text:
The verdict is in, folks, and it's the same as it was last year: calling upset gamers 'entitled' is still a lazy substitute for an argument.
I'll be the first to admit that gamers can often go way over the top when they're upset about something.
Anyone who has been in this business for any length of time has been attacked by one horde or another of video game fans who are Seriously Angry with you because you A) liked a game that they hate or B) disliked a game that they love or C) prefer a specific console or PC over other consoles or the PC. The list goes on. Mobs are irrational, and mobs of gamers are no different.
And so we come to a moment of deja vu, in which we see gamers once again labeled with that most perennial of put-downs: Entitled. Anyone who disagrees with the review consensus of DMC, the Devil May Cry reboot from Ninja Theory and Capcom, is just whining for no good reason apparently.
"Look, kids, the verdict is in: DmC is a lot of fun," writes Brenna Hillier at VG24/7, appealing to authority by linking to a list of scores for the game compiled by VG24/7.
I wasn't aware that there were verdicts when it came to accounting for taste, but I'm likely just behind the times. As a critic of scores, I'm downright hopeless when it comes to verdicts.
From here on out, Hillier's post wanders through a thicket of fallacies.
"What I do not understand is the blithering insanity of Devil May Cry fans in the face of a reboot which does the franchise no harm and by all accounts, quite a lot of good," she writes, apparently unaware that to many fans of the franchise the reboot has done it harm and is not by all accounts "a lot of good."
Simply saying so doesn't make it true. There is no objective barometer of truth when it comes to things like video games.
"The existence of DmC: Devil May Cry doesn't stop the earlier games existing," Hillier continues. "It doesn't betray or compromise that existing (incoherent) vision you love so much. If Microsoft threw up in a puddle and sold it under the name "Halo 5″ it wouldn't stop Halo and its sequels being what they are."
I was never a huge Devil May Cry fan, so this new reboot hasn't really ruffled my feathers despite its obvious shortcomings.
But I can imagine a series of games that I do love very much---the Souls games by From Software, for instance---and I can certainly imagine how I would feel if it Dark Souls 2 changed in ways that hurt the series: betrayed and upset.
This is partly because yes, a new installment in a video game or film franchise really does impact how we feel about the former titles.
This is true in film as well.
For instance, I have never been able to enjoy Star Wars as much as I used to not just because of George Lucas's shameless edits of the old films, but because of how bad the prequel films were. The awfulness of the second trilogy hurt my overall appreciation of the Star Wars universe.
If Microsoft "threw up in a puddle" and sold it as Halo 5 then yes, that would indelibly harm the Halo brand, and cast a long, bleak shadow back on the earlier games.
This is partly because of association and partly because canon entries in a series really do impact earlier installments. A story is not just beginning, middle, and end. It's our appreciation of all these components together that counts.
In Jurassic Park 2 (the book) a main character that died in the first book turned out to be only "mostly dead" in the second. That hurt the original a great deal.
The last two Song of Ice and Fire books by George R. R. Martin have been a huge let down for many fans of the series, and this has cast a pall over the earlier books, regardless of how much better they were.
And yes, of course some fans will go too far in their tactics. You know what they say about bad apples. Petitioning the White House is silly, for instance, but only a tiny handful of Devil May Cry fans have actually done that.
In the internet age, we're privy to all the most ludicrous actions of the vocal minority in every realm of life, but that doesn't mean that anyone upset with this game is just an "entitled" crybaby giving gamers a bad name.
Just because someone doesn't agree with VG24/7's "verdict" doesn't mean...well it doesn't mean anything actually (and no, a subset of reviews is not scientific proof of quality anymore than you can gauge a game's value after it's been bombed by Metacritic users. These are signposts that can help you in your journey, but not proof of anything at all.)
"And yet despite the complete absence of logic behind this ill-will," Hillier continues, "it runs so strongly that some of you have gone so far as to send death threats to Ninja Theory staff, to accuse VG247 and its peers of corruption, a charge which stinks of conspiracy-theory paranoia, and to write thousands of words of rabid vitriol against Dante's hair colour rather than react like a normal human being to a game that has absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way."
She follows this up with a remarkable saving throw against irony by telling gamers to "grow the #*&$ up" proving once and for all that things that have "absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way" can inspire even the best of us to bouts of rhetorical excess.
Here's my two cents: I'm about fifty-fifty on DmC so far. There's good, bad, and ugly in this game, and I can both enjoy it for what it is and lament it for what it isn't.
But it's good to criticize and to complain when it comes to video games, television, film, and any other thing which we consume for personal enjoyment. That's how you get your point out there. It's not good to do it by issuing death threats, of course, or by attacking the messenger---a much more common fallacy gamers tend to resort to. And of course some people will complain about everything and rarely offer up solutions. Misery loves company, or something like that.
My advice? Make your arguments solid. Make them more solid than your opponents' arguments. Your arguments should be rocks to their scissors. Utilize data whenever possible, and avoid logical fallacies at all costs.
But don't ever think that you can't voice your opinion just because of some artificial "verdict." Just try to be less of a jerk than the new Dante when you do it.
I'll probably be far more mild in my critique of DmC than hardcore fans, but that's because my opinion is going to be inherently different from yours---my taste and my experience and what I want in a game are all unique to me as a gamer and as a human being. Indeed, I imagine many reviewers really did legitimately enjoy DmC.
There is no objective standard here, and there never will be. We are designed to disagree---and that's a good thing.
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Read my Forbes blog here.


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30 comments:
Rawrrr, diggin that leather jacket!ReplyDelete
those clogs, those pins, that video, braids, man those clogs!ReplyDelete
while i live in philadelphia, there is something about new york city... it makes me feel like some people do when they stand by the ocean.
love this post!
Just found your blog Nat and I love your style! You even inspired me to try false lashes but after trying no less than 10 times to put them on it just wasn't working!ReplyDelete
I repinned that outfit too with the intention of buying that skirt but it was sold out! I love how it has those tabs on the side so you can pin it up.ReplyDelete
Love the leather jacket and cool cap!ReplyDelete
Oh those clogs and leather jacket! Love love love xReplyDelete
Love all of these LIKE WHOA.ReplyDelete
Coveting them, too.
I'll get over it. Well, that, or I'll find outfits as close to those as possible, heh heh.
I love the outfit. Fantastic -HannaReplyDelete
sandals, yay! can't wait!ReplyDelete
THAT VIDEO! oh my goodness. i want to visit again, so so bad.ReplyDelete
Is that a photo of the girl in the hat of Kemp Muhl (Sean Lennon's girlfriend + half of the band GOASTT?). I love her style.ReplyDelete
such a great spring (real spring! come one real warm weather spring!) outfit! and thanks for the inspiration to get really dressed today. even with all the snow on the ground here too!ReplyDelete
That hair video is amazing! So going to do that once my hair is a few inches longer.ReplyDelete
that hair...if only my hands knew how to work when it comes to hair. those outfits are perfect!ReplyDelete
Tuesday inspiration look=divine. Seriously swooning over here :)ReplyDelete
The lipstick on that girl. Win.ReplyDelete
I just returned from NYC a week ago and I can't stop talking or dreaming of it.ReplyDelete
The time lapse video made me smile. :) Thanks for sharing!
Agree! This week > last week. Praise The Lord.ReplyDelete
Also, you are inspiring me always with your style! Thank you and please keep it up! I need city friends with bold style so that my mid-western Mom style doesn't become too...mid-western mom.
Happy Spring!
yeah I want to be wearing all of that too!ReplyDelete
Those outfits! I want to be wearing them too! Especially those sunglasses from the Polyvore outfit. I definitely need new sunnies for all this sunshine in the sunshine state!ReplyDelete
Those sandals are the best things ever. I got them last summer and I wear them all the time. Also, when I saw that first picture you pinned I knew it was you. You in a dream, Nat.ReplyDelete
I LOVE this post!! Everything is so inspiring and I love it all!!xxReplyDelete
i was just in NY 2 weeks ago (i live in utah)...awesome video! thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
i think i need that skirt. and the rest of it too.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 21, 2013
I have that striped skirt, it's my fav when it's warmer here. It's a bit long though so it's semi-ridiculous if it's not pinned up. Søren likes to chew on the buttons on the side. :(ReplyDelete
jessica / http://teamwiking.com
- AnonymousMarch 21, 2013
I'm so ready for spring and then summer over here! I can't wait for skirts and dresses and being able to take long walks in shorts and a big tee. Summer can't come quickly enough for me! I love the NYC video. Time lapse photography/video is my favorite. Thanks for sharingReplyDelete
oh yes, I want to be wearing all of this as well. I'm so ready for spring.ReplyDelete
Okay, I could re-watch that braids video 100 times and still never get bored! I wish I was one of those people who was So good with hair! She makes it look so effortless! Checking out here site...NOW!ReplyDelete
xo TJ
I'm so impressed with your friend Ruby! What an amazing job!ReplyDelete
Hello sir, I got you by Google search.ReplyDelete
Excellent article on the different types of auto insurance coverage and they are important about on natthefatrat.com.It is very helpful in using social media sites. Your clear presentation is easy to understand and very well written. Any time you'd like to write and submit an article to my site, just let me know Welcome to Rugstar.com.au, Australia's favorite online rug buying groceries in Australia: we get direct deals from the producer to you! We sell an implausible range of Australian favorite floor rugs, carpet rug, by way of shopping on-line you'll keep on shaggy, modern, wool, traditional and lots of different rug designs.
