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Table of Contents
4.1 What Is Frontline Advocacy?
4.2 Why Is It Important?
4.3 Who Me?
4.4 Frontline Advocacy Every Day : Leadership and Staff Working Together
4.5 Going Deeper: The Role of Library Leadership in Planning for Frontline Advocacy
4.5.b Looking Closely at Your Library
4.5.c Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
4.5.d A Job for Everyone
4.5.e Working Together
4.5.f Your Message
4.5.g Your Audience
4.5.h Communication Tools
4.5.i Putting Your Plan on Paper
4.5.j "How'm I Doing?"
4.6 More Resources
4.1 What is frontline advocacy?
While the term "front line" initially was coined by the military to describe those troops at the forward-most point in the battlefield, literally the soldiers facing the opposing army, "front line" or "frontline" has more recently become an expression to describe those individuals who interact in the visible forefront of any situation.
You interact with frontline people every day. A few examples include the helpful sales clerk at your favorite retail store, the restaurant server who knows you like mustard on your turkey sandwich and the cashier you see so often at your grocery store. These people all interact on a personal level with you. The kind of service they give you directly impacts your opinion of their business and of the value you get for your money there. Your interactions with them shape your decisions about whether or not to be a continued customer.
"Advocacy" means supporting a cause or course of action, and in the academic library world, everyone who works for the library (librarians, desk clerks, catalogers, bibliographers, student interns, even building maintenance workers) needs to think of herself or himself as an advocate - a "frontline advocate" - for the library. Academic library staff are perfectly poised to learn what library users and others have to say about the library, as well as to inform people about the library's value and needs as part of a common and naturally-occurring relationship. Because e very library staff member is the face of the library to the academic community and to the world at large, each influences what others know and think about the library. Whether or not your job puts you in direct contact with library users, you can still talk to people (students, professors and other instructors, colleagues, college/university administrative staff, neighbors, relatives and friends) about your library's value to its academic institution and your value as a library employee.
The purpose of this Frontline Advocacy for College and University Libraries Toolkit is to provide simple tools and strategies for frontline staff at all levels of academic library services, including you , to make advocacy part of your everyday activities. For some great ideas about frontline advocacy activities for all kinds of libraries, including college and university libraries, check out 2009-2010 ALA president Dr. Camila Alire's 23 (Advocacy) Things (Tips) for Frontline Employees (PDF) / 23 (Advocacy) Things (Tips) for Frontline Employees (Word doc).
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4.2 Why is it Important?
Why Do College and University Libraries Need Frontline Advocates?
The academic library and the institution it serves support each other. The library provides essential resources that are the foundation of learning and research. The college or university provides the reason the college or university library exists at all. In addition, the academic library is an important economic player in the relationship between the university and the larger community.
When it comes to advocating for the academic library, its formal leadership, library administrators, have traditionally done much of the heavy lifting. They continually work to raise awareness and to seek sources of funding to support the library's needs. They often get precious little "face time" with decision makers and need to use that time to the greatest advantage. While there will always be a vital role for those groups to play, the truth is that people can use your academic library for years without ever encountering anyone in this leadership group.
They encounter frontline employees – like you.
That's why the message of the library's value and needs must be spread by every library employee. Every staff member should think about the power of persuasion and be willing to communicate in a variety of ways. In the academic library world, e veryone who works for the library is on the front line.
Why Are YOU Your College or University Library's Best Frontline Advocate?
Good question! The truth is, you are a valuable library staff member and know your library best. Whether you have worked there for 6 months or 30 years, you are part of an important team that provides important personal service every minute your doors are open and access to valuable online information after library hours. You are someone whom students, staff, your friends, neighbors, family and others connect with your academic library because they know you work there. You have credibility because you are the face and voice and hands of your library to the world.
You also live and work within a larger community – the college or university community, of course, but also a county, city or township - and you know this community. You know who lives there, what goes on there, and how your library fits into the larger fabric of your community. Your relationships with others in the academic and larger community matter.
Why Are YOU Needed Now More Than Ever?
The economy has hit higher education particularly hard. Tuition increases cannot cover all the shortfalls. University budgets have shrunk, and those cuts naturally have spilled over into their libraries. Library administrators cannot shoulder the responsibility of library advocacy alone.
Dr. Camila Alire summed up the reality well in a 2005 article for College & Research Libraries News. Alire wrote:
"No matter what positions we hold in our libraries, our responsibilities seem to be ever-changing as we face increasing challenges, such as the reality of reduced funding, the demand for more electronic resources and services, the expectation to lead scholarly communication discussion and action, the certainty of retirements en masse, and the challenge to diversify our institutions and academic libraries' workforce…"
In short, trying to provide more in the face of funding challenges has become the norm. Alire's statement hits home even harder today due to the severe economic challenges our nation has faced in the years since the above article was written.There has probably never been a time when frontline advocates were needed more than now .
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4.3 Who, Me?
What Does an Effective Frontline Advocate for Academic Libraries Do?
Frontline advocacy for college and university libraries is all about informing and persuading. It's about partnering with your librarians and other staff to place your academic library in the spotlight at every opportunity. It's about saying and doing the little things on a daily basis that give others positive feelings and an appreciation of your library. Don't wait for a crisis or specific issue to advocate for your library. Practice it every day, and, when there is a specific issue or concern, you'll be very good at it.
Before you can do that, however, you must first understand why your library is a valuable resource for the college, university and larger community. Once you can articulate that, it's important to keep this message in mind and look for opportunities to share that information with others.
And guess what? It isn't hard. Don't be shy, seize the moment! Share your library's story, and, whenever possible, go one step further and encourage others, whether or not they are users of your college or university's library, to understand its worth and believe in its mission. Once you try it, you'll realize that advocating for your library is actually pretty easy. Click here for Six Ingredients for Frontline Advocacy Success. (4.3.a)
Resist the urge to say, "Yeah, but…"
Instead, check out Six Good Excuses That Won't Work (PDF).
Lastly, remember that any frontline advocacy actions you decide to take should be first communicated to your college or university library's administrators. They are continually engaged in their own strategic advocacy work, and they need to know about your ideas to ensure that the message communicated is clear and consistent. Frontline advocacy activities are especially effective when they dovetail neatly with more traditional advocacy activities, such as lobbying, public awareness campaigns, etc., so remember to communicate!
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4.4 Frontline Advocacy Every Day : Leadership and Staff Working Together
There are really two kinds of frontline advocacy: 1) reminding people on an ongoing, everyday basis about the library's resources, activities and value, and 2) communicating a specific library message or advocating for a specific outcome of an important library issue. The better you become at everyday advocacy, the better an advocate you will be when the library has a specific need, issue or crisis to confront. Practice does make perfect!
Ongoing, or everyday, advocacy is so easy you may not realize that you're already doing it. You're a helpful person, right? Chances are, you're already looking for opportunities to let others know why they need your library.
- Did the secretary in the history department tell you she's looking for a good winter read? Tell her, "Come to the library. I'll be happy to help you find something."
- Is a student frustrated by not being able to find enough material in your library for his thesis project? Offer to schedule some time to help him use interlibrary loan services.
- Is your friend who works in marketing trying to find information on an emerging trend? Tell her that anyone can come into your academic library and access current business journals.
When the library has a specific message, a challenging issue or a crisis situation to face, a combination of everyday advocacy and more deliberate, planned advocacy packs twice the punch. Issue-related advocacy is more conscious, more strategic and more outcome-focused than everyday advocacy. While issue-related advocacy by necessity involves the knowledge (and possibly the approval) of library administrators who will develop the message, it can still benefit from the passion and energy of non-administrative frontline employees.
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4.5 Going Deeper: The Role of Library Leadership in Planning for Frontline Advocacy
Although the ins and outs of everyday advocacy don't usually require a formal plan, it's still a good idea for college and university library administrators to think ahead about how they can help non-administrative staff members become comfortable with their role as frontline advocates. Administrators' leadership, encouragement and support of frontline advocacy actions are the key to motivating others.
Be sure all staff members understand:
- What frontline advocacy is and why it's important that they find their comfort level and practice it. (Point them to this toolkit!)
- What some strategies for doing this might be.
- How and why they are valuable to the library.
- How and why the library is valuable to the college or university and to the community too.
- How many small positive actions by frontline staff make a big impact on library users and non-users alike.
More complex issue-related advocacy requires a coordinated effort, clear message and effective ways to communicate that message. It requires leadership, goals, objectives and strategies. It requires the knowledge (and possibly the approval) of library administrators - and a Frontline Advocacy Plan (download the Frontline Advocacy Plan worksheet [Word doc]).
Creating a plan will allow you to sit down and think about your goal and how you can get there. It will also help you determine the best people to form a leadership team and the methods by which the team and others will communicate, both internally and externally. Your plan should build in opportunities for staff input to create a clear, cohesive message, then to determine who needs to hear the message and how you can tell them. Your plan should include opportunities for every employee at every level. Ideally, your Frontline Advocacy Plan will also include some criteria that you can look at to help determine the success of your frontline advocacy efforts.
These 10 steps provide a good place for academic library administrators to start:
4.5.a Taking the Lead: Identify staff who will form an effective Frontline Advocacy Team
Some people may seem like obvious choices to lead your college or university library's frontline advocacy efforts. They have infectious energy and enthusiasm. They have worked there a long time. But other talents are helpful too. Who is really organized? Who is a good writer? Who is the person who always seems to think outside the box? Who has the time to devote to this initiative? Everyone on your staff is a potential member of your Frontline Advocacy Team. Think broadly; don't overlook the circulation desk staffer, acquisitions librarian or student intern. They have valuable perspectives and a wealth of personal contacts, too.
Important tip: Don't stand up at a staff meeting and ask, "Who would like to be on our Frontline Advocacy Team?" Chances are, you will either get very few people, or perhaps the wrong people for the job. Be direct! Go to the person you think would be a great addition to your Team and say,
"We'd really like for you to be part of our Frontline Advocacy Team because you have such a great relationship with our students.." Or perhaps, "…because you know so much about everything that goes on here." Your listener will appreciate that you think highly enough of his or her talents to ask for their participation, and there's an excellent likelihood that you'll hear, "I will!"
Once your team starts gelling, choose a leader. This person will help keep things on track. How and when will your team get together? How will you communicate with one another and with other staff? What roles do team members feel most comfortable doing? You and your leader will help facilitate all of these issues and more.
4.5.b Look closely at your library: What are your academic library's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
Understanding your college or university library is the logical starting point for your Frontline Advocacy Team. Consider doing a "SWOT" Analysis, which stands for "strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats." You may already be familiar with this tool. It's widely used to analyze a variety of organizations. What makes it really special is that it can help you think about your library in a way you may not have done before. Doing one is not difficult, and it's a great group activity. Click on the SWOT Analysis Template [4.5.b.1] or download the SWOT worksheet (Word doc) and get your Frontline Advocacy Team thinking!
4.5.c Goals, Objectives and Strategies: What, How and Why
Once the Frontline Advocacy Team has articulated the library's current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, it's time to move to the next step: a goal . Your goal states what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to provide a deeper level of database access? Do your users want you to be open additional hours? Do you want to promote interlibrary loan? Do you want to create an area within your library dedicated to certain uses or users, such as for group meetings and/or group research work? Are people asking for longer material check out periods?
