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Don't miss these Travel stories
Lords of the gourd compete for Punkin Chunkin honors
With teams using more than 100 unique apparatuses to launch globular projectiles a half-mile or more, the 27th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin event is our pick as November's Weird Festival of the Month.
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How easy is it to rent a motorcycle?
Traveling by motorcycle is every bit as awesome as you'd imagine, which is a good thing, since it's a bit of a hassle to get started. First off, it's not as simple as renting a car at the airport-chiefly because motorcycles aren't rented at airports. In fact, the whole process can be pretty complicated. Unless you've signed up for an outfitted trip (see our recommendations in "Two-Wheels, Three Ways"), you need to pick up a bike yourself. You can find motorcycles at independent shops or at one of the nearly 300 authorized Harley-Davidson dealers in the country. Eagle Rider, the world's largest motorcycle rental company, has franchises in 12 countries and 75 locations worldwide (eaglerider.com). But finding your wheels is the easy part. At the time of booking, most companies require a deposit (the amount varies), which won't be refunded unless the customer cancels a month or more in advance. No-shows are likely to be charged the full rental amount. Upon picking up a bike, a hefty security deposit of about $1,500 is also required (this is just a hold on your card, in most cases). Beyond that, the bike rental itself costs $100 a day and up, depending on the model. Insurance also costs extra (from $15 daily), though not all businesses that rent motorcycles sell insurance. If that's the case, the renter's own insurance policy usually covers basic liability. (Regular car owner's insurance doesn't cover motorcycle rentals.) Oh, yeah, and to rent any bike, you'll have to demonstrate experience handling a model similar to the one you want. The biggest hurdle of all, though, is that you also need a motorcycle license.
So how do I get a license?
Each state has its own written and road tests, but most offer a basic rider course in conjunction with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (msf-usa.org). The course consists of five hours in the classroom and 10 hours of riding; prices vary widely, but they're often cheap—$25 in Illinois, free in Pennsylvania. Best of all, the use of a motorcycle is included. "All you need to sign up is a regular driver's license and the ability to balance a bicycle," says Ray Ochs, MSF's director of training systems. Don't get too excited: Most likely, you'll practice in a parking lot. When you complete the course, the written- and/or road-test requirements to get a motorcycle license will be waived in most states, but not all, so check in advance with the MSF. Courses are offered in 2,000 U.S. locations during warm-weather months, and autumn is actually the perfect time of year to sign up. "These programs can book up early in the spring, when people are sick of winter and eager to get on the road," Ochs says. "There's rarely a wait for students in the fall. Just remember to take some time to refresh your skills after the winter's over, because you may have forgotten what was taught in the class."
Then I'm all set?
Not so fast: Even riders with motorcycle licenses are sometimes turned down for rentals, if their skills aren't up to par. "Within about 10 seconds of watching someone handle a bike, I can tell if they're proficient enough," says Scott Mindich, who owns California Motorcycle Adventures, which rents Harleys in the Bay Area (800/601-5370, californiamotorcycleadventures.com, from $99 per day). "We discourage novices because our objective is to get the rider and bike back to us in the same condition they left."
What are the most common rookie mistakes?
Picking the wrong bike is a big one. The general rule is that the heavier and bigger the motorcycle, the more difficult it is to operate. "High-speed turns and cornering take time to master," Ochs says. "Newbies are often scared to really lean into the turns, which is necessary." Beyond that, the most common question Mindich receives is: What happens when it rains? "My answer's always the same," he says. "You get wet." Layers, including bike gear designed to keep riders cool in heat and warm in the cold, are best to deal with almost anything Mother Nature will throw at you. Finally, since there's no trunk on a motorcycle, you'll need to fit all your belongings in a bag small enough to strap to the bike. In other words, pack light. "Forget about the curling iron and the hair dryer," Mindich says. "Bring clothes for four days max, and do laundry if you have to."
What should I think about when planning an
Gary McKechnie, author of Great American Motorcycle Tours (motorcycleamerica.com), says that the best roads for motorcycles come in two categories. "The 'twisties' are the exciting roads that make you feel alive, with bends and hills like a roller coaster, and lots of downshifting and turning necessary," he says, giving the Blue Ridge Parkway as an example. McKechnie also loves tranquil rides that meander through forests with the occasional small town mixed in (think New England). "When a road parallels a river, that's a good sign. Instead of screaming up and down hills, you're likely to be cruising along the river, with filters of sunlight and the sound of rushing water." In general, it's the same features that make any road trip great—music venues, quirky villages, neat shops, historical must-sees, gorgeous scenery. Some roads, while phenomenally scenic, are too hairy for a novice to enjoy on a hog; zigzagging, cliff-lined sections of the Pacific Coast Highway come to mind. It's also important to steer clear of road delays when the weather's less than ideal. "This is not a climate-controlled environment," McKechnie says. "There's no hiding from the elements with air-conditioning. There's nothing more horrible than being on a bike stuck in traffic on the sizzling blacktop."
Are there ways to get deals on rentals or
The Hot Deals listed for different Eagle Rider locations can offer fantastic values—third day free, half-off rates during off-peak times, last-minute discounts on tours that depart soon, and one-way specials for bikes that need to be relocated. Individual rental outfits regularly post specials for certain bikes and pickup times too; California Motorcycle Adventures was recently renting a few older Harleys (2008 models) for $99 daily, compared to the usual $135. It's fairly standard to get a cheaper daily rate if you're renting for a longer time period, too, and if the company doesn't advertise such a discount, it's more than acceptable to ask for a price break (say, 15 percent) on rentals of seven or more days.
Do I have to wear a helmet?
Technically speaking, not always: It may come as a surprise, but there are no helmet laws in 30 states for riders over 20 years old. But still—is windblown hair really worth the risk? In 2006, some 65 percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders weren't wearing a helmet. So play it safe, and wear a helmet. Always. Your mother will sleep easier.
Rent a scooter in Tuscany. They may be laughed off by hard-core bikers, but scooters are the ideal solution for travelers who want to rev their engines but don't have the experience—or license—required to ride a hog. Scooters are lighter and easier to operate than motorcycles (no shifting necessary), and in most parts of the world, you can rent one with a standard driver's license; they're especially popular in the Caribbean and Europe. A classic Vespa is perfect for exploring the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy. tuscanyscooterrental.com, from $85 daily.
Take a guided tour of the Grand Canyon. Even after you've mastered the basics, you may have a few questions once you hit the open road. That's when it pays to have an experienced guide on hand. Edelweiss Bike Travel runs tours to every continent except Antarctica, including a fully guided eight-day trip around the Grand Canyon. The trip begins in Las Vegas, traces historic Route 66, visits the Hoover Dam, and takes in Monument Valley. edelweissbike.com, from $2,790 per person, with two people sharing a bike and hotels.
Go it alone in the Florida Keys. Besides renting bikes, Eagle Rider also runs tours. If you're a novice, you'll want to stick with their fully guided options—the extra assistance is worth the splurge. But if you're a competent rider with a bit of experience, their self-guided tours are a great fit. All the planning is taken care of, leaving you to simply enjoy the ride. Their seven-night tour through south Florida and the Keys includes bike and helmet rental, unlimited miles, and all accommodations. eaglerider.com, from $1,999 per person.
World's Most Interesting Beaches
5 Road-Tested Tips From an RV Rookie
8 Items You Never Pack...But Should
Copyright © 2012 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.


text: I was going to try to avoid comment here but..it really does appear that this thread will be a candidate for most bizarre thread of 2013 so far. Maybe Barry will have to start a new forum titled "Soap Operas" Sippy quite frankly your barrage of posts here are redundant and appear to lack any possible benefit regarding beekeeping. I couldn't help but notice that your profile occupation is stated as "Chemist"..might I ask what you are currently ingesting?

subset: commoncrawl


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PenPals Nikolaev Dating Advice
Bill and Larisa
Larisa is from Ukraine
Bill is from America
Living in Nikolaev While Building Businesses
New Years Day in Nikolaev January 1, 2011.
Ukrainian observed Holidays and Culture
Dating Advice
The First Meeting
Why are Ukrainian Women Special?
Ten Do's and Dont's For Meeting A Woman For The First Time…
Scammers in Ukraine. Ten Ways to Determine if She is Honest.
Tours and Socials… Ten Reasons Why You Should Never Waste Your Money…
Marriage Agency Info
Dave's Question About DM and MD. Billgreen54
Marriage Agencies. Questions and Answers
Are you communicating on-line with a Ukrainian woman?
Searching for Love in Nikolaev Ukraine.
Sadly, Most Men Fail at Meeting a Real Woman in Ukraine
A Few Insights for Bobby
Tommy and One Bad Apple….
A letter from Bob
Sam's Nikolaev Visit with Bill and Larisa
A Letter From Ray and A Fish Story!
A Letter to Robert…
Important Letter to Bobby
Jim at 67. Does age difference really matter?
Meeting a Ukrainian Woman Online… John's Letter with Answers….


