text:
fire release
I don't think it is--Elveonora (talk) 12:48, August 1, 2012 (UTC)
Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment isn't a Fire Release, not to mention I think he would say: "Katon: Uchiha Kaenjin" --Elveonora (talk) 13:19, August 1, 2012 (UTC)
- Removed. Not 100% sure but using the Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment as a benchmark, I took it out.--Cerez365™(talk) 13:24, August 1, 2012 (UTC)
Besides, are we still not sure of him being an Uchiha even with the name of this barrier? :P--Elveonora (talk) 14:19, August 1, 2012 (UTC)
|...Tobi's identity should be revealed within the next couple of weeks so until then please continue with your predictions!!
—Masashi Kishimoto
Lol, I know... just saying his technique has "Uchiha" in it and it's literary translated--Elveonora (talk) 15:46, August 1, 2012 (UTC)
Image request
Is it useful to put the image of the little flames on Tobi's fingers? It looks like Orochimaru's Five Elements Seal, so I think it is worth to show people this semblance.--Spcmn (talk) 02:43, August 4, 2012 (UTC)
- It also looks like Five Elements Unseal, and Naruto undoing the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. I don't think it's a good idea to put as a main image something than can belong to so many techniques. Omnibender - Talk - Contributions 02:51, August 4, 2012 (UTC)
Madara as a user.
In this latest chapter, 601, Madara used a technique to block the chakra stakes that Naruto throwed at him...at first i merely assumed it to be Susanoo, however, i can't see any bones or body parts, simply an aura around Madara and a literal wall appearing in front of him and it's quite similar to Obito's version. Any opinions? Darksusanoo (talk) 22:02, September 11, 2012 (UTC)
- Plus the odd detail, that the barrier-thing looks like it's comming out of his fan. Darksusanoo (talk) 22:05, September 11, 2012 (UTC)
It's Susanoo... the barrier burns stuff, it wouldn't stop the stakes--Elveonora (talk) 22:09, September 11, 2012 (UTC)
- Yet we can't see the Susanoo's shape at all! Plus we see that the technique is comming out of his fan for some reason, plus the fact that all we see is an aura and a wall appears in from of him...not the ribcage, not an arm, but a fairly large wall. Darksusanoo (talk) 22:12, September 11, 2012 (UTC)
Any more opinions on this? Darksusanoo (talk) 04:50, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
The aura is the same one that all Susanoo have had, the wall that Madara created looks just like the aura around Madara and nothing like the barrier created by Obito, unless Madara decided to set himself on fire I'm failing to see how it could be the same barrier technique. TricksterKing (talk) 06:11, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
- It is Susanoo, Sasuke had the same aura as he activated Susanoo here TricksterKing (talk) 07:56, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
- Its Susanoo. http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s145/urbancowgurl777/UltimateSupreme2212-3.pnghttp://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s145/urbancowgurl777/UltimateSupreme2212-3talk.png 08:58, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
I wouldn't be surprised if this were a gunbai-based technique and not Susanoo. But (for now) it's best we simply list it as an application of Susanoo.--Cerez365™(talk) 09:59, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
- Does anyone have the raw of this chapter...cuz unless i see an arm, ribcage or any piece of the skeleton, i'm not convinced at all it's Susanoo especially due to the fact that not only does Madara only uses that technique, after receiving that gunbai, but you see him placing it in a blocking position and when it dissipates, you see that is dissapears last from the gunbai. Darksusanoo (talk) 17:39, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
There's a picture of Sasuke using Susanoo aura without any bones above--Elveonora (talk) 17:44, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
- BUt he didn't block any attacks with that aura, in fact you see his full Susanoo in the next panel...and like i said i didn't saw any arm or ribcage to block the half dozen, 30 feet long stakes plus the way Madara wields his gunbai is pretty much inplying that he's using another technique derived from his gunbai as sempai-Cerez said above. It has similarities such as the dark aura, which is explained by the simple fact that Madara has incredibly dark chakra...plus and i'm repeating myself a lot...you only see a wall, not a shield, not an arm, not a ribcage, but a wall Darksusanoo (talk) 17:57, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
Chakra flowing his Susanoo through his Gunbai perhaps? 0_0 No idea, but surely not this barrier technique--Elveonora (talk) 18:08, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
Obito Uchiha
Obito uses this technique only in the manga, then why isn't in the infobox?--PlacidoNB | Talk | Contributions 01:42, May 12, 2013 (UTC)
- There is a message on the homepage of the wiki, please read it.--Cerez365™(talk) 01:43, May 12, 2013 (UTC)
- I see the technique in his infobox. Omnibender - Talk - Contributions 02:02, May 12, 2013 (UTC)
Omnibender, I meant to say that the (Manga only) thing isn't in the infobox of this technique, but now I know why isn't there.--PlacidoNB | Talk | Contributions 04:27, May 12, 2013 (UTC)


text:
Keynote speech by Morten Kjærum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, at the International Summer School on Migration – Challenges and Opportunities for Europe, Turin.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to express my sincere thanks for being invited to deliver this keynote
speech at your International Summer School on Migration – Challenges and
Opportunities for Europe.
Looking at your very rich programme between now and the end of the month, part of
me wishes that I had the next two weeks to spare. You appear to be covering almost
every angle the range of challenges to fundamental rights posed in the context of
Trees have roots. Human beings use boots. We have always moved around: for family
reasons, for economic reasons, or to escape persecution, war or natural disasters.
We do not have exact numbers, but the roads to Europe claim many lives. You may
recall in April of this year that a boat leaving Libya with 300 migrants and asylum
seekers capsized 40 miles off the Italian island of Lampedusa with only 50 survivors.
In August, Italian coast guards intercepted a boat off the coast of Lampedusa finding
the bodies of 25 people who had suffocated because of overcrowding.
The land journey also claims its victims. In January the Fundamental Rights Agency
visited the land border between Greece and Turkey, which has been experiencing very
high levels of irregular border crossings. There were 45 recorded deaths at the border
in 2010. Our own experts counted almost 50 unmarked graves at a makeshift cemetery
near the border.
This is the cold, hard, desperate reality facing asylum seekers and irregular migrants
trying to cross the EU's borders.
And the challenges do not stop once they have crossed over. They continue:
• For those trying to access asylum procedures
• For irregular migrants kept in detention
• For victims of trafficking
• And for those who find a way to remain in the Member States without
It is clear from a legal perspective that migration policies and practices – just like all
other areas of EU law and policy – have to respect fundamental rights not only for the
above mentioned 4 groups but also for all other persons migrating into the European
Union. But looking at the everyday reality, putting this into practice is apparently
more difficult.
In line with the approach of your summer school I would like to speak not only about
the challenges but also the opportunities that face the EU in ensuring that migration
policies are built around fundamental rights standards.
1) Firstly, I will talk about fundamental rights implementation at the EU's
external borders.
2) Secondly, I will speak about the rights of migrants once they are inside the
1) So, turning to respect for fundamental rights at the EU's external borders.
It is well established in international law that it is each State's right to determine who
enters its territory, and who is allowed to stay on its territory.
But there are two important exceptions to that rule. One is the rule of nonrefoulement,
which means that an individual cannot be turned away and sent back to a
country where there is a risk that they may face persecution. The other is the
obligation on States to rescue people in distress at sea.
Here I would point to two challenges in putting these exceptions into practice.
Firstly, vessels carrying migrants are often intercepted by coast guards on the high
seas. Because they are intercepted outside the territory of the EU, it is sometimes
argued that the rule of non-refoulement does not apply. In addition to this, cooperation
agreements between Member States and third countries allow for intercepted vessels
to be returned automatically to their country of departure.
So the first challenge is that intercepting and returning irregular migrants before they
even reach the territory of the EU prevents those who are genuinely in need of asylum,
from actually lodging applications.
The second challenge comes from the condition of the vessels in which people try to
reach Europe. I opened my speech with two accounts of lives lost at sea because of
boats that were overcrowded or simply unseaworthy. Forcing people to return in these
conditions increases the risk to life. At the same time States need to ask themselves if
they are doing enough to prevent loss of life at sea. Is the obligation to rescue being
interpreted passively, in the sense of helping migrants in difficulty where they are
found? Or pro-actively, in the sense of increasing resources to actually search for
boats in distress?
So, how do we ensure that those in need of asylum who are intercepted at sea, can
actually make an application? And how do we ensure that irregular migrants in vessels
that are in distress, get assistance?
It is here that I would point to three opportunities.
Firstly, in relation to migrants intercepted at sea, the EU Council adopted a Decision
on external borders last year that contained a mixture of binding and non-binding rules
on this issue. The decision stipulates that operations at sea should be carried out in
accordance with fundamental rights, and that the principle of non-refoulement should
be observed when deciding whether to return vessels to their country of departure.
Consideration should also be given to the needs of vulnerable persons like children,
victims of trafficking and those in need of international protection.
The second opportunity for improving the situation comes in the form of the newly
revised Regulation of the EU Border Agency, Frontex, includes explicit legal
provisions for respect of fundamental rights. Frontex will appoint a special
fundamental rights officer and establish a consultative forum, which the Fundamental
Rights Agency will participate in, to ensure that its policies incorporate fundamental
rights considerations. Frontex has also started to train their staff and border guards on
fundamental rights, in a joint project with the Fundamental Rights Agency.
Thirdly, we should also consider that Frontex has already been deploying rapid border
intervention teams this year at the Greece-Turkey land border to help deal with
increased migration flows. And this has had a positive effect on fundamental rights by
reducing the number of people who are pushed-back automatically at the border
without having the chance to make an asylum application.
