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I have a question about rims based on information in another question. The person asking states that he doesn't want his rims wearing down. Is this really a problem? Assuming you don't wear the brake pads down to the metal, can the rubber pads actually wear down rims? Does it make a difference if you use aluminium, steel, or carbon rims? My rims are aluminium with tiny grooves on them. Is there anything I should look for to ensure that they aren't worn down? I have over 10,000 KM of mostly city riding on my bike.
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I have worn through quite a few rims, mostly because I live in a hilly area and I ride my bikes more than I clean them. That said, I do think that if you are to clean anything on a bike then the rims are probably what you want to be cleaning most importantly.
A couple of years ago I inflated the tyres to the value on the sidewall, walked away from the garage and heard a very loud bang. The rim had split in two on one side and I was very glad I was not in the shed at that time.
A year before that - on a small wheeled folding bike - I had a similar problem. Although I had been running some experimental brake blocks that were supposed to be 'extra good' the problem was the wheel size - smaller wheels wear out quicker because there is a smaller braking surface. A 5cm long section appeared buckled, as if I had hit a kerb, which I never do on a folding bike for obvious reasons.
I have also had some high-end Mavic rims wear through. Those had holes in the outer sidewall but they did not fail in a catastrophic way. However, they did feel 'spongy' and that was not just spoke tension.
Obviously the brakes on my 3-speed will never wear through its 50's vintage genuine-stainless-steel rims, but stopping distances are comparable to what you get with an aircraft carrier. Steel is such a no-no for rims - heavy and useless under braking.
As for how to mitigate against catastrophic rim failure, you may want to consider getting wheels with 'wear indicators' in them. A lot of the better MTBs and Road Bikes have these. Alex Rims - as found on Giant MTB's have the 'wear indicator' - this appears as a black line in the side of the rim. This should stand out against the un-anodized sidewall and when it does not you could potentially have problemos. I have not tried them myself, personally I think that it is better to have a feel for one's bike - if the wheel is too springy you know that it is on its way. The problem is rarely with the front rim (unless you do all your braking on the front). During regular cleaning you can feel the concave side of the rim, and those grooves but you don't really know if they are getting a bit too paper thin.
Returning to my comparative experience of the Mavic's that survived having big holes in them and the cheap rims that failed, I would be more inclined to go for rims like the Mavic where the outer sidewall is not 100% important to the structural integrity. The 'wear line' is a good idea but not really for me.
I managed 6000 miles - 25 miles *5 * 50 on the folding bike before the rims went, this was a hard commute with a lot of braking due to how London is a 'sliding block puzzle'. 6000 miles is an accurate guess on how long the cheapo rims on that bike lasted, that is around the 10K mark in 'clicks'. I did trial quite a few products on that bike including some 'extra good' brake blocks. The circumference braking area was probably half that of your bike, so, by rule of thumb I reckon you have got 1/3 to 1/2 way through your rims.
Nowadays I do not reach for the back brake so readily - certainly not automatically when the front one will do. For me rim wear is a real consideration.
Short Answer: Yes
Longer Answer: Yes, but maybe not for the reasons you are thinking of. Rim wear is mainly caused by dirt and grime that gets caught between the brakes and the rim, rubbing it like sand paper. The most important thing to do is clean your rims and pads as often as possible. For that matter clean your drive train as well.
As far as different materials go, it is a lot easier to bend back steel than aluminium or carbon. So if you do have a steel rim you are better off if something goes wrong. There is a tool called a dental caliper (pictured below) that can help you find out if your rim is worn down.
Here is an interesting story and some good info on bent rims.
Yes, they do, and that's what the groove on your rim is for. If your brake pads are properly adjusted, they wear a rut in the rim, giving it a concave shape. This process is imaginatively described as "concaving". As always, the late Sheldon Brown has written on the subject: look for the heading Rim Issues.
When you can't see the groove in the rim any more, it's due for replacement. If the rim is full of ridges before then, it can be smoothed by a specialist using a special kind of file, but I don't imagine this is really worth it any more.
As others have said, the brake pads themselves aren't responsible for the wear: they're pretty soft. But the penalty for this softness is that they're not so good at shifting any grit that gets between the pad and the rim. On a car's disc brakes, most grit gets removed quickly owing to the hardness of the brakes, the faster spinning, and the immense pressure, but on bike discs and especially on rims, any grit will stick around for a while, wearing gouges out of your rim. Fine particles can embed themselves in the pads to continue to wear the rim down.
This also means that the rate of wear depends heavily on the conditions you habitually ride in. If your bike is an all-year commuter bike it'll see more rim wear than a fair-weather bike. That muddy, off-road shortcut you take will be taking its toll as well. Worse yet is a proper mountain bike that's always ridden off-road on dusty and/or muddy trails.
Yes like other parts they wear down. The groove on the side of your rim is likely a wear indicator. Many companies such as Alex, Weinmann and others utilize this type groove although most consumers don't realize that is it's purpose.
From Alex Wheels: "Our 0.3mm deep circumference line appears on both sidewall surfaces. When the sidewall becomes thinner the color of indicator become lighter and hard to tell the difference between the CNC machining and the indicator , it's recommended to replace the rim."
Others do not change color, they just simply aren't a groove anymore!
A friend's back rim failed recently while she was riding. We're not really sure what happened, but suspect that the rim wall was thin and worn. Compare intact left side to buckled right side:
She was riding when it failed -- her tire blew off one side of her rim and her tube exploded -- scary but she wasn't hurt.
In response to comments below:
I can offer an anecdote that suggests that proper maintenance is a good thing!
My winter bike, which I just barely maintained, as I wore them down into the ground and then threw them out, riding all winter long in Toronto. I also only bought cheap junk bikes to do this with. Better bikes for nicer weather.
As others have noted, letting the pads wear down, or dirt between the pads and the rim can easily destroy a rim.
Twice (I should have learned) I had the brakes pierce the rim, get buried, and I flew over the handlebars. Once onto the sidewalk, once onto the road.
It was dumb, and painful. Don't do it.
Mountain bikes are much more prone to this, as they are commonly ridden in dirt, sand, mud, and other crud that acts like a grinding compound on the rims. Bikes ridden in more forgiving environments will likely not exhibit any appreciable wear for a very long time. My particular patrol bike is about 15 years old, with the original rims....
I had a Mavic 222 rim fail earlier this year.
The rim was around ten years old but had spent around 6 of these unused in a garage. The rim wall split, and the inner tub popped out locking the back wheel against the frame, I just managed to keep control of the bike, as I was going quiet fast at the time.
Thank goodness it was the rear wheel.
I replaced both rims, and now only use the back brake 90% of the time. I would rather wear through the rear rim, than the front for sure.


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Pioneer Mountains (ID) > Cobb Peak > Climber's Log
Cobb Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|West Ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2011
|I climbed this route via the west ridge on a perfect weather day with no wind or even a cloud in the the sky. the scrambling was fun but allot more mellow expected. we made it car to car in exactley 9hrs.a true classic idaho scramble that even has somewhat of a trail and rock carrins from time to time.
|Posted Jul 24, 2011 11:55 am
|From west ridge
Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2009
|My favorite peak in Idaho so far. Got a hailstorm an hour away from the summit, but it passed, and the sun came out again. This climb had everything I like about mountains: sedimentary and metamorphosed geology, route-finding, scrambling, killer views and a ridgeline to Old Hyndman that beckoned to be tried, wildflowers, butterflies, and a cool meadow with burbling stream at the base for a lounge after the climb. Very nice.
|Posted Jul 20, 2011 10:08 pm
|Awesome day
Date Climbed: Jun 25, 2011
|Great weather, great snow and great company. The crux was crossing the creek on the way down. The couloir on the SW face (which skiers call comma couloir) make a fine snow climb. We found some gear at the base of the couloir likely left by some skiers caught in an avalanche back in April (they survived)
|Posted Jun 26, 2011 11:40 pm
|Super Dave
Date Climbed: Jun 25, 2011
|Made our way up the west ridge, then out onto the soutwest face to snowclimb the "comma couloir" for the last 1000 feet to the summit. A great day in the Pioneers with Michael, Pat, and Steve. Trip Report.
|Posted Jun 26, 2011 12:11 am
|Gorgeous day, views
Date Climbed: Oct 2, 2010
|Walked up west ridge / face route. The gully wasn't quite as steep as I expected, but it does go on forever!
|Posted Oct 4, 2010 9:30 am
Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2009
|Up the west ridge and then over to Old Hyndman. It was good to get back on Cobb after getting lightninged off earlier this summer. I thought the west ridge was a good scramble.
|Posted Sep 8, 2009 8:42 pm
|West Ridge
Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2008
|A hard climb. Was a great scramble the tricky part was traversing over the ribs to the gully leading to the summit. My Dad, Brother and I all made it and we earned each foot of elevation! Was the most rewarding climb I have done yet.
|Posted Aug 24, 2008 6:34 pm
|Scrambling Man
|West Ridge
Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2006
|3 of us made it to the top. The views were a bit hazy because of the smoke from the forest fires, but we still had great views of the nearby Pioneers. A fun scramble.
|Posted Sep 11, 2006 3:42 pm
|West Ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2002
|Did the double with Hyndman, starting from Boise that morning.
Can you say whipped?
|Posted May 12, 2006 6:42 pm
|South West Face Scramble
|The first visit of most hikers to this area is to climb Hyndman Peak. Lucky for me my climbing partner had already been there and convinced me to tackle Cobb. I'm glad he did. We dicided to scramble up the SW face and found a comfortable class 3/4 route pretty much the whole way up, with only one technical scamper across a ten foot knife edge ridge about 2/3 of the way up. One of the most enjoyable trips I've taken.
|Posted Mar 6, 2006 6:58 am
|Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 10th/05
|I climbed on the only cold, windy, rainy day so far of July. Had absolutely no clearing on the summit and the exposure was frightening with snow fields, zero visibility, and the slick rock from the precipitation.
|Posted Jul 10, 2005 9:16 pm

subset: commoncrawl


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Published March 26, 2014
Pianist Myra Melford's new CD "Life Carries Me This Way" features solo piano interpretations of drawings by modern artist Don Reich. She performs songs from the album, talks about turning art into music, and joins host Eric Felten in some Chicago boogie-woogie.
The great Duke Ellington described the best music as being "beyond category." "Beyond Category with Eric Felten" brings the best of jazz, blues, swing, and more.
Join host Eric Felten in the clubs around Washington D.C. for a behind-the-scenes, intimate conversation with world-class musicians working in jazz and blues. Part interview, part jam session, explore the history, rhythms and sounds of great music.
Your host, a jazz trombonist in his own right, interviews great artists - and sits in to perform with them, taking the audience on an unpredictable musical adventure.


