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After almost fifty years of hard work, and with the precious instructions of GJH, cable manufacturers seem to have gotten all this really right!
There are three basic points every ad writer should bear in mind. First, no advertisement may tell a lie. Lying in ads is dishonest. It is also illegal, so don't. Second, if you have a really good product, tell the truth about it, in tedious detail. And third, if you're trying to peddle a third-rate product, be as persuasive as you can without actually committing yourself to anything. Remember these points.
The purpose of an advertisement is to sell something. To do this, you must convince the prospective buyer that he needs your product more than he needs any other product, even if he doesn't. This is the secret of advertising.
The Display Ad: Before writing the ad, you must decide what kind of an ad to write. The most common these days is the display advertisement, which is a picture of something interesting, accompanied by as few words as possible. The picture must accomplish two things: It must catch the eye, which is why sleek female models are used in so many display ads. And it must also create the desired impression. It is not good practice to show Fidel Castro using your product, even if you have five unsolicited endorsements from him in your files. Endorsements are In, but Castro is Out.
The words in a display ad are important. They must be carefully chosen because there are so few of them that they have no place to hide. They must be appropriate, succinct, and short. Four-letter words are useful, but watch the ones you use. Longer words are fine, too, if you know how to cope with them.
Words that have stood the test of time are "luxurious," "deluxe," "outstanding," "rich," "silky," "superb," "delicious," and "hifi" (often hyphenated in print, but never pronounced that way). Always make sure you use the right word. Automobiles are not delicious. Neither are most phonographs hifi, but it is all right to call a phonograph hifi because, to the average ad reader, a phonograph is a HiFi, just as a vacuum cleaner is a Hoover. One very important word is the manufacturer's brand name. Make sure you include it.
The Text Ad: The other kind of ad is the text ad, which is verbiage with a message. The text ad is much more fun to do than the display ad, because words offer far more opportunity for ambiguity than do pictures. (Regardless of what the FCC had to say about TV advertising.) A text ad sometimes has a picture, too, but it is smaller, and it doesn't have to mean much of anything, just as long as it is eye-catching and creates the intended impression. Remember, though, that the intended impression need not necessarily be the right impression. This depends on whether or not you can be frank about the product you're advertising.
The Top-Notch Product: For instance, if your product is indisputably better than anybody else's, you can probably prove its superiority without too much trouble, so this is the thing to do. Publish hard, cold facts, including all the technical data you can lay your hands on. Show charts, graphs, and photos of your product doing its stuff, and then sit back and wait for the orders to roll in. This is the easier kind of ad writing, because all you have to do is to tell the truth. Of course, who's to know your competitors aren't telling the truth when they publish their specs?
Spec Stretching: A time-honored technique for making a product seem better than it really is is the simple expedient of stretching your specifications. Spec stretching can be done in several ways. You can pull a few dozen units off the assembly line, test them all, and publish the best measurements you get. Or, you can pick an outstandingly good production unit, have it carefully peaked for top performance in your design lab, and publish its performance specs.
If you really want to get an edge on the competition, you can devise your own set of test procedures, using measuring techniques and reference standards that are much less stringent than those used by your competitors. If you do this, however, do not list your test conditions. Just omit them, and publish only the measurements.


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The month of June marks a milestone anniversary for Dr. Michael Kelly and Dr. Carlos Wolf, who are celebrating 15 years of success as founding partners of Miami Plastic Surgery. With having recently added two new surgeons, two Physician Assistants, and three medical aestheticians, as well a new Coral Gables location, there is certainly much to celebrate.
"It is a celebration of 15 years of not only our partnership, but also establishing lasting relationships with patients and being able to make a positive difference in their lives," reflects Dr. Kelly.
While many things have changed over the last 15 years, one thing that remains constant is the importance Drs. Kelly and Wolf place on actual relationship with their patients. In fact, they credit the majority of Miami Plastic Surgery's success to the loyalty of their patients and accredit more than 80 percent of the practice's business to word of mouth referrals.
"It has been an incredible journey thus far," adds Dr. Wolf. "Our strong partnership is no doubt the foundation for our collective success. Together, in tandem, Dr. Kelly and I work to provide our patients with a highquality experience at Miami Plastic Surgery."
Together, the doctors have over 60 years of combined shared experience. Dr. Wolf, a graduate of the University of Miami, is board-certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. He is a columnist for The Miami Herald and has been featured as the expert consultant for national, regional and local publications including Vanidades, The Napa Valley Register and Cosmopolitan en Español.
Dr. Kelly graduated from the University of Illinois and is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and is also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. For more than 15 years, he has been consecutively named one of the Top Plastic Surgeons at either the local and national level by different organizations and is featured as a top doctor in American Way, American Airlines' prominent in-flight magazine.
Miami Plastic Surgery offers a wide array of surgical and non-surgical procedures to help improve, restore or reconstruct aspects of a person's appearance. In 2012, Dr. Kelly and Dr. Wolf were joined by Dr. Johnny Franco, and earlier this year, brought on Dr. Max Polo, who specializes in breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients.
"We love what we do and genuinely enjoy making our patients happy," continues Dr. Kelly. "I can speak for both Dr. Wolf and myself, when I say we look forward to many more years of doing just that!"

subset: commoncrawl


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Remember the Win-A-Wartburg contest put on by the 24 Hours Of LeMons perpetrators, in which the winning "Why I Want A Wartburg" essayist gets a '58 Wartburg 311 and free LeMons registration? Here's the winner!
As soon the staff at LeMons HQ realized that Jim Thwaite (of Misfit Toys Racing fame) had felt it necessary to build his own widebody Yugo and has owned at least one example of every variety of Lancia Beta ever made, there wasn't much doubt about who would be dragging home one of East Germany's most advanced automobiles. Mr. Thwaite's plan is to install a Studebaker OHV six-cylinder engine- mid-mounted, of course- and then take on what he calls the Trifecta Of Crap: The 24 Hours Of LeMons, the BABE Rally, and the Grassroots Motorsports $2009 Challenge.
Where do I start? I guess I should first say, from one evil genius to another this is brilliant. Only an evil genius such as yourself could find a way to get people to beg him to take a Wartburg off his hands. And having a bit of that streak in myself I must say this car belongs in the evil genius family so it can live out its full potential.
Add to this you would be saving me from the absolute mediocrity imposed upon me when my team handed me a Toyota to build for our Lemons chariot. Where is the potential for evil goodness in that? Where is the flair, the panache? Vanilla is not a flavor I tolerate well. As sure as a swift shot from Auric's gun could have easily ended Mr. Bonds life a Toyota will be swift, accurate and reliable. But Mr. Goldfinger appreciated the flourish of genius, no matter how doomed to fail that the laser brought to the situation. Let this Wartburg be my laser as I set out on my hopeless yet entertaining mission to upset the 007's of this world.
Right from the outset let me tell you I will not be so mundane as to put a small block V8 anything into a gift of this uniqueness. I think this situation would call for a bit more flair and well, hopelessness. I have, sitting now in my garage, a 101,000 mile Studebaker straight 6. And not one of them fancy schmancy reliable flathead 6's. No this is one of the maligned OHV 6s which helped to doom Studebaker later in it's life. And why stop there, I'm thinking this requires mid-mounting in the car, just to ensure no one mistakes it for one of those mundane Wartburg's with a Studebaker 6 in the engine bay.
To be honest from the moment I saw this car I had impure thoughts about what could be. Not those wholesome family impure thoughts like I had when I met my wife's little sister. No, I'm talking about full blown, bottle of Bacardi, some used 40 weight, a Wartburg and me wearing nothing but a smile, kind of impure thoughts.
But I digress, I have a well established history of insanity when it comes to oddballs. My first autocross car was a 1973 VW Squareback with an automatic. I built a wide body Yugo...just to prove I could.
I have issues and I'm proud to admit it. I did not come by the name Misfit Toys Racing by accident, it was thrust upon me by other local racers who always remarked at the litany of oddballs I would bring to races.
Unconvinced? Did I mention I have owned one of every body style Lancia Beta ever made? Coupe, Zagato, Scorpion and HPE. I've suffered through Alfas, Fiats, Triumphs, Austin Healeys, MGs and a myriad assortment of other misfits but up until now something has been missing. Today I realize, that something is a Wartburg. Choose me and I will be able to look you in the eye and say "You complete me".
Remarkably my wife did not immediately hit me with a frying pan when I mentioned I wanted this car. She took a moment to set down her phone first, then took a swing. But she is understanding, and more importantly she realizes the more time I spend in the garage the less time I'm annoying her. Therefore I cannot promise the high quality amusement of marital discourse but I can pretty much guarantee my teammates tie me greased and naked to the hood and take parade laps to punish me for thrusting this upon them.
Generally all of the above might seem enough to make me seem like a complete loon. But please don't pass judgment until you hear me out on this final point. 2010 was to be the year of the Trifecta of Crap for my team. 1 car, 1 year, 3 events. BABE Rally, Lemons and GRM challenge. With this in mind the Toyota makes very good sense. I've never much cared for making sense, as you can tell by reading this diatribe. The Wartburg, oh god, the Wartburg is nonsensical as Dr. Seuss on a 3 day meth bender, it deserves this glory, I deserve this torment. I need this car. Now you may deem me a complete loon, but just as you couldn't turn away while that laser inched toward Bond's naughty bits, you know you want to witness the spectacle we will create.
You might also enjoy some of the the essays written by the runners-up.


