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Providence, the quality in divinity on which humankind bases the belief in a benevolent intervention in human affairs and the affairs of the world. The forms that this belief takes differ, depending on the context of the religion and the culture in which they function.
In one view, the concept of providence, divine care of human beings and the universe, can be called the religious answer to human beings' need to know that they matter, that they are cared for, or even that they are threatened, for in this view all religions are centred on human beings, who are both individually and collectively in constant need of reassurance that they are not insignificant in an indifferent world. If one cannot be comforted, to be threatened is better than to be alone in an empty void of nothingness. In answer to such a universe, religions must offer a coherent view of a divine, transcendent, or supernatural presence or order and a similarly intelligible account of the world and of humankind. They must also afford humans and their physical or psychical well-being, or both, a prominent place within such a worldview. Thus, in all religions, divine providence or its equivalent is an element of some importance.
Nature and significance
Basic forms of providence
Basically, there are two possible forms of belief in providence. The first is belief in more or less divine beings that are responsible for the world generally and for the welfare of humans specifically. Although omnipotence as an attribute of gods is rare, it is true that, as a rule, gods and other divine beings have considerable power not only over human destiny but also over nature. The gods take care of the world and of humankind, and their intentions toward humans are normally positive. The capriciousness and arbitrariness of the gods of paganism exist for the most part only in the imagination of those Christian theologians who attempted to denigrate the pagan religions. Gods and humans are generally connected into one community by reciprocal duties and privileges. The belief in evil spirits does not contradict this belief in providence but, on the contrary, strengthens it, just as in Christianity the belief in Satan might serve to strengthen the belief in God.
The second form consists of belief in a cosmic order in which human welfare has its appointed place. This order is usually conceived as a divine order that is well intentioned toward human beings and is working for their well-being as long as they are willing to insert themselves into it, to follow it willingly, and not to upset it by perversion or rebellion. The firmness of the order, however, may become inexorable and thus lead to fatalism, the belief in an impersonal destiny against which human agency is powerless. In that case a clash between the concepts of providence and fatalism is inevitable. In most religions, however, both views are combined in some way.
Etymological history of the term
The English word providence is derived from the Latin term providentia, which primarily means foresight or foreknowledge but also forethought and providence in the religious sense; thus, Cicero used the phrase the "providence of the gods" (deorum providentia). The Stoic philosophers thoroughly discussed the significance of the term providence, and some of them wrote treatises on the subject. A hymn to Zeus written about 300 bce by Cleanthes, a Greek poet and philosopher, is a glorification of the god as a benevolent and foreseeing ruler of the world and of humankind. According to Cleanthes, God has planned the world in accordance with this providence:
For thee this whole vast cosmos, wheeling round
The earth, obeys, and where thou leadest
It follows, ruled willingly by thee.
The author asserts that "naught upon Earth is wrought in thy despite, O God" and that in Zeus all things are harmonized. Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher, formulates the belief in providence in one of his dialogues as follows: humans should believe "that providence rules the world and that God cares for us." The Stoic school disagreed with those who believed that the world was ruled by blind fate; they did not deny that a controlling power exists, but, as everything happens according to a benevolent divine plan, they preferred to call this power providence. According to the Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius, God wills everything that happens to human beings, and for that reason nothing that occurs can be considered evil. Stoic ideas about providence influenced Christianity.
In later Latin, after the emperor Augustus (died 14 ce), the word providence was used as a designation of the deity. Seneca, for example, wrote that it is proper to apply the term providence to God. Finally, providence was personified as a proper goddess in her own right by Macrobius, a Neoplatonic Roman author, who wrote in defense of paganism about 400 ce.
Epicurus, a 4th–3rd-century-bce Greek philosopher, contested the Stoic belief in divine providence, but the objections of his followers could not change the spiritual climate of the Greco-Roman world. More eloquent, perhaps, than the dissertations of the learned Stoic philosophers were the many stories found in a work by Aelian, an early 3rd-century-ce Roman rhetorician, about strange events and miraculous occurrences ascribed to providence. Aelian, however, was more interested in sensational stories than in historic accuracy.
The several meanings of the Latin word providentia exactly mirror those of its Greek equivalent, pronoia. Herodotus, the historian of the 5th century bce, was the first Greek author to use the word in a religious sense when he mentioned divine providence as the source of the wisdom that keeps nature in balance and prevents one kind of creature from prevailing over all others. Writers such as the historian Xenophon and the biographer Plutarch used the word for the watchful care of the gods over humankind and the world.
The belief in the existence of a blind and inexorable fate can lead to a conflict with the belief in a benevolent providence. In the Greco-Roman world, where fatalistic belief was strong and where it found a popular expression in astrology, the belief that the whole world, but particularly the human realm, is governed by the stars was contested by Judaism and Christianity. The Talmud, the authoritative collection of Jewish tradition, teaches that Israel is subject to no star but only to God. An example of this conflict is also found in the novel The Golden Ass by Apuleius, a 2nd-century-ce philosopher and rhetorician deeply interested in Hellenistic mystery cults, which taught a faith that liberated adherents from the power of the stars. In the novel the hero is converted to the goddess Isis. "Lucius, my friend," the priest of the goddess addresses him,
you have endured and performed many labours and withstood the buffetings of all the winds of ill luck. Now at last you have put into the harbour of peace and stand before the altar of loving-kindness. Neither your noble blood and rank nor your education sufficed to keep you from falling a slave to pleasure; youthful follies ran away with you. Your luckless curiosity earned you a sinister punishment. But blind Fortune, after tossing you maliciously about from peril to peril has somehow, without thinking what she was doing, landed you here in religious felicity. Let her begone now and fume furiously wherever she pleases, let her find some other plaything for her cruel hands. She has no power to hurt those who devote their lives to the honour and service of our Goddess's majesty.
The Christian use of the term providence, besides being profoundly influenced by Greek and Roman thought, is based on the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) story of the patriarch Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac, which is found in the book of Genesis. Abraham tells Isaac, "God will provide himself with a young beast for a sacrifice, my son." The Hebrew language lacks a proper word to express the notion of providence, but the concept is well known in the Hebrew Scriptures.
In the New Testament, the Greek word pronoia and related words are used rarely, but in no case are they used in the later Christian sense of providence. This is of interest because the idea of providence as such is far from foreign to the religious thinking of the New Testament. In the Gospel According to Matthew, for example, Jesus says:
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Providence as used in Christianity is thus a dogmatic term rather than a biblical term; it indicates that God not only created the world but also governs it and cares for its welfare. A well-known German reference work, Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart (1908; "Religion Past and Present"), gives a more elaborate and more theological definition of providence:
God keeps the world in existence by his care, he rules and leads the world and mankind deliberately according to his purpose, and he does this in his omnipotence as God the Creator, in his goodness and love as revealed by his son Jesus Christ, and to further the salvation of mankind through the Holy Spirit.
Basic concepts and scope
Qualities of the divinity
The concept of providence is rooted in the belief in the existence of a benevolent, wise, and powerful deity or a number of beings that are benevolent and that are either fully divine or, at least, appreciably wiser and more powerful than human beings (e.g., ancestors in many religions). Benevolence is the primary requirement. In northern Malawi, death in later life is usually ascribed to the will of the ancestors, but a miscarriage or the death of a very young child is not considered to be their work because such an act would be in contradiction to their benevolent and helpful attitude toward their offspring. The three attributes, however, are all essential for the concept of providence: the divine being or beings must be well intentioned toward humans, must have the necessary wisdom to know what is good for humankind, and must have the power to act on this intention and insight. Benevolence does not exclude the possibility of punishment in cases of transgression. There is probably no god in any religion who only rewards and helps and never punishes his believers.
Providence, however, need not operate in a direct way; it may operate through many intermediary beings—e.g., the ancestors and various kinds of spirits in several nonliterate religions or the angels in Christian and Islamic belief—or the concept may be implicit in and expressed by a fixed world order, a cosmic order that makes human life possible biologically, socially, and spiritually and that guarantees its existence in the future. Thus, providence may become a more or less impersonal principle of cosmic order as instituted and maintained by a divine being, but, if the starting point of a benevolent and just divine being is completely lost sight of or if it is consciously denied, then providence becomes fate.
Cosmic order
Notion of cosmic order
Although the introduction of intermediary beings brings no essential change in the idea of providence as the divine watchful care for the benefit of humankind, the notion of a cosmic order changes the picture profoundly. Even if the cosmic order is conceived as a benevolent order in which one is able to feel safe and whose very existence is reassuring, such an order is different from the personal relationship between an individual and his god or gods. The concept of an unchangeable world order requires a different reaction. A personal god may, perhaps, be moved by prayer and sacrifice to cause or to prevent events; when the order of the world is fixed, however, the course of events cannot be changed by these or any other means. There is probably no religion that acknowledges an all-embracing world order without any exceptions at all. Generally, human beings have such an important function in the order of the world that they also have a certain opportunity to manipulate this order, at least to a certain extent—for instance, by sacrifice or other ritual acts. One opening is presented by the fact that the cosmic order is valid for everything of a more general character, but as a rule the divine will, human free will, and chance operate on the level of the common occurrences and daily life of the individual. Though in theory the order may govern everything, a large field is left open for different concepts to function. In some cases even uncertainty and chance have their proper place within a determined order. In the Yoruba religion (Nigeria), for example, the god Eshu represents the principle of chance and uncertainty and of all that cannot be foreseen. He is one of the gods of the pantheon and has his own sanctuaries and priests.