Here's an example: Let's assume your goal is to keep your college or university library open as many hours during the next academic year as it is open this year. You've chosen this goal because state budget cuts are impacting your university's budget, and the university has suggested reducing library hours on weekends, particularly on Sunday evenings.
Your objectives answer the question: Why is this goal important? Using the above example, it's important because weekend evenings, particularly after 9:00 p.m., are a time of heavy student use. It's important because some of your undergraduates do not have computers, so they depend on the library's computers to fulfill all of their class requirements, and those computers are fully used on Sunday evenings. It's important because certain services that you offer on weekend evenings, such as some student-to-student research assistance, have been highly successful in that time slot and need to continue. There are certainly other reasons as well.
You have a goal and you know why it's important. How are you going to get there? Strategies are specific activities that will help you accomplish your goal.
Frontline advocates for college and university libraries need to know how to talk both about the value of their library to the community and about specific issues, needs and challenges their library faces. Again, using the above example of retaining your library's weekend hours, you might ask the faculty members you know well to speak out on the library's behalf to others in their departments. Ask students whose study groups meet in the library on Sunday evenings to write letters to the university paper. These are just a few ideas. Brainstorm these with everyone on your staff and put their ideas into action.
Click on the tool Goals – Objectives – Strategies [4.5.c.1] or download the Goals-Objectives-Strategies worksheet (Word doc) for a simple guide to laying out these important steps.
Lastly, see if you can find a modest budget for your frontline advocacy efforts. A little funding will allow you to do more than you can without it.
4.5.d A Job for Everyone: Find roles for all staff
This is an important part of your Frontline Advocacy Team's assignment. Because everyone on your academic library's staff is a frontline advocate, no one should be left out of your Frontline Advocacy Plan. How can the reference assistant help? The cataloger? The student who checks out materials? Those individuals who are not on your leadership team should nonetheless play a valuable role in reaching others with your library's message. Get their input and ideas and brainstorm with them.
The most important thing to remember here? Be thoughtful and sensitive. Make advocacy something that everyone will feel comfortable doing!
4.5.e Working Together: Determine how traditional library advocates (administrators, trustees, Friends and others) and frontline employees will work together for advocacy
Library and university administrators, trustees and your institution's development staff bear most of the responsibility when it comes to advocacy for your academic library. They lobby lawmakers, engage in public relations and seek private funding sources to augment other revenue streams. It's important that they're apprised that frontline advocacy efforts will be happening too; and that they feel confident that your frontline efforts will dovetail with their work. The message in all cases should be consistent, and there should be frequent and open communication between the Frontline Advocacy Team, library staff, administrators and others whose roles include advocacy. It's the job of the Frontline Advocacy Team to determine the best way to be part of the team that gets your message heard.
4.5.f Your Message: Say what matters
You have a charged-up Frontline Advocacy Team and a great staff who all understand that they are frontline advocates. You have a clear idea of what you want to do and why and how you want to do it. It's time to start crafting your message.
What is your library's message? Do you want to expand the use of your library building, such as for meetings or receptions? Add to a special collection? Increase student and faculty use of interlibrary loan? Add to the number of hours you are open? Understand why the need is there and what actions will address it, then craft a message that is clear and compelling. Does your Frontline Advocacy Team need help with developing your message? No problem! Click on the tool Crafting Your Message [4.5.f.1] or download the Crafting Your Message worksheet (Word doc) for ideas to get you started.
Be sure you have some facts and figures that will support your message. Remember, your library collects a lot of data – use it effectively. If necessary, collect additional data that is directly relevant to your message. For help understanding how to make your data work for you, click on Put Your Data to Work for Your Frontline Advocacy Team [4.5.f.2]
Once you have a great message, develop a "parking lot" or "grocery store" speech too. This is a brief version of your message that a staff member can comfortably convey in a very short period of time. Need help with this? Click on Your Parking Lot Speech [4.5.f.3] and train all staff to have the message on their lips at all times. After all, they are your college or univerity library's frontline advocates.
4.5.g Your Audience: Tell it to the right people
If your message falls in the forest, and there's no one there who cares about it, does it make a sound?
Frontline advocacy is about talking to two groups of people: the people you know and see on an ongoing basis (those who think of you as "my neighbor or friend or 'that helpful person' who works at the college library") and those to whom you want to make an extra effort to reach because you want their support too.
The Frontline Advocacy Team should ask all staff to think about, then list, the many individuals with whom they come in contact every day. Those individuals are library users, of course, but the group is much broader than that: other university staff, friends, relatives, neighbors, high school teachers and counselors, parents, merchants and retailers – make the list as long as you can. Most of them will already be people your academic library staff know by name, and who already know those library staff members. That relationship is a great basis for sharing the message of your academic library's value in an easy, natural way. Tell your staff, "Remember that these people already believe in what you do and they just might be eager to help spread our message too!" Ask the staff to go one step more and tell their listeners to please, "Tell your friends." That's the way information travels.
What about those individuals who are not personally known by your academic library staff but nonetheless are important to reach? The Frontline Advocacy Team should ask library staff for help brainstorming who these potential supporters might be, then check with library administrators for their permission in cases where this step might be necessary.
For help identifying these individuals and institutions, look at Target Audience Planning for All Frontline Advocacy Staff [4.5.g.1] or download the Target Audience Planning worksheet (Word doc) in this toolkit.
4.5.h Communication Tools: Choose paths to success
Your Frontline Advocacy Team's job is to make it easy for your academic library staff to seize every opportunity to effectively communicate why your library is a critical source for learning and research. There are lots of ways to communicate your library's message, and the tools your Frontline Advocacy Team chooses will depend upon who you are communicating with and your staff's comfort level with frontline advocacy. Remember, a frontline advocate's main responsibility is not to lobby lawmakers, develop slogans or plan huge public awareness campaigns. It's to use his or her position as the public face of your college or university library to inform and persuade.
The Frontline Advocacy Team should suggest ways of communicating the message:
- Have one-on-one conversations with library users, faculty, university staff, friends, relatives and acquaintances. (This is always the best method!)
- Speak to a group of people you know and feel comfortable with, your study group or book club, for example.
"Remember the biography of Lincoln we read last summer by James McPherson? He's going to be speaking on campus next month, and it's open to the public. Let's go!"
"If the library has to close early on Sunday evenings next semester, we'll have to find another location to meet. How can we keep that from happening?"
- Make phone calls
- Send e-mail messages
- Write a letter to the editor of your college or university paper that explains your library's value or a challenge it faces. It's a great way to reach a lot of people at once. For help with this, see the tool Sample Letter to the Editor. [4.5.h.1]
- Post a blog. Post this on the library's website, if possible, or start your own. For links to free websites, click the Blogging tool in this toolkit. [4.5.h.2]
4.5.i Put your plan on paper
Congratulations! You've done a lot of thinking and planning. You've looked at all the ways you can communicate your library's message and who needs to hear it. Now is the time for you and your Frontline Advocacy Team to boil it down to a neat, two-page snapshot. Click Your Frontline Advocacy Plan [4.5.i.1] for an easy-to-follow format.
4.5.j "How'm I Doing?" Evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts
In the 1970's, New York Mayor Ed Koch was famous for asking everyone, from the loftiest executive to the lowliest street sweeper, "How'm I doing?" He would literally ask that question of everyone he passed as he walked down the street. That's because feedback on your efforts is important, both for measuring the success of what you're currently doing and for determining your future actions. This is an important last task for library administration and the Frontline Advocacy Team.
"Evaluation" simply means looking at your goal and deciding how well you have accomplished it and whether or not your methods were effective ones. It helps if you have some before-and-after measurements or data to look at for comparison purposes. Has your frontline advocacy work affected library funding? Campus perception and appreciation of your library? The library's relationship with its stakeholders? With decision makers?
Knowing what frontline advocacy activities succeeded and why (and what didn't work and why) will help you know where to spend your frontline advocacy time and resources in the future. For a simple worksheet that will help you with evaluation, click Evaluating Your Efforts [4.5.j.1] or download the Evaluating Your Efforts worksheet (Word doc).
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4.6 More Resources
Don't forget!! Be sure you look at ALA president Dr. Camila Alire's 23 (Advocacy) Things (Tips) for Frontline Employees. [4.1.a] for excellent, practical ideas for frontline and other advocates.
What if you're a passionate frontline staff member who wants to do more? You must first work with your library and university administration. They are the ones who can get you more involved at the appropriate levels. There's a lot of advice out there about how to succeed at advocacy. Many advocacy tools are easily available over the Internet because a wide variety of organizations depend on advocacy for their livelihood. The American Library Association (ALA) has excellent online resources if you want to read more about college and university library advocacy:
Every Voice Makes a Difference! Flashcard for Academic Libraries (PDF)
" Why Should You Advocate for Libraries?"
Library Advocate's Handbook (PDF)
The Power of Personal Persuasion: Advancing the Academic Library Agenda from the Front Lines Toolkit (PDF)
Todaro, Julie, " The Power of Personal Persuasion: Grassroots Advocacy in the Academic Library," C&RL News, 67 (4), April 2006.
Alire, Camila, "Advocating to Advance Academic Libraries," College & Research Libraries News, (66:8), September 2005, pp. 590-614.
ALA President Camila Alire wishes to thank the Neal-Schuman Foundation for its generous support of the Frontline Advocacy Initiative.
The Neal-Schuman Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation formed to aid, assist, and promote research and educational activities for the improvement of library and information services. For more information, contact www.neal-schuman.com .
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Turkish Airlines Bans Flight Attendants From Wearing Bright Lipstick: Good Taste Or Catering To Islamists?
Turkish Airlines has prohibited its flight attendants from wearing bright-colored red or pink lipstick as well as hair buns. They're also banned from wearing tattoos or wigs.
The national carrier said it amended its dress code policy in response to "complaints submitted by passengers."
In a statement, the airline said that flight attendants would now wear "simple makeup, immaculate and in pastel colors."
The 49 percent state-owned carrier flies to more than 200 world cities and it defended the new policy saying, "as the appearance of the faces and hands of the cabin crew carries additional importance during service, a natural look is proven to create a more moderate and accessible effect in communication."
Last year, the airline's administration banned flight attendants from bleaching their hair red or platinum blonde while also discouraging "flamboyant" makeup. The carrier also stopped serving alcohol on flights to eight countries.
These changes have sparked concerns that the state is subtly seeking to impose conservative Islamic models of behavior onto women under the support of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-tinged Justice and Development Party.
"This measure is an act of perversion. How else could you describe it?" Gursel Tekin, vice president of the main opposition party CHP said, according to the Hurriyet Daily News.
"Does the public authority decide what a 20- or 30-year-old woman will wear?"
Many Turkish women have posted photos of themselves wearing bright lipstick on social media websites to protest the airline's new policies, Agence France-Presse reported. Some flight attendants have also expressed anger over the proposed measures.
On Twitter, Pinar Ogun called for "all women to use red lip stick!"
Fellow Twitter user Meralin, from Turkey, said: "During my flight today, all the female cabin crew was wearing red lipsticks apparently in protest of Turkish Airlines' red lipstick ban."
Some commenters on Hurriyet seemed to like the airline's new policy and didn't think it heralded a step backward for Turkey.
"These regulations are not unique to [Turkish Airlines]," Suhail Shafi wrote. "On Singapore Airlines, for instance, cabin crew are permitted to wear only one color of lipstick and nail polish are not permitted to wear long hair open or sport visible [tattoos]. The aim is to look professional, religion has nothing to do with it."
One person, who identified themselves only as "True Turk," said that Turkish Airlines "has a global image and if they want their staff to look a certain way, then that's their prerogative to ask the cabin crew. If staff [objects], then let them work at another airline. [Turkish Airlines] pay their salaries, so they call the shots. If you don't like it, mind the door doesn't hit you on the way out. Or we could let them come in with T-shirts and jeans and rings through their noses. Would that appease the feminists?"
Other Hurriyet readers were appalled by the new dress codes.
"They should ask manager of [Turkish Airlines] to calm down or go to Iran, Iranian government love these type of managers that restrict women everywhere. Turkey is secular country!" wrote a commenter identified as "Umut Ilkay."
A Sam Stevens said, "I suggest the girls should all wear face veils then the management can relax."