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The topic for this issue is the tenth anniversary of 9/11, with the following intro:
Anarchist responses varied, but may be summed up by the title of punk band Leftover Cracks 2004 album: Fuck World Trade. The title actually originated in a pre-9/11 work by Choking Victim, a continuity of political analysis, however crude, I wish to explore in more detail later. Anarchists, I argue, were among the few radicals whose analysis of history and power was not transformed, directly or indirectly, by the events of 9/11; whereas many liberals and progressives either became flag-waving robots in the aftermath of 9/11, or employed forms of analysis that resembled the neoconservative propaganda of the epoch.1 Below I examine examples of the latter from noted intellectuals Slavoj iek, Jean Baudrillard and Jacques Derrida. I do not believe these intellectuals espoused neoconservative politics; however, it is striking to note how significant features of their analyses, especially the way they framed the importance of 9/11 and the nature of future threats, resembled the contours of the neoconservative propaganda of the immediate post-9/11 era.
Despite the murkiness of the cover (both in image and in connection to the topic), this issue of ADCS is already getting good reviews from people looking for reasoned and academic thoughts on anarchism.


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I wanted to do one more tag for the ghostly season because my brain is all over the place. Christmas decorations are coming out at the stores and brain is pretty much headed there. The end of the bloody year.
That's a scary thing in and of itself right now 🙂
This tag was created on Youtube by Fiksidust.
Dead House: Favorite & Least Favorite Horror Tropes
Okay- I don't know if these are tropes per say but my favorite would be the horror being a metaphor for something else along the lines of IT. I think horror is better if it has meaning. Also favor letting my imagination do the scaring.
(After rewatching the IT trailer I'm starting to wonder why Pennywise and Pooh Bear both have associations with Red Balloons.)
Least favorite would be slashers/gore and violence for the sake of gore and violence.
Stay Out of the Basement: A Place You Find Creepy
Well, basements. And not that I get around them a lot- ghost towns and abandoned buildings are pretty creepy themselves.
Say Cheese & Die: Favorite Horror Cover
Looks just like something you'd walk by at an Ikea or furniture store but look at those awful/excellent pictures on the wall!
Night of the Living Dummy: Bring any fictional character to life!
There's like so many choices that I can't believe I'm not choosing one of my book husbands but right now I'd have to go with Salem from Sabrina.
Girl who Cried Monster: An urban legend you believe in…
This is why I don't like urban legends. I believe in them all.
Haunted Mask: Favorite Supernatural Creature or Movie Monster
I'm going with favorite Supernatural Creature and that would definitely be dragons! Good or bad.
Werewolf of Fever Swamp: Favorite wolf book or movie…
Alcide in True Blood for… reasons!
One Day at Horrorland: Tell us about a favorite spooky pastime…
Well, every October I like to pretend I'm not a total chicken and read scary novels and watch scary movies. It usually doesn't go well but I keep trying!
Scarecrow Walks at Midnight: Book or movie involving witchcraft
There's like a witch book or movie for everything. Practical Magic and The Witch pretty much go from one end of the spectrum to the other and then oh my God The Craft flashbacks!
And if you haven't seen Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Phfieffer take on Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick you really should 🙂
A Night in Terror Tower: If you were put in a horror movie…
I wouldn't make it. Not sure what else to say. Unless maybe I could find a good place to hide 🙂
Welcome to Camp Nightmare: Tell us a Spooky Story
When I was younger I informed my family that my imaginary friend wasn't imaginary. She was a ghost. I'd sit silently for way longer than normal staring into space and inform my mother I had gone to play where she lived. And once apparently took my mother to the girls grave. So yeah I was a super fun kid 🙂
Happy Halloween!


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Wednesday Hours: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday Hours: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
LVP flooring, or Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, is luxury vinyl flooring made up of planks instead of one large sheet of vinyl or individual tiles. LVP flooring is popular for the following reasons:
The luxury vinyl flooring market has taken off primarily due to many of these benefits as homeowners look for better floors to match their lifestyle. Able to withstand heavy foot traffic, scratches, and spills, luxury vinyl planks are the ideal flooring solution for any home design. Plus, who doesn't want a gorgeous wood-look plank to elevate their interiors?
We'll go into more detail about why you should choose LVP floors for your next home renovation below.
The growing popularity of LVP flooring isn't just about the low cost and easy install: the floors themselves are beautiful! High-quality LVP can resemble authentic hardwood down to the coloration and grain patterns with embossed-in-register technology and an advanced printing process. Some brands are so good at mimicking the look and feel of natural wood flooring in planks of varying colors and thickness that your friends might not believe that your LVP floors are actually luxury vinyl.
LVP floors have a simple click-lock system that makes these floors easy for professionals to install. The benefit of having luxury vinyl planks that click together, as opposed to one large sheet of vinyl, is that they can better lock out moisture. Due to their painless installation process, some experienced homeowners often like to tackle this project themselves. Repairs to a floor with planks (versus one large sheet that would have to be ripped up) are more accessible, too.
All luxury vinyl plank floors are water-resistant to some extent, but even better, most LVP floors on the marketplace are waterproof, meaning they can withstand small floods and household spills. This attribute makes them a great addition to your home. LVP floors are perfect for the whole house, especially kitchens, entryways, basements, or any room with high foot traffic that is prone to moisture, leaks, or spills. Another bonus of LVP floors? They're easy to clean.
One of the most popular aspects of luxury vinyl planks is their ability to withstand high traffic areas, thanks to their incredible wear layer. This product is an excellent option for homes with small children and pets running underfoot, as the rigid core floors are constructed out of plastic composite with various strengthening agents.
LVP flooring, including EVP floors, is also a great buy because of the cushion and insulation that this type of flooring provides. Unlike cheap, glue-down vinyl floors, LVP flooring won't curl up over time. And because of the thickness of luxury vinyl planks, there is more protection offered from your home's subfloor. If cheap vinyl is layered on a concrete subfloor, for example, the top of the floor is bound to be much colder. With LVP flooring, your feet are more cushioned—and warm!
So, what do luxury vinyl planks cost, you might be wondering? Often, upgrading your floors sounds like a great idea in theory, but it might not be within the budget. Luckily, LVP (and EVP) floors are an excellent choice for those looking to make an economical purchase! LVP floors are not as expensive as natural hardwood or tile, and, once installed, they require very little upkeep to keep them looking new for years to come.
EVP, or Engineered Vinyl Plank, is a subset of LVF. Many brands of EVP look uncannily like hardwood floors. EVP floors are also waterproof and durable, as they are constructed in multiple layers.
So, what's the difference between luxury vinyl planks and luxury vinyl tiles? While both flooring products are composed of the same four layers of plastic, the two vary depending on what natural flooring they're mimicking. Luxury vinyl planks are constructed in plank-style to resemble traditional hardwood flooring. Luxury vinyl tiles, on the other hand, are designed in a tile shape and often mimic natural stone, ceramic, and porcelain tiles.