Another possibility for combining the idea of a personal divine will with a fixed course of events is the concept of predestination, best known from Islam and some forms of Calvinism (derived from the thought of John Calvin, a 16th-century French Protestant Reformer) and also important in the theology of St. Augustine of Hippo, a 4th–5th-century Church Father. Although predestination essentially is concerned with salvation—the question of whether a certain individual will be saved or damned—it is a concept that easily lends itself to a more general application. In a few religions the idea that the individual chooses his own destiny before birth is encountered—e.g., the Batak of Sumatra and some West African tribes. In this conception free will and predestination merge.
In all religions that acknowledge the existence of a more or less impersonal cosmic order, human beings are expected to work with the cosmos by inserting themselves into the cosmic order. Human behaviour in all fields is governed by a set of rules that are all based on the same principle: to act and to be in harmony with the order of the world, which is natural and divine at the same time.
The cosmic order is given with the creation of the world, but it is possible to question the relation of the creator to the world after creation. On one hand, there is the belief that God will not abandon the world he has created; on the other, there is the belief that God created the world and the cosmic order in such a manner that to a great extent the course of the world is fixed from the first beginning and he is no longer involved in it. The latter was, in fact, the thesis of the 17th- and 18th-century Deists in Europe. The fact of creation helps humans to believe in providence because it would be inconsistent for the creator god or gods not to care for the further existence of the created world. Only persistent disobedience and open rebellion can then furnish a reason for the Creator to abandon or destroy the world. This situation is expressed in the myths of a great flood or some other form of destruction sent as a punishment. There is, however, never a total destruction of the world in these myths, although this final solution may be threatened for the eschatological (ultimate end) future. It may also be promised, if the eschatological events are construed as the definitive institution of a world order that is perfect for all eternity and will never deteriorate.
The cosmic order is often clearly contrasted with the disorder of chaos. The cosmic order is a total order; it comprises not only all natural things but also social and ethical rules. This does not mean that cultures and religions centred on a cosmic order have no clear idea of distinctive ethical principles but that ethics is considered as one function of the total cosmic order and as such can never be quite independent. The rules of ethics depend on and are derived from the more general rules that govern the cosmos in its totality; they are no more than special manifestations of these general rules. An example of this attitude can be found in the Greek hymns in praise of the goddess Isis. She is honoured as the queen of heavens; she divided the earth from the heaven, showed the stars their paths, and ordered the course of the sun and the moon. But the same hymn says that she ordained that children should love their parents, that she taught humans to honour the images of the gods, and that she made justice stronger than gold and silver. She established penalties for the people practicing injustice and taught that suppliants should be treated with mercy. She is also praised because she invented writing, devised marriage contracts, invented navigation, and watches over all those who sail on the sea.
Personal and impersonal forms
The cosmic order can appear in a personalized form, as, for example, the Egyptian goddess Maat, but this personification of the cosmic order is not general; the Iranian Asha and the Indian rita, for example, are all to a high degree impersonal. Maat represents truth and order; her domain includes not only the order of nature but also the social and ethical orders. She plays an important role in the judgment of the dead: the heart of the deceased is weighed against the truth of Maat. She is often called the daughter of Re. In this case, Re is the creator god who not only created the world but also founded the cosmic order as represented by Maat. Her importance is also apparent in the conception of the Maat sacrifice. In Egypt, sacrifice is not so much a gift of humans to the gods as a sacral technique that enables humankind to contribute to the maintenance and, if necessary, the restoration of harmony and order in the world. Not only must humans live according to Maat, but also the gods must live by her truth and order; according to Egyptian texts, the goddess Maat is the food by which the gods live.
The idea of a determined cosmic order that is natural as well as ethical is an important concept in the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism (also called Mazdaism and, in India, Parsiism), founded during the late 7th and early 6th centuries bce by Zoroaster (Zarathustra). This idea is called Asha and is the counterpart of Drug, which represents evil and deceit and the disorder connected with them. Asha is connected with the sacred element fire. The Indian concept of rita forms the Indian counterpart of Asha and was the precursor to dharma, a notion that encompasses not only the moral law of the universe but also personal virtue, ethical teaching (e.g., the Buddha's dharma), and even religious tradition. The gods, especially the Adityas, protect the world against chaos and ignorance and maintain the world order, which, however, exists independently of the gods. Although the power of rita operates according to its own principles and laws, humanity is able, provided the right methods are used, to manipulate this power to some extent for its own benefit. The proper means for this manipulation is found especially in older Hindu sacrifice. The gods are generally benevolent and friendly toward humans who follow rita, and they punish their own enemies and those of the world order, which in India too embraces the social ethical rules.Theodorus P. van Baaren The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Chinese tradition features three concepts that convey an impersonal cosmic order. The Dao, literally the "Way," is both the source from which the universe is continuously generated and the cosmic order itself. Tian, often translated as "heaven" and literally meaning "sky," is a term that refers to multiple concepts, often simultaneously. Tian once indicated a supreme deity (though not an ultimate creator), which could be spoken of both in personal and in impersonal terms. Yet over time it came to indicate an impersonal, cosmic moral order to which human beings should attune their personal behaviour. Mozi (flourished 4th century bce) held a sense of tian as a personal god; Confucius (flourished 5th century bce) and Mencius (flourished 3rd century bce) promoted aspects of both. To early Daoist and Confucian thinkers (4th–3rd century bce), such as Zhuangzi and Xunzi, tian also indicated the natural world.
A third term, ming, has played an important role in Chinese religious life for millennia. In its earliest uses, ming meant "decree" or "command" and indicated that the king or emperor had been granted by tian the mandate to rule. Yet the concept of ming, like tian, gradually became more impersonal and naturalistic. Confucius individualized the concept, speaking of tianming as the course of one's life. Moreover, by the time of Mencius, ming had assumed the meanings of "fate," "circumstance," and "destiny." In these senses, ming signifies all that is outside the purview of human effort to change. "Waiting for destiny" (siming) is the proper attitude through which a person lives life to the fullest while accepting those events outside his control.Matt Stefon
Many related concepts exist. The Greek Moira, for instance, is comparable to Asha and rita. The Moira in classical Greek religion is not yet fate as this idea was found in Greco-Roman times. The concept of cosmic order may function either in a religious or in a philosophical context; e.g., the preestablished harmony (harmonia praestabilita) in the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a German rationalist, is the cosmic order that holds together and unifies the innumerable individual units, which he called monads.
Particular objects of providence
Although cosmic order is necessarily a general idea comprising the whole of the world and all that exists in it, the concept of providence may be more particular: the benevolent aspect of providence may be confined to a special group of people or at least be specially related to that group, or a number of patron gods or saints may watch over some specific activity or smaller group. This accounts for the idea of a chosen people watched over and led by a just and loving God. The ancient people of Israel are, perhaps, the best known example; the concept, however, is widespread. Patron gods and patron saints who are particularly charged with caring for some small group, craft, or activity or who operate in special circumstances, such as during illness or war, occur in most religions and are popular in many.
Although providence in most religions operates primarily for the welfare and the salvation of the community as a whole, it may also be experienced as personal guidance. This latter phenomenon is common in some diverse cultures—e.g., that of the Plains Indians of North America and in those forms of Protestantism in which generally each person is expected to have a private experience of divine guidance. In other cultures and religions, personal guidance is often a prerogative of some person or persons singled out for some reason by God or the gods.
Critical problems
It is clear that the concept of providence by its central position in many religions is connected with numerous other aspects of religion. In monotheistic religions providence is a quality of the one divinity; in polytheistic religions it may be either a quality of one or more gods or an impersonal world order on which the gods too more or less depend. In the latter case, providence may lose its aspect of benevolence and become inexorable fate or fickle chance. Most religions show a certain ambivalence, for fate and providence do not always form a clear-cut contradiction.
Still another form of ambivalence occurs between fate or divine will and human will when the latter is conceived as free, or at least free to a certain degree. In some religions the benevolent aspect of providence appears as grace, and a discussion may arise about the relationship between free will and grace. Perhaps the most difficult problem connected with the notion of providence is the existence of evil: humankind has perennially been faced with the question of how to reconcile the idea of a provident God or gods with the evident existence of evil in the world (see theodicy; evil, problem of).Theodorus P. van Baaren The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
myth: Myths of providence and destinyIn attitudes to the idea of a link between human activity and the stars, the most familiar example of which is probably astrology, there is a broad range of mythical motifs between astrological calculations (in the sense of an attempt at an…
history of Europe: The language of the Enlightenment…such as Reason, Nature, and Providence. From having a sharp, almost technical sense in the work of Descartes, Pascal, and Spinoza, reason came to mean something like common sense, along with strongly pejorative assumptions about things not reasonable. For Voltaire, the reasonable were those who believed in progress: he lived…
historiography: Intellectual historyWhen the providential argument in its simpler medieval form lost credibility, it was reformulated by Vico, with his conception of the tropes appropriate to the different ages of humanity, and by Hegel, whose "objective" idealism identified the development of Spirit, or the Idea, as the motor of…
time: One-way view of time in the philosophy of historyA god who creates and then annihilates time, if he is held to be omnipotent, is often credited with having done this with a benevolent purpose that is being carried out according to plan. The omnipotent god's plan, in this view, governs the time flow and…
SacredSacred, the power, being, or realm understood by religious persons to be at the core of existence and to have a transformative effect on their lives and destinies. Other terms, such as holy, divine, transcendent, ultimate being (or ultimate reality), mystery, and perfection (or purity) have been…
More About Providence17 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- governance of time
- interpretation by Vico
- probability
- work of Kepler
evidence in
- creation myths
- myths of fate
- astrology
- biblical covenants
- Old Testament


