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Pittsburgh embracing playoff-bound Pirates
The image is seared into 12-year-old Chad Rowland's memory forever.
The slightly up the line throw up from Barry Bonds. The dive to the plate by catcher Mike LaValliere. The textbook slide by Sid Bream. The Pittsburgh Pirates walking off the field in stunned silence after collapsing in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS. The Atlanta Braves piling on top of each other in jubilation on their way to the World Series.
Even now, 21 years later, it still stings.
''You never love baseball more than when you were 12,'' Rowland said. ''I cried my eyes out that night.''
The tears were welling again on Monday night, this time for an entirely different reason. This time, the throw from the superstar outfielder was wisely cut off by the veteran first baseman picked up at the waiver deadline. This time, the catcher was positioned right on top of the plate. This time, the runner was out.
This time, finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates were on the right side of history.
One of the sport's most beleaguered - to put it mildly - franchises is back in the postseason. Pittsburgh clinched a spot in the NL playoffs on Monday night when catcher Russell Martin tagged out Chicago's Nate Schierholtz at home to end a thrilling 2-1 victory at Wrigley Field that reverberated in a bar 500 miles to the east, where Rowland let a generation of anguish and angst melt away.
''I was freaking out,'' Rowland said.
He wasn't alone.
At a time of year when the Pirates are typically playing out the string and attention in the self-dubbed ''City of Champions'' turns to the Steelers and the Penguins, the Pirates - yes, the Pirates - are currently the hottest thing going.
A steady stream of fans poured into the team's store at PNC Park on Tuesday, many of them with cups of coffee in hand trying to fend off the effects of another late night in a season that has restored the faith of one of baseball's most tormented - not to mention faithful - fan bases.
Rick Hilinski ducked in to pick up a pair of hooded sweatshirts celebrating the playoff berth. One of the sweatshirts was for him. The other was for his son, R.K., born a few months before Bream's now iconic slide sent the club spinning into a record-setting run of futility.
Hilinski became a season-ticket holder in 2011, believing the hiring of manager Clint Hurdle and the emergence of talented center fielder Andrew McCutchen were harbingers of the clouds finally parting. Hilinski remembers the good old days, when Roberto Clemente tracked down fly balls in the outfield at Three Rivers Stadium and Willie Stargell tried to hit home runs into the Allegheny River.
The Pirates used to be postseason regulars back then. Between 1960 and 1992, the Pirates won three World Series and made the playoffs 10 times. Hilinski spent countless nights during his childhood sitting with his father and uncle hanging on every pitch. Now he does it with his son, who grew up doing karate ''because nobody really wanted to play baseball.'' Together they've watched a renaissance decades in the making.
As painful as it has been, the journey made the destination all the sweeter. For years when Hilinski would try to talk to his friends about the Pirates, the subject would quickly shift to the Steelers. Now? Not so much.
''It's nice to finally be able to say `Yeah, we're doing a little better for a change,''' Hilinski said.
And don't think the neighbors haven't noticed. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, clad in a Clemente jersey, took in batting practice before last Friday's game against the Reds and live-tweeted from the Pirates' Twitter account from the stands. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin dropped Hurdle a line on Tuesday morning reminding Hurdle there's still more work to do.
''It's big for them, it's big for our community,'' Tomlin said. ''It's just awesome. I look forward to watching him represent us in the playoffs and going to chase the big prize.''
While not even a world championship would unseat the Steelers' spot atop the pyramid in one of the most sports-rabid towns in the country, the Pirates are making inroads. Local TV ratings are up and more than 2.26 million people poured through the gates of a stadium considered by many to be the best in baseball.
Hurdle isn't joking when he says he received a standing ovation recently during his daily trip to the local coffee shop. When the unwaveringly confident manager dropped his children off at school on Friday a few hours before a pivotal three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds, one of the teachers told him it was ''Pirate Day'' as kids walked by in McCutchen T-shirts. Local businesses have caught pennant fever too. The Gulf Tower - easily visible from home plate at PNC Park - now flashes black and yellow when the Bucs score a run and practically hits tilt when they win.
Though there is no guarantee of a home playoff game, there's a sense the last six months have gone a long way toward erasing 20 summers of heartache.
General manager Neal Huntington cautioned over the weekend that ''the hardest part is still to come'' as the club tries to prove it's far from a one-year wonder.
At the moment, the people who hang Jolly Roger flags from their front porches don't care. At the moment, the Pirates are in, and that's all that matters.
''I've seen the Penguins win the (Stanley) Cup, I've seen the Steelers win the Super Bowl,'' Rowland said. ''This is the one thing on my list ... I've been holding on to it forever.''
At last, Rowland - like so many others - can finally let it go.
AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman and freelance writer Brian Sandalow in Chicago contributed to this report.
Follow Will Graves at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP


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It might only be because the GOP vomits uncontrollably all over itself like one of those flu victims in The Stand (I'm reading The Stand as we speak) whenever one of its itinerant preachers tries to talk about women that we haven't noticed Democratic miscues in ladyspeak. Take, for instance, President Obama's painful stand-up routine at yesterday's White House Forum on Women and the Economy, which was filled with more zingers than a porcupine has quills, or a cat has fur, or some other simile denoting commensurate plentitude.
According to ABC News, the Barack Obama, President of the Americas, jokes, and an adorable Portugeuse sea otter named Bo, warmed up the crowd with a little crack about how long women take to get ready:
I was going to head over here earlier and they said, no, no, this place is full of women and they're still settling down. What do you mean, settling down? What are they doing over there? Just creating havoc.
Waka waka! Take my wife, for instance — no, seriously, take her. After all those ladies had settled down a bit, the President got down to brass tacks...or those brass tacks he'd used to pin his jokes up to his Oval Office joke board while he was rehearsing for the engagement.
Women are over half this country and its workforce, not to mention 80 percent of my household, if you count my mother-in-law. I always count my mother-in-law.
I haven't heard a really good mother-in-law joke since the nightmare-inducing sitcom Dinosaurs went off the air — or extinct, as it were — in 1994, and though President Obama usually demonstrates an uncanny adroitness in his rhetorical performances, yesterday was one of those rare opportunities for the viewing public to peer behind the curtain and see a politician's election cycle machinery hard at work, churning out hopeful crowd-pleasers in an effort to capitalize on the opposing party's seemingly endless ineptitude. When the Prez finally did get down to business, he hollowly emphasized that women are not some homogeneous voting bloc that politicians should try to appease. They're, like, nuanced and shit:
There's been a lot of talk about women and women's issues lately, as there should be. But I do think that the conversation has been oversimplified. Women are not some monolithic bloc. Women are not an interest group. You shouldn't be treated that way.
That's a fine thing to say except that, to a politician — a campaigning politician, no less — every person of voting age is part of a demographic. Women ages 18-34; men ages 18-34; dogs cleverly impersonating people who don't feel like going to the polls themselves; pranksters who write in "Elmer Fudd" every year; sincere people who really think Harrison Ford has the presidential potential of his Air Force One character; and civic-minded children like that nerd Stuart Minkus from Boy Meets World who put on stilts and a fake mustache just so that they can flaunt their precocity to all of us non-voting schlubs who refuse to leave the couch on election day. A politician should have a pitch for everyone, which is pretty much how the President operates. He doesn't speak directly to those of the extremely, ahem, conservative persuasion, but his rhetoric is inclusive and progressive, in a hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go sort of way. That Republicans seem to be chronically unable to have a rational dialogue with anyone but those citizens who put on their crazy pants every morning before indulging in a big bowl of fortifying oatmeal, well, is just bad politics.
It's probably unfair to criticize a politician for politicizing, but it's not at all unfair to criticize him for doing a bad job of disguising it. The President's flat jokes probably won't attract that much criticism because, unlike the jokes that fearless patriarch Mitt Romney makes about the ladies, Obama's jokes are at worst proof that he is, after all, a campaigner that sometimes finds it hard to overcome our culture's pervasive penisness. Romney's jokes, however, aren't just bad — they contain an undercurrent of actual, unrepentant misogyny, and the threat of harmful legislation.
Obama at women-themed event: Women aren't an 'interest group' [Politico]