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Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (NYSE: AOD), Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (NYSE: AGD) and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (NYSE: AWP) Declare Regular Monthly Distributions for April 2017
/EINPresswire.com/ -- PURCHASE, NY--(Marketwired - March 20, 2017) - The Board of Trustees of Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (NYSE: AOD), Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (NYSE: AGD) and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (NYSE: AWP) announced their same regular monthly distribution for the month of April 2017 as each had paid in the previous month.
Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (AOD) $0.0575 per share
Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (AGD) $0.065 per share
Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (AWP) $0.05 per share
Dates related to the distribution declaration for all three Funds are as follows:
|Ex-Distribution Date
|Record Date
|Payable Date
|April 19, 2017
|April 21, 2017
|April 28, 2017
The Funds' monthly distributions may consist of net investment income, net realized capital gains and /or a return of capital. If a distribution includes anything other than net investment income, the Funds will provide a notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources when distributed, which will be posted on the Funds' website, or can be obtained by calling 1-800-617-7616. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Funds' investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income". Final determination of the federal income tax characteristics of distributions paid during calendar year will be provided on U.S. Form 1099-DIV, which will be mailed to shareholders. Over the past five years, Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund paid a portion of each of the distributions in years 2012 (33.7%), 2013 (32%), 2014 (47%), 2015 (12.4%) and 2016 (47.7%) through a return of capital as determined at the end of each year and reported on the U.S. Form 1099-DIV issued for each year. Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund paid a portion of each of the distributions in year 2016 (4.4%) through a return of capital as determined at the end of each year and reported on the U.S. Form 1099-DIV issued for each year. Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund paid a portion of each of the distributions in year 2016 (4.7%) through a return of capital as determined at the end of each year and reported on the U.S. Form 1099-DIV issued for each year. Please consult your tax advisor for further information.
Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (AWP) has previously adopted a level distribution policy under which AWP anticipates making monthly distributions of $0.05 per share and intends to manage its monthly distributions to include amounts that have otherwise been paid through a year-end special distribution. This amount may be adjusted from time to time depending on current market conditions and the projected performance of the Fund. AWP's level distribution policy is subject to regular review by the Board of Trustees. There can be no assurance that the amount of AWP's monthly distributions will be maintained or that this level distribution policy will not be discontinued or substantially modified in the future.
An investment in these Funds presents a number of risks and is not suitable for all investors. Investors should carefully review and consider potential risks before investing. An investment in the Funds' common shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Your investment in common shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund most of which are traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter markets. The value of these securities, like other market investments, may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Your common shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after considering the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.
Other risks associated with investing in AOD and AGD include, but are not limited to, risks involved with smaller and medium sized companies, illiquid, foreign and restricted securities, and short-term trading. The Funds' strategy of investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out favor with investors and underperform the market. In addition, there is the possibility that such companies could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future. The Funds may hold securities for short periods of time related to the dividend payment periods and may experience loss during those periods.
Risks associated with AWP include, but are not limited to, risks involved with foreign securities which will involve greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. Because real estate funds concentrate their investments in the real estate industry, the portfolio may experience more volatility and be exposed to greater risk than the portfolios of many other mutual funds. Risks associated with investment in securities of companies in the real estate industry may include: declines in the value of real estate, overbuilding and increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; casualty or condemnation losses; variations in rental income, neighborhood values, changes in interest rates and changes in economic conditions.
More information about the Funds is available on www.alpinefunds.com.
Based in Westchester, New York, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC was founded in 1998.
Investor Contact: Patrick Coyne, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC, 914.251.0880
This release contains forward-looking statements based on currently available information. The Funds' actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to various risks and uncertainties. Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund are closed-end funds and do not continuously offer or redeem shares. The Funds trade in the secondary market and investors wishing to buy or sell shares must place orders through a financial intermediary or broker.
To read about the Funds, access the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports in the Related Documents section of the website, www.alpinefunds.com, or call 1-800-617-7616 to receive a copy of the annual and semi-annual reports by mail. An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.
Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC advises Alpine's closed-end funds. Quasar Distributors, LLC provides filing administration for Alpine's closed-end funds. The Funds are not bought or sold through Quasar Distributors.
2500 Westchester Ave. Suite 215
Purchase, NY 10577
Patrick Coyne


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PARIS — The top-seeded players had early starts at the French Open on Wednesday, and both Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka made it to the third round without a problem.
A short time later, 2009 champion Roger Federer joined them, earning his record-breaking 234th victory at Grand Slam tournaments.
Former top-ranked player Venus Williams was eliminated, a day after little sister Serena lost in the first round. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who was playing at a major tournament for the first time since revealing she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, lost to third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 6-3.
Djokovic was first up on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and he was barely troubled by Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia, winning 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 for his 23rd straight Grand Slam victory.
"I gave him the opportunity to come back to the match after a perfect first set, first seven games," Djokovic said. "But, look, this is tennis."
In the main stadium at Roland Garros, Azarenka defeated Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany 6-1, 6-1 — two days after struggling to win her opening match.
"Being No. 1 is a difficult job, because everybody want to catch you, everybody want to move you from the spot," Azarenka said. "Nothing is going to come easy just because you're No. 1. You actually have more people … motivated trying to beat you."
Last year at the U.S. Open, Williams withdrew before her second-round match. It was then that she revealed she had been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, a condition that can cause fatigue and joint pain.
On Tuesday, Serena Williams lost in the first round of a major tournament for the first time, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Djokovic is looking to win his fourth straight Grand Slam title, and first at Roland Garros. Last year, the Serb lost to Federer in the semifinals, ending his 43-match winning streak.
On Wednesday, Djokovic was broken once by Kavcic, but otherwise had little trouble. He did, however, finish the match with 34 unforced errors, compared with 21 for Kavcic.
"He was defending really well in the second and third set, especially in the second," Djokovic said. "He wasn't missing as many balls as in the first set."
Federer had an easy run in the first two sets, but then wasted two match points in the third. He saved all six break points to beat Adrian Ungur of Romania 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
"Instead of being aggressive, I let him show me what he could do," Federer said of the tiebreaker. "He played two beautiful shots, and then I started not playing very well."
The 16-time Grand Slam champion broke a tie with Jimmy Connors for most career wins at major tournaments in the Open era, which began in 1968. He is now 234-35 in tennis' top four tournaments, an .870 winning percentage.
No. 7 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina also made it into the third round.
Azarenka, who took over the No. 1 ranking after winning the Australian Open, easily advanced against Pfizenmaier, a 20-year-old German who was making her Grand Slam debut.
In the first round, Azarenka struggled early before winning 12 of the final 14 games to advance. She committed 60 unforced errors in that opening match, but brought that number down to 11 on Wednesday.
"Definitely played much better today," said Azarenka, who reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year, matching her best performance at the clay-court Grand Slam.
U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur advanced, beating Irina Falconi of the United States 6-1, 6-4. No. 13 Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, also moved on.
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« ElűzűTovŠbb »
When you peruse the clearest case,
And now we're well secur'd by law,
Read o'er a will. Was't ever known,
Sagacious PORTA's skill could trace
So, sir, I beg you, spare your pains
Shall not my fable censure vice,
Brutes are my theme. Am I to blame,
I no man call an ape or ass;
Tis his own conscience holds the glass.
A Shepherd's Dog, unskill'd in sports,
By talk like this, from all mistrust
Bless us! the hunters are abroad:
Hold, says the Dog, we're safe from harm, 'Twas nothing but a false alarm; At yonder town 'tis market-day; Some farmer's wife is on the way; 'Tis so (I know her pye-ball'd mare) Dame Dobbins with her poultry ware. Reynard grew huff. Says he, This sneer From you I little thought to hear: Your meaning in your looks I see; Pray what's dame Dobbins, friend, to me? Did I e'er make her poultry thinner ? Prove that I owe the dame a dinner. Friend, quoth the Cur, I meant no harm : Then why so captious; why so warm?
My words, in common acceptation,
What's lamb to me? The saucy hint
The BEAR in a BOAT.
THAT man must daily wiser grow,
If, then, self-knowledge to pursue
Or rich, or poor, or great, or small;
Those most assume who know the least;
Not that all Coxcombs' follies strike, And draw our ridicule alike; To diff'rent merits each pretends: This in love-vanity transcends ; That, smitten with his face and shape, By dress distinguishes the ape; T'other with learning crams his shelf, Knows books, and all things but himself.. All these are fools of low condition, Compar'd with Coxcombs of ambition. For those, puff'd up with flatt'ry, dare: Assume a nation's various care. They ne'er the grossest praise mistrust, Their sycophants seem hardly just; For these, in part alone, attest The flatt'ry their own thoughts suggest. In this wide sphere a Coxcomb's shown In other realms besides his own: The self-deem'd MACHIAVEL at large By turns controuls in ev'ry charge. Does commerce suffer in her rights?. 'Tis he directs the naval fights. What sailor dares dispute his skill 2. He'll be an adm'ral when he will.
Now meddling in the soldier's trade,.
And, when he fails of all intent,
A Bear of shag and manners rough, At climbing trees expert enough; For dext'rously, and safe from harm, Year after year, he robb'd the swarm. Thus thriving on industrious toil, He glory'd in his pilfer'd spoil. This trick so swell'd him with conceit, He thought no enterprize too great. Alike in sciences and arts, He boasted universal parts; Pragmatic, busy, bustling, bold, His arrogance was uncontroul'd : And thus he made his party good, And grew dictator of the wood. The beasts, with admiration, stare, And think him a prodigious bear. Were any common booty got, 'Twas his each portion to allot: For why, he found there might be picking Ev'n in the carving of a chicken. Iutruding thus, he by degrees Claim'd too the butcher's larger fees. And now his over-weening pride In ev'ry province will preside. No task too difficult was found: His blund'ring nose misleads the hound. In stratagem and subtle arts, He over-rules the fox's parts.
It chanc'd as, on a certain day, Along the bank he took his way, A boat, with rudder, sail, and oar, At anchor floated near the shore. He stopt, and, turning to his train, Thus pertly vents his vaunting strain. What blund'ring puppies are mankind, In ev'ry science always blind! I mock the pedantry of schools: What are their compasses and rules ?


