise, it was that for the first time in the NHL era, players, fans, and the media treated the two teams as equals heading into this game—a conclusion at odds with recent history. "For a long time, the Canadians have been expected to win tournaments," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma explained before the high-profile semifinal. "I think the Americans have challenged that in recent years. You can go back to 2002 or 2010 or world junior tournaments. This will be the next version."
Unfortunately for Bylsma and his squad, he was right: The result was the same as the 2002 and 2010 Olympics, when Team USA couldn't beat the Canadians when it counted.
It would be unfair to the Americans to draw sweeping conclusions from just this one game, especially given how random a best-of-one series can be. But in a sport where mere inches can separate the victors and the vanquished, Canada's best have routinely been better than their American counterparts. In the five times the teams have met in the Olympics since the NHL began sending its players, the U.S. has won only once—and that was a relatively meaningless group-stage game in Vancouver that Canada would go on to avenge in the finals. The Olympic series between the North American rivals now stands at 4–1, and not once over that stretch has Team USA finished above Canada in the final standings. If the Americans are Canada's equals, they've yet to prove it on the international stage.
The Americans will now face off with an always-solid Finnish team for bronze on Saturday. They'll then watch along with the rest of the world as Canada takes on Sweden for gold on Sunday before waiting another four long years for their next chance to upend the North American pecking order.
*Correction, Feb. 21, 2014: This post originally misidentified the player who had an early scoring chance for Team USA.
The Secret of Mikaela Shiffrin's Success: Always Practice, Never Compete
Eighteen-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom today in Sochi, making her the youngest gold medalist in the history of that Olympic event. Last year Shiffrin finished atop the World Cup slalom standings, becoming the youngest woman to accomplish that since 1974. As Shira Springer wrote today for the Boston Globe, Shiffrin is the "present and future of US ski racing … a precocious talent who someday could surpass the achievements of Lindsey Vonn." But "precocious" might not be the best word to describe Shiffrin, whose success isn't entirely attributable to her innate ability (which, to be clear, is considerable). What's more interesting is the calculated way that she's refined her skills.
If you're a gifted young skier, with an eye toward Olympic competition or the World Cup circuit, chances are you spend a lot of time testing your skills against those of other top young skiers. Someone like Shiffrin can spend all winter going from mountain to mountain, competing in junior-level races organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). These races let you know how you compare to others your own age, and also whet your appetite for the senior-level competitions to come. In an interview with the Last Magazine in December, Shiffrin talked briefly about the rigors of the junior ski circuit. "Once you're FIS legal," she said, "they basically just put you right in it. Most kids are racing 25 to 50 races, and it's a lot during the season."
This isn't necessarily the best way to prepare yourself for world-class competition. Not only are these lower-level races a huge time commitment, they can also cause a young skier to de-emphasize proper technique in favor of winning races that don't really matter. Even worse, they increase the risk of injury at a young age. Shiffrin's father, a physician, recently told the Wall Street Journal that "in skiing, the risk of injury is so high that trying to perform at a level you've never practiced at is asking for a trip to the O.R."
So, like a baseball manager limiting a young prospect's pitch count, the Shiffrins limited their daughter's racing commitments. While other kids were racing, Shiffrin was taking training runs on her home mountain, "fine-tuning an efficient, no-nonsense skiing style with dogged repetition and a reliance on fundamentals," as Bill Pennington put it in a 2013 New York Times profile.
Shiffrin also limited herself to a mere two events—the slalom and the giant slalom—and stayed away from the downhill and super-G. While the downhill and super-G are speed events, the slaloms reward technically precise skiing, and technical precision has always been Shiffrin's game. "In the kitchen of the family home," wrote Pennington, "Eileen Shiffrin would use broomsticks to simulate slalom gates and have her daughter weave through them trying to learn the intricate rhythm and tempo of hand movements needed to block and push away gates."
Shiffrin's story is reminiscent of how Venus and Serena Williams honed their games as children. The Williamses' father, Richard, kept the sisters out of tournaments and had them practice their strokes against each other, ensuring that when they did make it to tournaments they'd be ready to play. As Matthew Futterman wrote in the Wall Street Journal last year, Shiffrin's "train-at-home strategy stands apart in a competition-obsessed culture that subjects young soccer players to 100 games a year and budding golfers to every-weekend tournaments." But maybe it's a smarter way to go.
