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Mel necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 40 diseños de 15 diseñadores freelance.
A logo for a 50's rock and roll/rockabilly community website that can also be used on T-shirts to be supplied in vector format.
This is for a long established community website for people interested in 50's rock and roll, rockabilly, country rock and swing music and dancing.
It needs to contain the words "VicRock.com.au" and symbolise the music of that era.
Can have a silhouette/s or line drawing of dancers and musicians but not a prerequisite.
Although the website has a primarily blue theme I am flexible with the colours as long as the logo fits the site which can be seen here: http://vicrock.com.au
Update - 17th May
It is hard for designers to create a 'concept' when we, the contest holders, haven't provided much direction.
To date the entries have been very good and we are impressed with the standard of the work. Unfortunately none of these have really captured the feel of our website and the people that use it.
We are looking for a logo that encompasses all facets of VicRock.com.au but at the same time is not too 'busy'.
We provide a forum and information for Rock N Roll/Rockabilly music and dancers.
Our audience is mainly Rock and Roll dance enthusiasts as well as musicians, venue operators/dance promoters, dance teachers and hot rod/custom car enthusiasts
If you are putting dancers in your graphics then they need to look like Rock n Roll Dancers not ballroom dancers or modern dancers. A musical instrument such as a guitar is welcome as is a depiction of a classic car (with fins).
corporate look
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
1355 Exchange Ave
Directions Conway, AR 72032
Estimated Monthly Payment will depend on vehicle make and model and will be determined upon actual vehicle inspection. All payments are estimates. Tax, title, registration and documentation fee ($389) are extra.
View this 2017 Toyota Avalon Sedan Touring for sale at Caldwell Toyota in Conway, AR.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Each project will have a short, medium, and ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is not expected to be finished in one summer, but we hope that the student will continue as a contributor and see it finished.
All projects will end with a demo video that will be posted on YouTube and a tutorial providing a step-by-step description of how the demo can be replicated by others.
Starting from the discussions at http://dev.pointclouds.org/issues/164, we would like to implement a file format for storing sequences of clouds. Things to have in mind:
In pcl::people module, a method for detecting upright people in RGB-D point clouds is implemented.
We want to extend this module in order to make possible the detection of people in positions other than upright. The current algorithm could be improved by implementing some of the techniques presented in
Benjamin Choi, Cetin Mericli, Joydeep Biswas, and Manuela Veloso. Fast Human Detection for Indoor Mobile Robots Using Depth Images. International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2013
Hao Zhang, Christopher Reardon, and Lynne E. Parker. Real-Time Multiple Human Perception with Color-Depth Cameras on a Mobile Robot. IEEE Transactions On Cybernetics B (TMSC-B), vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 1429-1441, October 2013
for selecting point cloud clusters candidate to belong to a person which are then classified with more sophisticated people detection techniques.
Implement an algorithm able to recognize human actions from pre-segmented RGB-D sequences by classifying the skeleton information provided by PCL's skeleton tracking algorithm. An example of paper that could be implemented is:
Ferda Ofli, Rizwan Chaudhry, Gregorij Kurillo, Reneé Vidal, Ruzena Bajcsy - "Sequence of the Most Informative Joints (SMIJ): A new representation for human skeletal action recognition", 2012 IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops (CVPRW)
If time permits, this technique could be extended to be able to classify actions online, segmenting them out from a real time stream.
Surface registration is a fundamental step in the reconstruction of three-dimensional objects. However, while PCL already includes several fast and reliable methods to align two surfaces, the tools available to align multiple surfaces are relatively limited. We aim to extend the functionalities of pcl::registration by adding efficient algorithms for automatic multiview registration from unordered views. In particular, we will consider the dual quaternion algorithm for multiple view surface reconstruction from point cloud data as described in the following paper:
[1] A. Torsello, E. Rodolà, and A. Albarelli. "Multiview registration via graph diffusion of dual quaternions". Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (2011)
The approach allows for a completely generic topology over which the pairwise motions are diffused. It is both orders of magnitude faster than the state of the art, and more robust to extreme positional noise and outliers. The dramatic speedup of the approach allows it to be alternated with pairwise alignment resulting in a smoother energy profile, reducing the risk of getting stuck at local minima, and enabling the integration of the algorithm within a global alignment framework, namely:
[2] D. F. Huber and M. Hebert. "Fully automatic registration of multiple 3D data sets". Image and Vision Computing 21 (2003) 637-650
The student will thus port the original code of [1] to PCL and implement a basic version of the global alignment algorithm in [2]. Also, he/she will evaluate a full multiview registration pipeline built by assembling the various tools available in PCL.
As most non-expert users rely on the executable apps and tools, it is important that these automatically deal with the RGB color channels. This is the case most of the time, but several surface reconstruction methods do not preserve the color information. Some of them could be adapted easily (like MLS and GT3), while others would require some implementation (like Poisson reconstruction based merging of colors from multiple RGB-D images).
As GPU programming becomes more and more ubiquitous in scientific computations, we would like to port a number of commonly used PCL algorithms from various modules (e.g., filtering, registration, segmentation). This will accelerate the processing allowing for real-time performance and opening new application possibilities.
Integrating cluttered scene segmentation methods into pcl::segmentation, based on: A. Richtsfeld, T. Mörwald, J. Prankl, M. Zillich and M. Vincze: Learning of Perceptual Grouping for Object Segmentation on RGB-D Data; Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation (JVCI), Special Issue on "Visual Understanding and Applications with RGB-D Cameras", July 2013 link and Z.-C. Marton, F. Balint-Benczedi, O. M. Mozos, N. Blodow, A. Kanezaki, L. C. Goron, D. Pangercic, and M. Beetz: Part-based geometric categorization and object reconstruction in cluttered table-top scenes; Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, January 2014. The projects use PCL partially already, and source code can be obtained. It would be important to separate the various steps, and make them interoperable, as it was done in the pcl::registration framework.
Currently the pcl::sac module deals with simple shape primitives like planes, cylinders, spheres, etc. but superquadric shapes offer great flexibility in approximating a wide range of watertight surfaces. However, fitting them is difficult, especially in the presence of outliers, which is why a SaC approach would hold several advantages (robustness to outliers, improved speed and a probabilistic criterion to balance quality and accuracy). The first steps of the work could be based on the following publication:
K. Duncan, S. Sarkar, R. Alqasemi, and R. Dubey; Multi-scale superquadric fitting for efficient shape and pose recovery of unknown objects; in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2013.
This project aims at adding new functionalities to PCL for the task of environment exploration based on data processed by Kinect Fusion algorithms. Kinect Fusion algorithms have recently introduced a new approach for environment and object reconstruction, which is extremely efficient, can be carried out with low-cost sensors and can potentially yield to highly accurate reconstructions. PCL already includes modules that are able to merge together, in real-time, multiple RGB-D frames acquired from continuous acquisition within the same 3D coordinate system (e.g. KinFu). On top of that, we propose to implement a recent approach that exploits specifically this new data representation for the goal of automatic object discovery: A. Karpathy, S. Miller, L. Fei-Fei, "Object Discovery Via Shape Analysis", ICRA 2013 Additionally, the project will also investigate possible improvements to the original technique in terms of additional - or more efficient - shape measures, as well as in terms of better reasoning about empty/unseen space.
Optical flow has been an important technique in computer vision, both for detecting moving objects in static scenes, and for separating ego-motion from dynamic objects in moving cameras as in A. Talukder, L. Matthies, "Real-time detection of moving objects from moving vehicles using dense stereo and optical flow", IROS 2004 Recent work by Herbst et. al has proposed RGB-D flow. E. Herbstand, X. Ren, F. Dieter, "RGB-D flow: Dense 3-D motion estimation using color and depth", ICRA 2013 Adding an implementation of this approach or similar to PCL would be helpful for several applications. The registration techniques in PCL typically assume static scenes, so detecting movement not caused by ego-motion and omitting it could enable registration even in dynamic environments. Detecting independently moving objects can also be informative for detecting people moving in the environment. Background subtraction is often used for this in static scenes, but is not suitable for use when the sensor is also in motion — RGB-D flow could be used to address this.
Implement, adapt to the data structures present in PCL and document the SSD algorithm for watertight surface reconstruction from point cloud data as described in the following paper:
Fatih Calakli and Gabriel Taubin, "SSD: Smooth Signed Distance Surface Reconstruction", Computer Graphics Forum, Vol. 30, No. 7, 2011
We are looking for an expert to adapt some of our algorithms to run on a cluster. We are thinking of using technologies such as Hadoop , or any other open-source implementations of distributed computing libraries. The end result should be a cluster of machines running point cloud processing services such as large dataset registration, feature extraction, object recognition etc.
This is a rather involved project, and expertise in the field of distributed computing is necessary. We recommend to discuss with the GSoC mentors on the mailing list for a more in-depth view of our ideas.
As PCL is a research-oriented community, we are more than happy to welcome students to come up with their proposals (even contribute with implementations of their own MSc/PhD work!). Most probably there will be a mentor with high interest in your field of research.
Students may suggest their own well thought out and documented ideas, which should also have project timeline for completion. These will only be accepted if one of the mentors approves to support it. The project should use a substantial, proven technology and be of general interest. Research-based projects are accepted only if they are proven to be reasonable for the duration of Google Summer of Code 2013 program.
Do not miss your chance to work with one of the awesome mentors that we have lined up for this program! They all work or study at top institutions across the world and are top contributor for the PCL library.