These are all steps in the right direction, but questions remain over how the new rules
will be interpreted in practice. For example, for the new rules relating to migrants
intercepted at sea, what does it mean to give consideration to the needs of these
vulnerable groups in practice? How will border guard units assess whether they are
observing the non refoulement principle in returning people to the country from which
their vessel departed?
During 2011, the Agency is conducting research that may allow us to get some
The project focuses on the experiences of individuals, including third country
nationals themselves, in rescue or interception operations at the Southern maritime
borders of the EU in Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus.
Only three weeks ago, two of my colleagues from the Fundamental Rights Agency
accompanied Frontex on their patrol boats in the Mediterranean. They were able to
observe the disembarkation of 42 migrants left without fuel in a small dinghy at open
sea. During the reception, assistance, registration work done by the Spanish authorities
they took precise note of different fundamental rights issues arising during these
processes. These included issues such as whether urgent medical assistance was
provided upon arrival, whether information on rights was provided in a language that
migrants could understand, the conditions of the reception facilities, and the treatment
of children. The research results will be published in 2012.
2) I would now like to turn to the second question, which is the challenges and
opportunities for migrants once they are inside the EU.
There are four categories of persons I will cover. Of course, there are other categories
of migrants, including those arriving and settling legally in the EU, who face their
own set of challenges. However, since the focus here is on migration, rather than
integration or social cohesion, I will focus on the following groups:
• Irregular migrants or asylum seekers and their reception conditions
• Those trying to access asylum procedures
• Victims of trafficking
• And those who find a way to remain in the Member States without permission
Turning to irregular migrants or asylum seekers. Here we are speaking of individuals
who have arrived in a Member State without a visa. Some of these may wish to apply
for asylum, others may have been intending just to enter the country without
permission and have been detained.
The most pressing challenge here relates to the reception conditions in those countries
facing large-scale arrivals. During the second half of 2010, 38,000 undocumented
persons were detected crossing the land border between Greece and Turkey. During
2010 the Greek external borders accounted for 90% of all detections of irregular land
and sea border crossings into the EU. Lampedusa and Sardinia in Italy have received
more than 50,000 arrivals since the beginning of this year.
These are massive and sudden inflows taking place over a short space of time. Usually
governments and local authorities do not have the logistical capacity to cope, and this
has a significant impact on reception conditions including overcrowding and lack of
My own colleagues visited 3 detention centres at the Greek-Turkish land border in
January of this year. To give you a picture of one detention centre, imagine that you
have an apartment of 110 square meters – a comfortable size for a small family. Then
you invite 140 people over to stay there with you for several months. That is what we
found in the centre in Soufli. People were lying on the beds and on the floor tightly
packed one next to the other. My colleagues had to climb over the bodies to get in and
move around. One person slept in a non-functioning shower. Three other people slept
in a dark hole above the toilet.
These kinds of reception conditions are not only a challenge in themselves. The sheer
number of migrants relative to available resources also means that it is extremely
difficult for the authorities to set up a process to determine who may need
international protection. And that means that people in genuine need of asylum cannot
actually make an application and put their rights into practice.
So here we have the challenges: firstly that Member States on the borders of the EU
need resources to be able to offer adequate conditions of reception that guarantee
basic requirements such as accommodation, food and health. Secondly, authorities
also need resources to ensure systematic access to the right to asylum for those in need
of protection.
While the numbers of people entering Greece and Italy are large, we cannot treat them
as exceptional. History tells us that governments need to be prepared. We may recall
that during the conflict in Kosovo in 1999 Italy received as many as 50,000 Kosovars
not to mention almost one million fleeing to Macedonia and Albania. You may also
remember that in 2006 the Canary Islands received almost 32,000 arrivals.
So what opportunities can we identify to overcome these difficulties?
The Agency's report on Greece highlighted three areas of action by the EU based on
• Firstly, measures of financial solidarity between Member States is crucial since
States at the external borders of the EU inevitably face a greater burden than
others. Additional funds are indeed being disbursed through the External
Border Fund and the European Refugee Funds.
However, the Agency's research has shown that sometimes administrative
problems in the receiving country can cause significant delays, or may not
reach organisations capable of providing support, like NGOs. And makes it
difficult to cater for the basic needs of arrivals.
• Secondly, the provision of operational support. In this sense the EU has
deployed personnel from FRONTEX, the EU's border agency, and will in
future provide personnel from the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).
These human resources can support the border and asylum infrastructure by
assisting with the screening of migrants to identify those who wish to claim
asylum, as well as physically patrolling the border while ensuring respect for
fundamental rights. For example, as I mentioned earlier, since the presence of
Frontex at the Greek-Turkish border, push-backs have considerably decreased.
• A third way forward is the promotion of voluntary relocation programmes
within the EU. Under a pilot project for relocation of refugees from Malta
(EUREMA) a few Member States have agreed to relocate recognised refugees
on their territory. Expanding this pilot project might go some way towards
easing the pressure on border States by sharing responsibility with others.
3). I will now turn to a third category: victims of trafficking, and particularly
It is thought that every year several hundred thousand people are trafficked into or
within the EU, and that these are mostly women and children. Around 80% of these
work in prostitution or are sexually exploited. Many are also forced into domestic
I will focus on the situation of children. Here I would like to recount a story reported
in the BBC in 2009. Dayo, 15 years old, was brought from Nigeria to the UK. She
looked after 3 children, did all the domestic tasks and was beaten daily. When she
finally contacted a help group, the trafficker tried to return her to Nigeria. She refused
to get on to the plane and was therefore taken to the immigration services. The
immigration officers did not believe anything she said. They let the trafficker go, and
kept Dayo in a centre. After 5 days they took her to the airport for deportation, but
Dayo managed to contact an Asylum Aid group that prevented her deportation,
claiming that she was an unaccompanied minor who was seeking asylum in the UK.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is one of the rare cases that have been made public.
But sadly, every year thousands of children and young people experience similar
stories throughout the EU. And all these cases of child trafficking remain unknown,
unreported, and unpunished.
Dayo's story typifies the impossible choice facing trafficked children: to remain living
in slave-like conditions, or to try to seek help and risk prosecution or deportation.
And this is another challenge in the context of migration. The Agency's research in
this area shows that unfortunately there are Member States that have not tended to
take a fully victim centred approach to children who are trafficked. That is, an
approach that focuses on the best interest of the child by providing protection and
ensuring their material, educational, health and emotional needs.
However, we can point to the emergence of opportunities to protect the rights of
victims of trafficking.
In March of this year the EU Council adopted a new Directive on human trafficking
that introduces a number of protective measures for its victims, including children.
This is a welcome development, and should be read alongside a proposal from the
Commission for establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection
of victims of crime. The latter would create a range of rights for victims, and oblige
Member States to take into account the particular needs and vulnerabilities of victims.
It is vitally important not to re-victimise a victim and to ensure that legal proceedings
are child-friendly and that the physical, emotional and developmental needs of minors
are catered for once they have been removed from the control of traffickers.
4). The final category of persons I would like to address are migrants who are
living in an EU Member State, but doing so without permission.
The exact number of irregular migrants in the EU is unknown, but a recent EUCommission-
funded project (CLANDESTINO) estimated that in 2008 the numbers
lay between around 2 and 4 million people (1.8 and 3.8 m to be exact).
Irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable. Those who have arrived here illegally
or who have outstayed their visas find themselves open to exploitation, particularly
from unscrupulous employers. They force themselves to fly below the radar because
any contact with public authorities could lead to their detention or deportation. They
may also find that they have reduced access to certain basic services.
For example the Agency will shortly be publishing a report which finds that irregular
migrant children rarely enjoy equal access to health care. Only four Member States
(Greece, Portugal, Romania and Spain) guarantee access to healthcare that is similar
to children who are on the territory legally. Other Member States restrict access to free
health care or health insurance to specific groups such as unaccompanied minors or
children who have no right to remain but cannot be removed.
Worse still, in some Member States, there is actually an active duty on health service
providers to report undocumented migrants to the police. Even if in practice this duty
is not systematically implemented, the fear of being reported can obviously deter
people from getting help and have a very negative effect on the health of irregular
And what about those migrants who manage to find work – irregularly? Allow me
here to focus on domestic work, where the Agency has recently published new
Domestic work is typically less regulated by legal standards and enforcement
mechanisms (such as labour inspectorates) than other forms of employment, and is
usually carried out by women.
They typically work for long hours and low pay. Rest periods, paid holidays, and paid
sick leave are often not provided, even if available under legislation.
Our research also found that irregular domestic workers reported a number of physical
and mental occupational illnesses. At the same time the threat or fear of being sacked
and the lack of affordable health care and lack of paid sick leave was found to put
people off seeking medical assistance or taking time to recover. And this could then
lead to chronic injuries or permanent disability.
Where individuals do experience exploitation or unfair treatment, there are several
barriers in getting access to justice. Principally irregular migrants are put off going to
court because they fear that public bodies might alert the immigration authorities, who
may then deport them.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As you can see from the issues that I have touched upon, there are many challenges
posed to the protection of fundamental rights in the context of migration. And I
touched here only on the most urgent needs for specific migrant groups arriving in EU
Member States. But there are also opportunities to overcome these challenges in the
form of some positive developments in law and policy.
Ensuring that these opportunities are fully used and that fundamental rights guarantees
are met remains a challenge for policy-makers as they implement the detail of existing
rules and develop new legislation and policy.
If we are to ensure that fundamental rights become real living standards for everyone,
then they must become an integral part of policy-making in all areas, including
migration. In closing, I would highlight that this is a process that will be open to all of
you in your future and present careers whether that is in academia, NGOs the civil
service or other fields.
I would like to thank you very much for your attention and look forward to your
questions.But in addition, because their employment is often not formalised through a written
contract, they also face difficulties in producing evidence of an employment
So in practice, the fear of deportation or losing one's job deters victims from going to
court. And because possible deportation is the price of access to justice, often those
who mistreat irregular domestic workers go unpunished.