Thanks for the great post.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sotheby's International Realty Canada showcases your home to more quality buyers locally and around the world.
Our associates offer the highest calibre of service, discretion and marketing, regardless of your home's size, neighbourhood or price point.
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Our company goes above and beyond the basic lawn sign and MLS exposure offered by other companies. We make a financial commitment to market your home through innovative online marketing programs, and exclusive relationships with global media, including nytimes.com, wsj.com, jamesedition.com, dwell.com, ft.com and hongkongtatler.com, as well as on sothebysrealty.com, sothebysrealty.ca and sothebys.com.
Exclusive Print Advertising
Even in the Internet age, online marketing is enhanced by traditional print marketing that is targeted, focused and custom-selected to reach the most relevant buyers.
From prestigious international publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Architectural Digest, to publications in your community, we offer our clients local, national and international print advertising opportunities that are carefully curated to reach qualified audiences, including publications that are exclusive to the Sotheby's International Realty network.
The Power of Our Brand
Our brand is synonymous with quality and prestige, and the marketing for your home—from professional photography to video tours, property brochures and print advertising— reflects this tradition of excellence.
Marketing Reports & Accountability
We commit to regular and transparent communication with every single one of our clients. From the moment you list your home with Sotheby's International Realty Canada, you will receive regular updates on the results of your marketing — from the number of potential buyers who visit your open house, to the number of people who view your listing online.
A Proud Tradition of Service
With over 270 years of history that date back to the opening of the Sotheby's Auction House in 1744, the Sotheby's name has earned notoriety as a marketer of the world's most valuable and prestigious possessions. At Sotheby's International Realty Canada, we are deeply committed to offering the highest level of service, discretion and ethical standards, in the time-honoured tradition of Sotheby's.
Local Expertise
We serve clients in major cities and resort communities across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, as well as Victoria, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Whistler, White Rock/South Surrey, Salt Spring Island, Sun Peaks, Kelowna, Canmore, Airdrie, Oakville, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ganonoque, Ottawa, Muskoka, Creemore, Creemore, Caledon, Prince Edward Country, Westmount, Mont-Tremblant, St. Lambert, Knowlton, Quebec City and North Hatley.


text:
Call for submission of short notes or research reports and other
items of interest for the upcoming ISSS 2012 Bulletin to be published in end of January 2012.
These submissions will be published in the first section of the Bulletin,
highlighting most recent work from the membership of ISSS.
Submissions should be no longer than 1500 words (4 pages single spaced).
For the bulletin, other items of interest are also welcome for the
membership sections such as notices of future conferences, calls for papers
for related peer-reviewed journals, new books, employment
announcements, new courses, etc…
Please email contributions to [email protected]
Or by post to:
ISSS Office
47 Southfield Road
York YO42 2XE
United Kingdom
Please send all submissions to arrive no later than January 15, 2012.
With thanks
Jennifer Wilby
General Systems Bulletin Editor


text:
- Announcement
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Opinion from clients
- Contact for Affiliate Program
- Terms of Use
- Policies for handling personal information
The definition of terms used in the provision is as follows.
Fares table, table of charges, the General Conditions of Carriage, damage relief plan and relevant documents required for application of damage relief shall be made available to Passengers in the Airline's branch or the its sales office.ARTICLE 5 PASSENGER'S CONSENT
It shall be assumed that a Passenger has recognized and consented to these Conditions of Carriage and the ARTICLES and regulations established thereunder by purchasing a domestic Ticket of the Airline.ARTICLE 6 GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
Passenger shall follow the instruction or demand by the Airline's employee with regard to all acts related to the use of aircraft such as emplaning, deplaning and any other acts or conducts at the airport and on board the aircraft, and to loading, unloading and custody of Baggage.CHAPTER 2 PASSENGERS ARTICLE 9 ISSUANCE OF TICKET
Except as otherwise specified, the period of Ticket validity shall be the closing time of boarding of a specific flight.ARTICLE 12 THE TERM OF VALIDITY OF THE TICKET MAY NOT BE EXTENDED
Notwithstanding requesting extension of Ticket validity before the expiration date, the Ticket may not be extended, and the Ticket may be refundable within 60days from expiration date stipulated on ARTICLE 22. Cancellation/Refund of the special discount Tickets is not allowed.ARTICLE 13 PASSENGER FARES AND CHARGES
The applicable fares for a round trip shall be calculated by adding each fare for departure/arrival trip for the round-trip or one-way trip.ARTICLE 16 FREE OF CHARGE AND DISCOUNT
In addition to the fares and charges specified by the Airline, the applicable fare and/or charge, tax, usage fee, service commission and other incurred charges imposed by the government authority, airport operator and the Airline shall be collected from the Passenger.ARTICLE 19 RESERVATIONS AND PRIOR SEAT SELECTION
Any of the conducts enumerated hereunder shall be considered as unauthorized boarding and the Passenger shall be charged twice of the regular Adult Fare applicable to the portion of the involved passage.
Any of the conducts enumerated hereunder shall be considered as boarding unauthorized and the passenger shall be charged twice the regular adult fare applicable to the portion of the involved passage.
The Airline will accept and carry Baggage in accordance with the provisions of these Conditions of Carriage, when Baggage is presented to airport office of the Airline together with a valid Ticket.ARTICLE 27 TRANSPORTATION OF BAGGAGE
It is a general rule of the Airline that Checked Baggage will be carried on the same flight as the Passenger; however when Airline has inevitable reasons to comply with the general rule, such as the maximum permissible weight or Airline's circumstance, Baggage will be carried on any other flight in which the Checked Baggage can be loaded.ARTICLE 28 INSPECTION OF BAGGAGE
The Airline may inspect the contents of the Passenger's Baggage in the presence of the Passenger or a third party designated by the Passenger, whenever it is regarded as necessary to do so for the purpose of security or any other reason.ARTICLE 29 REFUSAL OR RESTRICTION TO TRANSPORT
Eastar Jet shall not provide Excess Value Charge service. The Passengers who request this service may be refused to be carried.ARTICLE 35 CARRIAGE OF SPECIFIC ANIMALS
In the event that the Passenger has lost the Baggage Claim Tag, the Airline may deliver the concerned Baggage only on the condition that such person is acknowledged as the rightful person thereto and that such person shall furnish adequate security to indemnify the Airline and be liable for any damage incurred by the Airline which may arise out of such delivery.ARTICLE 38 DISPOSAL OF UNDELIVERED BAGGAGE
In the event that Baggage is unclaimed within one week after its arrival at the destination, the Airline may dispose of the Baggage as the Airline considers to be appropriate. Fish or other perishables may be disposed of if unclaimed within 48 hours after its arrival at the destination.CHAPTER 4 LIABILITY OF AIRLINE ARTICLE 39 LIABILITY OF AIRLINE
Any Passenger, who caused damage to Carrier by his negligence or willful misconduct, or by his failure to comply with these Conditions of Carriage and the ARTICLES and regulations established thereunder, shall be liable to Carrier for such damages.ARTICLE 42 TIME LIMITATION ON ACTIONS
As for the lawsuit related to the responsibility of the Carrier shall be brought within 2 years from the date of the Passenger's arrival at the destination, the date the aircraft have arrived or the date on which the Carriage has stopped, whichever is the latest, regardless of its claim bases, and the Passenger's the cause of action will be extinguished thereafter.ARTICLE 43 ORIGINAL COPIES OF CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
The original copies of Carrier's Conditions of Carriage for Domestic Passenger and Baggage shall be those published in Korean language.ARTICLE 44 MARGINAL HEADINGS
Marginal headings of each ARTICLE in these Conditions of Carriage are for the purpose of reference only and shall not constitute a part of these Conditions of Carriage.
Unless prohibited due to government request, the restriction, prohibition or additional Stopover charges stipulated in the airline Tariff shall be applicable and shall be indicated in the Ticket based on agreement with the Carrier in advance.ARTICLE 5 FARES AND CHARGES
Except as otherwise specified in applicable Tariffs, Eastar Jet does not maintain, operate, or provide ground transfer service within airports or between airport and downtown. Except where ground transfer service is directly operated by Eastar Jet, it is agreed that any such service is performed by independent operators who are not and shall not be deemed to be agents or employees of Eastar Jet. Anything done by an employee, agent, or representative of Eastar Jet in assisting the Passenger to make arrangements for such ground transfer service shall in no way make Eastar Jet liable for the acts or omissions of these independent operators. In cases where Eastar Jet maintains and operates such ground transfer services for Passengers, the terms, conditions, rules and regulations of Eastar Jet, including (but without limitation) those stated or referred to in their Tickets, baggage checks, and baggage valuation agreements shall be deemed applicable to these ground transfer services. No portion of the fare shall be refundable if ground transfer services are not used.ARTICLE 13 TAXES, FEES, CHARGES, ETC.
