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What do you think, is it better for handheld device users to use site menu when its in right sidebar (can click it with thumb/right hand doesnt block view when user click on menu item)? The reason i ask is because a loooot of sites use left side menu and I never understood why, cause IMO its not very comfy nor ergonomic even when using mouse (your mouse is on your right side why should your menu be on left?
Are we talking about mobile specifically? Than the best answer is a dedicated layout.
If it is about desktop browsers than my research indicates that usually right menu helps in giving more relevance to the content (that's why works better for blogs) and left menu works better for apps or shops as gives more emphasis to the navigation itself.
But you really know the right answer, test it with your user group, you might have big surprises!
Much of this design lies around the English language convention of reading top-to-bottom and left-to-right. It's why you also see many menus at the tops of pages, rather than the bottom. As @igor's answer references, for non-mobile designs, this is convention for a reason.
As for mobile website and applications, there have been quite a few redesigns to focus on the more thumb-accessible portions of the screen. Winamp for Android, for example, places all of its controls at the bottom of the application, with a swipe-up to get at your playlist, etc.
Consider hiding your menu behind a button or swipe action, but if you do, make sure it is easily accessible.
Not a direct answer I guess, but I think the sidebar for navigation in and of itself is often a poor idea for navigation on mobile if scrolling is involved. Mobile phones are portraits whereas desktops are landscapes; a sidebar drastically cuts into extremely limited screen real estate on a mobile phone. horizontal menus at the top tend to take up much less screen real estate and disappear once you scroll down; helpful if there is only reason to navigate once you've opened or finished a page (as with news articles). And often either side is harder to tap than the bottom; where your thumb probably is, regardless of whether you're a lefty or a righty.
As others have said the left hand sidebar is a convention from desktop PCs where it works quite well, however on mobile devices it's not necessarily the case; on a mobile device "sides" of the screen matter a lot less when screen is 2 inches wide and therefor always in focus. On a desktop there's lots of whitespace and lots of panning around the page to find elements, on a mobile display they're often all in view.
The PC style is sidebars on the left, because on a screen, that is the place you start looking. Having established that as the norm, people expect that, and changing it is only done at your peril.
However, mobile phone interactions do not yet have the same sort of conventions. So developing new conventions is valid - if you can design a site with its own conventions and get it working, then try it. But without any existing conventions you are exploring and defining - you need to produce a dedicated layout, but also be prepared that it doesn't work.
Bear in mind that the reading conventions will be different on a phone, so trialing out would be really worth while.


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Landscaping with a Green Thumb: The Vegetable Garden
In This Article:
As a general rule, a vegetable garden requires about one inch of water per week. Put a small tin can in the soil near your plants to serve as a rain gauge. If rainfall is scant, you will have to water your garden deeply once a week. A thorough watering is much better for the plants than a light daily watering, because it encourages good root development. It's best to water early in the day, to avoid problems with fungal diseases. A light mulch of shredded leaves, pine straw, or grass clippings will help the soil retain moisture.
Rain barrels are an ancient concept that is enjoying a revival in earth-friendly gardens. You can purchase a 50 or 100 gallon rain barrel and direct your gutter downspout into it. One inch of rainfall on a 1,000 square foot roof will produce 500 gallons of water! Plus, all of this free water is untreated—no chlorine, fluoride, or other chemicals—and you are providing relief to your sewer or septic system. Note that your barrel should be childproof and inaccessible to mosquitoes. It must have a spigot at the bottom of the barrel, to which you can connect a hose. It should also have an overflow valve so that excess water can be diverted once the rain barrel is full. You can minimize leaves and debris in the water by placing a screen at the top of your downspout.
The best fertilizers for an organic vegetable garden are well-aged animal manure (from non-meat-eating animals like cows, horses, or chickens), and compost or compost tea. Apply manures early in the season, before planting; use compost as a side dressing and compost tea as a liquid fertilizer throughout the season. Don't use chemical fertilizers—they harm both soil structure and microbiotic life.
Pest Problems
At the first sign of pests, you may be tempted to start spraying some noxious chemical, but there are effective organic sprays for dealing with pests, many of which you can make yourself. You can find recipes for soap spray, salt spray, buttermilk and flour spray, garlic spray, and tobacco spray. You can also purchase organic treatments from a number of online stores and some garden centers. Don't compromise your vegetables and soil with toxins. Remember, those vegetables are destined for your dinner table!
Related articles:
The Ornamental Garden
The Organic Lawn

subset: commoncrawl


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TEMPLE (April 4, 2013)—Dallas-based Panda Power Funds says it will double the size of the 758-megawatt natural-gas-fueled power plant it's building in Temple, creating as many as 800 construction jobs.
A rendering of the plant. (Panda Power Funds image)
The company announced Thursday it has completed financing on a 758-megawatt expansion of the plant.
The Temple I and Temple II generating stations will have a combined capacity of 1,516 megawatts, which the company says is enough power to supply the needs of about 1.5 million homes in Central and North Texas.
Panda broke ground on the plant in September.
The construction of a project on the scale of the Temple II plant will contribute about $1.6 billion to the area economy during construction and the first 10 years of the plants operation, according to a study by Impact Data Source of Austin.
"Approximately 700-800 jobs will be created to construct the Temple II plant at peak construction," the company said in its announcement Thursday.
"During operations, the combined generating stations will create 35 skilled jobs to operate the facilities and an estimated 90 indirect jobs within the community to support the plants," the company said.
"This is another big boost for our city," said Lee Peterson, president of the Temple Economic Development Corporation.
"The Temple II plant will continue to drive the economic impact already created by the Temple I project. With more construction, come more jobs and more revenues for businesses throughout our area. Temple II will enlarge the tax base even more, which will help the city of Temple provide ongoing services to its residents," he said.
Panda spokesman Bill Pentak declined to discuss the cost of the project, but the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated it costs $1 million per megawatt of energy the plant will produce.
That would mean the latest Panda project would cost about $758 million.
In October 2008, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted an air permit for the plant.
The 30-year-old company operates facilities in the U.S. and abroad.
It built the two largest gas-fueled merchant electric generation facilities in the country, was responsible for the first U.S.-sponsored, internationally financed run-of-the-river hydroelectric project in the state of Nepal; and obtained the first U.S. capital markets financing for construction of a power plant in The People's Republic of China," the company's website says.
The company has raised more than $5 billion total to develop and build power plants.