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There's not much more ironically amusing than Steve Spurrier lecturing someone else on sportsmanship, but he's been going after Georgia recently for their big touchdown-pile-on a few weeks ago. He said he'd have sent in a third-string Gamecock to start a fight, therefore getting a bunch of Bulldogs suspended. Clever, Spurrier, but there's one thing you didn't count on: Herschel Freaking Walker.
Yep, the former Bulldog star is ready to rumble with the Ole Ball Coach.
"Well, you know, is that not insulting? That's totally insulting for a coach of his stature to say something so stupid," said Walker, getting angrier by the syllable. "So my question I say to him is, if he's got that much guts, why don't he step in a ring against me? You don't say something that silly, because you're going to get somebody hurt. Georgia was punished, because that's a penalty. They didn't go out to hurt anyone. [Spurrier] talks about hurting somebody. How much guts do you have? Step in a ring with me, and then we'll see."
Whatever your thoughts about Spurrier — or Walker, or Georgia, or just violent mayhem — it's pretty impossible not to enjoy the mental picture of a Herschel Walker-Steve Spurrier battle royale. Maybe Daniel Snyder could officiate.
Herschel Takes Spurrier's Bait [Atlanta Journal Constitution]


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Building with Words (AEC Insight Column)31 Jan, 2008 By: Jerry Laiserin
How technology informates AEC specifications.
Even before CAD, computer technology — especially word-processing software and printing and communication hardware — helped automate the production, editing, and distribution of specifications. Today's technology potentially can go beyond merely automating spec writing to informating the process. You may ask, "What is informating? Is that a real word?" Informating is a neologism by social scientist Shoshana Zuboff, professor at the Harvard Business School and author of the 1988 classic titled In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power.
According to Wikipedia, "informating is the process that translates descriptions and measurements of activities, events, and objects into information." Thus, spec writing involves descriptions and measurements of activities, events, and objects — the materials, means, and methods of construction — and computer-aided or computer-enhanced spec writing informates the process and translates specifications into information that is usable and actionable by both humans and machines.
Tech for Specs
I see a diverse hierarchy of specifications technology, including software tools that
- 1. automate the previously manual process of spec writing,
- 2. generate specifications from plans and/or building information models,
- 3. integrate the specifications view or representation of a building project with the model, and
- 4. create and/or provide building information modeling (BIM)–ready models of building components with specification data embedded in the component model.
Beyond these core architecture- and engineering-centric specification technology applications, additional tools are emerging to move design specification information into the contractor's realm.
All spec technologies entail varying degrees of integration (of specifications with models), which is one of the modes of BIM automation I outlined in my November 2007 "AEC Insight" column. BIM model-authoring tools — such as ArchiCAD, Bentley Architecture, Gehry Digitalproject, Revit Architecture, and VectorWorks Architect — contain data about the material composition of walls, slabs, and so on plus specific objects and components (such as doors and windows). Every instance of every material or component can be reported out of the BIM model, effectively yielding an outline specification or a list of materials to be specified. In theory, the resulting outline specs can then be used to generate the actual specification language.
From Theory to Practice
At least that's the theory. "Data transfer in general is one of the most intriguing aspects in BIM," according to Barbara Heller, FAIA, president of Heller and Metzger, a specifications consulting firm, and CEO of Design+Construction Strategies, a technology consulting firm, both headquartered in Washington, D.C. "The process is broken in the 2D world. The process of procuring products — by type, quality, grade, warranty, and so forth — is not controlled by any one entity for any given project. Not by the architect, specifier, estimator, subcontractors, fabricators — no one. Thus, the point in the process at which the most money changes hands is the most broken. BIM makes these flaws more visible."
Early examples of spec technology simply replaced typewriters with computers. Many firms still rely on self-developed master specifications and/or building-type submasters from which they edit project specs. After Microsoft Word, the next most popular commercial software for this approach is MasterSpec. An alternative to the subtractive approach is one in which specs are built from a database of relevant sections. This latter method is exemplified by products from BSD Softlink, especially the PerSpective program (figure 1), geared to developing performance specifications for design–build projects.
Figure 1. BSD SpecLink+ PerSpective is ideally suited to creating performance specifications during planning and early design phases, particularly for design–build projects. (Image courtesy BSD SoftLink)
To Specs and Back
The next higher level of spec automation is generating specs from the selection of materials, components, and their properties embedded in a BIM model. Two leading software offerings for this type of integration are ADSymphony from Architectural Data Systems and e-Specs from Interspec LLC (figure 2).
Consultant Heller says, "tools such as e-Specs and so on make a start at automating the process, but the issue of how to populate models with data requires process change. Semantic technology may be the answer." Semantic technology refers to software that captures meaning in human language and makes it usable by computers. Heller explains that semantic technology can provide "the connections and inferences to produce machine-readable product information in BIM models."
Figure 2. One trend in technology for specs is linking model data to spec language. (Image courtesy of Interspec)
An early entrant in this arena is CADalytic Media with two programs: SpecifiCAD is a plug-in for several leading BIM model-authoring tools that allows users to select building product manufacturer (BPM) content directly within the BIM environment, and SemantiCAD is a Web-based product that maps a firm's in-house definitions to those used by SpecifiCAD. By either route, CADalytic populates BIM models with BPM content downloaded from McGraw-Hill Construction Sweets Network (figure 3) and/or the Google 3D Warehouse (with optional links to relevant BPM catalog pages). At Autodesk University 2007, Autodesk Labs showed development projects for catalog search and visual search that will be able to tap into the same resources of BPM data.
Figure 3. Another trend is to link manufacturer s product data into the model. (Image courtesy of CADalytic Media)
Jockeying for Position
Traditional aggregators of BPM data — such as Arcat, Hanley-Wood eBuild, Reed FirstSource, and Sweets — are adding or expanding their model-data capabilities. Sweets has partnered with Google 3D Warehouse, and Reed recently acquired Tectonic Partners. Tectonic helped BPMs create BIM-ready content, a capability that will complement Reed FirstSource's cata- log offerings nicely.
Other Web-based entrants in this race to supply BPM content for BIM include the BIMlibrary from BIMworld, FormFonts, and ObjectsOnline (although the latter also includes some model content that lacks data and is more properly classified as entourage). Notably, these players and Google 3D Warehouse each rely to varying degrees on a Web 2.0 model of user-provided and/or shared content development and exchange.
Specs for Builders
Future specifications will be fully integrated with models that contain or are linked to component and assembly models of actual products, with spec language directly derived from model data. Although that future state will solve the architecture and engineering portion of the specification problem, builders still will need quantity takeoffs derived from the integrated model and specs, along with pricing data for specified products. In other words, integrated specifications data must be diffused throughout the construction supply chain.
Heller, the specifications and technology consultant, sees this issue as an extension of the semantic technology problem. "Whoever solves the problem first will gain a huge advantage," she says. "The solution could come from a specifications company, an estimating company, a code company, and so on. Or, it could come," she hints, "from a technology consulting company," such as her own.
Even before the semantic issues have been resolved, approaches to extending the procurement supply chain are emerging. Recently, 1stPricing announced patent approval status for its eponymous automated pricing technology application. Currently limited to residential construction, 1stPricing "pulls comparison pricing of multiple brands to fill out a detailed bill of materials with all related content . . . for specified building materials originating from the architect's desktop," according to the company's press release.
Other approaches to builders' use of specifications data are coming soon or are already available from Autodesk, Beck Technologies, HardDollar, Innovaya, Nemetschek, Tekla, Vico Software, and others. I will discuss those tools and others in next month's "AEC Insight" column.
About the Author: Jerry Laiserin
For Mold Designers! Cadalyst has an area of our site focused on technologies and resources specific to the mold design professional. Sponsored by Siemens NX. Visit the Equipped Mold Designer here!
For Architects! Cadalyst has an area of our site focused on technologies and resources specific to the building design professional. Sponsored by HP. Visit the Equipped Architect here!


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Ceramic mug with a yellow hummingbird design by Sibel Alpaslan; dark blue glaze; comfortable handle; 3 1/8″ rim diameter, 4 5/8″ tall; additional hummingbird colors may be available in-store, please contact us directly.
Please call the Littleton Gallery at 603-444-1099 with any questions before ordering.
Check in with us if you are purchasing several items from Littleton since you may save on shipping.