We like to think of child prodigies as naturally brilliant, geniuses who emerged fully formed from the womb. But talent isn't necessarily enough. Shiffrin's brilliance lies in her preparations and her perspective. She's Mikaela the machine, finely tuned for optimum performance. And she's just getting started.
How to Biathlon-ize Every Winter Olympic Sport
If you haven't yet caught a biathlon race, well, you should, because biathlon is great. What's not to like about a sport that combines cross-country skiing, target shooting, and a very excitable announcer? As we approach the final days of the Sochi Games, I am left with one big unresolved question: How can we make all of the Winter Olympic sports more like the biathlon?
The easy answer is just to give every athlete in every event a rifle and call it a day. But we're not looking for easy answers here. The biathlon isn't great because people on skis shoot stuff. It's great because it's the peanut butter and chocolate of the Winter Games, a sport that combines two entirely disparate things and makes both of them better. And yes, there are guns. Keep all of that in mind as you read my proposal for biathlon-izing every Winter Olympic sport—including biathlon.
Alpine skiing: While Alpine skiing is already pretty exciting, it could be much more exciting if each skier tossed a grenade into the snow, and then was forced to outrace the ensuing avalanche.
Biathlon: What's that? You say it's redundant to biathlon-ize the biathlon? That's what people said when the good folks at Kentucky Fried Chicken proposed an extra-crispy version of their already-pretty-crispy chicken—but, brother, they forged ahead anyway, and the results were crisptastic! Now, where was I? Oh, yes, the biathlon. Let's juice it up by giving each competitor two guns and four skis. Where will they put the extra skis? On their hands, probably. But then how will they shoot the guns? Exactly!
Bobsled: If a biathlete misses a target, she has to ski an additional "penalty loop." In bobsled, there is no penalty for hitting the wall. That's just wrong—there's no reason an Olympic sport should be more permissive than the game Operation. If you hit the wall, you should have to push your sled back up to the start of the track. Now that's an incentive to improve.
Cross-country skiing: Let's combine cross-country skiing with orienteering, and make this event a true wilderness survival test. We'll bring the competitors way out in the middle of the woods with nothing but the skis on their feet, a compass, and a gun with which to ward off bears, A medal will be awarded to the skier who crosses the finish line first, as well as to the bear who eats the most skiers.
Curling: No more sliding the stones across the ice. Now, you have to shoot them from a cannon. Also, you can stick those brooms in the cannon if you like.
Figure skating: Figure skaters are now required to perform a short program and a free skate. From now on, there will be a compulsory third "military drill" program in which each skater must pirouette with a rifle. Death-defying spins, indeed.
Freestyle skiing: Skiers will get bonus points for tricks that involve shooting a clean hole through the center of a nickel, just like they did back in the day during Wild West freestyle skiing competitions.
Ice hockey: You don't need firearms to biathlon-ize a hockey game. Just replace the tiebreaking shootout with an accuracy competition in which players must shoot a puck through the mouth of a cardboard cutout from 25 yards away. I actually think this is a good idea. Well, a not-terrible idea. Actually, never mind.
Luge: At the end of a run, racers must use their runner blades to saw through a rope, thus releasing balloons containing inspirational messages like "Number 1 Olympian" and "Good effort." In unrelated news, I am currently looking for people who might want to invest in my new inspirational-balloon business. If you're interested, give me a buzz!
Nordic combined: This odd sport already combines two separate disciplines: cross-country skiing and ski jumpng. Thank you, whatever genius biathlon-ized this sport before I had the chance!
Short track: Taking a cue from the television programs Wipeout and American Gladiators, skaters will be made to navigate various obstacles—mud flats, tar pits, referees wielding pugil sticks—as they make their way around the track. This doesn't really have much to do with the biathlon, but it's in the spirit of the biathlon, maybe.
Skeleton: To honor biathlon's emphasis on precision and accuracy, the sport's governing body should reconfigure the skeleton track so that racers have to pass through a series of small, skeleton-racer-sized holes.
Ski jumping: Let's combine this sport with skeet shooting, and have other competitors shoot at the jumper with a paintball gun. Now, you'll be graded on distance, style, and kills.
Snowboarding: Yeah, you probably don't want snowboarders handling rifles, at least not if spaced-out gold medalists Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson are at all representative of the broader snowboarding community. Just have the biathlon guy announce the snowboarding events from now on, and we'll be fine.
Speedskating: In honor of the American skaters' struggle with their suits, the race will begin with each competitor in one skintight outfit and finish with them in another. How do you change your skinsuit in the middle of a race? That's not my problem.


