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In the future, you can live a life of complete pleasure, but you have to die when you turn twenty-one. Not everybody's going to go along with the program of course, and two people decide to flee for their lives. That's the premise of the novel Logan's Run, which differs a bit from what eventually became the cult classic film. And among your Hunger Games and Divergents and Maze Runners, it's the kind of story that could make a great blockbuster for today's audiences. In fact, Hollywood's been trying to remake Logan's Run for the last eighteen years, most recently with a script being penned by game designer Ken Levine. Whether or not this version gets off the ground and makes it to the theater is anyone's guess, but this is is one sci-fi story that actually deserves a second chance on screen.
When you go back and watch the 1976 version of Logan's Run, it really feels like a missed opportunity. The film came out the year before Star Wars, before science fiction films proved they could reach a mainstream audience. Logan's Run definitely had big ambitions, and you get the feeling that there's a great movie hiding in between the frames of the finished reel. We chatted with the writers of the novel the film was adapted from, as well as the son of the film's director, to hear what the original vision was for the story.
George Clayton Johnson and William F. Nolan wrote the first draft of Logan's Run--the novel--back in 1965. "I came up with the idea of reversing the old cliché of 'life begins at forty,'" Nolan says. "In my original concept, life ended at forty, which I scaled down to twenty-one in the novel. It was much more frightening to have young people just out of their teens being executed by the state." This was, of course, a very dark idea, and there's a strong message at the core of Logan's Run that society could learn from, but Nolan says, "As a writer, I feel that you must never preach to your readers. The message must always be subliminal. In Logan's Run, the message is that you can't run a civilization with middle-aged and older people eliminated. The society collapses on itself."
"Science fiction has always projected dark futures," Nolan continues, "which I personally find depressing. Therefore, all four of my Logan novels have happy endings."
As George Clayton Johnson explains, Logan's Run was also influenced by Fahrenheit 451, "where you had an underground, a group of people that were against the status quo, some kind of a weird dictatorship where people were burning books, or in this case, executing all the old people. Nolan and I came from the standpoint that it was time for a big budget science fiction piece. As we plotted it out together, we decided should we write it as a movie, or as a novel? We figured a novel would give us the greatest freedom, because if nobody wanted to buy it as movie, it would be pretty dead, whereas we could go from trying to sell it as a book, to trying to sell it as a movie, it would justify the effort. So when we did Logan's Run, we were more thinking about sociology rather than outer space."
While Nolan and Johnson weren't thinking about a "crossover" science fiction film, they did want Logan's Run to be a big success that would appeal to more than just sci-fi fans. "Nolan and I deliberately offered our books not to Ace Books or one of those science fiction publishers," Johnson says. "We wanted to get out of this generic business and into the mainstream. We submitted our book to Grove Press, Dial Press, which was famous for all of its great authors, including Norman Mailer. We wanted our book to be stamped with that literature mark instead of that pulp fiction mark. The only way to break out of that pulp fiction thing was to have literary credentials."
After the rights to the novel were purchased for a film adaptation, Logan's Run was stuck in development hell for a number of years at MGM before it finally went into production in 1975. The studio was famously going through financial problems to the point where they were auctioning off its famous memorabilia, including Dorothy's red slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Two movies helped turn MGM's financial fortunes around, the Blaxploitation classic Shaft, and a little sci-fi movie called Westworld.
At one point, Irwin Allen (Lost in Space) was attached to make Logan's Run, and reportedly George Pal (The Time Machine) was going to direct as well. Eventually the job went to Michael Anderson, who had directed Around the World in 80 Days, and many other films.
Anderson's son, Michael Jr., also had a featured role in the film as Doc, a plastic surgeon. Even though his father ended up in the director's chair, Anderson Jr. felt Pal could have done a great job if he ended up making the film. Anderson recalled that Pal would have made the movie "in a more intimate way," which he felt would have suited the story better instead of the bigger, epic approach.
"Pal was going to stick with the concept of dying at 21, which is very potent," Anderson continues. "If people die at thirty, that just doesn't have the same impact as children being murdered. If I was going to remake that movie, I would do it as more of a terrifying love story of people on the run who refuse to play the game. Give it a people escaping Nazi Germany kind of feel, because I think that's more true to the feel of the book. It's a love story about two people on the run. You could set that anywhere, any time, it just happened to be set in the future."
When Anderson Jr. first saw the Logan's Run sets, he felt the movie definitely had a shot at being a hit "because you knew they were doing it with care." Yet here is one of the biggest problems with Logan's Run, namely the inconsistency of the effects and production design. In fact, in a number of scenes it's obvious that the city of the future is a shopping mall in Dallas.
Not to mention the outside view of the city of the future is clearly a gigantic miniature model that looks like it should be displayed in the window of FAO Schwartz. (The character of Box is also one of the most ridiculous looking robots in cinema history.) There were still a lot of bugs to be ironed out in special FX technology in the mid seventies, something Star Wars did quite well a year later, but as Anderson Jr. explains, "You just didn't have the same tools we do today to make all these things look authentic."
"Our problem was lack of money," Johnson says. "They cut some of the best FX out of it because they couldn't afford them. They made that model city the way they did it because they had to do it the cheap way. They also didn't have trained people around who knew how to use blue screen."
Anderson Jr. recalled the budget for Logan's Run being in the range of $6.8 million (IMDB reports $9 million), which was definitely outrageous for the time. "Up until Logan's Run, they hadn't spent that kind of money on science fiction films because they weren't getting the audience," he says.
For Stephen Katz, a sound mixer who worked on both Logan's Run and Star Wars, the movie failed because the story felt like more conventional sci-fi, and "it didn't have the mythic qualities that Star Wars did." Anderson Jr. says, "My father always felt that they were trying to make an 8x10 out of what should have been a 5x7. MGM wanted to make a bigger film out of it, but I think Logan's Run should have been more intimate, with the science fiction as more of a backdrop." Anderson also remembered his father was going through a divorce, and then met up with an old flame, which may have distracted him. "He was more interested in trying to find her phone number than he was with the movie!"
The casting for Logan's Run was also mixed. Michael York is a fine actor, but he was probably too old at that point to be playing 29. On the plus side of casting, Logan's Run gave the world the first featured role of Farrah Fawcett, who hadn't read for Charlie's Angels yet, but who was clearly going to be a star. "Farrah was a real pretty little firecracker," Anderson says. "Delightful, adorable."
There was also a cameo performance from the acclaimed British actor Peter Ustinov, who played the old man Logan encounters near the end of the film. (When he's brought back to society, everyone is shocked to see an elderly person.) Ustinov did a wonderful job, and his role may have been a bit of a precursor to Alec Guinness playing Obi-Wan.
And though it wasn't a smash hit in theaters, Logan's Run has developed a bit of a cult following from subsequent TV showings, and there was also a short-lived series version on CBS from 1977 to 1978. Anderson Jr. says MGM didn't want to dismantle the miniature city of the future model, and launched the series so they could reuse it again.
Where the late Richard Matheson has been able to see three different movies of I Am Legend made in his lifetime, William F. Nolan is hopeful that a new version of Logan's Run will eventually get made that will do the novel justice.
"Lord knows if it will ever reach the screen, but they still want to do it," Nolan says. "I have my fingers and toes crossed." And with dystopia stories the hot thing right now, "It would make a stronger statement after updating," Nolan continues. "A director with younger energy and vision is exactly what I hope for."


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subset: commoncrawl


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We have a winner - Let's get to it!
This lucky girl won a Scor-Buddy - woohooooo
Please send an e-mail to info(at)papersmoochesstamps(dot)com to claim your prize. Congrats!!
I hope this card gives you the same happy-feeling it gives to me :)
Heidi combined two colors of Clouds dies...doesn't this look fabulous?!?
Have a wonderful weekend
hugs & smooches,


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Conjunctival inclusion cyst By Dr.Hassan Sorour Young female.. 9 month after squint surgery Causes. ..?.. management By Dr.Victor Ezebuiroh Conjunctival inclusion cyst. It should be surgically repaired. By Dr.Mohammad Ibrahim Salem DDx :prolapsed orbital fat, pyogenic granuloma, retention cyst, or FB granuloma Conjunctival cysts may be congenital or acquired. A common cause of acquired conjunctival inclusion cysts is the ... Read More »
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We Get It Obama, You're From Chicago
If you are watching President Obama honor a sports team at the White House, don't be surprised if you get overcome by a feeling of déjà vu. That's because the president's joke material tends to never change when it comes to sports. In January, the Count discovered that Obama almost always makes a crack (or three) about one of his three favorite sports teams–the Bulls, the White Sox or the Bears—when entertaining recent title-winning teams.
This week we learned that the pattern also extends to not-so-recent title winning teams. On Tuesday, Obama had members of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins at the White House for the first time ever. After a few minutes of pleasantries about the NFL's only perfect football team, the conversation mysteriously turned to talk of another legendary team: the 1985 Chicago Bears.


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Salute Piobaireachd Stories – Compiled By Ron MacLeod
Ron's fondness of Piobaireachd lead to his compilation of these histories and stories related to Piobaireachd for which we are grateful to have his permission to publish extracts on this website.
Read a short synopsis about Ron Macleods life and his Scottish Ancestory
The links below are for Historical Piobaireachd Stories which Ron has grouped into "salute" category.
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Controlled burn turns into grass fire
By Roger Cowan
Yorktown News-View
A controlled burn on Thursday got a bit out of control when embers jumped Metting School Road. The column of smoke from the fire could be clearly seen from Nordheim, and at one point, a DeWitt County Sheriffs Deputy had to close Metting School Road due to a lack of visibility. Amy Stanchos, whose yard was set ablze by the wind-bown embers, stated that though the fire did burn less than acre of grass, it did not threaten any buildings or cattle. The Yorktown Volunteer Fire Department responded and did an excellent job getting the blaze under control quickly.
Though the current conditions have not pressed county officials to institute a burn ban, caution should be exercised in any burning efforts as the high winds and dry grass can lead to unexpected shifts in the path of any fire. Just last week, a controlled burn in Goliad county turned into a 500 acre fire which required multiple agencies and fire response planes to regain control of it.