Applicable taxes, fees, and charges imposed by government or by the operator of an airport collectible from Passenger shall be charged in addition to the published fares and charges. The service charges, fees, and other collectible charges due to changes in any circumstances imposed by Eastar Jet willl be also collected in addition to the published fares and charges. If a new tax, fee, or charge is imposed after ticket issuance, then Passengers will be obliged to pay it.ARTICLE 14 ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES
Insofar as any provision contained against or referred to in the ticket or in the Conditions of Carriage or other applicable tariffs may be contrary to mandatory law, government regulations, orders or requirements, such provision shall remain applicable to the extent that it is not overridden thereby. The invalidity of any provision shall not affect any other part.ARTICLE 18 MODIFICATIONS AND WAIVER
No agent, employee, or representative of Eastar Jet has the authority to alter, modify, or waive any provision of the contract of Carriage, or these Conditions of Carriage, or other applicable Tariffs.ARTICLE 19 ORIGINAL COPIES OF CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
These Conditions of Carriage are drafted in the Korean language. If these are translated into any other language, the Korean language shall prevail.


text:
FB: stopmassincerationnetwork
Twitter: @StopMassIncNet
Ph: 646-709-1961
P.O. Box 941 Knickerbocker Station New York City NY 10002-0900
office [at] stopmassincarceration.net
web [at] stopmassincarceration.net
The Stop Mass Incarceration Network (SMIN) exists to stop the slow genocide of mass incarceration and all its consequences; racial profiling, a legal system that disproportionately impacts Blacks and Latinos, the police murder of our children, the criminalization of a generation, discrimination, widespread torture in prisons and treating those formerly incarcerated as less than full human beings. SMIN was initiated in 2011 by Dr. Cornel West and Carl Dix. SMIN is determined to bring forth a movement of millions of people, from all walks of life, in steadfast resistance to the New Jim Crow and we will not stop until mass incarceration and the police murder of Black, Latino and other oppressed peoples stops. We refuse to accept the non-indictments in the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and many, many others across the U.S. These police murders and the non-indictments are declarations that police can wantonly kill Black and Brown people and that Black and Brown lives do not matter. No More! This Must Stop Now! Everybody striving for these same objectives should join SMIN. Organizations should affiliate as this is a national network – it's wide open for every person and every organizations involvement and contribution.


text:
I got a funny call the other day. The guy says, "I'm John Ellis and I'm with NHK Japan TV." I wasn't actually positive what he had said, but undeterred I answered with my standard, "Great, what can I do for you?"
He said, "We're here doing a story on the legalization of marijuana and would you be willing to do an interview?" My first thought was "Why me?" On the advice of our crack public relations team, WordenPR, I always try to make myself available to the press. So was this a result of that? Or did they have more classified information about my youth, qualifying me as somewhat of an expert on this subject? I wasn't totally sure of myself (still not recognizing exactly who I was speaking with), but my PR instincts took over and for better or for worse, I said, "Sure, why not?" Any press is good press, right?
"By the way, where'd you get MY name?"
"Oh, we went to the Chamber of Commerce and they said we don't want to deal with it … call LeVine."
Excellent … probably not the youth thing.
About twenty minutes later John shows up at the Antlers with Mami, a lovely twenty-something-year-old interpreter/interviewer and Taka, the camera guy. They set up shop in the lobby and proceed to spend the next half hour asking me how I anticipate our business to be effected by the passage of Amendment 64.
It's clear to me (being the quick study that I am) that they're looking for a story and want me to say that I expect to be overrun with pot-heads rushing to Colorado to get high. Or that our regular guests will quit coming altogether because of their own personal intolerance. Or that our staff will be so stoned that we won't actually be able to get anything done.
Naturally, I say nothing of the sort, and tell them repeatedly what I believe to be the truth … that I don't really foresee much, if any, impact at all.
They seemed a bit surprised when I acknowledged that we already have guests (and probably more than a few) who get high behind closed doors. Since the new law still doesn't allow toking in public, that won't really change. We certainly expect our guests to respect the "non-smoking" designation of some condos, regardless of the specifics, and we'll continue to enforce that. As far as employees go, our staff is very conscientious and I have every confidence that they won't allow what they do on their personal time, to affect their work performance. It's no different than drinking. Liquor's legal, but being even a teeny but tipsy at work is totally taboo … not to mention an immediate invitation to look for other job opportunities.
Over and over, in as many different ways as I could think of, I kept saying that legalization just wasn't a big deal, and wouldn't really have much effect on our business.
I suspect they were a little disappointed at the lack of a story. Oh well … Sorry.
There was one amusing sidebar to the whole thing. When John first introduced me to Mami, I was kidding around with her (what a surprise) and said, "I'll be happy to do this interview, but I need some consulting help on how to increase our Japanese market." She played along and agreed, in her somewhat broken English. John asked if we had much Japanese business and I said yes, some, but not nearly enough.
Just then, a Colorado Mountain Express van pulls up to the door and a young couple gets out, ready to check-in. You guessed it … they're Japanese. I turned to Mami and exclaimed, "I can't believe how FAST you work! You're hired!" I think she was amused … but probably not as much as I was. I crack myself up sometimes.
When we explained to the arriving couple that this was NHK, their reaction made me appreciate the parallel to our own PBS broadcasting system. We're talking Japanese national public television. This is a big deal. I hope I looked okay in the interview and as usual, didn't say anything TOO dumb.


text:
Bieber Fever will be acting up again!
With less than a month to go before the June 19 release of his fourth studio album, Believe, Justin Bieber has just announced he'll be headlining the Believe tour of North America starting in the fall. Carly Rae Jepsen as special guest through January.
The dates:
29 Glendale, Ariz., Jobing.comArena.
2 Los Angeles, Staples Center.
3 Los Angeles, Staples Center.
5 Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center.
6 Oakland, The Oracle Arena.
8 Portland, Ore., Rose Garden.
9 Tacoma, Tacoma Dome.
12 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome.
15 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place.
16 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre.
18 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre.
20 Minneapolis, Target Center.
21 Milwaukee, BMO Harris Bradley Center.
23 Rosemont, Ill., Allstate Arena.
24 Rosemont, Ill., Allstate Arena.
26 Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center.
27 St. Louis, Scottrade Center.
29 Dallas, American Airlines Center.
1 Memphis, FedExForum.
2 Louisville, KFC Yum! Center.
4 Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center.
9 East Rutherford, N.J., IZOD Center.
12 Brooklyn, N.Y., Barclays Center.
20 Pittsburgh, CONSOL Energy Center.
21 Auburn Hills, Mich., The Palace of Auburn Hills.
23 Kanata, Ontario, Scotiabank Place.
26 Montreal, QC Bell Centre.
28 New York, Madison Square Garden.
January 2013
5 Salt Lake City, EnergySolutions Arena.
9 Tulsa, BOK Center.
10 N. Little Rock, Ark., Verizon Arena.
12 San Antonio, AT&T Center.
15 New Orleans, New Orleans Arena.
16 Birmingham, BJCC Arena.
18 Nashville, Bridgestone Arena.
19 Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum.
22 Charlotte, Time Warner Cable Arena.
23 Atlanta, Philips Arena.
25 Orlando, Amway Center.
26 Miami, American Airlines Arena.
You can purchase Justin Bieber Tickets or Sign up to win a pair of Justin Bieber tickets today.


text:
Once, a Volkswagen van represented freedom, the "open road," a release from the crushing confines of capitalism. The appeal lives on today. Free love! Damn the man! Live on the beach! Feel the ocean breeze blow through your hair! Pose with a bag of Kettle Chips the #brand sent you to hawk on social media! Wait, what?!
Emily King and Corey Smith, the subjects of a recent New Yorker profile that makes me pine for the arrival of nuclear winter, moved out of New York City and moved into a 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Camper named "Boscha" in order to focus their lives on traveling, mountain biking and surfing. They did so after meeting American surfer and proud 1987 Volkswagen Syncro-dweller Foster Huntington on a surf trip to Nicaragua, who pointed out that they would be happier living in a van.
If the story stopped there, I might be a bit jealous. Why do I waste so much cash on a place to live and all the stuff inside when I sort of hate to stay at home? Van life is the simple life. A car is just a room on wheels. You don't need all that crap, collecting dust. You have it because The Man tells you that you need it.
Having things doesn't bring you anywhere near the pleasure of going out and experiencing the world, or doing something rad. This is why countless hippies did it in the '60s and '70s, and beyond.
But then the New Yorker delves into how Instagram-perfect hipsters like King, Smith and too many others augment their income: by trying to sell you more crap.
You know, the very antithesis of what makes life out of a van sound attractive to those who are privileged enough to be able to choose between living out of a van, or living in a regular home. But no: living out of a van is now a sellable brand, used to pimp everything from camp food to wakeboards and even van parts.
Collectively, these #vanlife sellouts have attracted millions of followers on Instagram, documenting life out of a van with hashtags like #vanlife, #livesimply and #homeiswhereyouparkit. And they've commercialized the hell out of their #lifestyle, selling it to mid-thirties house-dads who like the idea of living the rough life and tinkering on an old Volkswagen, as the New Yorker wrote:
The following spring, Where's My Office Now [Smith and King's Instagram project] posted its first paid, sponsored image to Instagram, on behalf of the water-bottle company Hydro Flask. It showed King heating water in a teakettle, a light-blue thermos conspicuous in the background. "Our bodies, the most precious vehicle for our journey here, run on water," she wrote in the caption. "A big thank you to @hydroflask for creating durable water bottles that help shift the bottled/privatization of water paradigm."
Shed off your worldly goods!
But buy these things first, for the trip.
Since then, their sponsorships—which King prefers to call "alliances"—have included Kettle Brand potato chips, Clif Bars, and Synergy Organic Clothing. Last summer, the tourism board of Saskatchewan paid the couple seven thousand dollars to drive around the grasslands of central Canada with other popular vanlifers, documenting their (subsidized) kayaking trips and horseback rides.