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Erik Bruhn Prize 2009
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:30 PM
I haven't heard anything but that they did well. Both are very fine dancers and each has fans here.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 11:28 PM
March 18, 2009, 7:30 PM, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Ontario
In a competition where past winners include Rose Gad Poulsen (1988) and Silja Wendrup-Schandorff (1989) of The Royal Danish Ballet, Julie Kent (1993) and Michele Wiles (2002) of American Ballet Theater, Johan Kobborg (1993) of (at the time) The Royal Danish Ballet, and Vanessa Zahorian (1999) of the San Francisco Ballet, the bar is set high for the rising young ballet stars of today.
The 5 companies which have sent competitors since 1988 are all those with which Erik Bruhn had close relationships of one kind or another: The Royal Danish Ballet (RDB), The Royal Ballet (RB), American Ballet Theater (ABT), San Francisco Ballet (SFB), Stuttgart Ballet (SB), and The National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) . There have been 4 winners from RDB, 1 from RB, 2 from ABT, 2 from SB, 1 from SB, and 5 from NBoC.
This year's winners change the totals to 3 for ABT and 6 for NBoC.
I don't know about all the other years, but this year, for example, there were no competitors sent from Royal Ballet, and last time (2007) there were only 4 companies present (San Francisco and Stuttgart ballets were absent), so the numbers don't really represent any real comparables when all companies are not included every competition.
The evening began with opening remarks by an elegantly-but-simply-sheathed Chan Han Goh striding to the podium with Aleksander Antonejevic, whose baggy-at-the-ankles pants I couldn't help but notice. They spoke simply and with smiles, lauding the competitors and explaining the rules and order of the competition.
They also read Bruhn's statement that the prize is meant for dancers who "reflect such technical ability, artistic achievement and dedication as I endeavoured to bring to dance."
(I would have put the emphasis on the "I" in reading this, but it was read without accenting any words.)
The ages of the competitors are limited to those 18 to 23 and we had the full spectrum, from first year corps member 18 year old Hilary Guswiler (RDB) to the 23 year olds: soloists Cory Stearns (ABT) and Anthony Spaulding (SFB), demi-soloist William Moore (SB), and corps member Dores Andre (SFB).
Those in-between were 19 year old Alban Lendorf (RDB), 21 year old Rachele Buriassi (SB), and 22 year olds Isabella Boylston (ABT), Elena Lobsanova (NBoC), and Noah Long (NBoC), all corps de ballet.
Dancers would not be performing in the order presented in the program, but in the order of the lots they had drawn earlier. (That order would remain the same for the second half of the competition.) The first dances to be presented were the classical pas de deux and variations, the second set, all the contemporary pieces.
The judges (who would not be judging their own contestants) were the artistic directors (and one associate) of the ballet companies who brought competitors. The list printed in the program:
Kevin McKenzie, AD, ABT
Karen Kain, AD, NBoC
Nikolaj Hübbe, AD, RDB
Helgi Tomasson, AD, SFB
Tamas Detrich, Artistic Associate, SB
In actuality, Tomasson was not there, being replaced by SF Ballet Master Ricardo Bustamente.
First, I'll review the classical portion of the program:
With dancers names and their dances' info shown briefly in surtitles before the curtain opened, the competition began with "Pas de Deux from Act II of La Sylphide" performed by The Royal Danish Ballet's Hilary Guswiler and Alban Lendorf, choreography by Auguste Bournonville.
Hilary and Alban are the youngest dancers in the competition, ages 18 and 19, and in their first year in the corps of RDB. Taking that into consideration, their performance was very good and showed great promise for both. But I did not read the program notes before the evening started and took each performance at face value, not thinking of the age of the competitor at all.
Hilary's sylph was not quite soft enough, she had little stumbles, and wobbled her landing from a jump. Her développé to the back was not entirely secure and her last développé could have been more stretched. Her feet were not pointed enough during her entrechats and échappés. As the dancing progressed, however, she got better. Hilary had a particularly nice lift to a jump where she hung in the air for a second. She moved as lightly as she could and her adherence to Bournonville style (as much as I know of it) was admirable.
Alban's acting was somewhat stilted and amateurish. But his beats were glorious! The trademark of James' variation, these entrechats showed why this piece was chosen for their entry. His other allegro was very clean and bright.
All in all, they were like very good students, and like students, had unavoidable weak spots. I gave the RDB competitors an overall B-.
Hilary Guswiler
Alban Lendorf
Next came the first of two Odiles and Siegfrieds: "Black Swan Pas de Deux from Act III of Swan Lake", performed by American Ballet Theater's Isabella Boylston and Cory Stearns, choreography after Marius Petipa.
This performance was one of such perfection that I can't find a single thing to gripe about. Isabella was stunning, both in technique and artistry. I sat close enough (2nd row orchestra) to see every facial expression, and she really acted her role well. Every arabesque, turn, renversé, jump and supported pirouette were exceptional. Notably tantalizing were Isabella's movements in a repeated sequence of supported penché attitude, where she was held almost upside down toward the audience as she waved her arms and upper body with a delicious cant to her head and evil expression on her face. Also remarkable were her blurring supported pirouettes, anchored sharp as a dart to the ground, and too fast to count. The only thing – the ONLY thing – that happened that would cause anyone who knows the choreography to mark a teensy tick next to her name, was the end of the fouetté sequence. Her 32-fouettés-to-be carried her in a straight line downstage, as if intended to, until, perhaps in danger of finishing by twirling into the orchestra pit, she used the last four turn counts to piqué perfectly in a half circle back upstage. The coda with Cory was exciting and dramatic, performed with mounting intensity and fervor to the last note of the music which occurred just as her fingertip stretched her hand to its fullest behind her back and her head fell backwards in triumph.
Cory was the ideal prince, with noble bearing infusing his long limbs. He partnered Isabella expertly and the two performed as experienced ballet veterans. In his variations, Cory showed beautiful line, lofty grands jetés, soaring manège. His technique is so solid, you just sit back and enjoy his dancing with the same confidence that he performs it.
I gave the ABT competitors an overall A+.
Isabella Boylston
Cory Stearns
Posted 21 March 2009 - 01:04 PM
In a difficult position, following the perfection of Isabella and Cory with the same PDD and variations (different choreography), Buriassi and Moore might have experienced more stress than the other contenders. The very first supported pirouette was off-kilter. Rachele's foot was not stretched behind her in lifts and she was musically late, missing arriving together with the music at the last dramatic beat in her first set of turns. William Moore was a considerably weaker partner than we saw in the last black swan PDD, and both lacked the dramatic flair so necessary in this piece. Rachele tried to use her facial expressions to convey the character of Odile, but the rest of her didn't follow suit. Both danced more position to position, which gave their partnership less flow. Their insecurity showed in the supported arabesque turn as well as in other portions of the PDD. William in his variation displayed the mark of a good student, but has things that need fixing, like getting his toe to touch his leg in turns instead of hovering in passé in the air.
Still, there was much to enjoy in the dance. I took it apart as a judge might because we were, after all, watching a competition, and doing our own judging as audience members. Had they been the only ones to dance the black swan PDD and variations, it might have been easier for them. This is a dastardly hard PDD to make look easy, and this couple has many more practice sessions ahead of them before they even approach a semblance of "easy". Perhaps they should have been given a different PDD to compete with .....La Fille mal Gardée or Coppélia, for example.
John Cranko's choreography for this piece is topsy-turvy. If one is well-versed in who dances to what music in the variations, it is disconcerting to see Odile doing her variation to Siegfried's music, and Siegfried doing his to Odile's. Even the choreography for Odile in her variation was strange. It included some simple echappés, presented seemingly out of context, as if they were a center exercise, followed by a circle of piqué turns. Little of what we expect Odile to dance was evident. However, the fouettés in the coda were still there, and they presented an obstacle for Buriassi. Starting off well, they travelled forward rapidly and stopped suddenly, way too soon, leaving Rachele standing in plié in fifth position until the end of the music. I don't even remember much of the rest of the coda after that, but they did recoup and finished in the standard position, Odile's head thrown back (a little behind the music again) with Siegfried kneeling before her.
I gave the Stuttgart competitors an overall C.
Rachele Buriassi
William Moore
Posted 21 March 2009 - 02:01 PM
The curtain opened with Dores Andre and Anthony Spaulding standing upstage, stage right, in the position of the cross, Giselle in front of Albrecht, as they do in front of Giselle's grave, which I've always seen downstage, stage right (there was no set design or props in the competition). Andre's développé was very good, her promenade in plié arabesque just a little unsteady. Her entrechats sounded clunky (not good for a wraith who should move soundlessly), but her bourrées were exceptionally lovely. She danced the whole PDD and her variation with an unvarying far-off, glazed look in her eyes, her face never changing expression. It was as if Giselle wasn't seeing Albrecht instead of the other way around. Dores's articulate use of her feet was beautiful to see. Her ronde jambe en l'air to each side while in a jump were lacy, delicately precise, and very quick. Giselle's trademark soubresauts, however, didn't get very high off the ground, leaving her with more of an earthly rather than airborne connection. Still, the general feeling one got from her rendition of Giselle was of a lonely spirit, haunted by an intangible loss. But for a few instances, she and her partner didn't really connect.
Spaulding, with his long legs and princely bearing, should have left a better impression, but I found his technique merely adequate, and he didn't take the opportunity to explore his acting lexicon, either. It seemed also to have only one facet -- a look of ambiguous longing. There's something that bothers me about his arabesques and every leg extension to the back: his leg movement does not come from the hip but from the back, giving his line an awkward look. I began to cringe every time he lifted his leg. He also danced very much position to position instead of presenting his role as an organic whole. It made me appreciate the skill of so many professional danseurs whose performances flow with logical movement, their in-between steps as important as the positions they help the dancer attain. Anthony's landings from jumps were sometimes sloppy, with feet open in a quasi-fourth position instead of closed in a tight fifth. I thought he was the weakest of all the contenders in classical ballet.
I gave the San Francisco competitors an overall B (Andre's performance pulled the grade up).
Dores Andre
Anthony Spaulding
Posted 21 March 2009 - 03:39 PM
Difficult for me to review because I've known Noah since he was 14 years old and because he and my daughter danced together, I will nevertheless be as objective as possible.
Noah Long grand jetéd onstage with a light, high jump, signaling the excitement he would bring to his role as Conrad's slave, Ali.
(The program notes give the impression that Noah is dancing the role of Conrad by stating, "At this point in the story, Conrad the pirate has rescued Medora, a Greek slave girl from sale to a Pasha's harem and taken her to his underground grotto, where, having fallen in love, they dance in celebration of her rescue." Of course, Conrad is nowhere to be seen, and we have the standard pas de deux between his slave Ali and Medora. I fault the NBoC blurb writer with this misleading info. It is Conrad who is in love with Medora, not his slave. When the piece is performed as a pas de trois, Ali serves as Conrad's aide, handing Medora off to him several times as a duty to his master.)
With the above clarification, we can understand the bent head and obsequious posture characteristic of this role. However, there are points when Ali exhibits bravura, and Noah's was more of the ostentatious style bravura than the technical sort. Not that his technique wasn't good, but that his showiness outshone it. The home audience, composed in part by students of the National Ballet School and dancers in the company who weren't performing later while the votes were being tallied, went wild, as was to be expected. Those close to Noah watched with a critical eye and hope in their hearts, but had to admit his performance was a bit raw. Noah could do wonders with a good male coach. Still, there was so much right about his dancing the old warhorse that it could be enjoyed with confidence that it was in good hands (and feet).
Noah's "snake" turns worked out really well for him the second time he did them, and his turns à la seconde were excellent. Dancing with elan, his variation mounted in excitement until the final dramatic fling to the floor. I would have liked to have seen a delicious breath-holding développé into second after his pirouettes. That's one of the highlights of the Ali variation and there are a couple of chances to apply it. In PDD, Noah is a very good partner and he guided and supported Lobsanova with complete assurance.
Elena Lobsanova is a lovely dancer with beautiful lines and demeanor. I don't know why she feels it adds something to her arabesques and attitudes to break the line of her leg by winging her foot in that characteristically NBoC style which is so ugly! Through the years I have watched female dancers at the National do this (not all of them, to the credit of those who don't) as if they couldn't call themselves NBoC dancers if they didn't. It ruins the effect of a stretched pointed foot and adds nothing to the line -- nothing! It has been one of my pet peeves about the National for years and it stresses me to see it passed on from generation to generation. I used to call it a "cupped" foot because it looks like you could pour a demitasse of espresso into it. Photos abound of National dancers, from principals down, who do this at the height of their arabesque. I am begging everyone at NBoC to please stop it!!
While Lobsanova showed us she was up to tackling the Medora role, there were still a few problems. Her arms were usually stiffly held (this is also a hallmark of the National), especially noticeable in fifth en haut. This does not look pretty. Arms should be fluid, continuing the movement of the rest of the body, softly and with plastique. Such graceful port de bras was totally lacking. My notes (written in a stream as I watched) are peppered with "arms!", "stiff arms!", "terrible arms". There was a jerky développé, too-low jumps and wobbles on landings. Her fouettés were a disaster, after a good start, like a top spinning out of control, first from center stage to stage left (she's a left turner), then forced back to center stage, losing form all the while until she plumb fell out of the last of them into an ungainly position.
Were I to ignore the negatives outlined in the above paragraph, then I could say that Lobsanova danced beautifully and winsomely, doing a creditable job with difficult choreography that is in the domain of prima ballerinas and principal dancers. However, all the competitors danced such lead roles. And, I reiterate, I am wearing my armchair judge's hat, my opinions informed by my own and my daughter's training in ballet. I might not be so harsh otherwise (but, then, I might!).
Despite my nitpicking, I gave the National an overall B+.
Now you can understand why I was flabbergasted that Isabella Boylston's name was not called out as female winner of the competition. I'll bet it had a lot to do with the choice of contemporary piece. My reviews of the contemporary repertoire will be next.
Elena Lobsanova (click on her name in the list)
Noah Long (click on his name in the list)
Posted 21 March 2009 - 04:05 PM
Posted 21 March 2009 - 07:30 PM
Posted 22 March 2009 - 03:45 AM
Exactly my sentiments! Thanks, Marga!
Yes, thank you Marga. I too look forward to reading about the contemporary round. Your reviews do make one feel as if they are in the theatre.
Posted 22 March 2009 - 05:38 AM
Posted 22 March 2009 - 11:58 AM
Ms Andre is a very fine classical dancer. She doesn't do Giselle here, but soloist and corps roles, where she's one of hte clearest onstage. Spaulding is a musical dancer and a strong partner in the modern works -- Forsythe, van Manen, and can handle very strong dancers like Sofiane Sylve. He's good in hte classics though not great; Ive never seen him in a "white tights" role but would not expect perfection. He probably made his partner look very soft and floating in htose lifts. Wonder how "Ebony Concerto" went over.
Posted 22 March 2009 - 03:41 PM
May I disagree? I find a winged foot tends to "lighten" the look of an arabesque. Also, as a noted teacher once explained to my class, most dancers have at least a slight bow to the leg, and winging the foot helps "correct" the line to a viewer's eye. Of course, when the effect is exaggerated, the benefit is lost.
I don't know why she feels it adds something to her arabesques and attitudes to break the line of her leg by winging her foot in that characteristically NBoC style which is so ugly! Through the years I have watched female dancers at the National do this (not all of them, to the credit of those who don't) as if they couldn't call themselves NBoC dancers if they didn't. It ruins the effect of a stretched pointed foot and adds nothing to the line -- nothing!
Congratulations to all the competitors , and especially to ABT's Cory Stearns, who returns to quite a healthy assortment of new assignments for the Met season.
Posted 22 March 2009 - 09:37 PM
carbro, I've got to get you a picture of what I mean.
Thanks, Rosa, Victoria, bart, and renata for all the lovely replies.
I don't have ready computer access, so wasn't able to write today. I will try tomorrow.
Posted 23 March 2009 - 11:16 PM
Contemporary repertoire
From the program: "These ballets have been commissioned by each of the companies specifically for the Eighth International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize. They are receiving their world premieres this evening. The Choreographic Prize will be awarded to one of the participating choreographers for best new contemporary choreography as determined by the panel of judges."
1) [size=3]Royal Danish Ballet[/size] – Hilary Guswiler, Alban Lendorf
"An Elegy for Us", choreography: Iain Rowe; Music: James MacMillan, Angel; Michael Byron, As She Sleeps with additional sound design by Iain Rowe
Stage has a dark cast. Piece begins with lots of walking to silence by each dancer. There are 2 chairs onstage. She sits down on one of them and the music starts. He shows off some entrechats and a grand jeté. She runs and jumps. He turns. She gyrates on one spot. She brings a chair next to his. He does a renversé and a grand jeté. She sticks her legs out. He twirls her in a split. He lifts her. He twirls her in another split. He lifts her again. The minor key music consists of chord, chord, note, note, sustained note, note, chord, and so on. They gyrate around each other. He runs and puts his chair in a new place. She gets hers and puts it right next to his. He moves his chair again. She picks hers up and places it next to his again. They sit. He moves his chair. She moves hers next to his yet again. He picks up his chair and throws it across the stage. It lands upside down. She stands stock still. He walks toward third wing. An unseen "door" opens beyond it, emitting the bright light of a room full of people partying. We hear loud party chatter (in English), above all a clear female voice whose words are distinctly understandable (I don't remember what they were, but they didn't seem to advance or explain the "plot"). He stands at the "open door". She goes and stands next to him. They "enter" the "party room" together. The end.
My summation (there's nothing really that I can review or critique): The first of three "end of relationship" pieces, this one is a big, fat, 60s style, minimalist, experimental nothing (not to be confused with the 60s works of genius produced by Graham, Cunningham, Taylor, Alwin-Nikolais, etc.). Girl wants boy. Boy doesn't want girl. But they walk into party together. ?
It's a real shame that Hilary Guswiler and Alban Lendorf, both in ballet slippers, didn't get a chance to dance. They needed something wonderful to augment their overall competition score and were given walking, running, twirling, a couple of jetés for him, and a little gyrating, all of which they did very well. The choreographer, born in 1986, is a member of the corps de ballet.
Iain Rowe
Posted 24 March 2009 - 12:17 AM
"End.", choreography: Marcelo Gomes; music: Franz Schubert, Piano Trio #2 in E Flat, 2nd movement (Andante con moto); piano: Mark Harjes; violin: Lynn Kuo; cello: Maurizio Baccante
Cory walks in. Isabella runs in and jumps on his back. This piece, too, is in a minor key, for it is clearly about a breakup where he doesn't want her anymore. There is lots of beautiful, classical dancing. Isabella is in a romantic tutu with puffed sleeves and a gorgeous bodice, the just-below-the-knee skirt built up with several layers of lavender tulle covered by iridescent fuchsia chiffon. Her tights and pointe shoes are black. Cory is in grey: tights, shirt, and shoes, with a black vest.
This very balletic piece is full of advances by her and rejections by him. She goes to him, he pushes her away. There is partnering in-between the push-pull, with luscious supported pirouettes, Isabella's foot in high passé. Her extensions are also high, and classical. A contemporary moment: She wipes his face and places his sweat on her own brow.
He resists her every time she tries to engage him. Cory has wonderful double tours, Isabella a beautiful entrelacé. She dances to him, he takes her by the shoulders and gives her two firm shakes, pushing her violently away from him. The dancers use all levels: floor, middle, and the air, to convey their feelings – she, always wanting him to take her in his arms and be hers again, and he, angrily and abruptly trying to get rid of her. Isabella's technique shines through every movement, as does Cory's. Her upper body is soft with expressive arms and beautiful port de bras. Her legs are powerful and confident. The music is seen through her movement. Every note of it is danced with smooth phrasing and vivid accents.
In their pas de deux parts, there are lots of backward flops into his arms. Before he strides briskly offstage, he gives her an intimate touch and with softness on his face, looks on hers with kindness (reminding me of one of my own past loves when we broke up). She is left alone onstage. She runs back and forth, then stops and reaches in the direction he left in one last gesture of painful yearning, turns and runs off in the opposite direction.
This was an achingly heartrending piece that should be seen by all for its exquisiteness. But it shouldn't have been presented at this competition. It hurt Isabella's chances, I'm sure, by looking just too classical. Both Isabella and Cory are widely experienced in many styles of contemporary choreography, and New York is full of avant-garde choreographers who would have loved to have had the chance to compete for the $2000 (Cdn.) choreographer's prize. I wanted everyone at the competition to see what a great contemporary dancer Isabella is. And, I would have loved to have seen Cory do something in a different vein from what I've seen him do before (excepting "Citizen"). I have convinced myself that the choice of this piece, as beautiful as it was, lost Isabella the competition, stellar as she was.
Marcelo Gomes
Posted 24 March 2009 - 07:49 PM
"La Grande Parade du Funk", choreography: Bridget Breiner; music: Chris Brubeck, Convergence, 3rd movement
He is shirtless, in bermuda shorts. She is in a bathing suit (or something that looks like one). Both costumes are blue in color. As the name implies, this piece was replete with funky dancing: feet turned in, walking on pointe, body isolations. Sometimes the couple danced in unison, sometimes they were each in a different part of the space dancing independently of each other. His hands were sometimes in his pockets, lookin' cool and easy .
Rachele Buriassi showed us sharp développés to head-height and excellent attitude turns. She and William Moore moved effortlessly through the upbeat piece which required lots of movement, something to do on every beat of the music. They were both really comfortable with the choreography – which was relatively easy – and showed the fun they were having. Some of the movements were made quirky because they were led by the head (think breakdancing). There were slides along the floor, and some simple partnering.
The audience loved the piece and so did I.
Bridget Breiner
Bridget Breiner, Ballerina Gallery
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Yes! You guessed it...this bowl holds the names of all of the Grand Prize Entrants to date!! If your name isn't in this bowl yet you are going to want to get it in there really quick!!
You want to know why you want your name in the bowl?? Of course you do! Well Ms. Ali just isn't satisfied with her Birthday gift to her readers! Ali told me she just didn't feel like A Kindle Fire & One AAD Nola Registration to one winner is enough! So she started thinking what could she possibly do to show her readers just how much she appreciates their support??
The logical solution is to give something away right...but what could she add to this giveaway to make it better?? I mean a month of daily prizes and a Grand Prize of A Kindle Fire & One AAD Nola Registration to one winner is a pretty fabulous prize if you ask me!!
Well Ms. Simply Ali has decided to out do herself! Okay Okay I've stalled enough :) The reason you want your name in that bowl is because not only will one winner from that bowl Win A Kindle Fire & One AAD Nola Registration another winner from that bowl will win A Loaded Kindle Fire Authors After Dark Birthday Bash Spotlighted Authors!!! Yay!!
And here is what the Authors who joined us for the first half of our celebration are offering towards the Loaded Kindle Fire
Also don't forget those of you who have been following along daily but forgetting to add your email have not been added to the bowl but never fear you still have time to shoot me an email with Your Name, Email, and links to the Posts where you commented! Email me at email@example.com to get your entries counted!!
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I am a German teacher at the secondary level, and my German 2 students are reading the Lese-Novelas von Hueber Verlag, such as Anna, Berlin. The book is very good for beginners, but I'm running out of activities to do with the text. So far we have written journal entries from the different characters' points of view, created and performed dialogues for scenes, illustrated chapters, answered review questions, and done summaries in English. After spending two weeks on the book, these activities are getting repetitive. Does anyone have any more ideas of how to engage students with the text, both to check comprehension and get them to use the language?
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closed as off topic by John Smithers, Alenanno, Takkat♦, Em1, bernd_k Feb 3 '12 at 22:23
Questions on German Language Stack Exchange are expected to relate to German language within the scope defined by the community. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about reopening questions here.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Why do you have to stick with one book, if it's already pretty much worked through? While repetitio est mater studiorum as the Latin guy would say, it can become pretty boring for the students.
And on a second note, language is very much about talking. It reminds me of having Russian at school and we learned spelling and grammar without end, but we didn't learn talking, which is pretty sad. So I would recommend to let them talk - and by talk I don't mean artificial conversations following a template, but talk freely, even if it's full of mistakes.