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Why I became a crime writer.
At the beginning of my writing career I was labelled a 'literary' writer. That was fine, and I tried to live up to it. About three years ago I had an idea for a cycle of stories based on the Grimm's fairy tales, but modern, grown-up versions. Literary ones. I wrote several of these stories. In one of them a snowy-white Hollywood starlet gets poisoned on LSD at an orgy of seven midgets. I did it as an American noir, and I showed it to my agent. Do it as a full-length novel! she said.
The novel, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO JERRY PICCO?, was shown to half a dozen big publishers in New York. But there were no takers for my porno-noir about a drugged-up fifteen year-old virgin and her well-hung midget lover. Strange. The crime publisher Mulholland very nearly bought it, then shied away. The novel was quickly forgotten, and I moved on.
However, last year I brought the novel out as an ebook, using the pseudonym Joe Florez. I did it as a way of testing the emerging ebook market, and I quite enjoyed the process. At about the same time I made an unusual discovery: my uncle John had been an arms dealer. He was also suspected of stealing munitions from the British army, and when he boarded a flight home from Amsterdam in 1984, British police were waiting for him at Heathrow. It was too late; he was found dead on the plane, his throat cut.
There are all sorts of theories as to what Uncle John had been doing. Apparently he'd made a lot of trips to Libya, and there was also rumours that he was supplying para-military groups in Ireland. His widow claimed publically that he'd been in contact with an organisation (which she wouldn't name) that wanted him to work for them under cover. She vowed to fight for the truth, but nothing ever came of it. John was quickly forgotten.
What struck me as curious, when I saw the press cuttings and learned something about the case, was that I'd never heard about it before. He was actually a half-uncle on my father's side, but nobody had ever mentioned the nature of his death or the job he'd been doing. After getting used to the idea that he might have been involved in some pretty awful things, what amazed me is how family life went on regardless, presumably as it had done while he was flying off to Tripoli back when Gaddafi was at the height of his terrorist-supporting powers. Uncle John had two young daughters and lived in a pleasant suburb of Leeds. He had a normal life.
I decided to write a crime novel about this contradiction. HOPE ROAD is not about Uncle John himself, although it is set in Leeds. It's about a criminal family, and specifically about a 'non-criminal' son in that family. I was interested to explore what it might be like to grow up with a career criminal for a father, yet to reject that background and 'go straight'. That's what my family must have been doing all those years, tactfully rejecting one of their own, not only the manner of his death, but also what he did.
As I developed my main character, John Ray, I began to think about structure. I wanted him to be an amateur sleuth, using his family's connections to solve a crime. But I also wanted to bring out the tensions inherent in this situation, and to do this I decided to give him a girlfriend: a police detective. As the novel grew, it drew more and more on the dynamics of this relationship. The detective is called Denise Danson, and I reckon she might get her own plot in a future novel.
Finally, as I was writing the book, two more things happened. Firstly, HOPE ROAD involves a subplot revolving around fake money, and quite by chance I got the opportunity to meet a real money counterfeiter. I learned a lot of details about the 'funny money' trade from him, especially about what it's like to 'pass off' counterfeit banknotes in large numbers. Initially it was nerve-wracking to meet a professional criminal. But then I thought back to my own family! Secondly, the West Yorkshire Police were kind enough to offer me access to Leeds CID. I was assigned a detective, and I consulted with him on matters of police procedure and other plot details. Since I was writing about the very same Special Crimes department in Leeds, I considered this a sign: I'd made the right decision to turn to crime.
You can buy HOPE ROAD from Amazon.co.uk, or from various other vendors (see John's website).


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F inally, I'm back. Finally, for me… you may have wished I was still away. However, I digress. ChristmasKwanzaaNukah is over, we got through the hailstorm of gift opening and lights and dazzle and stomach flu and now seem to be back in some semblance of normal. Life is going at 100 kms an hour and I barely remember the last few hours, much less a week ago.
Version 1.0 got totally spoiled. I mean, like rotten. She had so many presents this year that she actually asked to stop opening them. She was weary by the time we were done. "Come on, honey, just one more present…" "Noooooooo!". In hindsight, we should have split them up over a few days, but I admit to being a bit more excited than her at the prospect of her being spoiled.
One person that was *not* spoiled… Version 2.0. In fact, we completely forgot about him/her. Not one gift, no stocking, no honourable mention in Christmas cookie decorating even. Fair enough, the little tyke isn't going to remember yuletide in utero, nor will it care whether or not it was acknowledged with a small token of a hopeful future under the tree. But, for me, it's a stark realisation of how different things will be the second time.
When I was pregnant (very) with Version 1.0, Christmas time was only weeks from her emergence, and she was the first child for us, the first niece or nephew for my sister, the first cousin for her kids, etc. A representative fraction of gifts were for her, and we talked about her non-stop (in non-gender-specific terms).
This time, I barely remembered being pregnant. How could I, while contending with stomach flu blowouts (both ends), baking gifts, wrapping presents, shopping, not drinking (grumble), preparing savoury feasts and generally entertaining Version 1.0?
All. very. lame. excuses. But, are they? Is all the hype with our first just because we have nothing else to be distracted by? Everyone smiles knowingly and says "Yup. That's how it goes. The poor second child never gets the attention of the first."
I was a second child. I do not ever recall feeling inadequately attended to (except when it suited my melodramatic fancy to insist I was terribly hard done by in order to get something I wanted). I hope to never have Version 2.0 feeling inadequately loved, but here's the thing... I don't think we could ever keep the pace with the attention we have lavished on Version 1.0. We just cannot. It will be impossible. There will never be as many photos, as much documentation, as many considerations. We'd have to basically quit the rest of our lives and spend every waking second compensating.
I'm already feeling guilty. Poor bugger. But he/she will never know the difference, right? Provided that we are fair and equal in our attention once he/she arrives? That's what counts, right? Not the number of presents under the tree, absence of baby showers, plethora of hand-me-downs…
Right? Do I need to start searching for a therapist now?


text: aj2181: Hi everyone, I need to apologize to the people who have gotten to know me over the months that I've been a member. I havn't been honest about myself. I'm not tall or hung. I've lied since I came here about my self physically, and about everyother way. The only things about me that I have posted that are truthful is my politics and my initials. I'm sorry to those I have decieved and want everyone to know that I regret my actions.


text: ORIGINAL: just t that veet stuff is great. If you put it on your hair, since the hair on your head is thicker, it dosent make it come out but gives it a nice shine and is really good for it to get rid of damage from pollution in the air, but you have to rinse in vinegar before to stop it taking too much of you hairs natural oils out. Try it.


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Darlings, we're feeling low-key, intimate, and Parisian at the moment.
La 25ème Heure, Paris
Pack your clove cigarettes and meet us there.
Guest judge Chris Benz, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen and Heidi Klum
Yadda yadda yadda.
Yadda yadda bo badda bananana fanna fo fadda .
Talk amongst yourselves. We're tapped out (obviously). Our book is coming up on deadline and we're scribbling and editing furiously at the moment.
Our prediction: We're talking about reality television here, which means a significant number of these attention whores probably never got over high school. A meltdown is inevitable.
Your prediction is to pick who's most likely to tell a sob story about their own prom and then, well, sob.
[Photo Credit: Barbara Nitke for Lifetime, parisbouge.com – Video Credit: Lifetime]
Valentino Fall 2013 Collection Next Post:
PR: Duck, Duck, Goose


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1. Cleaning Windows
George did the lounge and conservatory and Ian did the dining room. That's just the inside, but now they're mildew free which is nice. The outside will mean a visit to the storage unit to get the gear to do the cleaning; might do that on Saturday as it's close to spinning.
2. Making bread
Despite me using the old jar of yeast and then having to add some fresh and whoops on one of the kneading bits it seems to have worked and didn't take a lot of time either! I'll be cleaning the breadmaker and putting it on Trademe, if I'm going to make bread I'm just as likely to do it using the Kitchenaide as I am using the breadmaker. It's a really good breadmaker and deserves a home where it will get used rather more often.
|It was delicious, I'll be making more, lots more!
3. Maybe make some real pasta now that I have a drying rack for it.
Didn't get around to this, maybe on the weekend.
4. More gardening
We vacuumed instead, lounge/dining/kitchen now all sorted, but we did water the lettuces and seedlings. Only things not showing any sign of movement yet are the celery, tomatoes and zucchini.
5. I want to start sewing George's quilt so he and I can decide on a layout
I did get started, 2/3rds of the way through the 2.5" strip piecing.
|About halfway through the piecing.
6. Play another game with the boys
No, didn't do this
7. Work
8. Knitting - probably CPH as the shawl is a bit too involved to do when there is the potential for interruptions, as proved by today's little debacle.
Dyed 200g of sock yarn, I think it needs another dip in a tomato red as the crimson has come out a little too pink. Might do that tonight. The yarn was from the Milton Mill, 200g worth. I've run out of time for knitting now, but tomorrow's a new day.
|A bit too pink, that lighter bit is the mink yarn which has taken the colour differently.
I think I've also worked out what's causing my dry hands, it is likely the pump soap in the kitchen and I've just put bar soap there instead.
Tomorrow is going to be devoted to knitting, I'll drop the boys off at their day activity and then sit down and knit (please no tink). A wee bike ride to Barrington to get some printer ink will be the only other thing aside from possibly some Xbox time.