Ultimate freedom!
(Thanks to $7,000 chipped in by the province of Saskatchewan!)
As the afternoon got progressively gloomier, Smith and King transferred their belongings from Boscha to the loaner van: two surfboards (bought at a discount from a sponsor), wetsuits, tins of red lentils and buckwheat, stacks of T-shirts and leggings (mostly from sponsors), a woven blanket (a gift from a sponsor), a hand broom, two yoga mats, three hula hoops in different sizes, a tool kit, a digital S.L.R. camera, and a bag of wheat-free kibble for their soulful, brindled dog, Penny.
Live the van life! Support yourself with free stuff, gained by selling your van life to the corporate world you pretended to escape!
But not all is well with the product-hocking van-dwellers, as the New Yorker notes that much of the #vanlife is a fake veneer of freedom:
"I think there's a sense of hopelessness in my generation, in terms of jobs," Foster Huntington said. "And it's cheap to live in a van." And so, like staycations and minimalism, vanlife is an attempt to aestheticize and romanticize the precariousness of contemporary life. "It looks like they're having fun," Huntington said, of King and Smith. "But they're working a lot."
By acting as if they're beholden to no one and live outside society's norms and rules, these Instagram sellouts are really auctioning off their time and energy:
But the collaboration had not been an easy one; King had exchanged more than seventy e-mails with the "Outsiders" reps, who asked to approve the photographs and the captions in advance, and wanted to dictate what time they were posted. (Engagement rates are the highest at 11 a.m.)
And lest we forget, catering to the lowest common denominator (read: boners) sells on Instagram, too:
"It's a naked female," Smith said. "If I'm in that picture, it gets three thousand likes."
Everything is great in 2017!


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Cover art for The Peculiar was created by Thierry Lafontaine, a senior artist at Imaginism Studios. Lafontaine is also the instructor of the Imaginism In-House Workshop.
Lafontaine's cover art reveal:
Author Stefan Bachmann recently posted his own cover reveal, and is holding an international giveaway for an advanced reader's copy of The Peculiar, along with two bundles of Swiss Lindt chocolate, in a contest that lasts until Tuesday May 1, 2012.
Bachmann says to simply leave a comment on his giveaway post, and preferably a link, so that he can contact you if you win. He also says that "re-tweets count double, so DO THAT and post that link, twah."
The embossed hardcover book is gaining excitement around the world as one of 2012's biggest releases. A recent display for The Peculiar was captured on camera at Italy's Bologna Children's Book Fair.
The Peculiar will be released in hardcover format on Sept. 18, 2012.


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In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the FAA has released an updated list of public agencies that have applied for permission from the FAA to operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS). There are now at least 81 agencies that want to fly drones. Most are universities or other research-oriented institutions, and law-enforcement agencies make up the next largest group. Under current FAA rules, drones of all sizes can only be legally operated for non-hobby use through special authorization by the FAA. The list does not indicate which applications have been approved or rejected. The agency was mandated by Congress last year to start allowing more general use of small drones but the FAA said earlier this year it needs more time to figure out how to do that safely. Meanwhile, at least nine states are considering legislation to restrict drone use, one city has banned them entirely for at least two years, and industry groups, from the film industry to agriculture, are stamping their feet with impatience. Trying to reconcile the various factors and factions is the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, and Vice President Gretchen West told AVweb in a podcast interview that education is key to smoothing the process.
West said that thanks to the coincidental increased public awareness of civilian drones due to the congressional mandate and high-profile controversies like the one over the authorization of assassinations by drones, the perception of civilian drone use is skewed. "Most of the systems we're talking about weigh less than 25 pounds," she said. Those used for law enforcement have limited range and endurance that make them suitable only for short-term operations like tracking suspects or search and rescue and not the kind of persistent surveillance that seems to worry many opponents of the technology. She said it's understandable that the FAA and many other countries are wrestling with regulating drones because the technology is relatively new and it's very powerful.


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Paul Craig Roberts
The upcoming Trump/Putin summit is hampered by the crazed portrait of Russia painted by presstitutes. Jonathan Chait, Amy Knight, Max Bergmann, Yaroslav Trofimov, Roger Cohen, and the rest of the conscious or de facto CIA assets that comprise the Western presstitute media have turned Putin into a superhuman who controls election outcomes throughout the West, murders people without rhyme or reason, and has President Trump under his thumb doing Putin's bidding. Who could imagine a more extreme conspiracy theory?
Jonathan Chait in New York magazine writes that "the dark crevices of the Russia scandal run deep," so deep that "it would be dangerous not to consider the possibility that the summit is less a negotiation between two heads of state than a meeting between a Russian-intelligence asset and his handler."
So here is Chait, who brands truth-tellers "conspiracy theorists" coming up with the greatest conspiracy theory of our time that President Trump has been a Kremlim asset since 1987. Chait provides a "crazy quilt of connections" to illustrate his absurd conspiracy theory that "it's not necessary to believe that Putin always knew he might install Trump in the Oval Office to find the following situation highly plausible: Sometime in 2015, the Russian president recognized that he had, in one of his unknown number of intelligence files, an inroad into American presidential politics."
Chait believes that Russia is also behind the UK's exit from the European Union. "Driving Britain out of the European Union advanced the decades-long Russian goal of splitting Western nations apart, and Russia found willing allies on the British far right."
Chait gets even more conspiratorial. He admits that Paul Manafort's indictments for alleged white collar crimes are not related to Trump's election, having occurred years previously in Ukraine. Nevertheless, Chait is certain that Manafort is shielding Trump even though according to Chait Manafort is facing many years in prison. Why would Manafort shield Trump? Chait's answer:
One way to make sense of his behavior is the possibility that Manafort is keeping his mouth shut because he's afraid of being killed. That speculation might sound hyperbolic, but there is plenty of evidence to support it. In February, a video appeared on YouTube showing Manafort's patron Deripaska on his yacht with a Belarusian escort named Anastasia Vashukevich."
Chait's article is long and heavily weighted with innuendo. Chait, or whoever wrote the article, possibly the person who wrote the Steele Dossier, collects every disparaging fact and fantasy about Trump and assembles them in a way to paint a portrait of a person who must also, without much doubt, be a Russian agent. If the public can be convinced of this, the military/security complex can assassinate Trump and blame Putin for getting rid of an asset who was exposed by the Russiagate investigation, no longer useful, and perhaps prepared to spill the beans.
Another conspiracy theorist, Amy Knight, writes that "The real question is where does the Russian criminal state end and the criminal underworld begin, and how do they work together in what amounts to a new murder incorporated?"
Yaroslav Trofimov tells us in the Wall Street Journal (July 7) that "Putin maps out his own empire" to replace the lost Soviet one.
In the Washington Post Max Bergmann tells us that Trump is going to sell out NATO in Helsinki. This line leads to the supposition that Putin is using Trump to unleash the Russian military on Europe. Many conspiracy theorists have come together on the view that first the Baltic States will be invaded and then Putin will move on to Germany and the rest of Europe. The New York Times' Roger Cohen even pulls Marine Le Pen into the plot which widens to include ethnically cleansing the West of the refugees from Washington's wars.
This is the level of absurdity that the American media delivers to the public's understanding of foreign affairs.
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West, How America Was Lost, and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order.
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M.Ed., Stanford University
Winner of multiple teaching awards
Patrick has been teaching AP Biology for 14 years and is the winner of multiple teaching awards.
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M.Ed., Stanford University
Winner of multiple teaching awards
Patrick has been teaching AP Biology for 14 years and is the winner of multiple teaching awards.
When most students are studying for the AP biology exam, they look at all the different kinds of creature there are to memorize. They think, this is impossible. The thing is, it is. It's kind of like trying to memorize everything in your house. Nobody wants you to do that. But what could be important is, if you look at your house, where do things belong? Who do they belong to? If you just use some basic characteristics of the members of your family, like your father. He's big and he like things dealing with business and the economy.
You, you're a little bit smaller, got a good sense smile and you brother, he's small but obsessed with cartoons. If you use those characteristic and you find something that you've never seen before, all you've got to do is think about it and then you can figure out who it belongs to. Say for example I find a fish, I assume this is not your dad's. I'm going to go with your younger brother's. It's the same thing with all the different kinds of organisms. You focus in on a few key characteristics and once you know those, then you can zip in straight in on the ones that you want.
What I'm going to do is I'm going to go through and I'm going to describe how do scientists divide things up? I'm going to describe some of the different ways that they do it, then I'm going to zero in on the traditional five kingdom system. And I'm going to give you some of those major characteristics of each of those five. That way you can zero in, and not obsess over trying to memorize every single detail.
What we're going to be doing now, is we're going to be taking a look at how do the AP Biology people break down the various organisms that we see today. Originally, the idea was if I chase something, and I catch it before it manages to run away, and I eat it. Or as I'm chasing it, it turns around and starts to chase and me and tried to eat me, that was an animal. If on the other hand it never moves and I get to eat it that was a plant.
That's a great system, except it's got a lot of problems. If you take a look at things like fungi, you can chase them, and you catch them, no problem. However, they also try to eat you. And if you've ever had athlete's foot, you've known that feeling.