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08 October, 2012
2011 Danzhen "Yiwu Guyun"
3 comments:
- shah8 said...
Completely agree with the review. It's a relatively by the numbers Yiwu, but very Yiwu for all of that. Not going to wow you, but Yiwu that wows people do not cost $58. You can get older decent Yiwu (that has been lost in the shuffle)for that price, but newer Yiwu, well...it's not so mispriced in either direction. I wouldn't go out of my way to get it, but if you're one of those that like young yiwu for regular drinking, this is a rather good cake for slaughter. For aging? If one is going to spend the time and space on a tea, buy a *really* nice tea. Older is preferable, too. Maximize opportunity costs! However, I've also have tasted older versions of teas like this. Not likely going to bust in terms not gaining some oomph as it ages.
- 8 October 2012 at 06:24
- Hobbes said...
I like Xiao's cakes - he does pick solid leaves. They're generally very good quality, and I am always reminded of his passionate flicking through his photo album, proudly pointing out photographs of him standing next to an infinity of trees, from all over the region. Xiao Yunqing is a man who likes his tea.
3,000 photographs of a man standing, smiling, next to tea-trees is the evidence in his favour. :)
- 8 October 2012 at 09:45
- Jakub Tomek said...
Drinking this tea right now, I also agree with what you write, but I can not say I'd find this tea considerably better than Yunnan Sourcing's Purple Yi Wu (which is way cheaper), if better at all. I think the teas share a common Yiwu subtype, while the Purple Yiwu may have more interesting taste at times and this Taochaju may be slightly more noticeable in mouth... I guess I'll try a 1:1 tester comparison tomorrow.
I guess that $58 is a lot for such a quiet tea (from the point of view of almost absent cooling/tingling mouthfeel and quite light and static qi).
All the best!
- 8 October 2012 at 17:14


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First official workout marks start of Williams era
Rookie manager draws positive reviews for much anticipated Day 1 of Spring Training
VIERA, Fla. -- The Matt Williams era officially began Saturday morning as Nationals pitchers and catchers had their first workout at their Minor League complex.
Williams arrived at Space Coast Stadium at 5 a.m. ET Saturday. He went over the schedule for, as he put it, the 5000th time to make sure everything was in order. Williams and his coaching staff have been putting together the schedule since Nov. 1.
"We spent every afternoon [putting together the schedule] from 2 eastern time until about 5. Three hours a day," coach Mark Weidemaier said. "It's a lot more intricate than people understand. There is a lot more moving parts than people figure."
In fact, members of his coaching staff -- Weidemaier, Bob Henley and Randy Knorr -- joked with Williams that if he mentioned the schedule again, he would have to put $1 into the pot. They assured Williams he had nothing to worry about.
"I already put in a couple bucks for Day 1," Williams joked.
Williams implemented some changes to the team. Instead of walking to the Minor League complex like they did in the past, the players rode in golf carts or vans. Williams wanted to give the players the opportunity to get to the complex on time and do their work.
"We got vans, we got carts," Williams said. "So we'll transport them over to the Minor League complex everyday and transport them back. We want to make sure we are efficient in what we do. That is a small change, but it's different. But everybody seemed to be fine with it."
Workouts started at 10 am ET and ended by noon. There was Williams watching the pitchers throw their bullpen sessions, doing fielding drills and working on pickoff throws. Stephen Strasburg was impressed on how the first day turned out.
"I thought it was extremely [organized] out there," Strasburg said. "There was attention to detail. It wasn't like overkill, but as far as the instructions, they broke everything down. They talked about doing bunt plays and having all of us play positions just so we know what every guy is doing. I thought that was ingenious because I think that is something I never had an opportunity to do. What is the shortstop is thinking in that situation? That's just baseball IQ. … You kind of forget all this stuff. I'm looking forward to doing that."
Williams' day didn't end after the pitchers and catchers were done. In the past, the position players, who came to camp early, would practice at the complex after the pitchers and catchers were finished. This time, the position players, including the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Nate McLouth and Steven Souza, were working out at Space Coast Stadium.
"It's fun to get into some warm weather and hang out with these guys, get to know them and see how they go about their business," Souza said.


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150 days till my birthday
This user is over 18.
"'Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss' - A. Dumas "
My name is Britney, and I live in the outskirts of Philadelphia, PA. I currently have 11 piercings; eight in my ears (including tragus), my nostril, my septum, and one microdermal surface anchor on my cheek. I have 6 tattoos; a tiny star on my left wrist, a tiny heart on my right hand, a tribute to my mom on my right wrist, a large vine of cherry blossoms on my chest/shoulder/back, and two large swallow birds on my right and left shoulder blades. One of the best feelings is the feeling you get after a new tattoo or piercing!
9/25/2013 | 0 comments
Hey everyone. This is my first post on here! Yesterday I got my first microdermal piercing at No Ka Oi in Philly, PA. It was done by Haley Street, and she was SUPER sweet and informative. I'm so glad I had a good experience there. No Ka Oi has an AMAZING selection of piercing jewelery and will pierce anything you want done. Everyone is very educated in what they do. I have 9 piercings, and by far my anti-eyebrow surface anchor was the least painful. I got a cute little light blue opal gem (14g).
The day before that I got my 6th tattoo, on my right wrist by Matt Brownlee at Baker Street Tattoo in Media, PA. He was one of the nicest tattoo artists I've ever dealt with! The place was very clean and he made sure I was comfortable and calm. My tattoo reads, "X.XXVII.MMI" with a heart above it. It's in Roman numerals and means October 27th, 2001; the date my mom passed away. The date that forever changed my life, and has made me a stronger person. The day that has taught me that life is short and fleeting, and should be cherished always.
Modtrackerview all
291 headshots.
11/15/2013 @10:10 p.m.: kctricks (KA15 2AF) via /iam/pritbeters/
11/10/2013 @12:12 a.m.: mrmatchgame via /iam/media/pritbeters/iam_profile-1/
11/9/2013 @11:40 a.m.: jbholy (98683) via /iam/pritbeters/
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11/8/2013 @8:11 a.m.: natehate (BRANTFORD) via /iam/media/pritbeters/tattoos/
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10/30/2013 @9:27 p.m.: moneymanmoneyman (San Francisco In) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/30/2013 @1:24 a.m.: Temescal (BOTHELL) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/28/2013 @10:31 a.m.: axlerod2 via /iam/pritbeters/


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Peter Lee, who heads California's Health Benefit Exchange, says he's used to fighting misconceptions about the federal health care reform law.
"Do I start or end with black helicopters?" Lee joked Wednesday during remarks to the Sacramento Press Club.
The House of Representatives that day cast another vote to repeal the law recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, a largely symbolic vote that's destined to go nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
"This is going to happen. Repeal...isn't going to happen," Lee said.
The real battle, as Lee sees it, is to address what he acknowledges as widespread misunderstanding and mistrust about what critics have labeled government-run health care.
"It is so far from a government plan that it is mind-boggling," Lee said.
The plan also includes no rationing of health-care services to control costs, Lee said. Lee and his office have their work cut out for them, given the complexity of the law and the political din surrounding the measure.
His agency was the first set up in the nation to establish an exchange, or marketplace that will allow individuals and small businesses to shop for health coverage. That begins in 2014.
In theory, the state will have such large numbers of consumers that it will be able to negotiate the best rates. But even massive agencies like CalPers have found in the past that there was difficulty carrying that out.
Lee believes that can be done, and said the key is that insurance companies can no longer avoid risk by enrolling only healthy people.
"We are no longer going to reward health plans for playing the risk game," Lee said.
There are lots of questions from business owners and individuals anxious about what's required. Overcoming public skepticism and resistance remains a huge hurdle. As is so often the case, what happens in California looms as an important test case for the rest of the country.
Author Kevin Riggs, an Emmy-winning former TV reporter in Sacramento, is Senior Vice President at Randle Communications.
Send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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I was totally inspired by several images I had seen on intrinsically florrie and some other bits which can be found on my pinterest nail art inspiration board.
I love the carousel horse and unicorn! They are so pretty and I loved wearing these nails. The little finger is a Rockstar nail (glitter and gel polish) with AB crystals attached. Index is Barielle Princess base colour, middle is Boots 17 Mint Choc Chip, the ring finger base colour is China Glaze Light as Air and the thumb base coat is Barielle Love. The designs were made up of a mixture of those polishes and acrylic paints. These aren't my natural nails I have got ibd gel enhancements on.
I hope you enjoy those and don't forget to check my pinterest boards for inspiration


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Oxford Handbook of Urology
February 2013; p ublished online March 2013 .
Book. Subjects: Urology; Peri-operative Care; Gynaecology; Medical Microbiology and Virology; Histopathology; Surgical Oncology; Nephrology; Gastroenterology; Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery; Reproductive Medicine; Neurology; Obstetrics; Paediatrics; Surgical Skills; Preclinical Medicine; Transplant Surgery. 864 pages.
The Oxford Handbook of Urology, Third Edition, covers a wide spectrum of diseases and their treatment in urology, as well as surgical aspects of kidney, bladder, prostate and scrotal...
Go to » abstract


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If your family is still trying to come up with a Thanksgiving plan for the mountains, The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in Beaver Creek will give you the full turkey dinner at Restaurant Avondale (two adults, two children), have the family portrait taken by a pro, and register you for the annual Turkey Trot. Rates for the Thanksgiving Getaway start at $239 per night for a studio suite (three-night minimum stay required), and Beaver Creek opens for the season on Nov. 24. Visit the website or call 866-949-1616 and ask for rate plan THNKSGIV.
Another option: The Manor Vail Lodge in Vail Village, which is serving up two Turkey Day possibilities — a full Thanksgiving dinner buffet in the hotel's elegant eatery (prices for this package begin at $219 per night), or the "Thanksgiving delivered" option, where you get a traditional Thanksgiving dinner privately delivered to your hotel room or condominium. Rates for the "delivered" package begin at $279 per night. Both package rates are based on a two-night stay minimum. Visit the website or call 800-950-8245 and mention the code MVTDAY.