What opportunities do we have to prevent the exploitation of irregular migrants
and ensure that they have access to basic services?
Here the solution to the problem lies in returning to the very core of human rights: that
they are universal. As internationally accepted standards reaffirm, human rights are
for all, regardless of immigration status. Of course, putting this into practice remains a
difficulty but some steps have already been taken towards this. For example, the ILO
Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which was adopted in
June 2011, applies to all domestic workers.
We can also point to the Employers Sanctions Directive which gives some rights to
irregular migrant workers. This includes the right to claim wages not yet paid against
their employers. And, in certain circumstances, the possibility to stay in the Member
State temporarily while these legal proceedings are on-going.
Finally, we should note that there are cases where irregular migrants do go to court to
enforce their rights and succeed. These are predominantly in situations where the
individual is assisted by a trade union, NGO or other organisation, which has the
resources and the knowledge to access the justice system. So Member States have the
opportunity to improve access to justice for irregular migrants by supporting these

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Q&A with Cell Phone Camera Inventor Eric Fossum
By Anna Fiorentino
June 2013 • Thayer By Degrees: PhD
We sat down to talk with Professor of Engineering Eric Fossum, Faculty Coordinator of Dartmouth's Ph.D. Innovation Program and inventor of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel image sensor. Fossum's technology can be found in over one billion new cameras each year, in almost every cell phone camera, in laptops and cars, and even in X-ray machines. And with more than 180 patents, it's no surprise that this National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee recently not only became a Charter Fellow for the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), but also was elected shortly after to the National Academy of Engineering.
Congratulations—what an honor to be recognized by these organizations for your CMOS active pixel image sensor.
Thank you! Being elected to the National Academy of Engineering represents my managing to do something substantial over the course of my career and have that be recognized and appreciated by colleagues at the national level. It feels good! And I'm glad to be part of the NAI because I think its goals of elevating the role of invention and technology transfer in academic institutions is important to enhancing the economic growth and prosperity of the nation. Most academic institutions have not formally recognized invention and technology transfer along with the traditional metrics of academic success, such as publications and citations. Thayer, to its credit, seems to be far ahead of the curve.
What led you to invent the CMOS active pixel image sensor at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1990s?
Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. We were tasked with miniaturizing the cameras flying in interplanetary spacecraft. Fortunately, I knew what made the incumbent CCD [charge-coupled device sensors] technology work well and that making an image sensor in CMOS technology would open the door to a "camera-on-a-chip" and other tiny cameras. It was a matter of implementing the positive attributes of CCDs in a baseline CMOS technology.
Can you breakdown CMOS technology?
CMOS technology, developed since 1963, is used in today's mainstream microelectronics, such as microprocessors. Usually each CMOS circuit has two types of complementary transistor structures that lead to low power dissipation and some nice operating properties that make circuit design easier. Building an image sensor in a baseline CMOS process meant we could use existing analog and digital circuits on the same chip as the image sensor and use mainstream microelectronics fabrication techniques—something not true with the older incumbent CCD technology.
What has it been like to watch your technology take off?
Originally, there was widespread doubt and resistance to this technology and overcoming that among technical peers as well as in the commercial business sector was quite a sustained challenge. It started off being very exciting when the first consumer devices became available on store shelves, and seeing "CMOS" on the outside of consumer camera products today is still a thrill. But overall it is a little overwhelming, as the technology has a life of its own. Perhaps more overwhelming is seeing how a ubiquitous camera technology has made all kinds of social impact and launched social debates on security vs. privacy, for example.
What are your current research goals at Dartmouth?
My Ph.D. students are working, with sponsorship by Rambus, Inc., on the "Quantum Image Sensor" (QIS) to try to count every photoelectron generated by light in the image sensor and record its location and time as accurately as we can. Implementing a commercially viable QIS has many challenges, but if we can solve those challenges, then there would be a major paradigm shift in imaging. Still, I can't help but think of how unlikely it is that lightning will strike twice in my career!
How has this work, combined with teaching, been rewarding for you?
It is a luxury to be able to explore new ideas for image sensors in such a vibrant environment, and I like teaching undergraduates and also sharing my entrepreneurial experiences with the students in our Ph.D. Innovation Program.comments powered by Disqus


text:
portland, oregon guide!
[image above: japanese garden, portland, oregon, via grand canyon]
today's city guide has been one of the most request, and most delayed in the history of d*s guides. i'm so sorry it's taken so long but we've been through a string of locals who've been unable to complete their guides and today, thanks to becki from shopping is my cardio, we finally have a portland, oregon guide on d*s! portland is such an amazing city full of incredible art, museums, shopping, restaurants, coffee (stumptown, anyone?), hotels and bookstores- it's hard to know where to begin. but thankfully becki is here to take us through the city today. i hope you'll enjoy her guide, and feel free to add any of your favorite spots in the comment section below. thanks to becki for all her hard work!
CLICK HERE for the full portland, oregon guide after the jump!
Hello, design*sponge readers! I'm so excited to be here, and can't wait to share a little (okay, a lot) about the best Portland, Oregon has to offer. I'm Becki Singer, I write a little style blog called ShoppingsMyCardio, and I've lived in Portland for, wow, about two years now. Since I tend to write about fashion and accessories every day, I'm thrilled to be able to chat a bit about my other passion, home design, and to share my favorite shops and sights in the City of Roses. Thanks so much for having me, Grace!
Portland is one of those cities everyone seems to have an opinion about, whether they've been here or not. "It rains all the time there!", "The city's full of hippies, right?", and on it goes. So, before you come to visit, let me clear up a few things. We do have rain, but it's less than you think – winter is definitely gloomy, but our summers are the reason people live here: it's gorgeous and sunny from June through October. As for the hippie thing, well, that one's sort of true. We do have our fair share – though I'm going to get hate mail for admitting it. Most locals love their yoga, their bikes and their alternative medicine. You'll get glares from fellow patrons if you forget to put your biodegradable coffee cup in the compost bin, and I've never lived somewhere with so many options for vegetarian, vegan and raw diners. We also tend to be an outdoorsy bunch (okay, that's a metaphorical "we"…outdoorsy is one thing I'm not) – Portland is heaven if you're into camping, skiing, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing…really anything that involves installing a Thule rack on your Subaru.
All that said, there's oh-so-much more to Portland than rain and recycling. In fact, in the last ten years, this city has turned into a hip, artistic, and thoroughly cool city. If you're into art, you'll be amazed by the sheer number of galleries in the city, and the fact that Portland is home to all sorts of artists you already know and love (Matte Stephens, Amy Ruppel, and Jill Bliss come to mind). The indy music scene here is legendary – the Decemberists hail from its ranks, and there's always a hot new band (or ten) to check out on any given weekend at one of the dozens of local concert venues. And the food…as a transplant from San Francisco, I take my foodie credentials seriously. The culinary scene in Portland is simply amazing, and so much less expensive than comparable spots in bigger cities. Local chefs pride themselves on sourcing the best from organic farms and free-range ranches, and doling out dishes built to make the ingredients the star. Of course, if you're more swayed by liquid refreshment, don't forget about those legendary Oregon Pinot Noirs, the very serious coffee bean scene, and the fact that we have more microbreweries per capita than any other city in the US.
Now that you've decided to visit, it will help if you take a moment to get the lay of the land. PDX is divided into quadrants: the boundary of the north and south sides is a street called Burnside, and the boundary between east and west is the Willamette River. The scene definitely changes depending on which side of the river you're on. While it's a gross generalization, I tend to think of the west side of Portland as the more metro, urban, hip and trendy side of things. The east side, on the other hand, is what I think most people "expect" from Portland: it's a little more unkempt and alternative – definitely cool, but with nary a hipster vibe to be found. It's easy to get "stuck" over on the west side. Downtown is in the SW quarter, and most of the tourist spots and upscale shopping are on the West side. But on the east side, you'll get a feel for what really makes Portland unique and quirky…in a good way, of course. To make life easier, and to convince you to venture east, I've divided this guide into neighborhoods (sometimes loosely), but also listed the quadrant for each.
While you're here, remember that PDX takes its local, homegrown businesses very seriously. Take advantage of the fact that this city nurtures independent retailers and abhors the strip mall (our mayor's biggest campaign promise was to keep Wal-Mart out of the city), and you'll be rewarded handsomely: we have some of the best, most uniquely curated boutiques you'll find anywhere. Oh, and did I mention there's no sales tax? Just in case you needed another excuse.
Cielo Home: When it comes to retail, I rarely play favorites. But if I had to choose one home design store in the City of Roses, this would be it. Every time I visit, there are new things I covet, and I don't think there's a single thing in this store I wouldn't happily welcome into my house. There are plenty of formal design darlings like Juriska crystal, Raynaud china and John Derian galore. But you'll also find Jonathan Adler, Thomas Paul, stunning vintage and reproduction accessories, design books, hand-stitched Indian blankets, unbelievable Cire Trudon candles, and so much more, I can't even begin. While you're there, you might even catch a glimpse of Coco and Sergio, the shop's adorable whippets.
Cargo: You'll spot Cargo from several blocks away – it's the shop in the hip Pearl district whose façade is festooned with hundreds of Chinese lanterns and multicolored flags, which should tip you off that you're in for something extraordinary. Cargo is Portland's best spot for global home goods – the shop's two stories are packed floor to ceiling with so many amazing things to see, it's nearly impossible to absorb in a single trip. They have a great collection of cheap ethnic jewelry and knick-knacks – my favorites are the brightly-painted clay Dia de los Muertos figurines. Head to the back of the store to check out the furniture imports and other goodies, like a life-size bust of a Chinese general, a giant ceramic koi, or a vintage Japanese billboard for soap.