Alvaro Arizaga
application engineer, Synapticon GmbH, Germany
Marco A. Gutiérrez
research assistant, University of Extremadura, Spain
Alexandru-Eugen Ichim
PhD student and research assistant at EPFL, Switzerland
Zoltan-Csaba Marton
researcher, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
Matteo Munaro
research assistant, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Emanuele Rodolà
research associate (Humboldt fellow), Technical University Munich, Germany
Nizar Sallem
PhD student at LAAS-CNRS, Toulouse, France
Federico Tombari
assistant professor at University of Bologna, Italy
For admin issues please contact Alex Ichim or Federico Tombari. Thank you!


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Art is all around this week, with major exhibitions in Craven and Pamlico counties.
Art is all around this week, with major exhibitions in Craven and Pamlico counties.
Friday night is the third New Bern ArtWalk of the season, with 18 participating galleries and supporting businesses. That is followed on Saturday by the 10-year celebration of Art on the Neuse in Oriental.
ArtWalk, held on alternate months, begins at 5 p.m.
The Craven County Arts Council and Gallery�s Bank of the Arts on Middle street is under renovation and the council has moved its ticket offices to 308 George St. For ArtWalk, its new exhibit � A Visual Feast � will be on display at the Duffy Gallery in the North Carolina History Center on South Front Street.
At the Palace Museum Store, also in the History Center, there will be �Honey Hill Bees,� a local honey tasting and demonstration.
Also on South Front Street, The Next Chapter Bookstore will host Southern folk artist Tessie Ann Adams.
The Greater Good Gallery on Craven Street again will host an outdoor Bohemian Night, with a variety of local artists.
Carolina Creations on Pollock Street will feature demonstrations by needle-felter Melissa Gray. Next door at New Bern ArtWorks and Company, the creative mind of Jill Eberle will present an exhibit of �Imaginings.�
On Middle Street, at MJs Raw Bar & Grill, the artwork of Meg and Galen Wethington will be featured.
Bear Hands Art Factory & Framing on Middle Street has $15 Art Night, the price for all displayed pieces.
For those who want a sitting show, there is New Bern Civic Theatre�s production of �9 to 5, The Musical� at 7:30 p.m.
Also on Middle Street, Caroline McGath Newborn Photography is open, usually with a chance for visitors to view a photography session.
A major art project joins ArtWalk, with the Cogs and Wheels opening of �Gatherings,� an environmental art installation.
The cover for this month�s ArtWalk poster card is �Mitchell�s Hardware,� by James Herring.
Here is a sampling of other activities this week:
On Tuesday, the New Bern-Craven County Public Library presents �Reel Readers.� Read the book, watch the movie �Moneyball,� and join the discussion. It is rated PG-13, starring Brad Pitt. It tells the story of Oakland A�s general manager Billy Beane�s successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players. Coffee and doughnuts will be served for the 10 a.m. show.
Preschoolers and parents are invited to Tryon Palace on Wednesday for the Tales for Tots program �Let�s Get Growing.� It is a hands-on educational experience from 10 to 11 a.m. and is included with the cost of general admission.
Designed for children ages 3-5, it teaches lessons about flowers, fruits and vegetables. In addition to visiting the Governor�s Palace Kitchen Garden, students will be invited to the North Carolina History Center�s Education Classroom to do a planting activity they can take home.
Tickets are included with general admission or can be purchased separately at a cost of $6 per child with one accompanying adult. Additional adults are $6 each.
Call 639-3500 for reservations.
On the web: tryonpalace.org
At the Pamlico County Library in Bayboro, the Junior Anime Club meets Thursday at 3 p.m.
On Friday at 10 a.m., the library hosts Pre-school Storytime, with stories, puppets, crafts and other interactive activities.
Also on Friday, at 3 p.m. the Teen Library Council presents a movie in Hollowell Auditorium. On Saturday at 11 a.m., it is Family Movie time.
New Bern Civic Theatre opens eight performances of the musical comedy �9 to 5� on Friday, under the direction of Derek Jordan.
Tickets are $17 in advance, $19 at door, $10 for students and active duty military with ID.
Call the box office at 633-0567 or by ordering online at newberncivictheatre.org.
The local show is sponsored by Audiology of New Bern and is rated PG, with pop and rock.
The downstairs of Rivertowne Ballroom on Pollock Street becomes a jazz room Friday at 7 p.m.
The room will be called �When Fools Rush In,� a collective effort of Bern Bear Gifts owner John Sturman and Joyce Price, owner of Rivertowne Ballroom.
Members of the acoustic quartet are led by Joe Distefano on piano and Bob Tyson on saxophone.
Tickets are on sale at 305 and 301 Pollock Street, as well as at the Craven Arts Council, 308 George St.
Single tickets are $15, or $25 per couple. Students are admitted for $10.
Sturman said snacks and soft drinks are available, and patrons can bring their own beer and wine.
For information, call the ballroom at 637-2003 or Bern Bear Gifts at 637-2300 after 1 p.m. Also, contact Craven Arts Council at 638-2577. The evening contact number is 633-2733.
Art on the Neuse is Saturday at the Oriental Marina Inn Courtyard from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 40 artists and craftsmen, including painters, potters, jewelry makers, sculptors, photographers and folk artisans, will participate.
It is sponsored by the Pamlico County Arts Council and features live music all day by Harborsounds, Ed Terry, Chris Daniels and the Acoustic Four Play and Norm Czuchra.
A massive interactive pleine air painting is planned and an art glass firing demonstration will be provided by the Glasshoppers.
The event will also feature the introduction of The Amazing Oriental Recyclodon Dragon, an interactive sculpture by Muffin and Roger Schmidt. Art on the Neuse is free.
Call Per Erichsen at 252-571-1458.
The First Capital Chapter of the Antique Auto Club of America presents a major car show � its 23rd annual event � in downtown New Bern Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Four city blocks, including Pollock Street, along with Middle Street from Broad to South Front, will become a large pedestrian mall for the display of more than 100 antique and modified automobiles.
Four separate show fields will display an array of cars from the middle years of the 20th century. The show fields will encompass prewar, 1942, sport cars, contemporary classics and modified cars, all predating 1989.
All owners of cars 25 years and older are invited to join the event. Just bring your car downtown on the morning of the show between 9-11 a.m., register and display your car. Registration fee is $20.
The marquee car for this show is the first Chevrolet automobile to reach the public: a Type C Six Sedan, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
On static display will be two cars being subjected to restoration: a 1931 Pontiac Deluxe Sedan in mid-restoration and a 1926 Rolls Royce open touring car in pre-restoration condition. The owners of all cars will be on hand to provide the history of their cars and to answer any questions.
The New Bern Farmers Market celebrating Mother�s Day Saturday with cut flowers and flowering annuals and perennials. The many vendors also have unique, handmade gifts for mom such as jewelry, candles, soaps, purses, hats, scarves and more. Visitors also can continue to enjoy local strawberries.
Ratio Theater Company and its title sponsor, Home Instead Senior Care, present its first fundraiser, �Dancing with the New Bern Stars� on Saturday at the Sudan Shrine Center in New Bern.
The 7 to 10 p.m. event includes dinner and dancing. The meal will be catered by The Flame Restaurant, with live dance music provided by the Starlight Dance Orchestra.
The highlight is a ballroom dance competition between five community celebrity star dancers: Rip Taggart, Linda Staunch, Gay Price, Nelson McDaniel and New Bern Mayor Lee Bettis.
Each dancer is stumping for votes among family, friends and strangers.
All proceeds will support Ratio�s efforts to provide professional theatre performances and arts education for children and adults.
The public can vote for performers on the web: ratiotheatre.org
Tickets for the dinner dance and competition are $55, or a table sponsorship for eight is $450. Tickets are available at the Ratio website or at the box office, 901 Pollock St., New Bern.
The Presenting Sponsor is Elite Feet Shoe Store.
Ratio Theatre Company is a nonprofit professional theater company with its main stage shows at the Cullman Performance Hall as part of the Tryon Palace Performing Arts series. For more information, call 626-0358.
Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Just for You
Admission Process
Other Sites
Parking at the College is free of charge for commuting students. Open parking lots are provided for students and can be identified on the campus map (see page 281). All vehicles brought on campus must be registered with the College and display a parking permit. Parking permits can be obtained at the Lazer Card office located at Student Central in Gordon Student Center and through the Campus Safety and Security Office in the Service and Maintenance Building.
Permit stickers are to be placed in the rear passenger window of the driver's side of the vehicle. Temporary permit cards must be placed on the dashboard on the driver's side and be visible.
Designated parking for patrons of the Southwest YMCA is available in front of the SRC Arena and members of the YMCA may park in these spaces without permit. All OCC permit holders, whether students, staff, or faculty, are prohibited from parking in spaces designated for the YMCA unless he or she is a member of the YMCA and is there to participate in a YMCA program and displays a valid YMCA parking permit.
Designated parking for patrons of the AmeriCU credit union are available in front of the SRC Arena and only patrons of the credit union may park in those designated areas.
Residence hall students are charged a fee for parking and must park in designated lots adjacent to the residence hall buildings. Residence hall students must obtain a special overnight parking permit for their visitors at the Campus Safety and Security office in the Service and Maintenance Building.
Visitors will find special parking areas provided, and should obtain passes from the Campus Safety and Security office in the Service and Maintenance Building. Overnight parking is not allowed on campus, with exception made for residence hall students.