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Best Of :: Shopping & Services
You've got a date to hike Runyon, you hate your wardrobe and you're broke. Don't panic. The little shop next to Trader Joe's on Santa Monica Boulevard at Fuller sells a decent selection of American Apparel seconds, among other various cotton-jersey wares, for a fraction of American Apparel prices. They have tees galore, for men and women — waffle henleys, oversize tri-blend cardigans and, my favorite, the long-sleeve raglan tee, in a variety of colors, preferably two sizes too big, for that Flashdance-sexy, oops, my shirt accidentally slipped off my shoulder thing. Sure, there's the odd pinhole and the occasional fraying seam, but many of the pieces are flaw-free, at least to my untrained, though still aesthetically astute, eye. Yoga leggings, Thai fisherman's pants, socks, sunglasses, cheap luggage — these items fill in the spaces between the cap-sleeved tunics and the fleece hoodies at the otherwise easily overlooked mini-mall boutique my best friend and I have christened "The Store."—Dani Katz
Hardcore hikers and backpackers typically go to two places for expedition equipment: REI or Adventure 16. REI's stuff tends to be less expensive, but Adventure 16, particularly the larger West Los Angeles location, is the place to go if you want to talk to someone who really knows a Marmot sleeping bag from a North Face. And the last thing you want is to buy a $300 backpack and realize that it's not fitted correctly when you're in hour one of a 12-hour hike. Knowing how to properly fit a pack is the benchmark for a camping-supply salesperson.
"People get their packs refitted here after going to other stores," says Greg, a massively yoked young man who works at the West L.A. store. He can't count the number of times he's had to remeasure people's torsos after they'd been improperly fitted by the competition. Greg, whose home town in Montana manufactures the bear-repellent spray you see on the shelves, believes he does the most outside sports of all the employees — kayaking, mountain climbing, rafting, spelunking, you name it. Though there are, no doubt, colleagues who would take him to task for saying that; some employees have worked at A16 for more than 25 years, mainly because they love the adventure lifestyle and feed off the energy of the customers and their fellow staffers. Plus, it's a really good pickup spot for cute, outdoorsy girls and guys who've climbed K2.
The guts of the store are the backpacks, tents and hydration packs. But there is something for everyone, from birder journals and pine incense you burn in holders shaped like little log cabins to pristine, unfolded U.S. Geological Society topographical maps. Just being inside the store makes you want to go ford a river or walk the Appalachian Trail or something, anything, you know, outside. You can rent trekking poles, sleeping bags, tents and even bear canisters (for stashing food in — the idea being that the bear gets tired of trying to pry open the canister and leaves in a frustrated huff).
The sheer quantity of stuff to buy and learn can be overwhelming. What does the Vitalyte electrolye-replacement solution taste like? Which do you have to worry more about while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, bears or mountain lions? What is the tradeoff between price, comfort and lightness in the Osprey technical backpack? Chances are, someone at A16 can wax poetic on any of those subjects, and countless others. Or, to quote that Disneyfied outdoorswoman Pocahontas, "You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew."—Gendy Alimurung
It's a music retail ghost town, yes. We don't need to be reminded. Those were our jobs, and our expense accounts, and our backstage passes, that vanished along with the neighborhood record stores. Gone are Aron's, Sea Level and Tower, ashes to ashes, funk to funky. Last year the Virgin on Sunset bit the dust. It adds up, you know? Therefore: Amoeba of our heart. Yes, some have grumbled that the arrival of Amoeba nearly seven years ago was the big, brass nail that sealed the L.A. retail coffin because it sucked up so much business that our littler compadres couldn't possibly compete. But Amoeba drew the freaks because Amoeba knows its shit, and stocks it, and recommends it, and plays it. Walk in and it looks like one big mess. Start spending time there, though, and you begin to see the order, and realize that Amoeba's not one big-ass store but at least eight (nine? 10? 11?) little stores. A man could get lost in its international section. Not just the Best of Ethiopiques, but all 24 volumes. Not just Brazilian classics, but Living Is Hard: West African Music in Britain, 1927-1929 (some of the most inspiring music you'll ever hear, btw). A dance shop with Villalobos white labels; a thick house section, ditto the hip-hop stacks. A punk shop. Classical and opera. Oh, the reggae vinyl, and the rock vinyl! The best soundtrack store in the country. And upstairs! Upstairs the DVDs! Don't get us started. A whole other celebration. It's downstairs we honor here. Amoeba: flip flip flip, snag, examine, caress, yoink!, play, bond, dance, fuck, nap, repeat.—Randall Roberts
Wendy Yao, local artist and den mother of L.A.'s burgeoning Chinatown scene, curates her store, Ooga Booga, with all the thought and precision of a carefully selected mixtape made for a longtime friend. Clothes and bags mingle with prints, books, zines and one-of-a-kind items. Sometimes there are actual mixtapes for sale from the likes of K Records impresario Calvin Johnson. The art openings and parties are the stuff of local legend, attracting musicians from the Smell and beyond who attempt to impress Ooga Booga's adorable resident cat with their grooves.—Molly Lambert
Everyone has their own favorite neighborhood thrift store, the name and location of which they guard with the close-lipped fervor of Allied operatives keeping state secrets from the Nazis. Each store specializes in merchandise subject to the individual whims of its proprietor. Aardvark's Odd Ark has long been the place to go for retro dresses, vintage skirts and plain, white button-up and pastel, ruffle-front prom tuxedo shirts. Jet Rag on La Brea Boulevard is alternately scorned and worshipped for its dense collection of overpriced, costume-y Jackie O. dresses and patterned, pointy-collared polyester '70s shirts. The Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are hit or miss, depending on the location and season. Some people swear by the clean but relatively expensive Council Thrift stores, run by the National Council of Jewish Women. Council Thrifts focus on used designer apparel and accessories. At the West L.A. locations, which include a brand-spanking-new one on Santa Monica Boulevard, it's not out of the question to spot a pair of Blahniks for 40 bucks, a Coach purse for a hundred.
Furniture-wise, Pepe's Thrifty Shop in Culver City is a tiny Dickensian vintage oasis. Barely bigger than a studio apartment, cane chairs and midcentury nightstands pile here atop antique credenzas, crowned by hanging chandeliers and sconces. You have to scoot sideways down the single looping aisle and be ready to pounce upon a desired item: Stuff here is value priced and moves fast.
The Lincoln Heights location of St. Vincent de Paul, however, is a different beast entirely. The Costco of thrift shops, it is all these stores rolled into one. Friendships have broken up over sharing the location of this no-longer-hidden spot. It's a sprawling, workmanlike place, 90,000 square feet, packed to the rafters, where on Sundays Mexican families shop for hours after church. You could furnish an entire house on the sheer glut of merchandise here, from armoires to wrought-iron bed frames. Men's, women's and children's clothes, mainly from the '80s and '90s, are so cheap (five pieces for $3 for the pink-tag items) you'll feel like you stole them. It is the home of the $9 file cabinet; the $10 pleated-shade lamp.
Recently, I spied a set of four wicker chairs that I'd swear were Breuers, for $59. Also: a midcentury lighted dressing table (minus the light, minus the mirror). An old Westinghouse freezer, the kind with a pull latch that kids get trapped in and suffocate, $399. A desultory flock of kids' bikes, $29 a pop, roosting by the exercise equipment. Every single hexagonal 1970s drum table has come for a stopover here on its way to hipster homes across the city.
There is a truly magnificent gallery of used electronics in the back, near the so very, very sad stuffed-toy table overwhelmed by crusty teddy bears and no-longer-purple Barney dolls. Wireless three-channel intercom for $3, anyone? Perhaps an Emerson clock-radio tape player, with the previous owner's "Island Tranquility" meditation tape still inside. While the women rove the dress aisles, the men slake their gadget lust here with Beta tape rewinders and $7.99 Hitachi rice cookers.
Tucked behind the freeway overpass on North Avenue 21 just short of downtown, it's invariably dingy and dusty in the store. Trucks heavy with new furniture come and go, belching exhaust fumes into the front docking zone. Loaded down with armfuls of cheap treasure, you'll crave a refreshing shower after a visit to St. Vincent de Paul's. For the stuff you can't haul home on your own, they now even have same-day delivery. But steer clear of the sofas. They are ghastly. And they always seem to have someone's overheated, sweaty octogenarian grandmother already sitting on them.—Gendy Alimurung
If you're in a hurry on a new-release Wednesday and don't have the time or desire to make the rounds to the many small suppliers that dot the city, Meltdown is your one-stop shop, the Amoeba of the L.A. comic scene. Walk in and drown in the colors that pour from each rack, the Smiths' "Girlfriend in a Coma" on the sound system, visuals bombarding. At Meltdown, each subgenre — underground, classic, graphic novel, superhero, manga, whatnot — is represented. Rejoice at the bounty of Tin Tin posters filling the west wall, and appreciate the depth of the employees' enthusiasm. The beautiful Chris Ware display in the back holds the artist's geometric work. An entire shelf is devoted to the Optic Nerve series by Adrian Tomine; another to the many moods of booty-loving Robert Crumb. Peruse the wildly successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer series in all its glory. All the Krazy Kat reissues are lined neatly in a row (drawn by the genius George Herriman, who spent his last days just up the road from Meltdown in the Hollywood Hills), a graphic affirmation that life is worth living.
But if that crap's too brainy for your sci-fi-loving ways, Meltdown also offers only-in-Hollywood temptations like an $18,000 limited-edition bronze Darth Vader statue, Clive Barker–approved Demon in the Blue Grass prints, all the DC, Dark Horse, Marvel and Vertigo comics you can put your French-fry-greased fingers on, and a very deep and imposing selection of Japanese manga. (Manga is a world in and of itself, and wise is the writer who admits his relative ignorance and moves along.) And, of course, all of L.A. Weekly's recurrent comic artists are represented: Lynda Barry's newest thrill, What It Is. The freako-surrealist Kaz strips, Tony Millionaire's boisterous Maakies series. There's even Meltdown University, a 13-week course in the craft of pictorial storytelling, so you, yes you, can be a major player (and soon thereafter, major chick magnet) in the glamorous world of comic art.—Randall Roberts
By the time I coasted my ailing new Beetle down Abbot Kinney Boulevard to Wabbit Wepair, my dashboard was lit up with more warnings than a tilted pinball machine. Punching my accelerator to the floor gained me roughly 10 mph per half-mile, despite my having just paid $1,073.49 to a well-meaning mechanic who'd ignored my request for a new fuel filter and installed a new intercooler on the advice of a "scan code" from a diagnostic computer. My front-end grill had been dragging so long that I'd pulled it off and put it in the back seat. I was not in a good mood.
"I think it needs a new fuel filter," I told Wabbit Wepair's Wayne Pernell as I got out of the car. "I switch back and forth between bio- and dino-diesel, and sometimes the petroleum residue can clog the filter."
"Sure," he said. "That sounds reasonable. We'll try that. You know, Occam's razor."
I nearly swooned with joy.
It's not just that I want someone fixing my car who agrees with 14th-century logician William Occam, who posited that the simplest solution is often the best. It's that I want someone fixing my car who assumes I know such things, too (and doesn't scold me about the fuel I use). Wayne, the shop manager, and his boss, Kent Bush Clemens ("as in Samuel Langhorne," he says), treat their clients like intelligent beings; they listen, they investigate and then they call you up to see whether you agree that whatever needs to be done is worth the cost. They don't replace stuff just because a dumb light says they should. They use the computers, but they use their brains, too.