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Heartleaf Philodendron
4.8 out of 5 (549 experiences)
About Heartleaf Philodendron
One of the most common houseplants, the heartleaf Philodendron, gets its name from the Greek words meaning tree-loving. These vining plants can be found climbing trees all across their native range of South America and the Caribbean and in the homes of plant lovers worldwide. 🌳
Philodendrons grow aerial roots that grip the bark of trees, allowing them to grow over 20 feet tall! Their heart-shaped leaves change shape as they climb and can grow larger than a dinner plate. Fossils show Philodendrons growing as far back as 30 million years ago when South America was still connected to Antarctica! ❄
Philodendron hederaceum
How to care for Heartleaf Philodendron
How often to water your Heartleaf Philodendron
Heartleaf Philodendron needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn't get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.
Select a city to check sunlight intensity
Finding light for Heartleaf Philodendron in your home
Heartleaf Philodendron can tolerate being far from a window and light source.
Place it less than 6 feet from a south-facing window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Heartleaf Philodendron in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Heartleaf Philodendron
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it's likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Heartleaf Philodendron after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
Heartleaf Philodendron is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!
Water Needs
Heartleaf Philodendron prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Heartleaf Philodendron can tolerate being far from a window and light source. Place it less than 6 feet from a south-facing window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Heartleaf Philodendron is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.
Heartleaf Philodendron doesn't require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.
Heartleaf Philodendron does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Heartleaf Philodendron should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it's refreshed yearly, you shouldn't need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Heartleaf Philodendron does not have a typical pattern of dormancy. If you notice their growth slowing down substantially, double check that they are getting enough sunlight and water to thrive!
Native Region
Heartleaf Philodendron is native to Central, South America, and the Caribbean.
Heartleaf Philodendron produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
Growth Pattern
Heartleaf Philodendron is a naturally climbing plant and can be trained to climb indoors if you provide a moss pole or trellis. The newest growth will emerge from the end of the stems.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Heartleaf Philodendron can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-12a. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Heartleaf Philodendron can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:
- Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
- To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2" long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves aren't always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant's life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it's likely just your plant shedding old leaves.
Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Heartleaf Philodendron, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.
Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Heartleaf Philodendron
Heartleaf Philodendron
Greg recommends:
0.5 cups every 9 days
< 6ft from a window
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4" pot your plant is in, and that it doesn't get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
I started out with three cuttings of one leaf each mid august 2021 and I now have 20+ leaves. This plant has thrived with ~65% humidity, grow lights, and an inch of spagnum moss on top of the soil. Overall a very easy plant to care for and quick to propagate


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Treating Bad Breath is the Main Concern of Bad Breath Sufferers
Summary: People with bad breath should practice proper oral and dental hygiene, and have regular check ups with dentists to be successful in treating bad breath conditions.
If you have bad breath, you should not feel down and worry because this is one of the most common problems of people, which means that you are not alone. Though bad breath can affect your self confidence and self esteem, you should not let this condition gets into you. If you notice other people are keeping their distance, this could be a sign that you have one. Another way to find out if you have this condition is to lick your wrist and after a few seconds, smell the potion you have licked and if you don't like the smell- you have bad breath!
Treating bad breath is the main priority of those who have this condition. Before you get excited to know the tips in treating bad breath, you should know first its causes. For all you know, it's just all about you not being vigilant of your oral and dental hygiene. You may think that your teeth look healthy and your gums, too and you start wondering why people tend to keep a little distant away from you. It is possible that a person with bad breath doesn't know about it. But, what you don't know is that there might be damages in between your teeth that can't be reached through brushing. These stuffs happen, which is why it is very imperative to have a regular visit to your dentist.
Treating bad breath requires you to:
o Have regular brushing of teeth, tongue scraping, dental flossing, mouth washing, and other daily necessities for your oral and dental hygiene.
o Regular check-ups to correct problem areas, such as gums and teeth
o Chew sugar-free candies or chewing gum to stimulate saliva flow
o Keep your mouth wet by literally drinking plenty of water to keep the bacteria activity in your mouth under control.
o Eat fresh fruits and vegetables like carrots and celery to keep plaque from building up
o Take vitamin C, especially for smokers since the nicotine contained in cigarettes destroys vitamin C. Vitamin c deficiency may be a cofactor-factor on bad breath condition. But, the most effective way is to quit smoking.
o Try brushing your teeth and tongue with baking soda or use toothpaste enriched with baking soda if you can't bring yourself to use baking soda.
o Use mouthwash, but avoid using those with alcohol and dyes.
o Gargle lukewarm water mixed with hydrogen peroxide, half a lemon juice, salt or baking soda. Best done before bedtime.
Treating bad breath takes a lot of effort, but what it is compared to the damages it gives you. Treating your bad breath is your way to boost your confidence again. In addition, Bad breath fortunately is not contagious. You can't get bad breath from kissing someone with bad breath. However, it still needs to be treated the soonest possible time before it leads to another serious illness. Bad breath can also be a sign of other health problem, so if you think you have this condition see your dentist or periodontist immediately to resolve your bad breath issue.


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The idea of a Carnaval costume that you definitely want to try
Summer is over, fall will come faster than you expected and when the carnival will be there in less than a few moments. This is why people try their best to find the best costumes that can be bought for the amazing carnival they will attend. Since everyone is a celebration seeker, is it difficult enough not to enjoy the implications of a carnival, especially when choosing a costume. This article will present some ideas about what costume should be chosen and this is meant to help you find the inspiration you are looking for. Finding a fatos de carnaval that appreciates all your needs can be very tiring if you do not know exactly what you want, so choose carefully and decide early on what kind of costume you want.
The first idea you might want to consider is mime. No matter your gender, the suit as mime can be a costume that will make you have an entrance. A classic mime is a costume that everyone can wear: children, women and men. A completely white face painted with a striped blouse, black hat and some black pants is all you need. If you can not find all these things in one place, you need not worry. You can find mime costumes all over the internet. You can actually consider buying a small mime costume for your child as well, so you can attend a carnival together. Try looking for fatos carnaval criança and see if there is something you find interesting there. You do not have to limit yourself to certain types of costumes.
The idea of a Carnaval costume that you definitely want to try
Cosplaying some of your favorite characters is also a great idea. If you have someone you're really looking for, then go find a costume that resembles them. If you definitely can not find a costume online try doing it yourself or go find a specialist to take care of this task for you. For carnival, it's really a wonderful experience if you and your friends decide to combine costumes and create unique groups. Think how cool it looks like all the characters in your favorite show. Choose an online store that offers a variety of costumes and may not find everything you are looking for.
Classic ideas are also not left behind. If you want to make a pirate costume like no one else did it before, do your homework early and document where you can get the best pirate costume ever. If you are unsure of the price or quality of the ingredients, do not forget to read the reviews of the store you want to try. If you are a fan of DIY projects, you can begin to inform yourself about what material you need and how much time is implied. If you want to find more, do long before the event you need to attend. The idea of a Carnaval costume that you definitely want to try


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I'm just back from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers annual meetings where I gave a talk about Wine Wars and its implications for Washington wine. Wine Wars focuses on global wine markets and the forces that are shaping them — what insights can it offer for Washington wine growers?
The Confidence Game
Wine Wars argues that reputation (and the value of your brand) is an increasingly important factor in today's crowded and competitive marketplace. No one has to buy your wine (or to buy wine at all given the many liquid alternatives). You have to stand for something (your reputation) and your brand has to reflect and effectively communicate that to break through the market noise. I call it The Confidence Game and reputation is a key strategy. That my friends is the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck that I talk about in Wine Wars.
But reputation and brands are complicated — a pretty obvious lesson that I only really learned a couple of weeks ago when I was at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. My session (on The State of the Industry) examined the wine market from the global, international, national and California perspectives. After the session I was talking with a friend who has a 50,000+ case winery in Napa Valley. I think my business is important, he told me, but I today I felt like an ant in a room full of elephants.
Life in Ant-Ville
The U.S. wine industry is very large (and California dominates it, of course) but Napa Valley is just a thin stripe at the bottom of the wine production bar graph (compared to the bigger producers elsewhere in the state) and my friend's winery is only a small part of that. That's ant-ville — nearly invisible — compared with elephant-land, the domain of the large scale producers and bulk wine trade (although 50,000+ cases is not at all insignificant in an absolute sense).
Washington is ant-town, too, I told my audience. (No offence intended! Ants are great creatures. They can carry many times their own weight. A colony of ants can probably strip an elephant carcass in a few hours. Ants are powerful collectively. But individually they are pretty don't have much clout.)
Wine world ants need all the help they can get to get their brand or reputation out there. They need to have a strong private brand, of course, but they also need a strong regional brand (Napa Valley, for example) to create a reputational wave that the winery brand can ride. That's one reason my friend's winery is successful, even if it is just an ant in a crowded room.
Why Elephants are Different
Elephants are different these days — and it is not entirely by choice. Elephants (wineries that produce millions of cases) need strong brands, too, but increasingly they are being forced to distance themselves from regional brands such as AVAs and rely more and more on their own reputations. The reason? The emerging wine shortages that are forcing them to search far and wide for grapes and wine to fill their massive pipelines.
Years of stagnant vineyard expansion combined with rising demand have created a growing structural shortage of certain types of wine (bad news for those of us who have gotten used to deep wine discounts in the surplus years).
This is why so many wines that used to carry regional appellations are now forced to identify themselves as "California" wines. They need to blend wine from all over the state to fill their orders. Take a look at $8-$12 Zinfandels the next time you are in the supermarket and you will see what I mean.
The Logic of American Wine
"California" is a pretty broad appellation, but I am hearing rumbles from elephant land that increased use of the previously rare "American" appellation is in the cards. And expect more bulk wine imports (legally labeled to be sure) to make their way into bottles of wines you might reasonable suppose to hold All-American wine.
Is this a good thing? Well I'm not sure that it is good or bad — it's just necessity. And I suppose it helps the ants with their stronger regional associations to differentiate themselves from the more generic elephants. But, on the other hand, the elephants' promotion of regional brands in the past probably strengthened them, unintentionally benefiting local ants.
Since Washington wine is a teeming ant colony, it follows that it would benefit from a stronger regional brand. What is Brand Washington? Good question. (Paul Gregutt recently suggested how Brand Washington might be better promoted — click here to read his column.)
[At this point my talk veered into a discussion of Brand Washington compared to Oregon, Napa Valley, Argentina and Chile. This part of the talk will have to wait for future Wine Economist post.]
Another speaker joked that Ste Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE), which is by far Washington's largest wine producer, is the state's only elephant, but CEO Ted Baseler objected, citing the Wine Wars description of SMWE's "string of pearls" (or chain-of-ants?) structure.
Who am I to disagree with Ted, especially since he was on the program to announce an exceptionally generous $1 million donation to help create a Wine Science Center on the Washington State University campus in wine country!
Thanks to WAWGG for inviting me to speak and special thanks to all the Wine Wars and Wine Economist readers I met at the conference.