Persons wishing to park in disabled-only parking zones must display approved hang tags from municipal or state authorities.
All illegally parked vehicles (such as vehicles parked in fire lanes, handicapped areas without sticker and handicap permit, or traffic lanes, and vehicles that block the movement of another vehicle, or vehicles parked in official or reserved spaces, etc.) will be ticketed and / or towed without notice at the owner's expense.
Permits for temporary permission to park in disabled-only parking spaces may be obtained by Campus Safety. Accessible parking is designated on this campus map.
Onondaga Community College
Central New York's partner in education for success.
4585 West Seneca TurnpikeSyracuse, NY 13215315.498.2000[email protected]
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text:
Tagged: Arizona Diamondbacks
Yankee unis: Sticking with something good
Frank William Abagnale, Jr. Does that name hold any meaning to you?
If you've seen the movie "Catch Me If You Can" you know who I'm talking about. At an early point in the film, Frank Abagnale, Sr. poses a question towards his son:
You know why the Yankees always win, Frank?
Frank Jr. gives the obvious answer: because they have Mickey Mantle.
Ehhht. Wrong.
No. It's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes.
Perhaps those vertical navy blue stripes are overlooked. Or, at least not thought about a whole lot.
The pinstripes are an important part of the Yankee tradition, as the team has been wearing pinstriped uniforms dating back to as early as 1912. The Yankees' road uniforms have been the same since 1918: plain grey with NEW YORK across the chest (although from 1927-30 "NEW YORK" was replaced with "YANKEES").
Consistency in every sense of the word. The Yanks have worn same home uniforms for roughly 104 years and the same road uniforms for 86 years.
In an age of alternate home and road apparel and a time when teams change colors and logos seemingly every year, the Yankees have been the aberration. The one team that hasn't conformed to change.
Think about it. The Arizona Diamondbacks have only been in the league since 1998. They are going on only their 18th season in existence and have changed their uniform colors from teal, copper, purple and black to Sonoran sand (a shade of beige) and Sedona Red while maintaining black.
Not to mention when the Diamondbacks first made their Major League Baseball debut, they had three different logos for their cap: one for home games, one for away games and an alternate.
The Yankees, on the other hand, have had the same cap design — the solid navy blue hat with the interlocking "NY" — since 1922.
Ninety-four years with the same cap. Again, consistency in terms of fashion in the truest sense.
Save for spring training, that is.
As most fans know, the Yankees only don the pinstripes for their spring opener — which, as a friendly reminder, spring training begins in a few short weeks. After their first exhibition, the Yankees wear navy blue road and away jerseys in spring training games. This year, the Yanks and other teams across MLB will get snazzy new unis for spring training.
The Yankees' new spring training jerseys come complete with designs inside the numbers on the back, as well as an "FL" inside a blue shield on the sleeve and on the side of the cap.
Seeing as how the Yanks are in Florida's Grapefruit League for the spring, perhaps the image of a fruit would have been more clever as far as a special character for the uniform.
But hey. Maybe that's why I blog and don't design baseball unis.
Notwithstanding, it's refreshing to see a team in the modern age uphold its tradition, and prove the point that swapping colors and changing logos frequently are unnecessary practices.
Sticking with something and going with it usually works out just fine.
Twitter: @YankeeYapping
September 11, 2001 From My Eyes
It was only my fourth day as a freshman at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – and I was hating it with a true passion. I was struggling to fit in and although I hadn't been there very long, I somehow got the feeling I was an outcast; barely anyone knew who I was and if I wasn't there, 90% of the people in the school would not have known the difference. I only had a handful of friends from middle school and I wasn't in a lot of the classes they were in.
I was a minnow in the Atlantic Ocean – and I could not stand it.
Some of the teachers weren't making it any easier for me. Every freshman was placed in a biology class entitled, "The Living Environment," as their first science credit. In eighth grade I had heard horror stories about an unbelievably stringent biology teacher by the name of Mrs. Cuesta. From the day I heard about her, I prayed every night that I would not get her as my biology teacher.
What do you think happened? Yes. Of course I got her (this is, after all, my life we're talking about here). I was not very good in science as it was, so she and I were a very, very bad combination. I was terrified just to step foot in her classroom every single morning.
She would not allow her students to utter the words, "Yeah," "What," or "Huh" in class. If you were answering a question affirmatively, you were to use the word "Yes," because "the word 'Yeah' is not in the dictionary." If you could not hear a word someone said, you were not permitted to say, "What?" or "Huh?" You were to say, "Pardon me?" or "Excuse me?"
If you did use any of those words in her presence, you were required to give $1 to her – which she would then donate to some type of fund or mission charity. Luckily for me, I avoided ever giving her any money for saying "Yeah" "What" or "Huh."
I made sure to choose my words carefully in her class – and most of the time I just tried not to talk at all, unless I was called upon to answer a question. Not for nothing it was for a good cause, but if you ask me, it is overkill.
I sat there in Mrs. Cuesta's biology class on that fateful Tuesday morning, in the worst mood a 14-year old ninth grader could possibly be in. I would have wanted to be anywhere in the world but there in that classroom with a teacher who was more strict than most of the professors I had at Mercy College.
Looking back, however, I am grateful I was safe in school and not in New York City, like many other unfortunate people.
Around 10:15 the principal came over the PA system and addressed the student body. He only claimed there "was a fire at the World Trade Center" and he asked us to pray for those involved: the rescue workers and those inside the twin towers.
It's funny how I can remember the exact thought that first ran through my mind the second after he made that announcement.
"The New York City Fire Department is the best of the best," I thought.
"I'm sure they are going to do all they can to make sure everyone is safe and it probably won't be a big deal; it'll probably just be something I see when I pass by Dad watching the news on the couch later tonight and mom might briefly mention it over dinner, or something."
It may have been ignorance or maybe me just being aloof. Then again it may have been the fact that I was a freshman and I was young, but I didn't notice anyone's franticness that day. There must have been kids in the school who were scared because their parents worked in New York City, but I never picked up on it.
Although the thought never even occurred to me, I didn't have to worry about my parents. They weren't divorced yet (as they are now) and neither one of them was in New York City at the time of the terrorist attacks. My dad was working for a software company in Connecticut and my mom worked at a radio station in nearby Fishkill, N.Y.
When I got on the bus to go home that day – that was when I was told real story; that it wasn't just a fire at the World Trade Center. The principal only told us there was a fire so panic would not ensue within the walls of his school. The principal's version of the story wasn't altogether false – but it wasn't altogether true, either.
I suppose I understand why he offered that explanation, though. He didn't want his students to freak out. In hindsight, it was probably wise to go with that explanation rather than cause chaos among the students.
The bus driver, on the other hand, explained that not only did planes fly into the twins towers, but one smashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. What's more, a plane supposedly headed for the White House came down in a Pennsylvania field.
It was a little overwhelming. I just wanted to get home, turn on the TV and see this for myself – and getting home took forever; it was just another reason I disliked school. I was living in Beacon, N.Y., some 16 miles away from my school in Poughkeepsie. I got out of school at 2:30, but it practically took all afternoon to get home because there were a number of stops on the way back.
When I finally made it home a little before 4:00, I turned on the TV and bore witness to the carnage; thousands of people dead. Innocent people lost their lives at the hands of a sadistic and soulless man named Osama bin Laden and his band of terrorists.
The image of those two buildings imploding has not left my brain since that day.
My mom came home from work a few hours later in tears; her car had an American flag waving proudly from the antenna. She was devastated, and the gravity of the situation didn't strike me until I saw her face. I had never seen my mother in such disarray; she's always been the strongest woman I have ever known, and to see her that heart-broken was scary.
I obviously knew what was troubling her, but I couldn't understand why she was crying. So I asked her.
"Do you realize how many people, just like you, won't ever see their moms or dads again?" she said to me.
"A.J., I'm sad more than anything else; sad for everyone who lost their lives today and their families and friends. And I'm a little scared. What happened today – you can see that on the news any day of the week. But it happens in places that are on the other side of the world. This happened an hour and a half away from my house."
After she said that, I understood her tears.
Even my dad, a strong-willed man himself, was visibly shaken.
"This may be worse than Pearl Harbor," he pointed out. "This is tragic; so sad."
My neighborhood friends couldn't believe it, either. A lot of them were just as young as I was, some of them even younger. We tried to wrap our heads around the whole thing and played a game of kickball that evening to take our minds off what had happened. We had some fun in the wake of such tragedy; we kicked the ball, caught the ball, ran the bases, and played until dusk fell and the porch lights came on.
I think it may have been our way of showing that the American spirit, although dented on 9/11, was not dead. We may have even dedicated our kickball game to those who lost their lives that day – it's something we would have done. It's just the type of kids we were – always thinking of other people before ourselves.
Just as we turned to kickball to take our minds off the terrorist attacks, a lot of people in New York turned to baseball – and New York's favorite team – the Yankees. The Bombers were looking like another championship-caliber squad. It seemed as though nothing was going to stop them on their quest for their 27th title, and their fifth in six years.
MLB halted play for a week following September 11 and when the Yankees (and to be fair, the Mets too) returned to the diamond, they were cheered by every baseball fan. I remember one sign a fan held up that read, "We are all New Yorkers today."
Longtime Yankee favorite Bernie Williams once said that whoever he could get his hands on during that time, whether it was a police officer or a firefighter, he would hug them. The players were just as shaken as the citizens and it was clear they did all they could do help those affected on 9/11.