Hive: If you're a devotee of modern design, Hive may just turn out to be your favorite shop in Portland. The incredibly knowledgeable staff will happily guide you through a perfectly-edited collection of Eames, Blu Dot, George Nelson, and dozens of other modern furniture designers. Or, browse on your own, and grab some truly cool accessories to up the style quotient at your pad. I happen to love their George Colombo trolleys and, well, pretty much any of the perfectly random Alessi kitchen goods.
Moulé: When I first moved to Portland, I was suffering a little retail withdrawal, but Moulé saved me. The only US outpost of a Canadian-born boutique, Moulé is bigger than a boutique, but smaller than a department store. They stock most trendy urban collections you'd hope to find, plus great indy designs you won't find elsewhere, as well as men's, children's, home goods and jewelry. The jewel in the crown is owner Rachel Mara's eponymous clothing line – it's exclusive to Moulé, and a must-shop if you're a clotheshorse like me.
Pearl Bakery: It must be something about the weather, but bakeries in Portland have a talent for making particularly wonderful breads. If you're a connoisseur, the carbs at the Pearl Bakery are well worth the indulgence. Grab a pastry or a baguette and munch while wandering the streets of the Pearl District, knowing you're making everyone around you insanely jealous.
Manor: If high-end home design is your style, you'll want to make Manor your first stop in the Rose City. After owning an interior design business in Portland for years, owners Liz and Liza (a mom-and-daughter team) got fed up with not being able to source their chic selections locally. While they're definitely high style, I happen to love the store's blend of big-city chic and Portland quirk. Sure, you can grab a can of Farrow & Ball paint (your only source in Portland) or a Rani Arabella cashmere throw so soft you'll be tempted to curl up for a nap right there in the shop. But you can also take home your very own taxidermied dairy cow named (appropriately) Milkshake, procured from a no-kill taxidermist in Bolivia. I couldn't have possibly made this up if I'd tried. While you're there, don't miss the custom jewelry by Heather B. Moore, unbelievably soft wool throws from Swans Island, gorgeous sleepwear from Kiyomi, or china by Peter Mac Cann calligraphed with each of the seven deadly sins, and seven contrasting virtues.
Besaw's: Portland is a brunch town – on Saturdays and Sundays, you can't get anywhere near most of the popular breakfast spots in the city. I've waited an hour for a table at Besaw's on Sunday morning, but they give you coffee (and sometimes baked treats) to tide you over, and the wait is always worthwhile. Inside, you'll find a classic, homey diner packed to bursting with happy locals. Whatever you order, make sure it comes with a side of pork apple sausage – it's ridiculously good.
Merriweather's: If you're looking for the finer side of brunching, head a few blocks north to Merriweather's. If weather permits, hold out for a seat for the patio – it might be my favorite dining spot in the city. And seriously consider ordering the coconut chicken and waffles – trust me. This is also a great spot for lunch or dinner – the menu changes constantly, as they source nearly all of their produce from their own local farm, but it's always wonderful.
Saint Cupcake: Like most cities these days, there are a few spots for great cupcakes in Portland, but Saint Cupcake is my hands-down choice. If you're a purist when it comes to these things, as I am, you'll love the old-school classic flavors, the abundant sprinkles, and the sweet décor. Personally, I'm just in it for the cream cheese icing.
Canoe: Canoe is one of those stores that's so perfectly put together, it almost feels more art gallery than boutique. But after you take a moment to marvel at the shop's inimitable style, it will hit you: everything's for sale at this museum! Owners/curators Craig Olson and Sean Igo pride themselves on choosing quality over quantity. If you're searching for a bookend, they have one style – it just happens to be the perfect one, designed exclusively for Canoe by a local metalworker. Ditto for the perfect pocket knife (by Opinel), paperweight (a cast iron barn owl, and my favorite thing in the shop) or tea strainer (designed by a Japanese artist specializing in wire netting crafts). Their collection of Heath Ceramics, including several pieces exclusive to the store, and Citterio flatware alone make me wish I'd known enough to register there when I was a bride.
Cacao: If you're a chocolate fiend, Cacao is a must-stop shop for you. You'll find the best selection of chocolate in Portland, perhaps the entire West Coast. Cacao takes chocolate very seriously – once, when I couldn't decide which dark chocolate bar to splurge on, the owner spent an hour creating an impromptu chocolate tasting for me, so that I could pick my poison with an informed palate. While you're there, try anything by local chocolatier DePaula.
Fontanelle Gallery: With a tiny little storefront in the outskirts of downtown Portland, Fontanelle is an easy stop to miss. But it's worth tracking down if you're a fan of up-and-coming artists. The gallery is split into an exhibition space (revamped monthly) and a "Parlor" collection, where you'll find permanent works, often incredibly affordable prints, and other pieces you'll be tempted to cart home. On my last visit, they had pieces by Andy Kehoe, Ashley Sloan and Jess Fogel, and a fabulous multi-media installation by local artists Josh Orion Kermiet and Midori Hirose.
AM Living: It's easy to dismiss AM Living for its lackluster location (I think it's the only shop left in its little center), but one look in the store's windows will show you there's something very special going on inside. Walk in the door and you're transported to what can only be described as your dream childhood bedroom. The front of the shop is packed with model airplanes, racing cars, globes and maps galore. Head to the back of the shop, and you're in for some serious eye candy: they have an entire room draped floor to ceiling with hanging mobiles and antique reproduction toys, all amazingly affordable. On your way out, don't miss their collection of authentic embroidered suzani quilts – the owners have a special penchant for the pieces, and the selection is gorgeous.
Powell's City of Books: Even if you're not a book lover, Powell's is just one of those places you can't miss while you're in Portland. It's a Portland legend, and with good reason. The main store covers an entire city block, and is three stories tall – and the whole thing is packed to the rafters with every book you could ever hope to read – more than a million books at any given time, in fact. In print, out of print, new, used, rare, signed…if you want it, the "City of Books" almost definitely has it. Bibliophiles might want to add an extra day onto their trip for this stop – it's that good. If you're into rare books, the Powell's collection is one of the best in the country – stop in and check out a first edition of The Hobbit, signed Hemingway novels, and a wealth of other goodies.
Everyday Music: I tend to refer to Everyday as the Powell's of music. As I said, the music scene in Portland is alive and well, and Everyday is the proof. This massive store stocks just about every new or used title you could ever hope for, often on both CD and vinyl, and will make you abandon your iTunes addiction in a hurry. You could easily spend hours browsing the racks – especially if you get one of the very smart staffers behind the counters involved. They'll introduce you to bands you never knew you loved, and chances are, you can pick up your favorite new disc used for…well, a song.
Covet: I have to be careful about visiting Covet – I have yet to manage a trip in which I leave empty-handed. If I were to design a clothing store (or, for that matter, my perfect closet), something tells me it would look much like Covet. Whether you're after the ultimate comfy LA Made cardigan, a drapey silk tee from Geren Ford or an impossible-to-find Epice scarf, chances are owner Athena Frazier has it…or something else just as wonderful that you can't live without.
Frances May: This shop is a favorite among Portland fashion devotees, and with good reason – I can't think of a store that does a better job of exuding the cool, understated vibe that Portland locals can't get enough of. Owned by a grandmother/granddaughter team, Frances May stocks the best from unique indy lines like Church + State, Rachel Comey, Vena Cava and Built By Wendy, as well as jewelry and accessories by several beloved local designers. The end result feels a bit like raiding your cool big sister's closet….but considerably less hazardous to your health.
Mother's Bistro: Mother's was my first favorite restaurant in Portland – I've since come to realize it's practically an institution here. Their menu is an updated take on classic home cooking like chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, and a daily rendition of mac and cheese that has been known to inspire squeals of glee at my table. They also happen to have a killer brunch, but make a reservation if you can.
Clyde Common: If you're after more upscale fare, Clyde Common is such a great example of what makes Portland, Portland that it's worth it for the experience alone. That said, it's also some of the best food in the city, and that's no small accomplishment. Housed in the Ace Hotel downtown, you'll dine at communal tables, where you're almost certain to make a new friend or two, if only because you'll probably need help deciphering some of the exotic ingredients on the menu. But even if you don't know your Grana Padano from your poached octopus, an unforgettable experience is a given.
Whole Bowl: If you're too busy shopping and sightseeing to stop for a bite, the food carts in Portland can be unbelievably tasty. Food writers attribute the phenomenon to low overhead and the inability to hold fresh ingredients for long in the back of a truck. Fair points, but I chalk it up to this city's tireless devotion to good food – whether it's in a cart or at a five-star restaurant. The best collection of carts is on SW 9th and Alder, where you'll find my personal favorite: Whole Bowl. A great veggie/vegan option packed with beans, rice, avocado, and loads of other goodies, you'll want to ask for extra Tali Sauce – the top-secret concoction is incredibly addictive.
Sword + Fern: You'll find jewelry designer Emily Baker's unmistakable wares at any number of shops here – ever since she began designing pieces from her now-signature recycled car parts, she's become sort of a symbol of the up-cycling movement in Portland. Her shop is definitely worth a visit if you're spending time on East Burnside. Emily is an absolute delight to meet, and you'll likely find gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces you can't buy elsewhere. Plus, she keeps her walls bare to use as a gallery space that she rotates monthly, so you'll be able to browse her designs and check out a talented local artist (or two) while you're at it.