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Your order must total $99.00 before tax and shipping. Free Shipping on Ground Deliveries only going to one delivery location in the continental U.S. only, additional locations are $8.95 each. May not be combined with other coupons or promotional offers. Coupon not valid on our selection of Tervis or Louisville Slugger products. Offer not valid on previous orders.
Expiration: December 31, 2015 Code: SHIPPING99
Set of printed guest towels featuring your message positioned up the right side as shown on sample. Your choice of napkin color, imprint color and typestyle of personalization. Quality 3-ply napkins you'll be proud to use or give. Size 4.5" x 8.5". Quality 3-ply thickness and approximately 4.5" X 8.5" in size.
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I had a growler from a local brewery and filled it at bottling time. I made sure I sanatized the bottle and top. I did this to take a sample test before the three weeks of bottle time. Is this OK and how long will the beer last in a growler!
Most of the growlers that breweries and brew pubs use are not rated for high pressure of bottle conditioning. These are the ones with the screw on caps. They are designed to be filled with pre-carbonated beer. Some growlers with the swing top closures can withstand the increased pressure while the beer is fermenting before the co2 is dissolved into solution.
If you let them sit for about 2-3 weeks to let the co2 to dissolve into solution and they have not broke then they should be fine. Just be careful during the first week in the growler. After that time the growler should last as long as a regular bottle would.
I have used them myself without any problems but you need to be careful as the growlers are reused and may be weakened by continual use.
I occasionally will fill a couple growlers of beer right from the tap of my keg system to transport some beer somewhere. On occasions I might end-up filling more than I need and stick the full ones in the fridge. I find that the growlers don't hold their pressure well enough and the beer is somewhat flat after a week or so.
Now there are plenty of commercial breweries that put beers in growlers for distribution to stores. Their caps might be better than the "reusable" ones I am getting at my LHBS.
Otherwise, the beer should be fine for as long as a normal bottled beer would be.


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▷ YourPad P4 - New Android 4.0 Tablet Just $99.99 - Your Store Online for $399.99
We've listened to hundreds of recommendations from customers, gadget lovers and critics, and have come up with the best tablet value on the market: the full-featured YourPad 4P, now featuring Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the latest Android OS. That means a sleek, new blue-glow look, faster Internet browsing and a ton more features unique to Android 4.0.
Just use the coupon code yourtablet4 to receive the discount. Only 50 more units available for this discounted price. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.
15 Comments add a comment
I don't know anything about this company or website, but if this is legit it is a good deal for $99. No way I would pay $400 for this tablet when you can get the Asus TF300 for the same price, but for $100 it has good specs and ICS.
The processor in our model is 1.5GHZ compared to the 1.2GHZ of the Asus TF300 model. Also our model has a dedicated 550mhz graphics processor which really helps for a smoother and richer user experience. We will soon be offering other models in the near future that will have 2 gigs of memory and 32 gig hard drive as well.
@yourstore: How come your deal says "Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery"? I ordered this 3 weeks ago and I called today just to be told I have to wait a couple more weeks for my order to be filled even though the web site says it's in stock. I was told that because I ordered it with a voucher, even though I used the coupon code here and ordered directly from the site, that there was a waiting period before they filled the order. Am I missing something? There was no mention of a waiting period when I ordered.
I bought this tablet from the same company via eversave coupon for $125. Their site said 6 weeks to ship, which I thought was pretty rediculous but, whatever! Six weeks rolls around and I get an email that says it will ship on July 23rd. It is now Aug 2nd and still no MyPad. Logged on to their site to check where it was via the tracking. There was a notation in red that says temporarily on back order for another 15 days and even though they said it was shipping on the 23rd, they have not even received it to begin the shipping process!
I emailed them to tell them that if they are unable to get this to my door in 7 days, I want my money refunded. We'll see how far that gets me-not far, I'm sure. I will definitely never shop their site, again and will send a message to the BBB!
I purchased this item thru eversave as well..back on 6/2/2012. I still have not recieved it! i waited the 6 weeks and nothing, kept checking the status..back ordered. Then I got an email stating it would ship out the week of July 23, it did not. I just checked UPS website thru the tracking #. It didnt ship until 8/1. This is for my daughters bday on tuesday 8/7. says I should get it by the end of the day on 8/6. Im really upset that it has taken so long and this company makes no apologies for the delay. They had no problem charging my credit card asap did they!. Eversave is great, Ive used it before and never had a problem. I would contact them as well. they should know who they are doing business with. Good luck!!!!
I ordered this YourPad from an Eversave ad on May 27, 2012. I JUST got it in the mail yesterday August 7th, 2012,,,,9 weeks later. I had called The Online store 2 times at 6 weeks and 8 weeks and both times I was told it was in transit, even though my online order did not say that. The Online Store was very rude and intimidating, like I was bothering them. I finally called Eversave, who called the Online Store to see what was going on. The YourPad was shipped that same day. Eversave was very helpful and friendly about the whole ordeal. Haven't got to use the Pad yet, but the camera is very different since you have to hold it and aim and take picture from the same side.
I have had the same issue as everyone else. But, once I received my tablet, it did not work. It turned on for an hour, but no it will not go to the home page, just flashes a little and shuts off. I have contacted Your Store Online and they passed me off to their tech person, who has not responded to me.
Anyone have experience in fixing these issues?
mine broke the first day i got it and what i mean by broke is it keeps freezing at the part after the green android man and i cant get it to work after that i did once but i cant do it again i dont know how i did it can someone tell me how to fix it please
OMG, same here! I ordered the tablet in June and it just came Aug 21st! I kept emailing yourstore and they said back order. then they didn't get back to me. So I emailed them saying I was going to contact eversave and cancel my order and complain. they got right back to me apologizing and said they would ship it out right away. then when I went on my account, in red it said back order for 10 days. I should have just canceled! I finally got it and it won't turn on either!!! So mad! I am definately contacting eversave and probably returning it and get a NOOK!!!
and jibbajay same here except mine work for like 30 minutes then it shut off and not its not working
I experienced the same delays with the one I ordered. Took over 2 months, but it finally came. It actually works great. Been using for a week with no issues. I have tried to find out who the mfg. is, to no avail. I've searched online and asked mystoreonline. Nothing… Site says it has a 30 warranty, but not how to get help if you have an issue. I asked them via email on that and have not received a response. No way would I ever buy from them again….not matter how good the deal.
It has been months for me, too. Ordered June 12th, back ordered, address rejected by USPS... there was an apostrophe between the city and state rather than a comma. Really? USPS rejected the address? I'm going to email Eversave, too. If it works I'll be thrilled, if not??? What is our recourse?
It took a couple of angry notes & 3 months - the YourPad finally arrived. It works - sounds like I got lucky!
Now... I tried to download some tunes from my desk computer, Windows Media Player but getting no where. My big computer says that there is no Driver installed on the YourPad.
The booklet is worthless & there are basic grammar mistakes. I can't find on-line help either. I'm pretty sure that the manufacturer is in Korea.
Any ideas, clues, help? Thanks.
Yeah. No online help. No company name, no address or phone numbers in the user manual, if you want to call it that. How do you use the camera? It's pointed at me. Is this a defect? HELP!
I was able to add some cool free apps and, after a rough start with no instructions, & am enjoying it. There are some good streaming, free, music stations. Your own music has to be on an SIM card - seems odd that we can't download from iTunes or Windows Media Player - but gave up on that. Use ear buds.
How stupid is it the that camera lens is on the front? I've taken a couple of shots over my shoulder - goofy.
START HERE: With a light touch slide the padlock to the right to bring up the opening screen. Lightly touch the 6 white dots in the upper right corner. Touch the "Shop" in the upper right. Touch the magnifying glass in the upper right. Touch the upper left corner here the blinking curser is & the keyboard will pop up. Try "siri" and get the android version; also Gas Buddy. Without typing anything, touch Editor's Choices & look for the free apps.