The Yankees had some incredible moments the following October. One of the more famous plays happened in the American League Championship Series vs. Oakland, when Derek Jeter made the famous flip play.
Jeter raced out of position and flipped the ball to Jorge Posada, nailing Jeremy Giambi at home plate to preserve a 1-0 Yankee lead in the bottom of the seventh. The play might have saved the Yankees' chances at going to the World Series.
One word: spectacular.
When the Yankees reached the fall classic, the four -year old Arizona Diamondbacks awaited them. New York dropped the first two games, but the Yanks took Game Three, winning a tight one, 2-1.
Before Game Three, then-President George W. Bush was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He wore an FDNY fleece, complete with a bulletproof vest underneath. In the clubhouse before he took the field, the President ran into Jeter, and asked him if he should throw off the mound or the grass in front of the mound.
Jeter advised Bush to throw from the mound – but not to bounce the ball, because if he had, the fans would boo him.
The President walked out to the mound and gave a thumbs-up, symbolizing that America was going to be OK. He then tossed a perfect strike, a perfect way to begin the night. Nobody booed; everyone in attendance at Yankee Stadium chanted "U-S-A!" in unison. It also marked the first time a President threw out an honorary World Series first pitch since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.
Game Three was historic. But Game Four, however, was the game to be at.
Jeter came up in the bottom of the 10th, the game tied 3-3. The clock had just struck midnight and for the first time ever, there was baseball being played in the month of November.
With Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim (who had been lights-out automatic throughout the '01 season) in to pitch, the Yankee shortstop pounded a pitch that landed in the short porch of the old stadium. As Jeter rounded the bases, he held his arm in the air; his fist clenched. World Series knotted, 2-2.
The next day at school my Global History teacher Mr. Umlauft lectured us about many things; the Byzantine Empire, the Code of Hammurabi, and the four noble truths. But at the end of class he had one last thing to teach us.
"There is some footage I want to show you that is very significant to the world," he explained. "Let me show you."
He rolled out his TV and proceeded to show us the clip of Jeter's walk-off home run the night before, and the shot of the person in the crowd who held up a sign that read, "Mr. November." According to Mr. Umlauft, he knew the person holding the sign quite well.
"You see that guy?" he asked us, pointing to the sign. "That's my nephew. He was the one who held up the sign."
Fascinating. Of all the people in New York who could have held up the famous "Mr. November" sign, it was my Global History teacher's nephew.
The Yanks did it again in Game Five, coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the ninth inning (on the strength of a two-run homer hit by Scott Brosius). The Yanks went on to win the game in the 12th on an RBI single off the bat of Alfonso Soriano.
Magic and aura were appearing nightly at the big ballpark in the Bronx. But their momentum disappeared in the desert, as the Yankees dropped Game Six in the worst way, losing 15-2.
Game Seven was the last night of the Yankee Dynasty. The Yankees held a 2-1 lead going into the ninth with the greatest of all-time, Mariano Rivera, on the mound. He allowed two runs in the inning and the D'Backs won the Series. Sitting in my room stunned watching that game, I could only let out four words:
"The other team won?"
I had been so used to the Yankees winning the World Series year in and year out that it left me all but speechless. It would have only made sense for the Yanks to win the 2001 World Series, and give the people of New York a ticker tape parade – it would have helped even more in terms of coping with September 11.
Truthfully baseball wasn't the main issue that year. America regaining its composure and getting back to its feet was more important. Yet, baseball did exactly what it is there to do during that tragic time: make people happy. In that regard, it was important and helped people deal with the tragedy.
Over the years I have become a little bit more understanding about things that happened on 9/11; I have heard people's stories and have seen how crushed and heart-broken they were (and still are). Each of them lost loved ones to a senseless and callous act of terrorism. I have watched documentaries and it pains me to see some of these people who no longer have friends and family members.
I have also come across still frames of the twin towers while they were under attack. A pair of them piqued my interest…
It looks as though a demon's head appeared in the fire when the second plane hit the south tower.
As the tower collapsed, it almost resembled another demon.
Who is to say if these really mean anything at all, but the fact is there is evil in the world; 9/11 proved that. These pictures look as though they are demons, but then again I understand that demons were the ones who orchestrated these horrific attacks.
Although there is evil that manifests itself in our lives, it's important to know that divinity and goodness are also present. New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, and America in general banded together during 9/11. Citizens helped each other and showed that even in the wake of such disaster, good things can come of it, like people doing everything and anything they can to aid a stranger.
There were so many Good Samaritans as a result of 9/11.
A lot of things have happened in my life since September 11, 2001. But I don't believe a day has gone by when I don't at least once think about sitting in Mrs. Cuesta's biology class and the principal telling us of a fire at the World Trade Center – and the footage of the planes slamming the twin towers when I got home that day.
My mom crying, my dad upset: it's still very fresh in my mind. I remember it all.
But when I think of that time, I also think about good things, like the kickball game my friends and I played that very night, and the '01 World Series.
No, the Yankees did not win which isn't good, but if you were to ask me one thing I remember about that fall classic, it's Jeter's arm outstretched triumphantly in the air, rounding the bases after crushing that walk-off home run. It's the one picture in my head I took away from the entire World Series.
That home run lifted everyone in New York, including me.
The point is to never forget where you were, how it affected you, and consider everyone who was affected. September 11 has been dubbed "Patriot Day" and the best way to honor it is to always think about those people on the airplanes and in the buildings; how many kids went home from school that day to no one, and were left wondering if their mom or dad was going to come home at all.
Remember those people; never forget 9/11/01.
I promise, for as long as I live, I will never forget.


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Monsieur Appert Identity
Designed by Diogo Nasimento | Country: Portugal
Monsieur Appert, a preserved fruit and vegetables business with a French spirit that works with the tradition of the natural method and pays homage to the figure of the cook who has discovered the formula for preserving food: Nicolas Appert.
Our shop produces fresh canned fruits and vegetables but keeping the traditional methods, acting friendly with environment. Provides a set of refill bottles that are filled at choice and encourages reuse of resources.
Empty bottles are purchased at the store and are available in three standard sizes. The clients can fill them with any vegetable or fruit canned in our menu.
Both bottles are aquieren in the store where our customers can bring and reuse there own are customized by stickers and wrapping paper to give them our identity.
The brand also developed a series of packs already packed with their best recipes for canned fruits and vegetables.
Diogo is a graphic designer who loves photography, typography and editorial design.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, loves to surf and all around that environment, loves music and loves to live.


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We started wheat harvest... and it ground to a halt after it rained this morning. Sigh. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. :>)
So let's do some clicking.
Oh, this looks like fun (for next year...)! Make Your Own Fourth of July Confetti Popper Rockets at Alphamom.
Also for next year, Little Birdie Secrets Party Poppers Tutorial.
Some very cute things from Make It and Love It - 4th of July Shirts, Cloth Baby Rings, and a Sewing Machine Cover.
What a sweet Simple Summer Outfit at Yards and Yards and what a cute blog name!
Goose isn't into Barbies yet, but once she is, I will plan to make some of these Upcycled Craft Doll Headbands from Zakka Life.
Tipnut gives us some ideas on Things to Make with Fresh Blueberries. Yum! Also at Tipnut, How To Make Dried Cherries. And finally, Pomegranates Tips.
Honestly, I can feel my rear end getting bigger just reading the recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Cups at Mom, Undecided. I need to stay far, far away from that ingredient list...
Mmm, Paint Chips and Frying Pans posted a recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Syrup.
I don't know about you, but I am getting more and more hungry as I type, continuing with Peaches 'N Cream Muffins from Amy's Finer Things.
And it just continues... Pillow Cookies at Bakerella.
Phew - something that makes me not want to immediately bake, but I still want to try this Pizza Sauce from Budget Saving Mom.
Kitchen Stewardship is talking Canning Basics.
If you're traveling in my fair state of Nebraska, check out these Kids Car Activities at Visit Nebraska.
Also at Kitchen Stewardship, Katie is having a giveaway, including her new Family Camping Handbook, which I can personally attest is *awesome*.
Happy surfing!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Link Roundup - Wheat Harvest Edition (Sorta)
Posted by Lenetta at 9:55 PM
Labels: Reading the Whole Internet
4 comments:
- Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog said...
Oh my goodness... homemade peanut butter cups!! I think you have just blown my mind. :-)
- July 13, 2010 at 11:31 PM
- Sherri said...
Oh I love your blog...I am super excited to check out some of these fantastic links and to follow along for more fun later! =)
- July 14, 2010 at 8:50 PM
- Amber @ Paint Chips and Frying Pans said...
Thanks for linking to my recipe! :)
- July 20, 2010 at 8:21 PM
- Sam said...
Thanks for the link!!! I'm talking about you today!
- July 21, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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PacSpi necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 21 diseños de 10 diseñadores freelance.
We are a boutique and innovative inbound travel company. We work with international wholesale and travel agents. We bring international tourists into Australia and New Zealand. We organise their tours, transfers, car hire, hotels etc.
Pacific Spirit Travel
Desired Style:
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An all text logo would be ok or text with a small graphic illustrating the text. The bottom line is we want the logo to look great without being too complicated.
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To see the current logo :
The target audience for our logo is International Travel and wholesale agents from around the world, particularly Europe and USA. In addition the logo is viewed within Australia and New Zealand by our partner suppliers from hotels, attractions etc.