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Earth Changes
Global Warming Prophet: Al Gore's Faith Is Bad Science
National Ledger
Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:49 UTC
Not this time, Gore says. What's different is that climate change is being driven by human activity -- to wit, increasing carbon dioxide emissions. Which means, he says, that we have to sharply reduce those emissions. But what the scientists tell us is that some proportion of climate change is caused by human activity and some proportion by natural causes -- and that they can only estimate what those proportions are. The estimates they have produced have varied sharply. The climate change models that have been developed don't account for events of the recent past, much less predict with precision events in the future.
To which the prophet replies, with religious intensity, that all debate should be over. Those scientists with inconvenient views should be defunded and silenced. We should replace scientific inquiry with faith. We should have faith that climate change -- "global warming" -- is caused primarily by human activity. And we should have faith that the effects will be catastrophic, with rising oceans flooding great cities and pleasant plains and forests broiled by a searing sun.
Even The New York Times bridles at this. After Gore won the Academy Award for his film on climate change, the Times printed an article in which respected scientists -- not Republicans, not on oil company payrolls -- charged that Gore has vastly exaggerated the likelihood of catastrophic effects.
When you read the fine print of even the scientific reports that Gore likes to cite, you find the same thing. Gore foresees a 20-foot rise in sea level -- 240 inches. The IPCC panel report foresees a maximum of 23 inches. Gore says that "our civilization has never experienced any environmental shift remotely similar to this." Geologist Don Easterbrook says there have been shifts up to "20 times greater than the warming in the past century."
Science says that we should learn more about possible bad effects of climate change and calculate rationally how we can mitigate them. As the economic journalist Robert Samuelson points out, there is little that we can feasibly do in the short term to reduce carbon emissions, though over the long term we may be able to develop substitutes for carbon fuels.
As the environmentalist Bjorn Lomberg points out, the Kyoto Treaty that Gore helped to write (but which the Clinton administration never asked the Senate to ratify) would produce very little reduction in climate change at very high cost.
But religious prophets are not concerned about costs. Gore calls for an immediate cessation of new carbon-burning facilities. In other words, stop economic growth. But stopping economic growth in the developing world means consigning millions to miserable poverty. And we know what stopping economic growth in the developed world can mean.
Read the history of the 1930s: fascism, communism, world war. There are worse things than a rise of 1 or 2 degrees Centigrade.
The natural human yearning for spirituality has produced in many people educated in secular-minded universities and enveloped in an atmosphere of contempt for traditional religion a faith that we vulgar human beings have a sacred obligation not to inflict damage on Mother Earth. But science tells us that the Earth and its climate have been constantly changing.
Gore and his followers seem to assume that the ideal climate was the one they got used to when they were growing up. When temperatures dropped in the 1970s, there were warnings of an impending ice age. When they rose in the 1990s, there were predictions of disastrous global warming. This is just another example of the solipsism of the baby boom generation, the pampered and much-praised age cohort that believes the world revolves around them and that all past history has become irrelevant.
We're told in effect that the climate of the late 1950s and early 1960s was, of all those that have ever existed, the best of all possible climates. Not by science. But as a matter of faith.


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The British government and the Public Health Laboratory Service (as well as governments around the world) have rushed out studies supposedly demonstrating the link between autism and the MMR vaccine doesn't exist.
All, so far, are epidemiological observational studies of populations one of the weakest types of investigations because you cannot isolate all the variables. A 1998 Finnish study of 3 million children could find no association between the MMR jab and autism. At first glance, the evidence is fairly compelling (Lancet, 1998; 351: 1327-8). The Finnish National Board of Health and National Public Health Institute had launched a vaccination campaign in 1982 to give the MMR vaccine to all children at 12-15 months and then at age 6. By 1996, 3 million doses of vaccine had been given. All adverse effects were supposed to be reported. During that time, the study says, 31 children developed gastrointestinal symptoms, with 21 admitted to hospital.There are important differences between this study and Wakefield's (see box, p 3). For one, the Wakefield study began its investigation with children diagnosed with an autisticspectrum disorder and then went on to make the link with the bowel problems. The Finnish study, on the other hand, only noted children with gastrointestinal problems, among whom none had been diagnosed as autistic. In other words, nobody was actually investigating autism as a side effect.
The most important difference is that this was a passive study, which largely relied upon doctors to report side effects. As in this country, many doctors may not have connected autism with a seemingly unrelated factor like a vaccine, or indeed bothered to record it.
As for the English studies (Lancet, 1999; 353: 2026-9), these also represent massaging of epidemiological data. The authors examined 498 children diagnosed as autistic in eight North Thames health districts and compared clinical data with immunisation records to see if there was a temporal relationship between the onset of the condition and receipt of the MMR jab. They also looked at the overall incidence of autism to determine whether an increase had indeed occurred after the introduction of MMR in Britain.
According to this study, there was no link found in the 498 children studied. Overall, autism hadn't increased within a timeframe that could pin it to the jab.
The authors themselves admit that the study design and this kind of broad brush epidemiological sweep is weak.
Autism has increased dramatically in the North Thames health districts by 25 per cent every year. Although the study says that this increase occurred in children born before the MMR was released in 1998, that ignores the PHLS's 'catch up' policy of vaccinating children born between 1985-6 with MMR when they were age two or three, as soon as the triple jab was introduced.
If you take these children into account, there would be a significant increase in autism cases in children born in 1986 if the MMR jab was responsible. Indeed, the figures show just such a peak. Furthermore, there is also a large peak of parents who first noticed autistic symptoms in their children six months after the children had the jab.


text: Celebrations, Family Use What You Have: Handmade Advent Calendar In the years past, we have always had a Christmas Jar of activities. Each day we would randomly draw from a set number of activities and enjoy a holiday activity together as a family. This year, our life with our two children has become increasingly busy and scheduled. We have two school schedules, extracurricular activities, homework, holiday programs, holiday family events, and so much more going on. Our life of leisure seems to have taken a detour and I have had to be more thoughtful in our approach towards carving time out for what we would hope to accomplish this year. I wanted to create our own countdown to Christmas in a creative way, but I didn't want to spend any money on it. I decided to use what I had to create our homemade Advent filled with fun activities and wanted to share with you what we created! Homemade Advent Calendar Supplies needed: A large circle punch (in scrapbook supplies at craft store) or a jar or glass for tracing Tape Scrapbook or festive holiday gift wrap Ribbon Marker 2 Muffin Tins A picture frame stand or a place to prop your finished tins I began this project by punching out 48 circles. On half of these write the numbers 1-24 and on the other half you can write fun activities to do with your children in anticipation of the big day. Stick your holiday activity folded up inside of each muffin tin and then attach the numbered circles to each individual muffin tin. Secure with tape on both sides to hold your activities in securely. Break out your trusty calendar and jot down the activities for each day to remind yourself what you need to plan for and what supplies will need to be purchased to accomplish the activities. Add a little festive ribbon to the top of your muffin tin. Display the muffin tin by using a picture frame stand or finding a sturdy wall to prop it up with. Have your child draw an activity each morning to complete as a family. Our Activity List 1. Decorate the Christmas tree. 2. Big bubble baths with holiday music playing. 3. Going to the library to pick out holiday books. 4. Special popcorn and hot cocoa snack (possible visit for the tree lighting ceremony in town). 5. Going to a Christmas Concert. 6. Decorating gingerbread houses. 7. Make Christmas cards for our special friends. 8. Watch a holiday movie. 9. Color a holiday coloring page. 10. Bake Christmas cookies. 11. Go see holiday lights. 12. Go see Santa and a trolley ride through downtown. 13. Write a letter to Santa. 14. Pop popcorn & play a board game together. 15. Host an ornament decorating party. 16. Color a holiday picture. 17. Holiday party to attend. 18. Go to the dollar theater and see a movie. 19. Go see the Christmas lights. 20. Deliver holiday treats to our friends & the firefighters in town. 21. Big bubble bath with holiday music. 22. Open one gift early. 23. Watch a holiday movie. 24. Celebrate our family Christmas. Total cost for this project was zero and very little money will be spent to do these activities together. The memories I hope to create with my children though, I hope those will be priceless! Do you do an Advent calendar or have a special way your family celebrates the countdown to Christmas? I would love to hear your ideas! Published December 02, 2009 by: Amy Allen Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. You can read all about her here.