subset: commoncrawl


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Album Review: Jimi Hendrix - "People, Hell and Angels"
While "People, Hell and Angels" isn't a great album—meaning it lacks the coherent sound, vision, and vibe of, say, "Axis: Bold as Love"—it's packed with magnificent guitar.
Jimi Hendrix
People, Hell and Angels
Experience Hendrix/Legacy
If you greet word of a new Jimi Hendrix album with skepticism, you're not alone. Some of the discs that followed his death in September 1970 have been so disappointing that many Hendrix fanatics would rather skip all posthumous releases than hear studio assemblages masquerading as "new Hendrix music." (An egregious example of this is 1975's Crash Landing, in which producer Alan Douglas brought in session musicians to replace original rhythm tracks with overdubs. Released in 1995, Voodoo Soup is another such Douglas pastiche.)
But here's the good news, at least for guitarists: While People, Hell and Angels isn't a great album—meaning it lacks the coherent sound, vision, and vibe of, say, Axis: Bold as Love—it's packed with magnificent guitar. Jimi is on fire and his Strat sounds crisp and present. His band varies, but mostly Mitch Mitchell or Buddy Miles are on drums with Billy Cox handling the bass.
Overall, Jimi's guitar tones are remarkably clean. We hear him playing through cranked low-gain Marshalls, and the mix reveals the details of his masterful technique: We hear the creak and groan of trem springs when he does a trademark dive, we hear his fingers slap the fretboard as he trills and hammers notes, we hear the click of a footswitch as he engages his fuzz or wah. His playing is raw and intense, yet soulful and supple. Kudos to Eddie Kramer, who mixed all 12 songs, for keeping it real.
As someone who has gone forward and backward through much of Jimi's recorded work—including a number of excellent concert albums, such as Live at Berkeley and Live at Winterland—I was amazed to hear Hendrix explore new tones and phrasing in People, Hell and Angels. All the moves we know and love are here in spades, but if you listen carefully, you'll also get a fresh perspective on his fretwork.
Take "Somewhere," for example, recorded in 1968 with Miles on drums and Stephen Stills playing bass. After spewing edgy wah licks across several verses, Hendrix takes an abrupt turn to deliver a clean, melodic solo that's dramatically different from anything I've heard him play.
Another of the many highlights is "Bleeding Heart," which Hendrix tracked in 1969 during his first-ever session with Miles and Cox. In addition to documenting the mind-meld that gave us Band of Gypsys, it reminds us how Hendrix drew on the late-'50s West Side sound of Chicago masters Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, and Otis Rush for his own tripped-out blues.
According to the liner notes, all the tracks on People, Hell and Angels are previously unreleased—they're either new songs or different takes of what we've heard before. (We'll let the Hendrix scholars and completists sort out the veracity of this claim.) A few cuts succeed more as curiosities than stellar music—notably "Let Me Move You," featuring Lonnie Youngblood, Jimi's old bandleader, on lead vocals and sax—but People, Hell and Angels offers Hendrix freaks many hours of inspired listening. If you're passionate about Jimi's guitar work, this will be a welcome addition to your library. —Andy Ellis
Must-hear track: "Somewhere"


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If you didn't notice that NBC had been airing an Amanda Peet sitcom called Bent Wednesdays at 9 p.m. for the last two weeks, don't worry: Hardly anybody else did, either. Last week's back-to-back episodes of the half-hour comedy averaged a mere 2.4 million viewers, drawing a smaller audience than a repeat of The Big Bang Theory on TBS airing the same night. The new show's last two of six episodes will air tonight — NBC raced through the series in record time, the broadcast equivalent of "Keep it moving, nothing to see here … " — and then Bent will disappear from the lineup, almost certainly never to be seen again on the network. Insiders have insisted to Vulture that this rom-com about mismatched lovers Peet and David Walton was actually highly regarded by Peacock brass, and yet NBC quickly rushed Bent on and off the air, burning through the show two episodes at a time in a crappy Wednesday time slot with hardly any promotion, making its low ratings a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why would a network essentially toss away a show it paid for? And why not postpone it until summer when there is less competition and it stood more of a chance? Believe it or not, there actually are three unavoidable reasons for why NBC had no other options that are grounded in TV economics and scheduling. Class is in session!
First, the view from inside the Peacock: An NBC source tells Vulture that the decision to double-pump the largely well-reviewed show was not designed to burn it off more quickly. Instead, the programming theory was viewers might get sucked in if they were able to see bigger chunks of the show at once, with the relationship between Peet and Walton evolving more quickly. (TV Guide magazine's Matt Roush backed up that theory by labeling Bent the "sort of funky offbeat comedy that grows on you, so watching more than one episode at a sitting turns out to be a good thing.") Okay, assuming that was the plan, Bent still seemed set up to fail, considering that it was slotted on Wednesdays in the middle of spring with virtually no promo budget, opposite American Idol and ABC's similarly hip Happy Endings. And the disastrous ratings have borne that out.
This leads to some reasonable questions about the way NBC ultimately treated the show it says it loved. Such as:
Why not save it for the summer, when there's less competition? Had the Peacock chosen to do this, it would have had to extend its "option" on the show's cast and producers beyond the usual May 31 expiration date, keeping them legally bound to Bent until after it wrapped its theoretical summer run in July or August. This could have easily been a seven-figure expenditure and is something networks rarely do, usually only when big talent is involved or when a network is doing very well in the ratings and can afford to take a gamble. (CBS did just this a few years back with the underrated summer series Swingtown.) The fact that NBC didn't decide to air Bent in the summer actually bolsters the argument that the network once possessed at least some hope the show could find a pulse. Had it simply delayed Bent until summer without paying the extra coin to extend its hold, NBC would've been saying, "Yeah, we're burning this off." (Also, for any pilot-season nerds wondering: Technically, nobody from Bent can sign up for any 2012–13 pilots until June 1 without technically risking NBC calling them back to the show.) Given how the show has done, however, we're pretty sure the Peacock won't hold them to their deals.
Wednesdays are so competitive. Why not try Bent out during NBC's Thursday comedy block? Yes, it would have resulted in more media buzz and exposed Bent to NBC's core comedy audience. Unfortunately, the night is already overcrowded: Both Community and 30 Rock are in no-repeat mode through May, while The Office is an anchor that doesn't move. An early exit for Up All Night might have worked, but that would've meant putting an unproven newbie in front of new drama Awake, which is already struggling even with a semi-established lead-in.
There were barely any ads for Bent. Why not actually tell people this show is on? More marketing money is usually a good thing and is valuable in building awareness of a new show, particularly one without any huge stars attached. (Peet is a known quantity, but doesn't get that "Oh my God, _____ is returning to TV!" buzz … except with Studio 60 fans who are crossing their fingers that the show will involve another love affair that is indistinguishable from crazy stalking.) But when a network is as far down in the dumps as NBC is, it doesn't have unlimited resources. Peacock chief Bob Greenblatt already had a full plate of priorities this winter and spring: relaunching The Voice, rolling out Smash and Awake, testing out new reality concept Fashion Star. He had to make choices, and as much as he might have liked Bent, he doesn't have a bottomless pit of money with which to promote shows. It's also possible that while Greenblatt liked Bent, he may have liked another midseason comedy more: Best Friends Forever, the female buddy starring Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham that premieres tonight. While BFF is not getting the Smash treatment, NBC has taken out ads for the show and put it behind its new Betty White "comedy" Off Their Rockers, which did decently when it was previewed back in January.
And so, despite love from NBC execs and a good number of critics, Bent will air its final two episodes on NBC tonight, likely joining the long list of decent shows that never got past their first season. About the only way the show will survive is if an outlet like Netflix suddenly decides it wants to pick up the show. Okay, who wants to start that rumor?