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LOVINSKI, Frank, 70, died suddenly at his home in Wintersville, OH, on October 31, 2012.
He was born in Wheeling, WV, to John and Laura Lovinski. He was educated at Wheeling Central, West Liberty and WVU. He stared his journalism career as a sports reporter but rose quickly through the ranks to become a newsroom executive in MD, OH, NY and MI. He retired in 1997 as managing editor of the Detroit News. Frank was an avid reader, traveler, photographer, artist, sports fan and birder who loved the outdoors. He would journey any distance (often with unsuspecting family members) to find rare birds, see natural wonders, take in a minor sports event, visit a lesser-known historic landmark or just to try a new beer. He took copious photographs of his adventures, his family and his wife's garden. Nearly every day he shared news articles, his photos, enthusiastic political opinions and bad jokes with appreciative family and friends. Long before the Internet, Frank utilized his journalistic skills to uncover his family's roots dating back to 1771.
In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his brother, John Jr. and a son, Paul. He is survived by his wife, Claire Lupinetti Lovinski; his son, Gregory (Noel) Lovinski of Kent, OH; his daughters, Paula Lovinski MD of Bedford, NH, and Bethany Lovinski of Denver, CO; and his grandchildren Theodore, Sophia and Claire. Also surviving are his siblings, Barbara (Tom) Weiskircher, Chuck (Trudi) Lovinski and very special in-laws Mary Louise Diefenbach and Jim Lupinetti; great aunts Dora McDermott, Virginia Diserio; and sister-in-law Maureen Lovinski.
Article Photos
Friends may call at Dunlope-Shorac Funeral Home, 215 Fernwood Road, Wintersville, OH, on Sunday from 2-6 p.m. and Monday from 10 a.m. until time of services at 11 a.m. with Father Steven McKeown, Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders.
Offer condolences at www.shorac.com