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Research on bicycle helmets indicates that those with hard foam cell material were effective in reducing the energy from a blow experienced by the brain. Helmets with soft foam padding were not helpful in reducing brain injuries, only reducing abraisions.
All of the kiteboarding helmets I see use the soft foam material. Are not the same forces at play in kiteboarding?
Is there any reason that the hard foam padding is not used, such as exposure to salt water? Is it a reasonable trade off, safety vs durability or possibly comfort?
Is there any data on brain injuries experienced by kiteboarders vs type of helmet or lack thereof?
I know that other watersport helmets, e.g. kayak, use soft foam but there I don't think that the energy involved is comprable.
Is there any reason not to use a snowboarding helmet, some of which use the hard cell foam lining?
Dave Culliford


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What are plumbers and what do they do?
Plumbers are skilled professionals who are trained to install and maintain pipes and systems for drinking water, sewage and drainage. They usually have trained through four- to five-year training programs, which include apprenticeships, via trade schools and community colleges. Plumbers' areas of expertise typically go beyond pipes to include mathematics, blueprint reading, plumbing codes and water distribution. They handle plumbing emergencies, such as broken pipes or clogged drains, and install and maintain everything from a new piping system to a replacement faucet. Plumbers also know how to install bathtubs and showers, toilets, water heaters and dishwashers. Plumbers may work on residential or commercial sites, sometimes designing and laying out a pipe system during construction.
How long is a water heater supposed to last?
Your water heater is an essential part of your home, heating water for showers, dishwashing, laundry and more. On average, a traditional water heater will last 8-12 years. The general consensus is that it's better to replace your water heater with a new one than to repair one that's 10 years old or more. Older models are less energy-efficient and thus more costly to run than newer models with better technology. Here are some indicators of when it may be time to replace an old water heater instead of repairing it:
- Leaks: If leaking is not caused by loose connections, the water may be seeping out through slight fractures in the metal of the tank that have formed over time.
- Strange noises: Clanking, rumbling and other noises can mean that sediment has formed on the base of your tank, contributing to fissures leaks, and inefficiency.
- Age: If it's more than 10 years old, it's probably time to replace.
- Discolored or rusty water: Have a pro check it out; if the problem isn't resolved by draining and cleaning, you'll want to replace the heater.
- Lack of hot water: Inconsistent heating and hot water supply that runs out too quickly likely means it's time for a new unit.
How much does it cost to fix a hot water heater?
Nationally, the average water heater repair cost ranges between $120 and $200, although prices can range up to $400 or more. Water heater repair costs will depend on the type of water heater you have (tankless, electric, natural gas, etc.), the source of the problem, the cost for new parts, and labor rates in your area. Common water heater issues include problems with the thermocouple, thermostat, heating element and leaks. Most standard electric water heaters have two thermostats and two elements. One example for the cost to replace a bad thermostat is $185 for parts and labor. Replacing both the thermostat and the heating element could cost approximately $150-$200. The thermocouple is a safety device that senses when the pilot light is burning and signals the gas valve to close if the pilot light goes out. If your thermocouple is bad or corroded, the average cost to clean and repair it could be between $350 and $400. If your water heater has started to leak, it is usually more cost-effective to invest in a new water heater than to repair it, unless you're covered by a warranty.
How much does it cost to install a tankless hot water heater?
Tankless water heaters usually cost more to install than traditional tanks, because many homes need to be retrofitted to accommodate the new system. Tankless electric water heaters retail on average between $150 and $1,200, and tankless natural gas water heaters retail between $200 and $1,300 on average. The lower prices ($150-$250) are generally for point-of-use tankless heaters that can be installed to boost hot water in high-demand areas such as the bathroom or kitchen sink. Tankless water heaters designed to heat whole homes usually start under $300 at the low end and go up to $1,400 or more. Pricing for whole-home varies with the heater's technology and features. Nationally, standard water heater installation costs average $360-$780, but tankless water heater installation costs may range from $400 to $1,000, depending on the work needed. Some perks of tankless water heaters are that they have nearly double the life expectancy of traditional water heaters and are generally more cost-efficient. Homeowners may be able to save $100 or more per year on their utility bills with an Energy Star approved tankless heater, depending on how much hot water they use.
How do you find a good plumber?
Whether you need a plumber to perform drain repair, install a new fixture, or replace rusty pipes, you need to make sure you hire someone reliable who will finish your job on time and within budget. Start by asking the plumbers on your short list these questions:
- What is the total cost? Make sure your estimate includes materials and labor. Find out whether the plumber will be providing the materials and whether you're being charged an hourly rate (which is variable) or a flat fee.
- Is removal and cleanup included in the job? Some plumbers leave behind old parts, while others include the cleanup in the cost.
- Is the work guaranteed? Find out whether the work (as well as the parts or fixtures) are guaranteed under a warranty.
Follow these additional tips for confidently hiring a plumber or other skilled professional.