Colours can be changed (max 2-3 colors), as we are starting from scatch with our company look! This logo will be utilised on our new website (we dont have an existing site), on business cards ..
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Almond-Vegetable Couscous
This healthy dish can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. It makes a great side dish for fish or a light lunch entrée with a cup of soup or a small salad.
Makes 6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow or red onion, diced
4 cups broccoli, half small florets and half chopped stems, divided
1½ cups red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon each: salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups couscous
¾ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sauté onion 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add broccoli stems and sauté mixture 3 minutes. Add broccoli florets, red pepper and garlic; sauté about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water, lemon juice, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add couscous and stir. Cover, remove saucepan from heat, and set aside. After 5 minutes, use a fork to fluff couscous while stirring in almonds, dill and parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition facts (1 serving): calories 245, total fat 8 g, (saturated fat 1 g), carbohydrate: 35 g, total sugars 10 g, protein 8 g, sodium 400 mg, cholesterol 0 mg, dietary fiber 1 g
Reprinted from The Anti-Cancer Cookbook: How to Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful, Cancer-Fighting Foods, by Julia Greer (ISBN 978-0-9624814-9-9, Sunrise River Press). Get your copy by calling 1-800-895-4585 or by visiting www.sunriseriverpress.com or your local bookstore.


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Sunday, June 05, 2011
Basic Ability Conventions
Obviously, he had no heirlooms, so that made a difference. But more important was his spell mix.
He had Pyroblast, so he was a Fire mage. Except he never cast Fireball! He cast every single other spell in his repertoire instead. Frostbolts, Fireblasts, Frost Novas, Arcane Explosions, etc.
Clearly, this was the wrong thing to do. But when you think about it, there is a certain logic to his actions. First, he obviously saw Pyroblast as a "upgraded" Fireball. After all, why have two spells which hurl giant balls of fire at your enemies? And to be fair, there are specialization abilities which work like this. For example, Mangle replaces Claw for Feral druids.
As for the other spells, why have all these spells if you're not expect to use them? If you think about it, it does seem odd to drop half or more spells from your spellbook.
He is wrong, but he's not stupid. His reasoning makes some sense. And in the absence of easy to understand feedback, it's hard to tell that he's gone wrong.
Whenever people say that the levelling game is too easy, I think of players like this. We experienced players are used to the conventions of the genre, which extends to the abilities used. Ideas like "your best spell should be spammed" are a bit alien at first.
Even if you don't have the best reflexes, understanding those basic conventions can put you head and shoulders above new players who don't understand how abilities in the genre are supposed to work. We've internalized the math and advice that tells us to refresh DoTs when they expire and not before, to spam Fireball, to save instant spells for movement, to divide damage by cast time when evaluating effectiveness.
When you think about it, it is amazing how much knowledge we MMO players consider basic.
17 comments:
I don't know. I mean, don't you have a look at the numbers when you cast a spell? At least an adult does it, does he not?ReplyDelete
- Maldwiz1:52 AM, June 06, 2011
Proficiency in many tasks requires preparation, execution and reflection. One can certainly become more proficient by employing one's ability to read. That is, of course, assuming one's desire to become more proficient in the first place.ReplyDelete
Simply by reading (and understanding) the ability descriptions, your Mage could have realised that only 3 of his current spells benefit from Fire Specialization and that (hard-)casting Pyroblast takes 1 second longer than casting Fireball.
The interface option Beginner Tooltips also tries to help with potential confusions such as the Claw -- Mangle "problem" mentioned earlier.
I think that is an excellent point. I have been playing so long that I forgot what it was like to be a TOTAL noob. Well, that plus when I started playing I played with a buddy who had played for a bit and that helped a lot.ReplyDelete
I have never played a Druid, dunno why. This week I rolled one up, and I am having a pretty difficult time with the mechanics. I am level 37, (as I recall) and I still have no idea what I am doing.
So int is my primary stat. got it.
leather only.
ok, thats the easy part.
Whats my ideal spell rotation? (balance) Yes, I should read, and I have, but everything that I read is about maximizing DPS at the level cap, but what about getting there?
"Go read the sticky posts in the WoW forums" Did. Meh. Some info, but not a lot, and some of it contradictory. For example, can I influence the direction (sun vs moon) that my eclipse is going? I have no idea and the forums say "yes" and "no". :( Ok, I will just hit a training dummy and figure it out. Oh, wait, do we even have level thirty-something (TERRIBLE show, hated it) training dummies?
Same with Hunter class, very low volume forum, but there are quite a few web sites out there to help (hunters union comes to mind).
Nils, look at what numbers? When I look at the tooltip does it say "you are a fire mage, so there is a multiplier"? I cant recall. Personally I use drdamage (I think thats the name)It shows the expected damage for a given ability on the button bar, and its dynamic. Very cool. So when something procs, the numbers for some buttons goes up and its a pretty good indicator.
I think that one of the problems that *I* have is that I am set in my ways. Paladin, warrior, mage spells/abilities make sense to me, I have some sort of context. Fireball? I understand that. Pyroblast? The description works for me. Frostbolt? Blizzard? They all make sense. But the druid stuff is like reading a new language. I have no idea of the context. I am NOT saying "So Blizz needs to fix it!" I AM saying "So I need to read more, and I have empathy for the mage in Stokeades."
There has been an great point brought here. The lack of good in-game feedback when playing an MMO like WoW.ReplyDelete
Video games tend to have a pretty straight forward ability/weapon ladder with new spells replacing old spells.
If play solo or have an unhelpful guild, there really nothing in-game that tells you to read class guide stickies or go to EJ for maths that you may or may not understand or really care about.
You cast your big spell and things die - that's most of your feedback.
Maybe WoW should have a "I'm new at this" check box in the client, that launches a tutorial mode for new players?
You're either being too generous or missing the point.ReplyDelete
The mage picked a talent specialisation called "fire". You don't need a two-hour masterclass to work out that means your fire spells will be the strongest. So if you're not casting fire spells, you're being really thick.
On the other hand, casters have a really hard time doing decent damage in early instances -- it's all AOE tanking before you get decent AOE spells, and the mobs just don't live long enough to cast anything. Tank dps, particularly, is hugely overpowered early on. So I've seen many mages smashing any old button just to get a spell off. That could explain the eclectic mix of spells. I'd be interested to know whether this particular mage was casting pyros any time other than the start of pulls, and how many frostbolts you really saw from them.
I still remember my very first experience in WoW. I was a FPS guy. Upon the suggestion of my friend, I made a hunter. Upon entering the world, I was instructed to kill a handfull of wolves in the frozen valley of Dun Morogh. I engaged my first target and things quickly turned south. My targetting reticule was non-existant and then suddenly i was defenseless. The lupine lunged for me and despite all my efforts to strafe the mongrel's attacks, I found myself face down in the snow. Beaten.ReplyDelete
Noobs suck.
I think that Merlot has the meat of it. Look, at low levels your DPS is going to be weird, period. Depending on your class/role, it will be high, low, static, dynamic, what ever.ReplyDelete
I use that time to figure out my class. For example, good time for frost mages to learn kiting and what "freze" means. Getting abilities over time allows the user to acclimate to them.
But that's my problem with my balance Druid; what am I supposed to be learning at the low levels? If I am having this problem with my Druid, noobs must be crying. (I don't mean to make this my own personal help topic)
- Anonymous7:41 AM, June 06, 2011
Hes going to be wanting to cast scorch..by the time you get a fireball off your target is usually deadReplyDelete
- Xayíde@Gurubashi8:11 AM, June 06, 2011
You're mostly right, of course, but I wonder if a little reading and thinking might not have helped, as someone else has stated.ReplyDelete
Why cast Frostbolt, a casted nuke, when you have something very similar that matches your talent specialization?
Well, he might not understand the concept of a tank, and the chill effect of Frostbolt might be something he finds useful during questing so he does the same in dungeons...
Mangle only replaces Claw because neither has a CD and Mangle hits much harder and has the same energy cost. Mortal Strike only replaces Strike because they share a CD and Mortal Strike hits harder.
I know all of this might not be obvious to new players but if you are not familiar with the mechanics of the game, you just experiment. He'd find that casting Fireball or Scorch would be more successful than Frostbolt at least.
But I must agree that getting Pyroblast at level 10 is really confusing. You don't really want to cast it outside of a Hot Streak proc or precast it before pulls, and you only get access to Hot Streak much later. The whole point of specializations, as stated by Blizzard, was to allow your character to play as that spec and actually feel like you are that spec early on. You don't really have much reason to cast Pyroblast at level 10...
Will Beckwith, WIN my friend, WIN. That was awesome.ReplyDelete
As an experienced player, I find it just as frustrating as the next guy to be in a group with someone who doesn't know the ins & outs of the game, or that class, or that instance, etc. I'm constantly discouraged though, by the prevalence of negative attitudes towards those people, rather than helpful advice or a sypathetic ear. This is not to say I think every new or inept player (not saing they are one in the same, necessarily) should be coddled and carried, but being such a socially interactive game, I wish I'd see more willingness to share knowledge within gaming situations rather than votes to kick those players.
I've been on both sides- flailing my way through a new class, watching someone do the same while on my main- and I can't say I always practice what I preach. I've recently tried to learn tanking again afternot doing it for a long while and I've been very up front with my pugs, "I've never tanked this, but I learn quickly and I'm reading up on it, want me to leave?" Never been told to leave yet, which is either a good sign for the community or just dumb luck. Probably a little of both.