"A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself," Robert Pirsig wrote in The Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance, one of my favorite books of the past 40 years. I like to think of a skilled mechanic as a scholar of quality, Pirsig-style. And I like to think of the guys at Wabbit Wepair, who have the machismo to answer the phone "Wabbit!" without shame, as quality-sensitive mechanics, tuning their ears to the music of engines, adjusting, calibrating and tightening until everything hums like it should. Maybe they even check in the end to see whether the computer agrees.
Having a good mechanic benefits one's self-esteem. A few weeks after I drove my freshly peppy Beetle out of Wabbit's lot, I decided I wanted my car to look as good as it ran, and when Wayne called me with a price on a new front grill, I was sold. He ordered it unpainted and got his "body guy" to match my green paint. Then he salvaged my old fog lights. When I picked up the car, he showed me how to turn my fog lights on. And here I thought I knew everything.—Judith Lewis
It's a distinction that enthusiasts will probably quibble with — each comic freak is convinced that his genre of choice features the "finest" "art" (well, maybe not manga obsessives, who surely must acknowledge that the majority of its practitioners employ a lesser, more regimented pictorial delivery system) — but for our money, Family on Fairfax is the best place to take aforementioned dismissive literature professors (and snobby art critics) to argue your point that graphic narrative is an equal form of storytelling to nonpictorial fiction. Browse the shop and you'll soon be convinced that the art's most important creators deserve as much critical attention and celebration (and museum shows) as painters, photographers and sculptors. A roundabout way of saying that, aesthetically, Family Bookstore's keen eye will blow you away. Family opened in early 2007 as a little literary bookstore that treated classic literature, new fiction, comics and experimental music with wonderful equanimity.
Owned by David Kramer and Sammy Harkham, the shop is obviously the product of a few highly discriminating minds. Harkham, in fact, is one of the most celebrated new brains in the fancy comics world; in his Kafkaesque studio above the shop, he creates the exquisitely rendered comic Crickets, about a man peppered with arrows traveling through the forest with a compadre: a silent, hulking Golem. He also creates the jaw-droppingly beautiful Kramers Ergot, a somewhat annual compendium of comic art whose forthcoming seventh issue will be a huge 16 by 21 inches, the same broadsheet dimension of early-20th-century newspapers.
"A book that size is kind of insane," acknowledges Harkham, but he realized, after he started thinking about it, that to offer such a broad canvas to artists used to working with less space would be a great gift, and could yield amazing results. "Even artists you might be familiar with would feel a little different. And when I started thinking about that large size, I realized that I could ask back people I'd used before, and I could ask a whole bunch of artists that I've never asked because I never thought they needed to be in an anthology — people like Dan Clowes and Adrian Tomine — but they'll look completely fresh." Also included is new work by, among others, Matt Groening, Kevin Huizenga, Chris Ware, Paperrad and Dan Zettwoch.
You can find a lot of the artists represented in the book at Family, but the shop isn't a place for completists. It's for those looking to snag the cream of the crop, both nationally and internationally. Even better, Family stocks the work of some of L.A.'s most interesting aesthetes; recent gems include a collection of director Mike Mills' Fireworks drawings; the new comic by filmmaker Michel Gondry, We Lost the War but Not the Battle; Miranda July's art and writing; Ron Rege, Jr.'s precisely drawn joy; and beautiful limited-edition records by the Sads, No Age and the great Teenage Teardrops label.—Randall Roberts
If cats were to design their own hospital, it would be the Westside Hospital for Cats. As the name implies, the state-of-the-art, full-service feline-health center is "cats only," so that the cats don't get stressed by the presence of lesser species, like dogs, parakeets, turtles, fish, lizards, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, snakes, ferrets and pretty much every other living creature. And, it is as it should be.
My cats Gerbil and Marmot have been coming here for years, even before owner Elyse Kent and her staff moved into Westside's sparkling new offices on Cotner Avenue (business is good, apparently, in the cat health care industry). Is it disturbing that my cats get better medical care than I do? Kind of. But the friendly ladies at the check-in counter greet each cat by name, and no one, but no one knows his way around a yowling calico better than veterinary technician Oscar Calderon, whose kung-fu grip wrangles even the feistiest of kitties.
If your cat needs an echocardiogram, an endoscopy, a neurology consult, surgery or chemotherapy (God forbid), or falls victim to any number of ailments, this place has you covered. With cats, as with humans, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this place is ideal for vaccinations, microchipping, annual wellness exams and dental cleanings. And, if your cat permits you a vacation and needs somewhere to crash while you are away, the hospital has a gorgeous array of luxury boarding facilities with no creepy hidden backrooms.
If your cat is into that sort of thing, Westside Hospital for Cats also does the full range of spa grooming options — brush outs, ear cleanings, nail trimming, oatmeal baths, vinyl nail caps, as well as lion cuts and custom shaves.
You might want to look into those brochures on cat health insurance while you're there, because none of this comes cheap. Where Her Majesty the High Priestess of Fluffiness is concerned, it never does.—Gendy Alimurung
In addition to having the best comic-store name, one that captures the mysterious allure of the comics underworld and the warped brains that inhabit it, Secret Headquarters at Sunset Junction is a mighty little store that manages to fit a surprisingly deep catalog into its compact confines. It opened in 2005 with the goal of scratching many diverse itches rather than, in co-owner Dave Pifer's words, sticking with "the narrow nerd world." It's a clean, well-lighted place for the true headz, with two comfy chairs for slouching into while contemplating possible purchases. Whether you're gunning for the hottest superhero titles ("It's what pays our bills," says Pifer), the classics (up-to-date volumes in the ongoing Complete Peanuts reissue series, and both volumes of Windsor McKay's Little Nemo in Slumberland in full-size Sunday reprints), or the cream of the fantastical tales (the weirdly brilliant Fables series), Secret Headquarters will lighten your wallet with ease. Its new-release wall features the latest DC and Marvel volumes, a lot of the recent Ignatz Awards nominees (I bought Ted May's fantastic Injury series last time I was here) and, best, a lot of titles that I've never seen before. Secret Headquarters is the kind of place that, regardless of your subgenre predilections, you can walk in with a twenty and leave with something or three that'll get you through the night.—Randall Roberts
I was fighting a weight machine in the Hollywood Bally's when my cell phone vibrated. It was a man from a big-chain tire shop, but not the guy I'd left my car with 20 minutes ago. That first guy, Joe, had been all about the tires, which made sense, since I had left my car there to replace my original set. But this other man interrupted my workout in a confidential voice to speak about something that was far more important, even, than the lifetime side-puncture warranty Joe had tried to sell me — my front struts. These, he insisted, were only minutes away from disintegrating. The man assured me he could replace them — for around $1,100 — even as I continued my struggle with the Abdominal Snowman. The choice was mine — he was only concerned about my safety. He let that last part sink in, the way a kidnapper does during that all-important first call: We've got your Jetta, Mr. Mikulan. What you do is up to you. I just wouldn't want anything to ... happen to your car.
I never make snap decisions involving more than $50. The struts would have to wait, I said, until next payday — my standard leave-me-alone line. My caller offered a line of credit. Interest free. He was — had he mentioned this? — thinking of my safety. Eventually the man realized I wasn't going to cough up more money today and told me my car was ready for pickup.
Only chumps heed the warnings of auto-repair chain outlets, shops that sucker you in with a $25 oil-change coupon, then suddenly find you need a new transmission. But they have your car, and their skilled hostage negotiators can make even the most far-fetched doom forecast sound credible. Six years ago, this company's chief rival in the tire-chain world gave my car an equally bad bill of health (also remediable for $1,100), when I arrived to pick it up after a $25 oil change.
Chain outlets are a reasonable repair alternative to dealerships and are often convenient to your work or gym. But nothing beats a local mechanic, preferably one within walking distance of your home. Donny Wong's Far East Auto Service occupies a tiny, grimy structure near Dodger Stadium and has been a godsend to budget-minded car owners in the area since the 1980s. Donny looked over my car's struts and found the chain shop's warnings groundless — as he had the rival's alarms six years before. Time and time again, I've brought my cars to Far East, convinced by a chain mechanic or by my own paranoia that something was expensively wrong, only to have Donny work some folk magic and fix it for a fraction of the cost — sometimes for free.
People love Donny, a native of Vietnam, because over the years he gets to know your car and develops an empathy for it as though it were one of your kids. He'll excitedly show you the carbon buildup on every spark plug he replaces and point out exactly where a fan belt is wearing down. He doesn't need to look up your old work orders on a computer to remember your car's moods and tics — they're all in his head. Donny's meticulous attention comes at a price, though: If you let changing your car's oil slide for too long, he's all over you like a traffic cop — or your kid's dentist.—Steven Mikulan
Holy cheese, the world is an amazing and horrifying place, and the proof lies in big cardboard boxes in Mark Kologi's photo stall at the labyrinthine Melrose Trading Post. Here are countless examples of the Freak Parade that is the human race. Each box is filled with thousands of little photographic moments, snapshots that depict not only a person or people smiling (or crying, or glaring), but contextual tidbits — a revealing Streisand poster on a back wall, dying roses by the side of the bed, a wine stain on a white carpet, a crumb of food on a bottom lip — that pose more questions than they answer. Our favorite is the shot of newlyweds toasting directly below a wall-hung (and upside-down) horseshoe — a relationship cursed from the start, and captured on film. Or the Gerhard Richter–esque blurred image of a red-lipsticked, bouffant-wearing woman posing in front of a battleship. Or the muted mis-shot of a woman's green high-heels on lush blue carpet, which could be a lost William Eggleston.
"As soon as a picture leaves its family, it becomes a whole different thing. It becomes art," Kologi says. The affable collector of lost souls clearly loves his job, giggling as you purchase quirky portraits (two-for-a-buck!), unintentional still lifes and suitable-for-framing 4-by-5 landscapes. He sells a lot of his product to artists and writers looking for images and ideas, and has another 50,000 in storage, images "that don't have that rock & roll to them, that are just general Americana."
On any given Sunday, Kologi's booth is a great place to bond with entertaining strangers. The people who dig through these boxes are a special breed, those who prefer that the people-watching fun include ghosts. A writer himself, Kologi feeds his supply from estate sales and says that much of his bounty is due to "deaths, divorces and imprisonments," a fact that tempers each oddball image with a certain melancholy. So happy ... so alive ... so unincarcerated.—Randall Roberts