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the cabling makes a great difference, in hi-end systems at last. I was auditioning for a quality blu-ray player, listening in stereo (CD and DVD) on Pioneer Elite flagship Blu ray player on a very expensive system consisting of Ayre KX-R preamp, MX-R monoblocs, B&W 802D.
The sales person let me hear the Pioneer player with his stock power cord and with Shunyata Anaconda CX power cord. in both cases, it was plugged directly in the wall outlet.
The difference was astonishing, it was so obvious, i did not make any effort to notice it. It was like i would have a higher end player or a better preamplifier. I heard much more detail, more information, more smoothness.
The only issue: the cord was as expensive as the player, i was asking myself if i would get better sound with a more expensive player with his stock power cord.
Listening #96
My home is one minute from Glensfoot Farm, employer of a small crew of farmhands and home to several dozen nice-looking cattle. Glensfoot Farm is itself one minute from the center of Cherry Valley, where at least one 19th-century church still stands, steeple and all. My house has two decks and six windows that afford a grand view of all that.
I love the Arkell's collection of American art, and I love looking out my window at the farm and the village below. The two experiences persist in having little to do with one another.
An artist, I suppose, is one of a few who are blessed with the ability to change the perspective of the many, if only for an instant, in much the same way that a good story compels us to consider the effects of things that never happened. We need only enter a space where a work of art is on display and open our eyes: Inspiration, enlightenment, and entertainment are virtually guaranteed. Even if some galleries and museums are better or worse than others.
How to distinguish between good spaces and bad? Comfort matters, as do convenience and freedom from distraction. But, as I learned during the years when I worked for the lamp designer and industrialist Edison Price, who was once described as having illuminated more great art than anyone else in modern times, it's a simple matter of good lighting. To fully appreciate a work of art in the manner intended by its creator does not require precisely the same quality of light as shone on Inness's cows when he painted them in the first placethat sort of nutty, quixotic literalism seems limited to a subset of my own professionbut rather that the light simply be abundant, clear, and steady.
The zeros in the stream
When you play recorded music, you have before you a work of art with almost no physical existence at all; reconstituting it requires electricity, which will itself imitate the musical continuum represented by the bumps in the groove or the zeros in the datastream. When you listen to recorded music, you are listening to your household AC, and better AC equals better playback. That sounds obvious to me and you, even as it sends the technocodgers into paroxysms of puritanical indignation.
Goodness in AC is not unlike goodness in light: It must be abundant, clear, and steady. Improving or at least maintaining that quality is something that can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Strictures or gaps in power's path can be corrected with surer connections and more consistent conductors. Filters can be introduced, to prevent or correct deviations in voltage or frequency. (The metal-oxide varistor, or MOV, which sacrifices itself by stepping into the path of destructive voltage spikes, occupies an interesting subset of the filter group; the isolation transformer, wherein AC on the primary conjures within the secondary its identical twin, albeit without distortive harmonicsBrundle without The Flyhas another subset virtually to itself.) Most extremely of all, AC can be regenerated altogether, on the spot.
As audio reviewers go, I've remained less current than most with products that promise better AC, having sampled relatively few such things: PS Audio outlets made a teensy improvement in my system's sound, but their lack of mechanical durability disappointed. Power cords from JPS Labs have made startling improvementssmall improvements, but startling in that they should exist at allespecially their expensive Aluminata line, although their much cheaper Digital AC cords remain a genuinely good value. A recent test of Nordost's decidedly holistic approach to cabling (see "Listening," December 2009), including some of their own exotic power cords, proved rewarding.
The latest party at which I've shown up late is that held by the storied Shunyata Research (footnote 2), whose gear was recommended to me by two company reps whom I consider good friends. Eventually, Shunyata's Grant Samuelsen and I spoke on the telephone, and I received a loan of four Shunyata Black Mamba CX Power Snake AC cords ($595 each), a Hydra V-Ray eight-outlet power distributor ($4995), and a specially terminated Black Mamba HC ($750), by which the Hydra itself is connected to the household current.
I followed Shunyata's recommendation and began by replacing my stock Shindo AC cordsone for the Masseto preamplifier, one each for the two Corton-Charlemagne mono amplifiers (footnote 3)with the Shunyatas. Each Black Mamba Power Snake, which is among the company's least expensive power cords, incorporates 140 individual conductors, all drawn from CDA-101 copper. (According to the website of one alloy vendor, CDA 101 copper is prized for its resistance to embrittlement, which sounds like a word that Springfield's Mayor Quimby might have invented.) Those conductors are said to be wound in a patented counter-rotating, RFI-canceling helix pattern. Shunyata's own SR-ZP plugs, precision machined and cryogenically treated at the factory, complete the picture.
Footnote 1: George Inness: The Rainbow, 1878. Oil on canvas, 28¼" H by 38" W, object; 35½" H x 44½" W, framed. Gift of Bartlett Arkell, Courtesy of the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie.
Footnote 2: Shunyata Research, 26273 Twelve Trees Lane, Suite D, Poulsbo, WA 98370. Tel: (360) 598-9935. Fax: (360) 598-9936. Web: www.shunyata.com.
Footnote 3: The AC cords of the two Thorens TD 124 turntables that I use in my main playback system, and those of my Linn LP12 and Rega Planar 3 turntables, aren't easily replaced. And during the time when the Black Mambas were here, my review sample of the Ayre Acoustics QB-9 USB D/A converter was summoned back to the factory for a firmware update.
the cabling makes a great difference, in hi-end systems at last. I was auditioning for a quality blu-ray player, listening in stereo (CD and DVD) on Pioneer Elite flagship Blu ray player on a very expensive system consisting of Ayre KX-R preamp, MX-R monoblocs, B&W 802D.
Plugging power amps into power conditioners ? Art bad .
Power cords don't make any difference people. It is just the placebo effect. You think you heard a difference because you subconsciously believe you heard it. It would not pass a double blind test.
If you can't hear the difference between a proper high end power cord and the one you get in the box with your equipment or from the home depot then please have your hearing checked.
Granted, if you haven't at least took the time to install a dedicated AC line for your precise high end audio to the breaker box in your home then certainly don't bother wasting your money on a fancy power cord. Polishing a turd can only get you so far!
Take care not to let the hint of a doubt cross the smooth countenance of your mind, IronMan. :-)
Where are the hard raw numbers which show these 'high' end cables make any real difference? Show me HOW these cables do their magic to make music sound better and compare them to a good quality heavy gauge power cable you buy at Home Depot.
When I read reviews like this, I have to ask myself, is this reviewer really honest? Are they getting some kinda kick back from the cable companies for giving a very positive review?
Reviews like this makes me think of an ugly woman who believes by putting on a large amount of expensive makeup will make her beautiful. See, she just spent $1500 on a make up kit and for that price her brain will manufacture some type of improvement in her looks. Even though reality states 'you still ugly', that women will swear she now looks like Harley Berry or something.
To the reviewer :"Stop the yapping and get some precision measuring tools AND SHOW us the numbers (honestly)."
In the mean time, I think I'll stick to www.AUDIOHOLICS.COM to get the TRUTH.
Setting aside for the moment the cost of a high end power cord, say your buddy gave you one that he had lying around; would you then be able to sit down and listen with a clear head to what major differences these cables can offer to a system capable of accurately reproducing this change?
In regards to the fat lady, if you were stranded on an island with her and her new $1500 makeup case can you really tell me that she wouldn't look better, or at least smell better with it on then not when the time comes to "Do The Deed"?
The only people that doubt the improvements of power cords are the ones hat have not tried them . I thought this debate was put to sleep long ago . I guess there will always be newbees , lets hope .
Anyone who actually knows what's inside an amplifier, preamplifier, or other audio device in the signal chain understands that one of the core functions within such devices is converting A/C power to DC power for use in audio circuits. If the product is designed and built with consistent quality, the quality of the power supply should match the quality of the rest of the circuitry in terms of signal processing and fidelity. In my exprerience, if the final stage of an amp is substandard and the power supply is substandard, "conditioning" the A/C coming into the power supply isn't going to do anything to help. It is after all, a signal "chain". The end result is controlled by the weakest link in the chain.
Any decent design anticipates minor anomalies in the supply of electricity at the plug and accounts for it. These absurd power conditioners are the equivalent of wrapping a large seatbelt around the roof and underside of an automobile to add "improved" security to the passengers inside that are already protected by airbags and seatbelts.
Also of note, practically every marketing company that produces these sham "power conditioners" is up to their ear lobes in other sham products that form the crux of their business. Shame on Stereophile for peddling this snake oil. If readers knew how much advertising money Stereophile is making off of this crooked enterprise, they would cancel their subscriptions.
I have never tried a cable or power device I have never heard a difference with. I usually test power cords with my video equipment because a difference in video quality is clearly seen but sound can be effected by many things including the brain like one poster noted. I tried a basic high end power cord on my blu-ray player and then a very high end power cord and the difference was night and day. I found going from a basic wall outlet to a audiophile one also makes a huge difference on video.
I can see purchasing a cable like this if i was running it straight from the wall outlet to my amp but i use a "very good line conditioner" that works very well for me killing all noise in the signal path..


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Jackson's 'Town Hill" is also the oldest ski resort in Wyoming. In addition to its convenient location, Snow King is a magnet for racers - especially for national teams training early season. 'The King' offers the only night skiing in the area, and 'King Tubes,' their snow tubing park, is a must-do activity for all ages!More Info 307-733-5200
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Located on the western slope of the Tetons in Alta, Wyoming, Grand Targhee is about 75 minutes from Jackson. Averaging 500" of snow/ year, Targhee offers some of the best intermediate powder skiing in North America. The cozy base area offers passage to 2,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding. If you're skiing Jackson Hole for a week, a day at Targhee is well worth the trip.More Info 1-800-TARGHEE
Alta, WY


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High-powered women take up a man's cause
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men; it's also the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Yet, says University of Colorado Hospital president Bruce Schroffel, prostate cancer is a topic men don't like to discuss.
That — and an article Bob Sweeney wrote for The Villager about a friend who died from it — made Sharon Magness Blake realize that if men are reluctant to be screened, the women who love them need to take action.
The more women know about prostate cancer, the better equipped they'll be to encourage their husbands, sons, brothers, cousins and uncles to get the check-ups that could save their lives. "Prostate cancer is a very important and prevalent cancer," says Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, "but the numbers dying from it are decreasing, thanks to early detection and advances in treatment." An estimated 190,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S.
Theodorescu and Schroffel were among the few men admitted to Behind the Curtain, a fundraiser that Sharon Magness Blake staged at Invesco Field to educate women about the disease while raising money for prostate cancer programs at University Hospital. A highlight was Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein performing adapted-for-the-occasion scenes from their comedic look at schoolgirl diaries and femine hygiene, "Girls Only."
The evening began with a silent auction. Sarah Sena was torn between a Denver Broncos jersey autographed by Champ Bailey ("My 18-year-old would kill for it") or a heart-shaped diamond pendant from Hyde Park.
Marilyn Coors, whose husband, Peter, will be celebrated as Citizen of the West for 2011 at a Jan. 10 dinner benefing the National Western Scholarship Trust, was there with members of her bridge group: Dawn Fulenwider Wood, Kay Malo, Debbie Davis, Patty McConaty, Kathy Finley, Ilga Tyler and Tracy Zarlengo.
Public and community relations consultant Cori Plotkin was there with Tara Tongo Rojas and Sally Hallingstad of CoBiz. Hallingstad is new to CoBiz, arriving by way of Concerts for Kids, and will be the point person for the April 28 Biz Bash.
Before striking out on her own, Plotkin was on staff at Galloway Group, whose founder, Jean Galloway, was at the benefit with senior vice president Frances Owens. Others enjoying the pizza, lettuce wraps and salads that were part of the dinner buffet included Paula Herzmark, director of the Denver Health Foundation; Anchor Center for Blind Children director Alice Applebaum; Anne Klomp; Kalleen Malone; Kathy Hatch, who has been John Elway's personal assistant for the past 16 years; Suzy Love; Judi Wolf; Sue Ellen Goss; Linda Goto; Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons; Jill DiPasquale; Layne Fleishman; Kristina Davidson; Susan Stiff; Gail Johnson and Edie Marks with daughter Lori Marks Connors.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Also, GetItWrite on Twitter