I think I would generally agree with Rohan in that it's pretty amazing what we, as seasoned MMO veterans, take for granted as being "common knowledge."
Try teaching a parent to play. All those 'obvious' things will smack you in the face. :)ReplyDelete
- Masterlooter12:07 PM, June 06, 2011
I am in the "leveling is too easy" crowd. As others have said, there is little in-game feed back to tell that mage that he was playing poorly. And in his defense, he wasn't. Being in Stockades, he had leveled up to at least his late teens, maybe early twenties (what level is Stockades nowadays?). What indicators did he have that he was using the wrong spells? The fact that he finished the Stockades with the group? The fact that he (likely) hadn't died yet, nor been challenged by his improper spell use?ReplyDelete
The only way Rohan knew his DPS was abysmal, and had an odd spell mix was due to a 3rd party addon.
Why would one change something that's apparently doing the job? That's why players like me say that leveling is too easy. At some point using Frostbolt and Arcane Explosion as a Fire mage should make leveling difficult. Currently it does not. It's just slightly slower than using the optimal spells. At some point, the player should say, "OK using these spells is not working, what else do I have in my toolbox?"
In regards to Maldwiz, proficiency requires there a way to identify inefficiency - up to and including failure. If said mage never fails, how can he know that there is a better way to do it? Why change something that continues to give positive reults?
Some of the "fire spec=fire spells" comments are obviously from players that either don't remember, or didn't play older WoW patches with some VERY unintiutive ways to be most efficient. What seems "obvious" to you isn't obvious, it's a summation of what you currently understand regarding game mechanics.
And in the absence of easy to understand feedback, it's hard to tell that he's gone wrong.ReplyDelete
^ This x10000000.
It is easy to get feedback outside of the game. EJ says your rotation should be X, the forums say your DPS should be Y, Arena Junkies say most Gladiator rogues are specced Z. But take a step back for a second. No player can even see their DPS without downloading an addon from a 3rd party website and unpacking a zip file in their WoW directory. Can you imagine other game companies being as developmentally lazy as this? It is great we are getting the Encounter Journal in 4.2, a full 3.2 versions after it should have existed. Up until this point, it appears that Blizzard expected players to teach each other how to play the game Blizzard designed; a quaint D&D-esque philosophy that seems woefully out of place in the year of our lord, 2011.
The funny thing about the "conventions of the genre" is how absurd they are in the abstract. How many computer gamers mod their games (and why are they called addons when they are really mods)? Does Recount and Omen and AtlasLoot, etc, get 4 million (the approximate number of WoW NA subs) unique downloads each time they are updated? Does the WoW website even get 2 million unique hits per month? There must be a significant majority of the playerbase that logs onto WoW without any outside knowledge of the game at all. And if so, how does Blizzard expect them to gain the knowledge necessary to meaningfully participant in the endgame? By the mercy of LFD party members? Trade Chat? Guildies? Total strangers?
Maybe this desire/necessity for tutorials is a symptom of the single-playerization of MMOs. Or perhaps it is a sign of increasingly insular game design where complex mechanics are made to appeal to veterans at the expense of attracting new blood. All that I know is that when I made a Goblin mage, one of the starting quests had me cast Fireball at a training dummy until Arcane Missiles proc'd, and I completed the quest by casting Arcane Missiles at the dummy. There should be more things like this. Blizzard already has instancing, NPC AI, and phasing. Why not make a tutorial heroic dungeon tailored to your role that briefly goes over what CC is, how to figure out a rotation/ability synergy, what fire looks like and why not to stand in it, and/or create a metric in the "live" dungeons that informs you of why you failed. Hell, Blizzard forces people to type in a reason to votekick a person, but never thought to forward that reason to the person kicked.
How much are we paying these designers?
- Anonymous4:53 PM, June 06, 2011
"I don't know. I mean, don't you have a look at the numbers when you cast a spell? At least an adult does it, does he not?"ReplyDelete
You know... some people play just for fun and don't care about the numbers. When did MMORPGs become such a science that it required someone to sit down with a calculator to have fun?
- Sieghardt8:36 PM, June 06, 2011
Another insightful post. Much as I wish you were a prot pally, I find your blog quite interesting.ReplyDelete
This kind of reminds me of me playing my new (level 70 currently) Frost DK. I've played a tank pretty much forever in MMRPGs, so a DPS class is a bit of a departure. I understand the basic strategy; deal as much damage as possible without pulling aggro, but beyond that it's a bit of a crap shoot.
I really don't understand how the runes work, other than I guess you need to have a rune of the right type to cast that type of spell, ie death coil requires you have at least 1 unholy rune off cooldown, plus however much "runic power" the ability costs. Beyond that I'm guessing. My friend whose main is a Blood DK tells me "it's like playing whack a mole" so basically that's how I play it! I feel like there's something I'm missing though.
Strangely, I seem to consistently be no 2 behind the tank on recount unless there's a mage, but who can compete with mage dps really?
Had a bad pug experience last night that made me think of this post. There was a shadow priest who was using mind sear for EVERYTHING. 50% of his single-target dps was from mind sear. He thought mind flay was for soloing when you wanted to slow your target so it didn't get to you, and mind sear was what you used in dungeons.ReplyDelete
He switched to mind flay and his dps went from ~4.5k to 7k (in ZA.) It's still horrible, but without doing a lot of research out of the game how is he supposed to even know where to look to improve?
I can still remember my first real leveling as an arms warrior in early vanilla (back when there was absolutely NO hit rating for gear below end content) and I can still remember using terrible abilities like that.ReplyDelete
I came from RTS games and my only real MMO-type experience was Diablo II. I saw rend, sunder, demolishing roar, and thunderclap and their respective damage/debuffs and assumed I needed to have those on my target at all times to help me kill things faster. Granted this was back when you got Mortal Strike at level 40 and had nothing but Heroic Strike (on-next-swing attack) to do real damage, but I can absolutely understand how you would want to use all of your abilities if you don't understand the math and mechanics involved in DPS.


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Sunday, May 24
Phil Mickelson, Family Man
Gone indefinitely: Phil Mickelson. (nsaplayer/Flickr)
PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONED Phil Mickelson in so many ways.
Why hasn't Phil won more majors? Why has Lefty made so many seemingly bonehead decisions at critical moments in tournaments? Why can't he hit more fairways? And, perhaps the ultimate question, why can't this supremely talented player challenge Tiger Woods more often?
There is one thing about Phil Mickelson that can not be questioned. He is a family man first and foremost. Phil is second in the world golf rankings. Golf is second in his life. There's a certain symmetry.
This is not to suggest that other players are not dedicated family men. They are. Yet it's been more evident with Phil, partly because he is one of the world's best golfers, but mostly because of the family choices he has made in full public view.
If necessary, Lefty would have left the 1999 U.S. Open to be with wife Amy to witness the birth of their first child, Amanda. Phil took breaks from the tour to be at home in San Diego so he could take his kids to school. Or to go trick-or-treating. Yes, trick-or-treating. This is as natural to Lefty as a flop shot with no green to work with.
So, when the news broke this week that Amy Mickelson has breast cancer and faces major surgery, it was no surprise that Phil announced he would suspend play on the PGA Tour indefinitely. That means there is no timeline. Lefty could be gone for a long while. He may miss the U.S. Open. Nobody knows.
I believe this: Phil won't have any regrets about leaving golf. Not one. Amy and his family come first. The order of things was established long ago.
It reminds me of another family man who insists he's rather ordinary. I read about him in the current issue of Reader's Digest. His name is Denzel Washington.
"I am who I am − a regular guy with a great job," Denzel said. "How I'm analyzed belongs to someone else. In a few minutes, I've got a kid's game to go to, and then I'm taking our daughter to auditions. Today, that's my job."
We've only had the pleasure to see Phil Mickelson at one of his jobs. The other job is calling. And it will always be more important than golf.
−The Armchair Golfer
7 comments:
- Average Golfer said...
I agree with everything you expressed.
Fortunately Phil has the means to put his career on hiatus. This insidious disease knows no favorites though.
A very nice, well written piece. I'm not a big PM fan. I've wondered about all of those you mention and then some but there is no denying the place of family in his life. Hopefully they will all pull through this and be spared what Darren Clark had to endure. God speed Mickelsons.
Great piece...like Gregg Morris, I'm not a big PM fan but he has his act together and I've always thought that he was a credit to his profession. When the cheers fade away, Amy, hopefully, will still be there through the good times and the bad. We can only hope that they caught the disease in time.
- PureGolfJourney said...
Very well written piece here, Neil. Phil takes a lot of slack in the media, some of it deserved and some just plain ridiculous, but nobody can deny he has his priorities straight when it comes to his family and golf.
My prayers are with the Mickelson family.Get well soon Amy!
- Walter David said...
The Mickelson's are a nice family that shows all of us what's important in life. Family comes first.
- Heather Jones said...
I am fan of Mr. Mickelson and this is part of the reason. However, this is a terrible way for some to learn what an dedicated family man he really is.
Very well said Neil.
WAY too many of my friends have been hit by this terrible disease. Our prayers will continue for the Mickelson family.
- The Armchair Golfer said...
I really appreciate everyone's comments. I'm not surprised that even non-Phil fans have responded to Amy's illness with such grace.