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The following is a slightly expanded, and much more hyperlinked, version of an essay that was broadcast on the series The Moral Is, on Valley Public Radio, KVPR, Fresno, California, on September 18, 2011. (Which, incidentally, happened to be just after the release of Contagion, the movie that has probably increased our fear of germs!)
A recent TV ad hawks a new Kleenex product: single-use hand-towels to replace the obsolete, unhealthy cloth towels we've used forever in our bathrooms! Tag line: "Your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them." These new "towels" are supposedly more hygienic because, you know, those old cloth ones become so chock full of germs!!
Of course, Kleenex is playing on our fears to create new profits. Just look at how many antibacterial products fill your supermarket shelves: soaps, wipes, sprays, hand sanitizers… Even Louis Pasteur, whose germ theory of disease helped save millions of lives, might be flabbergasted by how far the health-products industry has run with our fear of all those germs he unleashed!
One consequence is a lesson we're learning the hard way: bacteria are not static entities easily wiped out by our clever antibiotics, but dynamic lifeforms able to evolve rapidly under new selection pressures. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has even rendered our hospitals unsafe, filled with multi-drug-resistant "superbugs" (e.g., MRSA). We are down to a faltering last line of defense (a few ultra-potent drugs) which too shows signs of breach. Yet we continue dousing everything around us in antibiotics. Our obsession with hygiene also contributes to the rise in allergies because our bodies don't get the chance to encounter and develop defenses against many antigens, and overreact even to harmless things!
Meanwhile, microbiologists, modern descendants of Pasteur, have discovered something that should give us further pause: our own bodies are literally teeming with bacteria!! Human bodies serve as habitat for colonies of hundreds of kinds of bacteria! We, each of us, carry more bacterial cells in/on our bodies than actual human cells! As Ed Yong put it on BBC radio this week, we should consider ourselves not human so much as "a universe of bacteria in a "human shaped sack""! Rugged individuals? Nah! We are in fact multitudes of species; our bodies, whole ecosystems of… germs!
But wait, don't freak out!!
Most of the bacteria in our bodies are actually beneficial to us, acting symbiotically to protect and nurture our tissues in ways we barely understand. You may already know that bacteria in our guts help process a variety of foods that our own enzymes cannot handle. Some break down cellulose so we get nourishment from plants, some manufacture essential vitamins and amino acids, while others remove toxins or ward off infections. Scientists have recently found bacteria in the human mouth that actually help strengthen enamel, not cause tooth decay! Yes! How long before we see a probiotic bacterial mouthwash on the market?
A new picture is emerging which suggests that some of our diseases may result from imbalances in our bacterial colonies. Our penchant for using powerful antibiotics is rather like using napalm to rid your garden of a few weeds! Doctors already recommend probiotic capsules and yogurts to be taken alongside antibiotics to help repopulate our digestive tracts with healthy bacteria. May we soon see more products that restore bacteria to other parts of our bodies and our habitats damaged by excessive cleaning? We are already seeing a boom in probiotics, raising fears that the pendulum, beginning to swing the other way, may be pushed too far in that other direction by the same market forces that bring us all those cleaning products.
Germophobia, excessive hand-washing – these are symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a psychiatric condition not easy to treat. How does one treat an entire society exhibiting symptoms of OCD?
Pass me that new tissue would you, not the sterile one, but the one soaked in good bacteria?
- Okada, H., Kuhn, C., Feillet, H., & Bach, J. (2010). The 'hygiene hypothesis' for autoimmune and allergic diseases: an update Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 160 (1), 1-9 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2010.04139.x
- Pflughoeft, K. J., & Versalovic, J. (2011). Human Microbiome in Health and Disease Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 7 (1) DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-011811-132421
- Xu, J. (2003). Inaugural Article: Honor thy symbionts Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100 (18), 10452-10459 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1734063100
- Crielaard, W., Zaura, E., Schuller, A., Huse, S., Montijn, R., & Keijser, B. (2011). Exploring the oral microbiota of children at various developmental stages of their dentition in the relation to their oral health BMC Medical Genomics, 4 (1) DOI: 10.1186/1755-8794-4-22


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Girl Hurt In Fresno Crash Out Of Coma
FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) —
We have an update on the 18-month-old girl who was seriously injured in a crash last week that left 7-year-old Donovan Maldonado dead.
Family friends say Donovan's sister, Bella, is out of her medically-induced coma and is conscious. She remains in critical condition but is awake.
Her father, Jesse Maldonado, remains in fair condition. He is recovering from a broken leg.
Police say a car driven by 42-year-old Loren LeBeau hit the Maldonado family as they bicycled in a crosswalk in Northeast Fresno on July 25.
Police say LeBeau's blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent, well above the legal limit.
LeBeau is scheduled to make his first court appearance next week.


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It happens to be a coincidence that my so called Spring Clean that took place on Sunday fell just as we are about to enter Spring. I think the first day of Spring is in about ten days? Either way, Spring is coming quickly, and I can hardly believe we're in March already. This time last year I was living it up at Uni... although if I remember correctly my dissertation was due in very soon so I think I was "living it up" in the library right about now. It's therapeutic and good for the mind to clear out old things, throw away the unused and unwanted, and generally just make the most of your physical space.
I had my last big room clean when I moved back home from Uni last summer. I tore down the wall of old posters, repainted the walls white and moved my bed to a new position. I also threw out rubbish that had collected in my drawers whilst I'd been living between two homes. Turning my old room into a "new" room helped me come to terms with the fact I was back living with my parents for the next year.
This weekend was different. My room had been a mess in general, but the biggest mess was my wardrobe. It was filled with clothes I didn't wear that I didn't want to let go of, or that didn't feel like "me" anymore. I filled three bin bags! The stuff is mostly going to charity and some of it is going on eBay. The image above shows the "after". My drawer which had been filled to the top with old t-shirts now houses some shoes that had previously been chucked under my bed. As you can see I've also now fully accepted the new colour scheme that I have been drawn to for the last year.
Clearing out the old stuff makes you feel oddly positive about life. I would highly recommended having a huge clean and clear out this weekend! I can take on the world now that my wardrobe has been organised into categories.
x G


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Vividwireless introducing 4G network in Sydney and Melbourne
The folks at Aussie business news website, iTnews have an exclusive report on the performance of Vividwireless' 4G wireless broadband expansion which has reached Sydney and Melbourne.
Some maps that Vividwireless has let out reveal a much larger coverage area for Sydney when compared to Melbourne (at this stage), but both networks are still far smaller than their Perth network which kicked off around four months back.
The signal footprint for Sydney roughly covers areas like Rodd Point and Lewisham in the inner west, Mascot in the south, the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the north and Rose Bay to Matraville along the east coast.
In running a series of tests on the network in Sydney, the folks at iTnews said you can expect similar performance to the average download speeds Vividwireless' Perth customers see, which is about 9.53Mbps. Though it should be noted that they were the only customer on the network at the time when performing the test.
Further details on how they conducted the test and exact figures are shared via the source link folks.


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Earlier this week, President Ma Ying-jeou (LL.M. '76) of Taiwan visited NYU Law during a two-day stop in New York City. President Ma revisited some of his favorite Law School spots, and was also greeted by NYU President John Sexton.
This is the first time Ma has returned to New York since he was first elected in 2008. In addition to visiting NYU Law, Ma also attended a breakfast with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, visited the September 11th Memorial and Museum, attended a luncheon with U.S. business leaders, and met with former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan.
Posted on August 14, 2013


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Yesterday evening I followed the vote closely and carefully, using an Excel spreadsheet. I put all the states in a column on the left, then to the right, their electoral votes. The next two columns to the right were labeled Hillary and Trump. When a state was called, I would put the electoral vote won in the winner's column. Here is a portion of that spreadsheet to illustrate:
The black numbers are actual votes, the red numbers were my prediction, based on trends. In this way I could see the direction of the vote. Early on, I saw the direction was in Trump's favor, and that his winning it was indeed possible. Being able to see this in black and white eased my mind considerably, and watching the vote became a lot less fearful and painful.
As the night wore on, all Trump needed was to win Michigan to put him over the top. However, Pennsylvania closed first, and that put him over.
All the while, I kept up a running conversation with other Trump supporters on FaceBook, as well as checking the electoral maps on both the New York Times and Fox News websites.
The result of this was that I enjoyed the vote, instead of anguishing over it. It enabled me to see, hours before the end, that Trump was headed for a win.
Jussie's Place
40 minutes ago


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Part 'History of', part showcase, part bitch fest... a place for those interested in the fine art of the comp and storyboard - especially as they are used in advertising
Friday, April 9, 2010
These pictures had to be made within 72hrs ( I should have told the agency that they are crazy and so on but I didn´t. I´m buyable. ) So I started to search the net for backgrounds. I found some good, some bad and started rearranging them in photoshop. Then I printed the whole stuff, drew some lines across in order to make it look more like coloured illustrations and less like stock photos. Finally I scanned them again and drew the persons carefully to match the backgrounds as good as possible. uff. I´m proud of the result . I think that is a big issue for every layout and storyboard artists: nobody can judge our work fairly without knowing the work conditions like time pressure.
7 comments:
I think you did a great job! You've blended the backdrops beautifully with the figures. As they say (or they should) everything is fair in love and storyboarding ;)ReplyDelete
I agree with Maria, it is a great result.ReplyDelete
I have to say though, I just wish I had your patience when it came to researching those splendid backgrounds.
Great fusion of background and figures. I agree with Maria, but I'd say everything is fair when the result is as good as this.ReplyDelete
Wow. Impressive.ReplyDelete
But isn't it easier and more time saving to alter the backgrounds in Photoshop? Instead of printing and scanning.
A great result, Kai - nicely done! They look very cool all ganged up like this!ReplyDelete
Thanks very much!ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for posting, Kai, the process of printing and scanning actually gives a hand-made feeling to fit with the illustration. Next time,ReplyDelete
I'll try, I think it will be very useful.