What scientists came up with is something called the five kingdom system. Now with the five kingdom system, you wind up having Monera down here at the bottom, then the Protista. These are things like algae and amoeba. There is also the plants, the fungi; yeast and mushrooms, and then our favorite, the animals. Now, this system worked out pretty well, but it's starting to show its age. Because as scientists started studying their biochemistry and their genetics, they started realizing things that had been lumped together, say in the Monera or in the Protista kingdom, they're really not closely related.
It's kind of like me and Brad Pitt. I know we look so similar, but we're not cousins. And take a look at this Chihuahua, this German Shepherd and this wolf. Yes, you take a look, that doesn't look like that. But these two are more closely related than those two, oddly enough.
So what scientists came up with is this new idea called the three domain system. I've been seeing those questions appear in essay questions recently so, be aware of it. Now the three domain system is this idea that there is this super groups. Eukarya consists of all these four other kingdoms. If we take a look it's Protista, Plants, Fungi and Animalia. They're subsumed within that Eukarya.
But the Monera kingdom, the bacteria, they actually have two major divisions within them. And so they said these are the proper bacteria sometimes called Eubacteria and then the others are called Archaea. You need to be aware of this. But don't completely dismiss the five kingdom system because, while it's got it's problems, and in fact some people are saying let's take those Protista and break them down to even more kingdoms. Until all the fighting has settled out amongst all the scientists, the AP Biology people aren't going to change things.
Before I get started into the different kingdoms, I wanted to take a moment to just help you remember one of the key ways to help spot which organism you're talking about. And that's to zero in on these unique characteristics that you can find in each group. For example, if you ever hear the word chitin, you know that what they're talking about is either a kind of fungus, or an arthropod.
So look at some other characteristics. If it says something about decomposing, that means it's a fungus, it's a kind of mushroom. And if they say it has jointed legs, that's not a mushroom, that's a bug, an arthropod. So bearing that in mind, let's start going into the kingdoms. And we'll start off with the kingdom Monera, otherwise known as the bacteria.
Bear in mind as we're doing this, you've got to remember there is that weird subdivision that's going on called the domains. And it's in the Monera that this whole thing started. What's the big unifying characteristic of the Monera? They are the prokaryotes. That means, before the nucleus. And if we take a look, it means that they don't have a nucleus, and in fact they don't have any other membrane bound organelles like mitochondrion or chloroplast. Instead, their DNA is circular and they only have one molecule of DNA and it's naked, naughty. That just doesn't mean that they're doing weird stuff with their DNA. That just means that it's not wrapped around histone proteins.
Another thing that they have is this peptidoglycan cell wall. Now that is different than the cellulose that you may be used to from plant cells or algae. Something else that they have, is they have a flagella like yours and mine. But instead, ours does this angulations, theirs does rotation.
Last in the Monera to bear in mind, is that Archaea bacteria. That's the weird group that's caused all the trouble that I was talking about before. Now the thing to think about with them, is that they're weird. If you think about where are they found, volcanic hot springs, that's weird. Very salty water, weird pit bugs, weird. And in fact, even in their cell walls, or cell membranes they have this weird molecule. Scientists prefer that you call it a branch fatty acid but it's just weird.
Let's move on into the Protista. The Protista as a kingdom don't have any one great unifying trait. So instead, they've broken down to these subgroups called the protozoa, the algae and the fungi like protists. Let's take a look at them a little bit closer.
The first group is the protozoa, that name means early animal. And in fact they're probably the organisms that we branched off of in our animal kingdom. Like us, they are heterotrophic. That means that they eat other things. They're also mobile, that means that they move around in various different forms, and I'll get into that in just a moment.
They're also diploid, what does that mean? That means they have two copies of every gene. And they follow the gametic life cycle, and that means that they engage in sex like you and I do, not. Instead, what happens is that, one of their cells will bump into another one cell, and then fuse and then out pops a little baby amoeba, or other things like that. They're also single celled. That's the big difference between them and us.
Let's take a closer look at some of these groups. In the protozoan, there are the amoeba. Their movement is what makes them unique. They use these things called pseudo pods, which literally means false foot. What they do is, they extend a portion of their body and then flow into it. Freaky.
Next up are the ciliates. The ciliates include this group here, the paramecium. And as you might be able to guess from their name, they use little tiny cilia to flow their way through the water.
The last group up is the flagellate. How do they move? You guessed it, with flagella. And they just use one or in this case four, five long flagella to swim their way through the water.
Next up are the algae. The big thing about the algae is that, they're like plants but they're in water. Now like plants of course, they are photosynthetic. Many of them using pigments like chlorophyll, like the plants do, or some of them use other different kinds of pigments, like xanthosine. They have cell walls often made of cellulose, but some of them use different materials. They follow many different life cycles. Some of them following life cycles kind of like the fungi, others following cycles kind of like the land plants. I'll get into that more in depth later.
The other thing to remember about them is that, they include the green algae, which are the creatures that gave rise to the land plants. Now let's take a look at some of the diversity within the algae.
They include things as small as these diatoms. These are unicellular creatures. Now diatoms is a good one to remember, because their unique characteristic to remember is that, their cell walls are made of glass. AP Biology people will try to trick you by saying silicon dioxide, but you know what that is. They're wee, kelp is ginormous. They can grow upwards of a hundred or so feet long.
Last group that I'll talk about real briefly in the algae are the green algae. Again, we mention them a lot because they're the ancestors of the land plants. This right here is volvox, a commonly used example of colonial algae. You can see here's the colony of algae, with little baby colonies inside. The last group in the Protists are the slime molds. This is a group that everybody is kind of more happy to not even pay attention to. Take a look at this.
This is literally called dog vomit, slime mold. It's nasty. If you're going through the forest and you pick up a log and you look and it looks like somebody just blew their nose on the ground, it's not. Well maybe it could be, but generally it's not. If you watch it for a while, you'll see it start to flow. And then if conditions get bad, it will just clamp together, shoot up little stocks and spray our spores. Others of them are just like little amoeba. And you and I look through a microscope we say it looks like a protozoan. It's not. If you see them start to flow together, form a little slug thing kind of like the Power Rangers forming the megazord, it'll move a long, shoot up a stock and out spray the spores. It's just really bizarre.
Let's move on to fungi, it's a little bit nicer. The fungi include those mushrooms that you and I are all familiar with, but they also include thing like yeast, mould and mildews. We can see here these are the standard fruiting bodies of the fungi. This happens to be the shelf fungus. The big thing that you'll see with them, is that they're heterotrophic which means they eat other things. Usually they're decomposers like, the fungus that will eat you when you die.
Their big thing is that chitin that I mentioned before. If you see chitin, again, it's a fungus or an arthropod. They are haploid which means, every fungus only has one copy of every gene. They follow something called the zygotic life cycle. What does that mean? That means that the only time that they form diploid cells, is when they're making zygotes. When they're making little babies, which they will immediately undergo miosis and then form spores.
The last thing you recognize about them is that they form these things called hyphae. What's a hyphae? That's a long thread of cells that they form by mitosis. Now those of you who are up to date with your current West coast line, that makes it easy. Because just think, that fungi at the party, he was getting 'hyphae'. We can make that even funnier if we say, "Hey why did the algae go home with the mushroom?" She took a 'lichen' to him because he's a 'fun gi'. That will help a lot of and be even funnier if you knew that a lichen is a symbiotic relationship between a green algae, or a cyanobacteria and a fungus. Actually it wouldn't be any funnier.
Now as I previously mentioned, the animals evolved from the protozoa. And what happened is that, we went the step from being unicellular to being multicellular creatures. So what are the big unifying traits of the animals? Let's take a look.
We don't have cell walls or chloroplast, or things like that. Instead, unique organelles, our cells compared to the plants, are the centrioles. These are things that we have that we use during mitosis, during cell division. We are, as I previously mentioned, multicellular. Which means that, even the smallest animals that I can think of still have hundreds of cells. We do heterotrophic nutrition. We hunt down our prey, kill it.
Now we are often called irritable and that's a big thing that makes us different from the fungi or the plants. That doesn't just mean you're cranky, that means we respond very quickly to stimuli. And we usually do that by using nervous systems and muscle systems. And that allows us to move generally.
Now our last big thing that we have is that we're diploid. Again that means that we have two copies of every cell.
Now we are very sophisticated. Very complex compared to other organisms. And that means that in order to maintain that complexity, we are diploid almost all the time. The only time that you and I are diploid, is when we either form our sperm, that would be me, or eggs, that would not be me. Those things then fuse and form a zygote and that grows into a new baby animal.
Within the animal kingdom, there is huge diversity. And I hugely recommend that you spend some time with your text book reading through them because as our favorite kingdom, it winds up being something that the AP Biology people ask a lot of questions about. I don't have time now to go through that, but what I'll do is I'll briefly mention some of the major groups and give you some clues as to how to organize it. Let's start off with the simplest of the animals.
Those are things like the Porifera here; the sponges, which are filter feeders and then the cnidaria which are the things like jelly fish and sea anemones. The unique characteristic to listen for, is the fact that they have these stinging cells called cnidocytes, which have these little internal parpoons called nematocysts.
The next group up includes the things like the tapeworm here, or planeria, which are all members of the platyhelminthes. These are grouped together into this thing called acoelamates. The next groups up do have some kind of coelum. Whether it's a pseudo coelum of the nematodes, or the true coelums of things like the molluscs, the arthropods and the annelids. If we take a look at them, the molluscs include things like snails but they can also include clams or octopi. They all share this thing called a mantle, which in the snails gets developed into the shell.