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January/February 2013
Volume 19, Number 1/2
Table of Contents
Carol Minton Morris
Printer-friendly Version
The Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) Fall Member Meeting held on December 10-11, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia included presentations that explored how to manage, maintain, share, identify, preserve, make use of and build global communities around all types of digital content with a focus on research data.
The term "digital library" moved into the common lexicon during the 1990s. Back then intellectual property issues centered around providing some access to metadata and documents online. In 2013 there is a desire for granular control of content down to the level of individual data sets and single images coupled with the ability to provide open access and long-term preservation for large tracts of research data and all types of digital content. At the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) Fall Member Meeting held on December 10-11, 2012, Clifford Lynch, CNI Executive Director, began with an overview of strategic CNI activities in which he reminded the audience that "Scholarly practice does not stand still" (Recording available: "CNI's Perspective on 2012 & 2013", Clifford Lynch). His remarks set the stage for presentations that explored how to manage, maintain, share, identify, make use of and build global communities around all types of digital content while providing access and the ability to preserve the public record of research and scholarship. Nimble strategies, technologies, and opportunities for networking and experimentation were highlighted in the proceedings.
A selection of project briefings appears below. The full schedule of events showing all topic areas covered can be found here.
James Hilton, University of Virginia, reviewed the progress 60 institutional members have made towards establishing a federated preservation network, owned by and for institutions of higher education. DPN management will focus on continually validating to ensure that content can be replicated in case of disaster through a series of contributing nodes (local repositories) which ingest content, and federated, replicating nodes, which are long-term preservation digital repositories for the contributing nodes.
An attendee posed a question about DPN as a US-based initiative. There was interest in where copyright lies because of the differences between US copyright laws and those of the European Union.
Hilton explained that the DPN philosophy is to "Line 'em up and start solving them" as replicating nodes become operational while acknowledging that real storage and policies have an inherent amount of complexity.
Another comment suggested that Internet 2 could serve as an operational model for DPN: I2 "fuels discovery and DPN preserves it".
Hilton feels that an immediate DPN benefit is in helping to facilitate inter-institutional conversations about our capacity to preserve scholarship. He mentioned the E-Science Institute as an example of an initiative (see below) that forces us to ask local questions about the future of scholarshipsomething that is broader than a single institution.
Mackenzie Smith, University of California, Davis, explained that the ARL/DLF/DuraSpace E-Science Institute (ESI) was designed as a hands-on course to help academic research libraries match their strengths and natural abilities to all aspects of the data lifecycle. The terms "E-Science and E-Research" were commingled in this approach where participants did research on their campuses to come up with strategic agendas for their institutions and then exchanged ideas during the course. Taking a wide view of the data lifecyle offered participants a variety of ways to think about moving towards support for research and data preservation.
ESI was first offered in 2011 because demand for help in this area from research libraries had grown. The fall 2012 offering of the DuraSpace/ARL/DLF E-Science Institute was conducted online and in-person with a face-to-face capstone event that concluded on Dec 13 in Arlington, Virginia. To sign up to receive information about future offerings, visit the DuraSpace ESI Contract Form.
In introducing the motivation behind the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Fran Berman, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, explained that people have discovered data not just as a foundationit is everything that's going on and represents a competitive advantage. Further she pointed out that in creating access to data for research purposes "It's other people's data that matters." No single data policy will work for everyone, but not understanding the urgency of managing and preserving data, waiting for standards or relying on bad infrastructure is not a solution. The Research Data Alliance is a new organization that aims to jump start global data exchange with code, best practice, tools, best practices.
Berman reminded the audience that to move forward it's important not to "point he guns inward". She warned, "If we're trying to boil the ocean then there's nowhere to go." She invited attendees to participate in the first RDA plenary meeting March 18-20 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Robin Ruggaber, University of Virginia, explained that the APTrust is a critical piece of emerging preservation infrastructure because our data is in jeopardy. Lack of diversity in geographic regions where data is kept, unexpected weather events and even lagging political support can cause fragile scholarly resources to disappear. It is not in the commercial interest to preserve content, leaving it up to higher education, and in particular libraries, to preserve resources for scholarship over the long-haul. That is why a consortium of academic institutions committed to the creation and management of academic and research content for multiple institutions came together to form the APTrust.
Twelve current partners make up the APTrust "Core implementation team" who agree that a successful effort will take more than storage solutions and technology. To make the APTrust sustainable community building, business planning and marketing will be part of the effort.
Andrew Woods, DuraSpace, answered the provocative question, "What do you get from the APTrust"? In the context of ensuring that content survives into the future, APTrust partners have access to redundant copies of their content, the ability to leverage economies of scale, generate audit reports and access to an aggregated repository that will take advantage of DuraCloud technology for consortial work on top of the collection.
Woods also gave attendees a deep dive into the technical infrastructure. APTrust software will roll out in phases with an end-to-end data flow tie-in to DPN (Digital Preservation Network). The data flow works as follows:
The APTrust is looking for cost-effective disaster recovery, access services, long-term preservation, tools and best practices and hosting a portal on top of collections to enhance preservation strategies and opportunities for partners.
Presenters offered views on related identity management systems and issues: Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) and Building a National Archival Authorities Infrastructure.
SNAC (2010-2014) highlights records of interest on the prototype homepage. Developers aim to find out if this kind of "Facebook for dead people," comprised of authority records pieced together from unstructured snippets of personal histories and events, is of general interest to a wide swath of users from 'high tech' to 'generally interested' people. The curation of archival records generated while people are living and working is the cornerstone of our cultural record.
The system leverages Resource Discovery Framework (RDF) to bring this data together. Brian Tingle, California Digital Library, reminded the audience that "Lenny the Linkhead" wants linked and open data technical details while "Randy the Researcher" wants to find links, documents and relationships among researchers. The SNAC graph database focuses on use cases rather than on "split bits of data." SNAC wants to establish a cooperative community organization to gather and curate the raw stuff of research to develop historic narratives to enable users' ability to find primary resources that will allow you to discover a person's life and work in one place.
Plans are for NARA to host the administration of the cooperative including business and governance. Technical infrastructure will be developed and hosted outside of NARA.
DuraCloud is a DuraSpace service that allows users to store, manage and archive data in the cloud. There are currently 4.8 million files and 31 terabytes of data in DuraCloud. Over the last year 6 versions of the DuraCloud open source software were released with 11 new major features that included SDSC integration and automated health checking. All features are rolled up into the open source code so that anyone may freely download a full version of DuraCloud software.
Geneva Henry, Rice University, uses DuraCloud as part of an overall digital preservation strategy at her institution. All DSpace repository contents are stored in DuraCloud, including digitization masters. Rice University was an early DuraCloud pilot institution. They found that they could easily store and manage faculty publications, digital projects, archives and special collections, theses and dissertations and more. Before content is stored in DuraCloud files are packaged in archival information packages (AIPs). Capturing preservation metadata that reflects everything known about a record ensures resource provenance into the future. They are able to recreate their repository with what is stored in DuraCloud. The answers to many questions around digital preservation issues do not have single answers. Henry believes that it is critical to be part of, and contribute to ongoing experiments and new initiatives.
Holly Mercer, University of Tennessee, is using DuraCloud in the context of an overall digital preservation assessment focused on static collections. They have established a production workflow that sends content to local storage, syncs to Amazon S3 and SDSC and finally is uploaded to DuraCloud. They have been pleased that DuraCloud maintains their institutional repository hierarchical structure.
Mark Leggott, UPEI, Islandora and Discovery Garden, oversees 100+ institutions who are using the Islandora software. UPEI was also a pilot DuraCloud institution. The focus of their work with DuraCloud has been to pursue integration with the Islandora framework. DuraCloud has been added to the Islandora stack aiming for a "single button disaster recovery" approach. They have five clients using Islandora and have built in "The Vault" to back-up and preserve users' content with DuraCloud. The DuraCloud sync tool is running in continuous mode in the Islandora stack. Leggott is impressed with the quality of the software that DuraSpace creates and has found that if you have a corrupt file in Islandora you can use DuraCloud as a recovery mechanism.
This session introduced a community initiative to make Fedora "The repository platform for the future." The project is called "Fedora Futures." The group came together in the last 5 months to undertake a 2-3 year software development project that will direct new resources toward a major Fedora overhaul.
Jonathan Markow, Chief Strategy Officer at DuraSpace, explained that as direct grant funding for Fedora development diminished, DuraSpace took on a stewardship role in organizing the community around maintaining and improving the software. While this strategy enabled several significant releases, the user community was left wondering why larger and more fundamental development issues were not being addressed. The simple answer is that available funding was not enough to pay for needed improvements. As a result the core Fedora code has become more difficult to maintain and cannot keep up with emerging current technical requirements.
Mark Leggott explained that Fedora Futures development would begin with two stages. Use cases will be gathered and details of a roadmap will be developed with approval by the Steering Committee. The Technology Team will take the lead in coordination with other standing committers. Raising funds to support the project will be led by a committee chaired by Jonathan Markow. Eddie Shin, Media Shelf, is leading the Technology Team effort to define the project. Media Shelf has been a large contributor to the Fedora code base.
Tom Cramer, Stanford, adopted Fedora in 2009 and is looking to establish a digital repository platform that works "for all of us" for the next 5-10 years. Fedora must work for the full range of institutions, be part of an ecosystem, be able to "go native" in the world of linked data, support existing IRs and provide new data management functions.
In taking a look at Fedora use case actorsthose types of individuals who would interact with the softwareMatthias Razum, head of EScience from FIZ Karlsruhe, asserted that there are four key roles: Curator, Administrator, Researcher and Developer. High level technical requirements that would be significant to all actors are:
Jonathan Markow extended an invitation to the entire Fedora community to participate in the effort. "The Futures group has catalyzed renewed development for Fedora, but for the effort to achieve its full potential for all stakeholders, we need to enlist not only Fedora's current committers, but also all adopters, sponsors and service providers." A prospectus is available to those who would like to get involved as contributors to this effort by contacting Jonathan Markow <[email protected]>. University of Virginia, Discovery Garden and University of Prince Edward Island, Stanford University, Columbia University, Oxford University's Bodleian Library, FIZ Karlsruhe, and MediaShelf have already pledged substantial resources to the project.
Hunter R. Rawlings III, President of the Association of American Universities and former president of Cornell University and University of Iowa, offered closing plenary remarks that centered around the question, "What is college for?" as the impact of massive online courses (MOOCS) are beginning to be felt by higher education institutions. (Recording available: "Massive Online Courses As Drivers for Change", Lynne O'Brien, Duke University).
Rawlings contends that it's "Up for grabs". The traditional value propositiongetting an education to "Learn how to learn" by reading and analyzing complex literature and studying math and scienceis now a distant second behind "Doing what it takes to get a job." Current educational policy initiatives support this view. Some states now require that university degrees cost no more than $10K and that majors be "sorted" by immediate earning power. These policies reduce getting an education to a utilitarian number. (Recording available: "What is College For? The Future of Higher Education", Hunter R. Rawlings III).
Information technology has significantly changed access to scholarly journals. Rawlings sees the need for development of public policy in this contentious arena. Publishing in general is in a state of flux as libraries purchase fewer monographs, books, journals and other materials. University leaders are looking for a "Novel means of solving this development". IT is also playing an essential role in MOOCS. More than 100K students are registered for some courses. Rawlings suggested that large-scale online education represents a major shift in the delivery of higher education.
For slides and recordings of CNI Fall Member Meeting 2012 presentations as they become available please check the CNI web site. The Spring 2013 CNI Membership Meeting will be held on April 4-5 (Thursday and Friday) at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. The call for proposals is open until February 21, 2013.
Carol Minton Morris is Director of Marketing and Communications for DuraSpace, and is past Communications Director for the National Science Digital Library (2000-2009) and Fedora Commons (2007-2009). She leads editorial content and materials development and dissemination for DuraSpace publications, web sites, initiatives and online events, and helps connect open access, open source and open technologies people, projects and institutions to relevant news and information. She was the founding editor of NSDL Whiteboard Report (2000-2009) featuring information from NSDL projects and programs nationwide. Follow her at http://twitter.com/DuraSpace.
Copyright © 2013 Carol Minton Morris