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Special Edition "Daughters of Oceanus" 2014 Sketchbook, by Annie Stegg
Special Edition "Daughters of Oceanus" 2014 Sketchbook, by Annie Stegg
This is the SPECIAL EDITION.
It is special because, while it is hand-signed and individually-numbered like the others, this version also includes an original drawing by Annie Stegg on the first page.
It also contains a limited edition, signed 6"x9" insert print exclusive to this limited edition.
The Special Edition is limited to 50 copies.
***The Special Edition will ship on or before February 3***
44 pages, 6x9 inches, full-color, softback, perfect-bound
"Daughters of Oceanus" sketchbook, is a collection of preliminary work from Annie Stegg's series, inspired by Greco-Roman Mythology. This is the first edition of this book, and is limited to 50 copies. Each one is numbered, and signed.
The images include sketches and underpaintings from the series, and is bound into a softcover perfect-bound book. The book is 44 pages, 6x9 inches. Printed in full color, on high quality stock paper. It includes working images that have been Annie's initial steps in creating the collection of existing paintings, as well as future images.
Each copy will be numbered and signed by Annie on the title page.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for any questions♥
This is the first edition of this book.
Please Note: Due to the volume of orders, we cannot accommodate specific requests for drawings.


text: Yesterday, David Brauer did a nice piece on the Star Tribune's first online experiment in 1981. Here's the video he posted along with the story: The commenters on the story include people who actually participated in these services. It's absolutely fascinating to read their input. I immediately thought of Star Tribune Online, the paper's proprietary AOL-like for-fee … [Read more...]


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2 teaspoons light extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, cut into quarter inch sections
1 cup bell pepper, chopped, can be one color or assorted
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups uncooked minute brown rice
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
1½ cups chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, un-drained
5 links andouille turkey sausage, sliced into ½ inch rounds (fully cooked)
½ pound large shrimp, cooked, peeled and de-veined
Full recipe from : yummly.com
Heat Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper and garlic. Continue to saute for 5 minutes.
Add brown rice through canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a large fork or spoon, add shrimp and and sausage. Cover and continue to heat on low for 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and thyme springs. Mixture will have a little bit of liquid, but not be soupy. Taste test rice, as brown rice can sometimes be finicky. Allow to rest for a few minutes uncovered before serving.


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Monday, February 22, 2016
M&Ms White Strawberry Shortcake
Easter is a special time in the candy cycle, because it's really the only time of year that white chocolate is embraced. Fortunately there are some products that are actually good, not just a white confection but actually made with real cocoa butter and lots of milk. (Many white confections are just sugar and tropical oils.)
The new White Strawberry Shortcake M&Ms are a Target exclusive this year, and if you're a fan of the other white chocolate holiday versions like the Candy Corn M&Ms and the White Peppermint M&Ms, these may be just for you.
The pieces are larger than standard M&Ms, they're puffier and a little less regular. They're delicate pastel colors in pleasing creamy pink, eggshell and white, kind of like a strawberry shortcake with a whipped cream dollop. That's about as far as the shortcake theme goes, which is fine with me. (The Dove Strawberry Shortcake Crisp things were weird.)
The package this year holds 8 ounces. Years ago the limited edition flavors came in a 9.9 ounce bag, they're reliably shrinking over time.
The pieces are uncolored in the center and not layered like some. The white chocolate is creamy and sweet and has the floral flavor of fresh strawberries. There are no dried strawberry bits in there, like some previous products have included.
The shell is crunchy and the center is sweet but balanced with the more milky flavors. There's a lot of fat in there, from the cocoa butter, but they didn't have a greasy texture. (But that could be that it's kind of chilly, the Candy Corn version they make in the fall comes along when things are still warm in my area, and the cocoa butter can migrate through the shell in the heat. The flavor in this case reminds me quite a bit of the old Nestle Qwik strawberry milk.
I'm keen on these, but they push all my buttons. They're pretty and not overly colored, they have a good flavor that's not too artificial and the ingredients (though there are artificial colors and flavors) are petty decent. I hope they return next year with a wider release.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:54 am Candy • Review • Easter • Mars • Kosher • White Chocolate • 8-Tasty • United States • Target •
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Minion Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg
Easter is a time for the iconic Cadbury Creme Egg. However, it doesn't come in a lot of flavor variations. So it's understandable that someone else wants to get into the cream egg marketplace.
I found these Minion Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg at Cost Plus World Market. It was hard to find out who actually makes them, because it's not Cadbury. The foil wrapper was hard to read, but eventually I was able to flatten it out to see that it's made by a company called Treat Street, that mostly makes licensed novelty treats.
It's a great idea, to make a cream egg with a different flavored filling, and in this case it's brilliant that they've picked banana and partnered that with a Minion themed foil wrapping. They're quite arresting when viewed in the full bin. But the most notable part of this design is that all of the eggs are Stuart, as they all have one eye (I suppose they could also be other one-eyed Minions, but it'd be silly to pay a licensing fee to make candies with a minor character).
My issue with only one design is minor, because the foil itself is quite adorable. The egg inside is completely ordinary looking. It's the same as a Cadbury egg, except it's missing a starburst.
The banana center is very yellow, in fact, one might call it Minion Yellow. Before biting the egg just smells like milky chocolate. After biting, well, it's all banana. The filling is gooey, a little bit thinner than the Cadbury variety and a little less grainy. It is absolutely sweet and has a strong artificial banana flavor, though it's also a little on the green side. Some banana flavors can have a lot of acetone notes, this one at least seems a little bit more unripe.
The most disappointing part of the egg construction is that there is not one cream compartment in the center. In the case of these knock off eggs, they're obviously made in halves which actually have a full coating of chocolate that creates a chocolate septum when biting into the whole egg. This means more chocolate and less filling. It also means that there's no "yolk". Though the filling is extremely sweet and quite strongly flavored, there's so much chocolate to balance it.
As far as a knock-off egg, this one is very good. The chocolate is passably good for a novelty item and the filling is distinctive. Since it adds its own twist with the banana as well as the foil design to go with the Minion character, I'd call it a win. However, I can't imagine ever buying this unless I was specifically looking for a banana Easter item or something for a Minion fan. The price of $1.49 was a bit steep as well for the quality level.
Related Candies
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Candyology 101 - Episode 31 - Sour Power
Pucker up! In this episode of Candyology 101, Maria and scratch the surface of the wide world of sour candies. Listen in to find out more about the different acids that make our sour candy so tangy and all of our favorites.
Also be sure to check out our show notes.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:40 pm Candy • Sour • Highlight • Radio Interviews •
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Brach's Valen-tiny's
One of the new items from Brach's is a fun looking product. They're called Brach's Valen-tiny's. They're tiny double layer hearts in the style of SweeTarts.
I found the share size bag at Target, which is a great size for a new product like this. The bag has no further description aside from advising that they're good for snacking or decorating. The little window in the bag shows that they are actually tiny hearts that are two layers, one white and the other a pastel.
As far as I can tell, there are five flavors:
The quality of the flavors is so widely varied that I can't recommend them. It's hard to tell them apart because they're small and only colored on one side, so it's easy to eat the wrong one if you're avoiding a color.
I'd like to see Brach's try again with these because the concept shows a lot of promise. But they're fine for decorating and I only spent a buck on them. I was disappointed to see that they're made in China, which means that Brach's or Ferrara Candy Company didn't actually make them at all.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:55 pm Candy • Review • Valentines • Brach's • Ferrara Pan • Compressed Dextrose • 4-Benign • China • Target •
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Tic Tac Be Mine Mix
Last year Tic Tac had a Valentine's flavor called Be Mine Mix. It featured Strawberry & Wild Cherry in one box. The new version for 2016 has a couple of twists. First, there are three colors in the package, though the flavors are still listed as Wild Cherry & Strawberry Flavors. The appealing new feature though is that they're printed.
Tic Tac introduced printed little pieces last year with the Minions promotion (which was pretty genius in appearance, though in the States the flavor was not banana as expected, instead it was Passion Fruit). Since Tic Tac invested in this new printer technology, they're trotting it out for other versions, including the Candy Cane version for Christmas, which were just peppermint Tic Tacs with little red candy canes printed on them.
There are only three conversation starters here: I (heart) You, Hug Me and Be Mine. The type is quite wee, very hard for me to read without my reading glasses on, but love is for the young and able-eyed.
The lightest pink tastes a bit like Strawberry Cake. I have no idea what it's supposed to be but the shell part is smooth and sweet with very little flavor at first, the next layer down has a tartness and a definite strawberry flavor note. The center is softer and has more strawberry flavor but a really pronounce "cream flavor" which is not to say that it's actually creamy, it just has a vanilla and maybe even touch of butter note. I don't like it much.
The medium pink is Strawberry, but this one, instead of the weird vanilla, the center has a menthol note on top of the berry.
The red is Wild Cherry. This is well done. The outside is slick on the tongue with a very mild cherry sweetness. The next level down introduces the more varied cherry notes, a deeper jammy flavor and of course the tart bite. The center has a bit more chalky tartness. As a whole, it's pretty good. I'm not usually fond of cherry, but this was the best one in the mix ... but it could be because I really didn't like the others.
All three go together pretty well, but as mints they're not very refreshing as breath fresheners. The box is cute, but not distinctive as a Valentine's item. I'd really only get this for someone as a gift or myself if I knew that I liked the flavors. The printing is certainly a novel addition to the brand, but it does decrease the enjoyment of the texture (the printing does not dissolve in the same way as the regular coating does).
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:46 pm Candy • Review • Valentines • Ferrero • 6-Tempting • Ireland • Target •
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Candyology 101 - Podcast Episode 30 - Valentines and Strawberry
In this episode of the Candyology 101 podcast, Maria and wander the aisle for everything new in Valentines for 2016. And it's all strawberry.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:18 pm Candy • Valentines • Highlight • Radio Interviews •
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Russell Stover Strawberries & Cream Mix
Russell Stover, the classic American boxed chocolate maker was bought by Lindt & Sprungli about 18 months ago. I was looking forward to Russell Stover becoming, well, better.
This year Russell Stover jumped on the strawberry trend quite well. They already make a Strawberry Cream Heart for Valentine's Day, but this year they've also added at least three new items with the strawberry theme. I picked up two. The first is the Russell Stover Strawberries & Cream Mix which the package says is strawberry and white pastelle hearts combine for a rich strawberry and cream taste.
The pink package sports lots and lots of hearts, including a few that show the size and shape of the candies. And it's actually pretty accurate, they do look like little drawings of hearts colored in off white and palest pink. It's a white confection version of the iddy biddy Santas and Bunnies they do in milk chocolate. (Though they mercifully sell those in little single-serve packages.)
The pieces do smell rather sweet, mild and with a decent strawberry note. They're soft and matte and kind of strange because they're very quiet. They're light and have no candy shell, so pouring them from the package means more sound from the bag than the tumbling of the candy.
When Russell Stover says pastelle, they really mean a combination of sugar, fractionated palm kernel oil, partially hydrogenated palm oil, some milk solids & fats plus a few dabs of food coloring and flavor.
The effect is pretty much what you might think. Mostly waxy, rather sweet, a smidge milky and vaguely strawberry. The white pieces are supposed to be vanilla, but are really just less strawberry because of their proximity in the bag.
They're not as sweet as I feared they would be. Mostly I'm disappointed that they're so expensive when Mars was able to make actual white chocolate strawberry M&Ms for less for Easter this year. The one thing they have going for them is that they are pretty darn cute and would be great as a decorative element for a cake or cupcakes or just scattered on a dessert plate. Because they're a mockolate product, not a coated candy, the colors won't run and they're not as likely to melt in most serving situations.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:14 pm Candy • Morselization • Review • Valentines • Russell Stover • Mockolate • 4-Benign • United States • Walgreen's •
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Ghiradelli Valentine's Dark and Strawberry Squares
Though strawberry is the hot flavor of the moment, Ghirardelli has been making these Limited Edition Valentine's Dark & Strawberry Squares for a few years.
There's not much of a description on the package, just that the squares are filled with strawberry filling. The filling appears to be made from sugar, high fructose corn syrup, palm oil and freeze dried strawberries and colored with fruit and vegetable juice (very vague). It also has some added TBHQ as a preservative. There's no indication of the cacao content of the chocolate itself, but I'd guess it's somewhere in the low 60% range. Each square is 70 calories.
The squares are elegant and simple. They're 1.75 inches square and sport the Ghirardelli logo in a beveled field. In my experience the packaging protects the pieces well and they usually look stunningly gorgeous.
If there's an issue with the filled squares from Ghirardelli is that they temper their chocolate to be very crisp and snappy ... so the filled pieces can be messy to eat when the chocolate breaks apart upon biting and the filling dribbles out. So, make an effort to bite on the diagonal, or pop the whole thing in your mouth at once.
The chocolate is sweet but with a nice dry woodsy note to it, which goes well with the strawberry flavors. The strawberry filling is quite like a finely pureed strawberry sauce. It's not overly sweet, has a strong tangy note and just a touch of seed flavor to it (and some actual seeds).
Because the edges are so thick and the chocolate in the center is so thin, there's a large variation in the proportion of filling to chocolate in any given bite.
I liked them quite a bit, it was the best imitation of a chocolate covered strawberry that doesn't spoil that I think I've had. Ghirardelli Strawberry Squares contain soy and milk and may also contain traces of tree nuts. There's no statement about gluten.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:42 pm Candy • Review • Valentines • Ghirardelli • Chocolate • Kosher • Limited Edition • 8-Tasty • United States • Target •
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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MVLA Thunder: Welcome
MVLA Thunder is a competitive class 1 team based in Mountain View. The team plays year round in both CYSA, ECNL, and US Club tournaments and is always interested in talking to players who want to take their game to the next level. If interested contact Seth Alberico at firstname.lastname@example.com
2012 California Premier North vs South: Champions
2012 Plesanton Rage Showcase: Champions
2012 CYSA Spring: 1st Place
2011 Tracy Orange Bowl : Champions
2010 Placer United Prestige Cup: Gold Champions
2010 Magic Cup: Finalist
2010 Tracy Orange Bowl: Semi-Finalist
2010 Northern California Spring Showcase: Champions
2010 Stanford Spring Classic Cup: Finalist
2009 Placer United Prestige Cup: Gold Champions
2009 District II Cup: Finalist
2009 Magic Cup: Champions
2009 North vs. South Summer Classic: Champions