subset: commoncrawl


text: This is Dr. King?s eulogy for three of the four young girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. God gives man the right to exercise good and evil, King says, but God wills that everything will happen for the good ? that out of tragedy comes redemption. Martyred in the struggle for freedom, the girls have become symbols of the crusade and of the faith that sustains it. King speaks of forgiving those who murdered the girls and the need to transform the system, the way of life, and the philosophy that led to the bombing.


text:
Kevin DundonKevin Dundon is a veritable one-stop shop for Irish cooking. He's the chef and proprietor of Ireland's four-star Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant, Cookery School and Spa; one of Ireland's top celebrity chefs; signature chef of Downtown Disney World's Raglan Road Irish Gastropub; and a primetime cooking show regular. Renowned for his role in bringing Irish gourmet cuisine to the world, Dundon is an authority member of Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's national tourism board. Dunbrody has become synonymous with contemporary Irish country house cooking, reflecting Dundon's passion for freshness mixed with both simplicity and flair.
To see recipes from Kevin Dundon please visit www.kevindundon.com/


text:
God Of Coincidence?
God Of Coincidence?
I couldn't think of what forum subsection this one would belong in so here it is.
I am strange, and sometimes I really wonder how strange I am in comparison to other people. So I'm curious. There was a thread a while back asking why atheists talk to dead loved ones, or why we curse god etc.. This is related in a sort of kind of way
It's an overcast day, but you know you have things that you have to do outside. All day you put it off with the occasional glance out the window, knowing full well that it wont rain until you have to go outside. But time passes and you run out of excuses, you open the door, surprised that it hasn't started flooding. You must be lucky today. So you get to work, maybe cutting the grass and then it happens. The rain. But you push on and finish your work, all the while cursing the rain gods. When you're done you go inside to dry off and get the hell out of the rain. With a towel wrapped around your sopping wet disgusting head you peek out the window only to see that the rain has stopped.
Feels almost too coincidental.
We've all had moments like this one, hell I have tons of them every day. But being skeptics we all brush it off as daily annoyance. Pure coincidence. It can't be god laughing at me, there is no such thing as fate. Or luck.
My question is how many of you have actually gotten mad at the invisible likely to be non existent god? Actually internally debated as to whether there was a douche bag in the sky just fucking with you. Trying to see how far he can take it before your mind breaks.
I actually do this all the time. I believe in the possibility of all possibility, it's likelihood that makes me side one way or another. I can't ever rule something out completely unless there is genuine evidence for it. Even then my brain has a hard time with the idea of 100%.
So for me since I can't actually prove the non existence of a god, there remains a percent chance that there is one, and in that I use likelihood to determine what kind of god it would probably be, and then I narrow it down. To me If there were a god he'd probably be either accidental, or a dick. So that's like 50/50 that if there were a god he would actually find entertainment in fucking with people.
Sometimes things seem far too coincidental. They say bad things come in threes but for me it's like they never end. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of good things in my life, and I find joy in the oddest of things but man. Man oh man. It fucking rains every-time I have to go outside. Unless I bring an umbrella. Then it doesn't. Or if it's summer obviously.
I curse the god of coincidence. Whether he exists or not.
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments." -Jim Morrison
The following 1 user Likes lucradis's post:1 user Likes lucradis's post
SomeOne (01-09-2012)
RE: God Of Coincidence?
There's a short sci-fi story I read once about a guy who's a rain God but doesn't know it - he hates rain, but the clouds all love him because he is their God, so wherever he goes it's always raining Just adding some grist to your mill
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lucradis (05-03-2012)
RE: God Of Coincidence?
Oh if only I was a rain god. Now you've gone and made me sad.
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments." -Jim Morrison
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morondog (05-03-2012)
RE: God Of Coincidence?
(05-03-2012 02:08 PM)lucradis Wrote: Oh if only I was a rain god. Now you've gone and made me sad.
I know I wanna be one too
RE: God Of Coincidence?
You all know im a bit of an oddball but now your gonna think im even more fucking weird
When I was a Kid I suffered from quite bad nightmares and I used to wake up not being able to move or breathe. It got to a stage where I used to dread going to sleep because of it. One night I had a nightmare and I became "lucid" and I realised I was dreaming and I woke up myself up. This skill has stuck with me alongside the lucidity. Not every night I go lucid and if I go on large weed binges I dont remember my dreams at all.
My dreams are mega complex. Part of me thinks its all to do with Sub C but then there is some strange weirdness to them. I remember when I was a child a very vivid dream of me walking along a street at a seaside town. There was a lot of red buses knocking about and I remember looking up at this house and seeing a person upstairs watching me walk past.....even then the person seemed familiar to me and I had a sense of deja-vu and the person waved but I just ignored them.
A few years ago I had a dream and I was in a house and everything seemed really familiar although I didnt know why, so I started to explore the house with a massive sense of deja-vu and I eventually went upstairs and looked out of the window. I immediatly recognised the seaside town from years ago and I looked down into the street and saw myself as a child. I waved at myself and me as a child just ignored me and it freaked me out and I woke myself up.
I think Sub C is probably the most logical explanation to what I experienced..... however there are certain places I have revisited in dreams before with different people and different scenarios.... But I know the place, even though I have never been there.
Well you may be thinking what the fuck has this got to do with the OP
Well there has been times when I have had deja-vu where I have had the sense that I might of dreamt the situation before....obv with deja-vu you have that feeling but it cannot be grasped....its allways out of reach. Well I have read the explanations about deja-vu and I cant dismiss them. What is weird though is one day at work we had finished (I am a binman/refuse collector for my local authority) and we were heading towards the tip to empty the wagon. We pulled up at some lights and I had some real strong Deja-Vu and I managed to grasp it and knew I had dreamt the situation.....I told Steve and Jeff my then co-workers and I explained that a woman was going to walk around the corner pushing a pushchair/pram and I described what the woman looked like and what she was wearing. To all of our surprise the woman who I described walked around the corner (no bullshit I aint trolling anybody here). Steve and Jeff were like how did I manage to do that "trick" and I obv explained that there is no way I could of seen around the corner. There was a pub in the way.
I dont know........its weird and fucked up but cool at the same time.
So with regards to fate and stuff I just dont know...... I cant dismiss the fact that its all most likely just all in my head and I was lucky to have guessed the woman or without conciously knowing seen her briefly in a reflection of a window or something before she walked around the corner. Its just weird that I had the deja-vu at the same time.
Looking out the window and thinking that it allways rains may be similar to the 11:11 thing that a lot of people experience. I get it a lot where I see the same sequential numbers and the only logical situation I can come up with is this event sticks in my mind.....so on the occasions I do see sequential numbers it sticks out because Ive made myself conciously aware to see them.