Life + Limb: This little shop is the cure for even the blackest of thumbs. Stocking exclusively succulent plants, the very helpful shop owners will help you house your new charge in a beautiful planter from Perch, Pigeon Toe, or dozens of other lovelies, and teach you how to keep from killing it. Before I met Life + Limb, I thought cacti were my only option, but it turns out there are loads of lovely, non-painful succulents out there – some even have flowers! Plus, since they're built for neglect, drought and general abuse, you may even be able to cart something home in your carry-on. If green just isn't your thing, Life + Limb also stocks wonderful home accessories, books and gifts that have nothing whatsoever to do with plants.
Hippo Hardware: You know how, in movies, someone goes into the attic of an old house and there are all of these fabulous, crazy things (even though your attic at home is just full of fiberglass and cobwebs)? That's basically Hippo Hardware. It's sort of a wonderland for treasure hunters, and a dangerous place for do-it-yourselfers. Whether you're after a dozen Victorian doorknobs, a leaded-glass window or an old skeleton key, this place has it…somewhere. Moreover, they boast on their website about having taught customers to make blenders into table lamps. This terrifies me, but for those of you that are DIY-inclined, Hippo is Portland-speak for Mecca.
Grass Hut: I tend to refer to Grass Hut as a "boy" art gallery. Blatantly sexist, maybe, but the shop prides itself on an admittedly awesome and rare collection of plastic monsters (some of which are even designed by the owners). Add to that a collection of definitely non-girly art from the likes of Tim Biskup, Mike Perry and Amanda Visell, and it's hard to deny the hearty "testosterone thrives here" vibe at Grass Hut. But boy or girl, you'll dig the Hut for being totally and utterly unlike any other art gallery you've ever visited.
Voodoo Donuts: If you're after a look at the more…interesting side of Portland, I can't think of a better stop than Voodoo Donuts. While the FDA made them stop serving their Nyquil- and Pepto Bismol-glazed donuts, they still have plenty of bizarre-yet-delish creations to keep you busy. My husband is a big fan of the Mango Tango – a mango-filled donut topped with Tang powder. I'm a little more classic, but the Crunchberry version is mighty tasty. While you can head to either location for your sugar fix, fair warning: the downtown location perpetually has a line around the block, but the people-watching potential is unmatched.
Noun: There's something about strolling through Noun that just makes me happy. Now, I freely admit that may have something to do with the fact that they share their retail space with my favorite cupcakerie, Saint Cupcake. But the happy vibe at Noun goes way beyond sugar. Owner Stephanie Sheldon has a crazy talent for stocking great local jewelry and art, and blending them with the best curated vintage finds I've ever encountered, including full sets of beautiful vintage china and glassware. The result? Well, on my last visit, I was torn between some stunning earrings by Tasi Designs, a gorgeous set of etched cocktail glasses by Roost, and a vintage lusterware elephant teapot. I never did decide, but managed to make it out with a box of cupcakes.
Elsa + Sam: When I walked into Elsa + Sam, my first thought was "how has no one thought of this before?". The tiny shop is a bit off the beaten path, but stepping inside was like walking into a showroom of all of the fabulous ceramicists and printers I've fawned over for years online but never see in person. Circa Ceramics, Kim Westad, Dovetail, Anna Kraitz, Tonfisk…the list is fantastic, and will have you ready to ditch your dishes in favor of a whole new collection.
Lounge Lizard: If there's one variety of shopping that this city really does well, it's vintage. Whether it's clothing, accessories or furniture, I'm pretty convinced there are at least as many vintage shops in this city as there are sellers of new goods. If you happen to be in the market for some truly stellar vintage furniture, Lounge Lizard is your spot. The owners buy only the best of the best, and they know their goods – during one recent visit, the owner told me the reason my husband and I can't agree on furniture is that he's industrial and I'm deco. I had no idea. Every piece in the shop is the ultimate in retro, groovy goodness, right down to the perfect aluminum Christmas tree I still can't believe I didn't grab on my last visit.
Rejuvenation: I honestly can't imagine visiting Rejuvenation if I had a remodel afoot…I think my head would explode from the sheer volume of options. The store stocks a collection of lighting and hardware so massive, a chronically indecisive person like me wouldn't stand a chance. But it does make for some pretty fantastic browsing…and if you happen to need a knob to match cabinet hardware you installed in the late 80s, there's a good chance you'll find it here. Make it a point to check out the clean, retro lighting choices from local designer Schoolhouse Electric.
Stumptown: PDX may be known for having the most breweries of any city in the US, but I'd venture we're right up there with the number of coffee shops in town as well. Stumptown is the grand dame of Portland's highly discriminating bean scene, and you'll find their brew at the vast majority of independent coffee shops here. If you take your caffeine seriously, a stop at Stumptown is a must. While you can get their coffee nearly anywhere, if you head to their location on SE Belmont, you can check out their rare roasts (they can run up upwards of $170 per pound), and even indulge in a free daily coffee tasting at the annex next door.
Pastaworks: Oh, Pastaworks…how I love your cut-to-order fettuccini, your yummy fresh sausages and your collection of housemade sauces. And the cheeses…don't even get me started. When the sights and smells of all that fabulous food leave you ready to rip into a pack of raw ravioli, never fear – step into their itty bitty café, Evoe, and indulge. I highly recommend sitting at the counter – chef Kevin Gibson is always ready and willing to offer tastes, suggestions and great details about the food while you dine.
Ink & Peat: Lovely is the only word I can think of to describe Ink & Peat. The shop combines artful and girly things for your home with what I think is the best floral shop in the city. In the blink of an eye, owner Pam Zsori can put together a floral arrangement that is absolutely sure to thrill. While she's working, you can browse her collection of pillows, throws, art, home accessories, letterpress cards, and hundreds of other wonderful finds.
Together Gallery: If I were to imagine the ultimate art space for a design*sponge fan, Together Gallery would be the place. Recent exhibits have included artists we know and love, like Jen Corace, Julie Morstad and Yellena James. But there are also new faces to fall for, like Jay Howell (a new favorite of mine), Aiyana Udesen and Marc Warren Jacques, all of whom you should definitely get to know.
Ristretto Roasters: While Starbucks exists here, locals know better. There are just so many great independent roasters in Portland, it seems a shame to rely on standbys you can have anywhere. Of all the roasters in all the land, Ristretto is my hands-down favorite. Their beans are smooth and strong, but in a sneak-up-on-you kind of way…sort of like really good vodka. I prefer their new location next to Ink & Peat, but that could just be because I get to feed my retail and caffeine addictions in one stop.
Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery: Like most indy coffee shops in Portland, Random Order brews up Stumptown beans and (my favorite) Dragonfly Chai. But they also serve up the city's (and possibly the world's) best pie. I'm convinced their baker has made a deal with the devil in exchange for some of these recipes. As is the norm in Portland, they use only local, in-season produce, so if you see a favorite variety, don't pass it by. If it's around, I highly suggest the bourbon peach.
Petite Provence: If pie's not your thing, wander a few doors down to Petite Provence, a sweet little French café right in the middle of artsy, hip Alberta. It doesn't quite seem to fit, but step inside and you'll instantly feel like a sophisticated international traveler. Their breakfast and lunch fare are excellent, but don't miss the pastries – their croissants are the best I've had outside of Paris.
Antiquing: No, it's not a store, it's an activity. But it's what Sellwood is best known for, and I simply can't talk about this part of Portland without mentioning it. Sellwood is the perfect antiquing destination because it's small, friendly and walkable, and packed with coffee shops and other stores to keep you busy between your treasure-hunting stops. Start at either Milwaukie or 13th Ave – either way, you'll have your pick of the best antique shops in the city.
Tilde: On my first visit to Tilde, I knew instantly it would be my go-to for gifting from that day forward. Owner Debbe Hamada's taste is flawless, and her shop is packed with enough jewelry, pottery, art and accessories to make anyone swoon. She carries affordable prints from artists I've loved for ages, like Etui and Jessica Gonacha, but she also has originals by Rachel Austin and many others. Whatever your taste in jewelry, she has something you'll like, whether it's a cheeky Amy Bengston bird pendant or a bold, multi-layered resin piece by local designer Stubborn Works. Personally, I'm a fan of the super-spiky earthenware vessels by local Leah Nobilette, guaranteed to get people to stop touching your knick-knacks!
Milwaukie Popcorn & Candy Land: A bit off the beaten path, but Milwaukie Popcorn & Candy Land warrants a special stop. Besides some of the best caramel popcorn I've ever tried, they stock fresh, housemade chocolates…including chocolate-dipped Nutter Butters. Need I say more?
Jade Tea House & Patisserie: After you've worn yourself out browsing the antique shops in Sellwood, take a load off at Jade. I relax just walking in the door of this quaint little Asian-style teahouse. Whether you're looking for lunch or just a quick cup of tea to rejuvenate, you'll love the atmosphere as much as the food. I strongly suggest including one of their salted caramel Parisian macarons in your order.
Artemisia: I'm told that anything can grow here in Portland, which explains the perpetually green trees and the world-famous gardens – it's called the City of Roses for a reason. The owners of Artemisia take Portland's rep very seriously, and have amassed a collection of unique plants, trees, succulents and flowers to make anyone green with envy (I couldn't resist). In the nursery, you'll find rare varieties of trees, and foliage you haven't seen anywhere else. Step into the shop, and you'll find a whole world of indoor plants, pottery by local artists and accessories for compiling the perfect window box or terrarium…you'll even find a bonsai tree or two. Add to all that an outstanding collection of artwork by owners Michael and Amy Aiello, and even a certified black thumb like me can't help but fall for Artemisia.
Una: I first happened into Una because the shop is across the street from a favorite coffee spot of mine, but it didn't take long for this shop to become a destination all its own. Una is probably the closest Portland gets to runway-style looks. I'm usually there for the down-to-earth pieces from Clu and Chan Luu, but you can score some seriously unusual finds at Una – most recently, a collection of massive rainbow-hued resin necklaces by Mctega.