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[Arkenberg Introduction]
The Assize of Bread and Beer (including the Lucrum Pistoris), only takes the form
found in the printed Statutes of the Realm in 6% of all Common Law English statute books
written up to 1350. More often the three component parts, the Assize of Bread, the Assize
of Beer, and the Lucrum Pistoris, appear alone in the statute books as separate
instruments. Occasionally, though, the Assize of Bread and the Assize of Beer show up
combined in a single instrument--the Assize of Bread and Beer. But in this instance, the
Lucrum Pistoris still stands alone as a separately-titled instrument. Together or
separately these three instruments appear in over half of all statute books written. Their
popularity should not surprise. First issued in various forms during the reign of Henry
II, with variations in form and issuance dates down to that of Edward II (See: G. J.
Turner, "Some Thirteenth Century Statutes. II," Law Magazine and Review, 4th
ser., 22 (1897): 240-250, p. 241), the three regulated the price, weight, and
quality of the bread and beer manufactured and sold in town, village, and hamlet (See:
Alan S. C. Ross, "The Assize of Bread," Economic History Review, 2d ser., 9
(1956): 332-342, pp. 332, 334; R. H. Hilton, A Medieval Society: The West Midlands at the
End of the Thirteenth Century (London, 1966), pp. 230-231; Judith M. Bennett, Women in the
Medieval English Countryside: Gender and Household in Brigstock Before the Plague (Oxford,
1987), p. 120; Bolton, Medieval English Economy, pp. 127-128; Helen M. Cam, The Hundred
and The Hundred Rolls: An Outline of Local Government in Medieval England (London, 1930;
reprint ed., 1963), pp. 211-212).
Assisa Panis (Assize of Bread):When a Quarter of Wheat is sold for 12d.,
then Wastel Bread of a farthing shall weigh £6 and 16s. But Bread Cocket of a farthing of
the same grain and bultel, shall weigh more than Wastel by 2s. And Cocket Bread made of
grain of lower price, shall weigh more than Wastel by 5s. Bread made into a Simnel shall
weigh 2s. less than Wastel. Bread made of the whole Wheat shall weigh a Cocket and a half,
so that a Cocket shall weigh more than a Wastel by 5s. Bread of Treet shall weigh 2
wastels. And bread of common wheat shall weigh two great cockets.
When a quarter of wheat is sold for 18d., then wastel bread of a farthing white and
well-baked shall weigh £4 10s. 8d.
When for 2s., then £3 8s.
When for 2s. 6d., then for 54s. 4d. ob. q.
When for 3s., then for 48s.
When for 3s. 6d., then for 42s.
When for 4s., then for 36s.
When for 4s. 6d., then for 30s.
When for 5s., then for 27s. 2d. ob.
When for 5s. 6d., then for 24s. 8d. q.
When for 6s., then for 22s. 8d.
When for 6s. 6d., then for 20s. 11d.
When for 7s., then for 19s. 1d.
When for 7s. 6d., then for 18s. 1d. ob.
When for 8s., then for 17s.
When for 8s. 6d., then for 16s.
When for 9s., then for 15s. q.
When for 9s. 6d., then for 14s. 4d. ob.q.
When for 10s., then for 13s. 7d.
When for 10s. 6d., then for 12s. 11d. q.
When for 11s., then for 12s. 4d. q.
When for 11s. 6d., then for 12s. 10d.
When for 12s., then for 11s. 4d.
When for 12s. 6d., then for 10s. 10d. ½
When for 13s., then for 10s. 5d. ½
When for 13s. 6d., then for 10s. 0d. ¾
When for 14s., then for 9s. 8d.
When for 14s. 6d., then for 9s. 2d. ¾
When for 15s., then for 9s. 1d.
When for 15s. 6d., then for 8s. 9d. ½
When for 16s., then for 8s. 6d.
When for 16s. 6d., then for 8s. 2d. ¾
When for 17s., then for 8s.
When for 17s. 6d., then for 7s. 9d. ¼
When for 18s., then for 7s. 6d. ¾
When for 18s. 6d., then for 7s. 4d. ¼
When for 19s., then for 7s. 2d.
When for 19s. 6d., then for 6s. 11d. ½
When for 20s., then for 6s. 9d. ¾
And it is to be known, that then a Baker in every Quarter of Wheat, as it is proved by
the Kings Bakers, may gain 4d. and the Bran, and Two Loaves for advantage [for the
furnage?] for Three Servants, 1d. ob. for Two Lads, ob. in Salt, ob. for kneading, ob. for
Candle, q. for Wood, 2d. for his Bultel ob.
Assisa Cervisie (Assize of Beer):When a quarter of Wheat is sold for 3s.
or 3s. 4d. and a Quarter of Barley for 20d. or 2s., and a Quarter of Oats for 16d., then
Brewers in cities ought and may well afford to sell two gallons of beer or ale for a
penny, and out of cities to sell 3 [or 4?] gallons for a penny. And when in a town 3
gallons are sold for a penny, out of a town they ought and may sell four; and this Assize
ought to be holden throughout all England.
Lucrum Pistoris (Gain of the Baker): And if a Baker of Brewer be
convicted that they have not kept the foresaid Assizes, the First, Second and Third time
they shall be amerced, according to the Quantity of their offence; and that as often as a
Baker shall offend in the weight of a farthing loaf of bread not above 2s. weight, that
then he be amerced as before is said; but if he exceed 2s. then he ought to undergo the
judgment of the Pillory without any redemption of money. In like manner shall it be done
if he offend oftentimes and will not amend, then he shall suffer the Judgment of the Body,
that is to say, the Pillory if he offend in the weight of a farthing loaf under two
shillings weight as is aforesaid. Likewise the woman brewer shall be punished by the
Tumbrell, trebuchet, or castigatorie, if she offend divers times and will not amend.
From: A. Luders, ed., The Statutes of the Realm: Printed by Command of His Majesty
King George the Third, in Pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons of Great
Britain, From Original Records and Authentic Manuscripts, 11 vols., (London: Record
Commission, 1810-1828), Vol. I, pp. 199-200.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text may have been modernized
by Prof. Arkenberg.
This text is part of the Internet
Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright.
Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational
purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No
permission is granted for commercial use.
© Paul Halsall, August 1998
[email protected]
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the
Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not
the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.
© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 28 August 2023 [CV]