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Wedding receptions: Everyone's drunk or hooking up or trying to get someone drunk so they can hook up with them, and no one is paying any attention to the wedding band.
What better time to get in to some shenanigans?
That's precisely what YouTuber CaptainVibe was thinking when he and his bandmates decided to break out Metallica's "Enter Sandman." But in order to avoid harshing everyone's mellow they figured it would be best to cloak it in some smooth Bossa nova.
And not tell anyone.
[H/T: Blame It On The Voice]


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8GB USB flash drive with free custom laser engraving for $10.99 + free shipping
Customized capless 8GB USB flash swivel drive. Custom logo on the front and/or up to two lines of text laser engraved on the back.
Normally $29.99. Select the 8GB option and enter coupon code WEB8GB8H6 when viewing your shopping cart to see the sale price.
28 Comments add a comment
Flippin' radical! Thanks.
Kind of want to get one that says 'Memory Hog' ha ha
Anyone else getting a message saying the site isn't secure?
Can anyone explain what a pexagon looks like?
Fry's has a 16 Gig for $16.99. Easier for me to walk in there and buy that, than wait for this thing to arrive.
@killjoy: That's my new pricing requirement - roughly $1/$1GB.
On a side note, remember when flash memory and MP3 players and digital cameras came out? Flash memory was about $4/MB!
aren't there still many 1gb flash sticks out there for $10? i rarely ever see $1/1gb but maybe i'm out of the loop?
@joiewashere: Yeah, but there's a sweet spot around 16GB where you can find sales at $1/1GB.
@tucnguyen: I remember buying a 2 Gig CF Card for my digital camera for $100.
Discount works on ANY quantity ... I Ordered 10 ... so I'm either 10x Smarter or 10x dumber than the next geeky guy!
In for one. The free custom engraving allows me to embrace my nerd side!
"Mess with the best, die like the rest."
Just want to say, when this company first posted a Woot deal (similar to this but for a 2GB model IIRC) I bought one. Quality was good, engraving was perfect, but we had a problem with the unit. They shipped out a replacement without hesitation, even covering the shipping. Top notch customer service, I highly recommend them.
I ordered 3. Hopefully they are good quality.
@nago31: Hack the Planet!
Stupid question....where's the "add to cart" button? I'm not seeing one.
@codyormoe: Should be to the right of the price box.
Ordered two
Hi guys and thanks to the OP for adding our deal! I would like to add that all of our flash drives come with a lifetime warranty.
In for 1. So tired of losing usb drive caps.
No tax, no shipping, I'm in for two! Just crossed gifts for my two graduating cousins off my to-do list! Customized with the colors and slogans of the schools they're heading to in the fall.
Thanks woot!
@pexagontech: In for two. I hope you guys are as good as you sound.
Any idea how long these things stay in processing?
@esem: Says most items ship in 3-5 business days,guess this is not a "most items"
Did anyone get a confirmation of their order being shipped ?
@nanaejt: Nope, Just the order confirmation.
@esem: Thanks,guess we are all in the the same boat then.
Has anyone contacted them and got a response?
@esem: I contacted them today and they said it shipped today via FCM. They did not say where it was shipped from though.
I received my order last week and am very happy with how the engraving turned out. I assume they might have gotten a little busy after the deal was posted.
Today I got the two I ordered. Tried one of them and it looks and works fine. Nice product and well worth the $$ so I would order from them again.
oops, WEB8GB8H6 code isn't good anymore


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12 Pumpkin Activities and Crafts for Kidsby Erin Dower
Pumpkins and gourds are perfect for fall fun and games with the kids. Find the best pumpkin activities, crafts, printables, and recipes to enjoy with your children this Halloween season. Explore everything from new jack-o'-lantern patterns to the top pumpkin party games to entertain toddlers up to teens this autumn.
1 of 13
Mini Pumpkin Hunt
Just as kids of all ages love hunting for Easter eggs, they will go crazy for seeking hidden mini pumpkins (decorated or plain). Depending on the weather, play the game inside or outdoors. Leaf piles are a great hiding spot! If you don't have any real pumpkins on hand, play this paper version of the game.
Next: Pumpkin Bowling
More on: Halloween


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Spartanburg man accused of hitting woman in the face with a door
Published: Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 9:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 9:28 p.m.
A man who is accused of hitting a woman in the face with a door early Saturday morning is in Spartanburg County Jail charged with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature.
According to a report from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, Travis Wayne Cox, 32, of 224 Sedgewood Court Apartment 1B, got into the fight with the reported victim over alleged infidelity.
The woman told police Cox pushed her into a wall and choked her. The fight continued on the front porch where she said Cox pushed her through a plastic partition. When she ran into the house and tried to lock the door behind her, she told police Cox kicked open the door from the outside, causing the door to hit her in the eye.
The deputy noted swelling, bruising and blood on the woman's face.
Cox told officers the reported victim hit him as well, but there were no marks on him, according to the report.
The report states Cox has been arrested for criminal domestic violence three times in the past.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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6 Mistranslations That Changed The World
In a rapidly shrinking world, it's becoming more and more important to have translations that are both lightning-fast and actually understandable. To underline how hard this is, here's that sentence translated from English to Thai to Russian to Japanese and back to English, courtesy of Google Translate: Become increasingly important in order to convert the world to fall faster, as well as lightning, to understand the actual.
And as much as that sucked, it's nothing compared to these doozies.
#6. A Missed "I" Gives Us Martians
Back in 1877, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli reported a rather shocking discovery: There were "canali," or canals, on Mars. Since canals are artificial by definition, this caused a shitstorm of speculation about the possibility of a long-vanished race of Martians who must have made the structures to irrigate their crops.
Another common misinterpretation: "Mars is covered with cannoli."
But it wasn't Schiaparelli who really got Martian fever going. Astronomer Percival Lowell read Schiaparelli's work and his Mars boner got so hard that he moved to Arizona, constructed his own observatory and spent years publishing papers speculating that A) Mars was once populated by a civilized race of brilliant engineers, and B) those engineers created these canals as a last-ditch effort to save a dying planet.
There were only two problems: First off, Lowell was basically just drawing canals at random, apparently, as no one has been able to correlate any of his lines with actual stuff on Mars. He might as well have claimed he found ancient Rome in a cow turd.
"Hmm ... that's either the Vatican or a piece of sweet corn."
Second, and more importantly, "canali" doesn't mean "canals," it actually means "channels" or "trenches,' and Schiaparelli was just noting some totally natural terrain differences.
Via Wikimedia Commons
"Come on a-guys, did none of you actually a-look at Mars?" -- Giovanni Schiaparelli [citation needed]
By all accounts, Schiaparelli was understandably pissed at the way everyone kept connecting his observations with Lowell's hogwash, but by the time the truth actually got out, it was too late. Lowell's wildass imagination spurred the science fiction fantasies of everyone from H.G. Wells, whose The War of the Worlds also featured the last-ditch efforts of a dying Martian race, to Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose novel A Princess of Mars is also about -- guess what? A dying civilization on the planet Mars.
Venusians, hypothetical inhabitants of our closest neighbor on the sun-side, never witnessed the same popularity. By the time the 20th century got going, Martians on Mars were a done deal, and it was all because of one itty-bitty "i."
#5. Nikita Khrushchev Wants to Respectfully Mourn You
In 1956, the Cold War was in full swing, which meant that as far as America was concerned, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was Enemy Asshole No. 1. And he cemented his reputation for douchebaggery when he gave a speech at the Polish Embassy in Moscow. After some opening remarks, Khrushchev went off on how capitalism sucked and communism ruled, capping off the speech with the now-legendary phrase, "We will bury you."
And then after that we can go make snow angels!
Which, when coupled with the fact that the Soviets had just tested a successful H-bomb, made it sound remarkably like Khrushchev was challenging us to a game of nuclear chicken. The American media jumped on this story like a fat kid on cake, calling Khrushchev a "red-faced and gesticulating" windbag, and millions of Americans shit their pants at the thought of this uber-aggressive Russian who apparently wanted them all dead. And remember, this guy wasn't some Moammar Gadhafi or Third World despot talking out of his ass. Not only was Soviet Russia 100 percent capable of blowing the United States to kingdom come, but now Khrushchev sounded like he was itching to pull the nuclear trigger.
There was only one problem: Nikita Khrushchev didn't actually say those words.
As it turns out, a better literal translation of his words would have been, "We will be present when you are buried."
This was actually a pretty common saying in Soviet Russia. What Khrushchev really meant was, "We will outlast you." It was just the usual "communism is better than capitalism" posturing that went on all the time in the Cold War, but thanks to misinterpretations like the one in a Time article, Americans thought Khrushchev was threatening to literally bury us in the rubble of a nuclear attack. And he didn't clarify his statement for three whole years. While the U.S. operated under the assumption that Khrushchev was chomping at the bit to kill us, we watched as the U.S.S.R. launched both Sputnik and the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile, and we consequently went space missile crazy ourselves. Would we have landed on the moon if it hadn't been for our misunderstanding of Khrushchev's bluster? We'll never know.
Uh, thanks?
#4. President Carter Creeps Out a Nation
Twenty years after Khrushchev's outburst, the Cold War was still raging and America was due for her own linguistic gaffe. Fortunately, President Jimmy Carter was just the man for the job. In 1973, Carter traveled to Poland to hold the United States' first-ever news conference in a communist country, one where he would be fielding questions from actual Communists. So the stakes of this little visit were mega-huge. Imagine President Barack Obama holding a news conference in Taliban country. Now imagine that the night before the huge news conference, Obama says he wants to have sex with the Taliban. Congratulations -- you just imagined Jimmy Carter's Poland visit.
"I appreciate the comment, but you will die for it"
Carter was speaking through a $150-a-day freelance translator who barely spoke Polish. The guy's mistakes started early on and never let up: When Carter opened with "I left the United States this morning," it got translated to, "I left the United States, never to return." When he said, "I have come to learn your opinions and understand your desires for the future," it was translated into, "I desire the Poles carnally." If the people of Poland weren't creeped out enough by Carter's apparently insatiable lust for some Polish sausage, the interpreter made things even more confusing by using archaic words and Russian syntax, and while he was at it, he made fun of the Polish constitution, too. Carter couldn't catch a break with this guy.
Via Wikimedia Commons
"The American president also asks if all of your country's walls are painted with the color of feces."
So that guy was fired, and a new translator was hired for a state banquet. Carter delivered the first line of his speech, paused for the translator ... and heard nothing. Carter said the next line, paused again, and again there was silence. Apparently Translator No. 2 was having the opposite problem -- he couldn't understand Carter's English -- and so he decided silence was the best option, forcing the Polish leader's own translator to step in and pick up the slack. When Carter finally left the country, he was the butt of a thousand Polish jokes.
Via Wikimedia commons
Question: How many Jimmy Carters does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer: Two -- one to abandon it and one to know it carnally.