subset: commoncrawl


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BCExpat wrote: I think it's a Trane AC unit. I am happy with it's performance, although it is a bit loud. It's located away from the bed rooms, so it really doesn't disturb us, but when I get a new one, I want to make sure it isn't as loud as this one is. Thanks for advice - I'll just replace it with another AC unit. Do you pay much of a premium for and American Standard AC unit over a Trane or Lennox unit? I though Trane and Lennox were good brands (what do I know - I'm not a HVAC guy )
Actually Trane and American Standard are made in the same plant factory. Sorta like Ford and Mazda?
One of the first questions I asked my boss is "Why not Trane?" and in his years of service work or warranty work American Standard was one he saw the least. In my years, I'd agree but I'm sure you could get 10 guys from the same trade and we'd all have our favorite units. I do know on the Island Lennox is a bitch to get warranty work done on, and we rarely rec'v call back work on American Standard units. (bad business model to follow! lol)
Back to your PHO place. So you have a HP outside and an air handler inside I'd imagine? Tell me more about the system. Noise really shouldn't be an issue from either. Your ductwork shouldn't be noisy if it is accoustically insulated, some opt out when installing this bcs it is more coin per foot.
With the set up in my house (split level, beds up living space down) I have decided to go with a similar system I installed in my rents house a few months back. They are usually referred to as "ductless splits" but I'm sure everyone has seen them at their local office or small commericial building. With grants and my juicy discount I'm going to MAKE money! Ha!


text: On Mon, 11 Nov 2002, Florian Gabriel wrote: > >Cisco switches had a broken autonegotiation implementation. Rather than > >fix the deployed hardware, Cisco taught that autonegotiation was > >unreliable and should be turned off. OK. But they went further and > >recommended forcing full duplex. > > > A new document ( http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/473/46.html ) can make > some light here. Very interesting! This is a document dated Nov. 1 2002 -- apparently just released. The vital quote: There are many opinions on the subject of auto-negotiation. ^^^^^^^^^ Previously, many engineers were advising customers not to use auto-negotiation with any switch connected device. However, improvements in the interoperation of auto-negotiation and the maturity of the technology has recently changed the view of using auto-negotiation. In addition, performance issues due to duplex mismatches as a result of manually setting speed and duplex only on one link partner, have become more common. Due to these recent issues, using auto-negotiation is regarded as a valid practice. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Uhmm, "it works" isn't really an "opinion"! I guess this one way of admitting they were wrong. But by waiting so long, they now they now have a major education problem. "Remember that thing we said was evil before? Uhmmm, now it's good. Oh, and our new firmware defaults to turning it on and breaks all of your existing installations. Why did we do it? Because Donald really needed twenty or thirty extra emails a day." -- Donald Becker becker at scyld.com Scyld Computing Corporation http://www.scyld.com 410 Severn Ave. Suite 210 Scyld Beowulf cluster system Annapolis MD 21403 410-990-9993


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I have as much respect for Daniel Pipes as anyone, but it seems to me that his habitual pessimism–so often justified with respect to the Middle East over the years–has led him astray now. I agree with much of what he says about the Palestinians, but don't understand how Bush's approach, as outlined in his speech, "rewards terror." The Palestinians get nothing, including a provisional state, unless they install new leadership, reform their institutions, open up their economy and cease all terror activities. How can this be said to be rewarding terror? And while it is easy to see how far the Palestinians have to go before they have anything like a normal society, what basis for hope in that part of the world can there be, other than the hope of a normalized Palestine? The only alternative I can see to working toward a normal Palestinian government and society is nuking the West Bank, which isn't going to happen. So we may as well get started. In addition, as George Will pointed out this morning, Bush's approach has the merit of "kicking the can of this crisis down the road," so that attention can again be re-focused on Iraq and other theaters of the war. And finally, a reformed Palestine may seem like a pipe-dream now, but for President Bush this is only one (relatively small) aspect of a larger strategy for the Arab world. If new governments are installed in Iraq and Iran, and maybe Syria and Saudi Arabia, and those states no longer support terrorism, reforming Palestine will not seem such a difficult task. President Bush is a big thinker and his intentions are breath-taking in their scope. But we have no viable alternative to boldness. And since we have no direction to go but forward, we may as well be optimistic about the results.
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


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Lime Green: Lamp, Daybed & Footstool
If you need a psychological kick in the butt, sometimes a bright cheery color can do the trick. Chartreuse is just such a color.
• Brooklyn, NY: Green Desk Lamp - $20
• Bethany, OK: Retro Swag Lamp - $50
• Swansea, IL: Mid Century Daybed - $450
• Tarrytown, NY: Green Footstool - $50
• Chicago, IL: Chartreuse Mixing Bowl - $18
Shoppers, check out the Classifieds for many more listings. Sellers, gather up your goods and list them in our Classifieds to turn them into a little extra spending cash.
Go To: Classifieds Main Page
Apartment Therapy is not the seller of these items. This is an edited selection of our favorite offerings from our Classifieds. For more information, see How it Works. Happy Scavenging!


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Denise Richards has adopted a newborn baby ... TMZ has confirmed.
It's a girl, who is now a few weeks old. Denise named the baby Eloise Joni, after her mom Joni, who died in 2007.
The biological mother gave birth in the U.S.
Eloise joins Sam, 7, and Lola, 6, in the Richards brood.
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I've been getting my hair cut at a Supercuts equivalent for the past few years, mostly for convenience (well, scratch "mostly" and substitute "totally") because when time was the tightest, even the act of taking time to get my hair trimmed seemed hopelessly self-indulgent. So, basically I would just wait as long as possible between trims, and when it started getting to true Yoko Ono circa 1974 territory I would wander into a Supercuts, demand that they cut off some of the bottom hair parts, wander out 10 minutes and some half-hearted snips later, immediately put my hair in a ponytail and forget about the existence of hair until the next time I got Yoko-ed.
Anyway. I decided today that it was finally time to have an actual hairstyle again (my hair for the last five years has been less a "style" than variations on the theme of "Hair, comma, Lots") and made an appointment at an actual salon. I explained to the stylist the particular challenges of my hair: namely, it is coarse, tends towards frizzy, spends a lot of time squashed under a scrub cap, and I wanted it to at least be long enough to still put up in a ponytail but otherwise wanted to spend little to no time styling it. I also said (and perhaps this was inadvisable) that I didn't really care what she did to it--well, I cared, but that I would defer to her best judgement, since my only request was that she make my head look better and had no further suggestions beyond that. The stylist nodded and fingered and mm-hmmed attentively. Then she asked me: "Have you ever had bangs?"
I said that of course I had had bangs when I was much younger (Asian Lady Law, look in the handbook), but that I'd grown them out in college and hadn't had them since.
"Do you want to try them again?" She asked.
I considered. On one hand, I think bangs are probably a pain in the ass. The upkeep. The frequent trims. The hair in the face. The inevitable scrub hat mashing. But then on the other hand, if I had bangs, maybe it would bring me one step closer to my spirit animal, April Ludgate.
(You notice I did not say "Aubrey Plaza," because the point is that while I want to look good, I want to care approximately as much about my style as April Ludgate, which is to say: not at all.)
Anyway, I let her cut the bangs, along with the rest of my hair, and I think I'm not precisely sure how I feel about them yet. On one hand, I definitely have a hair style now (like, my hair is not just in the random fluffy shape that it takes when hair is allowed to roam independently on my scalp), but I'm not sure that I love the style, nor am I convinced that it doesn't look like a wig, and having bangs again is going to take getting used to. For one, the hairdresser said I had to "retrain my part," whatever that means. And also, the constant feeling of hair on my forehead is still pretty annoying. I didn't really want to include a photo (for vanity reasons of course: end of the day, no makeup, not dressed cute or ANYTHING) but I realize talking about getting a haircut and not including a photo is kind of a cocktease, so here you go. Please keep in mind all of the above and that this was taken under horrible fluorescent lighting in an elementary school hallway after Parent-Teacher conference and before pickup from Nerd Club...uh, Lego Robotics Team.
Of course, there are benefits. The last time I had bangs, my sophomore year of college, the bangs could hide my forehead acne. And now they can cover my forehead wrinkles. Maturity, you guys!