If you go out lucradis and you think it allways rains I think you may look for these times and they stick out more...much like my sequential numbers....where in reality you may go out a lot with it not raining but conciously they just dont stick out to you......like the times I look at the clock and the numbers are not sequential.
I dunno im just weird
I feel so much, and yet I feel nothing.
I am a rock, I am the sky, the birds and the trees and everything beyond.
I am the wind, in the fields in which I roar. I am the water, in which I drown.
The following 1 user Likes bemore's post:1 user Likes bemore's post
Magoo (02-09-2012)
RE: God Of Coincidence?
So it was semi. Sunny all day today. I wanted a coffee so I went to get one. Guess what? It both rained and snowed in me. But guess what else? That's right it's sunny out again as I sit inside.
Fuck you coincidence god.
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments." -Jim Morrison
RE: God Of Coincidence?
To use a quote from my chosen TV show.....
"Don't mistake coincidence for fate."
RE: God Of Coincidence?
I was watching an old episode of the X-files last night and the guy who played Locke was on it. He was uber skinny and young, plus he had a moustache.
But my other question is, how do we know if it is only coincidence and not fate?
Just so everyone knows I don't actually put any stock in fate. In the purest form of it anyways.
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments." -Jim Morrison
RE: God Of Coincidence?
(05-03-2012 05:01 PM)lucradis Wrote: But my other question is, how do we know if it is only coincidence and not fate?Hmmmm, good question.
Technically, from our perspective, I don't think we ever really could tell the difference. I believe it would require us to view events from a "higher" level. I.E. a forth or higher dimension of space and/or a second or higher dimension of time.
Plus, relativity would come into play. Would a single event be viewed by all as fate/coincidence? Or would there be a spread. Plus of course personal subjectivity, beliefs, circumstances, etc would impact your decision which one it was.
And just to circle back to my above quote, the same character in a similar situation a couple seasons later changed his tune and stated....
"Don't mistake fate for coincidence."
Which doesn't help the matter any......
The following 1 user Likes LostLocke's post:1 user Likes LostLocke's post
lucradis (06-03-2012)
RE: God Of Coincidence?
The Fuck, Lucradis? There's no fucking coincidence. You live in fucking BC. The chance that it's NOT raining when you go outside is the TRUE miracle!
It was just a fucking apple man, we're sorry okay? Please stop the madness
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lucradis (06-03-2012)
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Tributes for Aug. 22
September 2, 2013
Brian Duane Gavette
April 12, 1939-Aug. 6, 2013
Age: 74
Residence: Pierce, Colo.
Brian Duane Gavette, 74, died Aug. 6, 2013. He was born April 12, 1939, to Foster and Geraldine (Busch) Gavette in Walton, N.Y.
Brian grew up on a farm in Frankfort, S.D., graduated from Redfield High School in 1956, and attended Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, S.D. He enlisted in the Navy in 1960 and was honorably discharged in 1964. He married Noreen Moeller in 1960 and later divorced. Brian is survived by their three children, daughter, Kim (Pete) Brenckle of Brighton and children, Jack (Ashley) and Tannyce, daughter, April (Russ) Stumbaugh of Greeley and children Alec (Sarah) and Arianna, and son, Brion (Saneta) Gavette of Eaton and children, Tyler, Hayden, Toby, and Evie; two great-grandchildren, Jaxon and Aubrey Brenckle; and sister, Shirley Jansen of California.
Brian wed Lois Harris in 1981, and they were married until her death on June 20, 2013. He worked as a weather observer/air traffic controller at several airports in the Midwest during his career, and was still employed at DIA at the time of his death. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and being outdoors.
He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; and two brothers, Norman and Terry Gavette.
Memorial service will be held at a later date.
Les Haney
Aug. 17, 1947-Aug. 13, 2013
Age: 65
Residence: Lochbuie, Colo.
Les Haney, 65, of Lochbuie, Colo., died Aug. 13, 2013. He was born Aug. 17, 1947, to Leroy Alvin Haney and Mildred Ethel Brown.
Les grew up in Terre Haute, Ind., before coming to Colorado in the late 70s. He served in the Air Force in Vietnam. He was retired from CoorsTex.
He is survived by his daughter, Kris (Dan) Barry and their sons, Daniel, Michael and Liam; his brother, Leroy; and sisters, Debra, Neida, and Modenna.
Les was a kind, humorous, and generous person. He is missed by all his friends and family.
No services are planned.
Patricia Joan Marriner
Feb. 25, 1933-Aug. 17, 2013
Age: 80
Residence: Greeley
Patricia Joan Marriner, of Greeley, passed away on Aug. 17, 2013. She was born on Feb. 25, 1933, to H.E. and Laura Meyer.
Patty was raised on a farm east of Lucerne, Colo. She graduated from Greeley High School in 1951. She received a bachelor's degree at Colorado State College in 1967 and a master's degree from UNC in 1975. She was an educator in Greeley-Evans School District 6 for 30 years. Patty was an instructor at UNC for the outreach program, a past vice president of Phi Delta Kappa, a past president of Alpha Delta Kappa, and a former member of PEO.
Patty is survived by daughters, Debi Marin, and Marilu Elsberry; son-in-law, Keith D. Elsberry; four grandchildren; and six great-grandsons.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Dorothy Strong.
A private family memorial will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions be made to Sol Amor Hospice.
Gumercindo "Carlitos" Munoz
Jan. 13, 1952-Aug. 15, 2013
Age: 61
Residence: Greeley
Gumercindo "Carlitos" Munoz, 61, died Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, in Greeley. He was born Jan. 13, 1952, in Chihuahua, Mexico, and lived in Greeley at the time of death.
Carlitos worked 15 years for Anderson Sales & Salvage and as the neighborhood mechanic.
Survivors include his ex-wife, Mary Vigil; a son, Jose Munoz; daughters, Anna Munoz, Brissia Lorena Munoz, and Susy Munoz; a stepdaughter, Diane Vigil; 19 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, at the Moser Funeral Service Chapel, 3501 S. 11th Ave., in Evans.
An online obituary and guestbook at http://www.moserfuneralservice.com.
Arcelia Perez
May 26, 1936-Aug. 17, 2013
Age: 77
Residence: Mead, Colo., formerly of Johnstown
Arcelia Perez, 77, of Mead, formerly of Johnstown, died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, at Bonell Good Samaritan Center in Greeley, where she had been living the past three years. She was born on May 26, 1936, in Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico, to Pedro and Maria Isabel (Barragan) Vargas.
Arcelia was raised in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico. The family came to Van Nuys, Calif., in 1979. In 1991, they moved to the Johnstown and Milliken areas. In 1953, she married Ramon Perez in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico. They were members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnstown. Arcelia and Ramon moved to Mead to live with their daughter, Rosa, and her family.
Arcelia is survived by her husband, Ramon; four daughters, Gloria Perez of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico, Isabel Perez (Ruben Leos) of Greeley, Rosa Perez-Carreon (Eloy Carreon) of Mead and Arcelia Perez of Greeley; four sons, Salvador Perez of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico, Jesus Perez (Hermelinda) of Greeley, Ruben Perez (Meghan) of Evans, and Ramon Perez, Jr. of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico; three sisters, Imelda Vargas of Evans, Agueda Bernabe (Pilar) of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico, and Elida Vargas of Las Vegas, Nev.; half-sister, Carman Vargas of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico; three brothers, Tobias Vargas (Griselda) of Sylmar, Calif., Isais Vargas (Guadalupe) of Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico and Marcos Vargas (Divor) of Santa Barbara, Calif.; 36 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and a sister, Grace Lloyd.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Recitation of the Rosary at 7 p.m., at Stoddard Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter's Catholic Church, with interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Please visit http://www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guestbook.