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Ok, time for a little story.
Let's go back to about 3 months ago. We were moving to a new apartment and I packed all my stuff from the bathroom in a few boxes. One such box contained all of my makeup, jewelry, spare contacts, and other random toiletries. This particular box was stacked in the back of my in-law's truck- not tied down. I was about to leave and saw the box and asked the packers of the truck to make sure to tie it down.
Apparently, that did not happen. Can you see where this is going? Yep, sure enough, the truck rounded a corner on a busy street and the box fell out. The driver didn't see it, but another nice driver did and stopped him. But, alas, by the time they got back to the place where the box had fallen out, it was gone!!! In a matter of 2 minutes someone had stolen it! The nerve! You would think if the box was in the way that someone would just move it to the curb or something, but no. They took it! Who takes random boxes of people's stuff anyway?
It was a sad moving day for me. After getting most things moved in that day, I made a late night trip to walmart to restock the essentials. But, I've only started on replacing my jewelry. Replacing all that stuff is expensive!
Even though I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, but it's nice to have something pretty to wear once in a while :)
P.S. I'm getting ready to set up my Etsy Shop! I just have to figure out how to price everything. Wish me luck!


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The following is a Whodunit by Hy Conrad featuring Jonah Bixby, a twelve-year-old crime solver and son of a police detective. Can you solve the crime?
"Mom, please, I want to go," Jonah insisted. "We must have something up here that's old and interesting."
Jonah and his mother were in the attic, searching through the piles of clothes and knickknacks and discarded furniture. Carol Bixby sighed as she dusted away a layer of cobwebs. "I don't think Traveling Treasures is going to be interested in your father's moldy neckties," she said, moving aside a box.
"How about these bookends?" Jonah held up a pair of small iron roosters. "They're old and ugly, so they must be valuable." He dusted them off. "What do you say?"
Every Sunday night, Jonah and his mother sat down and watched Traveling Treasures, where hundreds of people brought in their family heirlooms and had them appraised by a platoon of experts. This week, the TV show was filming in Indianapolis, just an hour's drive away. From the minute Jonah saw the announcement on the news, he'd been bugging his mother to go.
"All right," Carol conceded. "It'll be a nice day trip. But you can't be disappointed."
Jonah promised. He really just wanted to do it for the fun and the experience. But by Saturday afternoon, after driving to the Convention Center and waiting in four different lines, it was a major letdown when an antiques dealer from New York evaluated his rooster bookends. The pieces were late Victorian, mass-produced, and worth about ten dollars each.
"There weren't even any cameras around," Jonah sulked.
"They save the cameras for the good stuff," Carol said with a smile. "Come on. Let's see who got lucky."
For the rest of the day, they wandered the hall, looking on as the resident experts appraised everything from baseball cards to gold chandeliers. Carol and Jonah were just approaching the exit when one particular item caught Carol's eye. "Oh, look," she said. "There's a terrific desk. Let's see what it's worth."
They stopped and watched as the furniture expert spoke to the desk's owner, a young woman. "It's an Edwardian piece," he explained somewhat pompously. "Made in England. Fairly common." He ran a hand under the front of the huge wooden desk. "I think it has a hidden drawer."
"Really?" the young owner said. "The desk belonged to my great grandmother, and I never..."
She stopped in mid-sentence, surprised, as the appraiser lifted a small section of molding and a secret drawer eased open. He reached deep inside and pulled out what looked like a steel cigar box, secured with a rusty clasp.
"Oh, my," the desk's owner said. "It must have been in there forever and no one knew."
Up until this moment, the expert had been looking bored. Now he was beginning to get excited. "Do you mind if I open it?" Without even waiting for an answer, he gently turned the clasp and lifted the box's tight-fitting lid.
Jonah and his mother had a good view. Inside the small steel box, under a layer of dust, they saw a stack of letters tied with a red ribbon. "Love letters?" the expert joked. "Was your great grandmother involved in some secret romance?"
"Well..." The young woman seemed a little sheepish. "There is a family story that before she married my great grandfather, she was friends with the young Winston Churchill, but..."
Even as she said it, the expert was holding the pack of letters under a light and squinting at a handwritten signature. He gasped and nearly choked on the dust. Seconds later, he was squawking into his cell phone. "Get a camera crew over here. Station 16. We're going to need a documents expert, too. This is big."
"Love letters from Churchill," whispered Carol. "Wow. Can you believe it?"
"No, I can't," said Jonah. "It's a fake."
"What do you mean, fake?"
"I mean that woman planted the letters in that box and tried to make them look old. I'll bet you anything they're forgeries."
The whodunit above was provided by American mystery fiction author Hy Conrad.
In addition to his work in mystery and crime puzzles, Hy was also one of the original writers for the groundbreaking TV series Monk.
Currently, Hy is working on mystery novel series "Abel Adventures" as well as the Monk series of novels, starting with Mr. Monk Helps Himself (published by Penguin, order from Amazon here)
Check out Hy's official website and Facebook page - and stay tuned for more whodunits puzzlers on Neatorama from the master of whodunit mysteries himself!


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Professor Dong Rip Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has succeeded in fabricating peel-and-stick thin film solar cells (TFSCs) with the collaboration of Stanford team led by Professor Xiaolin Zheng. This method makes possible the overcoming of hardships related to working with traditional solar cells, namely the lack of handling, high manufacturing cost, and limited flexibility while maintaining performance.
Kim is currently in charge of the Hanyang University Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion Lab. His research interests are solar cells, energy conversion devices using nanomaterials, flexible electronics, nanoelectronics, and nanosensors. Among Kim's recent publications are "Peel-and-Stick: Fabricating Thin Film Solar Cell on Universal Substrates" in the journal of Scientific Reports, "Shrinking and Growing: Grain Boundary Density Reduction for Efficient Polysilicon Thin-Film Solar Cells" in the journal of Nano Letters, and "Thermal Conductivity in Porous Silicon Nanowire Arrays" in the journal of Nanoscale Research Letters.
Most solar cells are now fabricated on Si wafers or glass substrates. The biggest issue for commercialized solar cells is their high price. In addition, due to their fabrication on the Si wafer, the cells are rigid and heavy while being fragile. While they are recognized as one of the most crucial alternative sources of energy, such limitations have prevented wider application of solar cells.
Fortunately, Kim and his colleagues devised an idea to produce a light-weight flexible solar cell on nonconventional or universal substrates that overcomes the limitations of traditional methods while maintaining performance. By doing so, Kim believed that his new cells could broaden the application spectrum of solar cells.
The success comes from using the same traditional fabrication method while adding a metal layer between the fabricated a-Si:H TFSCs and the underlying Si/SiO2 wafer. After numerous attempts and trials, Kim and his colleagues found a method to reliably peel the fabricated TFSCs from the Si/SO2 wafer by using water penetration between the metal layer and the SiO2 layer on the wafer.
The Si wafer is clean and reusable, which is a big cost-saving factor for solar cells. Moreover, as the peeled-off TFSCs from the Si wafer are thin, light-weight, and flexible, it can be attached onto any form or shape of surface like a sticker. Although others have successfully fabricated TFSCs on flexible substrates to realize the flexible solar cells, many efforts have been driven to modify the existing processes for solar cell fabrication, due to the rubber-like properties of the flexible substrates. Importantly, Kim and his colleagues made the light-weight flexible solar cells without modifying any existing fabrication processes, and their performance was maintained even after the transfer. Kim states that their novel technology is not limited to the solar cells only. Numerous other appliances like flexible displays can adopt his method.
"I will continue to focus on creating highly efficient but low costing energy conversion devices with nanotechnology," Kim said. Moreover, his future research will focus on applying his method in other types of solar cells and in other applications.
Article written by Jisoo Lee: [email protected] for Internet Hanyang News