The arthropods are those bugs that I mentioned before. And remember, they've got chitin and jointed legs. So if you see chitin and jointed legs, you know you're talking about an insect, a crustacean, or some kind of arachnid. The annelids are the segmented worms.
They are true coelemates, and they have a unique thing, at least for these guys.
They have what's called a closed circulatory system. They're landmark species, they're often mentioned for closed circulatory systems or they're going to be talked about as the chordates, or sometimes called the vertebrates. If we take a look at the other side of the animal kingdom, the things known as deuterostomes, all those guys previously were protostomes. That includes us, the incredibly handsome animals, chordates over here and then the echinoderms right here, the star fish and sea urchins.
That's it for the animals, now it's time to move into the plants. The plants, those are the creatures that move up on land and they do photosynthesis, on land. They all do photosynthesis using the stuff called chlorophyll. They have those within chloroplast. The plants have cellulose cell walls. What does that mean? That means that they have these rigid box shapes around their cells and that gives them support and structure.
The big challenge to being of land is lack of water. So there are a lot of adaptations within the plant groups to help deal with this lack of water. One of which are roots. True roots are those specialized parts of the cells that absorb water from the soil, and bring it up to the plant. All the plants have them, except for the bryophytes. For those of you who don't know, bryophytes are the mosses. Because they don't have roots, they have a harder time dealing with getting water from the soil. In fact, all of the other plant groups besides the bryophytes, have vascular tissue.
What is that? That's the transport tubes that allow a tree, like a sequoia tree, to get water from the soil, all the way up, hundreds and hundreds of feet to the top of the tree. The bryophytes since they lack that, they're completely restricted to being about this tall, because that's about as far as they can get water through simple osmosis or diffusion. What are some of the other big things?
We see here that the gymnosperms. What are those? Those are things like pine trees. What they do is they take advantage of the fact that there's wind on land. What they do is, they spread pollen from their cones and that's how they get the pollen from one tree to the next.
Later on when that pollen fertilizes the cone, it then turns into a seed, or releases seeds. And those seeds are then dispersed again by wind. The angiosperms on the other hand, they use animals to spread their pollen. And that's the whole birds and the bees thing that your parents really did a bad job of explaining.
Now they also use it to disperse their seeds. How do they do that? Have you ever looked at fruit? Fruits are bright. What are they trying to get you to do? The fruit is saying come here. The plant gives you the fruit, you eat it and then 24 hours later, after you've wandered away, you deposit that seed in a big steaming pile of fertilizer and that helps that angiosperm out.
Now the big thing that the plants all do is the sporic life cycle. This is sometimes called alternation of generation. And you should probably spend some time with your textbook reinforcing this, but I'll go through the basics right now. With the sporic life cycle, you have two different forms of the creature. Two different generations; one is diploid; that is called the sporophyte. The other one is haploid, that's called the gametophyte.
Let's start off with that gametophyte. The gametophyte is a plant that is like I said, haploid. It produces gametes, that's why it's called a gametophyte. Those are either sperm or egg. They'll swim or fly or be carried by an insect to one of the eggs. And then that will fertilize and form a zygote. That eventually is dropped and forms the sporophyte. The sporophyte is the diploid organism. That will eventually undergo meosis and produce spores, spore's a single cell that is haploid and when it lands it grows into a complete gametophyte, completing the cycle.
Obviously, the sporophyte with its diploid or two copies of every gene, it winds up having a lot more information in it. And that allows those plants that have the sporophyte generation as the dominant generation, to have a lot more sophistication. If you take a look at a rose bush, that has a dominant sporophyte. In fact, the gametophyte is contained within the flowers. If you look at a pine tree, it's also a pretty elaborate.
And that also possesses this dominant sporophyte with the gametophyte being contained within the male and female cones. The only ones that really have a dominant gametophyte are the mosses.
Let's take a quick look to just make sure that you know what these different plant groups are. If we take a look here, here I see the bryophyte. This is the moss. These little tiny things here that are sticking out here, those are called the sporophyte living off the big leafy mat that is the parental gametophyte. Over here, that's a fern or pteridophyta, as they're more properly called. What you're seeing here is the sporophyte. Its gametophyte generation is independent, but it's it tiny little heart shaped profilis and that looks like somebody just tore off a leaf and crumpled it on the ground. It is very, very small.
Now let's take a quick look at the gymnosperms. If you take a look at the gymnosperms, they include the pine trees like this. And anything that has a cone, that's a gymnosperm. Their name literally means naked seed. While these are the angiosperms, flowering plants. And that's it. That's the five kingdoms.
I've covered a lot of information and I strongly recommend again going back to your textbook and read through the chapter summaries. Yes, the chapters are important, but the summaries will make it faster. Just bear in mind that there are those five kingdoms, subdivided into the super domain groups, called the Archaea and the bacteria for the kingdom Monera. And then all the others are lumped together in the Eukarya.
Remember the five kingdoms in this order; the Monera or the bacteria, the Protista, are subdivided into the protozoan, the algae and the fungus, like slime molds. Then there is the fungi with the chitin and the decomposing. The plants which are the green things living on land. And then there is us, the animals. Heterotrophic, multi cellular, mobile creatures. That's it.
If you take a good look at this stuff, you'll do really well in the AP test.
That's it, that's the five kingdoms. You now have enough information to do just fine on the AP Bio exam in case they ask any questions about them. Prokaryote, it's a member of the Monera. Does it have flagella and is eukaryotic and single celled, heterotrophe? That's a flagellate Protista from the protozoan group. Does it have chitin? Does it have legs? If so, it's and arthropod animal. If it's a decomposer that means it's a fungus.
What I do recommend though is that to really firm up this information, go back through your textbook. And with that idea in mind that, you're always looking for those one or two unique traits that make that one group stand out from the others. Do that and you'll do just fine.


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South African Journal of Animal Science
On-line version ISSN 2221-4062
Print version ISSN 0375-1589
S. Afr. j. anim. sci. vol.40 n.4 Pretoria Jan. 2010
Phenotypic and molecular characterization of six Sudanese camel breeds
I.A. IshagI,#; M. ReissmannII; K.J. PetersIII; L.M-A. MusaIV; M-K.A. AhmedIV
IDepartment of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sinnar, Sudan
IIDepartment of Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
IIIDepartment of Animal Breeding in the Tropics and Subtropics, Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
IVDepartment of Genetics & Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Production, University of Khartoum, Sudan
The objective of this study was to sequence the growth hormone (GH) gene in Sudanese camel breeds (Kenani, Lahwee, Rashaidi, Anafi, Bishari and Kabbashi) searching for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and contribute to the phenotypic characterization of the multitude of camel ecotypes in Sudan. This will also afford the chance of investigating the possibility of the presence of correlations between body measurements and SNPs of GH gene. A length of 1732 bp, spanning the region between -44 bp upstream of the first exon and +37 bp downstream of the last exon was sequenced in two animals from each breed. The sequence comparison of Sudanese camel GH sequences with the GenBank sequence identified one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The SNP was detected in the non coding region (intron 1) in position AJ575419:g.419C>T. A PCR-RFLP method was used to genotype 181 animals representing the six tested Sudanese breeds for detected SNP. The Bishari and Anafi breeds that are classified as riding camels had slightly higher T allele frequencies (0.57 and 0.48, respectively) than those of the other four breeds which are classified as pack camels. The effect of genotype with regard to the SNP g.419C>T on those traits was not significant.
Keywords: Camels, Sudan, growth hormone, polymorphisms, body measurements
Camels provide mankind with a range of products and services, e.g. wool, meat, milk and draught power. They have been domesticated about 3000 years ago and are present in high numbers in the arid parts of Africa (ca. 11.5 million animals in this region in 1992), particularly in the arid lowlands of eastern Africa (Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti) (Schwartz & Dioli, 1992). Sudan is rated second in numbers of camel population in the world after Somalia with an estimation of 4078 thousand head (Ministry of Animal Resources, 2006), concentrated in two main regions; the Eastern states (Butana plain and Red Sea mountains) and Western regions (Darfour and Kordofan) (Agab, 1993). The camel ecotypes in Sudan serve numerous functions in their respective production systems (e.g. milk, meat, racing, riding, packing) and are bred and selected for sustainable performance.
Phenotypic and genetic characterization to assess the existing biodiversity and differences among the Sudanese camel ecotypes is an essential prerequisite to facilitate the conservation and utilization programme in an effective and meaningful way. However, the Sudanese camel ecotypes are not well classified or defined, with very limited information available. The development in molecular genetic techniques has made it possible to identify differences between individuals at the DNA level. Recently, genetic polymorphisms at candidate genes affecting economic traits have stimulated substantial research interest because of their impending utilization as an aid to genetic selection and to demarcate evolutionary relationships in different livestock breeds (Sodhi et al., 2007). Association of several polymorphic sites (SNPs) in different candidate genes with economic traits has been much investigated in different animal species. Work based on characterization of candidate genes and their association with animal performance in camels is meagre compared with cattle (Lucy et al., 1991; Schlee et al., 1994; Ge et al., 2003), sheep (Wallis et al., 1998; Bastos et al., 2001) or goats (Wallis et al., 1998; Neelam Gupta et al., 2007).
In farm animals, promising candidate genes for many traits are in the growth hormone axis. The growth hormone is a polypeptide hormone with diverse biological activities including somatogenic (growth promoting), lactogenic, insulin-like and diabetogenic effects. The camel growth hormone (GH) gene extends over about 1900 bp, and like other mammalian GH genes; it splits into 5 exons and 4 introns (Maniou et al., 2001).