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Is "ought to" still used in modern English? If yes, in what contexts is it used, and is it used more in formal or informal cases?
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Yes, it is. Quite a bit, in fact.
That's an interesting question, because it turns out that ought can sometimes be quite formal, but it can sometimes be quite informal. It just depends how it's used. Here are two examples from opposite ends of that register spectrum:
The simple answer to your question is that ought gets used all the time, in all registers and speakers. It's a perfectly normal word for expressing either obligation or probability. It is one of the lighter in strength of several nuanced alternatives in this list:
Whether the first or the second of those is the stronger in obligation depends on the speaker, but I have ordered them according to my own somewhat nebulous perception of increasing strength.
Like its close cousin should, modal ought also has a second sense having nothing to do with obligation, but only of possibility / probability / likelihood:
Those four are all about likelihood or probability, not obligation. The speaker believes it varyingly possible, or even probable, that they will have enough by then.
"Ought to" is so commonly used that you'll sometimes see it written as "outta", "oughta", or "oughtta" by writers attempting to write in dialect, such as "Hey Mack, ya really outta getcherself a new broad!"
Ought works mostly like a modal auxiliary, no more admitting words like do, had, or will to the verb phrase than one involving should would. That's because, per the OED, "as an auxiliary of predication it has become indefinite as to time." These are therefore all ungrammatical in standard English:
Although some of those do occur in some speakers, they are considered highly non-standard, and would convey a very strong rustic or unlettered tone to any character in whose mouth you put such words. Indeed, the OED even goes so far as to label "did ought" as dialectic, colloquial, and vulgar, which is about as harsh a condemnation as it ever makes. Here's one of its citations for this sort of "vulgarity" (in the classical sense :):
Obviously that speaker has other markers of education or station, such as the non-standard "I done", reinforcing the picture we are to have of them.
In contrast, speakers who naturally use double modals (like "might should") will do the same with ought, forming such constructs as might ought to. Since these are not ungrammatical in those speakers, constructions such as this one become possible: "You might ought to do something about that tire." In contrast to the previous example, this one sounds merely folksy to my hear, not ungrammatical.
In my own particular flavor of English, whenever ought is used in the negative, the to particle in front of the following infinitive is always suppressed, making it in form just like the modal shouldn't:
In the same way, for me the to is also suppressed when used in question inversion, although question inversion with ought sounds rather formal, perhaps even stuffy:
I can't imagine it gets used much in first-person singular, perhaps because there are plenty of alternatives that come more readily to the tongue:
In this regard of suppressing a following to under negation or inversion, modal ought behaves like modal need, which is also somewhat more formal-sounding:
From a purely syntactic viewpoint, you can swap in ought for need in both examples above without changing anything else. Regarding to-suppression, the Wiktionary entry for ought has this in its usage notes:
I do not know the geographic distribution of the to-suppression portions of Anglophonia, but it has been suggested that there are British speakers who require the to and American speakers who forbid it. If so, it may be that this is another one of those many forms of speech prevalent during colonization that wound up better preserved abroad than in Britain itself. Certainly there are plenty of citations of to-suppression in English literature from the 16th through the 19th centuries; here are a few from the OED:
To my ear, the Milton and the Browning sound archaic, having to-suppression in the positive, but those in the negative sound normal (as least insofar as the ought use is concerned). I don't know why suppressing the to particle sounds slightly archaic when in the positive, but not at all so in the negative or under inversion, but it does.
The only completely obsolete use of ought that I am aware of is using it as the simple past tense of to owe. This is a non-modal use and so is subject to inflexions. The OED lists examples of oughteth, oughted, oughting, and says that all such use is either obsolete or dialectic, allowing for an apparently non-obsolete Scots use such as:
Or is that now also obsolete even in Scotland? I don't know whether there are any Scots who might still say such a thing; perhaps so. But the rest of us would say "We owed him" there.
It is always interesting to read what individual native speakers of different English dialects think of this or that word or construction. However, even an educated native speaker with some background in linguistics can share his or her opinion that does not necessarily coincide with observable general trends/rules. To answer a question like this, one needs to do some research.
Incidentally, the Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English is the bible for anyone who is seriously interested in descriptive English grammar. Obviously, it takes a bit longer to produce such a work than googling.
Now about the marginal modal "ought to". Unsurprisingly, it is pretty rare (breaking news!). It is not among the nine most frequent modal verbs (will, would, can, could, may, should, must, might, and shall). The verb "ought to" is (generally) so rare compared with other modal verbs that the authors of LGSWE decided to exclude it from most figures and even discussion in their grammar. That's why Geoffrey Leech said that
Here are two illustrative tables from Leech 2003:
Written English
Spoken English
There is nothing surprising in these tables (i.e. that "ought" has been on the decline). Linguists have known this for at least fifty years. The general consensus among linguists is that "ought" is falling out of use (Cappelle and Desutter 2010, Collins 2009, Myhill 1997, among many, many others). In fact, I don't know of any linguist who would argue the opposite.
Martin Harris (in Harris 1986) shares a funny story about how his two teenage sons, "speakers of educated standard British English", "informed" him that ought is "an old word", used by people like him, meaning should (p. 347). That was in England in the 1980s.
In any natural language, there is a lot of variation. Some native speakers use "should" instead of "ought" in questions and negative sentences, some say things like "did we ought to leave so soon". Some native speakers say "oughtn't to open"; some, esp. in the US, say "oughtn't open", and some prefer "didn't ought to open". Some people think that "ought" should be used in cases when your judgment is based on external rules, like social conventions or institutions, as opposed to "should" used for the moral judgment stemming from the speaker's/writer's own personal criteria (Bouscaren et al. 1992). Some don't.
DeCapua 2008 argues that "use and choice of modals also vary somewhat regionally across the United States. In some areas, for instance, ought to occurs more frequently than in others [emphasis mine - Alex B.]" (p. 233).
However, we can observe general, supra-dialectal trends:
The authors of the MW Dictionary of English Usage, "the finest work of scholarship on English grammar and usage I have ever seen" (Geoffrey Pullum), mention that oughtn't is regionally limited in the US, "being found most commonly in Midland and Southern areas of the Atlantic Seaboard and in parts of the Northern Midland area." They also argue, based on thorough research, that oughtn't has "somewhat limited use in writing, mostly in reported speech or light prose."
Incidentally, Pam Peter's Guide is well-written and based on current linguistic research. David Crystal calls it "a reliable style guide."
Now, this is what Pam Peters actually wrote in the Cambridge Guide:
Other answers have mostly finished off your questions about contexts where ought to is used, and whether it's used more in formal or informal cases. Peter Shor, Alex B, and tchrist mention the regional form didn't ought to. Tchrist also mentions hadn't ought and might ought to, and notes that the OED says did ought is dialectic, colloquial, and vulgar.
Should ought to is another form sometimes seen (ref. ngrams). In transcriptions it's often rendered as should oughta or more tersely. Here's a should ought to of example, ca. 1914-1919, from You Know Me Al, by Ring Lardner. It represents colloquial or untutored midwestern US letter-writing of the time, perhaps exaggerated:
On page 354 of Modality in Contemporary English, S. J. Nagle comments on linguistics issues raised by should ought to, might should ought to, might should better, etc., apparently discussing whether these fall within some double- or multiple-modals system or instead are anarchic.
Pam Peters writes in The Cambridge Guide to English Usage (2004):
Use ought to when you wish to emphasize that:
I think ought to is slightly more formal but only in the very nature that it adds emphasis without invoking vulgarity, and that's usually formal.
Here is an example,