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Welcome to Fish Creek 24 Hour Pet Hospital
Locally owned Fish Creek 24 hour Pet Hospital opened its doors for the first time in December of 2005. The owners wanted to build an animal hospital that offered its clients preventative care and medicine, routine and emergency surgery, state of the art diagnostics and in-hospital treatment 24 hours a day. Over the years, the business grew out of our original Millrise location. In December 2014 we relocated to Midnapore into a larger custom-built facility in order to better meet the needs of our many clients. Our team of veterinarians, animal health technologists and support staff has grown so that we can continue to be able provide the same level of care to our growing clientele. Our clinic is, and will always be, committed to providing high-quality veterinary services in a way that stresses humanity, compassion and quality-of-life for pets and their owners. Our veterinary services are available both for our own clients as well as pet owners referred by other veterinarians for emergency or extended stay services.


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Chaka Khan: "Diabetes Was My New Beginning"
The singer-songwriter shares how she's conquered the disease—and her secrets for healthy living.
About two years ago, Grammy-Award winner Chaka Khan was going through a rough patch. She was overweight and mourning a bad breakup. "Food became my boyfriend, and the television was my husband," says the Queen of Funk-Soul. "I was depressed." She didn't feel like getting out of bed in the morning because "it was a task just to get up and get dressed," she says. "I was huge, so I was sweating. By the time I got dressed, my makeup was all messed up and my clothes were wet."
Chaka sought comfort in carbs like pasta and overlooked her weight gain. Eventually, she couldn't ignore the toll her lifestyle was taking on her body: "I had to go to the bathroom every five minutes, and I was irritable." Finally her doctor told her she had type 2 diabetes. "The diagnosis snapped me right out of the depression," she shares. "I said to myself, I'm not going to live like this."
Fighting back with healthy habits
Chaka's doctor prescribed medication, and she began to make important lifestyle changes. For instance, she swore off white flour and loaded up on produce. Her idea of a delicious snack? "I'll get a big bowl of string beans and make a dip with a wasabi mix. Or I'll cut up some sweet potatoes—a little nutmeg, cinnamon, nondairy butter—honey, that's a wrap!"
Although the singer says she doesn't have time to go to a gym, her work involves a lot of physical activity. "Forget about being on stage," she says. "Walking through airports is great exercise!" And as the grandmother of four, one of whom—Daija Jade, 12—she's adopted, Chaka is always on the go. "People who have children have it made because their exercise program is built right in!"
Chaka lost 75 pounds over the course of a year, and her diabetes is under control. Better yet, she's discovered that maintaining her new lifestyle is easier than expected. She says she couldn't resume her old bad habits even if she wanted to: "If I overeat, I get physically ill!"
A cause for celebration
Chaka Khan will celebrate her 60th birthday with a U.S. and international tour. She's also releasing several new albums and devotes off-stage time to her charity, the Chaka Khan Foundation. It's an impressive slate for a woman who could barely drag herself out of bed two years ago.
"I'm so blessed; I'm in perfect health," she says. "The most important thing is the quality of your life—that you're living well and healthy." Her message to others with diabetes? "It's not the end, but a new beginning."


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First we made up the two patchwork pieces.
Now it's time to assemble the bag.
1. Iron the fusible fleece onto the back side of the patchwork pieces, leaving a seam allowance of approximately one-quarter inch all around. I add a little bit of light quilting at this stage.
2. Take the two 2" squares that you had reserved the for the zipper gussets and iron them in half. Then iron the two sides into the middle seam. Iron closed. Your remaining pieces should be 2" by 1/2".
3. Trim off the excess zipper length just beyond the metal stop at the bottom of the zipper.
4. Tuck the zipper end into one of the gussets and top stitch down along the edge.
5. Trim the zipper length to 3/4" less in length than the width of your patchwork. In this case, 7 1/2". Be sure that you open the zipper so that you do not cut off the zipper pull.
6. Add the gusset to the open end and then trim both gussets even with the zipper edge.
7. I now add quarter-inch Steam-a-Seam tape to the top and bottom edges of the zipper, both front and back.
8. Lay the lining piece right side up. Remove the paper from the top back of the zipper and lay the zipper on top of the lining, leaving about 3/8" on each side. Be sure the zipper pull is facing up. Press to hold in place.
9. Remove the paper from the top of the zipper and place the outer bag patchwork right side down on top of the zipper and lining. Press in place.
10. Sew along the top edge of the bag. A zipper foot will definitely make this easier.
11. Press both the lining and the outer patchwork away from the zipper teeth. Top stitch along the edge of the fabric. In this case, an edge foot will make this neater.
When you come up on the zipper pull, leave the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot, squeeze the zipper pull under and to the back, lower the presser foot and finish stitching.
12. Repeat for the other half of the zipper. When you are finished, your bag will look like this from the front.
And like this from the back. (You may notice that the lining fabrics don't reach all the way to the edge of the patchwork. That's because I like to cut my linings with a little less depth so they don't bunch up inside once the bag is finished).
13. Now is a good time to make sure that your zipper is at least half way open.
14. Fold the pieces so that the patchworks are face to face on one side of the zipper and the linings right sides together on the other.
15. Pin the edges together being careful to match up the zipper seams carefully. Sew all around the exterior of the bag leaving a 2 1/2" opening in the lining along the bottom edge.
16. Trim the excess off all four corners.
17. Turn inside out through the opening in the lining. ( This always reminds me of giving birth). It looks pretty funky for a while.
18. Use the opening in the lining to push out the corners and to iron everything nice and neat.
19. Sew the opening closed.
20. Tuck the lining inside the bag and enjoy your pretty new bag!


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HAVANA (AP) — Two Cuban dissidents who applied for passports to go overseas under recently enacted travel reform reported mixed results Wednesday, as one former prisoner was turned down while a prominent blogger excitedly tweeted a photo of her brand new, bright blue travel document.
"The called me at home to say my passport was ready! They just delivered it!" Yoani Sanchez wrote on Twitter. "Here it is, now the only thing left is to get on that plane."
By her own account Sanchez has on some 20 occasions been rejected for the much-detested exit visa that for decades was required of all islanders seeking to go abroad. Analysts have called such controls arbitrary and humiliating, though authorities long insisted they were necessary to prevent brain drain.
That requirement ended Jan. 14 when a new law took effect scrapping the permit known as the "white card," which Cuba routinely denied to those it considers "counterrevolutionaries" in the pay of foreign interests and bent on undermining the communist government.
But the case of Angel Moya, who was locked up for years in connection with his political activities, indicates that Cuba intends to exercise a legal clause by which it retains the right to restrict some citizens' right to travel.
Moya, one of 75 other anti-government activists imprisoned in a 2003 crackdown on dissent, said he went to file paperwork and the $50 application fee to request a passport, but a clerk turned him down.
"She told me, after consulting a database, that I was restricted and it couldn't be processed for reasons of public interest," Moya told The Associated Press.
Moya said the office clerk showed him her computer screen and the file did not contain a specific reason why he was not allowed to apply for the travel document. But the travel law contains language reserving the right to withhold passports for reasons of national interest and for people with pending legal cases, and he's sure that's affecting his situation.
Moya's release from prison was conditional and technically he's still serving a 20-year sentence for treason that expires in 2023. The rest of the former prisoners from the 2003 crackdown, like a number of other dissidents with legal issues, presumably could be in the same boat.
"Their release is very precarious," said Elizardo Sanchez, who monitors and reports on human rights on the island.
Other government opponents including frequent hunger striker Guillermo Farinas have explicitly been told they will be allowed to get passports and come and go freely.
Moya's wife Berta Soler, a leader of the Ladies in White protest group, said as far as she knows she's still scheduled to pick up hers on Feb. 8.
"I'm happy and sad: On one hand I have my document to travel, but several friends like (Angel Moya) will not be allowed," Yoani Sanchez wrote.
Government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Havana usually avoids mentioning the dissidents at all except to accuse them of being traitorous "mercenaries."
Also Wednesday, human rights group Amnesty International formally designated a second prisoner of conscience on the island and urged authorities to free him immediately.
In a statement, Amnesty said Calixto Martinez was detained for his work reporting for the non-governmental news agency Hablemos Press and has been held without charge since Sept. 16, 2012.
The rights group said Martinez was arrested at an airport while looking into whether anti-cholera medicine provided by the World Health Organization was being held there. He supposedly took photographs and interviewed people there.
Cuban airports are highly sensitive, well-guarded facilities, and journalists generally are barred from reporting there without special permission.
Last summer's cholera outbreak in eastern Cuba was also a sensitive subject for the island, which relies on tourism as one of its main sources of foreign income. Authorities say that it was contained, and that another outbreak this month in Havana is under control.
Amnesty said Martinez was accused of "disrespect" for authorities, which is a crime in Cuba. The relevant legal statute has commonly been used as justification for the detention of dissidents.
Cuba contends that it does not hold any political prisoners.
When the last of the 75 arrested in 2003 walked free under a deal brokered by the Catholic Church, Amnesty said at the time that there were no more inmates it recognized as prisoners of conscience, though rights monitors complain that authorities have adopted a tactic of more short-term detentions to harass dissidents and impede their activities.
Cuba has long maintained nearly complete control over the island's media, and Hablemos Press has occupied a murky legal gray area.