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QUESTION: I have a Royal Doulton "Lavinia" figure that I received from my grandmother. The logo on the bottom does not match the logo I found on websites featuring Royal Doulton marks. There is an "HN" but no number after it. What exactly do I have?
– BN, by email.
ANSWER: The first rule in authenticating is to assume every object is a reproduction (exact copy), copycat (stylistic copy), fantasy item (type, form or pattern that never existed historically), or fake (item deliberately meant to deceive). Do not assume the object is period or correct. The object has to prove that it is.
Research and observation are the tools authenticators use.
Royal Doulton did make a Lavinia figure between 1940 and 1979. Lavinia is a young lady who is wearing a red dress and white bonnet secured by a blue ribbon with a bow in the front. She is carrying a basket in her right hand.
Leslie Harradine designed the 5 1/2-inch figure. It is marked "HN 1955 / Rd. No. 838507." There are numerous photographs of Lavinia on the Internet.
Based on the above information, measure the height of your Lavinia figure. If taller than 5 1/2 inches or shorter—the more likely of the two—there is a problem.
Compare the quality of workmanship and colors to the photographs of the Lavinia figure available on the Internet. If the quality or colors do not match, Royal Doulton did not make your figure.
It is incorrect to assume that every faked mark fails to match the quality of a manufacturer's mark. In some cases, the quality is the same or better. The idiom "the devil is in the details" applies.
When a mark is copied, the copy tends to lack some of the detail found in the mark from which it was copied. The mark on your piece lacks detail. The copy is extremely poor. The mark is a copy of a Royal Doulton mark used between 1932 and 1972.
The absence of a proper HN number and the odd "WW" raise serious questions. Check out antique-marks.com for more information.
When attempting to sell pieces such as this, unscrupulous dealers often suggest the example is a factory prototype. Any such claim should set off alarm bells. If a dealer does not use this strategy, he or she might try the "factory second" approach. Royal Doulton did not release factory seconds during the period when your figure was made.
The fact that your grandmother owned this Lavinia figure means little. You have no evidence that she acquired it as a young woman. She could have acquired it within a few years of her death. Her acquisition story is lost to time.
Royal Doulton figures are hollow. As a result, a hole or holes are necessary to allow the water vapor to escape during the firing processes. Normally, these holes are small or hidden. The hole on the bottom of your figure is exceptionally large, not a Royal Doulton production methodology.
The obvious conclusion is that you have a Royal Doulton copycat or fake. Since your email contains only a picture of the base of the figure, I am not able to offer an opinion as to which of the two applies.
QUESTION: I own a pin and earring set that I purchased in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The pin is shaped like a hexagon. Each side measures approximately 1 inch. The pin is filled with small, sparkling glass pieces in a variety of colors—blue, rose and yellow. I can see "B. David," perhaps the name of the manufacturer or designer, on the back of the pin. I would appreciate any information you can provide about the pin and earring set and its value.
—DM, Minneapolis, Kan.
ANSWER: Preston Reuther's Vintage Jewelry website contains this information about B. David:
"B. David jewelry was made from 1943 to 1993 in Cincinnati, Ohio. … B. David jewelry was set apart from the crowd by its style. … Costume jewelry pieces tended to be small (in scale) and elegant as opposed to some of the larger and flashier costume jewelry. … B. David jewelry can be described as delicate, often demonstrating eye-catching combinations of different sized rhinestones, such as round and teardrop shapes in the same piece. Typical … pieces also exhibit attractive pastel colors. …
B. David costume jewelry pieces may be signed 'B. David' in an oval, 'BD' printed diagonally, or "b.David" in a divided square. Earrings may have an etched swirling design in place of a signature or mark on the clip back. … Of particular interest to collectors are B. David costume jewelry sets of a necklace and earrings or a pin and earrings."
A quick check of eBay produced more than 200 listings, most of the "buy it now" variety. Although I was not able to find an example of the pin and earring set that you own, I found enough comparables to provide a value. Value for your set is between $18 and $22.
QUESTION: After my grandfather passed away, I acquired his Garton "Dreadnaught" sled. It is 90 inches in length, has a front steering mechanism and has a handle near the middle on each side. I am having trouble finding information about the sled. Can you help?
—MW, Herrington Park, N.J., via email
ANSWER: In a past Rinker on Collectibles, in response to a question about a Garton pedal car, I provided the following information about the Garton Toy Company:
"The old Garton Toy Factory Riverside plant, located at 830 North Water Street, Sheboygan, is now luxury apartments. Its website contains this history: 'The Garton Toy Company, founded in Sheboygan in 1879 (by Eusebius Bassingdale Garton), is remembered for the production of the pedal car along with sleds, tricycles, coaster wagons, croquet sets and toy cradles. Of all the toy pedal cars produced, they are best known for the creation of the 'Kidillac' and the 'Hot Rod.' The company's production reached a broad market throughout the country through national catalog sales and distribution centers. … During the 1960s, Garton Toy Company introduced several new toy products including the Casey Jones Locomotive, Air Force Jeeps, Tin-Lizzies, Spin-A-Roos, a surrey, a camper and sedans to the toy market. To become more efficient and to modernize, they decided to build a new plant and relocate four miles north of Sheboygan."
While I found information about a number of Garton sleds, I was not able to determine a manufacturing date for the Dreadnaught.
My initial thought was that the sled dates from the late 1940s or early 1950s. However, I did the bulk of my sledding on Front Street and Depot Street hills in Hellertown, Pa., and never remember seeing a sled of that size, 7 1/2 feet, on the hills or in stores.
Sled steering mechanisms date to the late 19th century, a fact that provides little help in dating your sled. I did find an eBay listing for a 1943 Garton sled advertisement tear sheet from a Drake Hardware Company catalog. The advertisement featured "Fleetwing" sleds, the largest measuring 47 inches.
My best guesstimate is that the sled dates from the 1930s. The size is the key value determinant. Based on my evaluation of the pictures that accompanied your email, the sled's secondary market value is around $100.
QUESTION: I own an 11-inch vase that is marked on the bottom "Avalon Faience." The body of the vase is tan. There is a relief grape motif on a checkerboard background. Does this have any value?
—B, State College, Pa.
ANSWER: According to Edwin Atlee Barber's "Marks of American Potters," Henry Brougham, Isaac Brougham and John Tunstall founded Chesapeake Pottery of Baltimore, Md., in 1880 or 1881. Yellow baking ware and Rockingham glazed utensils were its early products. D. F. Haynes Company purchased Chesapeake Pottery in 1882. The ownership changed several times during the next two decades, eventually becoming D. F. Haynes & Son. A triangular "Avalon" faience mark was in place by the mid-1880s.
Lois Lehner's "Lehner's Encyclopedia of U. S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain & Clay" provides this additional information:
"When David [Haynes] died in 1908, his son Frank assumed complete control. In 1914, the American Sugar Refining Company purchased the property (corner of Nicolson and Decatur streets), and the pottery business was discontinued at the Chesapeake Pottery site."
Lehner notes the majolica period dates from 1881 to 1890. The "Avalon" ware had a "fine body, ivory tint and soft rich glaze ornamented with sprays of flowers in relief."
Given its age and American origin, the secondary market for Avalon Faience is weak, as evidenced by eBay asking prices ranging from $40 to $200. Most of the pieces listed on eBay do not sell, though, even those with low opening bid requests or buy-it-now prices. This suggests that supply exceeds demand.
It is hard to place a value on your vase without seeing a picture. My recommendation is to think conservatively—less than $50.
Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry's Web site.
You can listen and participate in Harry's antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show "Whatcha Got?" on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.
"Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property" (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry's latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry's Web site.
Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You can e-mail your questions to email@example.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.
Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2014
WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth


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World have witnessed the introduction of Microsoft's Surface Studio and Windows 10 Creators Update this week alongside all of the 3D content creation that brought to spotlight this week, and of course the new Surface Book i7. Later Apple did the same. But today, what we are talking about is the offering from the Redmond-based software maker, who tossing a little shade the 2016 MacBook Pro's way with a trade in program. Let users "trade up to pen and on-screen touch."
Microsoft is offering MacBook owners $650 toward a Surface Pro or Surface Book, if they trade in their Apple laptop/notebook. Essentially, the company is trying to develop a promotion, but it's the sort of gag that affords the firm opportunity to showcase its perceived advantages over Cupertino-based giant as the company looks to appeal more and more over creatives – a category long dominated by Apple.
As per the company itself, "97% of people that have Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book use on-screen touch input regularly," a metric its happy to glare out as Apple continues to integrate touch on its own computers, gone far beyond another input method in the form of the new Touch Bar that sits between the display and keyboard on the new MacBook Pros.
Microsoft admits that there's no device line up that can match the performance, portability and versatility of the Surface family, which has been built from the ground up with innovation at the heart. A new class of device that turns your desk into a creative studio, which otherwise also unveiled with Performance Base that boasts 30% more battery life and twice the graphics processing compared to the original Surface Book.
MacBook Pro comes with an expensive price tag, but the Apple notebook without Touch Bar could make its place in the arena and in other means it will be your MacBook Air alternative or replacement, that Apple is aiming at its core audience.
Although the new Touch Bar-free MacBook Pro has a real processor: the Skylake-based Core i5. And many other reasons to concern before trading anything with the new Surface Book.
Surface Pro starts at $899 and Surface Book starts at $1499. Interested individuals can make a note of this: The trade-in runs through November 10th at Microsoft's retail stores and online stores in the US.
*Offer valid from October 27, 2016 12:00AM PST, to November 10, 2016, 11:59PM PST, while supplies last. Available only in Microsoft retail and online store in the United States (including Puerto Rico).
You might also like to check out:
- 2016 MacBook Pro Is Reportedly The Fastest Computer On The Planet With HyperDrive USB Type-C Hub
- Microsoft's All-In-One Surface Studio PC With 4.5K Ultra HD Touch Announced


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With only 40 more days left of this 101 day project, a progress report is well overdue. Here goes:
1) Shuck the Superfluous Shit: I think I have sorted, priced and tagged almost 40% of what was in the house. I still have 15 or so bins full of stuff in storage yet to sort and then another, ruthless sort to do of all that remains. I estimate I will have around 30 bins full of yard sale items before I am finished. I have eleven packed away so far. I have also sold several pieces of furniture!
Streamlining of my digital life and exorcising of excess electronics is taking a bit longer, but I have all digital devices gathered up for a full inventory. Progress is imminent.
The almost obsessive amount of TV I was watching has been cut by at least 75%. Every day I spend more time on things I love, like playing music, reading, studying and "cooking". (<– what do real raw food chefs use as a replacement verb for "cooking"?)
2) Face my Finances: I have been keeping a daily expense diary for a few weeks now and am all geared up to build that f*ing spreadsheet of all my debt this weekend. I have been working tirelessly on my goals as a writer, and school is going well. I was going to attend a 16 week course on personal finance, but have decided instead to focus on the myriad webinars, financial blogs and books available that do not require so much gasoline to take advantage of them. I have finished about 30% of "31 Days to Fix Your Finances."
3) Make-up with Morning: I have not been perfect. Mornings and I have been fighting for over 3 decades, and it has been difficult for me to come to terms with Morning's point of view. I have, however, done way better than I ever thought I could. I have been waking up around 5 AM for weeks. I love writing in the morning! Running and yoga in the mornings? That's been a lot harder.
So far, I have succeeded 4 days out of 7 for 2 straight weeks to adhere to this morning routine: 1) Wake-up and write for 2 hours (No studying or electronics. Only writing during that time). 2) Get outside and run for at least 15 minutes and, 3) Do a short yoga practice and meditate.
By March 1st, I will be totally prepped to go 21 straight days. I want to fully integrate this 3-hour habit because every day I do it, the remainder of the day feels so free! It is seriously awesome.
4) Free the Fat: I am totally winning. I may not have lost much weight, but I feel like a million bucks. Raw foodism rules. I am eating at least 40% more calories than I ever have before. My relationship with food has been completely transformed. I can't help but be convinced my cells are, as we speak, regenerating and rearranging themselves in a much hotter way. Also, I'm already plenty hot. Also, my libido is through the roof. I'm not really sure what to do about that last one. More running?
5) Divorce the Drama: I'd say I am 65% there. This experience has brought up some emotions and feelings I honestly thought I was done with. At first, I thought this meant that I was backsliding. But now I realize I just needed one more round. I already feel so. much. better. about my ability to manage my social life. By taking care of items 1 through 4 on this list, my stress level has plummeted.
6) I Am A Writer and I Act Like One: Done. I have never, until now, said that out loud or really knew I needed to say it. I can honestly say I have been a songwriter for a lot of years, but not until this project have I internalized the fact that I am also a writer with no modifier. I write. I want to be a writer when I grow up. And I am acting accordingly. I've been taking classes on-line, studying all types of styles, taking writing and literature classes at school, feeling out local writer's groups, writing at a prescribed time every day and I have now updated this blog every day for 41 days. Kick Ass!
I have had so many fantastic things happen to me and because of me since I started this project. Conversely, I have also had my fair share of shitty days — days where I was literally trapped in bed, immobilized by the size of the project and wishing, mightily, for a grilled cheese sandwich. If you had told me last year, or even just 3 months ago, that I would be 61 days into a 101 day project of this scope, I would never have believed it. Yet, even though those difficult days have been very real and very daunting, here I am. I am well on my way to successfully completing this project. I am well on my way to achieving Excess Emancipation!