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Mother Accused of Sexually Abusing Her 10-Month Old Son! (Videotaping The Sexual Acts For Her Boyfriend)
"Applause was heard in a courtroom on Friday morning after a judge set a $1 million bond for a mother who was accused of sexually abusing her baby. Ashley Jessup remained silent in her court session after prosecutors said that she admitted to videotaping the sexual acts she performed on her 10-month-old son and E-mailing them to her boyfriend, 10TV's AJ Smith reported. The woman who answered the door at Jessup's home said she was Jessup's mother. She told 10TV she was humiliated about the situation and was focusing on caring for her grandson, Smith reported. A neighbor, Brendon Zahrndt, said he found the details horrible. Zahrndt is a father of a 14- month-old girl. "It's a little disconcerting," Zahrndt said. "I don't know that is speaks for the neighborhood as a whole but anytime you hear something like that, as abhorrent as it is, it definitely raises a few eyebrows."" - 10 News
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Our Beijing-based attorney, Mathew Alderson, is Co-Chair of AmCham China's Media & Entertainment Forum. Each year the Forum puts together a chapter on media and entertainment for the AmCham China White Paper. As part of the research for the 2013 White Paper, Mathew interviewed Nathaniel Davis, a director of Split Works and Splatter, which are Shanghai and Beijing based live music/festival promotion agencies & music strategy/creative consultancies. Part of the interview is reproduced here.
Alderson: What unique problems do foreign promoters face when promoting shows in China? In other words, what problems are particular to China as opposed to being prevalent in developed markets?
Davis: The main problem or barrier to foreign companies operating as show promoters in China is that neither foreign entities nor China-registered WFOE companies can legally operate as sole entities and apply for performance permits (批文) from the China Ministry of Culture. This can only be done in partnership with Chinese domestic companies, either in terms of a formal joint venture or a temporary partnership.
Another serious problem is distortion of the market brought on by promoters (both foreign and local) who offer fees to international acts that are not in line with the realities of the market. In other words, many international acts are being paid premium fees for shows here when there is very little chance for the promoter to make that money back because they are hobbyist promoters with family or government money and have no real understanding or desire to help create and develop a sustainable environment for shows in China.
The other main problem is the entire 批文 system set up by the Chinese government which requires extra lead times for promoters to confirm shows before they can even begin to advertise, promote or market those shows and then even longer lead times until tickets may be sold, for those events of a size (e.g. arena, stadium, festival shows) requiring Public Security Bureau ("PSB") approval. This process can require anywhere from 20-40 days.
Alderson: How could the live entertainment sector in China be improved to encourage more participation by foreign promoters?
Davis: The answer would partly be the conclusion of the last White Paper chapter:
"streamline and clarify relevant procedures and regulations, not only for the benefit of live entertainment venues, producers, and artists, but also for the benefit of China's cultural industry overall." That is a good place to start.
After that, I would suggest there also needs to be not just a streamlining and clarifying of regulations, but also a reduction in procedures and regulations. The legal process for having shows approved — particularly large shows — is nearly incapacitating. The lead time for these approvals can be crippling. It simply takes too long and it is often hamstrung by something as banal as one of the government officials who needs to sign off on the approval being out of Beijing and needing to wait until he is back to physically sign the permit. It is not easy to do shows here — that is why there are so few of us here doing it.
This is not just relevant to foreign promoters but to everyone working in the industry.
Alderson: What particular problems beset the advertising and promotion of live performances in China?
Davis: A lack of non "pay-to-play" media (i.e. media that are actually interested in stories, rather than what they get paid to promote.)
Lack of real media interest in anything other than mainstream music-celebrity driven stories.
Also the previously mentioned problems of not being able to legally promote or advertise a show until Ministry of Culture permits are received.
Alderson: What particular problems beset the selling of tickets to the public in China?
Davis: The problems are not dissimilar to those in the U.S. There is a robust scalped ticket market made up of a combination of fake tickets and tickets that have "leaked" from the venues, ticketing companies and government agencies that receive free tickets.
Otherwise, the main problem is still a relatively limited market for live music even in the major metropolitan areas of China, including Beijing and Shanghai. Ticket prices remain extremely high relative to the purchasing power of ordinary people.
I think there is also the lack of a completely secure, transparent and trustworthy ticketing service. We could definitely benefit from the development of a secure e-ticketing platform.
Alderson: How difficult is it to book large, high quality venues and what are the main difficulties in doing this?
There are only two real high-quality venues in the country, both of which were set up by AEG and one of which is still managed by AEG. The Beijing venue — the MasterCard Center — was originally built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Shanghai venue — the Mercedes Benz Arena — was opened in 2010. All of the other large venues are old and were originally indoor sports arenas and were not really built to do concerts or live entertainment events. The two aforementioned venues can be difficult to book simply because they are very busy.
However the difficulty lies not in the "booking," but in the logistics of actually putting a show on at that level and in dealing with the vagaries of the system and specifically with the PSB.
Alderson: How good are local Chinese sound engineers, technicians and crew?
Davis: There are several good ones working out of Beijing, but they are few and far between. There are several foreign sound engineers here now who are in great demand. But overall there is a huge gap in the maturity of the live event industry here. There is top level gear here, but a limited number of qualified people to use the gear properly.


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Puig out of lineup as Mattingly continues rotation
LOS ANGELES -- Yasiel Puig's non-start Saturday against the D-backs is just part of the Dodgers' evolving four-outfielder rotation, manager Don Mattingly said before the game at Dodger Stadium.
Mattingly said Puig did not reinjure his left thumb in the 12th inning on Friday when he attempted to make a diving catch on a ball hit to short right field by Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt.
"I don't think anything happened on that play in extra innings," Mattingly said. "His thumb has been wrapped up after every game [since his injury on a headfirst slide into first on April 5]."
Puig, who's batting .235, missed three starts because of the thumb injury but started six of the next seven. He tied his career high with three walks Friday but also struck out three times.
Left fielder Carl Crawford (.234) and right fielder Andre Ethier (.212) returned to the lineup Saturday after not starting against D-backs lefty Wade Miley, with Matt Kemp (.179) starting again in center.
Asked about the slow starts by the four outfielders, Mattingly said he doesn't think it has anything to do with the rotation that remains a work in progress. Kemp, who got a late start, has 39 at-bats. The other three are in the 47-52 range.
"Everybody's pretty regular still," he said. "Andre and Carl have been out against four left-handers; Matt and Yasiel have been pretty regular, too. I just feel we're not swinging the bats as well as we can yet.
"Matt hit some balls hard last night. Carl's been been hitting balls hard right at people for the past week."


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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Last week I received a box of beautiful, uniformly humongous, mushrooms from To-Jo Mushrooms, a company that sells mushrooms of all types for home delivery on their website, FreshMushrooms.com. In addition to the wonderful assortment of affordable mushrooms, the site also features a collection of recipes that will appeal to any serious cook. I loved their recipes and will feature many of their creations before the year is out, but I've wanted to try a meatless stroganoff for the longest time. The size of the mushrooms I received made them a perfect substitute for the beef or chicken normally found in stroganoff, so, my dreamed of Mushroom Stroganoff became the order of the day. Here is how it came together.
I quartered the mushrooms before putting them in a skillet to dry roast and lightly brown. Once they had some color I added salt, butter and some aromatics to give them flavor and sauteed them until they released their juices. I then deglazed the plan with a healthy splash of Madeira for additional flavor and richness. A more detailed explanation on the process can be found in the recipe below. Though meatless, this is a terrific stroganoff. Goat cheese gives it a richness and unique flavor that I think you will really enjoy. This is an easy dish to make, but there is some wait time involved, so be sure to read the recipe so you understand the time requirements before you roll up your sleeves and start.
This is the finished dish. Much of the flavor in this stroganoff comes from a mushroom broth that's created by soaking dried Shitake mushrooms in boiling water. I usually let the mushrooms sit in water for an hour before using them and their broth. I also suggest making this dish with broad flat noodles that are cooked slightly longer than would normally be the case. For best results the noodles should be soft, but not mushy. The dish is served as though it was a casserole. The mushrooms, sauce and noodles are combined before serving and presenting at the table. This is a beige dish, so make sure you serve it with a lovely green salad or a steamed green vegetable. Keep the sides simple because the goat cheese makes this a rich dish. Here's how this version of stroganoff is made.
Mushroom Stroganoff...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Alton Brown
2 cups sliced dried Shitake mushrooms
3 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 pounds large stuffing mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Madeira wine
1-1/4 teaspoon beef or vegetable bouillon base
1-1/2 cups strained mushroom broth
8 ounces sour cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more for garnish
12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles
Garnish: Chives or green onion tops
1) About 1 hour before starting to cook, place shitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 hour.
2) Strain both and rapidly boil down to 1-1/2 cups. Set aside for the moment.
3) Set 4 quarts of water to boil over high heat. Cover with lid ajar.
4) Melt butter in a 12-inch straight-sided saute pan set over medium-high heat. Increase heat to high, add mushrooms and saute until they darken in color. Sprinkle with salt, and continue cooking until they soften and give off their liquid, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add scallions and saute 2 to 3 minutes.
5) Sprinkle in flour and stir to combine. Cook until flour disappears and fond on bottom of pan turns dark brown, about 1 minute. Deglaze with Madeira. Stir in beef base and mushroom broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in re-hydrated Shitake mushrooms
and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, and then add sour cream, goat cheese and black pepper. Stir to combine, and then partially cover and bring to a simmer to warm through, 2 to 4 minutes.
6) While mushrooms simmer, add noodles to already boiling water and cook until soft but not mushy.
7) Drain noodles, add to pan containing mushrooms and stir to combine. Garnish with chives or green onion tops and a grind or two of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately. Yield: 5 to 6 servings.
Disclosure: I received 3 pounds of large mushrooms from Fresh Mushrooms/To-Jo Mushroom. I received no other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.
One Year Ago Today: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Two Years Ago Today: Fresh Salmon Quiche
Three Years Ago: Banana Mousse
Four Years Ago Today: Chocolate Soup