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We're coming back to Montreal on Saturday, July 26 for another round of bands and bonfires. This year's event will bring together Montreal rockers SOLIDS, The Besnard Lakes, and a very special solo performance by Mac DeMarco, all right in the city of Montreal at the Ilot Charlevoix du Canal Lachine.
The event is 18+ and you MUST RSVP to attend. All you need to do to RSVP is click right here.


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I'm trying to load a simple gml file with openlayers, but it doesn't load.
Pretty sure it's a simple issue, but I figure out what's wrong.
Thanks in advance, Pedro
var meu = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector("States", {
protocol: new OpenLayers.Protocol.HTTP({
url: "teste.GML",
format: new OpenLayers.Format.GML()
strategies: [new OpenLayers.Strategy.Fixed()],
Tried firefox and safari in mac os and firefox in linux


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Event Information
Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, University Carillonneur
Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, Grand Valley's University Carillonneur Julianne Vanden Wyngaard is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She began her musical study at age 4 and continued at the Eastman School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Michgian State University. She was a noted concert pianist when she joined the faculty at Grand Valley State University in 1967 where her work included piano studio teaching and management of the Arts at Noon Series. She served the department as chair for 12 years and completed her full-time work as associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2005.
Vanden Wyngaard began her carillon study in 1994 and was accepted as a student at the Netherlands Cairllon School in Amersfoort where she studied with Todd Fair and Bernard Winsemius. In 1999 she qualified as a carillonneur member of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and received the first diploma in 2000 from the NCS in Amersfoort. Since that time, she has been the principal performer on the two carillons at GVSU.
Open to the public. Free admission. This concert will take place rain or shine. For more information, please call (616) 331-3484 or visit http://www.gvsu.edu/music
Professor Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, (616) 331-3484
This event also occurred on 6/29/2014


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What is the difference between "manchot" and "pingouin" and are they both translated to English as penguin?
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The "manchots", or "penguins" in English, are birds who live in the Antarctic, in the southern hemisphere. They can't run nor fly, but they move quickly by sliding on the ice (as seen in cartoons); and they can cover quite a lot of distance by walking. They use their wings in order to swim underwater. Greater species (as the Emperor penguin on the following picture) can be up to 1.20 m in length.
The "pingouins ", or "auks" in English, live in the northern hemisphere (mostly in coastal regions of temperate to arctic climate). They can fly and don't measure more than 40 cm. Great auks, an extinct species, could measure up to 75 cm (the great auk was flightless).
Both are kinds of birds (the penguin feathers are adapted for thermal isolation and floatability, but they are nonetheless feathers, and there is no doubt that the penguin is a 100% genuine bird).
(Mainly from)
From Wikipédia
= In several languages, there are different words for the two species of pingouin. Therefore, this noun has no exact translation. In English, "Great Auk" stands for the grand pingouin, "auk" being a generic term standing for all the alcidae. The petit pingouin is called razorbill.


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Seasonal sweaters: Wear them in the right spirit
The good, the bad, the kitschy. A "seasonal sweater" is one way to start a conversation at a holiday function. It's a look that can mean all sorts of things: sequins, bows, Fair Isle patterns, bunny rabbits and bird motifs, or even antlers. There's a fine line between a good seasonal sweater and a good one gone bad.


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A comparative question states:
One side of rectangle is the diameter of a circle. The opposite side of rectangle is tangent to the circle.Which is bigger a)The perimeter of rectangle or b)The circumference of the circle (Ans=$b$)
Now I know a tangent is perpendicular to the circle. However I can't figure the rest out.How did the text conclude that a) is bigger?


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Back-to-Nature Books for Independent Readers
Think DIARY OF A WORM meets OLIVIA....
Introducing Prunella--an irresistibly irrepressible, independent, bug-loving little girl, sure to create quite a buzz!
American prose stylist E.B. White presents one of the best-loved stories of all time. And a heartwarming portrait of one of the best-loved pigs of all time.
Having been turned into a frog by a hag, a frog-prince makes the best of his new life as he mates, raises a family, and instills a new kind of thinking into his frog family.
After the sudden death of her parents in India, Mary Lennox is sent 'home' to England, and the Yorkshire estate of a distant relative. Sad and lonely, her only interest lies in a secret garden, abandoned after a tragic accident.
Spring has come to sleepy Hamlet, Vermont, and trouble is in the air. The students in Miss Earth's class are supposed to be concentrating on the charity egg hunt, but instead they're fighting with each other. The hunt is a near disaster.
When Mole and Rat visit Badger in the Wild Wood, they tell Badger about Toad's problem with buying and smashing up cars. After Badger decides the friends must lock Toad in his room, an adventure begins for Toad that should change his ways for sure.
Stunning picture sequences zoom in even closer revealing the metamorphosis of a butterfly, how a spider spins its web, and a wasp community building their nest.
Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker in a stunning new format.
Renowned naturalist and author of children's books on wildlife successfully blends information and entertainment in his book about birds, among them saucy Jenny Wren, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, Creaker the Purple Grackle, Downy the Woodpecker, and other feathered friends. Th
"Fun With Nature" helps kids discover the incredible world in their backyards.
Plant a pumpkinseed with a child, and cultivate wonder. This simple act of reconnecting with children with nature is Sharon Lovejoy's purpose and joy and gift.
Another lovely book in which the artist-naturalist shares his pleasure in sketching the world around him.


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I want to speed up calculations with unit conversions. I suspect primarily that some units evaluate from Wolfram|Alpha. Any way to prevent this automatically, so that Mathematica throws errors/warnings instead of grabbing units from Wolfram|Alpha?
If you don't want Mathematica to use Wolfram | Alpha for correcting incorrect units, you can just set
A properly formatted
should run with or without internet connectivity. In contrast,
will attempt to contact WA servers in an attempt to correct the malformed
I have found it efficient to enter expressions with units using the "Inline free-form input", and then clicking the InputForm (the bottom line) to replace the entered text with a canonical input form. This gives me an easy-to-read notebook that computes without internet connectivity, at the expense of a mouse click when entering units, and a slight delay when moving away (with right-arrow) from the box.
The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl-= by default, I had to remap to Ctrl-+ to fit my Norwegian layout, by editing
as described here
I gave up trying to use Quantity and the units package in version 9 because of the drop in speed and the clumsy way of incorporating units that makes long expressions difficult to read. I have therefore stuck with Jon McLoone's package that works very well. It can found at http://blog.wolfram.com/2010/12/09/automatic-physical-units-in-mathematica/#comments


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What is the appropriate word or phrase which means the internet name of a person. I mean the nickname that a person uses in almost all places on the internet like blog, IRC, forums, mailing lists etc.
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There are various terms for this. Once upon a time, "screen name" would likely have been the most common.
However, it seems to me that this convention has been driven by the most pervasive websites. So, with Facebook et al's move toward encouraging the use of real names, "screen name" seems much less common (phrases such as "nickname" appear to be used now by these sites).
However, I have always thought of aliases used online as being just that (which may be why Google+ includes an option to add "aliases" to one's profile now). As a result, I have tended towards the more general term "handle" which was apparently derived from CB Radio operators and then later popularized in use by Bulletin-board systems.
As @DoubleDouble (and others) suggested, the terms "username" and "profile name" might also have some relevance. I chose not to include these in my suggestion on the grounds that they often mean something different than what I believe the OP is asking for.
Often times, the "username" refers specifically to the account itself rather than what will appear to other people online. A perfect example would be how Steam handles its accounts. When you create an account you specify a username (which you use to log in) and a "display name" (another perfectly valid answer to the OP's question). No one ever actually sees your username. Of course, not all services work this way, but many do.
"Profile name" seems more relevant to me than "username," however it feels focused on a particular profile rather than the person's general persona.
I guess screen-name is appropriate:
Pseudonym has meanings beyond the web, but is just as applicable to usage online as off. It's also generally more appropriate to both formal writing, and writing for non-technical audiences. It's a bit more widely understood than the alternatives, being several hundred years older and more established in the language.
(Screen Name and Handle are, as already mentioned, also both perfectly accurate and appropriate, and a bit more specific to digital interaction.)
I suggest 'Internet handle' (but having said that, Fathima's screen name is a well-established term, as a Google search will quickly show).
Nickname is the appropriate word because it is a common synonym of screenname in computing. It is used outside the internet but it became a common word in this context.
Nick (short of nickname), on the other hand, is mostly used in technical contexts.
I have often seen "alias" used in this way in describing what someone is called on an Internet community.
A moniker or handle would be an appropriate word for internet name.
According to the the canonical reference for all things hackish, it's handle, nick, or screen name.
I personally use "Alias" to reference an online user's name. It's similar to nickname, but the context is clearer that it's a false name.
Another discussion is here http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2216027
'username' seems to be acknowledged as indicative without accompanying baggage.
Handle, alias, username, nickname and screen-name are all ones that have been mentioned that I would consider.
One I haven't seen mentioned yet is: Persona
I use "moniker" and I've found that usage to be quite common in the tech world, although it is referred to as slang:
(I know this choice was already mentioned, but without sourcing it. I use it regularly and it immediately came to mind when I saw the question, so I sourced it.)
Why not, "alter ego"? It may be rather high-toned but in my opinion it matches the use of a nickname, especially used on the internet where the anonymity is valued.
I'm interested in opinions that oppose mine though :)
It depends on your audience, but I've always liked the phrase nom de guerre.
protected by tchrist Jul 29 '14 at 17:12
Thank you for your interest in this question.
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adidas Crazy Light 2 Kids' Basketball Shoes
Buy Online & Pick Up In-Store
The adidas Crazy Light 2 Kids' Basketball Shoes weigh just 9.5 ounces, making them the lightest basketball shoe currently on the market. The lightweight shoes feature an enlarged asymmetrical sprintframe for superior motion control. You'll feel the support with more volume in the midsole, and the three-layer sprintweb gives you more strength.