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Defenders of Wildlife produces many reports, fact sheets, tip sheets and other types of publications.
Use the dropdown boxes below to find publications related to specific animals, conservation issues, and regions.
On June 8-9, 2011, the Defenders of Wildlife hosted an informal workshop on diversionary feeding of polar bears in Anchorage, Alaska to reduce human-bear conflicts.
Payments for Wildlife and Biodiversity Outcomes Under Farm Bill programs recommends ways for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to incorporate biodiversity and wildlife outcomes into its practice-based conservation programs under the 2014 Farm Bill. Phasing outcomes into the existing payment structure could help Farm Bill programs achieve more successful conservation for biodiversity and wildlife.
As efforts to restore wolves to their historical ranges succeed, conflict with ranchers invariably arises. To protect wolves and livestock, ranchers can adopt nonlethal practices, and consumers can insist on purchasing meat from ranchers who do.
This report details how the Bureau of Land Management and other states should avoid adopting Wyoming's strategy for conserving sage-grouse, and includes recommendations for adopting science-based measures that are more likely to protect and recover the species.
With the amount of geospatial data now available online, Defenders is looking into ways to put this wealth of information to use to improve recovery programs for endangered species.
Testimony on Oil and Gas Development in National Wildlife Refuges by Noah Matson, Defenders of Wildlife »
Testimony of Defenders' Vice President for Landscape Conservation and Climate Adaptation before the House Natural Resources Committee at am oversight hearing entitled "Oil and Gas Activities within Our Nation's National Wildlife Refuge System" held May 20th, 2014. In the testimony, Defenders highlights the need for tracking of the impacts of oil and gas development on National Wildlife Refuges, the costs to taxpayers to maintain and restore ecosystems after wells are abandoned and the existing authority of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service on this matter.
On April 30, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee approved four bills pulled directly from a slanted and biased anti-Endangered Species Act report. These bills would severely curtail the ESA's ability to protect the nation's most imperiled species.
This report provides an overview of the 2014 conservation programs and reviews their changes, challenges and opportunities within the context of the 2014 Farm Bill. Defenders of Wildlife provides recommendations on how to best address conservation needs through these programs.
This paper evaluates the potential conservation impacts of the 2014 Farm Bill and gives recommendations on the best ways to target agricultural programs to yield the best wildlife outcomes.
The available funding to recover threatened and endangered species will likely continue to be limited. Given this harsh reality, explicit prioritization of recovery actions is increasingly necessary. FWS, BLM and other federal agencies can begin making smarter decisions about their funding through modest forms of prioritization. This paper describes three recent examples of programs that use explicit criteria to decide which competing conservation actions to fund. The paper concludes with recommendations on how agencies can improve and expand on these systems.


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For close to 40 years, Decorative Hardware has been providing top-of-the-line knobs and pulls to satisfied customers. While their hardware looks antique and delicate, each Decorite pull is both affordable and durable. This creates the perfect combination in the kitchen, allowing customers to create a polished, classy look while also enjoying durable, time-tested products. Decorite understands what customers want and provides the decorative pulls to fulfill that antique and traditional look that so many customers seek.
Decorite pulls create a charming look of antique elegance in your kitchen space. Each pull includes intricate details and a finish that provides a look of aged decoration. Using satin nickel, antique English and Swedish iron finishes, each Decorite pull embodies a look of refinement and grace. For those looking for a more modern style, many Decorite pulls include interesting leaf motifs and polished brass finishes.
There's something for everyone with Decorite pulls. Whether you're looking for the aged look of antique pulls or the more modern look available with decorative pulls, Decorite provides it all. Enjoy quality hardware that's built to last with Decorite.


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University of Scranton - 4, Farmingdale State - 0
Scranton, PA - The Farmingdale State men's soccer team fell, 4-0, in their 2012 season opener last night at the University of Scranton. The Royals held a decisive 25-3 shot advantage in the victory.
Scranton (1-0) broke the scoreless tie with 31:09 remaining in the first half as sophomore forward Kevin Kozic (Raritan, N.J.) netted a header off the entry pass by senior forward Bill McGuiness (Forty Fort, Pa.). Sophomore midfielder Rich Leoffler (Matawan, N.J.) put the Royals on top 2-0 after being set up by McGuiness with 14:11 left before halftime. Less than eight minutes later, freshman forward Ryan Smith (Maple Glen, Pa.) scored on a header to increase Scranton's lead to 3-0. The Royals outshot the Rams 13-0 in the first half.
McGuiness' unassisted goal with 26:14 left to play was the games final score as the Royals capped off a 4-0 victory.
Farmingdale State next will travel to King's (Pa.) for a non-conference game on Saturday, September 1st at 3:30 p.m.


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Darling Jacob,
First of all, I appreciate your little post-sexist switcheroo on the question by turning it around to ask if I were going to take out a terrorist, when of course you likely did that for the benefit of the readers when in fact you were thinking, if you were going to take out a terrorist, would you tell your wife? But to go along with your question: I would tell you because I simply can't imagine trying to assassinate anybody without talking to you first.
Our roles are much like the actual Barack and Michelle: You could easily make that decision without me. But I have faith you would discuss it with me because we are partners (another awful word), even if you did not require my counsel. I think I would be awfully hurt if you Baracked me in this way. And even though I can be quite a blabber-mouth and that would definitely be a good piece of gossip, I know that you know that when it comes to stuff that matters, my lips are sealed.
Your loving partner (barf!),


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Pavel Bure wrote:Gaucho wrote:To be fair, Bort could probably earn a little more elsewhere. He even took a small paycut last offseason.
Based on what? To be fair he's a fringe (being generous) NHLer.
While he didn't get much ice time last season, Bort to me never looked out of place, and I don't recall him making any significant mistakes. He doesn't make much of an impression while on the ice, but for a defensive defenseman, that's generally a good thing because that type of player generally draws attention by through screwing up. I don't agree that he's a fringe player.


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The federal government has a strong chance of confiscating a large share of any money Schapelle Corby makes through media interviews, legal experts say.
Channel Seven is expected to secure an exclusive deal worth $1 million to $3 million with her.
Although Corby has never been convicted in Australia and will live in Indonesia until 2017 under the terms of her parole, experts warn she is not exempt from the Commonwealth Proceeds of Crime Act.
In 2009 Corby was forced to forfeit $128,000 to the Commonwealth in profits from her book My Story and a magazine article.
''I think she will have almost insurmountable difficulties keeping any money she receives from books, interviews, movies etc,'' University of Western Australia associate law professor Natalie Skead said. ''The chances are very high of [the Commonwealth] getting their hands on whatever she gets paid for interviews.''
Barrister Christian Juebner, a specialist in proceeds of crime cases, said authorities would have a ''solid basis'' to pursue a literary proceeds order against Corby.
Dr Skead said that, to convince a court to confiscate some, or all, of Corby's profits, Australian authorities would have to show that Corby had committed a ''foreign indictable offence'', that she had profited as a result of the offence and that the proceeds had been ''derived'' in Australia. Having the money transferred to a relative or another third party would not guarantee Corby could keep the money.
Dr Skead said Corby's best chance of retaining some of the money would be to argue she had already suffered significant personal hardship and that there was a social or educational benefit to her telling her story.
Matthew Knott a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in the United States.