text:
Hybrid View
14 Nov 2012 3:34 AM #1
NestedList no longer handles multiline items in Sencha Touch 2.1
Sencha Touch version tested:
- Sencha Touch 2.1
- Chrome Version 23.0.1271.64
Touch devices tested against:
- Samsung galaxy S2
- iPad 1
- When using NestedList and rendering contents for each item using getItemTextTpl(), the height of each item is not adjusted correctly if the text for the item is multiline
- In docs for 2.1, API doc for NestedList, change the code for the example using "Code editor". Add this to the definition of var nestedList: Code:
getItemTextTpl: function(nodeItem) {return 'Line 1
Line 2';}
- Switch back to "Live preview"
- A list with two lines for each item, with height for each item correctly adjusted
- A list with the separators and items misaligned
I have not looked very closely into the reason for this change in behaviour, but I can see that the rendering of the list items have changed significantly from 2.0 to 2.1. Amongst other, the position for each .x-list-item now is absolute, which leads me to think that there is some kind of computation of the top positon of each item.
Possible fix:
- not provided
- none
- Ubuntu 12.04
14 Nov 2012 6:28 AM #2
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- Gainesville, FL
- Posts
- 39,174
- Vote Rating
- 1258
You just need to turn on variableHeights:
getItemTextTpl : function (nodeItem) { return 'Line 1
Line 2'; }, listConfig : { variableHeights : true }Mitchell Simoens @LikelyMitch
Sencha Inc, Senior Software Engineer
Check out my GitHub, lots of nice things for Ext JS 4 and Sencha Touch 2
Think my support is good? Get more personalized support via a support subscription. https://www.sencha.com/store/
Need more help with your app? Hire Sencha Services firstname.lastname@example.com
Want to learn Sencha Touch 2? Check out Sencha Touch in Action that is in print!
When posting code, please use BBCode's CODE tags.
14 Nov 2012 6:35 AM #3
Ah... no bug then. I can confirm that this solution works on my actual code.
Thanks a lot for your help!
Tor-Einar Skog


text:
To prevent mosquitoes from living and multiplying around your home or business:
DRAIN standing water to stop mosquitoes from multiplying:
·Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flowerpots or any other containers where sprinkler or rain water has collected.
·Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that are not being used.
·Empty and clean birdbaths and pet's water bowls at least once or twice a week.
·Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don't accumulate water.
·Maintain swimming pools in good condition and appropriately chlorinated. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.
Cover skin with clothing or repellent:
·Clothing: Wear shoes, socks, and long pants and long-sleeves. This type of protection may be necessary for people who must work in areas where mosquitoes are present.
·Repellant: Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing. Use mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months old.
Cover doors and windows with screens:
·Keep mosquitoes out of your house. Repair broken screening on windows, doors, porches and patios.
WALTON COUNTY, FL – The Walton County Health Department continues its mosquito-borne illness alert for Walton County, Florida. The fourth human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) has been confirmed in Walton County. The possibility that others may become infected with the virus remains extremely high, and the health department strongly encourages the public to continue to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes infected with WNV can bite and infect humans. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop serious illness. Symptoms of West Nile Virus may include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion. Those individuals who develop a fever or other signs of illness following a mosquito bite should consult with their health care provider. Health care providers should contact either health department if they suspect an individual may be infected with a mosquito-borne illness.
The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites. The best preventive measure for residents living in areas infested with mosquitoes is to eliminate the places where the mosquito lays her eggs, primarily artificial containers that hold water.


text:
Codependents in overspending
The Great Recession was the worst downturn most of us have experienced. The "recovery" that followed remains tepid and tenuous.
Question: If states won't reduce spending during an economic cataclysm, when will they?
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text:
Ashlynn Raub, daughter of Edward and April Raub of Arkansas City and Brett Callaway, son of Don and Marcia Callaway of El Dorado, are pleased to announce their engagement.
The wedding will be March 30, 2013 at the groom's grandparents' farm north of El Dorado. A reception will follow at the El Dorado Prairie Trails Country Club.
Grandparents of the bride-elect are Don and Ruth Raub, Sherry Raub, the late Donald Sivils, and Ricci and Joann Goff. Great-grandparents are Robert and Rebecca Sivils and William and Leah Sartin. They are all of Arkansas City.
Grandparents of the prospective groom are Delbert and Ruth Hill of El Dorado.
Ashlynn is a 2011 graduate of Arkansas City High School. She is currently attending Butler Community College majoring in early childhood. She is employed at Butler Community College's Educare program.
Brett is a 2009 graduate of Arkansas City High School. He is currently employed at Morrow's Exteriors in El Dorado.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Utah Towing Laws
Towing Laws Reference Notes
1 On designated rural interstates; some exceptions.
2 Required on trailers over 3000 lbs.
3 Prohibited where posted.
4 Required on trailers over 3000 lbs. or if gross weight of trailer exceeds empty weight of tow vehicle.
5 Required on trucks over 3700 kgs.
6 Required if weight of trailer exceeds 40% of tow-vehicle weight.
7 Required on trailers over 6000 lbs.
8 Required if gross weight is over 2500 kgs.
9 Required on trailers over 1000 lbs. unladen, or 3000 lbs. laden.
10 Riding in fifth-wheel with audible or visual device with tow vehicle and safety glass.
11 24-hour limit.
12 Required if trailer exceeds 50% of tow-vehicle weight. BC, YT: laden.
13 Trailer limited to 48' in a 60' combination.
14 Eight-hour limit; 3 hours in SD.
15 Only if required by CSA at time of manufacture.
16 81.2 ft. on certain federal road systems.
17 Gross weight requiring brakes.
18 Must have free access to drive compartment
19 Maximum combined length 60 ft. on selected highways. Special permit in OR, WI. MI maximum length 70 ft, WA maximum 56 ft. with permit.
20 At least one exit that can be opened from outside and inside.
21 Not to exceed 18 hours in any two-week period.
22 Headlights or daytime running lights required at all times.
23 12-hour limit.
24 Must be able to stop in 40 feet at 20 mph.
25 On interstate highways; secondary roads still 8 ft.
26 81.2' on all state routes. On some other roads 8' limits are posted.
27 Some exceptions or restrictions. CA: See www.dot.ca.gov
28 Special wide-body regulations.
29 Two safety chains or breakaway switch required on trailers.
30 Required if RV is wider than 2 meters.
31 Not recommended.
32 Seats must be equipped with safety belts.
33 14 years of age and older; 13 or older in HI.
34 Required on trailers 3000 lbs. and over.
35 If passenger can communicate with driver, and exit can be opened from both interior and exterior. CA: Seat belts required. OR: Safety glass in windows required & Towing Laws
36 Suggested, but not required.
37 Required on bumper hitches only.
38 Required if gross weight is more than 1350 kgs.
39 Headlights must be used when visibility is less than 500 ft. YT: always, outside of city.
40 Total maximum combined length of 75 ft.
41 Total maximum combined length of 65 ft., QC: 19m.
42 Total maximum combined length of 70 ft.
43 With certain qualifications. Only with fifth-wheel trailer in AZ, IL, MI, MN, MB (maximum length 23 m.), SK and YT.
44 Total maximum length of 72 ft.
45 See state and provincial regulations, SK 14m with permit.
46 Total maximum combined length of 80 ft.
47 Total maximum combined length of 21m.
48 Total maximum combined length of 23m; ball hitch OK on fifth-wheel only.
49 Total maximum combined length of 20m.
50 Total maximum combined length of 55 ft.
51 NT - 4500 kg GVWR requires ABC type extinguisher.
52 NH - 53' trailer permitted on special routes.
NOTE: While every attempt has been made to verify this information, Towing World cannot guarantee its accuracy, and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Changes may have been made since this data was compiled. Call state and provincial Highway Safety offices for additional details.
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text:
I wonder that, I made these observations from my previous study on product of consecutive integers. I am looking the solutions of these kind of equations.
$(1)$ Is $x(x+1)(x+2)...(x+[\text{any-odd-integer}]) = y^2$ has solutions or not?. If exits, how to list them?
$(2)$Prove that For any $k \ne 2,4$,a polynomial function of a form $x(x+1)(x+2)...(x+k-1)+Q = t^2$, where Q is a rational number has solutions or not? here $x$ is variable and others maybe constants. Your answer is very essential for me.