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NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney Co. shares soared nearly 19 percent Thursday after the department store chain delivered a 2012 profit outlook that was well above analysts' projections.
The guidance signaled that the chain's profit won't be hurt as Penney embarks on an ambitious transformation plan over the next four years.
The company expects adjusted earnings per share to be at least $2.16 for the fiscal year, above analysts' $1.60-per-share estimate, according to FactSet.
Penney's new CEO Ron Johnson, who was the mastermind behind the successful Apple Inc. stores, laid out an aggressive plan Wednesday to reinvent the business. That includes a new pricing strategy that ends rampant discounting and focuses on every day lower prices. It also entails carving out its stores into 100 mini-shops among other plans.
"We are fundamentally re-imagining every aspect of our business, and we fully expect the bold and strategic changes we are making to our operations will result in improved profitability," said Johnson.
Mike Kramer, chief operating officer, told investors on Thursday that it plans to spend $800 million this year to install the first wave of the shops and improve technology, using cash from its operations. The company plans to open 10 shops at each of its 1,100 stores this year.
The company is targeting $900 million in expense cuts to be completed over the first two years of its transformation, intending to lower selling, general and administrative expenses below 30 percent of annual sales in two years and to 27 percent of sales by the end of 2015.
In 2011, those expenses accounted for 33 percent of annual sales, a higher percentage than rivals including Kohl's Corp. and Macy's Inc.
Penney will cut costs from stores and advertising, and at operations at the company's home office, Kramer said. The company aims to reduce the layers of management there, but didn't discuss any job cuts.
With its new pricing strategy, Penney will be getting rid of hundreds of sales it held last year and instead focusing on "every day" prices, with along with special "month-long" values and clearance. That will reduce labor costs at the stores since associates won't have to use their time ticketing products and putting up big sales signs each night. It will also reduce advertising expenses. The company plans to spend $80 million on advertising each month, or $960 million this year. That's down from last year's $1.2 billion.
Penney will launch the mini-shops beginning in August. Its new pricing strategy will start Feb. 1.
Johnson said Thursday that Penney will get its first "true read" of customers' reaction to the pricing strategy on Feb. 1. He said he doesn't know what the initial reaction will be, but he's confident that "it will get better and better."
Penney also announced it will no longer provide quarterly revenue or earnings guidance and, like other major retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., it will no longer report revenue on a monthly basis. The revenue figures are based on revenue at stores opened at least a year, a key retail metric.
Executives spelled out the Plano, Texas company's changes at a two-day investor meeting in New York.
Shares jumped $6.44 to close at $40.72 Thursday. They had been up 2 percent in January.


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If you've subjected yourself to a Bed, Bath & Beyond lately, you're well aware that we are just weeks away from the annual rite of parents abandoning their young in poorly lit dorm rooms with little more than a loft bed and a couple of stackable crates. And this means some ladies are just weeks away from the Sisterhood Gauntlet: sorority rush. If you're from a certain part of the United States (the South) or are living on a campus where frat parties are considered a good thing, this can be a huuuuuuuuge deal. Enter the rush moms and coaches — they're like stage moms, but with more Lilly Pulitzer.
In a story that is destined to become legend, the New York Times alerts us to the mounting pressure on young ladies to make it into the Right House, a pressure so great that it can only be managed and harnessed with the two-pronged power of one's own mother and a "rush coach." In Birmingham, Alabama, a mere $100 buys a prospective rushee and her mother the wisdom of Rushbiddies, a rushee consulting firm that offers two-day workshops designed to prep these young ladies get into the best sisterhood friendship club (pro tip: Lilly Pulitzer has a "sorority" line; make good use of it). In New York, an image consultant is available to help ready pre-frosh for the brutally judgmental process of finding their forever BFFs.
If as a student you buy into whatever sisterhood propaganda Panhel is pushing, rush feels stupid important. I went through it and can attest to the emotional intensity — some of imagined, some of it very real — of trying to find a group of girls with whom you'll ostensibly identify yourself for the next four years. What's your clique going to be? Who will be your friends? And you're making this Decision (proper noun, it's that big) based on relatively short visits to various houses and, frankly, a house's reputation (which is often determined by the always sound judgment of frat guys). When I rushed, the process felt equal parts political and earnest; I truly wanted to find a group of girls with whom I could relate to, but I also felt emotionally distant at times, simply because rush is the least organic friend-making process you can imagine. With the songs and coordinated outfits and rehearsed conversations, it's actually kind of hilarious. But those sisters can suck you in and make you feel all the feelings; by the time you hit the final round, the circus seems much more important than you ever imagined. Or that's how it went for me.
Given the pressure and sheer performance that is sorority rush, it's actually remarkable, isn't it, that you're supposedly going to find your sistas-4-life based on a combination of relatively vague impressions and whatever score they give you after chatting for a few minutes? Oh, yeah, the scoring thing — that's worth a mention. You can want them, but they don't necessarily want you. It stings.
As rush grinds on, students often text their moms with frequent, sometimes tearful updates. "Drama Trauma Drama," wrote one weary mother on a Greek chat forum. For some mothers, empathizing with the pain of peer rejection is excruciating.
That doesn't feel good, no. But how excruciating is it really?
"I lost six pounds that week," recalls Julie Baselice, whose daughter Christina is now a Chi Omega at the University of Texas. "It was the most stressful experience of my life."
The most? More so than, say, giving birth? If your daughter's rush experience was so psychologically challenging for you, how in god's name did you handle your own wedding day? Were you able to get into your dress without a couple of drops of laudanum?
Listen: For all I could say about the weird, intense emotional process of throwing oneself into the Greek system or the distinct (and not always pleasant) social dynamics of being in a big sorority or the real possibility of leaving the house with a handful of friends for life or none at all or how the whole rigamarole is just the reinforcement of an antiquated social hierarchy that maybe should be retired, ultimately this — the consultants, the moms, the prepping girls as if this were a college interview when it's really a process of mutual social judgment — is ridiculous.
You know how, generally speaking, life tends to work itself out? That actually applies to sororities too.
Chances are that your daughter did not exit high school a social vegetable; if she wants to ride along on the Sisterhood Selection Tour, she already knows how to form sentences in the presence of other people. She doesn't "need a filter," as Baselice says of coaching her own dear daughter. If your kid has verbal diarrhea, let her rush with shit a-spewing because she's more likely end up somewhere with girls who like the real her. Will it be a "top" house? Who knows or cares? It's meaningless. And if she doesn't make the cut at the house that has the best eighteen-ways with the "best" frats, she'll get over it (and probably feel retroactively grateful upon graduation). Really.
But if you're molding your daughter into some sort of top tier rush crush automaton and, fingers crossed, she ends up in The Best House as determined by an imaginary campus election, consider this: After the initial high of success and acceptance — she scored a seat at the best lunch table! — wears off, she may not be happy. Her real personality might not mesh with her peers once the pledge period is over. Being deemed "bestest" to join the "best" house is not a guarantee that she will enjoy herself. I mean, maybe she will! But if being herself isn't why she ended up there, if your girl is faking her way through rush and, in turn, the next few years with her "sisters," it's going to take her that much longer to find those both herself (which is the important part, but Panhel never tells you that) and those "lifelong friends" you keep hearing about.
Purely anecdotal support for my argument:
When I was ranking my top three choices, I asked myself a question that most certainly wouldn't be advised in any coaching session: Which group of girls did I think was more likely find it funny if I wrote something dirty on the wipe-board on someone's door? That's the house I ranked first (and that's where I ended up). I don't remember if I drew any dicks on doors, but out of 50 girls in my pledge class, I actually did make a number of friends for life. So yeah, there can indeed be something to that "lasting friendship blah blah" business. But I probably wouldn't have made such strong friendships had I not been honest about myself, to myself. The honesty is what gives you the best chance of ending up with a house that's good for you. (And I had a mostly good experience, but I know plenty of girls who had the exact opposite. No guarantees on any of this stuff. I consider myself lucky. Also, as much as I love my friends, if I had to do it over again I'm not sure I would have rushed at all. But that's another story.)
My giant Midwest university Greek system experience obviously isn't going to mirror that of any one person, particularly those in the notoriously hardcore-sorority South. Plus this "know thyself" business I'm preaching is all easier said than done; it's in many people's nature to want to be at the top of the social ladder and getting a feel for who you are isn't necessarily something a girl has got down pat by 18 or 19 (I certainly didn't, I just knew that I liked acting like an idiot). But at some point she should discover that finding real friends, people with whom she feels comfortable, is the best bet and rush isn't a bad time to start teaching your daughter that. After all, if she's going to join a sorority — and you, dear parent, are going to foot the bill — you might as well try to get your money's worth regarding those lasting friendships.
If all else fails, here's some perspective for those ladies about to embark on this magical journey: After those four years, you'll never see that damn pin again.
Pledge Prep [NYT]