Ken's Artisan Pizza: For pizza in Portland, this is, quite simply, the best. There are loads of lovely slices throughout the city, but Ken works wonders with his wafer-thin crusts and smoking hot wood-fired oven. I tend to keep it simple with the classic Margherita, as I think his raw tomato sauce is the best I've ever had. My husband swears by the Soppressata, which has ruined me for all other pepperoni pies. And if you happen in when the Spring Onion pizza is on the menu, it's a must-try. But go early – if you show up after 6, prepare to wait.
Ace Hotel: With four locations now, I'm not sure yet if the Ace can properly be called a chain. Regardless, it got its start here in Portland, so I think it's fair to claim it as a local landmark. Staying at the Ace feels a lot like crashing at your hip friend's house – in fact, you can even book rooms with shared baths, if you just can't adjust to having a shower all to yourself. Beds are draped with blankets from the nearby Pendleton Woolen Mills, walls are covered with murals by local artists, and the whole vibe is very "I wish my grad school apartment had been this cool." In the lobby, you'll be able to score a cup of Stumptown brew, souvenir pics from a vintage photobooth, and some truly fab cocktails at Clyde Common. While you're here, head next door to Kenny & Zukes for the best reuben I've had on the West Coast.
The Nines: The Nines is the newest hotel in Portland, and if you're after a truly luxe experience, it's the obvious choice. Housed in the upper floors of the old Macy's building, The Nines is as glam as it gets. The hotel's lobby is sleek and clean, loaded with modern art and insanely beautiful rugs, and the guest rooms are right out of the pages of Elle Décor, furnished with decadent wall coverings and jewel-toned upholstery. Make sure you have a cocktail at the hotel's bar, Departure – the prime rooftop real estate makes for excellent city-gazing at night.
Governor Hotel: Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a hotel snob – I measure the success of a trip largely by how much I loved the room. The Governor isn't necessarily hip or trendy, but it's my favorite place to stay in Portland. The décor of this historic hotel is elegant and simple, the service is wonderful, and the location – right in the heart of downtown – leaves you within walking distance of some of my favorite shopping and dining spots. Personally, I love the super-high ceilings in each of the guest rooms, the fireplaces and the terrycloth robes.
Jupiter Hotel: While the Jupiter is a bit off the beaten path, it's such a unique space that I think it might be worth sacrificing a bit on location. I guess it's best described as two parts Jetsons, with a dash of Frank Lloyd Wright and Andy Warhol sprinkled in for good measure. If Design Within Reach is your dream shop, and the Museum of Modern Art is your favorite place, the Jupiter is made for you. As a bonus, you'll get to hang out at the super cool Doug Fir Lounge, where you can groove on the retro 70's decor and the inevitably hot local band playing the stage.
Gardens: As I've mentioned, this is a city of gardens, whether you're talking the highly manicured variety, a city park or just the fact that there seem to be an overwhelmingly high number of beautiful front yards here in Portland. After all, there's a reason we put up with six solid months of rain, and gorgeous greenery is it. If I were to give anyone a "must do" in this city, it would be to check out any (or all) of the truly beautiful gardens Portland has to offer. My three favorites are the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden, all of which are fantastic.
The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is small, but if you're there during peony season, you'll never forget it. Try a pot of tea in the teahouse while you admire their ability to make such a small, urban space feel secluded and calm.
The Portland Japanese Garden is my absolute favorite green space in the city. It feels even larger than its 5.5 acres – literally every turn gives you a completely different view. If you're at all interested in Asian design or gardening, or just need a little zen, it's a fantastic space to visit.
For more formal stylings, the International Rose Test Garden is amazing if you're here in the summer. It's the oldest test garden in the country, and you'll see varieties here that will amaze you, even if roses aren't your thing. Plus, you're in the Rose City, for heaven's sake.
Portland Farmer's Market: Portland takes its local produce more seriously than most (I'd chalk it up to the massive quantity of vegetarians, vegans and raw food devotees in this city). If you're a foodie, the Portland Farmer's Market is a must-see for the exotic mushrooms alone. Every city has a farmer's market, but Portland's is far and away the biggest and best I've seen. It runs Saturday mornings from April-October in the South Park Blocks downtown. I recommend showing up hungry – you'll kick yourself if you don't have room for the rum raisin challah, fresh goat cheese and brandied cherries.
Portland Saturday Market: While most locals I know tired of Saturday Market long ago, it's still a great place to take visitors. This open-air market, which feels a bit like a permanent art festival, runs every Saturday and Sunday during the warmer months, and is packed with examples of what I'll affectionately call "old-school Portland," the part of the city that still loves its tie-dye, handmade soap and wind chimes. Hippie vibe aside, you can pick up some lovely hand-thrown pottery, jewelry, and art photography. Oh, and there's a woman who makes some of the best jam I've ever tasted – that one's definitely not to be missed.
First Thursday: Remember what I said about the thriving art scene here in Portland? If you happen to visit on the first Thursday of the month, you'll get a perfect chance to see what I mean. Head to the Pearl District and stroll the vast collection of art galleries in this neighborhood, nearly all of whom unveil a new exhibit for First Thursday. Walk from gallery to gallery, score a free cocktail (or three), and you'll get a firsthand look at just how seriously Portland takes its art. Finish up with happy hour at any of the amazing restaurants in the Pearl – this city is legendary for its bargain-basement happy hour eats.
More about Becki: Becki started out as a small business attorney with a side passion for fashion, style and design. After years of listening to her wax poetic about handbags, shoes and new designers, her husband encouraged her to start shoppingsmycardio, so that she could tell other people about the finds that were thrilling her so. She's been writing the blog since June 06, and loves it. Last year, she decided she wanted to write full time, so she left her law practice to pursue freelance copywriting and marketing consulting for small boutiques, designers and artists, and to tries to up her editorial freelancing as well. She absolutely loves getting to interact with shop owners and designers, helping them plan projects and grow their businesses – it's a dream come true. At home, she has one very patient husband, two very bad dogs (a rescued greyhound and a slightly insane beagle) and a very poorly tended yard.


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PING G Le Driverview other products
This driver has been designed specifically for women and it combines PING's best innovations with new aesthetics and lighter swing weight.
Built on the success of the popular men's G driver, this G Le model takes those technologies and tweaks them to help ladies play their best, highlighted by a lighter swing weight with the same great aerodynamic crown.
Key features and benefits of the G Le driver include:
- Thin face produces faster ball speeds for more distance
- Aerodynamic head design reduces drag to boost head speeds
- Thin, weight-saving crown helps increase forgiveness
- Lighter swing weight aids an easier launch
- Forgiving and confidence-inspiring 460cc head
- Adjustable hosel to help improve your launch and trajectory
With a few different shafts and lofts to try it is well worth contacting us about a fitting to ensure you get the most from this driver's great technology.


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Live Reviews
Free Membership!
Aaron Keyes Releases New Album This Summer
Atlanta-based songwriter, worship leader Aaron Keyes releases his sophomore album,
, June 21. A modern collection of 13 songs composed in the battle of the everyday and sharpened by Scripture, it follows Keyes' acclaimed album,
Not Guilty Anymore
. The producers, John Hartley...
Peter Furler Releases 'On Fire'
Peter Furler returns to music after ending his long tenure in 2009 as the lead singer of newsboys, the band he founded in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia. Refreshed and reawakened to the joy of music, Furler releases
On Fire
on June 21. After amicably leading newsboys through its...
Paper Tongues Personalized Skate Deck Contest
In light of their remaining two performances on the 2010 Dew Tour, Paper Tongues has announced a contest for a customized Paper Tongues skate deck. In order to win, entrants must create a skate video of themselves skating to their favorite Paper Tongues track. Watch the video at
Delirious? Releases History Makers: Greatest Hits, Tours US
Following its farewell US tour, the UK-based, RIAA Certified Gold-selling, GRAMMY-nominated and Dove Award winning band Delirious? releases its History Makers: Greatest Hits CD Nov. 6 worldwide and Nov. 17 in the US on Kingsway (Survivor) with EMI CMG Distribution. Known as the forerunners of the...
Passion Twenty Ten Gears up for Atlanta
Passion is a global movement of collegiate and university students founded by visionary architect Louie Giglio. The conference will be held on January 2-5, 2010 at Atlanta's Philips Arena and Georgia World Conference Center and will bring 20,000+ students from around the world to Atlanta, all...
Relient K Ascends With 'Forget And Not Slow Down'
The latest from the GRAMMY® nominated Relient K, Forget and Not Slow Down, has proven to be a fan favourite landing in No. 1 at Christian Soundscan, no. 15 on Billboard Top 200 and garnering as high as the no. 3 spot on the iTunes® Overall Album chart selling more than 33,000 units. The band...
Phil Wickham Finds His Voice On Third Studio Album 'Heaven And Earth'
Since the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album Cannons, distinguished singer/songwriter Phil Wickham finds his voice on his third studio album Heaven And Earth set to land on November 17th. Even with the critical acclaim he's garnered, for the first time in his career, Wickham...
Big Daddy Weave Line up Spring Tour
Big Daddy Weave is currently traversing the nation on its "What Life Would Be Like Tour", a continuance of last fall's successful 37-city run in support of the band's 2008 CD of the same name. Celebrating 11 years together with all original members still intact, headliner Big Daddy Weave is...
Ticketmaster and Live Nation Create Merger Concerns
A proposed merger announced Tuesday between top concert promoter Live Nation and the world's dominant ticket seller, Ticketmaster has been creating some strong controversy because of lack of competition in the market. The merger worth about $316 million in stock would create a conglomeration that...
Rockport Launches Spring 2009 Collection
"Where do they take you?" was the question on Rockport's lips as the chic shoe company revealed its Spring 2009 line on October 8 in Toronto. Rockport has perfected advanced shoe technology while offering an assortment of styles and colours that coordinate and fit the rugged terrain of life in...