text:
More Bustling Bangkok
Finally it was time for the much anticipated swimming monkeys. We weren't sure what to expect exactly other than our guide had brought along more fruit than we could possibly imagine giving away. At some point we stopped in the middle of nowhere, the boatman stood up and made some strange hollering calls into the marsh. Out came an army of monkeys looking for a free meal.
As you can see, it was completely insane! These monkeys wanted that fruit!! And they never got full no matter how much they ate. Finally we had to say goodbye but not before I filled my camera with monkey photos galore. It was a great experience albeit a bit scary (at least for me!)We were shocked the area wasn't loaded with tourists - we were the only ones in there! So as happy as I am we had the place to ourselves, I'm letting the cat out of the bag that this is a must do if you have a free day in the city.
Our final few days in Bangkok was spent in a more leisurely way. We took several tuk-tuk trips. We tried our best to avoid the protesters that were gathering in the streets.
We visited the huge weekend market on Sunday morning. I was impressed with the range and variety of things for sale here. (Generally these kinds of markets tend to sell the same things over and over but there was some really great items here in addition to the usual souvenirs and tshirts, etc.) If you are in Bangkok, this is a must-do.
The animal section of the market is incredibly sad. Adorable animals in tiny cages sweltering in the heat without access to water. I managed to get cursed out by this lady selling squirrels in dresses. I just couldn't resist snapping a photo despite her warning signs and she was not at all happy about it. After she gave me the evil eye, we decided to move out of the area entirely and see what else was for sale.
The protests going on at the time were only a minor trouble to us - closing off some of the main streets prevented us from seeing a movie at the fancy theater there and prevented us from visiting the Jim Thompson house one afternoon. But it was never anything that made us regret our trip there.
We had a great time in the city and would not hesitate to return. We stayed away from the red light district entirely so we didn't see some of the more scummy bits of the nightlight life prostitution, etc. Bangkok is a varied enough city that it has something for everyone and we were definitely entertained.
Smack in the middle of our time in Bangkok we took a 45 minute flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Despite the proximity, it couldn't be more different so I'll share that in another post.
33 comments:
Wow, amazing photos of the monkeys! What a unique experience. I never would have thought I would want to go to Bangkok, but now it sounds like so much fun!ReplyDelete
what an amazing trip you're taking... waiting for tomorrow's images!ReplyDelete
Aww..that is horribly sad to see with the animals in the cages. :-(ReplyDelete
I'm impressed at your courage to take a picture of the squirrels in dresses. I'm such a wimp when it comes to stuff like that.ReplyDelete
I love that chandelier in the market.ReplyDelete
I'm so happy you said that the swimming monkey's were slightly scary cause I was thinking I would have been terrified. What an awesome experience!ReplyDelete
The monkeys are amazing! I'm oh so jealous!ReplyDelete
Holy cow monkeys galore! I bet it was a bit scary.ReplyDelete
Amazing photos (as always). I don't think I could do it though, seeing all of those animals being treated so poorly. I get extremely teary eyed every time I open the mail and get PETA letters with all of their animal sadness. Oy.ReplyDelete
Great snaps! Those monkeys give me the chills...they are mean and aggressive everywhere I've seen them, India, Gibraltar etc..they will attack you if you have food....glad it worked out!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9:27 PM
While I'm extremely jealous of your vacation, I was glad to read that not too many people were viewing the monkeys. The fact that they are so unsettled with the human visitors is a sad testiment to the un-natural environment they must live in. While I'd have probably visited myself, I still can't help but feel bad about the situation. What is more upsetting is the animal section of the market, however. I'm sure it was bad to see.ReplyDelete
Can't wait to see the Siem Reap photos!
Your pictures of those monkeys are incredible!! I especially love the shot of the baby monkey on its mother's back. What a wonderful, eye-opening vacation. I'm jealous!ReplyDelete
oh my gosh that monkey scene is insane! soooo cool! i would have been a bit afraid too ;) can't wait to read what your thoughts are on cambodia and the difference. i've often read that despite how close they are together they are vastly different...and of course, looking forward to the photos!ReplyDelete
(and squirrels as pets?!! so weird)
Oh how fantastic. I've always wanted to go to Bangkok. Those monkeys are bananas. No pun intended I swear.ReplyDelete
Great shots! Yeah, there's something a little wrong with the animals dressed in clothes for sale - you'll see a lot of mistreated animals at the Weekend market too.ReplyDelete
Have an awesome time in Siem Reap - 'La Cambodge' is awesome - esp Angkor Wat at 5am - watch the sunrise and beat the crowds by getting there early. Check out the next temple - Bayon (lots of faces), as you're leaving this temple there's a spot of water/lake where you can get a reflective shot of the temple.
Try to bring some sweets/colouring pens/toys to give out as there are loads of kids trying to sell you stuff. Loved Ta Prohm - the temple with lots of tree roots - a la Angelina in the Tomb Raider movie - I incidentally bumped into Mick Jagger there! That was the highlight of my day!
Get the 3 day pass (you'll need a passport photo) - 1 day isn't enough! Plus hire a dude to take you round on a Tuk tuk - negotiate a price and for them to pick you up every morning.
Thanks Sandee - Ive actually already come and gone so its too late for me to use your suggestions but thanks anyway. We didn't see any celebs so I missed out :)ReplyDelete
Those monkeys look scary!ReplyDelete
What beautiful photos! Rich and colourful! So much movement and life. Really nice.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5:05 PM
Those monkeys are FREAAAAAAAKY! That would've totally spazzed me out, all those monkeys running towards me. ::shivers:: Amazing photos!ReplyDelete
Amazed by the monkeys... I've never even heard of that site-seeing option for Bangkok! Even more freaked out by the squirrels in dresses. Because someone actually WANTS one of those? Hmmm...ReplyDelete
Did you catch the Jim Thompson house another day? Fingers crossed that you did... it was one of my favorite things in all of Bangkok! (And, um, not to mention the store...)
no time to read all the comments, but I'm curious to know what the protests were about?? Animals??ReplyDelete
I would have been a bit scared of the monkeys too, looks like chaos.
Your photos are gorgeous and I'm glad you had a wonderful trip!!
Looks like a great trip! Although, the monkey thing would have probably freaked me out, especially watching them approach in such quantity. Great pics!ReplyDelete
I've been reading your blog for a couple years, but have never really commented, but just got a little kick out of the coinsidence (sp?) My hubby and I were in Bangkok as well from April 3-7th as well. Were you at the weekend market on the 3rd? or were we off by a week.ReplyDelete
I think my family actually heard more about the redshirts then us on the ground. The only minor prob we had was that they put tape around the sky train railing so we couldn't look over at see them.
Overall it was a great trip, but definitly HOT!
Your pics are gorgeous (as usual)
wow..the monkeys...wow...i showed my kids and they loved the photos to...you were CLOSE!ReplyDelete
i am dying, those monkey's are scaring me. all i can think about is that movie outbreak!ReplyDelete
You're pictures are amazing. You're a great photographer.ReplyDelete
Oh my! I am not sure if I would have been scared or enthralled by those monkeys! Amazing photos - makes me want to book a trip there pronto. Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
I know I'm behind -- but I just HAD to comment on the monkeys! WOW! Amazing! You did a fantastic job capturing the frenzied scene. And the the baby monkeys with the Moms... ahhh! So cute!ReplyDelete
I would love to do that trip! Thanks for sharing.
i have almost the EXACT same photo of the bunny booth...except for all the animals for sale in tiny cages, i was thoroughly impressed by the variety of goods (and something in every price range) at the market. i was with someone who lives in bangkok so she knew her way around, but otherwise you get lost in 3 turns in that place!ReplyDelete


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
The Mills County Public Health Agency would like to welcome you to our website! We hope it becomes a resource that provides you with answers to your questions about our services and gives you usable information in your day-to-day lives.
Our mission is to enhance the quality of life within our county by promoting healthy behavior, protecting the environment, and preventing disease. The members of our health-care team provide a variety of services, which are based on a public/private partnership.


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As the moon makes its monthly rounds in its orbit around the Earth, it frequently has encounters with bright stars and planets, with Saturn and Mars taking center stage in the nights ahead.
In many ways, we can think of these gatherings in the night sky as scenes in an ongoing drama. Usually they are one-on-one encounters, but last week and this week obsevers are witnessing some dazzling planetary group scenes, weather permitting.
On Sunday (July 15), the waning crescent moon joined the planets Venus and Jupiter and the star Aldebaran at dawn.The New Moon, when the moon passes the sun in the sky and is not illuminated as seen from Earth, occurs on Thursday (July 19) as the moon moves into the evening sky.
Just after sunset next Tuesday (July 24), the moon has another encounter with two planets and a bright star: Saturn, Mars and Spica. [Amazing Photos: Jupiter, Venus & Moon in July]
Mars and Saturn reign
Because of the angle from which the sunlight strikes the moon, the moon will be a waxing crescent rather than a waning crescent, growing rather than shrinking, and the rest of the characters in the cast will be totally different. The planets Venus and Jupiter will be replaced by Mars and Saturn, and the star will be Spica instead of Aldebaran.
While the moon has just entered the scene from the right, moving towards first quarter, the planets and star will be making their "farewell appearances" for the season as they head towards the right into the "wings" behind the sun.[Gallery: Planet-Watching Guide - July 2012 Sky Maps]
Because Saturn is a very large slow-moving planet and is always quite far from the Earth, it doesn't change its appearance much from our point of view. At opposition on April 15, it was 19 arc seconds in diameter and magnitude +0.2 in brightness. Now it is 17 arc seconds in diameter and +0.8 magnitude in brightness.
Astronomers measure the apparent size of objects in the sky in angular measures: 90 degrees from horizon to overhead, 60 arc minutes in a degree, and 60 arc seconds in an arc minute. The Big Dipper is 25 degrees across and the moon is 0.5 degrees, or 30 arc minutes, or 1800 arc seconds.
The largest any planet appears, as seen from Earth, is Venus at its closest, a mere 1 arc minute or 60 arc seconds. That's why planets look so small, even in the largest telescopes.
The brightness of objects in space is measured on a magnitude scale, where the brightest stars are magnitude 1 and the faintest visible to the naked eye are magnitude 6. Objects brighter than the brightest stars, such as the sun, moon and brightest planets are listed as negative numbers on this upside down scale.
Red Planet sky show
Mars, in contrast to Saturn, is quite small and moves rather quickly around the sun. As a result Mars changes its size and brightness quite markedly over the course of its apparition.
When Mars was in opposition on March 3 it was relatively large, 14 arc seconds in diameter, and bright, magnitude –1.2. It has now shrunk to 6 arc seconds and is only magnitude +1.0.
The bright star Spica is 263 light-years distant, at magnitude +1.0 the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. It represents a sheaf of wheat in the Virgin's hand, and its appearance in spring is a signal to farmers to plant their wheat.
Although these four objects (Mars, Saturn Souca and the moon) appear close together in the sky from our vantage point on Earth, in reality they are at vastly different distances, so different that it is hard to find a common distance scale. This is why astronomers sometimes use time as a yardstick, using the speed of light —186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second) —to get a meaningful comparison for us regular humans.
The moon is the closest, its light taking only 1.24 seconds to reach us. Mars is next, but its distance must be measured in light minutes, 13.2 light-minutes to be precise. Saturn is far enough away that its light takes 1 hour and 22 minutes to reach Earth.
When we come to Spica we must use a much longer yardstick: Spica's light takes 263 years to reach us. The light we see from Spica left the star 263 years ago, in the year 1749.
So, when you gaze at these four objects grouped grouped closely together in the evening sky on Tuesday night, be aware of just how far apart they really are.
Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of Saturn, Mars, the moon or other sky sight and would like to share it with SPACE.com, send images and comments to SPACE.com managing editor Tariq Malik at email@example.com.
This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.