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Over deze norm
|Aantal pagina's
|Gepubliceerd op
1.1 This guide introduces key concepts and principles to assist in the appropriate selection, development and operation of continuous processing technologies for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products.
1.2 Particular consideration is given to the development and application of the appropriate scientific understanding and engineering principles that differentiate continuous manufacture from traditional batch manufacturing.
1.3 Most of the underlying concepts and principles (for example, process dynamics and process control) outlined in this guide can be applied in both Drug Substance (DS) and Drug Product (DP) processes. However it should be recognized that in Drug Substance production the emphasis may be more on chemical behavior and dynamics in a fluid phase whereas for drug product manufacture there may be a greater emphasis on the physical behavior and dynamics in a solid/powder format.
1.4 This guide is also intended to apply in both the development of a new process, or the improvement/redesign of an existing one.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
|Engelse titel
|Standard Guide for Application of Continuous Processing in the Pharmaceutical Industry


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It was never mentioned in school or health class. My parents never mentioned it. The stories end with it, but....that's it. Happily Ever After. What comes next? That's not the end.
I thought I'd found the one man I wanted to spend my life with, raise my children with, grow old with...but honestly, I can't stand him most of the time. When things are good, they are good. He smells nice, he's clean, he cooks dinner, he helps around the house. The sex is good.
When things are bad though....they are bad. He has a temper-control problem and cannot handle his emotions when angry. He's never smacked me around, but that doesn't mean he's not abusive, because he can be. Emotionally abusive, verbally abusive...and yeah, on two occasions it has been physical. Each time afterwards he is sorry (of course) and we talk, and he resolves to "do better" and "be in control". When he's out of nicotine? Oh, better run, because the emotions coming from him are palpable...you can almost feel the anger from him.
There's always a next time. I never thought I'd be "one of those women". I took a class and was certified as a Domestic Violence outreach educator fercryinoutloud! I was not supposed to be one of those women.
But I guess I am.
Every Saturday morning he wakes up grumpy. Every Saturday morning he wakes up yelling and screaming "fuck" into his pillow. Imagine a three-year-old with a severe potty-mouth throwing a tantrum. That is my husband. Why is he so grumpy, you ask? Because it is 8am (sometimes 7:30am) and he "doesn't get any sleep". I see your confusion, let me explain. Because we live in a teeny tiny space, when the Toddler-Monster wakes up, so does everyone. And my husband apparently thinks that toddlers sleep until....9am? 10am? I'm not sure, because when I ask him what time he thinks is a good time to awaken, I get yelled at.
This morning was the same. It was 8:30am. I am elated, because I never get to sleep past 7am. Never. 8:30am was blissful heaven angels singing time. Not for long. The yelling started. Then the bad words started. He mentions he would like to get some sleep. (Ten hours isn't enough apparently). I told him that I would like to have this discussion "later, when the children aren't around". He flips a lid and he starts asking me what we need to talk about. I repeat that we can talk about it later. I am calm. I am not snotty, I am not a bitch. I have my son in my lap, we are constructing a Lego castle. My husband freaks and takes our son into his arms, yelling at me that we don't need to talk later, we can talk now and godammit what do we have to talk about that we can't talk about right this very second in front of the kids. I ask him to walk away, because he is not in control. He is getting up in my face, asking why can't we talk now. I try to explain that this is what I wanted to avoid, arguing in front of the kids, but now we are arguing about arguing...in front of the kids.
I can see my life without him. It is calm, no emotional upheavals and no nicotine addiction leading my emotions. There is blessed quiet. My daughter doesn't cry anymore over the arguing. My son doesn't hear his dad start yelling and squish over inch by inch until he is in my lap looking at me with wide eyes. The mornings are relaxing, coffee and some tv and some cleaning.
I can see my lonely nights of sleeping alone. I can see getting someone else to take the time to fix a broken something. Meals are one me, and I see nights of Ramen and burned rice-a-roni and tacos (the only thing I can make that's edible). I can see 50/50 custody and split holidays and missing my son like crazy when it's not my turn to be with him. I see daycare and less money and more to do.
Is marriage this difficult? I was never told that it takes work, that it's difficult, that sometimes you have to grit your teeth and smile when you don't feel like it. How do I know what is "normal" and what isn't?
If this is my happily ever after, I want a refund.


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Pathways & interactions
Thioredoxin (IPR005746)
Short name: Thioredoxin
Overlapping homologous superfamilies
- Thioredoxin-like superfamily (IPR036249)
Family relationships
Thioredoxins [PMID: 3896121, PMID: 2668278, PMID: 7788289, PMID: 7788290] are small disulphide-containing redox proteins that have been found in all the kingdoms of living organisms. Thioredoxin serves as a general protein disulphide oxidoreductase. It interacts with a broad range of proteins by a redox mechanism based on reversible oxidation of two cysteine thiol groups to a disulphide, accompanied by the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The net result is the covalent interconversion of a disulphide and a dithiol. In the NADPH-dependent protein disulphide reduction, thioredoxin reductase (TR) catalyses the reduction of oxidised thioredoxin (trx) by NADPH using FAD and its redox-active disulphide; reduced thioredoxin then directly reduces the disulphide in the substrate protein [PMID: 3896121].
Thioredoxin is present in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and the sequence around the redox-active disulphide bond is well conserved. All thioredoxins contain a cis-proline located in a loop preceding beta-strand 4, which makes contact with the active site cysteines, and is important for stability and function [PMID: 8590004]. Thioredoxin belongs to a structural family that includes glutaredoxin, glutathione peroxidase, bacterial protein disulphide isomerase DsbA, and the N-terminal domain of glutathione transferase [PMID: 7788290]. Thioredoxins have a beta-alpha unit preceding the motif common to all these proteins.
A number of eukaryotic proteins contain domains evolutionary related to thioredoxin, most of them are protein disulphide isomerases (PDI). PDI (EC:18.104.22.168) [PMID: 3371540, PMID: 2537773, PMID: 7940678] is an endoplasmic reticulum multi-functional enzyme that catalyses the formation and rearrangement of disulphide bonds during protein folding [PMID: 7913469]. All PDI contains two or three (ERp72) copies of the thioredoxin domain, each of which contributes to disulphide isomerase activity, but which are functionally non-equivalent [PMID: 7983029]. Moreover, PDI exhibits chaperone-like activity towards proteins that contain no disulphide bonds, i.e. behaving independently of its disulphide isomerase activity [PMID: 7635143]. The various forms of PDI which are currently known are:
- PDI major isozyme; a multifunctional protein that also function as the beta subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase (EC:220.127.116.11), as a component of oligosaccharyl transferase (EC:18.104.22.168), as thyroxine deiodinase (EC:184.108.40.206), as glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase (EC:188.8.131.52) and as a thyroid hormone-binding protein
- ERp60 (ER-60; 58 Kd microsomal protein). ERp60 was originally thought to be a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C isozyme and later to be a protease.
- ERp72.
- ERp5.
Bacterial proteins that act as thiol:disulphide interchange proteins that allows disulphide bond formation in some periplasmic proteins also contain a thioredoxin domain. These proteins include:
- Escherichia coli DsbA (or PrfA) and its orthologs in Vibrio cholerae (TtcpG) and Haemophilus influenzae (Por).
- E. coli DsbC (or XpRA) and its orthologues in Erwinia chrysanthemi and H. influenzae.
- E. coli DsbD (or DipZ) and its H. influenzae orthologue.
- E. coli DsbE (or CcmG) and orthologues in H. influenzae.
- Rhodobacter capsulatus (Rhodopseudomonas capsulata) (HelX), Rhiziobiacae (CycY and TlpA).
This entry represents the thioredoxin protein family.
GO terms
Biological Process
GO:0045454 cell redox homeostasis
GO:0006662 glycerol ether metabolic process
Molecular Function
GO:0015035 protein disulfide oxidoreductase activity
Cellular Component
No terms assigned in this category.
Contributing signatures
- PIRSF000077 (Thioredoxin)
- TIGR01068 (thioredoxin)


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order by popularity | order by alphabet
School Dinner BluesAlien (Bonus Track)Over You (Bonus Track)Amputated (Bonus Track)He's A Reptile(i Want To Be An) Anglepoise LampWey Wey Hep Uh HoleHave A Heart Betty (i'm Not Fireproof)Vegetable ManSandra's Having Her Brain OutUgly NoraEmpty Girl (Bonus Track)Wang Dang Pig (Bonus Track)She Wears My Hair (Bonus Track)When I Was A KidBlues In The DarkLet Me Put It Next To YouReturn Of The Sacred CrabLeppo And The JoovesThe Rat's PrayerHeartbreak HotelCold TurkeyGoodbye Maurice Or Steve (Bonus Track)Like A Real Smoothie (Bonus Track)The PigworkerMr. KennedyOld PervertLove PoisoningKingdom Of LoveInsanely JealousI Wanna Destroy YouI Got The HotsHuman MusicHear My BraneGive It To The Soft BoysDreamsOnly The Stones RemainPositive VibrationsQueen Of EyesTonightWhere Are The PrawnsWading Through A VentilatorVyrna Knowl Is A HeadbangerUnderwater MoonlightThere's Nobody Like YouThe Yodelling HooverThe Face Of DeathStrangeSong No 4Black Snake Diamond Rock
Related Information for Soft Boys The Soft Boys were a post-punk/neo-psychedelic band which formed in 1976 in Cambridge, England. The band's best known lineup consisted of Robyn Hitchcock (vocals, guitar), Kimberley Rew (guitar), Matthew Seligman (bass) and Morris Windsor (drums). Seligman replaced original bassist Andy Metcalfe in 1979, and two guitarists (Rob Lamb and Alan Davies) briefly preceded Rew. The band issued two albums, A Can of Bees (1979) and Underwater Moonlight (1980), before splitting in 1980. After.. read more