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It's a romance that Superman's been carrying on almost as long as he's been courting Lois Lane, with just as many highs and lows. The first and greatest superhero of them all just can't stop flirting with show business.
Over the course of his 75-year history since his debut in DC Comic's flagship title Action Comics in 1938 which prompted the launch of an entire genre of entertainment, the Last Son of Krypton has often soared supreme over Hollywood – and occasionally crashed to Earth – pioneering the translation of superheroic adventure to film, television, radio, animated cartoons and movie serials.
U.S. & World
Director Zack Snyder's film "Man of Steel" opens Friday, seeking to once again establish Superman as the very pinnacle of cinematic superheroes – even at a time when the mulitplex screens are more crowded with seemingly more contemporary-feeling comic book crusaders that often appear edgier, more vulnerable and appealingly flawed than the inherently invulnerable and altruistic alter ego of Clark Kent. This time around, Superman's most spectacular accomplishment might be to reclaim both relatability and relevance.
Respecting Tradition – And Creating New Ones
As the director of graphic novel-to-film adaptations of such post-modern properties as "300" and, especially, "Watchmen," which specifically deconstructs the tropes and traditions established by Superman and other comic book forerunners, Snyder cops to having complicated feelings about the grandest superhero on the block.
"There's a love/hate relationship I had with him," says Snyder, who loved Superman comics while growing up. "And then when I got involved with 'Watchmen,' the intellectual pinnacle of intellectual comic book work. In the back of your mind you know what implications it has for someone like Superman. You know that you're basically taking a shot, in a weird way, at Superman and all the things that he stands for. Now you know how to destroy a super hero, so how do you build one up again? It's a chance to reclaim that mythology in a way."
"Maybe it's part of your formative years where you've loved him, and then he betrayed you because he represented a sort of loss of innocence and all that stuff that happens to you when you get older," Synder adds. "You no longer believe – It's like Santa Claus, or whatever – and then you go to 'Watchmen' or you go to 'Dark Knight Returns,' the Frank Miller graphic novel, and then you come back around and go, 'No, it's okay. There's a why of that, of Superman as he's intended to be.'"
But Snyder posits that the new film – which focuses heavily on Superman's divided loyalties to his lost homeworld and his upbringing in the American heartland, and a push/pull toward keeping a low profile and using his abilities for good – repositions the character as a very relevant beacon of hope befitting the contemporary climate after a stressful period in history.
"There's tentative optimism in the world, this kind of feeling that things could be getting better," he says. "Superman represents that optimism. Everything's on the edge, but he's willing to do what it takes. He's going to dig deep. There's been a big emphasis on first responders and what they're willing to sacrifice and this kind of volunteer aesthetic, where people give anonymously for nothing other than to enjoy helping others. And Superman really is the poster child for that in a lot of ways, because no one cares more and gives more."
Deborah Snyder, the director's wife and producing partner, says the couple "were both nervous about going forward with this project for two different reasons: His was because he did love the character and loved the comics, and he was worried about 'Can I do him justice?' – the responsibility of what that means. And I was daunted because I didn't understand how we were going to make him relatable. Because to me, he felt too good. I don't think being good goes out of style – I don't mean that. I mean, who can be that good? He was such a squeaky clean Boy Scout."
But after hearing the take concocted by "Man of Steel" screenwriter David S. Goyer, which he pitched to executive producer Christopher Nolan during a respite from story-building on "The Dark Knight Rises," Deborah Snyder says she saw the character through brand new eyes. "They really tapped into way that we could relate to him and understand his struggles, because we were seeing struggles to depths that we never really saw before, at least in movies," she says. "And that, all of a sudden, clicks with me: the alienation and the bullying and the figuring out your place in the world. Those were interesting things that I could grab onto, and I felt people would care about him more as a character because they could latch onto that."
"What maybe the broader audience doesn't realize but which we do as comic book fans is that Superman is a character that has constantly evolved over time," suggests Goyer, a former comic book scribe. "As much as it's important to honor the canon, I think it was equally important to challenge the canon at every turn. We would have discussions with guys at DC about what we could and couldn't do, and sometimes we had healthy debates about it. If we had just done an homage to what had come before, I think we would have been doing the character a disservice."
DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio says that as much as the comic storylines provide a template for adaptations in other media, elements originating in those adaptations are frequently incorporated into the comics. "We like to create our own voice, our own tone, our own direction for the stories, but if something interesting happens in any of the other media, we're always willing to take a look at it and see how it could work back into the books," he says, pointing out that Jimmy Olson first appeared in a 1940 episode of the "Adventures of Superman" radio show, which also debuted the Kryptonite concept in 1943. "Even things as recent as Chloe Sullivan from 'Smallville' have found ways into the comic."
DiDio says the editorial approach to Superman and other time-tested characters at DC is very much in line with what the creative teams in film and television are trying to do. "Because we're selling continuing fiction, we need our characters to experience drama and different events that occur throughout the character's lives," he says. "If you position them on a pedestal and look at them always as an icon, then they cease being characters and become symbols. And we need our characters to really be able to act and behave just the same way any other characters in fiction would, so we tried to avoid the icon aspect and really focus on who they are and constantly put the challenges in front of them to prove why they're worthy of being the heroes of our universe."
Filling the Superman Suit
"I don't think it was about finding my way into an icon," says Henry Cavill, the 30-year-old British actor who – after nearly nabbing the role of the similarly renowned James Bond a few years earlier – was assigned the formidable task of both embodying the idealized image the Last Son of Krypton and appropriately humanizing him. "Playing an icon, you don't try to be an icon, because that defeats the purpose."
"The responsibility attached is enormous, and the realization that it actually really, really matters meant that I wanted to put the most amount of work into representing the character properly," adds Cavill. "And that especially applied when I was working out in the gym. When you feel that you can't push any harder or you can't lift any more weight, you think, 'Well, hold on a second – I've got to look like Superman. There's a whole bunch of people out there who are relying on me to be that superhero.' And so it really helped to push those extra few reps and just become that character."
Cavill's instincts led him to avoid studying the leading men who've previously portrayed Superman, with Christopher Reeve's performance from 1978's "Superman" and its three sequels arguably the most indelible to date. "Yes, I have watched the older movies, but I did not apply those performances to mine," he says. "The way I do it and the way I viewed it is that's their interpretation of the source material – the source material being the comic books – and I wanted to have my interpretation. Not out of a sense of ego, but a sense of the fact that it might be a disjointed performance if I have someone else's personality and their influence affecting the interpretation of the character. So I just went straight to comic books."
"Henry's a good guy," Zack Snyder says of how he came to see Cavill as Kal-El. "He comes from a military family, so that whole first responder thing – you don't have to explain that to him, right? First responders, they're like sheep dogs, and we're like sheep in that there are wolves out there. And sheep dog can't help itself – that's what it does, right? You don't have to explain that to Henry. He's like, 'Oh, yeah – of course.' That aside, the guy just looks like fricking Superman!"
"We saw so many people all over the world, and he was at the top," agrees Deborah Snyder. "We wanted to see what he was like on film, but we didn't have a costume. We were like, 'Okay, what are we going to dress him in?' We were still developing our costume, so we pulled out the Christopher Reeve costume. Zack wanted to shoot outside. I was like, 'Oh, great – we're going to get helicopters, paparazzi...' So we had to go far, far out into some canyon, really private. Henry got dressed in the costume, he came out, and no one laughed. The costume was made a long time ago, but it didn't seem dated. It just felt like he was Superman."
The first Brit behind the red 'S,' Cavill claimed the gig, says Deborah Snyder, because "his accent is so good. It was funny because a lot of people were mad that he was British, and I was like, 'He's not really American. He's Kryptonian.' It didn't matter to us. It was just about the right person playing the role."
Goyer recalls taking his sons, six and three, to set. "I timed it, of course, so that Henry was in the suit when they showed up – and they just looked at him with awe," he says. "They didn't see Henry: they saw Superman and everything that that means."
"He's an evergreen character," says Jake Rossen, author of Superman Vs. Hollywood, of the Superman's inevitable returns to the public eye through film and television over three quarters of a century. "I don't know that a month has gone by since his creation that he hasn't appeared in either a comic, an animated show, a television show, a movie or a radio show. Hollywood thrives on brand recognition. Comic characters thrive because they're constantly re‑inventing themselves in their home media of comic books. The characters are constantly being rebooted and re‑imagined, altered and refreshed, and I think Superman will always be a source of material. There's so much to do with him."
"He speaks to everyone, and that ideal speaks to everyone," says Cavill. "We all need hope, no matter what century we're in, whatever state of life we're in, whether we're going through tragedy or not. It's just hope that everything will be okay. And if it is tragedy, and there's a disaster happening, hope that we can overcome it. I don't think it's solely for those who are outsiders or those who are alone. It's for everyone."