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President Barack Obama wrapped up his campaign swing through Colorado this afternoon with a quick stop at the U.S. Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, where he had a rather awkward photo op moment in the wrestling gym.
After taking off his shoes to visit with some of the junior wrestlers, the President sat down in front of the traveling press corps to put his shoes back on.
Per the pool, CBS reporter Peter Maer commented that the move was "very presidential, Sir."
"Thanks, No holes in my socks," the president joked. "My grandmother would be proud."
AP photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais got the photo:
And here's the close-up:


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Building credit is job one for consumers -- even for the estimated 50 million people deemed "credit invisible" by creditors and lenders. But traditional credit scoring models don't fully take into account some of the most basic bill-payment responsibilities of Americans, especially rent and utility bills. In June a bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representative sponsored by Democrat Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Republican Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania proposed including some of those types of payments in consumer credit score calculations. That bill, the Credit Access and Inclusion Act, seems to be gaining momentum in Congress, advocates say. According to a release from Ellison and Fitzpatrick, so-called invisible credit consumers are subject to higher interest rates when seeking loans and credit and may even be forced to turn to pawn shops or payday loans, both of which can offer skyrocketing interest rates, to get the cash they need to pay their bills -- especially those uncounted rental payments and utility and phone bills. According to WilliamPaid, which helps renters get payments applied to their credit history, 70% of U.S. apartment renters want their monthly home and utility payments to count toward their credit scores with no strings attached. That's where the Credit Access and Inclusion Act may turn the tide, advocates say. "The fact that it is in Congress is an important step by U.S. legislators to help millions and millions of Americans establish a payment history based on their recurring monthly expenses without having to take on debt," says Jeff Golding, chief executive at WilliamPaid. The bill could be particularly useful to younger consumers, who typically have trouble establishing credit. "As with most 20-somethings, the only check they write is typically for rent," he says. credit scores. "The most important thing is understanding credit scores and what impacts them," Golding explains. "Building a credit history takes time. If you don't have a solid financial history, you have to be especially careful not to overdraw your accounts or bounce checks. These actions will show potential lenders that you are not creditworthy." Most importantly, he says, if you rent an apartment, make sure you pay your rent and utilities in full and on time. While momentum builds for the CAIA to pass Congress, "invisible" credit consumers can set the stage for a healthier financial future by paying bills on time and avoiding payday loan and pawn shop interest rates. That's a good plan for the short term as 50 million Americans wait for help from Washington to leverage their long-term credit strategies.


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$4.99 $12.95 You Save 61% ($7.96)
Exclusive to Winston & Bear, this 2-pack of our fun Black & White French Bulldog design will delight you, your family and friends. You decide where to stick it for maximum fun and effect!
The pack contains:
Suitable for any surface, these realistic stickers will put a smile on your face. Highly recommended for the fridge, walls, the bathroom, the garage, doors or even the car.
Don't be fooled by imitations. Between the two decals in this pack, this cute dog will show on any surface - and it's only available here. We manufacture these high quality sticker decals to the highest standard for customer satisfaction.
Packed in a retail pack with full instructions, these are the perfect gift for the dog lover or just for decoration around the home or office.
Size of Decals: 23cm * 30cm (9in * 11.5in)
Instructions: Very easy to apply - simply peel and stick. Removal is also quick and easy and won't leave any long term marks.
Calling this a sticker or decal isn't doing it justice. Anything you apply it to becomes a warming piece of art! I love it and show it off whenever I can as art! Very well made, large with detail. Shipping is flawless!
I LOVE THEM! Got the French Bulldog for my nephew, the dachshund for a good friend, and a few cat ones for me!
This decal is the spittin image of my own black lab, Mossy. I stuck one decal on the front of my fridge. It looks like he's sticking his head out. Get's a lot of comments. The way he loves food it's so appropriate. Haven't found a clever enough spot to mount the 2nd one yet. Would love to see a decal like this of a chocolate lab.
I received the two cat decals very quickly and they were well packaged. I put the invisible one on my black dishwasher and it looks like my Maine Coon is popping out of same. Too cute! The white one will go on my white car when winter is over up here in Vermont. Thanks for a great product.
I was very pleased how promt everything was handled.


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Welcome to the
Christian Apologetics &
Research Ministry
CARM is a 501(c)3, non-profit, Christian ministry dedicated to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the promotion and defense of the Christian Gospel, doctrine, and theology. To do this, CARM analyzes religious and non-religious movements and compares them to the Bible. We examine abortion, atheism, evolution, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, relativism, Roman Catholicism, Wicca, universalism, (and more), along with Christian preachers and teachers. In all our analyses we use the Bible as the final standard of truth in order to defend and promote Christianity. Please consider checking out our statement of faith - CONTACT US


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Sacred Heart of Jesus, You made clear to Saint Margaret Mary Your desire of being King
in Christian families. We today wish to proclaim Your most complete kingly dominion over
our own family. We want to live in the future with Your life. We want to cause to flourish
in our midst those virtues to which You have promised peace here below. We want to banish
far from us the spirit of the world which You have cursed. You shall be King over our
minds in the simplicity of our faith, and over our hearts by the wholehearted love with
which they shall burn for You, the flame of which we will keep alive by the frequent
reception of Your divine Eucharist. Be so kind, O divine Heart, as to preside over our
assemblings, to bless our enterprises, both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares,
to sanctify our joys, and to alleviate our sufferings. If ever one or other of us should
have the misfortune to afflict You, remind him, O Heart of Jesus, that You are good and
merciful to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death shall
come to cast mourning into our midst, we will all, both those who go and those who stay,
be submissive to Your eternal decrees. We shall console ourselves with the thought that a
day will come when the entire family, reunited in heaven, can sing forever Your glories
and Your mercies. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious patriarch Saint Joseph
present this consecration to You, and keep it in our minds all the days of our life. All
glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!
A Short Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by my ingratitude, pierced by
my sins, yet loving me still, accept the consecration that I make to You, of all that I am
and all that I have. Take every faculty of my soul and body, and draw me, day by day,
nearer and nearer to Your Sacred Side, and there, as I can bear the lesson, teach me Your
blessed ways. Amen.
A Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we know that there is but one thing impossible to You: to be
without pity for those who are in suffering or distress. Look down on us, we beg of You
and grant us the grace which we humbly and earnestly implore, through the Immaculate Heart
of Your most sorrowful Mother to whom You confided us as her children, and whose prayers
are all powerful with You. Amen.
(From "Heart Speaks to Heart," The Sacred Heart Program.)
Aspirations to the Sacred Heart
All for You, most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your kingdom come.
Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine. My Jesus, mercy.
Taken from The Rural Life Prayerbook, written and compiled by Alban J.
Dachauer, S.J, in cooperation with the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. Drawings
by Tom Chouteau.
Published by
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference
4625 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50310-2199
(c) 1956 National Catholic Rural Life Conference
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And What I Think About It...
I've been reading many blog rants about the switchover to Daylight Savings Time (DST) last weekend. Bloggers across the nation hated losing an hour of sleep.
The folks at church early Sunday morning had plenty to say about DST, and I've been hearing complaints all week from friends and neighbors. Even my Mennonite neighbor lady mentioned the recent unpleasantness of losing an hour.
I've given the situation some thought and here's what I propose. The "spring forward" weekend of DST should be eliminated because the loss of an hour is very stressful to the general public.
However, since everyone enjoys gaining an extra hour on the "fall back" weekend of DST, we need to fall back more often.
I propose that all legal holidays be made automatic fall-back days. In addition, I suggest that we allow the President to declare "fall back" weekends whenever he thinks we deserve a little treat or need a little extra rest.
For example, on April 16th, the President might announce that since we have all been so good about doing our duty with income taxes, we will have a fall-back weekend.
Maybe we could all be issued a certain number of fall-back days per year that we could use at our own discretion, much like personal-leave days at work.
Frequent fall-back days would do wonders for the national morale, don't you think?
I rather like this idea. Don't bring up the complications, please. I don't want to hear about them.
Technorati tags:


text:
Internet Explorer is the world's most popular Web browser. Security, ease of use, and improvements in RSS, CSS, and Ajax support are Microsoft's priorities for Internet Explorer. This version of IE runs on Windows XP.
The latest version of the browser includes support for:
- Accelerators - which allow supported web applications to be invoked without explicitly navigating to them.
- WebSlices - which allows portions of page to be subscribed to and monitored from a redesigned Favorites Bar.
- InPrivate privacy features.
- SmartScreen phishing filter.
While Beta 1 was for developers, we think that anyone who browses or works on the web will enjoy IE8 Beta 2. Before the team blogs about our Beta 2 in detail, here's an overview of what you'll find in IE8.
We focused our work around three themes: everyday browsing (the things that real people do all the time), safety (the term most people use for what we've called 'trustworthy' in previous posts), and the platform (the focus of Beta 1, how developers around the world will build the next billion web pages and the next waves of great services).
Everyday Browsing
We looked very hard at how people really browse the web. We looked at a lot of data about how people browse and tried a lot of different designs in front of many kinds of people, not just technologists. As tempting as it is to list here all the changes both big and small in IE8, we'll take a more holistic approach. That's how we built the product and how we'd like to talk about it.
From our customer research, we saw that the bulk of user activity outside of web pages involved tabs and "navigation†– the act of getting to the site the user wants to get to. We also knew that adding features has an impact only if they're "in the flow†of how people actually use the product. Another menu item might matter in a checklist on a blog somewhere, but won't matter to real people browsing. That's why IE8's New Tab experience is so remarkable: it's obvious – after you see it:


text:
Requiem for a Dream Online Free Online Megashare
Rabu, 16 April 2014 0 komentar
- Languages spoken : English
- Youtube Id : -youtube_id-
- Original title : Requiem for a Dream
- Movie Genre : Drama,
- Status : Released
- Film Note : -movie_rating-
- Societies of production : Artisan Entertainment
- Vote Count : 406
- Tagline : From the director of [Pi]
- Release Date of film : 2000-10-27
- Average rate : 7.3
- Duration of movie : 102
- Ellen Burstyn Character (Sara Goldfarb)
- Jared Leto Character (Harry Goldfarb)
- Jennifer Connelly Character (Marion Silver)
- Marlon Wayans Character (Tyrone C. Love)
- Christopher McDonald Character (Tappy Tibbons)
- Louise Lasser Character (Ada)
- Marcia Jean Kurtz Character (Rae)
- Janet Sarno Character (Mrs. Pearlman)
- Suzanne Shepherd Character (Mrs. Scarlini)
- Mark Margolis Character (Mr. Rabinowitz)
Requiem for a Dream Synopsis:
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Ditulis oleh Unknown
Rating Blog 5 dari 5
Ditulis oleh Unknown
Rating Blog 5 dari 5