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The Central Connecticut men's track and field team competed Saturday in day two of the 2013 IC4A/ECAC Championships in Boston, MA. Senior Aaron Radden qualified to advance to tomorrow's final competition in both the 60 meter and the 200 meter dash.
The Blue Devils did not compete in any of the events of day one.
Radden ran a 6.91 in the 60m preliminaries to tie for sixth place. His time was one tenth of a second shy of his career best and CCSU record. In the 200 meter dash, Radden placed eighth in the field with a time of 21.35 to qualify for tomorrow's final competition.
The Blue Devil 4x400 meter relay team ran a time of 3:17.15 to break the all-time CCSU record of 3:18.00 set in 2001. The team, consisting of seniors Dan Hopper, Nick Lindblom, junior Ryan Budd and sophomore Jamal Fruster, placed 20th in the event.
Fruster also competed in the 400 meter dash racing a time of 49.71 for 26th place.
Other notable performances at the championships include freshman Malcolm Connor, who placed 24th in the 500 meter dash with a time of 1:05.27 and sophomore Brian Biekert, who ran a 4:09.74 in the one mile for 17th. Biekert currently holds the CCSU record in the event.
In addition to the IC4A/ECACs, the Blue Devils were represented at the USA Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, NM. Freshman and CCSU record-holder, Joseph Gioielli ran the 800 meter preliminary race in a time of 1:54.31 for 16th place overall.
The 2013 IC4A/ECAC Championships continue tomorrow, Sunday, March 3.


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Welcome to the 4th annual Hottest Women of Radio. The Hottest Women of Radio awards were started out of love and appreciation for the many links PopCrunch receives from radio station websites and the mentions we get from morning shows. The first two years we looked at virtually every station in America to create our list, but since 2011 we have relied partially on a nomination system where listeners nominate their favorite female radio djs. The response has been overwhelming, with tens of thousands of total nominations that nominated well over 200 different women of radio. PopCrunch editors whittle it down from there and compile the rankings based on available photos of the women as well as from reading the nominations. You get a sense of which DJs are the most loved and have great personalities from the nominations, and we boost accordingly (so personality plays a factor, but don't worry – these women are all HOT.)
This is easily one of the most popular pieces we do every year, with the 2011 list having been viewed over a million times since release. It's clear that people in America still care greatly about their local radio stations.
Before checking out this year's list, feel free to look over previous year's incarnations to see how the list has evolved. We feel like it's gotten stronger and better every year, and we think you'll agree.
2009 Hottest Women of Radio
2010 Hottest Women of Radio
2011 Hottest Women of Radio
We hope you enjoy the 2012 Hottest Women of Radio! Think we missed someone? Let us know for next year's list.


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You are here
Home » Overview » Poetry Walk
Third Annual Poetry Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
A Benefit for Poets House with Galway Kinnell, Lucille Clifton, Mark Doty and Grace Paley
Date and Time:
June 22, 1998 - 6:30PM
Event Location:
Brooklyn Bridge
"Discover the poetry "under your boot-soles" and join us in celebrating the confluence of poetry, water and the magnificent New York City skyline. Hear the words of Hart Crane, Langston Hughes, Marianne Moore and Walt Whitman brought to life by Galway Kinnell, Lucille Clifton, Mark Doty and Grace Paley who will join us for this year's annual bridge crossing. The walk includes a Buffet Supper and poetry readings at City Hall Park, on the Bridge and at the Fulton Ferry Landing. Time Out New York called our first poetry walk an event that "could make you fall in love with New York all over again." Don't miss what is becoming a New York tradition.
Please call for more information
Event Sponsored By:
Poets House
Event Type:
Poetry Walk


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Mahjong Solitaire is getting a sequel so good it is scary! Literally! Play through 21 new and spooky career mode puzzles with challenging and Halloween themed levels. If you complete the entire career, you can start your career over as quickly as a ghost passes through walls.
★ 21 Spooky & Frightening Mahjong Levels
★ Beautiful Scary Halloween Theme
★ 2 Gameplay Modes: Career & Free-Play
★ 5 Levels of Difficulty: Perfect For Every Player
Free-play mode is just as frighteningly good as ever with endless hours of play with 5 levels of difficulty, scary sounds and mysterious music. Play the game that others have been clawing, slashing and howling with excitement for.
Enjoy an AD-FREE game of Mahjong Halloween in a hearse, at the haunted mansion or when waiting for the neighbor to open the door after saying "Trick or Treat!"
GIFT THIS APP: Click the "Buy App" arrow on the iTunes® App Store
Visit us at toystudio.com
Follow us at twitter.com/ToyStudioGames
Like us on facebook.com/ToyStudioGames


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Arrested Development Redux Won't Feature the Whole Gang at Once
"You don't see them all together until you see the movie," Mitch Hurwitz says.
"The show will look very different," showrunner Mitch Hurwitz says in a new article about Arrested Development's resurrection and Netflix's other original content. While we knew the new Arrested was taking a character-by-character approach to the episodes, the idea that we'd see the Bluths overlap into each other's stories was encouraging. Now the word is no full Bluth clan reunion. "You don't see them all together until you see the movie," Hurwitz says, reiterating that the new episodes were built as the "first act to what we eventually want to do, which is a big movie." Hurwitz has good things to say about Netflix and the final product, as well: "If people watch it all at once, it will seem like a giant Arrested Development. It's really tailored for Netflix. ... They encouraged the complexity that had been discouraged before." USA Today announces the premiere will come in May, possibly confirming a report about the launch date and titles of the episodes, which were recently expanded from ten to fourteen. Also, Michael Cera is now on the writing staff.


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Improves grip, snug fit, and padded for extra protection.
Don't get burnt! Protect your fingers and knuckles while you work on your nitro truck, car or buggy with HPI Pit Gloves. Looking great and available in a range of sizes to fit everyone, HPI Pit Gloves improve your grip in treacherous conditions, provide a solid & snug fit and are padded for extra protection in critical places. Anyone who's had to deal with nitro engines, off-road buggies and trucks or other dangerous RC cars will appreciate the value of HPI Pit Gloves!
HPI Pit Gloves can be found in a wide range of sizes: #92626 HPI PIT GLOVES (BLACK/ SMALL) #92627 HPI PIT GLOVES (BLACK/MEDIUM) #92628 HPI PIT GLOVES (BLACK/LARGE) #92629 HPI PIT GLOVES (BLACK/X LARGE) #92630 HPI PIT GLOVES (BLACK/XX LARGE) Measure across your knuckles as shown in the picture below to determine the right size for you. A snug fit is best for optimum performance. Size Guide: Small - 8cm Medium - 9cm Large - 10cm X-Large - 11cm XX-Large - 12cm Get a pair today and stop worrying about your digits! Get a pair today and stop worrying about your digits!


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Your City Forecast
Check the weather forecast for your city..
Rain & Reservoirs
Central Coast area rainfall reports and links to our lakes and reservoirs.
Local weather, climate resources and climate history on the Central Coast.
Live & Local Weather Observations
Links to other sites covering local and live weather observations.
Severe Weather and Fire
Watch sites for weather and fire for the Central Coast, California and the nation.
Marine and Surf Links
Marine and surf conditions, tide reports and general information sites.
Links covering and monitoring earthquakes locally and worldwide.
Tropical Storm Tracking
Track tropical storms around the world.
Sites about our night skies, the International Space Station, and the Space Shuttle.


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10 Recipes to Make Before Summer Is Over
Are you feeling as shocked as I am that Labor Day — and hence the unofficial finale to our long, lazy summer days — is just a week away? It feels like we only just started pulling in tomatoes from the garden and pouncing on the peaches at the market. And I certainly haven't gotten my fill of sweet corn yet. Before summer leaves us for good, here are 10 recipes that you need to make immediately.
This time of year always feels like a case of too many recipes and too little time. I have to hit my favorites, of course, like The Kitchn's much-loved Three Cheese Tomato Tart, our Strawberry Icebox Cake, and of course, BLTs made with creamy basil mayo. But there are always new recipes that must be tried! This grilled pizza topped with tomatoes, corn, and goat cheese has been on my list since we posted it earlier this month, and my summer will not be complete without at least one Ultimate Beef & Bacon Burger. Also, none of us should let another minute go by without making a round of Campari Mojitos. They are so perfect for back porch lounging.
What other favorite meals do we need to make before summer is over?
- 1 Grilled Cherry Tomato, Corn, and Goat Cheese Pizza
- 2 California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise
- 3 Campari Mojitos
- 4 No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
- 5 Ultimate Beef & Bacon Burgers
- 6 Gnocchi with Squash and Sweet Corn
- 7 Three-Cheese Tomato Tart
- 8 Grilled Eggplant Topped with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes
- 9 Potatoes, Green Beans, and Corn in Lemon Brown Butter Sauce
- 10 Peach Pie Ice Cream
(Images: See linked recipes for full image credits)


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I grabbed Pro SQL Server 2005 High Availability by Allan Hirt recently to add to the library and I've been pleased with it even though it's expensive as books go, close to $60. Really good coverage of everything you need to know to figure our your HA strategy, with lots of emphasis on clustering (but all types of HA are covered well). The only part I wish had more was on hardware related stuff - split mirror/business continuity volume stuff. As he mentions each vendor is different, but a walk through of any one vendor might make it easier for readers to better understand their options.
Highly recommended.


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7 Tricks To Wearing Your Sneakers Outside The Gym
Even if you don't fancy yourself the sporty type, we swear the sneaker can become part of your go-to shoe selection. Click through for seven outfit ideas and shop our favourite sneakers!
As if we needed another excuse to wear the full skirt, this look proves yet another way to style our favourite feminine piece this season! We enjoy the monochrome aspect of her outfit, contrasted by a black moto jacket and black sneakers.
Lisa Dengler of Just Another Fashion Blog
If you're interested in a youthful iteration of the trend, look no further than Lisa Dengler. The blogger played with school girl elements—a Missguided Ailey Tartan Skirt ($26), Topshop Tailored Long Line Blazer ($140), and ASOS Monki Knitted Cropped Sweater ($36)—but balanced her look with an Illy Emerald City Necklace ($42) and, of course, her Nike Air Max Sneakers ($100)!
Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook
If you require a set of sneakers for your weekend errands, don't fret. Torres shows us you can be stylish while staying functional. We love the simplicity of her Zara jumper, Mango trousers and coat, paired with Nike Air Max Sneakers ($120) — truly the perfect finishing touch.