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So – it's that time of year again. Jim Murray waves his magic wand, and retailers and brand owners alike scrabble around frantically trying to fulfil orders of what, last week, was a very good, if slow-selling line (before you ask, the 90 bottles I managed to prise out of the distributor's hands disappeared within an hour and a half. I'll let you know when there's more stock available).
For those of you who are interested, you can read all about my trip up to The Old Pulteney distillery here and Mike's tasting notes of the full range (including an exclusive taste of the soon-to-be-released 40yo) here.
Now; I'm going to leave all the usual punditry around whether or not it deserves this title to others (and I'm sure there'll be no shortage of discussion as ever). It's a very good whisky, for sure, but what I really wanted to talk about was this screenshot: More...
Tags: whisky, old pulteney, 21 year old, worlds best whisky, jim murray, bbc, industry news
Categories : News | Review | Tasting Notes | Whisky
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I just wanted to know what the difference is between static code analysis and code review. How are each of these two done? More specifically, what are the tools available today for code review/static analysis of PHP? I would also like to know about good tools for code review for any language.
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Code review is something people do, static analysis is something machines do. There are (sometimes good) static analysis tools. Code review is when a colleague/mentor/professor/friend goes over your code and gives you constructive criticism.
Static analysis is, on the other hand, an automated process in which a machine, informed by what it knows about the language it is analyzing (usually from the type system), analyzes a program and tries to pick out things that could be incorrect, inefficient, poor style, or otherwise suboptimal.
Static analysis is the process of analyzing a software without executing it. This is very good and recommended, but you have to keep in mind that
Both of these approaches suffer from the lack of context: they don't know what the sw is supposed to achieve.
Code review is done by another coder, who supposedly knows it and can check
It is much more expensive and it has a varying degree of repeatability but is a great help.
As always, there is not a single silver bullet which will fix all the bugs and avoid all the problems. Applying - as much as possible given the place, the code, the time, the three forms of check (static, dynamic, more eyes (and brains) actually looking at the code) is recommended.
ps: I must note that it is usually much better to apply the tools from scratch. Converting a legacy system is a much less pleasurable experience, due to false positives. If you start from scratch and always aim at keeping the analysis tool clean, you will probably avoid a lot of problems.
pps: as for tools, it depends on the language. In the C and C++ world you can start by looking at Visual Studio itself, which contains a built-in static analysis tool. A relatively complete list can be found on Wikipedia.
ppps: Static analysis is more suited to static languages, like C or C++. For Python it can be really difficult to say if a name which refers to a list at a point will refer to a list for the rest of the program, due to its dynamic properties. This doesn't mean that nothing can be done, as a JIT effort like PyPy shows.
Code Review is when A senior or a dedicated authority checks your code, your way of coding, the standards followed in the code and specifically the logic level of the code
As far As static analysis is concerned, it is the analysis of computer software that is performed without actually executing programs built from that software (analysis performed on executing programs is known as dynamic analysis)
The List of tools as per the technology is given in below link
List Of Tools for Static Analysis
Hence code review and static analysis are completely different terms.
Code review is more qualitative assessment, static code analysis is more quantitative assessment.
vs, f.e
While real errors can (obviously) exist and be detected by SCA
Static analysis is when an artifact is analyzed without being executed. Although it can be applied to any artifact, it is often applied to source code or object code and refers to the use of specific tools to analyze and gain information about these work products. These tools produce reports that are interpreted by an engineer for use in determining the quality of the system under construction, and as a guide to planning development and maintenance. Wikipedia has a list of tools for static analysis, organized by language and with a brief description of their capabilities.
Reviews are a human evaluation of some work product, which could be code. Reviews can also be conducted on designs or other documents as well. The idea is that people familiar with the work product other than the developer are looking at it in order to find mistakes, ranging from security problems to violations of the coding standard.
Technically, a code review can be considered a form of static analysis, since the code is not actually executed during the review. However, in common terminology, "static analysis" typically refers to machine parsing of source or object files while "review" indicates that humans are the one doing the analysis.
Code review is useful technique to smell problems in source code very early stage. As part of this exercise many issues like performance, scalability, and coding standards identified and rectified. This will improve code quality.
Static analysis is used for analyze code quality metrics like cyclometric complexity, maintainability index, depth of inheritance, and class couplings. Various tools available in the market to analyze code qualities. C# developer uses Microsoft visual studio for generating metric reports.
static code analysis is performed by automated tool, code review is done with people before the code is committed.
Tools for code review:
1.beyond compare
2.the diff of version control software
These tools are always used to generate the difference between the old version and the new version.