text:
DuPont ionomer-based encapsulant sheeting for photovoltaics
DuPont ionomer sheets offer long-term durability and performance on a roll, for fast, photovoltaic (PV) encapsulation
DuPont PV ionomer encapsulants deliver long term protection for the most sensitive portions of PV modules. Choosing the right material not only increases module durability and production efficiency, but can also significantly enhance long term power generating efficiency.
DuPont offers two ionomer-based sheeting products, DuPont™ PV 5400 Series and PV8600 Series. Both encapsulants are weather resistant and provide excellent strength, long-term durability, and dielectric properties to PV module manufacturers.
DuPont™ PV5400
Five times stronger and up to 100 times stiffer than PVB (polyvinyl butyral), DuPont™ PV5400 brings interesting new performance properties to manufacturers of glass/glass PV modules, including exceptional low moisture ingress and electrical properties, proven glass adhesion, and high flow for fast lamination cycles. It is available in convenient roll form for easy handling and fast laminating.
DuPont™ PV8600
Is a modified ionomer-based encapsulant sheet, offers standard ionomer benefits plus improved PID (potential induced degradation) performance and backsheet adhesion for PV modules. Recommended for c-Si glass flex modules.
Find Out More
View Product Bulletin for additional information.
- Innovating With Urgency — Meeting the World's Growing Energy Needs
- Mitigating Strategies for Hot Spots in Crystalline Silicon Solar Panels
- Investigating Module Performance in a Service Environment
- DuPont Leader Addresses Global Solar Markets, Trends and Opportunities
- Lowering LCOE, or the Overall Levelized Cost of Energy


text:
1. (noun)The name of a famous statue made by Michaelangelo
2. (adj.)A Person with really great hair, that you just want to take a nap in it.
3. (adj.) A person who generally has great taste in music and is loved my everyone, most of the time.
2. (adj.)A Person with really great hair, that you just want to take a nap in it.
3. (adj.) A person who generally has great taste in music and is loved my everyone, most of the time.
1. Have you seen "David?" it's the most beautiful pieve of artwork I have ever witnessed in my entire life.
2. Have you seen his hair? He is so david.
3. Did you know that johnny liked that band? He is such a david.
2. Have you seen his hair? He is so david.
3. Did you know that johnny liked that band? He is such a david.
by Calculatortron February 12, 2008
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A formidable foe to normal people. intelligent, strong forceful. a weird hybrid of a bully and a nerd. As well as the first dictator of the America and king of the new peaceful world. Also known as Timebomb and various other variations including at least TB.
I am David. All other David's fall in march as we conquer the world. For a new Earth of peace void of general stupidity.
by TkTb November 19, 2006
a very hot guy usually nice and very funny
dude he is such a david
by lalalalallaall December 11, 2007
A person who is hecka cool or awesome. Everyone else is nothing compared to a David.
Person 1: You are really really cool, just like a David.
Person 2: Thanks! That really cheers me up.
Person 2: Thanks! That really cheers me up.
by Tommy Kirk January 02, 2008
One who is a BAD ASS MOTHA FUCKA. This person is often very good looking and usually quite daring. This person also enjoys a nice glass of scotch, and most closely compared to the badass McLovin.
"You are such a David for banging my mom and sister!"
"Only David could have raped Goliath."
"Only David could have raped Goliath."
by bamafan135 January 10, 2008
A man who is above all men. He reads the Urban Dictionary definitions and laughs at them. Some are accurate, some are not. Davids exude confidence. Qualities to look for in a David are tallness, excellent brown hair, sweetness, loves high fives, nerdiness, Marvel Comics titles (Spectacular, Amazing, Astonishing, etc.). A David can laugh in the face of danger. A David has his zombie survival plan all worked out and he knows who he's saving. Davids are generally kind to all who encounter them, but can be protective and territorial. Evildoers beware, because there just might be a David right behind you.
David drives 60 miles down the highway. Tim drives 60 miles down the highway going in the opposite direction. They meet and high-five. To keep the universe balanced a hole is torn to the peanut butter dimension and there is an explosion of peanut buttery epicness.
by TheKarmaMan December 10, 2010
david is... the most amazing person you will ever meet..he is kind and sensitive..strong and daring..and he is gentle and sweet... he might not always think befor he does something..but thats what makes him so amazing..he is very very good looking..and oh he is a great kisser..if you meet this david..you should never ever let him go..cause if you do you might not get him back..
i love david.
i love david.
David you are amazing.
by khopp<3 October 19, 2009
Sexiest man alive; knows how to cheer a girl up when they are having a bad day; can make you laugh at everything; serious but also can be wild and crazy; always wants what is best for the people he cares about most; gets along with almost everyone; is not afraid to be himself; is the sweetest man you will ever meet, you'll love him to pieces as soon as you meet him.
He's a David
by SusieMcGiggleBriches February 22, 2010


text:
Looking at replacing pots and pans... suggestions?
i replaced most of my baking wear the last few years with airbake and industrial coated pans. i am so happy with not having to spend hours scrubbing after overnight soaks to get them clean
i am currently looking into replacing my pots and pans. i have accumulated a lot thru the years. i still have the copper bottom starter set my mom bought me when i was 17. still ok, but the copper is almost gone. i have added several sets thru the years that are mostly low end teflon coated skillets with the teflon more gone than not. i also have a couple of mismatched glass pots. i have a reasonable budget, but was wondering if there is that much difference in some of the finishes now. i have resale shopped to get a set of the miraclemaid pans my mom had thirty years ago, and they are fabulous, i just cant convince myself they are everyday pans. also i do more of the pot type cooking than the pan type.
any info would be helpful. thanks.
14 Answers answer
Calphalon Unison pans are my favorite pans. They are nonstick, but unlike Teflon, can also sear food and are dishwasher safe.
Enameled cast iron are probably the best from a pot standpoint. Lodge Logic makes some great lower-end ones, and Le Creuset makes very nice higher-end ones. I am sure that the Calphalon Unison pots are satisfactory as well.
I have slowly acquired high-quality pieces over the years. The better quality pots and pans last for much, much longer. One of my favorites is an All-Clad stainless steel saute pan that is my go-to pan for reducing sauces. I have a couple different sized Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized pots, though mine are from when they were still made in Ohio and I've been told the quality has suffered now that they are made in China. I have a well-seasoned and much-loved Lodge cast iron skillet that puts a lovely crust on anything. And a couple other odds and ends. I've tended to make do with fewer pieces, but better quality. After all, you can only use so many pots and pans at one time.
I think the best is Allclad d5, but that could run you a pretty good amount of dollars. I just bought a set of Kitchenaid hard annodized pots/pans on uber clearance at BB&B for like $60 with a coupon - I think original MSRP was like 200ish. I would recommend them very much, with the caveat that I've only been using them for 6 months or so.
I would avoid teflon coated nonstick and go towards a hard annodized (or stainless) finish, both are more durable and you can use metal tools. And the teflon will never flake off.
Similar to Calphalon, I own some Circulon and use it everyday. I've had it two years and it's replaced all the bits and pieces I used to have. The non-stick is amazing, I hardy ever use oil and clean up is a snap, I hand wash since I don't have a dishwasher.
Le Creuset pans are amazing. They genuinely produce better cooking results. I can tell the difference when the same cook prepares the same recipe on Le Creuset vs another pan. They are expensive, but if you have a factory outlet store in your area you can save money.
Calphalon for me, with a handful of faberware thrown in for flavor. And there are always good deals on them through amazon or cooking.com. Good luck with your search. New kitchen stuff is almost as much fun as new tech. :)
I have a set of teflony calphalon that I loved love loved but have owned them for almost 20 years and they've seen better days. They're actually about to head by the wayside.
I have a couple of Le Cruesets that I also love and I'm sticking with.
Every household also needs a well seasoned cast iron skillet, you can pick up a great Griswold on ebay that should suit the need.
However, I'm about to take the life long plunge and buy a 14 pc set of All Clad copper core. I cooked with it once and have wanted them as a replacement ever since.
Marshalls, TJ Maxx etc carry firsts and seconds of all of the above brands if you don't mind cobbling your cookware together piece by piece. Also, http://www.cookwarenmore.com/ offers All Clad seconds and if you order 4 pcs or more you get 20% off and free shipping. They also have good prices on 1st quality, just not a large selection.
I agree with the other posters, avoid teflon...it won't last.
All-Clad Stainless got top honors in Cooks Illustrated Magazine (aka "Americas Test Kitchen") I love this magazine because there are no ads and all the testing is done with no brand bias.
Calphalon here as well, got a great set and have added 2 stainless pans to cook certain foods to get a better sear. The main pans (not the stainless) I use the most are starting to show wear on the finish. I only handwash and I only use either wooden/bamboo or silicone cooking utensils in them but they're still showing wear and I've only had them going on 4 years. That sounds pretty short but they are still in great shape and I also cook a lot so I'm completely happy with them.
I also second @yrguide in saying the need for a quality iron skillet. I have my mother-in-law's grandmother's skillets (2, large and medium) and I use them often (tonight). DO NOT wash them in the dishwasher or with soap, it will ruin the seasoning in the pan. Rinse with hot water, wipe with sponge and set on burner to let the water evaporate (I just dry them by hand). These things are from the late 1800's and they still rock.
I have a basic set of Revereware that my parents got me when I graduated from college. They're nothing fancy, but they work well, weren't crazy expensive and have lasted almost 14 years with no problems. I expect them to go at least another 14 years or more. I would recommend them for non-foody types who aren't incredibly picky about their cookware.
I like having some cast iron pieces on hand also. I always use a cast iron skillet to fry chicken or make southern style cornbread. Something to think about.
I got a full set of pots and pans several years ago at Sam's Club. I believe they were the Sam's Club store brand. They are very nice and heavy weight. They are on par with the higher-end Calphalon stuff. The full set was a little under $200, which I still think was a great price for this level of quality. They offered sets that were non-stick as well as uncoated. I bought the non-stick set and they have been great, but the finish on my most used items is starting to wear out. If I had bought the uncoated ones they would still be going strong.
1) Cast iron. If you have a good think pan you have to try really hard to mess them up. The good ones have a thick bottom and curves, not corners. i have two from my mother's mother's mother, and they're still great. Got them all grungy from sauce burned on the outside? Turn the fan on, turn the burner on high, and ten minutes later you have a clean pan. Just cool, clean and reseason.
2) Stainless steel. Again, like women and cast iron, you want thick bottoms and smooth curves. If it's not full of water you don't go over half heat, and never heat an empty pot. I have a set from ten years ago and it's still going strong, but they're getting replaced. Seems that a couple of in-laws are tired of watching me cook with the cast iron, and bought me a new set of stainless for Xmas. Same
I like cast iron since it works with magnetic induction cooktops. Also, better cookware is generally a little pricier for a reason, like any good tool. Personally I buy pots & pans individually as I need them. Costco seems to have consistently good pricing on above-average sets, particularly hard-anodized.