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Why Cutting CD Prices Went Off Track (HINT: blame it on the retailers)
If a price cut falls in a forest, and nobody hears it, will it have any sort of economic consequences?
Apparently, not:
Here's where things get interesting: How is it that, despite what they teach in Econ 101, major price cuts did not stimulate demand? To some degree, they did -- sales rose 9% last quarter. But that's hardly the sort of pop a 30% price cut should engender, especially in an improving economy. Back to the WSJ:
WSJ: "The world's biggest music company, Universal Music Group, tried a bold gambit to revive the music business: slash the wholesale and suggested retail prices of its compact discs.
Universal, a unit of Vivendi Universal SA, was confident that price cuts of up to 30% would boost business for retailers and please consumers who thought CDs were too expensive. After all, that's how marketers juice up sales of cars, hamburgers and lots of other merchandise.
But today the nine-month-old initiative, dubbed JumpStart, has been scaled back -- for reasons that spotlight the industry's deep dysfunctions and its uncertain future.
"Many music buyers never even saw the lower prices. A wide swath of music retailers, from Virgin Entertainment Group Inc.'s Virgin Megastores to Trans World Entertainment Corp.'s FYE, either never adopted the cuts or were slow to implement them -- and pocketed the extra cash. Retail prices on Universal CDs declined just 5% between the first quarter of 2003 and the first quarter of 2004, according to research firm NPD Group Inc. -- instead of the planned 30%."Shocker! Retailers did not pass on discounts to consumers . . . Who ever saw that coming ?
Since "pricing" remains a big part of the problem for the industry, (and as this article makes so clear), a goodly chunk of blame for music industry woes must also fall to the retailers.
A good chunk of the economic issues the labels have run up against has been due to their trying to appease the large music chain retailers, instead of making bold strategic moves. The record chains -- the Goodys, HMVs and Towers of the world -- screamed bloody murder against "legal downloading." Now we learn they subverted an attempt at price discounting.
When the market issues a strong demand for a product or service, those that fill that demand get rewarded. The industry essentially ignored consumers demanding downloadable music. They ignored that demand for a long, long time, electing instead to sue their own clients.
Adam Smith's invisible hand worked its magic, and -- voila -- a universe of P2P programs filled the void: Napster, Scour, Morpheus, Kazza, Acquisition, Limewire, Bit Torrent did what the labels wouldn't and the retailers couldn't.
But here's an ugly truth no one wants to talk about: The music chains are now, and have been for quite a long time -- way before downloading -- a god-awful business. The Best Buys, Wal-Marts and Targets can sell discounted CDs cause they have so many other product lines. Indeed, I'd argue they HAVE TO sell them cheap, because they also sell DVDs and Video Games -- CHEAP -- one aisle over. Competition for both time and entertainment dollars has become tougher, especially with DVDs and video games growing at double-digit rates.
Hypothetical question: If you were sitting on a VC committee in 1980, at the dawn of the CD, would you have voted for investing in a new chain of music retailer?
I would not have: Chain retailers have no proprietary advantages, they own little -- if any -- IP. These Music Retailers sell commodity products, over which they have little control regarding the marketing, promotion and pricing.
They are subject to fads and fashions which make anticipating demand for specific items or whole genres difficult if not impossible.
And as the industry has repeated whined through out its entire history -- they actually give the product away for free on the radio, on MTV, and now over the internet . . . So who's gonna pay for it? (At least, that's what all the Labels had originally said).
Moreover, in the intervening years since the rise of the CD, the chain music retailers have simply been moribund. There was little in the way of innovation or creativity since the 1970s. Listening stations showed up way, way too late to matter; By that time, Amazon was offering previews right on your desktop. Buying custom compilations or mixes is still mostly unavailable; Retail Clerks are unhelpful at best and disdainful at worst.
Bottom line: Chain Music Retailers haven't helped, and indeed, have actually hurt, music sales. The labels failed to adapt to new distribution channels. That was caused in large part by succumbing to pressure from these "legacy" distributors.
The music industry has demonstrated for many decades an irrational fear of technology. That phobia has once again hurt them, as it delayed for a long time, a transition towards -- in part, at least -- an online distribution method . . .
Why a Grand Plan To Cut CD Prices Went Off the Track
Music Stores Put Up a Fight, Saying Universal's Gambit Favored Big Retail Rivals Strategy Led to 'Hurt Feelings'
By Ethan Smith
Wall Street Journal, PAGE ONE
June 4, 2004; Page A1
UPDATE: You can see the full article (free registration: name, zip and year of birth) at AZCentral
Friday, June 04, 2004 | 10:19 AM | Permalink
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I remember several conversations I had with friends and peers (collge-students) about the CD price cuts when they were announced. All of us had used P2P resources in lieu of buying CDs but were hesitant to continue in light of the lawsuits, etc, my point being that we were/are probably the target audience for the recording companies. Most of us, myself included, agreed that a reduction in the price of CDs would give reason to start purchasing them again (as far as I can tell, most of us just quit buying CDs in the post-NapsterI era). The fact is that the music is easily obtained for free online, which is to say that (in a sense) the supply is glutted. Illigeal it may be, but it's probably not much different than an illigeal lane change in most young minds. At the same time, most folks DO understand that the music has value and would be willing to pay a fair price for it; such a purchase is in some ways more convenient than downloading and goes to support the maker of the coveted music. The issue is what price is fair. The music labels decided reducing their srp from $18 to $14 was sufficent, but that won't fly when, as you mentioed, we've been buying the CDs at WalMart for $12 since we were ten. I think $8 is the price that would turn the tide. And I agree that record stores are doomed and a terrible idea in the first place. Its like a business that sells only sports cars, and at a higher price than the car dealer down the street that has all the sports cars as well as the minivans, trucks, and sedans--at a discount.
Posted by: latimer | Jun 4, 2004 2:10:48 PM
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BrittleStar necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 168 diseños de 75 diseñadores freelance.
Coders Ltd. or just Coders
We are a thirteen year old software and services company that delivers a wide range of consulting, project management, software development, and on-going support services to our clients. We do this in a cost-effective style that ensures that their projects deliver maximum return on investment - even on the smallest projects.
Because of a number of projects we have been working on and new staff we have hired we are hoping to grow a lot bigger in 2011.
Small to medium sized business requiring outsourced web & software development / support and IT services.
Coming to the end of the contest now. Had some great designs, a lot of 'circles' but only to be expected. Would really like to see 'Coders' spelt out on keyboard keys if anyone wants to try it.
We need a logo. We have programmers but we have always lacked exceptional design ability and I love great design. This is a new logo for a new company although we have been in business for 13 years. I'm very open to fresh ideas.
The company is Coders Ltd. but I don't need the 'Ltd.' if it doesn't work with the design.
I need the logo to have a transparent background and to work on multiple colours although it will be on white for the business cards and letterhead etc.
Many Thanks
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Technology Academy Finland (TAF) has declared innovator Prof.Stuart Parkin as winner of the 2014 Millennium Technology Prize, the prominent award for technological innovation. Parkin's innovations have led to a huge expansion of data acquisition and storage capacities, which in turn have underpinned the evolution of large data centres and cloud services, social networks, music and film distribution online. The prize is worth one million euros.
Prof. Parkin's discoveries have enabled a thousand-fold increase in the storage capacity of magnetic disk drives. We can now stream movies, use social media and search information on the internet because all that information is stored in magnetic disk drives in the cloud.
The information is stored in disk drives, because it is a cost-efficient means of storing data thanks to the spintronic device. Parkin cites estimates that a month's supply of disk drives could easily store all the information known since the beginning of mankind.
Basically all this information is available in the cloud due to this little spintronic device that allows us to read it. Our contemporary online world is largely possible because of these atomically-thin magnetic structures.
The winner, who follows in the footsteps of past winners such as World Wide Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee and ethical stem cell pioneer Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, will be honoured at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland, on Wednesday 7 May 2014.
Further information about the Millennium Technology Prize and members of the International Selection Committee at: www.millenniumprize.fi/


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YONKERS, NY— If you want to lose weight and stay on track, Weight Watchers might be the program for you—that's what the latest issue of Consumer Reports (CR) found when it tracked the nine most popular diets.
Based on the diets' calorie counts and nutritional composition compared with U.S. dietary guidelines and an evaluation of the diets' effectiveness with a comprehensive review of clinical research, Weight Watchers earned the highest overall rating because of its nutritionally based diet, plus weekly meetings and weigh-ins for behavioral support. CR liked that the plan didn't exclude any food group and that its point system encourages low-fat, high-fiber meals.
Slim Fast came in second and was recommended for dieters who don't like spending time in the kitchen. The Zone was recommended for those who want a short-term high protein diet plan The Orinish plan provided fairly large portions for low calories. Atkins was found to work well in the short term, but its nutritional deficiencies – too much fat, and too little fiber and fruits – dropped its rating.
Several other popular diets such as eDiets, Jenny Craig, South Beach and Volumetrics, were all low enough in calories to produce weight loss, but CR couldn't rate them because large, long-term, published clinical trial data weren't available.