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Camp Nightstand, Chestnut
- Overview
An American classic, our Camp Nighstand combines the charm and strength of plank furniture with fun, colorful style.
- 19.5" wide x 18" deep x 26" high
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- Our exclusive finishes are applied by hand for exceptional richness, durability and depth of color.
- Wood swatches, below, are available for $20 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
- View and compare all available finishes at Furniture Finish Guide.
- Dimensions & Care
- Rigorously tested to meet or exceed the highest industry safety standards.
- Masterfully crafted from solid wood, wood veneers and MDF, an engineered wood that lends exceptional strength and ensures that the nightstand will endure over time.
- The use of veneers results in high-quality furniture with flawless surfaces and consistent color tones.
- Drawer features English dovetail joinery, and waxed wooden glides, which ensure smooth motion. Sturdy half-moon safety stops keep drawers securely in place.
- Our finishes were developed exclusively for Pottery Barn Kids. Artisans lightly sand our Weathered Navy finish to reveal darker hues below. Our rich Espresso finish in layers for exceptional depth of color. Rustic Sun Valley pieces begin with a dry-brush technique that mottles the color while it's still wet to reveal the wood's textural grain. Once dry, the surface is subtly distressed for the special warmth and rich patina of a treasured heirloom. All finishes in the same color family are designed to coordinate with one another. For example, Rustic Sun Valley Honey, Sun Valley Honey and Honey all look great together in one room.
- Get tips on how to measure for furniture.
- Overall: 19.5" wide x 18" deep x 26" high
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- Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
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This is a general shipping item.
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Return Policy
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
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International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.


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I want to send a few
Plots and regular
plots to my advisor in a notebook. I typically
Import data into my notebook to generate plots but when I open my file on a new computer, the regular
Plots stay but the
Manipulate ones are dead, until I
Import the data again. Is there any way I can keep the data inside the notebook so when he "enables dynamic" to open the notebook on his computer, that the
plots become active, just the way the data in regular
plots are not lost ?
I want to send a few
Try the below code. Execute, then save the notebook it is in. Kill the kernel with
You could use the
Alternatively, you could store the data in a separate initialization cell. That is create a cell like so:
And create (anywhere in the notebook) a separate initialization cell like so:
Note that this initialization could contain the pre-downloaded data, rather than an import type command. The important issue is that it's cell properties be set to be an initialization cell.


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After reading some threads here on PP.SE, I've encountered that a lot of people seem to be more motivated and focused in the late evening/night to do challenging and work-intense tasks.
Interestingly, it's the exact opposite for me. In the morning I easily get in the 'flow' of doing something and forget about everything else that's going on around me, while later in the day I have problems to get motivated and stay focused on the tasks that actually need to be done. This is not an issue of fatigue, even if I sleep late and do no work till 5PM I'm facing the same issues.
Do you have any techniques to overcome such daytime-related problems, if you prefer to work late at night, what do you do to be productive in the morning? If you prefer working early like me, what helps you to stay motivated in the evening?


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The recent paper On the Erdos distinct distance problem in the plane Authors: Larry Guth, Nets Hawk Katz prodded me to get a non-trivial example. Here is what I cannot find: an example of 12 distinct points in the plane with only 5 different distances between points. The regular 12-polygon has 6 different lengths but I cannot do better. http://oeis.org/A186704 implies that there is one>
I wish I could get images to work, but here goes my poor explanation:
Take a regular hexagonal lattice with distance 1 between nearest neighbors, and choose a 15-point equilateral triangle in this lattice (15 is a triangular number). Remove the 3 verticies of the triangle. You'll be left with 12 points and 5 distinct distances.
edit: just checked the OEIS reference, and it's available on google books. The picture you want is on page 200 at http://books.google.com/books?id=cT7TB20y3A8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Research+Problems+in+Discrete+Geometry&source=bl&ots=amqJ7zFfB4&sig=U99_5spjO8UIwbehycahkz6M2yg&hl=en&ei=Hql6TeyFKpDrrAHm7bzCBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false
If I may supplement Logan Maingi's apposite answer with a snapshot of the page to which he refers:


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Is there a way to run a script when a particular USB device is mounted?
I keep my videos on a separate USB and would like to run a script that would mount the video folder on the USB device to the one in the home folder.
Start by finding your device in
Create a new udev rules file in
Note how I used the ID from
Then you just need to write the script to do the work. A simple mount command should work. You might need a
Addition from Allan: Long running scripts might block "all further events for this or a dependent device". My Mint man page further states "Long running tasks need to be immediately detached from the event process itself." No tip is given on where to gain the skill to do this.
Reply from Oli: Wrap it like so: http://askubuntu.com/a/106359/449
Another way to get the values for ATTRS{idVendor} and ATTRS{idProduct} (tested in Ubuntu 12.04) is:
There's much nicer solution with systemd now. You create a service which depends and is wanted by you media e.g.:
Then you have to start the service:
After mount systemd fires your trigger script. The advantage over udev rule is that the script really fires after mount, not after adding system device.
Resource: Scripting with udev
Note: You can find your device unit with:
In Nautilus under Edit>Preferences>Media you can choose "other action" and than "costum command". for different kind of media to be executed. By that time the usb drive is already mounted, but I suppose you could still link it (with a costum command) to the folder you want the drive to appear in. I couldn't tell whether this is easier or better than using udev.
If you don't want to interfere with your filemanager (nautilus, konquerer, gnome, etc) 's control over mounting and unmounting your device, I suggest not going the udev route.
Instead, use udisks-glue if your system uses udisks (almost all do).
After installing, just create a config file
My following example updates GPS-Assist data on my camera everytime I plug in the SD-card.
Afterward just make sure udisks-glue starts when you boot or log-in. I.e. via gnome's startup applications


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Palladino: Why is Nonnewaug in Class LL?
In an attempt to create competitive state basketball tournaments, the CIAC has labored long and hard to fairly distribute teams throughout its four size classifications, LL, L, M, and S.
In the early days of tournament play, the CIAC held seed meetings behind closed doors, similar to what the NCAA does today. Later, teams were grouped by enrollment. The tournament used a power alignment for a time in an effort to move the best teams into a talent-packed top division.
For 2014, we try something new. A "success in tournament" formula, applied only to schools of choice, moves teams into more — it is presumed — competitive brackets.
A school of choice is defined as a private or parochial school, or a magnet or vo-ag school, which can attract students from many communities. If you can go outside your district for students, then, one might infer, you can bring in students of athletic distinction as well.
The plan is simple. This is how the CIAC explains it in the tournament handbook:
"Success in tournament" is defined as having reached the quarterfinals in at least two of the last three years.
Any school that was in the
See CHIEFS, Page 6B
quarterfinals two of the last three years will move up one division. Any school that was in the quarterfinals three of the last three years will move up two divisions. No team will move more than two divisions.
Here are the teams moving up in 2014, with their original class in parentheses:
Class LL: Hillhouse (L), New London (L). (Hillhouse requested to play in Class LL.)
Class L: Kolbe (S), Capital Prep (S), Classical Magnet (S), Ledyard (M), Career (S), Trinity Catholic (S), St. Joseph (M), Kaynor Tech (M).
Class M: St. Paul (S), Notre Dame-Fairfield (S), Weaver (S), Northwest Catholic (S).
Class LL: Lauralton Hall (L), Career (M), E.O. Smith (L), Nonnewaug (M).
Class L: Capital Prep (S), Weaver (S), Northwest Catholic (M).
Class M: Kolbe Cathedral (S), Cheney Tech (S), Hyde (S).
To clear up a few points, you do see public high schools sprinkled in amongst the private and parochial. That is because some schools, New London, for example, are magnet schools.
Most certainly you noticed the Nonnewaug girls were bumped from Class M to Class LL. It is a classic case of absurd CIAC efficiency.
The reason for this new formula is to get the Careers and Classicals and Trinity Catholics out of Class S so that true small schools have a chance to win something. But in the process, other schools, such as Nonnewaug, get a ridiculous boot in the pants.
Though its enrollment of 452 would seem to put it in Class M, Nonnewaug was informed by the CIAC that it actually belongs in Class L, said coach Adam Brutting. As a vo-ag school that reached the Class M quarterfinals the past two seasons, it then gets the boot up to LL. That is a painful kick up the ladder.
The CIAC said Friday it is reviewing Nonnewaug's placement in Class LL.
There are no easy answers to these tourney questions. There are schools out there that simply cannot stop amassing talent, so it is left for the CIAC to try to make it fair for everyone else, somehow.
Will the new plan work? It will probably be as efficient as all past tournament plans, which means we'll grouse about it in the spring.
We are sure of only one thing: 11 weeks from now, me, you and everyone will wonder why in the heck the Sacred Heart boys were in the Class S state tournament.
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I am using the fact that $X$ and $Y$ are independent if and only if $f_X(x)f_Y(y)=f(x,y)$. So I have
$$f_{X} (x)=\int_{0}^{1}f(x,y)dy\\=\int_{0}^{1}x+ydy\\=[xy+\frac{y^{2}}{2}]_{y=0}^{y=1}\\=x+\frac{1}{2}$$
and by basically exactly the same math, $f_Y(y)=y+\frac{1}{2}$. Then $$f_X(x)f_y(y)=(x+\frac{1}{2})(y+\frac{1}{2})=xy+\frac{1}{2}(x+y)+\frac{1}{4}\ne f(x,y)$$
And hence they are not independent. But can that be right? Why would the value of X have anything to do with the value of Y? It's not like one is a function of the other.
Or have I made a simple mistake? I looked through a couple of times and I'm pretty sure my math is right...