text:
The 4 Most Important Things to Know as a Gamer Parent
#2. In a Game, the Objectionable Content Can Be Buried Deep
So, I realized then that being vigilant about my kids' gaming was going to require me to do some actual, strenuous parenting beyond simply trying to banish games from their lives and washing their eyes out with soap.
I needed to treat my games the same way I treat television. When my kids watch movies or TV shows, they do it in a room where I can easily supervise the content (it's one advantage of having a small place with one TV). And when inappropriate situations pop up, we talk about it.
So, I put in Fable II and signed in.
At first, it sure enough looked like a kids' game with cartoony graphics and some decent, offbeat humor. It was somewhat fun, but nothing special.
Then the first big cut scene started, and just as Drew exited the bathroom, I witnessed my six or seven year old character get shot in the chest and blown out of the top of a castle tower. My son giggled and said, "I love that part."
I turned and stared at him for a few concern-filled seconds and then told him to comb his hair and get dressed. He asked, "Did you rename your dog yet? You can use the dog collar to change his name if you want."
"Oh. No, I didn't know that. But I'm not concerned with it. His name is just fine as-is."
I spent the next couple of hours in the game, kicking chickens and giggling. Eventually Drew asked, "Did you get to the part where you have to listen to the starving guy beg for food for three minutes?"
That's a real part of the game, I would later find out. They actually time you, and your entire goal is to stand there and look him in the eyes as he begs for his life, while doing nothing to help him. You literally put down the controller and the game makes you just sit there and listen to him beg you to not let him die.
I said, "I just got to the part where you find the cross-dressing guy at the Temple of Light. He wanted me to go into his home in the cave and kill a bunch of monsters..."
My son snickered. "Oh, man. There's something really creepy in that cave. Did you find it yet?"
"I... I'm not sure," I said, scanning the room.
"Oh, you'll know it when you see it. It's over there by his bed. It's creepy."
I moved across the room, and there it was.
A dead baby in a crib.
See, this is what I'm talking about. At what age were you ready to see this? Because it just freaked the shit out of me and I've seen the Gene Simmons sex tape.
And you'd never even know it was there if you didn't stop and carefully examine the surroundings. No camera stopped to point it out. No narrative brings it to the player's attention. It's just there, hinting at an incredibly gruesome untold story.
What if they took out all of the other adult stuff from the game -- the condoms, the group sex -- and just had this. What rating would it get? If I played through the entire game to pre-approve it for my kid, I would have missed the dead baby completely. But you'll notice that Drew had no problem finding it. And he was deliberate in pointing it out to me. I'm still not sure he didn't find a way to hack the game and put it there himself, as a cryptic message to me. Or a warning.
Very slowly, I reached down and shut the game off. When I turned back, I did so the way one would turn on a crouched guard dog. My children stared at me in emotionless silence.
"Hey, uh... why... why don't we all get ready for bed?"
They nodded in unison, never taking their eyes away from mine.
"You know... if you want. If you feel like staying up... you don't have to... I... I think I'm just going to go lie down."
#1. It's All About Communication
These things didn't come up in the old days of gaming. There weren't a bunch of complicated conversations with my parents when I played my Magnavox Odyssey with "Shooting Gallery" in the late 1970s. Even if it did come with a gun that looked like you could totally kill a dude with it.
Those were simple games, and even right up through the SNES days you didn't find many games intent on exploring themes about death and loss and morality and dildos and dead babies.
And my parents and I didn't play them together much. It was, after all, just a toy. My parents maybe would play it every once in a while, and even enjoy it, like a parent jumping on a trampoline with their kid. But the grown-up who would go out to the yard, alone, and jump on the trampoline for eight straight hours would wind up in a straightjacket. But fast forward to today, to my household, and you see both my children and I spend far more time playing games than watching television.
The same games.
That's me on the right
This is a good thing.
Gaming, I've now realized, gives my children and I something a lot of us didn't have with our parents -- common ground. In generations past you'd have a kid sneaking rock and roll music behind the back of his fundamentalist parents, and waiting until they went to bed to read gory horror comics under the blanket with a flashlight. It's not like that for us. Because we're both gamers, we speak the same language. It can open up a whole new channel of communication, and bring you closer... if you're willing to do it.
That shared experience became a chance to talk about subjects and situations that otherwise wouldn't have come up. That's what I've learned from my Fable II debacle. We can use it as a chance to talk about, for instance, why things you do in a game would get you locked up in the real world, and how zombies aren't real, but Nazis are. We can talk about how to handle the douchebag insulting him in WoW. And we can talk about why he's not allowed to play some of the games Dad plays.
As far as I see it, it's my duty as a parent. But make no mistake, if my son rolls a tank and can't hold aggro, I'm calling him an incompetent cockhole, right to his goddamn face. It's my duty as a gamer.


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Health & Pregnancy
Some of World's Tiniest Preemies Are Growing Up Healthy
Dec. 12, 2011 -- Against heavy odds, the world's tiniest and the fourth-smallest surviving infants have had normal childhood development, a new study shows, although the girls' heights and weights still lag behind other kids the same age.
Little information is available to doctors and parents on how extremely low-birth-weight babies develop and grow as toddlers, school-age children, or into young adulthood. So a report like this offers a rare glimpse at the long-term health and growth of two of the world's teeniest premature babies as they get older.
Rumaisa Rahman, a girl who holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of "World's Smallest Surviving Baby," is at her five-year follow-up doctor's visit.
Born at just 26 weeks after her mother had severe preeclampsia, a serious condition involving high blood pressure and other abnormalities during pregnancy, Rumaisa was a twin. She weighed 9.2 ounces. She was roughly 9 inches long. Rumaisa spent 142 days in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
Madeline Mann is now a 22-year-old college senior. She was born at nearly 27 weeks into the pregnancy, also to a mother who had preeclampsia. She weighed roughly 9.9 ounces and was also about 9 inches long. Madeline was hospitalized for 122 days as a newborn before going home.
Her case is the first 20-year follow-up for one of the world's smallest surviving infants reported in the medical literature.
Few babies born at birth weights of less than 14 ounces survive, so cases such as these are very rare. But the numbers of these "micro-preemies" who survive are on the rise.
The research appears in the Dec. 12 issue of Pediatrics.
Not Typical Outcomes
Both girls, who were born at the same Illinois hospital, showed normal language skills and hit normal milestones for walking and toilet training. Rumaisa's movement skills -- writing, grasping for toys, and getting dressed -- are mildly delayed, while Madeline's are described as normal.
Both girls remain small for their age for weight and height. Rumaisa is in first grade with an individualized education plan.
At 20, Madeline stood 4 feet, 7 inches and weighed about 65 pounds. Her growth has been consistently far below other girls her age.


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Nonnewaug flexes its muscles in rout of Wamogo
LITCHFIELD — If their opening-night performance is a predictor of their season, figure the Nonnewaug High boys basketball teams to be among the top dogs in the Berkshire League.
Game one went to the Chiefs in a big way Wednesday night, 67-36 over Wamogo, behind 24 points from Ben Timme and 12 from Dylan Martland, two of the top players in the league.
If you like teams with an inside-outside game, the team from Woodbury will do just fine.
Timme returned this season after averaging just over 14 points a year ago and looked sharp from the start Wednesday while Martland appeared to be almost 100 percent after a knee injury suffered during the fall soccer season limited his preseason work.
After a free throw by the Warriors' Greg Peck opened the scoring, Nonnewaug showed off all its wares in a 9-0 run. Keith Rado, just a freshman but starting this year, drove hard for his team's first points and set the tone.
Nonnewaug will run hard every time it has the ball. Timme nailed a long three, which was followed by a strong inside turnaround move by Martland.
Early season predictions had Martland and Timme dominating the glass and they did just that early. Timme wrapped up the 9-0 run with a put-back bucket that came after four consecutive offensive boards.
The Warriors and coach Gregg Hunt are led by senior captain Nick Nemergut. You
See CHIEFS, Page 5C
could say that how Nemergut goes, so goes Wamogo.
After baskets by Eric Davis and Nemergut cut the deficit to 9-5, Nemergut launched an NBA 3-pointer and the home team was right there at 11-8.
Two free throws by Davis made it a one-point game and the Warriors seemed to have withstood the worst Nonnewaug could dish out with under a minute to play in a the first quarter. Momentum is a fickle thing. At that point, it was wearing white and red.
Unfortunately for Wamogo, Timme didn't get the memo about letting the home team all the way back in and proceeded to score five straight points, the last three on a bomb off the glass at the buzzer.
Rado then launched a three-ball to start the second quarter, Timme hit another jumper and the lead was back in double digits. While the Warriors got as close as seven in the quarter, they never threatened again.
Nonnewaug went into the half up 25-14, and broke it open in the third with a 9-2 run.
Another 17-0 run in the fourth quarter in a blistering fast 2:34 demonstrated just how fast the Chiefs can put in points and put teams away.
Across town at Litchfield High, one of the other big dogs in the BL, Northwestern, was battering Litchfield, 90-39, behind John Stevens and company.
It creates an interesting matchup right down the road Saturday when Nonnewaug welcomes the Highlanders to Woodbury.
"We might as well jump right into the fire," Nonnewaug coach Tim Drakeley said. "They have two great guards and we have two great inside players."
Timothy W. Gaffney is a freelance writer and founder of LitchfieldCountySports.com. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Marvel Assembles an Official Title for Third "Avengers" Movie
Comic Books, Film
Pop culture | Eighty years ago today, Donald Duck was introduced as a supporting character in the animated short "The Wise Little Hen," part of Walt Disney Productions' Silly Symphonies series. His comic strip debut came a few months later, in an adaptation of the short by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro that ran in Sunday newspapers between Sept. 16 and Dec. 16. To mark the milestone, the National Turk publishes "a love letter to the duck," while The Telegraph offers 10 surprising facts about the character. [National Turk, The Telegraph]
Political cartoons | The South African cartoonist Zapiro, himself no stranger to controversy, said the Eyewitness News cartoon depicting the South African legislature and the people who voted for them as clowns (and calling the voters "poephols," or idiots) was a mistake. "I think the EWN cartoonists made a big error in the way they depicted the voters, what they called them and the shadow in the bottom corner, which could be misconstrued as meaning black voters," he said. "They should have – and the editors of EWN should have – picked it up. But, they have apologised and anything that goes beyond that now is just bandwagoning by politicians." Meanwhile, a fake Zapiro cartoon made the rounds on social media over the weekend. It's based on a real 2002 cartoon that showed doctors finding the brain of then-president George W. Bush while giving him a colonoscopy; the fake cartoon substitutes South African President Jacob Zuma, who went into the hospital over the weekend. [Times Live]