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(Please note that the workshop dates have been changed to 29 & 30 May 2014)
The next worst thing after looking like a ghost bride in your wedding photos is to have your entourage of girlfriends looking like ghost bridesmaids in your wedding photos.
It didn't happen to me – I wasn't the bridesmaid nor a guest – but my friend was one of the bridesmaids and those photos never saw the light of day after the wedding.
Can you imagine a group of seven girls with faces as white as ghost/sheet/snow/toothpaste/putu mayam smiling and hugging the bride in all the photos? Funny thing is, it wasn't a DIY job, they actually someone to do the bridesmaids' makeup. I was like @_@".
If I were the photographer, my heart would be torn between taking photos of everyone at the wedding and trying to avoid these girls with distasteful white cast. LOL!
Yup, white cast is the term for the ghostly effect you see on other people (or maybe yourself! I have been there HAHAHA!) in photos. It is the UV filters in your sunscreen that make your face paler than your neck, look streaky or leave a white residue on your skin that shines even through the most opaque of foundation.
There are, of course, plenty of tips on how to avoid/minimize the white cast, and at the Singapore Academy Makeover Extremes Workshop, there will be EVEN MORE tips and tricks on camera-ready makeup to pick up! 😀
Celebrities always look immaculate on the red carpet, but even the biggest celebs aren't immune to embarrassing makeup malfunctions!
White cast
I don't profess to be a guru in makeup application nor am I a trained makeup artist, and most of us have a lighter tone on our face compared to our body, but at least I don't look too bad right? 😛
(Oh but I have unsightly wrinkles on my neck. BOO. That can't be helped la! HAHAHA!)
That said, I am still extremely looking forward to attend the 2-day workshop because there is never an end to learning and I thrive in constant acquisition of new techniques and skills to be the best version of me.
(Hence the cover picture of this post. ^_^* )
How Is This Workshop Applicable To You?
You could be an aspiring model looking for makeup techinques so that you can look your best in photos to put together your portfolio;
You could be a blogger who owns a photography ringlight and wants to know how to make your features appear more prominent;
You could be a performer, stage artiste, dancer, singer, or just be a person who loves taking selfies and wants to look better in pictures! 😀
I don't know about you, but here are my top three concerns when it comes to taking camera-ready photos:
1. Shiny Skin
My number one concern! I have such oily skin that it turns shiny within a couple of hours of makeup application. During my wedding photoshoot in Taiwan, my makeup artist had to constantly blot my face to reduce the shine on my face.
Ever wondered why the makeup artists of actors/actresses keep having to pat their faces with powder? It's because powder is necessary to create that beautiful matte finish for photography.
Powder makes the difference between a beautiful photo and just a photo. And it's really not just about patting, there are techniques behind it!
2. Flawed Skin
Camera flashes can be very unforgiving. *FLASH! FLASH!* And all your blemishes, under-eye bags, dark eye circles, dark spots, enlarged pores all come out to the front and say 'HELLO LOOK AT ME!!'. I want to learn how to conceal them properly so I look fresh and ready to take on the world.
3. Flat Face
Camera flashes, studio lighting, stage lighting are double-edged swords. They are essential in creating desired lighting and moods, but they also take away a lot of natural contours of the face. That's why models/performers always apply more than they usually would in their daily activities as everything tends to be washed out by studio lighting.
But of course there's a limit to 'more than usual'. In my opinion, these are way too much! =O
(I really don't get Drew Barrymore's.... was it on purpose?)
What are YOUR main concerns and fears when taking photos?
No matter what they are, you will definitely learn to overcome them in the 2-day Singapore Media Academy Makeover Workshop! REGISTER HERE!
The ghostly look is not completely out of the books though, it's totally my type of makeup for Halloween! It's the time of the year when I relentlessly pack white powder on my face because camera flash LOVES white pigments which bounce off the flash to reflect even more strongly.
Like this:
No, I had no problems going home by public transport in my zombie geisha makeup and costume. HAHAHA! That was really fun, seeing the shocked expressions of people. It was no mean feat trying not to laugh.
From the very moment I chanced upon my first Halloween makeup tutorial, I was hooked for life. Countless hours spent watching video after video, getting intrigued by the technicalities of creating something artfully grotesque out of an ordinary canvas. After getting a glimpse of how much work goes behind a deformed face, I gained a new perspective on the faces of characters in movies.
My obsession with special effects started when I was probably 9 years old and discovered paint. Art paint. I didn't like watercolor as much as I did those that required squeezing out of the tube because the color just 'wasn't rich enough'. Back then I didn't know the term for it, but now I do - it's called pigmentation. Hoho.
I attempted a head-shot wound the following year.
But as you can probably tell, these look reasonably good only because of lighting effects and post-editing. The wound is not very convincing, is it? 🙁
There is so much more than just fake blood and unrealistic wounds! I want to play with prosthetic, blood paste, sculpt flesh, bald caps, teeth, burns, cuts, scars....!!
That's why I am super happy and super looking forward to the workshop because it includes special effects makeup techniques! YAYYYY!!!! 😀
See yourself transform from plain to glam to gory with newly acquired makeup skills and techniques in just TWO DAYS!
7 Reasons Why You Should Sign Up For This Workshop:
- Perfect for time-strapped people like you and me. 2 days is just perfect. And only 3 hours each night.
- No background in makeup needed. We will all learn together from scratch! 😀
- Hands-on session on how to create camera-ready looks
- Hands-on session on special effects makeup
- Stand a chance to win a burns makeup kit worth S$100
- Get to interact with like-minded people, make new friends
- You get to see me HAHAHAHA I hope this is a little bit of a pull factor la! 😛
Register HERE!
Dates: 27 & 28 March 2014
Updated dates: 29 & 30 May 2014
Time: 7pm - 10pm
Venue: Singapore Media Academy
Price: S$321
Register with a friend and both of you get 10% OFF!
Makeover Extremes Facebook Event Page


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Just when...
...you've about had it with the busyness of shopping...
...you've left the Elf in the same place for two days in a row...
....you've rationalized to yourself that dipping Oreo's in chocolate counts as baking...
...you've realized that you forgot that you have to make six dozen cookies for your church's Christmas party later that night...
Just when you've about had it, you see something that could only happen due to a Christmas Miracle.
Ours happened today.
Abby's stocking was finished. Only six years in the making.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Christmas Miracle
5 comments:
So I started my craft blog to motivate me to do something for myself, but also to motivate me to finish half-done crafts. Apparently, only one thing will motivate you to finish projects than having a blog...ReplyDelete
...your husband mocking your lack of progress on his own blog.
You just jinxed yourself when I finished all of ours number 5 came!ReplyDelete
Six years? Worth it!ReplyDelete
6 years = awesome stocking! I'm kinda jealous :) And I totally did non-baking baking for my cookie exchange this year. Best. Decision. Ever.ReplyDelete
hehe, Merry Christmas Abby!ReplyDelete
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NEW YORK, NY, January 7, 2012 – IAC (NASDAQ:IACI) today announced the company has completed the acquisition of Tutor.com, an online tutoring solution. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 1998, Tutor.com connects students anytime, anywhere with more than 2,500 screened and qualified tutors for immediate one-to-one sessions. Historically focused on core K-12 subjects, Tutor.com has more recently expanded into AP courses, test prep, college-level curriculum, and real-time writing help. Millions of students have benefited from Tutor.com's personalized learning programs which are offered by direct consumer subscription and through partnerships with public and academic libraries, school districts, the United States military, and colleges.
"Tutor.com has done the hard part, having built over many years an incredible nationwide network of high quality tutors ready to help students improve their learning," said Greg Blatt, CEO of IAC. "We think it's ripe for us to accelerate usage by bringing to bear our consumer Internet expertise in areas like product, marketing and distribution. It's not often we find a company with such untapped potential that our particular skill set can help unlock, in an area that truly helps people improve their lives, all at a compelling valuation. Although it's small, we're excited about this acquisition."
"We are on a mission to help every student take control of their own learning and achieve their academic and professional goals," said George Cigale, founder and CEO of Tutor.com, "and becoming an IAC company will help us reach that goal faster. A high-quality education has never been more important and we think the combination of Tutor.com and IAC will make one-to-one learning accessible, affordable and sustainable for consumers and institutions."
Cigale will remain CEO and continue to run the business from Tutor.com's offices in New York City.
IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) is a leading media and Internet company comprised of more than 150 brands and products, including Match.com, Ask.com, CollegeHumor, and CityGrid Media. Focused in the areas of Search, Match, Local and Media, IAC's family of websites is one of the largest in the world, with nearly a billion monthly visits across more than 30 countries. The company is headquartered in New York City with offices in various locations throughout the U.S. and internationally. To view a full list of the companies of IAC, please visit our website at www.iac.com.
Tutor.com is the world's largest and highest-rated online learning service. The Tutor.com community of more than 2,500 professional experts has delivered more than 8 million one-to-one tutoring and professional development sessions in a proprietary online classroom optimized for learning, since 2001. Tutor.com powers tutoring and homework help programs for the Department of Defense; school districts across the country; colleges and universities; the states of Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and Rhode Island; and, the District of Columbia and thousands of public libraries. For more information, please go to www.tutor.com.


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1. Who manages www.CityTownInfo.com?
www.CityTownInfo.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), a publicly traded corporation that operates a vertical marketing and media online business in the United States and internationally. In connection with direct marketing services, QuinStreet, Inc. offers informative web content and online matching services that connect internet visitors with its marketing clients. The address of QuinStreet's principal place of business is 950 Tower Lane, 6th Floor, Foster City, California 94404. For more information about QuinStreet, Inc., click here.
2. How do I contact www.CityTownInfo.com or QuinStreet, Inc.?
If you have any questions about www.CityTownInfo.com please feel free to contact QuinStreet, Inc., by email at [email protected], or in writing at the following address:
QuinStreet, Inc.
950 Tower Lane, 6th Floor
Foster City, CA 94404
3. Where can I find this site's privacy policy?
Users of www.CityTownInfo.com should read and understand the site's privacy policy before submitting personal information and can view the site's privacy policy here.


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They've added art to the revamp, which is great, and used the works of ceramic artist Peter Lange.
I have seen his "Curmudgeon" piece before at Corban Arts Centre in Henderson (above) -- but at that time couldn't see the two additional "Tut tut" pieces of the full work.
Looking towards the end of the avenue. Do they still call the far grassy area Todd Triangle?
Well, that's as I know it, even if not. Here on Todd Triangle, they've removed the cool painted control box I waded through the brush to photograph at the end of the triangle back in October 2009 (although Derek Battersby of the WLB, when I mentioned it, said it had been saved and relocated ... somewhere ...). But, they've stalled Peter Lange's brick artwork. I can forgive them.
Camera. My favourite piece, this.
A dodgem car. Also serving as a likely rubbish receptacle, inadvertently ...
And .. a bell.
Just to finish this off -- I do like the bike by the bike stands. But the ones in Hastings are funkier.