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Bruce Hamilton
Partner | Indirect Tax
Al Fattan Currency House
DIFC, Building 1
United Arab Emirates
Bruce is a VAT specialist based in Dubai and has over 30 years of experience in VAT implementation processes most recently in Australia and Malaysia. He is using his experience in the GCC to advise on practicalities for VAT implementation and post-implementation processes, as well as addressing technical issues. He has significant experience in addressing VAT consequences of transaction planning, merger and acquisitions and due diligence requirements, and has advised on VAT issues for a number of major infrastructure projects. Bruce is a Chartered Tax Advisor with the Taxation Institute of Australia.


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|Player Questions Attention new players (and veterans too)! Do you have questions about Lineage II? Looking for a drop? Need tips on a quest? Come on in and ask your questions here--players of all experience levels are welcome!
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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida home sales continue upward trend
Worries over flood insurance, mortgage rates and low inventories have yet to derail Florida's housing recovery, as home sales stayed on a year-over-year growth streak last month, new Florida Realtors data show. More than 18,000 single-family homes sold statewide last month, 18 percent more than September 2012. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Legal decision could mean more liability for developers
Developers and home builders throughout Florida face potential new legal liabilities for shoddy infrastructure work after a homeowners association in west Orange County won what is being called a landmark case before the Florida Supreme Court. Full story.
Column: Specialize to find your success
If you're starting a new business — or want to expand an existing small business — one of the best pieces of advice I can give is this: Find a niche. Find a specialty that immediately and clearly distinguishes you from the competition, and then get really good at it. [Source: Florida Today]
Environmentalists, workers seek common ground
The nation's largest labor unions are ready and willing to help fight global warming, but are cautioning environmentalists that workers need new clean-energy jobs before existing industries are shut down. [Source: AP]
While most rely on Realtors, some choose another way
A growing number of homeowners are hoping to capitalize on a booming housing market by listing properties on their own -- a replay of the "for sale by owner" phenomenon that was a major part of the last market run-up nearly a decade ago. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
› Publix offers high-end catering that goes beyond deli wraps
When Loren Lopez, an executive assistant at Plantation brokerage firm Trade Station, was recently tasked with planning an office party for 300 employees, she went to Publix, figuring she'd order some cheese cubes and deli wraps. What she got — a full-service catered affair with professional chefs and servers — impressed her, her colleagues and her bosses.
› Florida Blue Cancels 300,000 Policies
Florida Blue, the newly adopted brand for the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, is canceling 80 percent of its current individual policies because they don't jibe with the requirements under the Affordable Care Act that go into effect Jan. 1.
» Related: Patients scramble after AARP Medicare Advantage plans drop providers
› Will stronger startups draw venture capitalists to Tampa Bay?
So far in 2013, four Tampa Bay area startups have attracted close to $30 million. That's out of $277 million committed to 34 deals across the state.
› Florida city undergoing shuffleboard revival
Christine Page, president of the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, knows the perception of her sport: that it's a game of days gone by, played sometimes on cruise ships, more often at a retirement home, by the elderly.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
In case you missed it:


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Achieving Water Efficiency Through Performance Contracting
A version of this article appears in the Water/Energy: Linking Efficiency Efforts (Special Edition) issue of Home Energy Magazine.
June 01, 2007
As the vice president of a company that helps building owners and operators all across the country save water, I'm confronted with the magnitude of our thirst for water and the costs to meet that thirst every day. The statistics on the nation's water use are quite eye opening! Right now withdrawals for drinking water from public water sources are approximately 45 billion gallons per day—that's up from 15 billion gallons per day in the 1950s. And slightly more than 85% of the U.S. population, or about 255 million people, get their drinking water from public suppliers. That number continues trending upward. Between 1995 and 2000, public-supply withdrawals and the population served increased by 8%. States with the largest populations withdraw the largest quantities of water; California, New York, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois are the water use leaders. Our water and sewer delivery system is one of the best in the world, and this has surely helped to make our country great, and has helped to make our economy grow and flourish. Life as we know it in the western United States would be impossible today without the enormous ingenuity and effort it takes to supply ...
To read complete online articles, you need to sign up for an Online Subscription.
Once an order has been placed there is an automatic $10 processing fee that will be deducted with any cancellation.
The Home Energy Online articles are for personal use only and may not be printed for distribution. For permission to reprint, please send an e-mail to email@example.com.


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NEW YORK (AP) — The rusted metal aircraft part believed to be from one of the hijacked jetliners that slammed into the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11 attacks came from a wing, not landing gear, police said Monday.
The 5-foot piece is a trailing edge flap support structure, police said. It is located closer to the body of the plane and helps secure wing flaps that move in and out and aid in regulating plane speed. Investigators initially thought it was part of the landing gear because both pieces have similar-looking hydraulics.
Boeing officials told police the part came from one of its 767 airliners, but it isn't possible to determine which flight. Both hijacked planes that struck the towers, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were Boeing 767s. American and United had no comment.
Workers discovered the part Wednesday on the ground in a sliver of space between a luxury loft rental building and a mosque, which prompted virulent national debate in 2010 about Islam and freedom of speech in part because it's near the trade center site. Other World Trade Center wreckage has been discovered at the buildings and around the area in years past.
An inspector on the roof of the mosque site, which is under construction, noticed the debris and then called 911.
Police documented the debris with photos. The twisted metal part — jammed in an 18-inch-wide, trash-laden passageway between the buildings — has cables and levers on it and is about 5 feet high, 17 inches wide and 4 feet long.
A piece of rope found with the plane part was later determined to have come from a responding officer who used it to move the plane part so he could look for identifying marks.
Of the nearly 3,000 victims of the trade center attacks, remains of about 1,000 were never recovered, and sifting the site for possible human remains was to begin Tuesday morning, said the chief medical examiner's spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove. It's not clear how long the process would take, she said, and details for how workers would comb through silt in the narrow passageway were being worked out.
The area first will be tested as part of a standard health and safety evaluation for possible toxicity, Borakove said.
Medical examiner's office trucks, one marked as a mobile command center, and an NYPD crime scene van were parked Monday outside the building, where two police officers stood guard at an entrance barred by crime scene tape.
Police said the part would be moved to a more secure location likely later this week, where a determination will be made about where it will go permanently. In the past, such pieces have been treated as historical artifacts. For example, the New York State Museum in Albany has in its collection a large landing gear piece that fell through the roof to the basement at the same location. It was placed there in 2002.
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.


text:
Punters praying for perfect pay day
VICKI Kenway isn't asking for much, just one day off a week would suit her fine.
As small as her dream might be, it is all that the hard-working Toowoomba newsagent owner would really treat herself to if she was to pick the winning numbers in tomorrow night's $15 million Oz Lotto.
"If my numbers came up I would probably just take a small holiday - just a couple of days - and then just get someone in to work one day a week to make life a little easier," the owner of Mercer and Windley Newsagency in Ruthven St said.
"My daughter and son help out a little bit with the store, but to have someone to just take care of the place for one day a week would be enough for a little bit of down time for myself."
Ms Kenway said the trends of the lotto-ticket-purchasing public had shifted slightly.
"A lot of people just want to invest or put the money away for a rainy day," she said.
"It would be nice to be able to just put the money in the bank and live off the investment."
But one thing was always consistent with punters wishing to strike it rich, according to Ms Kenway.
"A lot of people always want to help out their family," she said.
"Somebody has to win it and I'm prepared to share it with 14 other people.
"$1 million might not make you rich but it sure would make you comfortable."


text:
CHICAGO – President Barack Obama scooped up campaign cash in his Chicago hometown on Wednesday, promising supporters that change can still come if they work even harder this time around.
A day after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's convincing win in New Hampshire's GOP primary, which established him as the clear front-runner to take on the president in the fall, Obama's visit home was all about summoning his backers' enthusiasm for the fight ahead -- along with reminders of what he left behind four years ago.
"If you're willing to work even harder in this election than you did in the last election, I promise you, change will come," Obama said at a large fundraising event at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"You can't back down -- not now. We won't give up -- not now," Obama said. "We've got to send a message we are going to keep pushing and fighting for the change that we believe in."
Obama used the trip to restock his re-election finances while making a surprise visit to his campaign headquarters for the first time. A few hundred staffers listened as Obama reminisced about the early days of his Senate campaign and thanked campaign aides for their hard work. But publicly, the president was beginning to offer a contrast with Romney.
Obama's team has castigated Romney at every turn as a political opportunist willing to alter his views -- on abortion, the environment and gay marriage -- to serve his political purpose.
Without naming Romney, Obama said he had led an administration of principle that has tried to invigorate the economy and kept its promises.
"I'm not a perfect man. I'm not a perfect president, but I promise you this -- and I've kept this promise -- I will always tell you what I believe and I will always tell you where I stand."
"If you stick with me, we're going to finish what we started in 2008," Obama said.
Later in the night, Obama told donors the nation was still dealing with a "difficult economy and that's why this is going to be a close race. I've got to tell you, if we weren't coming out of this extraordinary recession, I think the American people would make their decision very quickly," Obama said.
"But we've gone through three tough years. The other side has been able to sit on the sidelines and say `no' to everything, not cooperate and then simply try to point the finger and say, somehow this should have been fixed," the president said.
Before returning to Washington, the president made a short, impromptu visit to his red brick home in the city's Kenwood neighborhood, arriving around 9:45 p.m. local time. His motorcade waited along his block as the president checked out his old house.
Earlier, at a nearby fundraiser with neighbors, the president joked: "Is somebody mowing the grass in front of my house? I'm going to go over there and check. I don't want you guys talking about me."
Obama also checked in with his campaign, visiting his headquarters for the first time. The White House said Obama wanted to show his appreciation to his campaign staff with the surprise visit but the White House kept the moment private. Reporters traveling with the president were not allowed to witness the visit by Obama, who has insisted he is focused on governing, not campaigning.
A White House statement said Obama thanked his staffers for their hard work and encouraged them, saying that he hoped to run "a campaign that embodies the values we're fighting for."
Obama's campaign has hauled in more than $150 million through September, but Democrats say they will need to compete with Republican-leaning outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to back specific candidates.
Obama's event at the University of Illinois had ticket prices starting at $44 per person and he attended a pair of pricier fundraisers with tickets ranging from $7,500 for one event and $35,800 per couple for the other.
At the Lincoln Park home of Fred Eychaner, a Chicago media mogul, Obama joined with some financial backers who had supported him since he served in the Illinois state senate. The president said he had stayed true to the vision he had laid out as a local candidate long ago and his agenda as a presidential candidate four years ago.
"The reason I was successful was not because I was a flawless candidate or I ran a flawless campaign but it was because together we were able to give voice to this shared vision of what America should be. And I want you to know that I have kept faith with that vision all these years," Obama said to a dinner audience that included former Senate colleagues Dick Durbin of Illinois and Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
Obama's re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee set a combined fundraising goal of $60 million for the final three months of 2011. The campaign is expected to release its fundraising report before the end of the month.
Romney's campaign said Wednesday it had collected $56 million for the primary through Dec. 31 and has more than $19 million in the bank, far outpacing his opponents' fundraising.
Obama told his Chicago supporters that "this will be my last campaign," joking that his one-time mentor, former White House counsel Abner Mikva, used to tell him that "'being friends with a politician is like permanently having a child in college.' Every year, it's another tuition check. But I'm finally graduating."