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As a reminder of the state of play four days before the election, boiling down two previous long posts (first and second):
- All publicly available polling information, especially swing-state polls, suggests now as it has through this entire year that President Obama has an edge for re-election.
- Nonetheless many Republicans seem sure that victory -- and a big one -- is just in sight.
- Some are obviously saying this for tactical effect, no matter what they actually "believe." Karl Rove is predicting a Republican victory, but that is what he predicts before every race, win or lose. Dick Morris -- who knows?
- But a significant number seem genuinely convinced that their own "worst president in history" opinion of Obama is so widely shared than an anti-incumbent landslide is imminent.
- Thus we have what is unjustly known as the "Pauline Kael problem." If Mitt Romney wins, especially given his electoral-college handicap, many Democrats will wonder about voter suppression, given everything they've heard about the problem. If Barack Obama wins, many Republicans will be sure that something fraudulent has gone on. How could it be otherwise, given that, like the apocryphal Kael in 1972, they didn't know anyone who could have voted to keep the horrible incumbent in office?
What happens then? Readers weigh in. First, from a reader in Kentucky, about the familiar but important echo-chamber phenomenon:
Your recent posts have again put me in mind of a fact I find myself coming face to face with on a regular basis in my very red state, but which seems to often be overlooked in political discussions: to wit, that is is now possible for a person to never hear an opposing point of view. A person can go from watching Fox News, to listening to talk radio, to reading conservative blogs, and get the same message every time. The left is gradually building its own structure (CurrentTV, MSNBC, etc) but thankfully lacks the right's incredible gift for message clarity. The effect of this is that at least on the right the tail now wags the dog of the Republican party. Growing Republican extremism is probably not the Fox News business plan, but it is the inevitable effect of having parts of the country where 60 and 70 percent of households use a single, politically biased news source as their only source for outside information.
The result is pretty unpleasant to witness. I love my adopted Commonwealth of Kentucky, but it is impossible to have a political conversation here. Every conversation I have risks a descent into Republican talking point hell. When I try to refute those points with facts, it falls on deaf ears.
So, when you are discussing, for example, Republican's attempting to delegitimize an Obama presidency by making an argument which implies that Obama could only win by fraud, I have no doubt it is true -- many of the people I talk with already have gone there. It is the certitude that comes from never having your assumptions and data challenged. Its as if a third of the country joined one of those hippie soccer leagues where they play every week and nobody keeps score. Of course they don't know how to accept adverse information -- they've never had to.
The same can be said about climate change. Once all but the wingnuts believed that we needed to do something -- the question was what (cap and trade, tax carbon directly, etc). Now, we can't even agree that there is a problem. Obama proposed what was essentially John McCain's climate plan, and was widely denounced as a 'socialist."
I don't know what the solution is, but the phenomenon is one which shakes my faith in the First Amendment. It's something we need to talk about more, especially after we have the data from this election to look at.
From another reader, whose experience is like my own with some of my childhood friends:
I have one "friend" on Facebook who was a high school classmate and is now an evangelical Christian, sure the end times are coming (and that Obama is a sure sign of that). She has a series of news sources that I would never have heard of except for her, such as nowtheendbegins, pakalertpress, and so on. She post things that are outrageous from these sites, and if I counter with anything factual, she is offended. No evidence from outside can change her beliefs. Now she has started to talk about how once Romney wins, they will have to hold his feet to the fire too. These posts alternate with posts about how Democrats will try to steal the election.
My hypothesis is that her belief in the inerrancy of the Bible has primed her for these other beliefs. Evolution is a lie to her, the age of the universe is a lie, and even the founding fathers to her are all Christians and the US is intended by the founders to be a Christian nation, explicitly blessed by God. Nothing that comes from outside of the Bible, or websites/news sources that to her tie in with that viewpoint, is trustworthy.
Her belief about the nature of God's relationship with the United States also helps explain why it is so important to her that we not have gay marriage and abortion. God will withdraw his blessing from us, or will punish us for deviating from following his law, and this judgment falls on the whole country, not on the individuals who are failing to follow God's teachings. This is why appeals to follow her own religion and let others follow their own beliefs fall on deaf ears. We ALL have to follow her beliefs in order for God to bless this country. Do you think it's a coincidence that Sandy hit a sinful area (New York City)? I think my classmate is probably disappointed that Washington didn't get hit harder, because she predicted that it would.
It's very sad to read this, and yet it gives me an insight that Pauline Kael never had access to. Unfortunately, I wish that access to my views would have some influence on my classmate, but that is not the case. She just keeps telling me how my views prove that I don't understand God, and I'll suffer for it in the afterlife. There's no good answer to that!
On the other hand, from a reader in the Midwest:
I sent a quick 'political science' question to 6 relatives who are voting for Romney, "Who do you think will win next week's election?" Two are former liberals, now neocons in early '90s, and four are younger voters who came of age in late 90s and adopted conservative/ neocon positions, especially on Iraq and government spending. So far, two said the election was too close to call. One said Obama will win.
These people do not work for or donate to campaigns, although they support Romney. But if engaged in a discussion of budget deficits, Iraq, 'apology tour', taxes, etc., they will fiercely defend the neocon/House Republican views.
While first surprised at the results of my personal survey, I now have an unscientific idea of what may be going on .You quoted mostly commentators whose intent is to portray Romney as a 'winning' candidate or are 'true believers' who ignore reality. True, but I think all this hype is more directed at keeping the field organizers and 'faithful' excited and hopeful through the rest of the campaign, as turn-out will be a major factor this year. The campaign may pick up a few 'independents' or 'undecideds' by pushing a momentum message.
But if three out of six ideologically committed conservative/neocons, all of whom are more informed than the average voter and certainly read polls, including conservative ones, aren't fooled, the Romney momentum drive is too late to draw uncommitted voters to its side. They need to further consolidate their base or election day.
In regards to this message, it is worth remembering that through the primary season it was the likes of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and even Ron Paul who emphasized that Mitt Romney would be the weakest possible candidate the party could field against Barack Obama. They were the ones who spent time and money on the "vulture capitalist" ads, the flip-flopper and "out of touch" themes, and "ObamneyCare."
From another reader, on the possible motives of strategists like Rove:
I, personally, absolutely believe [that the "Romney will win!" theme] is a de-legitimizing strategy for one simple reason: this is so strangely out of touch (more so than usual) and the people leading it are not the base conservative voter. Rove knows exactly how likely Romney is to lose. And yet the gonzo 'up is down' talk is only growing.
Another aspect of the deligitimation depends on how close the states are. One can expect legal challenges if the vote is close. I think this push to portray Obama as having zero chance is laying the groundwork. At minimum it works to keep constituents of Republicans in Congress from tolerating any compromises in the event of an Obama re-election because they will have a reinforced sense of being robbed (which they have had about Mr. Kenya his whole presidency)....
You might think, what is the point of a challenge that is almost certain to lose if the probabilities hold? Not because Rove and his ilk could sue for the Presidency. It is that a prolonged legal post-election fight would firmly cement the illegitimacy of Obama.... If it is truly close in the right states, I would not be the least bit surprised in a loud, obnoxious, quixotic legal fight to put an exclamation point on the Right's refusal to accept Obama as the real president.
The only upside to that might be that Obama finally learns he cannot work with these people. He can only outmaneuver them.
As for your reader who sees this as an attempt to "de-legitimize an Obama win," I think that is dead-on, and it concerns me greatly. The GOP has lost wedge issues, so now they must create wedge identities.
To end on a cheerier note, Jason Paur of Wired has reminded me that it's not really right to say that a tossed coin has a 50 percent probability of coming up heads. If you'd like to know why, check it out a scientific paper here. (Short version: for mechanical reasons, a coin that starts out heads when you flip it has a slightly >50 percent chance of coming up heads when it lands.)
And a Canadian reader has north-of-the-border wisdom on the whole concept of 50-50 probabilities. It's from a beloved Canadian sitcom Corner Gas, set in the imagined Saskatchewan village of Dog River. The relevant part starts around time 4:20, which you can see below or go to directly with this link:
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By Disciple of Sakura
Keeping with my prior undead dragon being a reanimated metallic, I decided to paint up the Bones 4 Zombie Dragon as a copper dragon. I surgically removed its raised claw to fix an issue I had with my Ebonwrath, and sculpted a ruined claw on in its place here. Decided that the rot in the dragon would be where the verdigris of a copper dragon should be manifested, and went to town. Figure is mounted on a 4" diameter wooden base. Camera images had some trouble getting the color right. The closest are probably the first and last ones.
As always, enjoy, and feel free to let me know what I can improve.
By Shadespyre
The biggest model I've ever painted, I worked on it in sections and then assembled it onto the base when finished. I made very minor modifications to Kalarax herself, mostly inserting a lot of brass rods to support joints, and using hot water to bend the tail around onto the base (which is 25 cm square!) There was a lot more work on the base, using rocks, grit and sand to meld the Bones "ruined temple" into a larger scene with common elements from my Vampire army (see sig below)
You may know the story of why the model is so big - apparently a communications error meant that it is twice the size it was ever meant to be? Because of this, I removed odd-sized base details like huge skulls and dinner plate coins and replaced them with "in-scale" objects like dozens and dozens of resin skulls as seen in the close up.
My "huge bony miniature" recipe is:
One can of Army Painter Undead Bone spray paint
A big pot of GW Agrax Earthshade (or similar brown wash)
A pot of Citadel Dry Tyrant Skull
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Let the model to the work! You can also use this to paint large numbers of smaller skeletons, of course.
By Shadespyre
I found it really hard to light and photograph such a tall model, I'll have to get him off his shelf and try and take better pictures at some point in the future. I chose the bright red tongue to tie in with the reddish muscle and the red roses (which are a theme of my Warhammer Vampire project) as a spot colour.
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By FirstLevelFighter
Hello, all!
I'm planning to paint Ma'al Drakar as Dungeons & Dragons' Dark Lady, Tiamat.
She's going to be, by far, my biggest painting project. Before I start painting, I'm planning some conversions to make her look more like D&D's Chromatic Dragon.
I'd love to get any advice or tips that anyone would like to share about painting large models, or any of the other parts of the process. I'll share my plans, and try to keep up a WIP thread about this grand adventure.
My first step is going to be pretty drastic, so if anyone wants to jump in with advice, please do.
I have WotC's Gargantuan Black Dragon. The forward-sweeping horns are so iconic, my Tiamat's black dragon head (Ma'al's lower right head) should have horns like that. The Gargantuan Black's a perfect scale to use for Tiamat's horns. I'm actually planning to carefully cut the horns off the black dragon, make a 2-part mold, cast a set of horns for Tiamat, and reattach the horns back on the black dragon.
Am I out of my mind? Does any one see potential problems with this plan, other than the usual challenges of casting minis, etc?
Thanks in advance for any advice, feedback, and encouragement!
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ADDED: "doo buh TAHN tay: The attitude of the Montana Supreme Court towards Citizens United."
ALSO: Here's some detail about that Montana case, from George Will.
Three Montana corporations sued to bring the state into conformity with Citizens United by overturning a 100-year-old state law, passed when copper and other corporations supposedly held sway, that bans all corporate political spending. The state's Supreme Court refused to do this, citing Montana's supposedly unique susceptibility to corporate domination — an idea amusingly discordant with the three corporations' failure even to persuade the state court to acknowledge the supremacy of the U.S. Supreme Court.