"The imprisonment of Calixto Martinez goes to show that authorities in Cuba are far from accepting that journalists have a role to play in society, including by investigating possible wrongdoings," said Guadalupe Marengo, deputy Americas director at Amnesty International.
In a recently released press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Cuba dropped four spots this year to 171st out of 179 countries — ahead of only Vietnam, China, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea.
There have been some signs of opening, however. In 2011, President Raul Castro urged state media to be bolder with more "objective, constant and critical" reporting.
The Catholic Church is allowed to publish its own independent magazine, Palabra Nueva, bloggers are openly critical of the government and state TV recently began carrying programming from Venezuela-based Telesur news channel.
Amnesty has strict criteria for how it designates prisoners of conscience. One requirement is that the person not have a history of violence.
In an email to the AP, Amnesty noted the difficulty of accessing independent information in a tightly guarded society such as Cuba. It acknowledged talking to government opponents and other rights groups, but said it conducted its own investigation into the facts of Martinez's case.
He is one of two Cubans who Amnesty considers to be prisoners of conscience, along with Marcos Maiquel Lima Cruz, behind bars since December 2010.
Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi


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The Nigerian woman who sold two necklaces and never looked back
Six years ago Nigeria's Abimbola Balogun - affectionately called Bimbo - was a frustrated graduate, trained in petroleum marketing but coming to the sad realisation that it was going to be very difficult for her to get a job in the oil industry.
So at 29 she went out on a bead stringing course. She says that she just wanted something that kept her busy until "the real thing came" and she found a proper job.
"Now the beading has overshadowed the real thing," Mrs Balogun told the BBC series African Dream. And she exploded with laughter. She has, indeed, many reasons to be happy.
She started her business with an investment of just 400 naira ($2.5, £1.6) which bought her enough beads to make two necklaces.
She sold them for 5,000 naira - more than 1,100% profit - reinvested the money and never looked back.
In a country where there are so many people in the beading business she separated herself from the pack by making high-end products with special gems. And for inspiration she started looking at design websites.
"I knew I had to be different from every other beaded jewellery designer so I went online," she told the BBC Africa's Victor Okhai.
Now Mrs Balogun runs two outlets in Lagos, has a weekly television show about jewellery and trains other beaders. Her company, Bimbeads Concept, is now worth around five million naira and has five employees.
Pride in African colours
Mrs Balogun is aware that in Nigeria, like in many other parts of Africa, women are becoming increasingly proud of their local cultures.
Good quality colourful beads - including precious and semi-precious stones - that match their outfit are preferred by many of them to expensive gold or pearls. To a great extent that is probably why her range has had such an appeal.
"My designs are different because they are customised… They are designs that are uniquely and individually crafted," the entrepreneur explained.
She says that she knew very little when she started out but has learnt everything on the job.
She has also continued studying. After starting her business, she got a scholarship from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Woman Initiative to study Entrepreneurial Management at the Lagos Business School.
Mrs Balogun also talks about the importance of networking and of women working together to achieve success.
She speaks at mentoring and motivational events and is a member of a number of organisations, including the Nigeria Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW), a platform of Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA).
"I started by calling myself a mobile trainer. So I was going from one house to the other, training people and earning some money but when I joined NNEW I was advised to take the bold step to get an outlet which I did," she said.
"Of course, I was scared. I had the fear of failing but the passion kept me going."
High-profile clients
She later moved to a bigger place and opened a second outlet, also in Lagos.
"My products cut across all classes of people: Lower, medium and the upper upper class," Mrs Balogun said.
According to her, she has some very high-profile clients, including wives of governors and kings, and women in politics.
Mrs Balogun added that her weekly slot in the TV programme Every Woman's World has also helped to increase her clientele.
"That actually was one of the things that made me popular," she explained.
She said that the major problem she has encountered is that in Nigeria "everybody wants to reckon with the successful, nobody wants to give the growing ones a chance. If your name is not there, if you're not one of the first three top designers, then you're nowhere.
"With consistency, passion and hard work I was able to overcome all of that," she said.
Now her dream is to add - like precious beads to a necklace - new outlets to her company and expand across Nigeria and West Africa.
African Dream is broadcast on the BBC Network Africa programme every Monday morning, and on BBC World News throughout the day on Fridays
Every week, one successful business man or woman will explain how they started off and what others could learn from them.


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This question is mainly a curiosity, but comes from a practical experience (all players of Race for the galaxy, for example, must have ask themselves the question).
Assume I have a deck of cards that I would like to shuffle. Unfortunately, the deck is so big that I cannot hold it entirely in my hands. Let's say that the deck contains $kn$ cards, and that the operation I can perform are: 1. cut a deck into any number of sub-decks, without looking at the cards but remembering for all $i$ where the $i$-th card from top of the original deck has been put; 2. gather several decks into one deck in any order (but assume that we do not intertwin the various decks, nor change the order inside any of them); 3. shuffle any deck of at most $n$ cards. Assume moreover that such a shuffle consist in applying an unknown random permutation drawn uniformly.
Here is the question: is it possible to design a finite number of such operations so that the resulting deck has uniform law among all possible permutations of the original deck? If yes, how many shuffles are necessary, or sufficient, to achieve that ?
The case $k=2$ seems already interesting.


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Snowstorm forecasted to hit South Lake Tahoe
It seems Mother Nature isn't prepared to leave South Lake Tahoe too high and dry this season, as forecasters predict up to 8 inches of snowfall at lake level by Monday.
Snowfall is expected to begin falling this afternoon and continue into Saturday morning, said Jessica Kielhorn, forecaster for the National Weather Service. However, warm air could turn the snow into rain around mid-day.
"The problem is, by Saturday afternoon, what's going to happen is we're gong to see the snow levels jump up drastically," she said.
In other words, higher elevations will likely experience snow all weekend and receive several feet over the next few days.
"Basically what we're looking at is several feet of heavy, wet, Sierra-cement snow," Kielhorn said.
Snow will start falling at lake level elevations again Sunday night, she said.
As for weekend temperatures, highs and lows are expected to remain fairly consistent throughout the storm. Kielhorn forecasted highs settling around 40 degrees with lows lingering in the low- to mid-30s.
She also anticipates winds reaching up to 35 mph later today, but dying down Saturday afternoon.
For South Lake Tahoe, the wet weather will arrive about a week after a storm dumped 2 feet of snow on Heavenly and up to a foot in town.
Dan Beermann, general manager at the Beacon Bar & Grill, said the benefits of snowfall are already easy to see.
"On the weekend after a storm," he said, "you can see a big influx (in customers), and it definitely does help business."
"In the long term, it's white gold for the town," Beermann added.
Mike Frye, event and media relations manager at the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, seemed to agree.
"There's nothing we can say ourselves that a good storm can't say better," he said.
Business and reservations around town are up, which bodes well with the arrival of snow, Frye said. The excitement level has also spiked among potential visitors since last week's storm.
"What that says is people are stoked," Frye said.
South Lake Tahoe came close to getting its average amount of January precipitation this season, pulling in 2.27 inches for the month instead of the average 2.67 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
February precipitation is falling behind, too, as the Weather Service reports 0.06 inches in the first six days of the month instead of the average 0.26 inches.


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Sweeping statement police alert:
Work songs, travel songs, songs of yearning, nostalgia, regret, despair. Murder ballads, revenge songs. Political songs, social comment, historical songs, fantasy, religious songs.
I am not a list person, but could give you examples for all the above.
Anything can be a subject for a song (thankfully), the fact that a great majority of popular songs are about love doesn't mean that is all they are or can be restricted to.
Bah humbug.


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Depending on the source, the Nordic diet is compared to or lauded over the Mediterranean diet...
In early June, Health magazine provided the skinny on the diet touted as the "healthiest ever." Depending on the source, the Nordic diet is compared to or lauded over the Mediterranean diet and is essentially a focus on whole foods, including grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and pulses. And, instead of meat as a centerpiece, the Nordic diet is abundant in seafood.
A main difference in the two popular diets is the go-to oil: olive for Mediterranean cooking, canola for Nordic cuisine.
The Nordic diet is nothing new. In fact, some refer to it as a Viking diet.
Scandinavians have been eating this way for generations. It is a common-sense diet that includes eating organic, seasonal and wild produce, consuming normal portions, enjoying home-cooked meals and avoiding processed foods, as well as sugars and additives.
"I appreciate the health, environmental and mindfulness aspects of the Nordic diet. It can provide new and tasty suggestions and recipes for meals and snacks," says Nicole Eikenberry — whose maiden name Selstad is of Norwegian heritage — a registered dietician and licensed nutritionist at Mindful Food & Motion in Saint Paul, Minnesota. "This style of eating is easy to do here in the upper Midwest because of the availability of ingredients due to the cultural heritage and similar climate as the Nordic countries. As someone with a strong Norwegian heritage myself, no Nordic diet would be complete without my family's homemade lefse (a potato-based flatbread) with plenty of butter."
As with all good-intention diets, there can be cons.
"I would caution that the all-or-nothing mindset of 'going on a diet' has the bitter flavor of rigidity and restriction, and the aftertaste of feeling 'good' or 'bad' about yourself based on how well you followed the regimen. Instead, treat it as a preference but maintain flexibility and allow exceptions," Eikenberry says.
Nordic diet-focused restaurants are cropping up to meet this trend, including The Bachelor Farmer and Tullibee in Minneapolis and Aquavit and Agern, both in New York City.
Disclosure: We earn commissions from purchases made after clicking curated product links