text:
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Joined: 08 Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Location: CA
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Let's all whip our's out and see whose is longer.
Sam wrote:
This forum is worse than sports talk radio. I LIKE WUSTOF! You're ignorant, Obviously it's Shun! THose are both mediocre, I have a $1200 Masamoto Honyaki Gyokuseikou Kyoumen Sushi knife which I like to rub obsessively on a damp stone for hours a day until I can see myself sitting
in the blade edge.
I agree. I am tired of hearing people declaring certain lines as the best. I misspoke in my previous post when I used the words "superior to". I meant to say that they work better for me. My bad, I got carried away...
What is the purpose of the italicized "alone" in your comment? Is it a joke or is it meant to belittle the knifenut who spends many hours polishing their sushi knife by saying no one would want to be around them?
Sam wrote:
I thought the anonymous commentfrom the guy who worked as a professional chef were quite insightful and showed a level of character and respect for the opinions of others that is rare these days. Yet in the next post he was berated for
he had something to offer because he worked with kitchen cutlery every day. How
Frankly, I found it typical of "I'm a chef" comments that heavily weigh being a professional yet really don't offer much more experience than the average home cook or department store salesperson.
Anonymous came in claiming that he might be able to help our emotional confusion because he a chef. I have a few issues with that statement.
1) I do not think that there is any emotional confusion on the subject that needs help.
2) If there was confusion that needed help, using knives everyday in the workplace would not be sufficient criteria to make me think one has the experience to help. It takes a passion for using good knives that drives one to seek out the best. Being a chef only lets me know that the person is most likely sufficiently skilled with a knife.
What is wrong with pointing out that when someone says they are a chef I don't assume that they are a knife expert? I don't think anonymous was scolded angrily at length. I simply told him that I find most chefs to know very little about knives so it will take a lot more than being a professional to earn my respect. If that is colossally arrogant than that is truly what I am.
I did assume that anonymous is a chef so perhaps I am wrong there. I am also assuming that anonymous is a he
Sam wrote:
Next thing I know, my auto mechanic will be suggesting I do something to maintain my car. I don't think I'll listen, however, because he isn't the engineer who designed it. In fact, he probably never designed any car.
In order to listen to your mechanic he has to have met some sort of criteria that allowed you to pass him off as someone with valuable advice to offer about maintaining your car. Same thing with with a chef and advice about knives. It all depends where we set our standards as to how helpful the advice will be.
Sam wrote:
I hope my point is getting through; sarcasm tends to be a tricky thing with text. The reason forums like this are even slightly useful is because people like to try to help other people with advice. Let's ease up a bit shall we? The world does not begin and end with Cowry X
I will do my best not to come off as a knife elitist jerk off in the future. Looking back at this post, I'm not sure if its actually possible...
I would also like to see this forum become a better resource.
Sam, those are some big words you are touting...Cowry X, Masamoto Honyaki...any chance I know you from another forum and/or you actually have some of these to play with?
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:26 am
Post subject: It was a joke
I apologize for the somewhat coarse tone of my previous post. It was quite late in the evening when I wrote it, and I tend to become more irritable as a result. The italics for "alone" was a joke about spending too much time talking to your knives and not enough time doing anything else. I didn't mean it to be too terribly offensive, but I tend to forget that when I write to online forums, I am talking to people who not only can't see me, but don't know me and can't hear me. I tend to be a wise-ass in person, but I smile a lot and people know I am joking. Writing like I speak can get a person in trouble though. Also, while I have only recently become interested in kitchen cutlery and am currently without anything respectable in my kitchen. (Christmas should remedy this. I'm getting JCK.com's Master Home Chef set as a starter.) I have had a long love of pocket knives and edged tools of other sorts and the joke about seeing your lonesome reflection in the knife certainly applies to me.
On to your recent comments on my comments on your comments on some other guy's comments.
"In order to listen to your mechanic he has to have met some sort of criteria that allowed you to pass him off as someone with valuable advice to offer about maintaining your car. Same thing with with a chef and advice about knives. It all depends where we set our standards as to how helpful the advice will be."
This is the central dilemma surrounding advice forums such as this one: who's giving the advice? Personally, I find these forums the most useful when they provide insite into the reasons behind "why" so-and-so thinks their favorite brand of knife or bike frame or car tire is the best. That was why I liked what the professional knife-user had to say. I don't agree with everything he said, but he made some good points.
Japanese knives are amazing. The metallurgy and craftsmanship are simply incomparable and I am greatly looking forward to owning some myself, but they are a bit more finicky and require more care. By definition, this is a disadvantage in a tool. A sturdy forged stainless german knife will still cut a garlic clove, (which seems to be the only thing people use their knives for on this forum) and it won't complain too much if you don't wipe it off right away afterward. The question becomes: How much do I value a really, really sharp knife?
I like sharp knives. It appeals to my sense of propriety and rightness, that a knife should be as sharp as it can be. Going to greater lengths to maintain a japanese kitchen knife would not be a hardship for me; Heck, I'd sharpen my current kitchen knives to whatever they could stand if they weren't abyssmal stamped, serrated Farberware (wedding gift from off the registry) Seriously, a stamped, serrated 8" chef's knife? It's awful! However, I also have an old stamped ekco chef's knife with a partial tang that I absolutely love. It has a wonderful wooden handle which fits my hand, it's very light, and it curves to one side slightly for some reason. It is also a lousy knife in relative terms, but it works just fine for carving a roast or slicing a melon, so it is an effective tool. Plus it was free. So, in terms of food prep per dollar that knife is the clear winner in my kitchen.
My point is there are those people who use knives as tools and nothing more. They want something cut and that's it. For them the best knife is the one that does the job and can then be forgotten. It is transparent in it's extension of their designs. These people would be happiest with the most worry free knife they can find, even at the expense of cutting performance. They are the reason Henckels, Wustof, and Messermeister have been successful for as long as they have.
Then there are people like you and me and many of the other's who read and contribute to this forum. We look at these knives as more than just tools. The knives become an end in themselves, a testament to mankind's technical prowess. They are talismans, symbols of perfection, and using one fills one with joy because of the rare ease and accuracy with which they perform. Sharpening a knife is almost a religious experience, penance paid which makes the use of the knife that much sweeter. These are the people who buy the japanese knives.
It's like anything else, from Harley's to fishing rods to carburetor's, some people look at what something does and some people look at what it is. What is important is to realize that both views are necessary, and valid.
I haven't joined or even contributed to any other knife forums; I am familiar with Cowry X powdered steel and the Masamoto Honyaki Gyokuseikou Kyoumen simply through my own research prior to buying a knife or two of my own. I'm in my senior year of mechanical engineering and I like to know everything I possibly can about whatever I buy when I make purchases. I also like the name of this forum. Beyond that, material properties and metallurgy are interesting to me, hence the career choice. Sorry I got so long winded, normally somebody would have told me to shut up by now.
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Joined: 08 Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Location: CA
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:41 am
Post subject:
Sam, great post! I also apologize for the tone of my previous posts. I like your joke and would welcome more jokes and sarcasm in the future. I won't be on the defensive so you don't have to worry about how they will be received by me in text form. I do spend as much time as possible rubbing knives on damp stones. Unfortunately that is usually only once a week and my fingers give out in a few hours as I can't seem to keep them from rubbing on the stone. Anyways, no worries about a lengthy post...please keep the insightfulness flowing...the forum needs it
I hope you enjoy the Master Home Chet set. Be sure to let us know how well they function for you.
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:06 pm
Post subject: knifesafe
I had to laugh when I read this
...well worth the cost. if you have kids make sure you keep them in a "knife safe" by lamsonsharp.
ths thing can take a finger or two off in a secound so be careful....
Hmm... doesn't sound very safe, or like a good place to keep a kid, but if you say so...
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:56 pm
Post subject: Re: Sharpening
Sharpening is an art form that can be learned, just like cooking well can be learned.
Might I suggest going to
Razor Edge Systems
for the proper equipment and technique.
Razor Edge has been serving the meat packing industry for some time.
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Joined: 13 Dec 2005
Posts: 3
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:21 am
Post subject: Don't!
an anonymous reader wrote:
Any feedback or comments on the new Furi Rachel Ray knives. They look beautiful.The handle is the tang.Coppertail. Fairly expensive. What do you guys think?
Stay away from these knives. I made the mistake of purchasing the two knife set. They are inferior knives in my opinion. There is not a kitchen knife I own that does not do a better job of cutting carrots in particular. There was a bamboo case with the two knives that was poorly made.
I also do not recommend doing business with Chef's Resource.