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams Features To Write Love on Her Arms Tonight
To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide, will be featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight (September 12, 2008). Founder Jamie Tworkowski and Renee Yohe...
The Hands & Feet Project Hit By Hurricane Gustav
The Hands & Feet Project, an orphanage located in Jacmel, Haiti, was started by the Grammy-winning band Audio Adrenaline and has recently suffered severe damage from hurricane Fay, Gustav and Hanna, which buried the children's village in several feet of rock that tumbled down from a nearby...
Audible Diversion Group Removes the Middle Man, Gives Away Free Music
Tim McTague of Underoath, Jay Vilardi of The Almost, and a Tampa Bay area based film maker Ryan Gardner, have just launched Audible Diversion Group, a new audio/visual arts and music company. "I just wanted to start a small audio/video production collective in the beginning. The whole...
Ginny Owens Releases Ephemera Digitally, Tours US
Mississippi singer-songwriter Ginny Owens is releasing her tenth project on September 16, an EP entitled
. The EP is an acoustic offering that brings five new original compositions and several cover songs.
was recorded during Owens' time in her hometown of Jackson,...
Jamie Lidell Prepares Fall Trek
Funk-soul, singer-songwriter Jamie Lidell is hitting the road this fall to promote his new record,
. The UK native is known for layering voice tracks on his records to act as both percussion and melody acting as a sort of one man beatboxing band. The multi-genre artist began his career in...
Tina Turner Releases Best Of Album
Pop-rock songstress Tina Turner is releasing a best of compilation to go along with her upcoming tour. Turner's combination of soul, dance and rock music has made her one of the biggest selling and most influential artists of our time. Throughout the 60's and 70's Turner rose to fame with her...
Family Force 5 Release Dance or Die Next Week, Stop in Canada
Georgia rockers Family Force 5 have finished their sophomore album
Dance or Die
and will be releasing it on August 19. Funky rhythms, club grooves, infectious hooks, and stadium presence, the band describes the album as, "Prince getting down at a Daft Punk concert where Michael Jackson...
Switchfoot Has New Album in the Works
Alt-rockers Switchfoot are beginning work on their new album that they hope to release in spring 2009. In spite of coming together in the late nineties the band really began to make some noise when tunes like "Only Hope", "Learning To Breathe" and "Dare You To Move" ended up on the soundtrack...
Snow Patrol Album out this Fall
Irish alt-rockers Snow Patrol are set to release their latest record this fall. The band came together in 1998 and released
Songs For Polarbears
to minor success. Their third album, 2003's
Final Straw
catapulted the band to success with tunes like "Spitting Games", "Run" and...
Keane is in Perfect Symmetry
UK trio Keane is celebrating the release of their new album with a free download of their first single on the band's official website. The band released their debut album
Hopes and Fears
in 2004 unleashing their brand of piano-rock on the world. Mellow tunes like "Somewhere Only We Know"...
Il Divo Release New Album This Fall
Pop-opera quartet Il Divo is getting set for a new album out this fall. The fearsome foursome was put together by American Idol judge Simon Cowell in December 2003. The international pop band is made up of Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, Tenors - Swiss Urs Buhler, American David Miller and French...
Bob Dylan Releases Rarities
Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is packaging up some odds and ends from the last 20 years and releasing them this fall. One of the most prolific songwriters of our times, Bob Dylan has written some of the world's most popular and critically acclaimed songs. Incorporating political themes,...
Bryan Adams Does Intimate Acoustic Toronto Shows
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams will take a break from his stadium shows across the continent to do a couple of intimate shows in Toronto this fall. Since his start in the early eighties, Bryan Adams has been one of the most popular Canadian artists in the world. Though his debut, self-titled album was...
Ron Sexsmith Embarks on Tour
Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is out on the road promoting his new album
Exit Strategy of the Soul
. Making music since the mid-nineties Ron Sexsmith has been touted as a great songwriter and musician by the likes of Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney. His most recent record
Cake Release Multiple Records, Tour in 2008
Alt-rockers Cake are still working on their upcoming studio release but that doesn't mean that they can't hit the road. The California based band formed in the early nineties and gained a reputation for their mixture of musical genres; everything from funk, ska, pop, jazz and country as well as...
Jordin Sparks Makes a Purity Vow
American Idol winner Jordin Sparks recently made a vow of chastity based on her Christian beliefs. The 18 year old singer wears a purity ring to remind herself of her commitment to preserve her virginity until marriage. Sparks informed Starpulse.com, "I don't want to give away bits of my soul to...
Backstreet Boys Work on Solo Records
Just before the start of the North American leg of their
tour a couple of the Backstreet Boys are working on solo projects. A.J. McLean is nearly finished with his first solo effort, in fact he has already begun touring behind the new material doing a few club dates in Europe and...
Rachel Yamagata Releases Double Album
Singer-songwriter Rachel Yamagata is readying the release of her sophomore double disc. Yamagata's debut album
was released in 2004. Since then her tunes have been featured on soundtracks on TV and in the movies appearing on everything from How I Met You Mother, ER and The O.C....
Liam Finn Stops in Canada
New Zealand singer-songwriter Liam Finn is hitting the road, first with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, then solo. Finn is the son of musician Neil Finn of the bands Split Enz and Crowded House and he is frontman himself, of the band Betchadupa. In the past he's contributed to a couple of...
Ryan Adams to Publish Book
American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has signed a deal with Akashic Books to release a book of poems, though no release date has been confirmed. The alternative country artist has released nine full-length records in his musical career so far, which began back in 1994. His most current album...
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Yamaha Rhino Accessories - 4WD Tech
Accessories Make Our UTV Loaner Even Better
Our long-term loan Yamaha Rhino is proving to be more fun than even we thought it would be. Exploring is easy, fast, and we can fit where our larger 4x4s can't. The Rhino isn't as fast as its competitors are, but its low-speed performance is superior. Crawling in Low range with the front differential locked (the rear is a spool) allows the Rhino to go just about anywhere it fits.
Yamaha offers a number of accessories for the Rhino that we wanted to make our Rhino even better for backcountry exploring. A winch is a must, and the Yamaha/Warn 2500 ATV winch installs easily and even gave us a front receiver as part of the mount, too. A storage box and bag lets us carry equipment relatively dust-free. While the Rhino Sport came with alloy wheels and quality Maxxis tires, we just had to install a set of Interco Swamp Lite ATV tires mounted on a set of their Condor alloy wheels. We've used the Swamp Lites before and can report they work extremely well, not only in sand, mud, rocks, and snow, but on hardpack too. The red Rhino Sport UTV comes with fender flares to cover larger tires, but the silver model doesn't. We installed a set of Yamaha fender flares to keep the mud off of us. It surprised us how often we glanced into the nonexistent rearview mirror when driving the Rhino, so we ordered one from Black Rhino Performance and can now see what's behind us.
We installed a pair of 26x9.00-12 Interco Swamp Lite tires up front and two 26x10.00-12s in the rear. The tires are 1-inch larger than stock diameter to give us better ground clearance. These are strong, six-ply bias tires. By the time you read this, radial Swamp Lites will also be available. We like the bias tires for their strength and the fact they don't have that radial "bounce" when aired down. Interco Condor alloy wheels are light, strong, and look great.
The Rhino's now set up the way we want it. We'll take you along on some exploring trips in upcoming installments.


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Macbeth: A Kid's Cautionary Tale Concerning Greed, Power, Mayhem and Other Current Events
Product Code: MB8000
- Comedy | Drama | Melodrama | Satire
- Middle School | High School | TYA
15+ either gender, expandable to include all.
Digital Script and Livestream Rights AvailableContact our customer service department to order or for more information.
- 45 min.
Min. Royalty Rate: $45/perf
In StockLearn More


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Even at the time, I supported Mary Whitehouse: now, even on the Left, she has been vindicated. She was right, because she was motivated by her faith
She wasn't afraid of being laughed at by the fashionable intelligentsia. Her passion for decency and her hatred of 'filth' were inspired by her love of God


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The big thing for punishing kids these days isn't a thwack to the butt. It's a "time-out," which, if you ask me, is a pretty darn cushy way to spend five minutes.
Which is why I'm always shocked that my daughter treats time-outs like I'd sentenced her to lick the carpets clean. She'll scream and howl and moan, thrashing herself around the couch like I'm trying to murder her, as I sit there, hoping like hell our neighbors don't call the cops on me for murdering (what sounds like) a chicken.
I don't think my kid realizes how cushy she's got it. Because if I got five minutes alone? I'd make the MOST of it.
If I got five minutes alone, well, the world would be my oyster. I could:
Pee alone.
Count the hairs on my legs.
Actually return emails.
Start a pants off, dance off.
Get caught up on my blog reading.
Think about mud-wrestling Cameron Diaz in a vat of baked beans.
Drink a bottle of vodka.
Mentally redecorate my living room.
Watch something besides cartoons.
Call a friend and talk without saying the phrase, "Who hit who?"
Consider the prospect of making something from Pinterest before deciding I'm not creative and I cannot stand homemade crafts.
Wondering which sadist STARTED Pinterest.
Unfriending all my Facebook friends who like to send me FarmVille requests.
Consider sending all my Facebook friends who like FarmVille to a real farm.
Ponder what "raised in a barn" means.
Study the back of my eyelids.
Paint my toenails, which haven't, in fact, been painted since 2001.
Wonder what various celebrities would look like if their heads were backwards.
Ascertain what, exactly, Kim Kardashian is actually famous for.
Learn to speak in text-speak.
See if my picture really is in Wikipedia under the word "Crotch."