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AIGA - NYC Time & Place Competition
Category: Competitions,
Posted by: Holly
Posted: Apr 9th 2014
No. of comments: 0
Posted: Apr 9th 2014
No. of comments: 0
The time has come to show off - you, your work, you as a NYC designer, your idea of New York! Submit now. This design competition is a way to celebrate design in the city during the month of May and everyday and also the AIGA Centennial, the New York chapter of AIGA is launching. [NYC Making Place]
For more info on this competition check this out.


text: 5 Tips for Starting Your Summer Exercise Routine By Meagan Kline June 09, 2014 Schools out. Outdoor pools are open. The sun is shining. Summer is upon us. So if you're getting ready to start a summer exercise routine, here are five tips that will help you stick to your goal, get active, and help improve your heart health. Read More


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We Tried It: A Blink-And-It-Dries Topcoat
Can a new clear coat really cure a fresh mani in less than 60 seconds?
What makes the whole process a pain is that I typically do my nails at night, after a 10-hour day of work, an hour in traffic, an hour at the gym and while (struggling) to stay awake to watch the latest episode of "Dexter". Although the actual painting process brings me inner peace, the waiting-for-my-nails-to-cure-so-I-don't-ruin-my-sheets-with-polish process does not.
Essie's Good to Go Top Coat promised to get my nails completely dry in seconds, and I'm naturally inclined to think, 'Yeah, right' about such claims. And even if it does dry in a blink, I know it won't deliver the way a top coat should -- keeping my polish chip-free, shiny, and long-lasting.
I can admit when I'm wrong, and I'm happy to say my first impression of this topcoat was all wrong. Good to Go proved its mettle in a battery of tests. First, there was the fingerprint test dry, wherein I repetitively tapped on my nails to see if any fingerprints were visible in the paint. The harder you press without prints showing, the drier your nails are. Mine were good to go in about a minute.
I also spent a few hours writing and cleaned my entire house to see if they'd withstand a busy lifestyle. Two stories, several washed dishes and a squeaky-clean bathroom later, my nails were still in great shape. I also washed and deep conditioned my hair, exfoliating my scalp with my fingers more intensely than usual to really see if my nails would last. The glossy finish stood up to the challenge and gleamed like I'd gotten a pro mani.
The topcoat even had staying power on painted toes. After a day in sweaty running shoes, I was happy to pop off my socks and see that the polish was still in good shape. At $10 a bottle, it's steal -- and one that will give your mani/pedi a longer lifespan.
MakeupWe Tried It: The New All-in-One Eyeliner/Mascara Combo Product
MakeupWe Tried It: A Bronzer That Actually Works on Every Skin Tone
MakeupWe Tried it: Lancome's New Gloss in Love Collection
MakeupWe Tried It: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner
MakeupWe Tried It: A Lip Balm That Acts Like a Lipstick
NailsWe Tried It: A Blink-And-It-Dries Topcoat
NailsWe Tried It: Deborah Lippmann Punk Rock Collection
MakeupWe Tried It: A Swanky Lip Balm Crayon You Can Buy at Costco
MakeupWe Tried It: The New Limited Edition MAC Cremeblend Color
NailsWe Tried It: A Nail Polish Remover That Doesn't Reek
MakeupWe Tried It: MAC's New Beauty Balm
MakeupWe Tried It: A Tree Hugger-Friendly Replacement for Cotton Balls
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NCSF's Incident Response was created to provide assistance to individuals and groups within the alternative sexual expression communities. If you engage in SM, fetish, swing or polyamory practices, and are being persecuted or discriminated against because of it, please contact NCSF. If your group or business is being harassed by religious political extremists or if you need help doing outreach to your local law enforcement, please contact NCSF.
For more information about NCSF's Incident Response, please see "Incident Response Overview"
Copyright 2012-2015 - National Coalition for Sexual Freedom - NCSFreedom.org
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Diamond Champagne France T-Shirt - White
Diamond Nine Eight T-Shirt - Heather Grey
Diamond Supply Co. Tusk L/S T-Shirt - White
Diamond Un-Polo Pullover Hoodie - Heather
Diamond Supply Co. LA Girl 98 T-Shirt - Navy
Diamond Emerald Shoes - Black/Tan Leather
Diamond Trek Low Shoes - Black Suede
Diamond Jasper Shoes - Royal Carbon
Diamond Native Trek Shoes - Red Leather
Diamond Fairfax Sliders Sandals - Red
Diamond Supply Co. Arabic Beanie - Black/Gold
Diamond Supply Co. Ostrich Bucket Hat - Black
Diamond Supply Co. Dug Out Bucket Hat - Black
Diamond Supply Co. 1998 Pom Beanie
Diamond Ixtapa Bucket Hat - Red
Diamond Supply Co. The Southern California based skateboard accessory and clothing line was started by skateboarder/designer Nick Tershay AKA Nick Diamond.
Tershay has gained worldwide recognition and celebrity stardom for his cutting edge t-shirt designs and the sneaker collaboration with Nike SB that he designed. After producing the Diamond Supply Co. X Nike Tiffany Dunk shoe Nick Tershay has never looked back.
The Diamond "Tiffany" Dunk SB was the hottest sneaker release in 2005 which had massive amounts of sneakerheads around the world camping out in front of stores for days before the shoe released. It is said that this shoe was the most hyped and sought after shoe in Nike history. The Diamond Dunk SB had such a large impact on the sneaker community "good & bad" that it has changed the sneaker game forever.
Diamond Supply Co. is also known for having one of the strongest skateboarding teams in the world. Skaters such as Eric Koston, Paul Rodriguez, Stevie Williams, Terry Kennedy and loads more of skateboarding's top elite support the brand.
Diamond Supply Co. skateboard clothing has also been seen worn by superstar rappers such as lil Wayne, OFWGKTA, Tony Yayo and Lupe Fiasco.