If these are the same knives that Rachel Ray actually uses I would be very surprised indeed.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:16 pm
Post subject:
About those Rachel Ray knives...I looked at the other forum that was mentioned and, sadly, I'm actually an engineer, so I didn't find the comments there all that definitive/helpful. I could have been more persistant, I'll admit, but I actually came here because I was looking for more objectivity and hard data and I think this forum offers that better than the others. So I'm hoping to get a little more of that: what's wrong with the Furi knives? I saw where someone here said they were junk, can you offer specifics? My wife wants one and if I get her something else...well, I'm going to want to back it up... Thanks!
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:11 pm
Post subject:
@ jagstyle
i felt in love with youre deba, what is it?
i´m in search of real knifes like that,
i do use for sashimi a kansui (in europe sold as kobayashi) yanagiba 300mm,
i sharpen my self see here:
thanks for answer :-)
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:02 am
Post subject: Wannabe Knife
Hi , I have been reading and getting ready to make the jump to Japenese knife I have ordered this knife as a start, it is a Santoku by a small firm in Japan
I have read what Jag posted about Wanabe knife and I will later order this Gyuto from him
This ling shows a Takohiki (Sushi blade) but the Gyuto should look like it.
Here is the back side of the knife
I was just wondering what you guys thought and also between single or double bevel what is the diference and also by size of grip.
Any suggestions or thoughts that could help are welcome.
Many thanks
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:21 pm
Post subject: sharpening
Hi, i love reading all of these posts. I have been working in kitchens for years. About 14, and remember my fist knife well. I still have it. A german 9 inch chef knife the brand isn't important so i won't mention it. It is completely unusable now, from incorect sharpening. The knife mabe unusable excet for a spear point, but i learned alot about what i liked and didn't like in a knife. My advise to anyone considering buying a good knife for the first or second time is, buy a set of Water Stones First. I happen to have a ridiculous number of them, (i just like to buy them) but you really only need a few. If you buy a knife and it is sharp, keep it sharp with a 1200 grit or so and polish with something higher, i use a 5000 to finish. You really don't need to go any higher unless you are sushi chef cutting fish all day. {coarse stones are usefull to get out chips, but use them sparingly, you can take off alot of metal} You will also need to keep them flat (coarse stones are good for this too) this can be done with sand paper or a specialty flattening stone, its easy if you do it often. I have found Wood working sites, to be very usefull for stone and sharpening info.
Personaly, I hate knives with blosters, they are hard to sharpen for me. If I had it to do all over again I would have started with an inexpensive forchner chef knife; learned good sharpening skills, then move on. For me in a busy kitchen, I love my Mac mightly 10.5 it seems to hold a good edge. I also have a few others including a Global, foschner, Misono, and a few Masimoto's. They are all great for what they are, the key is finding what you like and need. Just remember the most expensive knife in the world is useless, unless you can keep it sharp.
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Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 10
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:08 pm
Post subject:
$10 Farberware forged knife. I modify the handle for comfort and sharpen it up nice. It works as great as any expensive knife. I have two, one for meat and one for non-meats.
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Family Chow Hall
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:40 pm
Post subject: knives
This is really good advice. Instead of searching for a particular brand, now I know specifically which qualities I want a good knife to have. Thanks!
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Jimmy Tenacious
Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:42 pm
Post subject:
I think we all have extended ourselves too far in this forum. Let me ask all of you did you come to this page wanting to find out just about cooking/knives/sharpening/etc etc? Why have we all become those people from Vogue forum? Why cant we all just help out each other with each others questions?
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Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 52
Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:48 pm
Post subject:
A chef giving advice on knives is not quite the same as a mechanic giving advice on cars.... a knife is our primary tool (as opposed to the subject of our study), and almost any chef will tell you that a knife is like underwear... it's a personal choice that everyone feels differently about. I spend 7 hours a day with my knife in my hand... I think I have fairly good insight into what makes THAT knife work for ME, and also into what might make a knife work (or not work) for someone else. I also know what I want to be able to do with my knife, but most people will never want to lathe-turn a 1 inch chunk of carrot into two feet of ribbon.
Things to think about when considering knives:
Hardness of steel:
softer steel takes a sharper edge but won't hold it. Harder steel isn't quite as sharp but holds its edge. Find your balance, but remember that you will lose part of your knife every time you have to sharpen.
Handle shape:
Ignore how 'pretty' it looks, it needs to feel good in your hands. This is a good place for the underwear comparison. Find what works for you.
Blade shape:
Santokus are very trendy right now, and some people love them. Others love the old-style chef knife. The chef knife lends itself to rocking cuts, the santoku is better for choping cuts. What's your style? How much curvature do you want in your cutting edge?
Edge style:
There are some wonderful single-edge Japanese blades out there. the blade is super sharp, but a bit brittle... are you willing to baby a knife for the ability to cut raw potato so thin it looks like glass? Hollow-ground blades are sharper than regular, but hard to keep up.
there really and truly are knives you can run through the dishwasher. And there are knived you need to rub with oil after every use. Watered steel (like the Shuns) need to be wiped dry after they are washed. Carbon steel will rust. How much work are you willing to put into keeping your knife 'happy'?
Seriously, there are plenty of people who want the 'look'. You want people to say 'wow' about your knife. This should be a tie-breaker, but don't discount how much you'll learn to love a knife that makes people think you're a bad-ass in the kitchen.
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Joined: 08 Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Location: CA
Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:19 pm
Post subject:
Taamar wrote:
Hardness of steel:
softer steel takes a sharper edge but won't hold it. Harder steel isn't quite as sharp but holds its edge. Find your balance, but remember that you will lose part of your knife every time you have to sharpen.
What properties allow softer steel to take a sharper edge? Are we talking about the same steel with different heat treatments or steels that are generally treated to a lower hardness vs steels that are generally treated to higher hardness?
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Architecture exhibition is surreal, stunning 'Sticky' situationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Assistant Professor, Architecture
Diane Chang, (808) 956-0391
Director of Communications, Chancellor's Office
There's a self-described sticky situation at the UH Mānoa School of Architecture's Haigo and Irene Shen Gallery, and Assistant Professor Hongtao Zhou, PhD, MFA, and his Architecture graduate students couldn't be happier about it. "Sticky" is an exhibition running through Tuesday, November 5, 2013, that was completed using recycled bamboo poles and cardboard.
The installation is featured in the October 14, 2013 issue of designboom, a popular digital architecture and design magazine.
"Inspired by Hawaii's tropical climate, the sticky structures reflect a sense of organic strength and living energy. Its form is reminiscent of the roots of a banyan tree and its gesture is similar to that of a frog's tongue," describes Zhou. "The sticky structures shoot out, capture, break, drag and move surrounding walls. They animate the space through manipulation, emphasizing the changes which occur within the design process."
Participating installation designers include Zhou and sculpture graduate students Jandi Quitoriano, Tao Yang, Scott Macri, Jan Erika Sicam, BriAnn Laban, Dorothy Baga, Ann Motonaga, Tessa Pobanz, Howard Shek, Naibin Jiang, Nainoa Cravalho, Graham Hart, Ren Shiroma, Raymond Sze-to, Xu Yang, Mengxi He and Tyler Francisco.
The class has formed an architecture residency to promote the art of architectural installation in Honolulu. The residency will practice contemporary sculptures and installations related to architecture, including public art, interior architecture, installations and performance. Locations could include campus and beach sites, galleries and in downtown Honolulu.
"Through observation of the natural and man-made environments, the students will generate questions/design issues and develop concepts related to human behavior and culture. The goal is to create dialogue among them and make more interesting places," said Zhou.
For more information, visit: http://www.arch.hawaii.edu/


text:
You know him from Beerfest as the evil German Brother, Gunter Von Wolfhausen ("und BECKS!!!") and from the many other films and TV shows he's starred in. Eric Christian Olsen chews it with Kevin & Steve about acting in Beerfest, NCIS LA, Dumb & Dumberer, The Thing, Fired Up, and much more. And, of course, what episode would be complete without Lemme talking about his nether regions? Enjoy the chew!
Chewin' It #20: Eric Christian Olsen
Friggin hilarious! I know I'm late, but I'm burning thru them quick. Easily one of the better ones I've heard.
Another awesome episode guys. Bring Fat Man Little Boy down under!
I really enjoy the podcast. As far as guests I would like:
Brian Cox
Geoffrey Arend
Jim Gaffigan
M.C. Gainey
Ralf Moeller
I know him from the Fox tv series, "The Loop" first and foremost. Such a good show.
Oh my God. Hilarious.
Love it, Keep up the good work.


text:
Color and light - For some reason I like doing art. I use the term loosely. I do not have any pretentions as an artist. But late at night, or of an afternoon when I have b...
1 year ago
Please visit my blog as I write my first book, the authorized biography of Leonard Pennario.
Isn't a word missing? "Squat! Squeeze! Flush!"