There is no direct evidence of a correlation between body measurements and growth hormone in camels. However, Liu, et al. (2010) studied the correlation between GDF5 gene and body measurement in cattle, Ardiyanti, et al. (2009) investigated the association of GH gene and carcass traits in cattle, while Hua, et al. (2009) estimated the correlation between GH gene and growth traits in goats.
The aim of this study was to sequence the growth hormone (GH) gene in Sudanese camel breeds searching for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and contribute to the phenotypic characterization of the multitude of camel ecotypes in Sudan. This will also afford the chance of investigating the possibility of the presence of correlations between body measurements and SNPs of the GH gene.
Materials and Methods
Hair samples were obtained from 181 unrelated individuals of Sudanese camels. Thirty one hair samples were collected from the Kenani breed and 30 hair samples from each of the Rashaidi, Lahwee, Anafi, Bishari and Kabbashi breeds. Genomic DNA was extracted from hair roots by using the Nucleospin® tissue kit (Macherey-Nagel), following manufacturer instructions. DNA concentration was measured with a NanoDrop spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc).
Based on the published nucleotide sequence information of the camel GH gene (GenBank accession no. AJ575419, Maniou et al., 2004) primer pairs were designed to amplify four GH fragments (Kgh1b, Kgh1, Kgh2 and Kgh3) by using primer 3 programme (http://biotools.umassmed.edu/bioapps/primer3_www.cgi). The gene from -44 bp upstream of the first exon to +37 bp downstream of the last exon was analyzed. The primer sequences, location and size of the amplified fragments are shown in Table (1). PCR was performed in a reaction volume of 25 µL using 100 ng of DNA, 0.2 mM of each primer, 1X PCR buffer, 2.5 mM MgCl2, 0.2 mM of each dNTP and 0.5 units of GoTaq flexi-DNA polymerase (Promega).
The amplification programmes consisted of 37 cycles. The first one was characterised by denaturation at 94 ºC for 2 min, annealing with the special primer temperature (Table 1) for 30 s and an extension step at 72 ºC for 40 s. The next 36 cycles involved a denaturation step at 94 ºC for 1 min, annealing at 51 to 57 ºC for 30 s and extension at 72 ºC for 40 s with the exception that in the last cycle the extension time was 10 min. The PCR products were visualized by ethidium bromide staining following electrophoresis on 2% agarose gel (Biorad) in TAE buffer and photographed under UV light.
Two animals of each breed were sequenced. The PCR products amplified by using the standard methods were cut from agarose gel (2%) and purified using JustSpin Gel Extraction columns (Genaxon). Nucleotide sequencing was carried out according to the dideoxynucleotide chain-termination technique (Sanger et al., 1977) by using a BigDye' Terminator v1.1 Ready Reaction cycle sequencing kit and an ABI PRISM 310 nucleotide sequencer (Applied Biosystems).
The 181 animals of the six tested Sudanese camel breeds were genotyped for SNP AJ575419:g.419 C>T (intron 1) using the PCR-RFLP method. A 613 bp fragment (primer pair KGH1) covering the sequence containing the mutation site was amplified. The amplicon was digested with MspI restriction endonuclease (Promega) at 37 ºC for four hours to distinguish between the two alleles. For each reaction, 15 µL of PCR product, 2 µL buffer, 2.5 µL H2O and 0.05 µL enzyme containing 5 units of MspI were used. The digested fragments (C allele, unrestricted: 613 bp; T allele, restricted: 349 bp and 264 bp) were analyzed by electrophoresis in 2% agarose gels, stained with ethidium bromide and photographed under UV light (Figure 1).
A detailed questionnaire survey was designed to obtain information on general characteristics and descriptions of the camel breeds such as body colour, hair length and distribution, hump and udder size.
Chest girth was measured by metric tape immediately behind the breast pad; abdominal girth was determined over the highest part of the hump and the shoulder height was measured for each animal. Weights of animals were then estimated using the Boue formula (1949) as follows:
Where P is body weight (kg); T chest or heart girth (cm) which was taken immediately behind the chest; An abdominal girth (cm) which taken over the highest part of the hump; and H is shoulder height (cm).
Genotype and allele frequencies were determined by gene counting. The Chi-square test was employed to evaluate whether the populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. However, the t-test was used to determine differences in gene frequencies between populations. The data on the estimation of body weights and phenotypic measurements of the different genotypes were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the general linear model (GLM) from the Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Institute Inc., 2000). The statistical model used was:
Yijkl= µ+Si +Aj +Gk + eijkl
Where Yijkl is the observation on each trait of the ijklth animal, µ is the general mean of each trait, Si is the fixed effect of ith sex, Aj is the covariance of jth age, Gk is the fixed effect of the kth genotype and eijkl is the random error effect associated to the ijklth observation.
The nucleotide sequence of the GH gene of Sudanese camels resulted in 1732 bp, spanning the region between -44 bp upstream of the first exon and +37 bp downstream of the last exon. The sequence comparison of the tested six Sudanese camel breeds GH sequences with the references of GenBank sequence (AJ575419) descending from dromedary camels identified one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The SNP was detected in a non coding region (intron 1) in position g.419C>T relative to the GenBank sequence.
The genotype frequencies of the SNP g.419C>T in intron 1 in Sudanese camels are listed in Table 2. All camel breeds were found to be carriers of the T allele with an allelic frequency ranging between 0.30 for the Lahwee breed and 0.57 for the Bishari. The heterozygous (CT) was most frequent among the Rashaidi breed and least frequent among the Kenani breed. The homozygous (TT) had the highest genotype frequency in the Bishari and Anafi breeds, while the homozygous genotype (CC) was most frequent among the Lahwee and Kenani breeds. The chi-square (χ2) test showed that each breed was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P <0.01). Differences in genotypes and alleles frequencies between breeds were tested for significance using the t-test (Table 2). The frequency of the T allele in the Bishari breed was 0.57, which was significantly (P <0.05) higher than in all those of other breeds except the Anafi breed.
Table 3 points out the phenotypic description of the six camel breeds studied. The results revealed that most ecotypes generally have more or less similar morphological features (grey, brown, yellow colour, large size, heavily built animals with a developed hump) except for the Rashaidi, Anafi and Bishari, which are classified as pack (heavy) camels and called Arabi camels. The Rashaidi camel is also classified as a pack camel but it has different phenotypic characteristics (dark grey, pinkish red colour, light weight and short at shoulders) compared to the other Sudanese pack camels. Moreover, the Rashaidi breed has large size udders and well developed milk veins which may qualify it to be classified as a dairy camel. The results of these phenotypic descriptions also showed that the Anafi and Bishari breeds have similar features (white, yellowish colour and light weight) and are classified as riding camels in Sudan.
The data in Table 4 present the least squares means and standard errors of the abdominal girth, chest girth, shoulder height and body weight. The estimated least squares means of the abdominal girth, chest girth, height at shoulder and body weight were 2.42 ± 0.02 m, 1.97 ± 0.01 m, 1.86 ± 0.01 m and 439.05 ± 4.75 kg, respectively. These results (Table 4) indicate that breed had a significant (P <0.01) influence on all studied traits, while the SNP g.419C>T genotypes had no significant effects (P >0.05) on those traits. The results also revealed that age of animal significantly (P <0.01) influenced abdominal girth, chest girth and body weight. Sex had a significant (P <0.01) effect on chest girth, height at shoulders and body weight. The results also showed that the KEN breed had significantly higher values for chest girth (2.08 ± 0.02 m) and body weight (501.65 ± 11.79 kg) compared to the other breeds. Male camels had a significantly (P <0.05) greater chest girth, shoulder height and heavier body weight than the corresponding traits of female camels. In addition, the homozygous genotype of the SNP g.419 (TT) had the highest, but not significantly different (P >0.05) abdominal girth, chest girth, height at shoulders and body weight; followed by those of the heterozygous (TC), while the homozygous (CC) had the lowest values.
The GH sequences of the six tested Sudanese camel breeds were aligned and compared with the GenBank camel GH sequence AJ575419. Only one SNP was identified in a non coding region (intron 1) in position AJ575419:g.419C>T. It is noteworthy to state that numerous mutations in this gene were documented in other species, viz. in cattle more than 10 SNPs have been recorded (Chikuni et al., 1994; Ge et al., 2003; Musa, 2007). Also, many SNPs have been reported in sheep (Bastos et al., 2001). Neelam Gupta et al. (2007) found several SNPs in the growth hormone gene of Black Bengal goats. The lack of SNPs in GH of Sudanese camels may be due to the probability that all these ecotypes may have originated from the same stock and not enough time has passed for segregation and generation of new mutants. The detected SNP in the GH gene of Sudanese camel was previously reported in Pakistani dromedary camels (Shah, 2006).
The Anafi and Bishari breeds tended to have a higher T allele frequency compared to those of the other four breeds. However, the difference in the T allele frequency was significant only between Bishari and the other four breeds. The Anafi and Bishari breeds have the same morphological appearance (white coat and relatively light weight), and both are classified as riding camels. This SNP is only one of a large probable number of mutations in the whole genome but it is possible that the higher T allele frequency in Anafi and Bishari is the result of a probable similar ancestral origin. However, these suggestions require extensive studies to verify them. Other breeds (Kenani, Lahwee, Rashaidi and Kabbashi) have higher body weights and are classified as pack camels (draught animals). Generally they have almost similar T allele frequencies (0.30 to 0.33).