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It was a shooting in Bowling Green that stirred a lot of emotion from the community, and today KSP says they are nearing the end of their investigation, and those searching for answers may get them soon.
In the meantime friends, family, and supporters attended the funeral of Brandon Bradshaw, the man who died in the officer involved shooting on the Bypass, last week.
Those who said while Brandon's life was cut short at the young age of 27 his memory will last forever.
As a former member of the National Guard who served in Iraq, members of the Patriot Guard rode to honor a fallen hero.
"It's something that tugs at your heart when you get on one of those bikes with a flag behind you and a deceased veteran following you," says Joe Hare, a member of the Patriot Guard.
Many attended the funeral to remember the man who mentored their sons and daughters as a Youth Theatre Educator at SkyPac.
"Brandon was one of those people when he walked in you knew something great had entered the room. He was always smiling, and just gave you that big, warm, teddy bear feeling," says Cara Gray, a friend of the Bradshaw family.
And one says goodbye to a best friend.
"He was my best friend so we did everything together. All kinds of adventures. We were in a band together and practically lived together. It's hard to imagine doing anything without him," says Randall Erskine.
And those who knew Bradshaw are trying to move past the tragic moment on the Bypass.
"I'm sad but I'm also happy that he no longer has to walk this earth, he's up in heaven and I feel comfort in that," says Gray.
"He was a man of small miracles, and he knew the power of a smile," says Erskine.
Brandon died the morning of Saturday March 2nd at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
KSP is waiting on the results from the final medical records and they hope to meet with Warren County Commonwealth Attorney, Chris Cohron by the end of next week.
The prosecution of the case will be decided by Cohron.


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- Binding: Hardcover
- Era: 20th Century
- Number of Pages: 352
- Subject: Aviation
- Date Available: December 2012
Clear The Decks Price*
Your tax-deductible gift to the Naval Institute Press underwrites worthy books that might not otherwise be published.
Airship charts the history of lighter-than-air craft from the continental pioneers of the late 19th century through to European airship stationsin the Great War, Germany's pre-eminent commercial and military zeppelins, the construction of British behemoths R100 and its sistership R101 and the calamitous losses of US Akron in 1933 and LZ129 Hindenburg in 1937, events which ultimately heralded the end of largescale airship production. The historical development of airships is seen to be protracted and fractious, as the armed forces of leading European countries and the U.S. explored commercial applications while trying to develop them for military use.
John Swinfield is a former Fleet Street and BBC/ITV reporter and producer with Nationwide (BBC1) and The Money Programme (BBC2). He lives in England.
~ Praise for Airship ~
"A scholarly and in-depth following of the history…A must for anyone with a curiosity of these first aircraft, highly recommended."
— The Midwest Book Review, June 2013
"Airship is a great book about the somewhat sad history of airships….Airship is an interesting book that tells an important and quite intriguing story, but the focus is much narrower than the title and the dust jacket for the book indicate. It draws on original sources and interviews along with official documents, and is well illustrated and documented via footnotes with references. Overall, it is a book for readers especially interested in the British airship program. I especially liked the many descriptions of the main characters and personalities that drove the development of this exciting technology."


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A man accused of shooting another man multiple times in a Waikiki parking lot is maintaining his innocence.
Reynaldo Valdes-Paz pleaded not guilty in the 2010 shooting of Damon Jones. But, on Monday, he changed his mind.
At the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard, Jones took three bullets -- one in the back and two in the legs. He survived.
For the nearly three years since the shooting, Valdes-Paz said he is innocent. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter by way of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
Valdes-Paz was originally charged with second-degree attempted murder, which carries a life sentence if convicted. However, in a plea deal with prosecutors, Valdes-Paz pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter in exchange for a lighter sentence of 20 years in prison.
"The reason I am pleading out is I thought I'd get this thing out of the way and for the state to keep pursuing me. It's something I'm taking responsibility for," said Valdes-Paz.
The prosecution agreed to the plea deal because there were so many areas of dispute and questions in the case, including who brought the gun to the scene and details leading up to the shooting.
"He maintains the victim brought the gun to the shooting," said deputy prosecutor Scott Bell. "The second area disputed is to the nature of altercation of what happened. What happened preceding the shooting. Both sides had their versions of events."
As part of the plea deal, Valdes-Paz also pleaded guilty to two firearms charges. The sentencing date is set for September. Bell says the victim is back at work but is still weak from his wounds.