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|Photo: Kristin Burns
LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), the global leader in music rights management, will bestow the BMI Icon Award to Stevie Nicks at its 62nd Annual BMI Pop Awards, slated for Tuesday, May 13, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The invitation-only ceremony will also recognize the songwriters and publishers of the past year's most-performed pop songs in the United States. The BMI Pop Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year will be named during the ceremony. The evening will also include an all-star musical tribute to Nicks.
BMI Icons are selected because of their unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers. As a BMI Icon, Stevie Nicks will join elite ranks that include Paul Simon, Carole King, David Foster, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, the Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Bee Gees, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and others.
"Stevie Nicks is an extraordinary songwriter and pedigree artist of stunning genius and unwavering grace, on and off the stage. She has defined an era of pop and rock culture around the world with her brilliance and unforgettable magnificence," said Barbara Cane, BMI Vice President & General Manager, Writer/Publisher Relations, Los Angeles.
The legendary Stevie Nicks has an instantly recognizable voice that rises above all others. It is at once haunting, romantic, filled with mystery and completely unforgettable. Her spectacular talent has brought joy to her millions of fans for generations. With her incomparable songwriting ability, she has received 12 BMI million-performance citations, along with 12 BMI Pop Awards, a BMI Urban Award and a BMI Country Award for such hits as "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "Leather and Lace," "Landslide" and "Gypsy," among others. With songs such as "Edge of Seventeen" and "Stand Back," Nicks has earned a top spot among a pedigree of timeless pop rock icons. From the start of her career as a solo artist with the release of her five million-selling debut, Bella Donna, up to her current critically acclaimed album, In Your Dreams, Nicks continues to bedazzle audiences around the world. As a member of the legendary Fleetwood Mac, whose Rumours album was one of the biggest selling records of all time, Nicks' four-decade career includes induction into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, multiple GRAMMY awards and numerous gold and platinum records. Collectively, these achievements add up to one of the most successful female artists in pop rock history.
The 62nd Annual BMI Pop Awards will be hosted by BMI President Del Bryant and BMI Vice President & General Manager, Writer/Publisher Relations, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane.


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Tabloid Science Infiltrates House Climate Hearing
False claims popularized by the media in recent weeks were used as fodder in a Republican hearing to cast doubt on global warming.
The House Energy and Power Subcommittee interrogated cabinet officials Gina McCarthy and Ernest Moniz on Wednesday in a hearing that Organizing for Action dubbed "DenierPalooza." Committee members have accepted over $12 million from the fossil fuel industry in 2013 alone, and a majority are known to deny the science demonstrating manmade global warming. During the hearing, several false claims about climate change that originated in the media were repeated as fact.
An egregious claim advanced by British tabloid The Mail On Sunday was recited by Congressman David McKinley (R-WV) in an effort to claim that global warming isn't happening, asserting "Arctic ice has actually grown 60 percent." Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) also cited the Mail, stating "I recently read an article that stated that the Arctic ice had nearly a million more square miles of ocean covered with ice than at this time of year."
However, these claims were based on a typographic error from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), later corrected. The NSIDC found the Arctic sea ice increase was actually half of what the Mail reported: about 500,000 square miles of ice were added to the Arctic from the previous year (not one million), an increase of 29 percent.
Regardless of this error, it is misleading to use these figures to argue that we are experiencing "global cooling" (as did the Mail On Sunday), as 2012 was a record low for Arctic ice, and some increase in ice extent was expected. Even with the increase, the August 2013 average sea ice extent was about 70 percent less than the 30-year average -- the Arctic is still experiencing rapid sea ice decline in the long-term, mostly due to global warming. Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment concluded that the article was "deliberately misleading."
As misinformation from British tabloids about climate change has been magnified by American conservative media in the past several weeks, it was only a matter of time before inaccuracies permeated Congress and entered the political debate.


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SRD:Staff of the Magi
From D&D Wiki
|This material is published under the OGL 1.0a.
Staff of the Magi: A long wooden staff, shod in iron and inscribed with sigils and runes of all types, this potent artifact contains many spell powers and other functions. Some of its powers use charges, while others don't. The following powers do not use charges:
- Detect magic
- Enlarge person (Fortitude DC 15 negates)
- Hold portal
- Light
- Mage armor
- Mage hand
The following powers drain 1 charge per usage:
- Dispel magic
- Fireball (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 17 half )
- Ice storm
- Invisibility
- Knock
- Lightning bolt (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 17 half )
- Passwall
- Pyrotechnics (Will or Fortitude DC 16 negates)
- Wall of fire
- Web
These powers drain 2 charges per usage:
- Monster summoning IX
- Plane shift (Will DC 21 negates)
- Telekinesis (400 lb. maximum weight; Will DC 19 negates)
A staff of the magi gives the wielder spell resistance 23. If this is willingly lowered, however, the staff can also be used to absorb arcane spell energy directed at its wielder, as a rod of absorption does. Unlike the rod, this staff converts spell levels into charges rather than retaining them as spell energy usable by a spellcaster. If the staff absorbs enough spell levels to exceed its limit of 50 charges, it explodes as if a retributive strike had been performed (see below). The wielder has no idea how many spell levels are cast at her, for the staff does not communicate this knowledge as a rod of absorption does. (Thus, absorbing spells can be risky.)
Retributive Strike: A staff of the magi can be broken for a retributive strike. Such an act must be purposeful and declared by the wielder. All charges in the staff are released in a 30-foot spread. All within 10 feet of the broken staff take hit points of damage equal to 8 times the number of charges in the staff, those between 11 feet and 20 feet away take points equal to 6 times the number of charges, and those 21 feet to 30 feet distant take 4 times the number of charges. A DC 17 Reflex save reduces damage by half.
The character breaking the staff has a 50% chance (01–50 on d%) of traveling to another plane of existence, but if she does not (51–100), the explosive release of spell energy destroys her. Only specific items, including the staff of the magi and the staff of power are capable of a retributive strike.
Strong (all schools); CL 20th;Weight 5 lb.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Magic Items


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When Philippine Airlines asked him last December if he could supply Carmen's Best Ice Cream, Paco Magsaysay thought, why not? After all, he had previously provided the airline with ice cream for chartered flights when President Benigno Aquino III would be onboard. Carmen's Best was by then a brand that PAL was familiar with.
In early January, Magsaysay received another call from PAL, this time asking him to supply 280 packs of single-serve ice cream. He then prepared 140 single serves of malted milk flavor and 140 of brown butter almond brittle. Feeling generous, he rounded up the order to 300, adding 20 packs of pistachio ice cream.
Little did he know that his ice cream would be brought onboard the plane that would fly Pope Francis back to Rome after his papal visit to the Philippines—and actually be served to His Holiness. When Magsaysay found out that the Pope had tasted, in fact, finished two servings of Carmen's Best Ice Cream, Magsaysay was floored.
"Just the idea of the Pope touching the cup of ice cream and eating it!" Magsaysay exclaimed.
High honor
But even before Carmen's Best went onboard the papal plane, some members of the Vatican had already tasted it. A few days earlier, Magsaysay's cousin, Brother Michael Valenzuela, FSC—who's on the board of some La Salle schools and is institutional animator at College of St. Benilde—had asked him to supply ice cream to the papal entourage and the Swiss guards who were billeted in Hotel Benilde (owned and operated by De La Salle).
Paco obliged with 30 free pints of his most popular flavors; reports have it that the papal entourage loved the ice cream.
Perhaps no other ice cream deserves such a high honor as to be served to His Holiness. Carmen's Best, after all, is to ice cream what Kobe beef is to steak—the highest grade, the most luxurious, the most coveted.
Where other brands use UHT processed milk, Carmen's Best is made only from pure fresh cow's milk and cream sourced directly from the family's dairy farm. There's also no air pumped into it, and no water and chemicals added.
The word tipid (scrimp) is alien to the makers of Carmen's Best. For vanilla, only the finest vanilla beans from Madagascar are used. The pistachios come from Sicily, the malted milk from England, the chocolate from Switzerland. If the flavor includes almonds, there is sure to be an abundance of almonds in every tub.
The result is ice cream that's dense and creamy, with no rough edges. Every spoonful has a roundness, like a fluid, well-rehearsed symphony that starts and ends seamlessly.
Humble beginnings
The brand has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2011, when Magsaysay first dabbled in ice-cream-making. At first he only wanted to maximize the milk production in the dairy farm of his father, former Senator Jun Magsaysay (son of the late, beloved President Ramon Magsaysay). Using a small ice cream machine, he began with three basic flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. When the ice cream turned out good, he realized he could do something more and began expanding his production and experimenting with other flavors.
Magsaysay's first customers were his neighbors in Alabang. But word soon spread about this artisanal ice cream that was so lush and velvety it was unlike any other ice cream in the market. To fill customers' needs, he established pickup points in Alabang and Makati, aside from making customized ice cream for special orders.
To update his skills, in 2013 he took the Ice Cream Short Course in Penn State University—and finished with the top prize, the Keeney Award.
Today, Paco continues to raise the bar in ice cream production. Strict food safety measures are observed, and fresh milk and cream continue to be the prime components that give the ice cream an incredibly rich texture and mouth feel.
Magsaysay says he even monitors the food the cows eat because it affects their milk production. And though he knows he has sufficient milk supply because of his father's farm, he is honorable enough to pay the proper market rate and keep his payments updated.
40 flavors
From the three basic flavors, Carmen's Best now comes in 40 flavors that include both the traditional and unconventional: from pistachio almond fudge to baklava; from salted caramel to Brazilian coffee; from cookie dough to Nuts About You, a maple-based ice cream with pecans, walnuts and almonds.
Likewise, from two pickup points, the distribution has expanded to include major supermarkets such as Rustan's and Puregold. He's also thinking of exporting to Southeast Asian countries soon.
Not surprisingly, Carmen's Best has won a number of awards. It has been given Best Choice Artisanal Ice Cream Brand; was overall winner in Our Awesome Planet's Ultimate Taste Test; and cited in the Manila Survival Guide's Five Best Artisanal Ice Cream Brands.
Awards and recognition aside, Paco uses Carmen's Best not just to make the best ice cream in the market but also to continue the Magsaysay legacy of giving to the community and helping others. Since starting operations in 2011, the company has been donating part of its proceeds to the PGH Medical Foundation. Today, its contribution has reached P100,000.
Pope Francis will surely be pleased.