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Magnolia wreaths are gorgeous, but they can be expensive to buy―especially if you need 17, like Dave and Susan Shuler do. That's why, many years ago, they decided to make their own. This Santee, South Carolina, couple's tried-and-true process is so easy, we hope you'll be inspired to make your own too. Just think of the money you will save! Dave and Susan start by clipping individual leaves from the magnolia growing in their front yard. Rather than cutting whole branches and wiring bundles together, Dave finds it easier, and just as showy, to insert individual leaves into presoaked 15-inch florist foam wreath forms. Voilà―the results speak for themselves.
Source: Southern Living
Be sure to check out LawnmowersNHoses.com and SeedNFertilizer.com for all your gardening needs, including gifts!


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When I woke up this morning, this is not what I wanted to be writing about today. So sad. James Gandolfini was a hell of an actor, beyond THE SOPRANOS. He was just getting started. This is what I wrote about him in KILLING THEM SOFTLY:
James Gandolfini, as a hit man from out of town, appears in a pair of long scenes, both of them opposite Pitt and both directed to milk maximum tension from fairly routine situations. The beauty of Gandolfini as an actor is that he is a high-strung instrument within an imposing facade. He looks as if it would be very easy to hurt his feelings – and that would be a big mistake. There might be nothing more scary in the contemporary screen than the sight of Gandolfini smiling, while his eyes are not smiling at all.
And this is what I wrote about him in NOT FADE AWAY:
Writer-director David Chase, best known for "The Sopranos," has made a feature film about a rock band's struggles to make it big in the 1960s, but Chase's real concern is the '60s themselves, not the band. He is interested in the culture's journey, how people began the decade and how they ended up. And the point he wants to make is best conveyed in a pair of wordless scenes, one near the beginning and one near the finish, and both involving James Gandolfini watching television.
If you're familiar with similar scenes in "The Sopranos," you know that no one watches TV quite like Gandolfini, whose face barely moves a muscle, and yet his thoughts are clear to all. In the first scene, he is a husband and father watching the Rolling Stones singing "Time Is on My Side" (it sure was) on a variety show, and you know he's marveling that anyone could take these skinny degenerates seriously. He is sure in his judgments, and he has a black-and-white TV set.
Some five or six years later, he is by himself watching the "Bali Hai" number in the movie "South Pacific." The world is in color now, and so he has a color set. And though his face is deadpan, his eyes suggest a longing for what the song promises. No longer sure he knows everything, he is thinking that maybe life isn't all about wearing blinders and working hard, that maybe people are entitled to something splendid, and the convention he has lived by is a trap. A quiet revolution has taken place in his mind, and this revolution is, in short, the 1960s.
He had made the transition from THE SOPRANOS to movies and had a lot left to do. This is all the more sad in that you could almost see it coming. Every time I saw the guy I worried that he was on the way to a heart attack. It's such a hard thing, obesity, and probably all the more hard to crack with all the pressures of a showbiz career and with the knowledge that everybody loves you as you are.
And we certainly did. He will be missed as an actor of profound sensitivity. And cherished in memory.


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McCain, Obama to meet on immigration Tuesday
Updated 11:32 PM ET
MEXICO CITY U.S. Sen. John McCain said Friday that he and other lawmakers working on an immigration overhaul will meet with President Barack Obama on Tuesday to discuss the effort to revamp the system.
McCain, a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators working on a bill, said there is still significant disagreement with the president, but he is optimistic about producing legislation that includes a path to legalization for illegal immigrants.
The White House could not immediately confirm the Tuesday meeting.
"The president of the United States has supported our efforts. In fact we will be meeting with the president on Tuesday," McCain said during a visit to Mexico.
He did not say how many senators would attend the meeting.
McCain told reporters after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto that many details must be worked out between Obama and senators trying to produce legislation.
Asked about the prospects for reaching a deal, he said: "I am guardedly optimistic that we could by the end of the next month. There's still a number of agreements that need to be made before I can assure you that we will have a resolution."
- McCain gets an earful on immigration in Arizona
- White House: Only part of immigration plan was leaked
While they differ on some key details, both Obama and the Senate are contemplating legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S., tighten border security, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers and strengthen the legal immigration system.
McCain ticked off those aspects and added that he also envisions the legislation including a process for foreign agricultural and low-skilled laborers to work in the United States, a provision for highly educated workers to remain in the U.S., better identification cards for migrants and a special path for migrants brought to the U.S. as children.
"On some of those we have specific agreement, in other areas we agree in principle, but we have not resolved the details," he said. "We are making progress, but we are still not at a point where we can say we will succeed."
The meeting marks Obama's most direct involvement to date in negotiations by the bipartisan group of senators working to craft comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Wary of making it harder for Republicans to support an eventual bill by embracing it too closely, Obama has instead kept his distance.
The White House is prepping its own bill, but says it's just a backup in case congressional talks fail.
"It is, by far, the president's preference that the Senate process move forward, that the bipartisan group of eight have success, and that they produce a bill that wins the support of Democrats and Republicans in Senate," White House spokesman Jay Carney said this week.
The risks for Obama in getting too close to the process were on full display earlier in the week when details of Obama's draft bill were leaked, prompting concerns among some in Congress that the competing bill would make it harder for senators to strike a bipartisan deal. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a key Republican member of the group, said Obama's plan had "injected additional partisanship into an already difficult process."
But Senate aides said privately that bipartisan negotiations were in a good place and they did not feel as though the disclosure of details in Obama's draft bill had disrupted their process.
Last month, McCain spoke about the immigration issue with "CBS This Morning." In reference to the plan -- which would grant temporary legal status to most of the 11 million illegal immigrants if they pass a criminal background check, pay a fine in back taxes, and learn English -- he said : "I hope that as more Americans see this proposal, that they will understand that we cannot have, forever, 11 million people living in the shadows in this country."
On another political issue, McCain said that former Sen. Chuck Hagel had been weakened by his battle to be confirmed as defense secretary, but McCain said he and Senate colleagues could work with Hagel at the Pentagon. Hagel is expected to be confirmed Tuesday after fierce attacks from fellow Republicans including McCain.
"I think he will have been weakened, but having said that, the job that he has is too important," McCain said. "I know that I and my other colleagues, if he's confirmed, and he very likely will be, will do everything we can to work with him."
McCain was defeated by Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
Turning to Mexico, McCain said Pena Nieto had reassured him that Mexico would continue to battle drug cartels while reassessing the country law-enforcement strategy.
The Mexican administration that took office Dec. 1 has, at least in its public rhetoric, emphasized social programs and economic growth as the answer to drug crime, a change from the previous government's focus on a militarized offensive against cartels. That has provoked concern in Washington about a reduction in anti-drug cooperation with Mexico.
"I have no doubt about his commitment," McCain said of Pena Nieto. "I think he feels that policies and practices of the previous administration need to be examined."
McCain said the Mexican president had emphasized the need to reinforce Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, a new emphasis in a relationship that has focused heavily on the U.S.-Mexican border.
The Mexican government said Pena Nieto "emphasized the necessity and the benefits of diversifying the agenda and the dialogue between Mexico and the United States," to focus on economic issues including the automotive industry and educational, scientific and technological cooperation.
Pena Nieto's government is in the midst of an international and domestic public relations campaign to undercut Mexico's association with drug crime and promote its relatively strong economic growth, driven partly by foreign investment in manufacturing plants here.


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When the weather gets colder and the overnight temperature dips below freezing, safeguard your plumbing by unscrewing your garden hoses. This prevents water from freezing in the hose and pipes from bursting.
Perfect Harmony for Him and Her: the Cohabitated Closet
Cohabitation means sharing lives, including your home, your stuff and even your closet space. Avoid conflict in your relationship by creating a harmonious closet where your stuff and his stuff can live together in peace. When merging the contents of your closets, don't assume that everything will fit. First, take an inventory of what you already have. Remember, you wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time. So, sort through your wardrobe, creating piles to keep, donate and discard. Cleaning out those rarely used items will create more storage space for both of you. Next, designate specific areas inside the closet for each person; that way he has room to store that old comic book collection and you have room for all of those shoes. Here are some other useful suggestions on how to organize a closet for him and her. For Him:
- Allow for two areas of hang space for shorter items like shirts, dress pants and suit jackets.
- Install shelving for folded sweaters, jeans and those favorite khakis and shorts.
- Shoe shelves will help ensure that his shoes don't end up in a pile on the floor while a canvas hamper keeps dirty clothes out of the way.
- Tie and belt racks make it easy for him to find accessories that create a polished, professional look.
- Create hanging space for longer items like that beloved cocktail dress and trench coat.
- Designate a shorter hanging space for skirts, shirts and dress pants.
- Add shelving for folded items like cardigans and jeans.
- A center tower of shelving, wire baskets or canvas pull-out drawers can hold frequently used items and keep personal items like jewelry and perfume within arm's reach.
- Artfully display handbags on shelves near other accessory items, so that pulling together a complete look is a cinch.
- Ample shoe shelving makes it easy to find those go-with-anything black heels or running shoes for your morning workout.
- Top shelving above the highest hanging rod can be used to store seasonal clothing, photo albums, luggage and any extra guest pillows or blankets.