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BELTON (October 4, 2012)—It took jurors less than an hour Wednesday afternoon to convict a Temple man of assaulting a Temple police officer and Jeffrey Kindred returns to court today while jurors consider his punishment.
Punishment testimony begins at 8:30 a.m. in 416th District Court for Kindred, 40, who prosecutors shot at a Temple police officer with the officer's own weapon.
Kindred was found guilty late Wednesday afternoon of attempting to shoot Temple police Officer Wesley Carr with Carr's own .40-caliber Glock service weapon after Carr tried to apprehend Kindred following a chase.
Carr and another officer were treated for injuries after the incident, as was Kindred.
The incident happened on April 15 after police got a call from a convenience store clerk who reported a man had stolen cigarettes from the store, then left after buying gasoline.
Store clerk Christine Smith told officers when they arrived she had recognized the man and she described the vehicle he left in.
Police later spotted the vehicle headed north in the 2800 block of South MLK Drive and stopped it in the 1600 block of South 24th Street on the railroad overpass.
After identifying the driver, who gave officers a false name, police determined he was named in an arrest warrant charging escape, but when they challenged the man about his identity, he ran, jumping over the guardrail and heading down a steep embankment to a wooded area about 50 yards away.
One officer gave chase while the second stayed with the woman who was a passenger in the vehicle.
The officer caught up with the man in the tree line and what police described Monday as a prolonged struggle ensued as he attempted to handcuff the suspect.
"As the struggle continued, the suspect began to actively assault the officer and was able to remove the officer's issued duty weapon from its holster and bring it up toward the officer's head," police said in a statement released at the time.
The officer pushed the gun away just as the man pulled the trigger and the shot went into the ground.
A second shot was fired as the two continued to struggle, and it also missed the officer.
Meanwhile the second officer, who heard the struggle and the shots, ran to assist.
He and other officers who arrived to help were able to disarm the suspect who was subdued and handcuffed.
Kindred was taken by ambulance to Scott & White Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries to the face and upper body.
After treatment, he was taken to the Bell County Jail.
The first officer was bitten in the arm and suffered a broken finger in the struggle with the suspect and he and the second officer also suffered scratches and abrasions from thorns.
They were also treated at Scott & White.


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Let $P(m,n)$ mean that there is a number, $M$, such that starting with $M$ there are $m$ consecutive numbers each having exactly $n$ distinct prime factors. Is it obvious that $P(m,n)$ is true for all $m$ and $n$? My gut says "obviously" and $P(4,4)$ and $P(5,5)$ are definitely true (for 134043 and 129963314 respectively). It seems like some sort of pigeonhole proof based on the number of factors available might work, but upon reflection, I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm missing something obvious.
P(4,1) is true because of 2,3,4,5 but I strongly doubt that P(5,1) is true. Indeed P(4,1) is only true that once and even P(3,1) happens for the last time at 7,8,9. Of any 210 consecutive integers one is divisible by 2,3,5,7 so P(210,3) fails. I'm sure that can be improved. It does generalize .
As noted in the comments, there are two cases (at least) of 8 consecutive integers each with two distinct prime factors and 12 can be ruled out. Actually it seems extremely unlikely that there are any cases of 9, let alone 10 or 11: Such a run of 9 would have to include 7 integers $3(a-1),2(b-1),*,2^i3^j,*,2(b+1),3(a+1)$ where $a\pm1=2^{i}3^{j-1}\pm1$ and $b\pm1=2^{i-1}3^{j}\pm1$ are two pairs of twin primes (or merely twin prime powers). I would expect only finitely many cases where $2^u3^v\pm1$ are both prime powers (I find 35 such up to $10^{50}$ with $u,v \ge 1$, let alone getting two such pairs as above ( I find 4 cases, 36,144,216 and $2^{33}3^9$.) This leaves out the requirements that we would also need $2^{i}3^{j}\pm1$ to each have two distinct prime factors (ruling out the smallest and largest) and have at least one of $2^{i}3^{j}\pm4$ to be 4 times a prime power, and more.
Tony Forbes' paper (and its references) is a good place to start.
Fifteen Consecutive Integers with Exactly Four Prime Factors
Check out the related question Happy New Prime Year! . I have some code posted there which tracks constant sequences as well as increasing and decreasing sequences. (Check out 2302 to 2308.)
A comment made by someone else and then deleted contained the observation that multiples m of the nth primorial had s(m) >= n, so that runs of values less than n must have length less than the nth primorial. Also, if you look at multiples of 6, you get that s(m)=2 for at most 11 consecutive values instead of at most 29, so there is room for improvement in the upper bound to such lengths.
Gerhard "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle for Rep" Paseman, 2011.01.18
It would be interesting to know what generalization might be true about the starting numbers of such sequence, or at least the smallest such.
For instance, $P(7,2)$ and $P(8,2)$ are both true at 141 (and 212), so the smallest such number for only 7 is 323. The next smallest is 2302 (also for 7 only), and there are no others under a million.
Sorry for putting this in an 'answer'; it seems odd to me that one needs additional rep to put in a comment. Though I think that bounds on such numbers would be quite interesting.


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So I'm getting back into Eve-Online after a hiatus. My sec status is low as a result of my previous activities, so entering high-sec gets me shot at by the NPCs. I'd like to raise my sec status, as I want to get into a different aspect of the game than I was in before. What is the best way to rapidly raise sec status? Grinding rats in low-sec? 0.0? Are there still areas of 0.0 that are not "NBSI" that might be safe(r) to rat in?
The best thing to do is go to 0.0 to get the best gains, i've done this many times. You also need to train the 'Fast Talk' skill to get better gains for killing npcs.
Because there is a sec raise timer every time you kill something this means that you can only gain a sec raise every 15 minutes in one system, that is why you move between them.
Now you're wondering why you kill only battleships and leave the other smaller ships? This is because leaving the others make battleships spawn faster so there is always something to kill or else you can wipe out whole systems of rats before they re-spawn. Also if when doing this you notice that the rats are taking ages to spawn, there will probably be an officer npc spawn which when killed gives very valuable drops.
Doing this method took about a week (5 to 6 hrs a day) to go from -10.0 to -1.8. I did it in a Drake and used about 20,000 heavy missiles.
NOTE: when in 0.0 be on guard, people will try and kill you!
Your highest sec boost comes from killing a single pirate BS. So what I did to raise my status at one point is to get a set of systems. Warp to a belt, kill 1 BS, jump to the next system, kill 1 BS, etc.
The rather experienced team-mate I was with said the first BS kill in the system nets you the most sec gain. And I think from there the timer resets every so often. So if you get a set of 5 systems and just bounce around them, it's not too bad.
That being said, it's not too much worse to just kill all the rats and get the extra isk as well.
As others have said best way to do sec stat, at least with concord, is low sec rats. If your'e looking for a safer alternative, lvl4 missions against pirate factions work to a lesser extent, and with enough of them it'll help your status with that faction as well once you get some storylines.


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5 Insane Jobs People Had to Do Before Modern Technology
Before this wondrous age of iPhones, wireless Internet, and teledildonics, the jobs that are now accomplished by sexy, tireless machines were once filled by soft and meaty human beings. Sure, some obscure part of your brain might remember that distant and fantastical time when humans once sewed garments and assembled cars, but you probably had no idea about ...
#5. Human Radar
During World War I, before radar technology was invented, nations had a hell of a problem on their hands. Because planes had been invented, bombing raids could blast your city into a crater on any given morning before you even got to your coffee. The inconsiderate bastards. Detecting incoming aircraft before they started dropping bombs was obviously extremely important. The solution they came up with was this:
via Museum of Retro Technology
A fashion war crime, according to the Treaty of Versailles.
Trained personnel were equipped with these goofy-looking robo-Dumbo ears to literally listen for the engines of incoming aircraft. The idea was that sound from the aircraft would bounce off the comically oversized "sound mirrors" and amplify enough that it could be picked up by human ears. Apparently it worked, because nations all over the world used variations on the same concept. The above image was a Dutch design, while in Germany they were using these steampunk Mouseketeer hats:
via Museum of Retro Technology
And the British, apparently the only nation that even tried not to look ridiculous, came up with these:
via Museum of Retro Technology
Useful as well for hearing people laugh at you from far away.
This "acoustic radar" technology did have its limitations -- it worked only on slow-moving aircraft, and there was often difficulty distinguishing between planes and boats -- but it was better than nothing. The concept naturally went out of vogue when radar was invented and military personnel decided that they wanted their dignity back. But just because it's funny, here's a Czech fellow suited up in his country's design of choice:
via Museum of Retro Technology
"Step right, up! Hit one dish and watch the man twirl!"
#4. Log Drivers
Back in the early to mid-1800s, lumberjacking was an even more ridiculously manly job than it is today, owing to the fact that there weren't any trucks or trains to cart all those tree trunks away from the forest to the sawmill. It's true that they had horses and oxen, but how long do you think the poor beasts would last if you had them pulling multi-ton logs across the county nonstop? That's just inhumane. Better to give that job to humans. (Hey, "human" is like 83 percent of the word "humane"!) Lumberjacks frequently employed the services of log drivers, or "river pigs," as they were affectionately known.
via Bangor Daily News
Call one a river pig and he'd playfully hit you with his stick.
See, even the heaviest logs can be floated along a river, and that was by far the easiest way to get them from A to B. But seeing as wood has a lousy sense of direction, it tends to run aground when left to its own devices. The log driver's job was to literally ride the logs along the river like an even more poverty stricken Huckleberry Finn.
Some rode ahead to clear a path, some had to stay back and find lost logs that had drifted away from the herd, and others were tasked with clearing up jams. The one thing they all had in common: balancing on some wood with a big pole and looking really awkward in the middle of a river.
Minnesota Historical Society
And when the log started spinnin', it was time to start swimmin'.
That actually sounds pretty fun. People do that for recreation today, but with an inner tube instead of a log. But no, being a "river pig" was not a cakewalk: Working from dawn to dusk, the log drivers fought off pneumonia and broken limbs to herd logs like cattle along miles of river. Because logs don't usually make for the most seaworthy vessels, the workers faced the ever-present threat of falling into the water and having an impenetrable log tomb seal over their heads. Because it was so dangerous, log drivers were generally paid up to $2 a day, which was almost twice the wages of normal lumberjacks. It's odd, then, that we remember the old-timey lumberjack and not his aquatic cousin. But we suppose "I'm a river pig and I'm OK" just isn't as catchy.
#3. Professional Newspaper Readers
Burgert Brothers. Burgert's Studio
Before automation, cigars, like most products, were made one way: individually, by hand, in a South American sweatshop. Some are still made that way, of course, but now you pay a premium for that kind of artisanal exploitation. Back in the early 20th century, cigar factory workers could entertain themselves only through the power of conversation. The problem is that there is a finite amount of conversation topics in existence before one inevitably has to fall back on the dreaded "Sports, huh?" Needless to say, the job got boring very quickly.
Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Lung disease was a blessing because at least it livened things up.
In an attempt to keep the workers from truly understanding what Sartre meant by "hell is other people," the profession of "lector" came into being. Originating in Cuba, the job of the lector was to read aloud ... and that was it. Before the invention of television and radio, lectors would take a seat at the front of the factory and, with a loud and clear voice, read the daily newspaper, or a novel, or some erotic Edith Roosevelt fan fiction, to the factory workers.
Soon lectors branched out and began popping up all over U.S. cigar factories. While you might assume that such an incredibly easy job would earn below whatever passed for minimum wage in the early 20th century, the factory itself didn't pay them at all. The workers, desperate for the entertainment that only their beloved lector could provide, chipped in for his salary out of their own wages. With so many workers passing the hat, lectors wound up earning up to a luxurious $75 a week (compared to $20 a week for a factory worker).
Lewis Hine
$90 if they could do different voices.
After inflation, lectors today would be earning six figures a year to read the New York Times, if not for the fact that commercial radio soon made the job obsolete. They say that video killed the radio star, but they never stop to think about the corpses hidden in radio's basement.


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6 Things You Won't Believe Animals Do Just Like Us
Being a human is a pretty sweet gig, all things considered. We've got opposable thumbs so dexterous they could start their own Cirque du Soleil troupe and brains so ripped our skulls can barely contain them. But before you grab your dog and give him a triumphant "IN YOUR (FAITHFUL, ADORABLE) FACE!" you should know that some of the traits and behaviors that make us human are also demonstrated by other animals. Animals that apparently think they're people.
#6. Parrots Name Their Babies
What to name a baby is one of the first things that expecting parents obsess about. But whether they end up naming their kid something generic like "Ashley" or "John," or if they happen to despise the fruit of their loins and name him "Audio Science," most moms and dads will agree that names are part of what makes their babies unique and help to forge their individual identity.
All babies look alike, even Theobold Pimpmeister here.
And more than that, individual names also make humans special. After all, outside of sappy Disney movies involving comically deformed elephants, what other animal parent takes the time to give each of its newborn members its own permanent moniker?
"Never mind, Christine. You can still sell him off to the ivory merchants."
Except the talking animals depicted in Disney movies aren't so far off the mark, at least when it comes to a few select species.
Wait, what?
Dolphins, crows, primates and parrots have all been observed using unique calls when they want the attention of specific members of their groups. This means that, at least among these species, individual animals actually have the equivalent of their own names. Most perplexing of all seems to be parrots, because according to pirate-movie logic, it should scientifically turn out that every single parrot ever has the same name.
"GWAAK! Polly wants some individuality! GWAAK!"
But now that scientists know that parrots have signature calls, a few questions come up, like: Who gets to decide the signature call that's given to each parrot chick? Is it the parrots themselves who decide what they should be called, thus making it an innate characteristic? Is some sort of alpha parrot handing out identifying sounds? In order to answer all these questions, researchers at Cornell University filmed parrots in the wild of Venezuela, along with their newborn chicks, to see exactly when and how a parrot got its name.
"He shall be known as TupAWWWK!"
What the scientists found was that it was not the parrot newborns who got to choose their signature calls. Instead, it was the proud parrot parents who gave each chick its name. Much like a human, the adult parrot will choose a name for its young soon after it's born. Each parrot, though, may tweak its own signature call as it grows older, elongating a whistle here or shortening a chirp there, essentially giving itself a nickname.
"Hi! I'm (Saxophone solo from Careless Whisper)."
#5. Whales Have Pop Songs
Obviously, humans aren't the only animals that sing. Birds do it, killer whales do it, and if you happen to work in construction and are really lucky, you might just see a frog do it.
What makes humans unique is pop culture. One guy can make a song, put it on an album or the Internet and have thousands of people singing along to it, all over the world. There's no way another animal does that, right?
Well, we know of at least one.
Wait, what?
Whale songs become "hits" that can spread halfway around the globe. All the males in a humpback whale population usually sing just one song at any given time. But once they get bored of that song, an innovator in the group will start singing a new one. Sometimes, this new song contains elements of the previous song combined with some new stuff, kind of like when the Fat Boys and Chubby Checker worked together on "The Twist." At other times, this song is completely new, kind of like when you're in a freestyle rap battle and you have to come up with something that rhymes with "dingleberry" on the spot.
"Oh God oh God there's nothing that rhymes with 'OoooOOoooWEEEEEeeeeeooooOOOOoo'."
Once a new song catches on, every hip male in the community will start singing it, too. But that's just a bunch of whales in a group imitating each other. That's not like the mass media pop culture humans have, right?
Except scientists have found out that a song doesn't stay limited to just one population. A catchy enough tune will actually spread all over the Pacific, from Australia to French Polynesia, thousands of miles, over a couple of years. For some reason, all the whales east of Australia are unoriginal bastards who will just plagiarize their western neighbors once they hear them sing a new song.
They just stick it over a dance beat and call it a remix.
#4. Chimps Play With Dolls
Playing with dolls was a part of female childhood long before a plastic lady named Barbie triumphantly scored herself a gay boyfriend. Girls will lead entire fantasy lives with their dolls, giving them names, taking care of them when they're pretend-sick, giving them pretend-weddings and even pretend-scolding them when they pretend-make poor life decisions.
"Raggedy Ann won big on the craps table but then got greedy, didn't she?"
Having such an active imagination is surely not just one of the most childlike traits you can probably think of, but also one of the most human. After all, it's not like other animal species are out there having little slumber parties with their dolls while we're not looking, right?
Except, yeah, there's one species that's totally doing exactly that. Surprisingly, when it comes to playtime, human kids and chimpanzees are actually more alike than you think.
Wait, what?
Researchers from Bates College and Harvard University found that young female chimps would take sticks, bark, small logs and vines, and not only cradle them as if they were baby chimps themselves, but also use their imagination for the whole doll-owning experience.
The stick was later taken by the CPS.
When playing with their doll-sticks, the young females would cuddle with them, put them to bed and rest with them in their nests like a little girl sleeping with her plush toy for security. A few times, the little dolls even got the equivalent of their own Barbie dream houses, as the chimp girls would build separate nests just for them to pretend-live in. And during the day, the chimp girls would also walk around with their sticks tucked between their stomachs and their thighs, mimicking the way that mother chimpanzees carry their babies.
All this behavior, which was witnessed over a hundred times during 14 years, was not just limited to girl chimps. One young male chimp was seen using a stick to play "airplane," resting on his back and holding the stick up with his hands and feet, the way that many parents play with their young children. In another instance, a male chimp was seen with his own stick dolly after he saw his mom was pregnant, pretending to care for it. There were no reports on whether his chimp father went out and worriedly fashioned him some chimpanzee G.I. Joes to get him interested in "man stuff."
"If I don't hear explosions from that tree stump in the next 30 seconds, you are grounded, mister."