What would YOU do if you were in a Mommy Time-Out?


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LEBANON � The Lyman Memorial girls basketball team will be hosting its second annual Bulldog Bash, a preseason jamboree at 10 a.m. today at Lyman Memorial High School.
Teams competing in the jamboree are Lyman, Parish Hill, Westbrook and Litchfield. The Pirates and Bulldogs open up the jamboree at 10 a.m. and each team will play each other once.
The event will be organized by senior four-year player Briana Padewski and will be a fundraiser with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Research.
UConn 3 Cincinnati 2
CINCINNATI � Karson Ratliff had a team-high 16 kills as the Huskies defeated the Bearcats for their fifth win in the first season of the American Athletic Conference.
Immanuella Anagu posted 14 kills, Devon Maugle had 14 digs and 13 kills, Brianna Datti added 21 digs and Marissa Prinzbach had 49 assists and 10 digs for UConn (14-19, 5-13).
Yale 5 UConn 4
HAMDEN � Taylor Marchin�s game-winning power-play goal with 39 seconds left lifted the Bulldogs over the Huskies in the Nutmeg Classic Opener.
Phoebe Staenz, Janelle Ferrara, Stephanie Mock and Krista Yip-Chuck each scored a goal for Yale (3-7-1, 2-3-1 WHEA).
Michela Cava and Kayla Campero each had a goal and two assists and Emily Snodgrass and Susan Cavanagh each scored for UConn (4-9-2, 1-4-1).
Canisius 3 UConn 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. � Shawn Pauly scored the game-tying goal in the second period, but the Golden Griffins scored the game�s final two goals to win.
Matt Grogan made 19 saves for the Huskies (4-5-1).


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Learn about how to get your small business financed with Guidant Financial. Start Today
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Business Overview:
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." -John Quincy Adams.FOR SALE is a regional master license and marketing division for a "white gloves" delivery service business. No, you won't be making deliveries. But you will make overrides on those that do. As the region's master licensee, you'll continue to collect liberal earnings on hundreds of delivery companies and their route activities creating passive income and positive cashflow. This division is run rent-free, employee-free, and location-independent and can be worked absentee or as a fully active owner/partner.Envision receiving a revenue share on every person scheduling an UBER ride in your city, county or state. iDealFurniture, the fastest growing network of owner-operators in the furniture and logistics business, has partnered with the creator of UBER dispatch technology to make such a revenue-sharing program a reality … in the delivery business.The parent company will continue to handle all points of contact, sales, support, and ongoing training allowing you the flexibility of developing owner/operator leads on your own time and from any location. Owner/operators make six-figure incomes with routes developed by corporate.Six-figure streams of income come from:1) Earnings on licenses sold in your state (30% for self-developed leads, 20% for iDealFurniture-generated)2) Operating your own delivery route (optional, license is included in the asking price)3) Account upgrade sales (20%)4) Delivery route activities (% negotiated with IdealFurniture)5) Parent company stock earnings (also negotiable)NOTE: The numbers in this ad are 2019 projections. The new owner would double this division's cashflow by developing leads across the region and nation and passing them along to corporate.Let's chat!David
To request more information regarding this listing, simply check the ADD TO REQUEST INFO BASKET button and when you are done searching and have made all your selections, simply click on the REQUEST INFO button at the bottom of the page.
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Uber-like white glove delivery dispatch technology provides today's entrepreneur a vehicle to add to or replace a full-time income by utilizing simple, proven, & successful business models from any remote location.
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|SMAC Headquarters
SMAC Corporation was founded in 1990 in Carlsbad, California, USA and has now grown to become a world leader in moving coil technology and is now the largest manufacturer of moving coil actuators in the world.
We are committed to delivering optimal solutions at competitive prices for industrial motion applications.
SMAC manufactures a wide range of precision programmable electric actuators based on its patented moving coil technology. These proprietary and patented moving coil linear motor based designs are technically far ahead of old generation pneumatic and other electric actuators, including moving magnet linear motors. Our technological edge, combined with continuous cost-down/quality-up process and its worldwide sales basis makes SMAC the most dynamic electric actuator manufacturer in the world today.
SMAC electric actuators are unique in that force, position, and speed are totally programmable. They are designed to perform at exceptionally high speeds or very low speeds and with sub-micron accuracy and validatable repeatability with as precise as 1 ms response time. This makes them ideal for a wide range of positioning, measuring, inspection, and pick and place applications, particularly where 100% verification is required.
SMAC manufactures in Carlsbad, California and has sales and technical support branches around the corner and around the world. SMAC employs approximately 200 people, with over 30% of our employees being qualified engineers. SMAC is ran by engineers, for engineers.
Contact us for more information on SMAC electric actuators.
"Prior to involving SMAC in our project we had a semi-automatic way of performing a calibration test on our devices. There were areas where we did not want much or any manual involvement and Rick was able to provide that solution for us. Our yields were poor, they ranged from the low to mid 70's but after we implemented one of the SMAC actuator's our yield improved and is currently at 100%, not to mention we removed some of the manual process that was involved prior to implementing the SMAC actuator."
- Edgar Castro, Avigilon


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trail mix recipe using bugels to look like baby cornocopias. I banged my head against the wall because I want to be this clever. I died again, but God sent me back because heavens not quite ready for me. I don't know what He meant by that, but...thank goodness I'm here to share these cute little projects I found on the net.
I changed my recipe up a bit, but you get the basic idea-bugels=super cute and Thanksgiving-eee!
I stuffed, and got over it.
I love you. Let's get married.
I think these would make some really cute placecards, write a name across 'em and set them by each place. I'm not doing this, only because I couldn't want until Thanksgiving to do this, and the trail mix is now just a piece of history, but *you* could.


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Server management start-up Cassatt continues to build out its product portfolio at pace, moving this week into the virtual operating system arena. Cassatt has started shipping a package that can install and control virtual OSes from the likes of VMware, XenSource and Microsoft.
The XVM - or cross-virtualization manager - serves as the latest extension to Cassatt's core Collage server management system. In virtualization speak, Collage creates the fabled "pool of processors" that can fire up, move and power down applications automatically. The XVM package performs similar functions but does so for individual virtual machines.
XVM is Cassatt's second add-on package, following the release last month of the the Web Automation Module for handling J2EE application servers and Java-based apps.
The whole virtualizaton market makes us nervous as companies rarely come close to delivering on what they promise. Most server virtualization start-ups disappear before selling a single working package.
Cassatt, however, seems pretty close to being the real deal. Last week, we checked out Collage, WAM and XVM in action at the company's San Jose headquarters. In impressive fashion, the products recovered from server failures to reinstall software on new systems. In addition, Collage and friends managed to balance applications across all the hardware, placing high priority software on higher-end gear and working in tandem with Oracle RAC, for example, to keep running when a cluster node drops.
Beyond that, Cassatt gives you a picture of all the OSes, application servers, applications and virtual machines you have running in a data center. It can also deliver reports on what software packages are used across the data center and when they're launched or accessed. This seems like a pretty solid tool for getting a handle on your software licensing situation.
The XVM product fits right into this agenda and offers customers something you won't find from the virtual OS guys themselves, which is the ability to run and manage different virtual server products from one spot.
VMware, for example, has the most complete virtual server lineup today with its core GSX and ESX Server products and then complementing management packages. All of the products, however, are clearly tuned for a VMware-only shop, running Windows and Linux servers.
Meanwhile, neither Microsoft nor XenSource offer much in the way of management packages at all and are again geared only for their core products.
With XVM, you'll be able to install, move and delete virtual machines created by all these vendors. In addition, Collage will handle failures of both physical and virtual servers automatically and start up new systems as needed, which is something few of the virtual server vendors can match right now.
"Just as data centers aren't all just Linux, Unix or Windows, they won't all be just VMware, Microsoft and Xen," said Rich Green, a former Sun Microsystems exec and now EVP at Cassatt. "We have focused on solving the management and diversity problems for this virtual world."
Like a BEA or Veritas before it, Cassatt pitches itself as a type of neutral party in the data center. It will support Linux, Windows and Solaris boxes and as many additional packages as possible. In addition, it doesn't want to unseat VMware or XenSource but rather help them out.
This pitch sounds fine and seems to be backed up by Cassatt's products. We, however, continue to have concerns about the poor customers out there who have to buy yet another management package and add more software costs to their data centers.
Cassatt tells us that it can boost server utilization, which should lower software licensing costs for things such as BEA and WebSphere in the long run. But to get to that point, you'll have to listen to pitches from the likes of IBM, Sun, HP, Symantec, EMC, Microsoft and others and then try and decide just how well Cassatt fits into all this.
About a dozen companies so far - a couple of them very large - have bought into the Cassatt concept. And, in fact, we'll be detailing Cassatt's strategy more on Friday in an interview with the company's CEO and BEA co-founder Bill Coleman where he'll discuss what types of companies have picked up the code.
In the meantime, you can find the new XVM product here. You might be underwhelmed to discover that it only works with VMware for the moment. Xen support will come in June, and Microsoft Virtual Server support will follow in the second half of the year. The XVM product costs $1,250 per server, regardless of the number of processors. ®


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Widow(redirected from widowed)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
A woman whose husband has died. In many countries, widows are eligible for certain state benefits. Widows generally receive at least a portion of their husband's pension or other retirement plan. Likewise, a man whose wife has died is called a widower.
A woman who has not remarried following the death of her husband.


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The world depends on mariners. Mariners depend on SCI. And we depend on you.
Photos taken at SCI's Center for Maritime Education in Houston, TX as well as around the Port of Houston, February 2013.
Photos by David Rider, President & Executive Director.
SCI's Center for Maritime Education provides career development opportunities for mariners through cutting-edge training.