The results of phenotypic descriptions showed that the Rashaidi breed has large size udders and well developed milk vein which may qualify it to be classified as a dairy camel. These findings are similar to those reported by Wardeh (2004). Regarding the udder and teats feature, Kenani, Kabashi and Lahwee camels have well developed udders (medium to large size). This probably explains their capacity in milk production and may be classified as dual purpose (beef and dairy) camels.
The body weights obtained in this study for the Bishari and Anafi breeds are in agreement with the findings of Wardeh (1989), Khouri (2000) and Wardeh (2004). Male camels had significantly higher body measurements than the females, which was similar to that reported by Dioli et al. (1992) and Mehari et al. (2007) who stated that there is quite distinctive sexual dimorphism in camels, i.e. the male camels is usually taller and of heavier weight than the females. These differences in tested traits between male and female camels may reflect differences in the hormonal secretions and their activities in the two sexes.
The age group, 7 to 9 years, had significantly higher values of the studied traits, followed by those of the age group 10 to 12 years, then those of the age group >13 years. However, the age group 4 to 6 years had significantly lower values of tested traits than those of the other age groups. This means that camels reach maturity (growth peak) within 7 to 9 years of age; after which the different measurements decline. This trend is reflected in the growth curve of the Sudanese camels.
An association was indicated between GH polymorphism and carcass characteristics in cattle (Ardiyanti et al., 2009). However, the evidence obtained from this study does not support the presence of any association between body measurements and GH polymorphism.
The Dromedary camel contributes significantly to family food security in semi dry and dry climates, and is a major component of the agro-pastoral systems in vast pastoral areas in Asia and Africa. This study demonstrated that only one single nucleotide polymorphism was detected in the growth hormone gene of the studied Sudanese camel breeds after sequencing. Though it is located in a non coding region (intron 1), it can be used as a genetic marker in different genetic studies, e.g. to determine genetic relationships and to establish the phylogenic tree for different camel breeds. This study showed that there were no associations between growth hormone genotypes and body measurements. Further research and more studies with larger numbers of animals are required to investigate these associations between growth hormone genotypes and camel body measurements.
Great appreciation is expressed to the staff of the laboratory of Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt University of Berlin. Appreciation is also expressed to the Ministry of Higher Education (Republic of Sudan) for the financial support of part of this work. My special thanks go to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for helping me to stay in Berlin.
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Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age
New findings show that Philistine culture had a major and long-term impact on floral biodiversity in Israel and may assist ecologists in dealing with invasive species
Source - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/bu-pis082815.php
This is the structure of Iron Age Floral List at each site. Circle size reflects the total number of new plant species recognized in Iron Age sites. Red indicates new species that appeared only in Philistine Iron Age sites. Green indicates species that appeared only in non-Philistine Iron Age contexts. Blue denotes species shared by Philistine and non-Philistine sites. The three numbers represent the quantity of Philistine species/non-Philistine species/shared species, at a site. Map produced by M. Frumin using ArcGIS for Desktop (ArcMap 10.1), ESRI.
One of the most pressing issues in modern biological conservation is "invasion biology". Due to unprecedented contacts between peoples and culture in today's "global village" certain animal and plant species are spreading widely throughout the world, often causing enormous damage to local species.
Recent studies have shown that alien species have had a substantial impact not only in recent times but also in antiquity. This is exemplified in a study published in the August 25th issue of Scientific Reports by a team led by archaeologists from Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology (Suembikya (Sue) Frumin, Prof. Ehud Weiss and Prof. Aren Maeir) and the Hebrew University (Dr. Liora Kolska Horwitz), describing the bio-archaeological remains of the
Philistine culture during the Iron Age (12th century to 7th century BCE). The team compiled a database of plant remains extracted from Bronze and Iron Ages sites in the southern Levant, both Philistine and non-Philistine. By analyzing this database, the researchers concluded that the Philistines brought to Israel not just themselves but also their plants.
The species they brought are all cultivars that had not been seen in Israel previously. This includes edible parts of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) which originates in western Europe; the sycamore tree (Ficus sycomorus), whose fruits are known to be cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean, especially Egypt, and whose presence in Israel as a locally grown tree is first attested to in the Iron Age by the presence of its fruit; and finally, cumin (Cuminum cyminum), a spice originating in the Eastern Mediterranean. Sue Frumin, a PhD student at Prof. Ehud Weiss's archaeobotanical lab, Bar-Ilan University, explains that "the edible parts of these species - opium poppy, sycamore, and cumin - were not identified in the archaeobotanical record of Israel prior to the Iron Age, when the Philistine culture first appeared in the region. None of these plants grows wild in Israel today, but instead grows only as cultivated plants."
In addition to the translocation of exotic plants from other regions, the Philistines were the first community to exploit over 70 species of synanthropic plants (species which benefit from living in the vicinity of man) that were locally available in Israel, such as Purslane, Wild Radish, Saltwort, Henbane and Vigna. These plant species were not found in archaeological sites pre-dating the Iron Age, or in Iron Age archaeological sites recognized as belonging to non-Philistine cultures - Canaanite, Israelite, Judahite, and Phoenician. The "agricultural revolution" that accompanied the Philistine culture reflects a different agrarian regime and dietary preferences to that of their contemporaries.
The fact that the three exotic plants introduced by the Philistines originate from different regions accords well with the diverse geographic origin of these people. The Philistines - one of the so called Sea Peoples, and mentioned in the Bible and other ancient sources - were a multi-ethnic community with origins in the Aegean, Turkey, Cyprus and other regions in the Eastern Mediterranean who settled on the southern coastal plain of Israel in the early Iron Age (12th century BCE), and integrated with Canaanite and other local populations, finally to disappear at the end of the Iron Age (ca. 600 BCE).
The results of this research indicate that the ca. 600 year presence of the Philistine culture in Israel had a major and long-term impact on local floral biodiversity. The Philistines left as a biological heritage a variety of plants still cultivated in Israel, including, among others, sycamore, cumin, coriander, bay tree and opium poppy.
The Philistines also left their mark on the local fauna. In a previous study also published inScientific Reports in which two of the present authors (Maeir and Kolska Horwitz) participated, DNA extracted from ancient pig bones from Philistine and non-Philistine sites in Israel demonstrated that European pigs were introduced by the Philistines into Israel and slowly swamped the local pig populations through inter-breeding. As a consequence, modern wild boar in Israel today bears a European haplotype rather than a local, Near Eastern one.
As illustrated by these studies, the examination of the ancient bio-archaeological record has the potential to help us understand the long-term mechanisms and vectors that have contributed to current floral and faunal biodiversity, information that may also assist contemporary ecologists in dealing with the pressing issue of invasive species.


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Though there are only six episodes, ABC has decided to pull freshman game show Downfall one week early.
Hosted by Chris Jericho, Downfall hasn't been performing well in the ratings and continues to ire some viewers. Though viewers are reminded that the prizes being smashed are replicas, many still view the practice distasteful in a struggling economy and for environmental reasons. ABC is owned by Disney, a corporation that's been touting a "go green" initiative.
The episode of Downfall that will air on July 20th has been deemed the "season finale." The following week's episode will be replaced by the first half of a two-hour edition of Wipeout, called "Wipeout Blind Date." Beginning August 3rd, the timeslot will be filled by the returning Shaq Vs. reality series.
No word on when or if the remaining episode of Downfall will air. A second season is looking doubtful since the ratings for the show have been poor.
UPDATE: Though ABC ordered six episodes and had them all on their schedule for weeks, an ABC representative has confirmed that only five were actually produced. There is no sixth episode. Jericho tweeted that, because of the pace of the show and editing, they only ended up having enough contestants for five installments.
In addition, the host says that they plan to film additional episodes in the fall. However, ABC hasn't announced that they've renewed the show or have ordered any episodes beyond the initial six. We'll have to wait and see what happens.
What do you think? Does the smashing of prize replicas bother you? Should the show return for season two? Do you think it will?
Image courtesy ABC.


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Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Stranger Song
The Stranger Song
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
who is reaching for the sky just to surrender,
who is reaching for the sky just to surrender.
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
you find he did not leave you very much
not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
that is so high and wild
he'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
And then leaning on your window sill
he'll say one day you caused his will
to weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
an old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger.
But now another stranger seems
to want you to ignore his dreams
as though they were the burden of some other
O you've seen that man before
his golden arm dispatching cards
but now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter.
Ah you hate to see another tired man
lay down his hand
like he was giving up the holy game of poker
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
you notice there's a highway
that is curling up like smoke above his shoulder.
It is curling just like smoke above his shoulder.
You tell him to come in sit down
but something makes you turn around
The door is open you can't close your shelter
You try the handle of the road
It opens do not be afraid
It's you my love, you who are the stranger
It's you my love, you who are the stranger.
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
we'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
I think it's time to board another
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
to get me to the heart of this
or any other matter
When he talks like this
you don't know what he's after
When he speaks like this,
you don't know what he's after.
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
upon the shore, beneath the bridge
that they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform
for the sleeping car that's warm
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say ok the bridge or someplace later.
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind ...
And leaning on your window sill ...
I told you when I came I was a stranger.
Leonard Cohen
Posted by Glenn Buttkus at 7:04 AM
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