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In the 17th century the Grand axis of Paris was initiated in the Tuileries Gardens. This axis was eventually extended beyond the river Seine and it finally became the center of a major business district in Paris. There is an empty office building there now that contains a gallery of art and a place where visitors can view the surrounding areas of Paris. La Defense is the name of this location and it symbolizes the very essence of classical modernist art. The works of art here are astounding and the tourists that visit are often fascinated with the sights. Paris La Defense is filled with large pools and the surroundings have been created to seem almost animated by the waterfalls and jets that are carefully placed in its vicinity.
Visitors will find many shaded seating areas and delicate earthen bocce courts that they can enjoy during their stay. They can also relax and enjoy a cup of coffee at any of the open-air cafes that are located around La Defense. The sides of the corridor that runs through La Defense has many linear vistas of plane trees. La Defense is open everyday and tourists can enjoy the garden there for free.
Please provide this reference number to our customer service center representative on request, so we can help you better


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Heart Disease Health Center
When Your Heart Rhythm Isn't Normal
In this article
"Arrhythmia" means your heartbeat is irregular. It doesn't necessarily mean your heart is beating too fast or too slow. It just means it's out of its normal rhythm.
It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, is "fluttering," or is beating too fast (which doctors call tachycardia) or too slow (called bradycardia). Or, you might not notice anything, since some arrhythmias are "silent."
Recommended Related to Heart Disease
Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body. It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.
Read the Potassium and Your Heart article > >
Arrhythmias can be an emergency, or they may be harmless. If you feel something unusual happening with your heartbeat, call 911 so doctors can find out why it's happening and what you need to do about it.
Causes and Types of of Arrhythmias
You could have an arrhythmia even if your heart is healthy. Or it could happen because you have:
- Heart disease
- The wrong balance of electrolytes (such as sodium or potassium) in your blood
- Changes in your heart muscle
- Injury from a heart attack
- Healing process after heart surgery
The many types of arrhythmias include:
Premature atrial contractions. These are early extra beats that start in the heart's upper chambers, called the atria. They are harmless and generally don't need treatment.
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). These are among the most common arrhythmias. They're the "skipped heartbeat" we all occasionally feel. They can be related to stress or too much caffeine or nicotine. But sometimes, PVCs can be caused by heart disease or electrolyte imbalance. If you have a lot of PVCs, or symptoms linked to them, see a heart doctor (cardiologist).
Atrial fibrillation. This common irregular heart rhythm causes the upper chambers of the heart to contract abnormally.
Atrial flutter. This is an arrhythmia that's usually more organized and regular than atrial fibrillation. It happens most often in people with heart disease and in the first week after heart surgery. It often changes to atrial fibrillation.
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). A rapid heart rate, usually with a regular rhythm, starting from above the heart's lower chambers, or ventricles. PSVT begins and ends suddenly.
Accessory pathway tachycardias. You can get a rapid heart rate because there is an extra pathway between the heart's upper and lower chambers. It's just like if there was an extra road on your way home as well as your usual route, so cars can move around faster. When that happens in your heart, it can cause a fast heart rhythm, which doctors call tachycardia. The impulses that control your heart rhythm travel around the heart very quickly, making it beat unusually fast.


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Arranging a Funeral
If someone dies at home you must call your doctor who will sign a medical certificate confirming the cause of death, unless it is decided to refer the matter to the Coroner.
If the death occurs in hospital the doctor there will normally be able to issue a certificate. The medical certificate must be taken to the Registrar of Births and Deaths within 5 days of the death. The Registrar will require personal details of the deceased such as their date and place of birth and death, a marriage certificate, if available and details of any pension or benefits they were receiving.
Once a death has been registered with the Registrar of Births and Deaths and you are in possession of the Registrar's Green Disposal Certificate and either a Coroner's 'E' Form for Cremation or a Coroner's Order for Burial Arrangements can be made for the funeral.
Dependant upon your choice of burial or cremation, various forms will need to be completed before the funeral can go ahead.
The staff at the cemetery and crematoria offices will be available to help you and supply you with the necessary forms for completion.
For more information visit the'What to do after someone dies' page on the national government website.
Other useful contact details
Coroner's Office (Birmingham & Solihull) 0121 303 3228
email: email@example.com
Registrar of Births & Deaths (Birmingham Holliday Street) 0121 675 1004
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Funeral Directors and Independent Funeral Arrangements
The responsibility for arranging the funeral normally falls on the Executor or the nearest surviving relative who may wish to approach a professional Funeral Director who will undertake some of the various tasks on their behalf and offer guidance. The Funeral Director will discuss with the family their requirements concerning the funeral arrangements and will assist in completing the necessary statutory and non-statutory forms. The Funeral Director will make the practical arrangements for the collection of the body and will obtain the necessary medical certificates. The Funeral Director will advise on the procedure for registering the death.
Birmingham City Council is not promoting any particular type of arrangement. Funeral Directors offer an all inclusive service to the bereaved, however following the death of a loved one, family and friends may wish to have more control over the funeral arrangements.
This can make a funeral more personal and meaningful and can help them work through the grieving process. In these cases families may choose to limit involvement of a Funeral Director or not use one at all.
It is important to remember that an Independent Funeral will require the family to spend time making the arrangements which include:
- Preparation and storage of the body
- Provision of a casket or coffin
- Arranging a vehicle to collect and transport the coffin
- Supplying people to act as bearers (people who carry the coffin into the chapel or to the graveside)
The staff at the Cemeteries and Crematoria Offices can offer advice regarding some of these arrangements.
The Funeral Service
Families should not feel that they have to take on all of the funeral arrangements, just because they want to personalise the service. Funeral Directors have a wealth of experience in helping to make funerals very personal occasions. It should be noted that traditional funeral patterns do not have to be followed and it may be that a secular (non-religious) ceremony is desired.
Family and friends may wish to devise their own very personal funeral service with readings, poems, songs, music or perhaps silent contemplation.
Families who have been closely involved with devising a service for a loved one have found it a very emotional and moving experience which can be quite different from the formal service many people experience.
Families could choose to have a religious service followed with a few minutes of their own ceremony. Some ministers will perform a part secular, part religious ceremony if those attending the funeral are of various beliefs.
There is also the opportunity for families to personalise the service or ceremony with their favourite pieces of music or poetry with facilities for CDs or tapes to be played in the chapels.
Hymn books and service books are available to be used during the service in the crematoria chapels and at Handsworth and Witton Cemeteries where the chapel facilities may be used for a service prior to interment.


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What is the recommended acquisition strategy for having multi-platform, service-connected devices for mobile developers? Is it necessary to have separate phone numbers and service plans for each platform? My guess is that having a Droid, iPhone and Windows 7 phones all on the same plan and same phone number is out.
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My general strategy is to use a carrier that uses SIM cards, so the phone number is tied to the SIM, not the phone. Purchase phones (new or off eBay) and all you have to do is move the SIM to change phones. Works for Win7, WinMo and Droid. I suspect is will with iPhone as well, but I haven't specifically tested that so I can't certify it works.
I believe, you can easily own Windows Phone 7 and Android devices off contract. As these devices are way cheaper & the reason why I think buying these devices off contract is better is, you need to have multiple devices for each of these platforms to check the compatibility of your application.
For iPhone, owning one latest and one of the previous model on contract makes sense. As iPhone is quite cheaper on contract and also you don't really have to look for the compatibility issues as you've to do with the other mobile platforms.
I find this way more comfortable and I do the same.


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I am going through some of my old school notes about English idioms and the text describes idioms as having a non productive syntactic structure. I don't understand and couldn't find anything more about the 'non productive' part of the phrase.
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It isn't true that idioms have a non-productive syntactic structure. An idiom is an expression that can be understood only as a whole, and not by interpreting each of its parts. He kicked the bucket means 'He died', but you wouldn't know that if all you knew were the words he, kicked, the and bucket. There is, however, nothing non-productive about the grammar. It follows the normal English word order, and the pronoun, he, is in the form used when it is the subject of a sentence.
What is an idiom? As explained in the Glossary of linguistic terms by Eugene E. Loos,
Alternatives 2 & 3 above are grammatical and make sense (semantically correct), but do not make an idiom — because the idiom cannot have its words substituted or rearranged.
Today, however, we see this rule regularly violated. Every idiom has been turned on its head in various contexts for various effects.
Productivity is concerned with whether a grammatical process is still being used in the formation of new words- i.e., it is involved in the production of new words. A non-productive process is one which has previously been used, but is no longer being used such that we can see evidence of its use, but no new words or phrases have been produced for a long time using that process.
So your non-productive syntactic structure refers to a syntax structure that was used in the past, so that the language has words or phrases in use that exhibit that syntactic structure, but is no longer being used to form new words or phrases.


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I have a question about the symmetric group. Taking signatures of permutations defines a surjective homomorphism $S_n \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}/2$. This is compatible with the natural inclusions $S_n \hookrightarrow S_{n+1}$, so we get a surjection $S_{\infty} \rightarrow \mathbb{z}/2$. Here $S_{\infty}$ is the direct limit of the $S_n$. In other words, $S_{\infty}$ is the group of finitely supported permutations of a countable set.
This brings me to my question. let $S_{\infty}'$ be the set of all permutations of a countable set. We have an inclusion $S_{\infty} \hookrightarrow S_{\infty}'$. Does the signature map $S_{\infty} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}/2$ extend to $S_{\infty}'$?


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Founders' Day Lecture rescheduled
- Details
- Published: January 26, 2014
The Founders' Day Lecture "Living Stones: Middle Eastern Christian Presence and Witness in the Midst of Challenge and Change", featuring Dr. Peter E. Makari has been rescheduled for Tuesday Evening, May 6, from 6:30-7:30 PM in the Bradley Fine Arts Center Auditorium. Following the lecture, a reception honoring Dr. Makari will be held in the Laun Center, David and Valerie Black Room, from 7:30-9:00 PM. Reception cost is $10. (Reservations required.) To register online, please visit Lakeland.edu/MissionHouseCenter or contact Colleen Darling at or 920-565-1538.