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Where's The Outrage? Not Here.
If I got my whole picture of the world from reading the news and people's comments on it, I'd probably see the world as a place where everyone was in a state of perpetual outrage about something. People even get outraged about a dip in the overall level of public outrage. "Where is the outrage?" editorials demand. "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention," bumper stickers accuse.
One reason our culture sees outrage as important, I think, is that we tend to equate outrage with compassion and working for change. If you aren't outraged about this government policy, the situation in that country, the acts of this public official, and so on, we assume, you must not care and you must not be interested in doing anything about it.
Non-Outraged Service Is Possible
But do we really have to be outraged to be motivated to serve others? In my experience, the answer is no. When I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter preparing meals for the guests, I didn't do it because I hated homelessness or blamed somebody for it. I did it because I wanted a chance to serve, and I know many others who regularly do the same.
Mahatma Gandhi is a much larger-scale example. Gandhi's strategy for bringing about India's independence grew out of his spiritual practice of ahimsa, or nonviolence. Ahimsa, to Gandhi, didn't just mean not killing others — it meant letting go of hatred and judgment as well. Although he didn't hate the British Empire, he peacefully and successfully opposed its rule. Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King are two other well-known examples of people whose role in creating massive social change grew out of their spiritual practice and desire to be of service, rather than their negativity.
What examples like Gandhi and King also illustrate is that it's possible to criticize some practice or policy without demonizing the people responsible for it. If we disagree with what someone said or did, we don't have to make them our enemy to say what we think. We can calmly and firmly state our opinion without calling them a liar, idiot or sociopath. We can also take action from a place of inner peace.
Outrage and the Ego
In fact, I think, outrage is often a cloak for our ego — for our desire to feel superior to someone else. In a state of outrage, we're almost always blaming somebody and portraying them as immoral, dishonest, selfish, or something else. And this gives us the momentary high of feeling like we're more righteous, honest, or caring than them. Much of the news we watch and read seems devoted to giving us a "righteousness fix" — the obsessive coverage of scandals involving politicians, actors, and so on seems geared toward giving us someone to feel better than.
I'm not saying that anger, or even outrage, has no value and should be repressed. There are moments when we need to defend ourselves. If someone is physically attacking me, anger can be the fuel that mobilizes my body into action.
But the kinds of things we usually get outraged about aren't threats to our lives. Political debates, conflicts in our work and relationships, and similar issues don't normally endanger our survival. To put these situations in perspective — like I said in an earlier post — I think it's useful, whenever we find ourselves getting heated and tense inside, to ask ourselves whether we're truly in physical danger. And to take a deep breath, relax our bodies, and let that burning desire to be "right" pass away.
Inside Personal Growth Interview
I recently did an interview about my book, Inner Productivity, with Greg Voisen of Inside Personal Growth. We talked about many useful exercises for developing focus and motivation in your work, and how the ideas in the book can be useful strategies for living in addition to just getting your work done. The interview was a pleasure for me to do and I hope you enjoy it.


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I have got FM 2009, but it is quite slow.
I have defragged my computer, and done alot of other computer related things to spead it up, but i cnt get anything to help.
My laptop which i play it on is :
Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) M CPU 450@ 2.00GHz 2.00GHz
Memory (RAM): 894 MB
32-bit operating system
And i have got 49.2GB left space from 87.7GB
Please help


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In the ads the Vice President of sales at the company, Brenda Bass, says, "Your health is important to us, so if you're not going to take the recommended dose of our medicine, I'd rather you just didn't take it."
Tylenol is an analgesic that is contained in 200 over-the-counter medications. People may not understand they are exceeding the recommended dosage when they take two or more medications with Tylenol in it. Taking more than eight extra-strength Tylenol a day, or 12 regular Tylenol is considered overdosing.
Jim Morris is the Pharmacy Director at Greenview Hospital. He says, "The best advice is not to exceed the directions given by your doctor. The problem with Tylenol is, if you start taking 3-4 tablets every time, in less than 24 hours you could overdose yourself and cause severe liver damage."
There are no immediate symptoms of overdosing of Tylenol. After 48 hours, the user's skin could turn yellow because the liver starts to break down. That's because pathways that normally detoxify the body's system become saturated and no longer work.
To take a quiz to find out if you are taking too much Tylenol visit www.tylenol.com for more information.


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I am taking a class in Algebra but I am having a problem grasping exactly what it is I am being asked to do -- I think I am having a problem with the vocabulary being used. I have a couple of questions below and I would appreciate it, if you could take time to explain(in layman's terms or maybe programmer terms, exactly what is being asked. thanks in advance.
1) Let $[e_1; e_2; e_3]$ be the standard basis vectors in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ and consider the ordered basis: $[e_2; e_1; e_3 + e_1]$ Verify that this is actually a basis and find the coordinates of the vector $(1; 1; 1)^T$ with respect to that basis.
2) Let $T$ be the linear map from $\mathbb{R}^{2}$ to $\mathbb{R}$ defined by: $T ((x, y)^T ) = x-y$ Find its matrix (with respect to the standard bases) and a basis for its kernel
3) Find a spanning vector set for the image of the linear map from $\mathbb{R}^{2}$ to $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ defined by: $T ((x, y)^T) = (2x-y, x + y, y)$
4) Consider the subspace U of $\mathbb{R}^3$ defined by: $ U = \{(x; y; z)^T: 2x- y + z = 0; x + y = 0 \} $. Express U as the kernel of an appropriately defined linear map and the matrix of that map with respect to the standard bases of the corresponding $\mathbb{R}^n$'s


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Twenty-nine year old Dwayne Fields of East London will be the second black man to reach the North Pole. The Jamaican-born explorer walked to the North Pole on his journey and will soon travel to the South Pole. He's overcome tough odds – not on his travels – but right in his crime-filled neighborhood of Hackney. He's been shot at twice, but the gunman missed him completely.
Fields is currently studying a combined honors degree in psychology and Third World studies. In 2010, he won seventh place in the Chara challenge through Dartmoor. He completed the Three Peaks Challenge in 23 hrs 34 min.
He carries a mission to help inner city youth build identities outside of their surroundings. As an explorer, he has to work in teams, thus building his ability to work with others. He hopes that these types of examples will encourage teens to strive for higher goals.
Fields' trip to the South Pole will include a 58-day exploration and cover 1,250 kilometers.


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by Melissa Brunner
It wasn't so long ago that CBS newsman Walter Conkrite was considered the most trusted person in America. He told it "the way it is," and our parents and grandparents will tell you they believed him.
Today's media, I'm sad to admit, isn't often held in as high a regard. It makes me sad to say that and perhaps that's why I found Reader's Digest "Most Trusted People in America" poll a little fascinating. The publication had a research firm survey more than 1,000 Americans to come up with the list.
Who do we trust the most? Actor Tom Hanks. Really? I mean, Forest Gump and Castaway were good, but an actor? In fact, five of the top 10 are actors, with a director and game show host in the mix as well. Here you go:
1. Tom Hanks
2. Sandra Bullock
3. Denzel Washington
4. Meryl Streep
5. Maya Angelou
6. Steven Spielberg
7. Bill Gates
8. Alex Trebek
9. Melinda Gates
10. Julia Roberts
You have to get to number 12 on the list before you find the first journalist - and it's Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts. I take some pride in noting the first- and second-most trusted journalists on the list are both women - ABC's Diane Sawyer came in 25th. It also wasn't that long ago when the powers-that-be believed that people would only take male newsman seriously in delivering the day's important stories, while the female newspeople were relegated to the lighter-hearted material. (Barbara Walters is among those who've talked about these early struggles.)
The highest-ranked politically-associated person? First Lady Michelle Obama at 19. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright are 22 and 23, followed by former President Jimmy Carter at 24. A slew of TV doctors rank in the upper half as well.
I'm not sure that this all says about us as a nation, but it is food for thought.
You can find the full list here:
And a related article from Readers's Digest noting their interesting points about the poll is here: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/readers-digest-trust-poll-heres-what-shocked-us-the-most/


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Smitten (Large Print / Paperback, Large Print)
Single mom Lizabeth Kane isn't exactly construction material--she's never picked up a hammer in her life. But she desperately needs the job that builder Matt Hallahan is offering. And even though he knows better, Matt can't refuse her irresistible smile.
Matt Hallahan isn't exactly relationship material—he has always been too busy working on other people's houses to make a home of his own. And even though she knows better, Lizabeth can't stop thinking about the rugged carpenter.
Is the relationship Matt and Lizabeth are building solid--or more like a house of cards?
About the Author
Bestselling author Janet Evanovich is the winner of the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award and multiple Romantic Times awards, including Lifetime Achievement. She is also a long-standing member of RWA.


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I am working on a simple Rails/jQuery HTML templater app which stores a series of pre-designed templates in a database (at the moment I've just saved these as partials to get the basic concept working) and on clicking 'Show code' alongside any one of these template records, a js.erb script should place the corresponding partial within 'pre' tags dynamically via JS on that page so the user can see the raw html code.
At the moment it's working but I get the rendered html coming back and not the raw HTML that I'm looking for. Here's the js:
$("div#template-view").html("
<%= escape_javascript( render :partial => "core_template") %>
");
So pray tell, what obvious thing am I missing!? :-)


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Does there exist a notion of Jordan curve homotopy?
In particular, suppose we have two Jordan curves $C_0 : S^1 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ and $C_1 : S^1 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$. When does there exist a continuous function $f: S^1 \times [0,1] \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ such that:
$f(x,0) = C_0(x)$, $f(x,1) = C_1(x)$, and for all $t \in [0,1]$, the function $C_t: S^1 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ defined by $C_t(x) = f(x,t)$ is a Jordan curve.
My intuition tells me that such a function always exists, but I'm unsure about how to go about proving this. Also, if this is a known result, are there similar results for manifolds other than $\mathbb{R}^2$?


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6 Historic Figures Who Shaped The World (By Cheating Death)
#3. Thomas Paine
When he wasn't busy living it up as a corsetmaker, English-born pamphleteer Thomas Paine was a major player in the American Revolution, sort of like a colonial Che Guevara.
Meaning his face was featured on t-shirts worn by college girls that had no idea who he was.
After smacking the 13 Colonies every which way towards independence with his manifesto Common Sense, Paine turned his shit-stirring eyes towards Europe, where he was literally kicked out of Great Britain for his radical ideas.
"And take your fucking book with you!"
Came Within Inches of Death When:
Paine landed in France and became a major influence in their Revolution, sticking the dick of freedom into the mashed potatoes of the Bourgeoisie. However, the group that eventually gained control of France decided that Paine was too dangerous and incendiary, so they threw him in prison with the intent of chopping his head off.
Right the fuck off.
Strangely, Paine was feeling a little less than decapitastic the night before his execution, so he slept with his door open to try and cool his fever, presumably after pinky swearing to the guards that he would stay in his cell. The official that went around that night marking the doors of those prisoners meant for the guillotine the next day mistakenly marked the inside of Paine's.
So, when his door was closed the next morning, the chalk mark was hidden from view. The guards missed it and literally left Paine alone to sleep through his own execution.
"The chime on this thing sounds like a bunch of people getting their heads cut off outside my room."
Paine was eventually released from prison, possibly because the French were too, well, French, to admit they had made an embarrassing oversight.
#2. Secretary of State William H. Seward
The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 was one big Burger King toilet full of shit hitting an industrial fan, but the truth is it could have been a whole lot worse.
John Wilkes Booth's cabal called for a wider assassination attempt than just President Lincoln--he aimed to kill both Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward as well.
Evidently Booth was insanely jealous of Seward's top hat collection.
Seward isn't as famous as some of the other names on this list, but maybe he should be. He's responsible for adding Alaska to the USA, completely changing the natural resource equation in the country ever since. Also he sort of gave us Sarah Palin, but anyway...
Came Within Inches of Death When:
To kill Seward, Booth hired a real whizz-kid named Lewis Powell, who once suffered a severe case of getting kicked in the face by a donkey. Seward had recently broke his jaw in a carriage accident, so Powell got into Seward's house by pretending to be a man from the drug store bringing medicine. Powell bullshitted his way around long enough to draw a gun on Seward's son Frederick.
The gun didn't fire, though, so Powell broke it on Frederick's head and went forward with Plan B.
Plan B.
He rushed forward and proceeded to literally stab everyone in the entire house, including Seward himself, catching the Secretary of State several times in the face and neck.
Powell ran out of the house, leaving a trail of knife wounds in his wake, but miraculously not a single person died. Seward himself was saved by the neck brace he was wearing because of his carriage accident--the brace prevented Powell's knife from severing his jugular.
After narrowly surviving Powell's batshit insane hit, Seward continued to serve as Secretary of State for President Andrew Johnson, during which time he bought Alaska.
"I'll take it."
Nobody knew about the enormous deposits of gold and oil Alaska contained, and had it not been for Seward's maverick diplomacy, it is quite possible that the British or even the Russians would have been all over that shit instead. If the Soviets had been able to launch their invasion from Alaska in Red Dawn, they might have not lost the war to that football team.
#1. John F. Kennedy
Historians spend so much time thinking about how history would have been different should JFK have survived the assassination attempt that we forget that the man almost didn't survive long enough to become president in the first place.
Came Within Inches of Death When:
Long before he got into politics, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy of the U.S. Navy survived a shitstorm that would have killed a cybernetic dinosaur.
After Kennedy's motor torpedo boat PT-109 was rammed in half by an Imperial-Class Japanese destroyer in the South Pacific, he and two of his injured crewmates were left floating in the debris. There were more explosions roaring around them than a Michael Bay movie, the water was being patrolled by sharks and crocodiles, and every island in a 20 mile radius was occupied by hostile Japanese.
The only option for Kennedy was to swim almost four miles while dragging one of his crewmen with his teeth to an island only a few hundred yards long, just so they could swim another three miles in search of food. Eventually Kennedy came across enough coconuts to sustain his men for another six days of hell.
Kennedy had a thing for coconuts.
They were eventually spotted by a team of Solomon Islanders, men armed with Tommy guns, hated the Japanese, and operated on a rule of engagement that involved "all white people looked the same." Kennedy was somehow able to turn this stroke of death into a helping hand.
No doubt using his whiteness.
The Islanders finally agreed to help send, at great personal risk, a secret dispatch 35 nautical miles to the Allied forces via coconut.
"Can... can anyone tell what the hell this says?"
Had Kennedy been killed in the shipwreck, shot by the Japanese, eaten by the sharks or the crocs, killed by the islanders, starved or drowned while swimming between a couple dozen square miles of World War II, either Lyndon Johnson or Richard fucking Nixon would have been president during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is a very long way of saying we would all be totally fucked.
Do you have something funny to say about a random topic? You could be on the front page of Cracked.com tomorrow. Go here and find out how to create a Topic Page.
For more amazing stories of people almost biting it, check out 7 People Who Cheated Death (Then Kicked It In The Balls). Or find out about some soldier stories more badass than Kennedy's, in 5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy.
Stop by our Top Picks (Updated 4.12.10) to see Seanbaby's brush with Death (which was followed by Death crawling away and crying).
And for something even more historic, check out The Chive's exclusive look at a Penazzling.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get dick jokes sent straight to your news feed.


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Considering that I can choose any seat on any seat row on a Boeing 777-300ER for an international flight, I have most of 400 seat places to choose from the forefront to the last row of this airplane. What are the best options if I bought an economy class ticket, traveling in a group of 4 people and if I want two windows? Are there any advantages in choosing the last places instead of the front ones?
This is a very difficult question to answer in general, because different airlines have different seating configurations, seat pitches, etc. The best thing to do is to check out sites dedicated to airline seating plans, such as:
All of these sites are built on a user-submitted database + aircraft seat plan data on what the best seats in an airplane are, according to aircraft type, passenger class, short/long haul sectors etc. I see that you've already checked SeatGuru; beyond that, you may also want to check one of the others ones to see if SeatGuru's missed out anything. Usually, they're pretty standard.
For economy class, unless you have extra legroom or reduced recline or proximity to galleys / toilets, there literally isn't much that distinguishes one seat from another. After that, it all boils down to personal choices. I usually like aisle seats for extra legroom. The back of an airplane will experience more G-force during ascents, so some people prefer seats towards the front of the aircraft. And so on.
Everyone likes extra legroom, but as an economy class passenger even if you check-in online, chances are you won't get those seats on long haul flights because many airlines open up online check-in for those in higher frequent flyer tiers earlier. This gets easier to snag if you're a solo traveller because it's much more likely to find singleton seats later in the checkin process.
When travelling with four people, on your flight the middle row will allow you all to sit together. If you want two window seats, then it's going to be quite awkward if you plan to talk during the journey. My advice? It's a long haul flight. People around you won't like people chatting. Tune in to the in-flight entertainment system, read a book, or just zone out on any seat you get.
Interestingly, earlier this year a 'study' by Skyscanner came up with seat 6A as the best seat on the plane. They polled visitors to their website:
It determined 6A was regarded as the best seat – putting aside planes that offer first or business-class travel.
However, they also notice that the best seat inevitably comes down to personal choice - some like the window, some like aisles. Personally I have no sense of smell so prefer the back of the plane, on the aisle, so that I can get up and stretch and wander.


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