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Additional Description – AA
ABS-IR Open End Aluminum/Steel Dome Head
ABS-IR Open End Aluminum/Steel Dome Head
RivetKing Aluminum/Steel blind rivets have a bright polished body and a zinc plated mandrel to improve the oxidation resistance and overall aesthetic of the riveted product. Our rivets are tested to ensure consistent, error-free application. The rivets have been designed to purposely encapsulate the mandrel after riveting. The mandrel's blunt diamond point prevents injury while improving application speed.
Country of Origin:
RivetKing, China
RivetKing, New Jersey USA (Optional)
Optional Finishes:
Anodized (clear, black or colored)
Painted (any color)
- Products
- Description
- Design Considerations
- CAD Files
- Product Assistance
- Catalog
Aluminum/Steel Open End Blind Rivets, Dome Head, IFI-114, Grade 18
Design Considerations
Grip Range:
Determining the length of the rivet is critical to ensure the rivet will function as intended. If the rivet is applied over or under its intended grip range, it may not work properly. All manufacturers list a range of material thickness in which the product will perform properly. This thickness is commonly called the grip range. Setting rivets outside of their specified grip range can lead to functional failures. Rivets set over-grip will not retain the mandrel head, causing it to fall out of the rivet body after setting. Rivets set under-grip can bend and offset, reducing the overall strength and aesthetic appearance. Failure to adhere to the grip range may also cause a premature break or difficulty in clearing the spent mandrel from the setting tool.
Also be sure to account for the theoretical grip versus the actual grip. While the grip may be calculated by adding the thickness of the two materials together, be sure to account for any burrs, bends and manufacturing tolerances which may increase or decrease the overall grip of the materials being riveted.
Hole Size:
Hole sizes are extremely important for the proper functionality of blind rivets. We specify a hole size for every rivet we manufacture. A rivet is only guaranteed to function as designed when the hole size is within the prescribed range. Additionally, the design engineer should calculate the manufacturing tolerances of the hole to ensure proper fit so that interference issues will not occur later.
Joint Materials & Strength:
It is sometimes necessary to use dissimilar materials such as fastening aluminum to steel or plastics to aluminum. Whenever possible, the stronger material should be the secondary side because this is where the setting will take place. As a general rule, a rivet should be used in materials equal to or greater than its own strength, although custom rivets can be produced to work in softer materials. Be sure to verify the compatibility of the rivet materials as galvanic corrosion can occur and is seldom considered in the design phase.
Tool Clearance:
Sufficient clearances are needed so that the tool can access the joint being riveted without interference. Be sure to account for the riveting equipment in the design phase to prevent the need for customized and potentially costly tooling modifications.
Head Clearance:
Axial access is required on the primary side being riveted to allow for the flange to overlap the hole without interference. When designing the primary hole, be sure to calculate the head diameter and its tolerances as well as the layout footprint of the head around the hole. This is especially critical when riveting on brackets and other hardware next to bends, folds, extrusions and/or cutouts on the applications.
Blind Side Clearance:
Since the blind side of the rivet is designed to form into a secondary flange, it is important to leave room for the flange to expand and seat properly. Keep in mind, the collapsed height is shorter than the pre-installed height. Therefore, be sure the secondary side can accommodate the entire rivet length (including the mandrel head), before riveting. Testing should be done in the design phase to calculate what distances are needed and to verify proper functionality.
Corrosion Protection:
The corrosion factor of a particular rivet is dependent on the corrosivities of the base metal, the protective layer (plating) and the conversion layer (chromate). Being that the most cost effective material to manufacture is steel, most prefer to protect the steel with a plating such as Zinc Chromate, or other alloy platings. Because blind rivets are plated before they are assembled, do not attempt to post-plate an assembled rivet. For standard performance, an SST rating of 24 hours until red rust is common. Other platings such as zinc alloys (Zinc Nickel, Zinc Iron, Tin Zinc) are available which can extend the SST rating to 840 hours until red rust. All specified finishes are tested by RivetKing in accordance with ASTM B117 standards.
CAD Files
The following are available for download upon request by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com
Product Assistance
RivetKing is a support-oriented company and has local application engineers to assist with product and tool selection. You may contact our sales department for technical guidance, or an application engineer for local support. Usually, we can be at your facility nationwide within 48 hours.
Sales Support: 1-800-289-7483


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The Carrie Diaries RECAP 01/14/13: Episode 1 "Pilot"
Tonight you do not want to miss the Season premiere of The Carrie Diaries. It airs tonight on the CW at 8PM and we will be providing a live recap for you enjoyment. So if you were as obsessed as I was with Sex & The City you MUST stop by to see our recap of the prequel, The Carrie Diaries.
On tonight's show a young Carrie Bradshaw deals with high school drama while meeting Manhattan for the first time. Recently, life hasn't been smooth sailing for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) – her mother just passed away, her rebellious younger sister Dorrit (Stefania Owen) is acting out, and their father Tom (Matt Letscher) is struggling to raise two teenage daughters alone. As Carrie begins the first day of her junior year, she can't help but feel as though all eyes are on her, and a pity party from rival Donna LaDonna (Chloe Bridges) doesn't help the situation.
Even when surrounded by her group of friends, Mouse (Ellen Wong), Maggie (Katie Findlay) and Walt (Brenden Dooling), Carrie feels as though her life should be heading in a different direction. The arrival of new guy Sebastian Kydd (Austin Butler) brings Carrie some excitement, but it isn't until she accepts an internship at a Manhattan law firm that things begin to fall into place. In the city, Carrie meets Larissa Loughlin (Freema Agyman), a free-spirited, outgoing style editor at Interview magazine, who introduces her to a world she's only dreamt of. Miguel Arteta directed the episode written by executive producer Amy B. Harris.


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Story highlights
The world's population is nearing an all-time high of 7 billion
It's not an easy number to envision or comprehend
To count to 7 billion would take more than three decades
Seven billion seconds ago, the year was 1789
The global population is expected to reach 7 billion Monday – just 12 years after hitting 6 billion – and the milestone has many pondering the complex challenges associated with billions more people on Earth in the coming years.
Some are also pondering something else: Just how big is 7 billion really?
It's a number that's easy to underestimate.
On the surface, it doesn't look much different than 6 billion, either in written form or numeric form. There are nine zeros in 6,000,000,000, just like there are nine zeros in 7,000,000,000. But if you counted every number in between them, it would take more than 30 years. Yes, three decades.
And when was the last time you used 7 billion in everyday life? Have you ever eaten 7 billion of something? Have you ever owned 7 billion of anything? Early this year, there were only 140 people in the world who were worth $7 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
"The number is just outside of our usual everyday scale of thinking," said Klaus Volpert, an associate professor of mathematics at Villanova University. "We count to 10 on our fingers and that's our scale, you know? Even counting to a million is already kind of outside of the everyday experience. And then once you go past a million, it becomes a blur."
Here are some different ways that might help you envision the enormousness of 7 billion:
– Seven billion seconds ago, the year was 1789. That was the year George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president and Congress met for the very first time.
– If you took 7 billion steps along the Earth's equator – at 2 feet per step – you could walk around the world at least 106 times.
– Suppose an average thimble holds 2 milliliters of water. Seven billion of those thimbles would fill at least five Olympic-sized swimming pools.
– Let's say the average human is about 5 feet tall, accounting for children. If you stack those 7 billion people end to end, they would reach about 1/14th of the way to the sun – or 27 times the distance to the moon, Volpert said.
– Seven billion ants, at an average size of 3 milligrams each, would weigh at least 23 tons (46,297 pounds).
"Our mind just staggers," Volpert said, when thinking about how big 7 billion really is. He said there's a similar feeling when trying to grasp ultra-tiny measurements or something as vast as outer space.
"Every once in a while when we look up at the stars, we get a glimpse of the scale that's beyond the human scale, and it's fascinating and great," he said.
Population experts are hoping that more people begin to grasp the 7 billion concept soon, because the number has skyrocketed in recent years and the situation is becoming more urgent. (See populations country-by-country)
The world didn't reach 1 billion inhabitants until 1800, according to the Population Reference Bureau, and it reached 2 billion in 1930. But with advances in modern medicine, it took only 30 more years to reach 3 billion, 14 years to reach 4 billion, 13 years to reach 5 billion and 12 years to reach both 6 billion and 7 billion.
The U.N. has estimated a population of 9.3 billion by 2050, and there is expected to be more than 10 billion people on Earth by 2100.
"We're getting into more and more trouble the bigger the number gets," said John Bongaarts, vice president of the Population Council, an international nonprofit group. "Every billion people we add makes life more difficult for everybody that's already here."