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ITS Services Status / DEFINE Internals/Enterprise Workflow Planned Maintenance
DEFINE Internals/Enterprise Workflow
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Planned maintenance to deploy necessary fixes and user enhancements. A small percentage of users may experience a very limited interruption in service during this maintenance period.
For further information, contact ITS Help Desk.
Download an ICS file for this event
Information last updated: 5:03 PM, September 9, 2013


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I was installing ubuntu alongside with win 7, and I devoted a full partition for linux during installation. The problem is it didnt install correctly and the 18 GB space cant be found when logging in to win 7 . Please Help.
One thing you could do is to use your installation device USB/CD to log into a live Ubuntu session. For this boot from your device and choose 'Try out Ubuntu'. There your can view your patitions with 'gparted' and change whatever you like.
You should find your lost partition there.
Under Windows 7 you can go to Computer Management and then to Disk Management.
Building on what @joschi said,
Partitions are a way for operating system sto mark the space on your hard drive into sections that can be used separately, for different things. When you installed linux, it would have created one or more of:
To be able to do that, the installer would have looked at the amount of space that Windows was actually using, and then resized it's partition. With this extra space, (18 gb, it seems) it created the extra partitions.
To regain the lost capacity, and make Windows recognize that it's there, you need to:


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- Binding: Paperback
- Era: 20th Century
- Number of Pages: 400
- Subject: Imperial Japanese Navy
- Date Available: January 2013
Recipient of the Carleton College Distinguished Achievement Award, 2008
A long-anticipated major work by one of Japan's leading naval historians, this book traces Alfred Thayer Mahan's influence on Japan's rise as a sea power after the publication of his classic study, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History. Hailed by the British Admiralty, Theodore Roosevelt, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, the international bestseller also was endorsed by the Japanese Naval Ministry, who took it as a clarion call to enhance their own sea power. That power, of course, was eventually used against the United States. Sadao Asada opens his book with a discussion of Mahan's sea power doctrine and demonstrates how Mahan's ideas led the Imperial Japanese Navy to view itself as a hypothetical enemy of the Americans.
Drawing on previously unused Japanese records from the three naval conferences of the 1920s—the Washington Conference of 1921-22, the Geneva Conference of 1927, and the London Conference of 1930—the author examines the strategic dilemma facing the Japanese navy during the 1920s and 1930s against the background of advancing weapon technology and increasing doubt about the relevance of battleships. He also analyzes the decisions that led to war with the United States—namely, the 1936 withdrawal from naval treaties, the conclusion of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940, and the armed advance into south Indochina in July 1941—in the context of bureaucratic struggles between the army and navy to gain supremacy. He concludes that the "ghost" of Mahan hung over the Japanese naval leaders as they prepared for war against the United State and made decisions based on miscalculations about American and Japanese strengths and American intentions.
Sadao Asada is a professor of international history at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. Educated in the United States with a Ph.D. from Yale University, he is the author of Japanese-American Relations between the Wars, among other books and journal articles.
See Related Items:


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A tree is a graph with no vertex contained in a cycle.
A non-tree is a graph with some vertex contained in a cyle.
What's the name of graphs with each vertex contained in a cycle?
A tree is a graph with no vertex contained in a cycle.
A non-tree is a graph with some vertex contained in a cyle.
Undirected graphs in which every edge is contained in a cycle are called bridgeless or 2-edge-connected. But I don't know of a word for the analogous concept for vertices.
These are the graphs that admit "vertex cycle covers". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertex_cycle_cover
I don't know a name, but I'll give you a different characterization. Biconnectivity is sufficient but too strong, while "having minimum degree at least 2" is necessary but too weak. I'm almost certain this is a necessary and sufficient condition:
$G$ has minimum degree at least 2, and if v is a cutvertex of $G$, then there is some new connected component of $G - v$ with at least two vertices adjacent to v.
Here's a proof of sufficiency: If v is not a cutvertex of $G$, then pick any two vertices adjacent to v. There's a path between them not going through v (since $G - v$ is connected), so v is contained in a cycle.
If v is a cutvertex of $G$, then pick the two vertices adjacent to v that are in the same connected component of $G - v$. There's a path between them that extends to a cycle containing v.
Now, a proof of necessity. Suppose that $G$ has a cutvertex $v$ whose removal does create deg(v)-1 new connected components. Then $v$ can't lie in a cycle. (This is easy to check.)
This characterization is equivalent to: Removing any vertex of degree d increases the total number of connected components by at most $d-2$. Some generalization of this property may have a name.
Assuming that $G$ is connected, we can get a characterization by looking at the block decomposition $B(G)$ of $G$ into 2-connected pieces. That is, we simply look at which vertices of $B(G)$ are $K_2$'s. The required characterization is:
Every vertex of $G$ is contained in a block of $G$ which is not a $K_2$.
Of course, this is the same answer as Harrison's, but it gives a more global view. Also, necessity and sufficiency are trivial.
2-connected or biconnected