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A collection of to-do lists and paintings in my journal
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
A family from Alameda, the finished painting
I've been busy with these family portraits for a while now, but I'm finally all caught up! Here is the final painting, ready to ship north. Alameda is an island off of the coast of Oakland. A big "thank you" to Laura S. for asking me to do this project and for being so great to work with!
Alameda family, the finished painting. 12 x 16 on birch panel.
Work in progress...
The sketchbook
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Stephanie K. Birdsong
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MSC Coyotes Green (MD) had an unusual journey to winning last year's 2012 US Youth Soccer National Championship in the Under-14 Girls age group.
Despite tying their first game, and losing their second, MSC Coyotes found themselves in a situation where a win and some help would get them into the finals. MSC defeated Ambassadors FC (OH-N) 3-0, and received the help they needed in the standings to advance to the National Championship game. In the finals, MSC avenged their only loss in the tournament against TNFC 98 Azzuri (TN) 2-0, to take home the national title.
"We were fortunate to be in that situation heading into the third group match," said MSC Coyotes head coach, Alex Gould. "But we took advantage of it, and I told our players that next year was going to be much more difficult considering we are the National Champs."
This season, MSC Coyotes qualified to the National Championships in their first year in the US Youth Soccer National League by finishing first in the Red Division. MSC ended with a 5-1-1 record, with a 13:5 goal differential.
"At the US Youth Soccer National League, all of the teams were great, so it was good for us to play at that competition level," said Gould. "We know it's going to be even more competitive next year, but overall it was a great experience."
MSC Coyotes won the Region I Premier League and the Maryland State Cup, but fell in the semifinals of the 2013 Region I Championship to PWSI Courage 97 (VA). Gould admits that MSC headed into the Region I Championships with a little bit of a different mentality than the previous year.
"We certainly wanted to win, but we mostly focused on playing good soccer and staying healthy," said Gould. "You can't remove the fact that we were already qualified for Nationals from the back of their minds."
With the field doubling to eight teams, the MSC Coyotes will need a little more than good fortune if they want to leave Overland Park, Kan., as the defending National Champions.
"This year there is going to be more emphasis on each match," said Gould. "We don't really know a lot about two of our opponents."
Gould refers to Eclipse Elite Black 97/98 (IL), who was also in the National League, but in a different division, and Boise Nationals Italia (ID), who Gould has never seen before. MSC's third group opponent will be a relatively familiar face considering it was the team MSC knocked off in the national finals last year, Tennessee 16 Elite (TN). But even then, Gould explains a lot has changed in the last year.
"Our team is looking forward to the challenge," said Gould. "There haven't been too many teams who have won back-to-back championships, and we would love to do it.
See how the standings evolve as the Under-15 Girls make the most of their moments in the run to the national championship, http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2013-National-Championships/Schedule/U15-Girls/Division+1/.


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Lady Astrologer Haji abdul Karim khan illustrious astrologist in Panipat will bring you loves into your life; solve career issue, business drawback, vastu, kundli, wedding issues, and Black magic specialist problems. Black magic specialist in Panipat get solve your love issues, love wedding issue, go back to true love raise to Haji abdul Karim khan Black magic skilled in Panipat. Prior to move ahead it's essential to be familiar with the particular that means of Black magic. The word Black magic is taken from Sanskrit language which means taking somebody below your control and directs him or her to try and do no matter you wish. Use Black magic to bring your love back and solve your love problem at any time by Haji abdul Karim khan.
Here; Haji abdul Karim khan who is well known for love Black magic specialist in Panipat and Delhi NCR serve the society with worthy and valuable segments of vashikaran. If you have lost your true love and need to get back into your life then call to Haji abdul Karim khan who is expert in love Black magic. Here, we get introduce you with Black magic specialist in Panipat and Delhi NCR; Haji abdul Karim khan who is an expert and professional of Black magic who does not only brings you with complete happiness but also makes you full of passion and future goals. After losing a true love; a life gets hatred and preferentially finds to end it up.


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Due to the extensive fire that raged through the Gorge in September 2017, the Angel's Rest Trail is still closed as of April 2018. Trailkeepers of Oregon are organizing work parties to begin to work on this trail, next one will be 4/14/18. Check out their page to sign up.
Walking and hiking in the western Columbia River Gorge always makes me feel euphoric. All that lush, intensely green vegetation, trees, and wildflowers! That sweet, moist fresh air!
Abundant with coursing streams and waterfalls, the Gorge boasts a crazy profusion of plants and trees, some not found anywhere else in the world.
And then there are the views.
Since scrambling around the Gorge as a teenager, I've hiked all over the globe. But I still get excited any time I hit a trail in the Gorge. When I went up to Angel's Rest last weekend, I had to wonder a few times if I'd ended up in Heaven—at least my version of Heaven.
Surprisingly, it's my first hike up to Angel's Rest, about 4 miles west of Multnomah Falls. Or maybe this hike has blended together in my memory with many hikes I did as a teenager.
|Dead tree snag leftover from 1991 fire.
Regardless, Angel's Rest is an extremely popular and splendid hike, just 45 minutes from downtown Portland. I get to the trailhead around noon on a cloudy Saturday and find a parking place close by. Perhaps the threat of rain is keeping the crowds down.
For the first half of the 2.4-mile hike up, the trail meanders, then switchbacks upwards through forest dense with underbrush, crossing Coopey Creek and providing peek-a-boo views of Coopey Falls and then the Columbia River.
|Can you say green?
After gaining more elevation, the trail crosses an old rockfall and later emerges into the burned area, with even better views.
|Columbia River Basalt cliffs across the Columbia River in Washington.
And before I know it, I've reached Angel's Rest, where columns of aging basalt look like teetering stacks of pancakes along the spine and edges of the bluff.
|Northwest view
|View north
Other hikers have plopped down atop various rocks, but I'm spinning around, taking in the view. The edge of the 1991 fire is still very visible, separating more mature forest and thriving new growth.
|View south
|View westward, downriver
|View eastward, upriver
|View DOWN
|Rain approaching
Although the top of the bluff is thick with shrubs like serviceberry, I still step carefully. It's a long way to fall. I would not want to be up here on these weathered old rock formations during an earthquake.
On the way down I pass plenty of hikers headed uphill, in everything from light sneaks and tank tops to heavy-duty hiking boots and REI-wear. This being close to Portland, I even pass a hipster hiker wearing leggings and a skirt. Be forewarned, even in dry weather the trail can be rocky and muddy in places.
While my goal was to be up and down in three hours, it stretched to four. This hike is just too beautiful, there were too many photos to take, and too much exuberant foliage and waterfalls to be savored.
Have you hiked to Angel's Rest? Any special memories there? What is your favorite hike in the Gorge? Would love to hear in the comments below. Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons.
When You Go
The hike to Angel's Rest is just under 5 miles round trip and considered moderate. It's not that steep but a steady grade of uphill for about 1,400 feet. Eastbound on I-84, take Bridal Veil Exit #28. The trailhead is on the south side of the historic Columbia River Highway, opposite the junction with the interstate access road in Bridal veil. From westbound I-84, take Ainsworth State Park Exit #35 and follow the historic Columbia River Highway for 7.1 miles (11.4 km). An alternate, more scenic eastbound route is to come down from the Corbett area via the historic Columbia River Highway, with stops along the way at Chanticleer Point and Crown Point/Vista House.


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That is how most games work: you bring your army your opponent brings theirs and your two armies clash.
This works fine for most historical and quasi-historical combat, where humans are at the top of the heap and safe from anything other than rival human groups. But Prehistory is much more dangerous than that.
Not only are there many species in evolution-fueled struggle for dominance, but none have such advanced technology and culture that they are not still tucked within the food chain, rather than high above it.
So this game will have threats beyond your opponent: ones that view you both the same: invaders into their territory, or perhaps as lunch.
So here is one of the creatures to be feared by everyone: the king of the woodlands, Gigantogorillini.


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Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron opens up with opening of Beauty Photo Studio operated by two photographers, Sudhir and Vinod. They have been waiting for more than couple of hours for their guests and none have arrived so far. The problem is, nearby there is another studio opening which is much bigger and is stealing all their thunder. This studio is set-up by Ashok and his girlfriend Priya, who work for one of the biggest and most powerful but also equally corrupt builders in the city, Taneja. Taneja has asked them to set it up so that they can keep an eye on office of activist magazine Khabardar, right across the street from them. Run by its editor Shobha Sen, Khabardar has been trying for a long time to expose Taneja and his corrupt ways that have taken him to the current position. After knowing about the photo studio set-up, Shobha tries to hire Sudhir and Vinod to run her own sting operation on Taneja. Sudhir and Vinod are very straight forward kind of people that want to have their small photo studio and run it but they have a habit of running into their own trap every single time, without fail. They are kind of goofy, little stupid but are good at their jobs. Taneja has internal setting with municipal commissioner D'Mello which allows him to get all the permits for everything he wants the way he wants. He also gets all major contracts for the city as well as. As Sudhir and Vinod's first assignment for Khabardar, Shobha asks them to take few photos of D'Mello's meeting with Taneja. After meeting them, she realizes that both are incredibly stupid but at least they get their work done and she probably can use their goofiness for her own good. So, she offers them another job which is a little more dangerous - they somehow have to break into D'Mello's guest house where Taneja is going to meet him to get his 4 tenders for the fly-over's passed. She also expects a lot of money to exchange hands.
Every character in the movie is a parody of something similar that does exist in a real world, none of which is too subtle or even too smart, maybe a little too parodied for some. However at the heart of all this stupidity and parody is very serious introspection of society and its ways which holds surprisingly true even after almost 30 years since its release. As I explained above in case of Taneja and Ahuja, all the characters are well-thought. Script takes various turns, some of which may feel extraneous but even the small events have something more to say than meets the eye. Take scene under the bridge where a cop takes Sudhir and Vinod's ticket money from them for no reason for example or their fight with Shobha in the end. All in all, it is a remarkably timeless take on very human quality of greed or self-importance against moral or ethical standards.
Rating(out of 5):
Previous Essentials: