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Year after year it gets harder for mutual funds to beat the index. It seems like the top stock pickers hit high marks one year then fade to mediocrity the next. With the high fees associated with mutual fund management, and some of the largest funds consistently underperforming the market, you have to question whether mutual fund managers can really pick stocks. For those who invest in mutual funds, it's a very good question: If, over time, mutual fund managers can successfully pick stocks then the price of active management is worthwhile—and if not, are index funds the best bet? (See also: Efficient Market Hypothesis: Is the Stock Market Efficient?)
Picking Stocks in an Efficient Market
For anyone who has taken Finance 101, you may recall the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). Eugene Fama from the University of Chicago presented his argument in the early 1960s that the financial markets are or can be very efficient. The concept implies that market participants are sophisticated, informed and act only on available information. Since everyone has the same access to that information, all securities are appropriately priced at any given time. This theory does not necessarily negate the concept of stock picking, but it does call into question the viability of consistent abilities to outperform the market by exploiting information that may not be fully reflected in the price of a security.
For example, if a portfolio manager purchases a security, he or she believes that it is worth more than the price paid now or in the future. In order to purchase that security with a finite amount of money, the portfolio manager will also need to sell a security that he or she believes is worth less now or in the future, again exploiting information that has not been reflected in the price of the stock. The concept of an efficient market was expanded upon in a book that is now a staple for those who study finance: "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" by Burton Malkiel.
It is taught that the EMH comes in three distinct forms: weak, semi-strong and strong. Weak theory implies that current prices are based accurately on historical prices; semi-strong implies that current prices are an accurate reflection of financial data available to investors; and strong form is the most robust form, implying that all information has basically been included in the price of a security. If you follow the first form, you are more likely to believe that technical analysis is of little or no use; the second form implies that you can toss your fundamental security evaluation techniques away; if you subscribe to the strong form, you may as well keep your money under your mattress.
Markets in Reality
While it is important to study the theories of efficiency and review the empirical studies that lend creditability, in reality, markets are full of inefficiencies. One reason for the inefficiencies is the fact that every investor has a unique investment style and ways of evaluating an investment. One may use technical strategies while others rely on fundamentals, and still others may resort to using a dartboard. There are also many other factors that influence the price of investments, from emotional attachment, rumors, the price of the security, and good old supply and demand. Part of the reason Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was implemented was to move the markets to greater levels of efficiency because the access to information for certain parties was not being fairly disseminated. It's hard to say how effective this was, but at least it made people aware and accountable.
While EMH does imply that there are few opportunities to exploit information, it does not rule out the theory that managers can beat the market by taking some extra risk. Most contemporary stock pickers fall in the middle of the road; although they believe that most investors have the same access to information, the interpretation and implementation of that data are where a stock picker can add some value.
Stock Pickers
The process of stock picking is based on the strategy an analyst uses to determine what stocks to buy or sell and when to buy or sell. Peter Lynch was one of the most famed stock pickers who employed a successful strategy for many years while at Fidelity. While many believe he was a very smart fund manager and topped his peers based on his decisions, the times were also good for stock markets, and he had a little luck on his side. While Lynch was primarily a growth-style manager, he also used some value techniques blended into his strategy. This is the beauty of stock picking: No two stock pickers are alike. While the main varieties are in the growth arenas, the variations and combinations are endless and unless they have a strategy that is absolutely written in stone, their criteria and models can change over time.
Does Stock Picking Work?
The best way to answer that question is to evaluate how portfolios managed by stock pickers have performed, and open the debate of active vs. passive management. Depending on what periods you focus on, the S&P 500 typically ranks above the median in the actively managed universe. This means that usually at least half of the active managers fail to beat the market. If you stop right there, it's very easy to conclude that managers cannot pick stocks effectively enough to make the process worthwhile. If that's case, all investments should be placed inside an index fund.
Taking out management fees, transaction costs to trade and the need to hold a cash weighting for day-to-day operations, it's easy to see how the average manager underperformed the general index because of those restrictions. The odds were just stacked against them. When all other costs are removed, the race is much closer. In hindsight, it would be easy to have suggested investing solely in index funds, but the allure of those high-flying funds are too hard to resist for most investors. Quarter after quarter, money flowed from lower-performing funds to the hottest fund from the previous quarter, only to chase the next hottest fund.
The Bottom Line
The success of stock picking has been hotly debated, and depending on whom you ask, you will get various opinions. There are plenty of academic studies and empirical evidence suggesting that it is difficult to successfully pick stocks to outperform the markets over time. There is also evidence to suggest that passive investing in index funds can beat over half of active managers in many years. The problem with proving successful stock picking abilities is that individual picks become components of total return in any mutual fund. In addition to a manager's best picks, in order to be fully invested, the stock pickers will undoubtedly end up with stocks that he or she may not have picked or needs to own to stay in the popular trends. For the most part, it is human nature to believe that there are at least some inefficiencies in the markets and every year some managers successfully pick stocks and beat the markets. However, few of them do this consistently over time.


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Big Stone County in western Minnesota has been officially designated a "food desert" by the USDA because residents on average have to travel several miles to get to a grocery store. That designation is ironic, given that the area is home to rich farmland and numerous agricultural operations. However, much of that farming infrastructure is used to produce corn, soybeans and other commodities that are shipped out of the region.
In fact, the micro-climate produced by Big Stone Lake once provided ample protection for numerous apple orchards in the county. In addition, cannery crops like sweet corn and peas were a major presence here years ago.
Since 2009 the Land Stewardship Project has been working with area producers, community members and representatives of local government who feel the production and consumption of local food could be a cornerstone of a thriving Main Street. As part of this effort, in April 2011 LSP began leasing an old restaurant space in the community of Clinton and started hosting discussions on how the "Clinton Kitchen" could serve as a hub for sustainable economic development in the Big Stone Lake region, which covers parts of western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota.
LSP and local residents are looking at using the Clinton Kitchen as a location for doing everything from cooking and processing local food to serving community meals that are healthy and sourced from area farmers.
LSP staff, members and others in the community have assisted in the rejuvenation of Ortonville's all-volunteer-run Granary Food Co-op, now in its third decade of operation. Beginning with a face-lift on the interior of the store in early 2011, re-formation of a board of directors later that spring, and an on-going diversification and expansion of the product line that includes the area's best selection of fresh, local produce, meats, eggs, grains and honey, the Granary Co-op is a great success story of local foods as a tool for community engagement and economic improvement. The store increased its gross sales by 50 percent from 2010 to 2011, and is on track to match that progress again in 2012. Currently, the Co-op, with help from LSP staff, is working with CDS Consulting to improve management and operations systems to ensure sustainability in its growth.
As part of LSP's work in the Big Stone area, we are sponsoring public events and workshops on everything from transporting food from field to fork to how to prepare and store whole foods.

subset: commoncrawl


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SAN DIEGO (AP) Micheal Spurlock returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and San Diego beat the Oakland Raiders 24-21 on a wet, gloomy Sunday in what's expected to be Norv Turner's final game as Chargers coach.
Turner and general manager A.J. Smith are expected to be fired because the Chargers (7-9) missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Raiders finished 4-12.
If Turner does get fired, he'll finish 56-40 in six seasons with San Diego, but just 24-24 the past three seasons.
Spurlock became the first Chargers player to have a kickoff and punt return for touchdowns in consecutive weeks. He returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown a week earlier in a victory against the New York Jets.
San Diego linebacker Takeo Spikes and Oakland running back Mike Goodson were ejected following a skirmish in the second quarter.
Online:http://pro32.ap.org/poll andhttp://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with leukemia and could miss at least Sunday's game against Green Bay.
The Colts announced the news Monday at a news conference with owner Jim Irsay, general manager Ryan Grigson and a doctor. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will serve as interim head coach.
The 51-year-old Pagano is in his first season with the Colts (1-2). He was hired in January after serving as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator.
Pagano has acute myeloid leukemia, where the bone marrow is producing abnormal white blood cells that interfere with healthy blood cells. Symptoms can include weakness, weight loss and easy bruising or bleeding. Treatments can include chemotherapy, drugs and radiation therapy.
Pagano was hospitalized last Wednesday evening; the team had a bye this weekend.
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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base pressures computed for the stability analysis. The stilling well shaft was considered as being subjected to a horizontal saturated-earth-fill load and a thrust at the walls of the gate chamber. The fill behind the stilling well wing walls was considered saturated to the top of the walls, elevation 2709.0. A saturated fill and a horizontal equivalent fluid load was considered acting at the heel of the wall. The toe and front face of the wall was considered unloaded. The walls of the gate chamber from elevation 2678.92 to elevation 2708. 17 were considered loaded with horizontal earth pressure equal to one-half of the vertical load for the elevation considered. For settlement conditions in fill or structure, a horizontal load equal to three-fourths of the vertical load was investigated.
For design of the control house roof and floors at elevations 2695.67 and 2708. 17, the following loadings were used:
Concentrated Uniform live plus dead
The gate frame and conduit liner encasement were designed for a hydrostatic head for a maximum reservoir water surface elevation of 2785. 0.
32. High-Pressure Gates. - Two 4- by 4-foot high-pressure gates are installed in the canal outlet works, one in an emergency gate chamber and the other in a regulating gate chamber in the gate control house. The gate in the emergency gate chamber is for emergency use only and is provided with a semiautomatic gate hanger for holding the gate in the wide open position. The gate in the control house is for regulating the flow of water through the outlet works and is provided with a hydraulic gate hanger for holding the gate at any required opening. Gate installations are shown on figure 23. With the gates 100 percent open, the reservoir water surface at elevation 2720.0, and the canal water surface at elevation 2705, the canal outlet works has a capacity of 300 second-feet.
Air inlet connections, connected to vent pipes, are provided on the downstream frames of both gates. There are two flanged bypass openings on the left side of the horizontal centerline of both upstream and downstream frames of the emergency gate. An 8-inch pipe with control valve provides a connection between these openings and is used for filling the outlet conduit when the emergency gate is closed and prior to opening of the emergency gate.
Each gate is operated by a hydraulic cylinder hoist, having a capacity of 85,000 pounds with the oil pressure in the oil cylinder at 750 pounds per square inch. The design of these canal outlet gates and hoists is the same as discussed for the river outlet gates and hoists in section 24.
33. Miscellaneous Equipment. - Two identical pump units are provided for lifting water from a sump, located at the downstream end of the conduit and under the control gate chamber, and discharge it through piping into the outlet canal. The sump collects seepage and/or drain water from the conduit, the stilling well and control gate chamber floor. Each pump unit consists of a vertical-shaft, turbine-type pump, directly connected to a vertical-shaft, 5-horsepower electric motor. Each pump is designed for a discharge of 200 gallons per minute against a pumping head of 46 feet. The pumps are supported from the floor of the control house at elevation 2708. 17 and discharge water at elevation 2706.0 into the outlet canal. The discharge piping is provided with check valves which prevent backflow through the piping from tailwater in the canal and also prevent backflow through one pump while the other pump is running.
The control for each motor permits either manual or automatic operation through a float-controlled switch and alternator arrangement. Under automatic control, one pump starts and stops at sump water elevations 2667.0 and 2665.0, respectively, and the other pump starts and stops at sump water elevations 2668.5 and 2666.0, respectively. By means of the alternator the pump starting sequence is transposed at the beginning of each successive pumping cycle.
An oil hydraulic system is provided for the control of high-pressure gates of the river outlets and canal outlet works. The system consists of an oil pump, electric motor, supply tank, 4-way valve (one for each gate), and piping. The oil piping is connected to the hydraulic gate hanger of the regulating gate in such a manner that the hanger releases the gate before oil is passed into the hoist cylinder, to raise or lower the gate.
A ventilation system is provided for the canal outlet works. This system consists of an air inlet, a fan unit, a duct from the fan to the emergency gate chamber, an air discharge head in the control gate chamber, and a starting switch for the fan motor. The fan unit draws air through an inlet in the roof of the control house and discharges it through a duct and discharge head into the gate chamber. The air from the gate chamber flows through the conduit and to the outside through a louver in the control house door. The fan has a capacity of 230 cubic feet per minute against 2 inches of static water pres– sure. The fan is started and stopped manually by a switch mounted in the control house.
E. Railroad Structures
34. Railroad Structures. - (a) Bridges and Culverts.-- Bridges were designed in accordance with the AREAT"Specifications for Steel Railway Bridges" and "Specifications for Concrete and Reinforced Concrete Railroad Bridges." Concrete piles were designed for loads of 36 tons, steel piles for 50 tons, and timber piles for 27 tons. Culverts were designed in accordance with standards of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Co., employing rigid-frame design principles. Both the bridges and the culverts were designed for an E72 loading. Loadings were based on the "American Railway Engineering Manual," 1948 edition. Allowable steel and concrete stresses are given in appendix F. In the design, the weight of embankment was taken as 105 pounds per cubic foot.
(b) Roadbed.--To accommodate the weathering characteristics of the loess used in roadbed construction, the steepest embankment slope for normal conditions was established as 1-3/4 to 1. Subgrade was plowed or scarified, soaked by sprinkling if necessary, and compacted by a tamping roller. To stabilize the subgrade surface, a 6-inch layer of fine material from quarry waste was placed and rolled.
35. Government Organization. - The construction engineer's staff for Trenton Dam was generally similar to that used on most Bureau projects. During the relocation and dam construction work, dual organizations for field engineering, office engineering, inspection and surveying were set up. The staff of the two organizations were interchanged as the work loads required. An organization diagram is shown on figure 24.
construction Engineer
office Engine ER FIELD ENGINEER L FIELD Engine ER ADMINISTRATIVE Assistant SAFETY ENGINEER RELocations DAM RELocations and dam RELocations and dAM office office chief Tcher chief chief ProPerry supply engineer Engineer inspector surveys inspector surveys stenographic RELocations Daw. Maintenance:
(a) Laboratory.-- A laboratory was provided and staffed with personnel for performing the required tests and inspections. These included tests on concrete materials and placements, inspection at mixing plants, and tests of earth materials during excavation and embankment placement. Laboratory forces supervised and assisted in installation of technical apparatus on the dam embankment. Settlement and piezometer readings were taken by the laboratory personnel during dam construction.
(b) Surveying. -- Survey parties started working in the Trenton Dam area during October 1947. A tentative dam axis was established soon afterwards for use in locating test drill holes. Topography for the general area was prepared on planetable sheets with a horizontal scale of 1 inch equals 100 feet and a contour interval of 5 feet. In the spring of 1949, the dam axis was established at a true bearing of N2900'00"W. Permanent monuments consisting of brass caps set in concrete were placed in the ground so that approximately 4 inches protruded above ground. The station, offset from centerline or coordinate, and the elevation were stamped on the brass cap of each monument. Those permanent monuments were guarded with three fence posts to keep traffic away from the immediate area.
Horizontal control for the dam was established from the dam axis. Brass cap
monuments were set at stations 7+72. 77, 20+00, 81+00, 90+00 and 92+00. All horizontal controls for the dam, structures, and borrow areas were established from these five
monuments. Permanent monuments were set every 500 feet, both 800 feet upstream and 800 feet downstream from the dam axis. As the work progressed, the permanent monuments were augmented by numerous temporary monuments which usually consisted either of 2- by 2-inch oak stakes or 3/4-inch round reinforcement bars driven flush with the ground surface. The temporary monuments were guarded with flags and guard stakes. Elevation and coordinate information was written on one of the guard stakes.
Vertical control for all work on Trenton Dam was taken from permanent U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey benchmarks located along the old Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad right-of-way. From these benchmarks, vertical control circuits were extended to all permanent monuments in the dam and borrow areas.
The dam area was slope staked for stripping operations. After stripping, fill stakes were set for the downstream limits of the dam embankment and the upstream and downstream limits of the pervious zone. Detail cross sections were taken of the entire dam area after completion of stripping operations, to be used for determining excavated quantities. As the dam embankment progressed, the upstream and downstream slopes were maintained to line and grade by setting either slope or grade stakes. It was necessary to set these stakes for approximately every 5- or 10-foot vertical increment of embankment placed.
Control for line and grade of the spillway was maintained by four permanent monuments set outside of the working area. Two of these monuments were set on the centerline of the dam and the other two were set at right angles to the centerline of the dam and on the centerline of the spillway. From these monuments other monuments were set as the need arose.
Drift pins were driven into shale as control points for excavating for tile drains and cutoff trenches in the spillway chute. The forms for the floor cutoffs were also built and checked from drift pins. The upper portion of the spillway floor slabs was completed before much work was done in the gate structure area. This was advantageous in setting up control for the gate structure area. A number of offset lines were set in the spillway floor by using lead plugs and tacks. Control lines were established on the centerline of each spillway pier on offsets from construction joints, and on the centerline of the spillway. These controls were used for building and checking of forms. After outside forms of a placement were completed, line and grade work for all interior formwork, blockouts, curved sections, etc., was established.
Control for line and grade of the canal outlet works was similar to that used on the spillway structure. A set of lead plugs set on the centerline were used for control in placing the upstream section of conduit, which was placed into position as a unit. 36. Safety. - The Government employed a full-time safety inspector for Trenton Dam. The safety program for the contractors was conducted by their supervisory personnel. Monthly safety meetings were conducted during the construction program. A perfect safety record was achieved on the project by several contractors who completed their contract work without accident. These contractors with their work are listed below: (1) American Bridge Company--Erection of high railroad bridge superstructure. (2) Nichols Construction Company--Relocation of county road. (3) Asbell Brothers--Reservoir clearing. Government vehicles were operated throughout the entire job without accident.
The following is the safety record for the entire job, requiring approximately 3,000, 000 man-hours:
Number of lost-time accidents, including
Total lost-time, man-days 18, 544


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I don't know what other people don't know. I can't cite empirical data regarding the knowledge or ignorance of a potential audience. Viewers coming into Jacob Kornbluth's documentary Inequality for All will find Robert Reich's explanation of wealth disparity an eye-opening experience or a remedial course with nice visual aids. The film is transparently an advocacy documentary, and it won't change the minds of viewers who are convinced that Reich is a communist or a socialist (also because people who level those charges usually don't know the definition of a communist or socialist). Kornbluth finds an affable lead figure in the diminutive Reich, but his well-spoken lesson only leads to facile solutions.
Based on Reich's book Aftershock, Inequality for All brings us into the Berkeley professor's classroom where he lays out his lecture: What is wealth disparity, why is it happening, and is it good or bad? Kornbluth occasionally cuts into the lecture with personal stories from Reich about his youth, why he got into politics, his work as Labor Secretary in the Clinton administration, and his passion for the issue of income inequality. The director and Reich work together to make their lesson entertaining, informative, and—believing they've done their job correctly—a call to action.
Inequality for All is a very well-made film. Kornbluth does a fantastic job with clean, vector graphic visual aids that go along with Reich's arguably dry explanation of changing percentages as they relate to American wealth over the course of the 20th century. Even for those who understand the larger points presented in the film, these breakdowns provide compelling facts in a clear, concise fashion. Some audience members may already know "The Virtuous Cycle" of how helping the middle class ultimately helps the economy, but Kornbluth deserves credit for effectively illustrating Reich's explanation.
Putting Reich front-and-center is also a smart move. It's not simply that Reich is smart; he's also endearing. In An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore has to prove he has a personality, and even then he's throwing a dull slideshow at us. Reich has always had a big sense of humor about his small stature, and he's just as comfortable providing an editorial on a serious news programs like NPR's Marketplace as he is doing a buddy-cop sketch on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Reich has credibility and charisma, and it almost feels like a bit of a waste to see him simply go through the basics of his topic rather than expand into its intricacies and nuances.
It's important that we all have a basic knowledge of wealth inequality, but Inequality for All never pushes beyond its intro-level course. Audiences seeking to explore more complicated questions will be left wanting. Granted, the whole purpose of Kornbluth's direction is to make the issue as easy to understand as possible, and if the movie had a "sequel", I would like to see the director tackle more difficult issues like explaining how speculation and other convoluted financial instruments manipulate our economy. When people don't understand how speculation can artificially increase the price of oil, the tutelage of a film like Inequality for All could be invaluable.
Kornbluth has created an effective teaching tool, but as an advocacy documentary, Inequality for All comes to obvious conclusions and tired recommendations. I can't measure what a theoretical audience will know going into the movie, but I have to believe that most people know how much power lobbyists have in Washington. Anyone who would want to see a documentary featuring Robert Reich is probably aware of the Citizens United ruling. Inequality for All also falls into the same trap as many other advocacy docs: 95% devoted to explaining the problem, 5% to proposing solutions to the problem, and please visit the official website for more.
At the outset of Reich's lecture, he promises to challenge preconceived notions of wealth inequality that expand beyond liberals and conservatives. Conservatives will never warm to this movie, and liberals already agree with its premise, so it's not even-handed to simply point to the understandable anger coming from both the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street. More importantly, when it comes to preconceived notions, it's a presumption on the part of the filmmakers that the incoming audience is ignorant about the issue. If that's the case, Inequality for All, it a rich 88 minutes of well-presented information. For those already familiar with the issue and would like some more insight, there's simply not enough.
Rating: C+
Click here for all our Sundance 2013 coverage. Click on the corresponding links for my previous reviews:
- Before Midnight
- Computer Chess
- Don Jon's Addiction
- The Gatekeepers
- The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
- Kill Your Darlings
- The Lifeguard
- The Look of Love
- Mud
- The Spectacular Now
- This Is Martin Bonner
- Twenty Feet from Stardom
- Who Is Dayani Cristal?


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Over the past several days, it's been reported that North Carolina State and USF are interested in former Penn State quarterback Steven Bench.
If that option were to fall through for either school, though, it appears one or the other could be in line for another transfer player at the same position.
Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell, Joe Schad of ESPN.com reports, is considering the Wolfpack and Bulls as potential destinations to continue his collegiate playing career. Schad added that UAB — whose head coach is former Razorbacks assistant Garrick McGee — Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State are also under consideration.
UA announced earlier this week that Mitchell was one of four Razorbacks granted releases from their scholarships. Mitchell had been competing with Brandon Allen for the Hogs' starting job throughout the spring, but Allen was named the starter exiting the 15 practice sessions.
The Amite, Louisiana, product will graduate from Arkansas soon and be eligible to play at the FBS level in 2013. A three-star member of the Razorbacks' 2009 recruiting class, Mitchell served as Tyler Wilson's backup in 2011 before moving to wide receiver last season.
Mitchell and Bench would be the second and third transfer quarterbacks USF has pursued this offseason. Earlier this month, the Bulls officially lost out to West Virginia in their pursuit of ex-Florida State signal caller Clint Trickett.


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Golden Terracotta Necklace Set
Rs. 730.00
Item Specification
- Type: Party Wear/ Casual Wear
- Material: Burned Clay called Terracotta beautifully hand-painted with vibrant colours
- Packaging: One necklace, One pair of earrings,
Item Description
These Traditional Golden Terracotta Necklace Set is handcrafted by traditional terracotta artisans with love, passion and care. Material used is organic clay from river bed burned in fire and hand painted using many vibrant organic colors. Uniquely designed, elegant, trendy, fashionable handcrafted gift suited for any occasion like birthday, anniversary, mother's day, valentine's day, holi, diwali, christmas, new year etc. Looks great with hand loom sarees.
Disclaimer:There may be a slight color variation in the image from original product due to photography lighting, computer configurations etc.


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Civilization in the distance
The pristine cruising grounds in British Columbia's Haida Gwaii Islands are a step back in time
Passing Cloud sliced cleanly through the calm passages between islands and outcroppings with SGang Gwaay near the small town of Ninstints on Anthony Island, our first Haida village and a World Heritage site, identified as our first of many shore excursions. As only 12 people are allowed ashore at one time at any of the Haida villages, Matt had radioed ahead on the VHF to the Haida Watchman at SGang Gwaay to let them know we were on our way. I think we had a bit of an "in" as James, the Haida Watchman traveling with us, had spent the past 13 summers there, caring for and showing visitors the site.
This was our first taste of getting around the islands and the routine became a twice daily ritual. At first it was a real mission but as the week went on, it became the norm. The drill went like this: First, we layered our clothes, long underwear, water-resistant pants, sweaters, topping everything with full rain gear; then find your boots that are stowed on deck, haul them on over thick socks, making sure your pants are carefully tucked in; lastly, we donned life preservers, all labeled with names of animals and creatures of Gwaii Haanas, ensuring that we didn't have to fiddle with them each time to get the right fit. Mine was Eagle. By this time, the dinghy was alongside the boarding ladder and we carefully climbed down to the bouncing craft for the trip to shore.
With no docks or ramps, the only way ashore is by wading through often knee-deep water. Sliding over the side of the dinghy into gently lapping water that covered slippery rocks, I was happy to accept an extended hand to steady me as I waded ashore into a fairy wonderland. And I was very grateful for the waterproof boots provided on board.
Just above the high-tide mark, the ancient forest soared above us. Ken, one of the SGang Gwaay Watchmen met us and led the way along the wooden boardwalk that meandered through the trees and dense vegetation, the stillness heavy around us. Thick mosses carpeted the forest floor and tiny mushrooms and minute flowers hid in plain sight.
At the ancient village site, considered sacred among the Northwest Coast First Nation people, we were astounded by the number of fallen and upright poles, house pits and standing and fallen posts and beams from the 20 longhouses that had occupied the site.
Once again, the silence filled in, but this time it brought a sense of reverence, as we considered the lives of the people who used to occupy the village. In the mid-1800s, the Haida population was decimated, reduced to less than 600 by European diseases introduced by loggers and miners. The Haida people, with no defenses against these scourges, believe that the remains of many ancestors who died during this time are here in the village and that their spirits remain here as well.
Back on Passing Cloud, with the weather and sea conditions looking good, skipper Matt made the decision to go on the outside, west of the archipelago and south to round Cape St. James, the most southerly point of Gwaii Haanas. This is not a common occurrence, as the seas and weather on the west coast are notorious for their ferocity, and considered one of the most dangerous stretches of Canadian waters. But this day we were blessed with sunshine and a moderate breeze.
Up went the sails, and the boat came alive. On a beam reach, we raced south and with great joy and I took the wheel. The crew trimmed and for the next couple of hours, we watched islands slip behind us. There was great excitement as we sailed amidst a cloud of tufted puffins that roost on these islands. For birdwatchers, Gwaii Haanas is paradise. Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, murrelets, shearwaters, cormorants and oyster catchers are just a few of the more than 260 bird species found in the islands.


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Missouri Softball Player and 12 Year Old Share Special Bond
COLUMBIA - Emily Crane and Camryn Schaller share similar personalities.
"They're both just very outgoing and goofy, always looking to have a good time," Kari Schaller said.
"It's tough to take Emily serious sometimes because she always joking around, but it definitely helps our team stay loose," Head Coach Ehren Earleywine said.
However, that outgoing personality took a hit March 28th. Emily sprained her MCL going after a fly ball, and immediately she knew something was wrong.
"It was something you never want to happen to you, and I didn't think it was that serious until the doctor told me what was up," Crane said.
Sidelined 2-3 weeks didn't sit too well with the sophomore outfielder, but a day later she met Camryn, who gave her a little surprise.
"They're all lined up and high-fived us and she walks up to me and gives me a TY beannie baby, a tiger and a card that says I hope you get better, can't wait to see you out on the field, love Camryn and my friend Tara, it was such a cute little card and so that whole game, I held the tiger, his name is Oasis, and I was trying to make sure, I wanted her to know I appreciated it and not just showboating, but I wanted her to know I really cared about it, so I was like I'm gonna sit this tiger by me the whole and it did really mean a lot," Crane said.
However, a day later, Crane learned Camry broke her arm in a softball game, which would force her to miss the rest of softball season, and of course Crane wanted to help out her biggest fan by going beyond the call of duty.
The next day, Crane and a number of teammates made a surprise visit to Camryn in the hospital, making Camryn feel like she was in a fantasy.
"I thought I was asleep at first because of the medicine I was on, and I didn't think they were there, I was really surprised," Camryn said.
It was a moment that brought Camryn to a smile and a trip down memory lane for Crane.
"And I just told her, these girls look up to you guys and I just thought that was awesome that they could do that for them and what great role models they are for the girls" Kari Schaller said.
"Growing up, you're that kid who looks up to everybody, and I told myself I always wanted to be like those people. I'm just really happy to see the way that my little tiger helped me through my surgery is keeping a smile on her face because I mean it's tough being a kid and you want to play, I mean I want to play but it's different because they think it's the end of the world, and I'm just happy that I could help in some way," Crane said.
"An incident like that can go such a long way with a young kid, it can touch them for the rest of their life, and I'm proud of her for doing it," Earleywine said.
"Makes me feel like I'm an important part of her life, like I'm really special to the team and stuff," Camryn said.
Crane will return to the playing field in the next week or two with her biggest fan, Camryn cheering from the stands.


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Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride
As I was reading Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride, I suddenly remembered that some British films are released into the North American market with subtitles. It's not just the accents and the slang. It's all the cultural references that most people living outside Britain probably wouldn't understand. Some of Ken Loach's films have suffered the subtitle fate which inevitably consigns each film into the very limited art house circuit. It's somewhat annoying. Apparently, we Brits don't need any help with American accents and slang. It's that old cultural imperialism assumption that British peasants have seen and heard enough American television shows and films that we can instantly translate everything into our own version of English. . . Anyway, as I was reading this book I was happily smiling at how impenetrable the language would probably be to our trans-Atlantic cousins. Or, even if they could guess what it was supposed to mean, they would miss the essential humour in seeing dialogue like this written down. I've met people who talk like this and it's genuinely refreshing to see a fairly credible version of it presented for general consumption. Too often we find ourselves in some posh world where people still talk as if stuck in a 1950s or 60s timewarp when everyone wanted to write another of those Golden Age detective novels that hadn't quite gone out of style. Dark Blood is not some police procedural or routine detective fiction. This is the people of Scotland in the raw with a tough, no-nonsense approach to their lives and work. I was completely mesmerised.
So let's cut to the chase with the set-up. Dark Blood is the sixth book to feature Logan McRae in the Cold Granite series set in Aberdeen which, as everyone who lives north of the border knows, is nicknamed the Granite City. As if the city didn't have enough local criminals to worry about, it's now the holiday destination of Richard Knox, a sex offender of epic proportions who abducts and rapes old men, now released into the community after serving his time. This will necessitate a small addition to the Sex Offenders' budget to offer both supervision and, almost inevitably, protection should his presence become known. To help resettle him, DSI Danby flies up from Newcastle. As always, it's a joy to the local force to have the benefit of an outside officer's knowledge and experience. Meanwhile, there's a flood of counterfeit goods and funny money appearing, while a crazed man with a baby in tow seems intent on robbing a jewellery store with the help of a sawn-off sledgehammer, there's a flasher in action even though the temperature is too cold for brass monkeys, and an informer has gone AWOL.
Naturally, all this would normally be well within the competence range of this dedicated team of professionals except Logan McRae is struggling with an alcohol-fueled attitude problem. He feels no-one loves him so there's no need for him to love any of them back. Such a confrontational approach can only last so long before those in power begin suggesting he might have to take his hook and sling it in a distant place completely disconnected from the police force. And this despite the most supportive of DIs to work for. Indeed, Steel's ability to sing him a lullaby in tune but without the words, only la-la-las, is one of the things keeping him going. Anyway, as the delights of babysitting the sex offender pall, Logan finally decides he should clean up his act. So, with a new-found determination, he stops drinking. Every time he feels himself weakening, someone hits him, more often than not, over the head. He finds this is worse than the hangovers he had been experiencing and has no desire to make it worse by actually consuming anything alcoholic.
When the body of the snitch turns up on a building site owned by a gangster, the pace of the book, which has not been exactly slow-moving, accelerates into top gear as our hero adds smashing up cars to his repertoire of things to do when you want to take your mind of drinking. Then the situation get into a right pickle as our sex offender's address is outed and journalists camp outside to record events as local people argue their case Mr Knox should be relocated to someone else's backyard. Several fights and a few inspirational la-la-las later, an entirely more sober McRae finally comes through with most of the right answers. He may still not be flavour of the month with the powers that be, but he's done his best to clean the vomit off his notebook and, with the level of personal odour reduced below biohazard, he's slowly on his way towards some well-deserved rehabilitation — possibly in the next book in the series called Shatter the Bones.
So if you're into highly idiomatic vernacular dispensing wit and wisdom about life for the Scottish finest and their prey, both local and visiting criminals, Dark Blood should be right up your street. It's full of incident, not of the pretty variety, and packed with memorable characters. All in all, terrific entertainment!
A copy of this book was sent to me for review.


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Did the Park murders influence your decision to go hiking?
Susanna Nicholson: "It has been in the back of my mind, but I attribute my lack of attendance at the Park to my own laziness."
Pamela Peterson: "It wouldn't, but I haven't been to the Park in two years. Between Sammy Snacks and Gleason's, my yard is the only outdoors I visit."
Rebecca Garrett: "No, because I never really went before. The last time I was there was 15 years ago. I think if the Park had better advertising, it would be more accessible."


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YouTube offers users to view their videos in 'popup mode', thus allowing them to watch videos without the annoying comments and ads. Another good thing about watch_popup videos is that YouTube doesn't impose constraints on their width and height. So we'll never see 'video too small' (instead of the real video) when we create very small videos.
There are also things that watch_popup videos won't allow. We can't force them to NOT SHOW thumbnails for suggested videos (at the end of the video) by simply adding &rel=0 to the url. And we can't force an end point for watch_popup videos by adding &end=some_integer. But - fortunately enough- the YouTube Player API for Iframe Embeds lets us embed watch_popup videos (althought it was not specifically designed for this). So the question is: can we use the YouTube Player API for hiding suggested videos at the end of watch_popups and for creating end points for those videos?
I created a script proving that this is indeed possible. The result is a player showing YouTube videos without comments, ads and suggested videos but with start points and end points (if desired). Demo and explanations here.


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Smithtown board OKs contract with pay hikes
Department heads and administrators in Smithtown will receive average annual raises of 1 percent, according to a contract unanimously approved by the town board last week.
The retroactive agreement -- effective for 2011 to 2014 -- calls for no raise for 2011, a 1 percent raise for 2012 and 1.5 percent increases for 2013 and 2014 for the roughly 30 members of the Smithtown Administrators Guild.
Newly hired employees will pay 15 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums, up from 10 percent under the previous contract, said Supervisor Patrick Vecchio, who negotiates contracts. The change will save the town money, he said, adding, "A family plan is about $20,000."
The union had not had a contract in two years, said Vecchio, describing negotiations as "placid and respectful."
Russell Barnett, the town environmental protection director who serves as the union president, could not be reached for comment.
The town reduced salaries for six vacant positions including town engineer and assistant town director of public safety, and it increased salaries by $5,000 for the network communications manager, deputy town comptroller, solid waste coordinator and town director of public safety and by $10,000 for the director of traffic safety.
Councilman Robert Creighton, who is running for town supervisor, voted to table the agreement at a board meeting two weeks earlier "because I wanted to know what the exact cost was of the agreement," he said in an interview. Creighton said Vecchio told him the contract would cost $45,000 per year, while town comptroller Louis Necroto later said the changes represented $170,000 per year.
"I voted for the contract anyway," Creighton said. "If, at this point I voted against it, it would end up in arbitration and cost the town a lot more money."


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James Fenimore Cooper | Margaret Hall | Frances Trollope | Godfrey Vigne | Richard Gooch | Thomas Cather | Harriet Martineau
CASTLE GARDEN, NEW YORK. 1824. Fashion of American Women and its Relationship to Manners and Morality. It has always appeared to me, that manner in a woman bears a strict analogy to dress. A degree of simple, appropriate embellishment serves alike to adorn the graces of person and of demeanour; but the moment a certain line is passed in either, the individual becomes auxiliary to the addition, instead of the addition lending, as it should, a grace to the individual. It is very possible, that, if one woman wears diamonds, another must do the same thing, until a saloon shall be filled with the contents of a jeweller's shop; but, after all, this is rather a contest between bright stones than bright eyes. What man has not looked a thousand times, even at beauty, with indifference, when it has been smothered by such an unnatural alliance; but what man has ever met beauty in its native attractions, without feeling her power influencing his inmost soul? I speak with no dissembled experience when I answer--None!...
The distinguishing feature of American female manners is nature. The fair creatures are extremely graceful if left to exhibit their blandishments in their own way; but it is very evident, that a highly artificial manner in those with whom they associate, produces a blighting influence on the ease of even the most polished among them. They appear to me to shrink sensitively from professions and an exaggeration that form no part of their own politeness; and between ourselves, if they are wise, they will retain the unequalled advantage they now possess in carrying refinement no further than it can be supported by simplicity and truth. They are decidedly handsome: a union of beauty in feature and form, being, I think, more common than in any part of Europe north of the Adriatic. In general they are delicate; a certain feminine air, tone of voice, size and grace being remarkably frequent. In the northern, eastern and middle states, which contain much more than half the whole population of the country, the women are fair; though brunettes are not unfrequent, and just as blondes are admired in France, they are much esteemed here, especially, as is often the case, if the hair and eyes happen to correspond. Indeed it is ditlicult to imagine any creature more attractive than an American beauty between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. There is something in the bloom, delicacy, and innocence of one of these young things, that reminds you of the conceptions which poets and painters have taken of the angels. I think delicacy of air and appearance at that age, though perhaps scarcely more enchanting than what one sees in England, is even more common here than in the mother country, especially when it is recollected how many more faces necessarily pass before the eye in a given time in the latter nation than in this. It is often said that the women of this climate fade earlier than in the northern countries of Europe, and I confess I was, at first, inclined to believe the opinion true. That it is not true to the extent that is commonly supposed, I am, however, convinced by the reasoning of Cadwallader, if indeed it be true at all. Perhaps a great majority of the females marry before the age of twenty, and it is not an uncommon thing to see them mothers at sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. Almost every American mother nurses her own infant. It is far more common to find them mothers of eight, or of ten children, at fifty, than mothers of two or three. Now the human form is not completely developed in the northern moiety of this Union, earlier than in France, or in England. These early marriages, which are the fruits of abundance, have an obvious tendency to impair the powers of the female, and to produce a premature decay. In addition to this cause, which is far more general than you may be disposed to believe, there is something in the customs of the country which may have a tendency, not only to assist the ravages of time, but to prevent the desire to conceal them. There is no doubt that the animal, as well as the moral man, is far less artificial here than in Europe. There is thought to be some. thing deceptive in the use of the ordinary means of aiding nature, which offends the simple manners of the nation. Even so common an ornament as rouge is denied, and no woman dares confess that she uses it. There is something so particularly soft and delicate in the colour of the young females one sees in the streets here, that at first I was inclined to give them credit for the art with which they applied the tints; but Cadwallader gravely assured me I was wrong; He had no doubt that certain individuals did, in secret, adopt the use of rouge; but within the whole circuit of his acquaintailce he could not name one whom he suspected of the practice. Indeed, several gentlemen have gone so far as to assure me that when a woman rouged, it is considered in this country, as prima facie testimony that her character is frail. It should also be remembered, that when an American girl marries, she no longer entertains the desire to interest any but her husband. There is perhaps something in the security of matrimony that is not very propitious to female blandishments, and one ought to express no surprise that the wife who is content with the affections of her husband, should grow a little indifferent to the admiration of the rest of the world.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. May 7, 1828. Attitudes toward European Fashion.
We then took a walk along the river bank thro' a most beautiful avenue of beech and elm and returned home at five o'clock supposing that long ere that time Eliza must have finished her walk. But no! Whilst we had been thus soberly engaged the young lady had been exciting a much greater sensation in the place than her Papa or Mama are likely to do. We had all gone out together but after walking about a hundred yards Mrs. Cownie and her little charge parted with us and turned into a shop in search of something they wished to purchase. This proved to be a milliner's shop, and the old lady was so delighted with Eliza's frock-one which her Aunt Katherine worked for her-that she begged Mrs. Cownie as the greatest favour to let her see some more of her dresses.
Cownie very good-naturedly returned home for three of the child's prettiest frocks and nothing could exceed the admiration, not only of the milliner, but of the numerous ladies for whom she sent to see these beautiful things. Now you must know that they have all been worn and washed for a twelvemonth, and I could not but imagine what would be the amazement of the Louisville ladies could they have seen the clothes of the children of some of my friends who understand the subject so much better than I do that my little girlie's modest equipment could not possibly bear comparison with their's However, as those ladies knew no better they were sufficiently astonished with what they saw. Patterns were taken and a request made that one of the frocks might be sent to a lady at some distance, but Mrs. Cownie not liking to lose sight of her property could not carry her good nature so far. They had seen Basil and me walk past and the next petition was for the loan of my bonnet to copy, a bonnet which I got the beginning of last summer, but the milliner says that a thing being made from an English pattern or from what is worn by anyone well known gets sale so much distance.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. August 1830. Comparing the Ladies of Philadelphia with Those of Baltimore.
My letters of introduction brought me acquainted with several amiable and interesting people. There is something in the tone of manners at Philadelphia that I liked; it appeared to me that there was less affectation of ton there than elsewhere. There is a quietness, a composure in a Philadelphian drawing-room, that is quite characteristic of a city founded by William Penn. The dress of the ladies, even those who are not Quakers, partakes of this; they are most elegantly neat, and there was a delicacy and good taste in the dress of the young ladies that might serve as a model to the whole Union. There can hardly be a stronger contrast in the style of dress between any two cities than may be remarked between Baltimore and Philadelphia; both are costly, but the former is distinguished by gaudy splendour, the latter by elegant simplicity.
WASHINGTON. Spring 1831. Strange Fashions of American Women.
The ladies have strange ways of adding to their charms. They powder themselves immoderately, face, neck, and arms, with pulverised starch; the effect is indescribably disagreeable by day-light, and not very favourable at any time. They are also most unhappily partial to false hair, which they wear in surprising quantities; this is the more to be lamented, as they generally have very fine hair of their own. I suspect this fashion to arise from an indolent mode of making their toilet, and from accomplished ladies' maids not being very abundant; it is less trouble to append a bunch of waving curls here, there, and every where, than to keep their native tresses in perfect order.
Though the expense of the ladies' dress greatly exceeds, in proportion to their general style of living, that of the ladies of Europe, it is very far (excepting in Philadelphia) from being in good taste. They do not consult the seasons in the colours or in the style of their costume; I have often shivered at seeing a young beauty picking her way through the snow with a pale rose-coloured bonnet, set on the very top of her head: I knew one young lady whose pretty little ear was actually frost-bitten from being thus exposed. They never wear muffs or boots, and appear extremely shocked at the sight of comfortable walking shoes and cotton stockings, even when they have to step to their sleighs over ice and snow. They walk in the middle of winter with their poor little toes pinched into a miniature slipper, incapable of excluding as much moisture as might bedew a primrose. I must say in their excuse, however, that they have, almost universally, extremely pretty feet. They do not walk well, nor, in fact, do they ever appear to advantage when in movement. I know not why this should be, for they have abundance of French dancing-masters among them, but somehow or other it is the fact. I fancied I could often trace a mixture of affectation and of shyness in their little mincing unsteady step, and the ever changing position of the hands. They do not dance well; perhaps I should rather say they do not look well when dancing; lovely as their faces are, they cannot, in a position that exhibits the whole person, atone for the want of tournure, and fo rthe universal defect in the formation of the bust, which is rarely full, or gracefully formed.
EN ROUTE TO NIAGARA BY CANAL BOAT THROUGH NEW YORK. Spring 1831. Grim Countenance of American Women.
There is a great quietness about the women of America (I speak of the exterior manner of persons casually met), but somehow or other, I should never call it gentleness. In such trying moments as that of fixing themselves on board a packet-boat, the men are prompt, determined, and will compromise any body's convenience' except their own. The women are doggedly stedfast in their will, and till matters are settled, look like hedgehogs, with every quill raised, and firmly set, as if to forbid the approach of any one who might wish to rub them down. In circumstances where an English woman would look proud, and a French woman nonchalante, an American lady looks grim; even the youngest and the prettiest can set their lips, and knit their brows, and look as hard and unsocial as their grandmothers.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. Summer 1831. Beauty of American Women; Need for an Aristocracy to Improve Manners.
I had understood, and am quite ready to admit, that Baltimore deservedly enjoys a high reputation for female beauty. I am speaking of the American ladies in general, when I remark that it is no injustice to them to maintain, that where you will see twenty pretty girls, you will not see one really handsome woman. I have frequently observed the prettiest features, such as more reminded me of England, than of any other country; but I think that most Europeans who have formed a correct taste from the "stone ideal" of Greece, would agree with me that ladies with pretensions to that higher degree of beauty, are not so often to be met with in America as in England. There is one particular in which they would do well to imitate my fair countrywomen.
They have great charms for the breakfast table; but yet, elegant and lady-like as many of them undoubtedly are, how often have I been compelled to wish, that the breakfast table had not quite so many charms for them. They must know that to eat is unfeminine; and that ladies should in the presence of gentlemen, appear very hungry, is a decided proof of a deficiency in national manners, just as much, or even more so, than that men, be they who or what they may, should sit with their hats on in the dress circle at New York. The influence of a court would extend to, and would remedy all this. I should here again remark, that the first society is seldom seen at the theatre, and would not be guilty of such behaviour.
NEW YORK CITY. 1834. Bad Fashion and Poor Dental Hygiene of American Women.
But it is not uncommon for females in America both to smoke & chew tobacco. Indeed, the American ladies are not much behind their lords in habits of a tendency far from pleasing. Ladies of fortune and some pretension to breeding, may be seen in the streets & at home, with a huge piece of Sugar Candy Sucking & enjoying it with all the gout of a spoiled Slobbering child. I have seen them lift their veils & take a bite, and even bite off a piece & present it to a friend or companion as a condescending schoolboy would do, and when the stock is exhausted, thcy coolly walk into a store, or shop, for a fresh supply. This love of sweets infects the American females of all ranks-and accounts in some degree for the universal benefit they might derive by employing a dentist-I saw but few Americans with sound or white teeth...
It was once doubtful, it is said, from the decent length of an (American female's garment, whether she had any feet at all. That doubt, however, is now completely removed. For they wear their garments so short, as to exhibit the whole of the calf of the leg to the gaze of their Beaux-in fact, in the display of their persons, both at home & abroad, they exceed the most coquettish Parisian Belle, though in their manners they want that naivete which in the latter makes it palatable, in a degree. During the cooler season they generally wear tightish frilled trousers, by which their lets are decently kept in the shade; but in the hot weather, they not only dispense with them, but appear in the streets with naked legs, feet, & bosom, with a parasol cap to cover the head. I am now speaking of New York; higher up the country the excessive display of their persons is still greater.
The style of their fashions are the most tasteless & outre imaginable. The preposterous length of their bonnets exceed any thing I ever saw in England, even at the time when the lady's hat was made a subject of ridicule in our English Pantomimes. One writer in an American paper, in the Spring of 1834, with great truth said of the bonnet of an American lady, who came under his observation, that it "resembled in color & shape a smashed lobster! " & was "here & there ornamented with knots, or bows, like peeled Onions!" This latter observation I had myself often made to a friend, as I passed by them in the Streets of New York. Indeed no woman in England could appear publicly in the British Metropolis dressed as the American married ladies generally are, and hope to preserve her character-- "Egad! Sirs," as I once heard Abernethy say during one of his amusing lectures, "the very boys would run after her."
Perhaps one reason for American ladies wearing such short garments is that they are generally admired for small and pretty feet. Nevertheless, it is impossible for an English eye not to be shocked at the display they make of their persons, both at home & abroad; and it is surprising that amongst their divines some second Tillotson or Rowland Hill has not sprung up to censure & correct such dangerous incentives to vice, as the female habits & fashions in America really are. But in Republican America, where very many of their spiritual teachers are taken from the very outcasts of European society, who, it is well known, rule the female devotees with as iron a hand as ever did the priesthood of any Roman Catholic community; when it is also well known that at their American Camp-meetings, their love-feasts, etcetera, these same pastors assist in scenes of debauchery that would shock a practiced libertine; it is not surprising that the ladies of America are wanting in that greatest charm of their sex, a cultivation of the delicate, ladylike, adornment and concealment of their persons, which indicates purity of mind & sentiment, and the presence of moral sense; nor that American husbands are not gifted with a very savage sense of propriety.
One disagreeable fashion, to my eye at least, is that of American females almost universally dressing themselves in a glaring red, when at home, the effect of which is almost as offensive to the sight as are their painted edifices. And never did I see the female form so distorted by those tasteless things, modern corsets & stays, as it is in America. It is a fashion for the gentlemen to carry their admiration of small waists to an excess and the ladies have, in consequence, carried their cultivation of it to such a pitch, that I feel no hesitation in saying, many girls never live to be women in consequence. In a room the most respectable married females take a pride in exhibiting the whole of the bust bare. In the streets females of character will be seen in the most gaudy trappings with their stockings full of holes.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. April 19, 1836 General Appearance of American Women.
The hour after midnight. Just returned from a very gay ball at a private house. Let us revisit it and I will introduce you to an American ballroom: how crowded are the rooms, and what a number of pretty women there are; few distinguished beauties, but many, very many faces that one loves to look at. The ladies are well dressed too. So are the gentlemen and there is nothing in their appearance, or manner, by which you could distinguish them from a company in an English ball room. The only thing that strikes you as strange is, that the musicians are coloured people--and I may add, that you will scarcely hear any gentleman present addressed by a title lower than that of field officer at least.
Let us take our stand here, and I will point out some of the people to you: that pretty animated little girl with fair hair, fresh complexion, and merry blue eyes that twinkle brightly through the long dark lashes, is Miss E. M. She is, I believe, an only daughter, does what she pleases in her papa's house and gives very pleasant parties. Her voice is like a singing bird�s, how musical is her laugh with its clear silvery tones ringing from the pure metal of the heart. That lady seated at the end of the room, figure en bon point dressed in a robe of rich black velvet, and wearing a profusion of jewels, was the wife of a King. Jerome Buonaparte. She was, I am told, eminently handsome, and she still does retain the traces of former beauty. The young lady to whom she is speaking is her niece Miss P., one of the belles of Baltimore.
Remark that tall slight lady in the centre of the room, now she turns her head, what a glorious face, glowing with youth and joy and intelligence. What expression! Every feature speaks. Did you ever see a more finely formed head, a more serene and noble brow ? They are such as Phidias would have loved to copy, and her mouth now slightly parted in a smile, how inexpressibly beautiful it is? Altogether it is one of the faces of such surpassing loveliness which one seldom sees, but in a dream. But, but, alas, her figure is wretched, long, thin and gawky, her motions are ungraceful. Her step is heavy, uncertain without the slightest ease or elasticity. She has the face of a goddess. but the figure of a Yankee. A majority of the ladies have good eyes and delicate complexions.
That low, slight made effeminate-looking young man dressed with scrupulous exactness, gold chains round his neck, and rings on his delicate fingers, enough to make the stock-in-trade of a dozen pedlars, is the most consummate fop, and conceited coxcomb I had ever the fortune to meet. He has scarcely spoken a word since he entered the room. Of course he does not dance, as he declares the very thought of being pushed about so horrifies him, and the quick motions of the dancers makes him frightfully nervous. There he has been standing all evening with his chapeau bras in one hand and a curious looking walking stick in the other. He is rich, has been in Europe, travelled there a short time, and returned with his head turned, and it seems inflated with the ambition of being the Beau Brummell of America.
NEW YORK CITY. November 27, 1836 General Appearance of the Ladies of Society.
Arrived at New York. Whether it is the force of contrast or not, I don't know but the city appears a much finer place than the first time I visited it.
Broadway is very gay. It is the fashionable promenade and is crowded from an early hour till evening with gaily dressed ladies. There is a considerable sprinkling of pretty faces among them but such figures. Oh, ye Graces, after what models were the New York ladies fashioned. Such flat, lanky, awkward figures, only to be equalled by their vile mode of walking. I protest on my conscience, I have not yet seen a woman here who could walk even passably They have no elasticity of step, not even the shadow of grace in their movements, they have a loose slip shod gait which is the very reverse of the poetry of motion. Some of them do attempt the short step, and lively tripping walk of the French ladies, but all they can accomplish is a painful wriggle. Yet they are celebrated for their style--a Devilish bad style it is. They dress in the most extravagant manner, there is an air of vulgar flash about them which I dislike, they are very partial to fine bonnets. It struck me as not in very good taste for ladies in the depth of winter to wear white silk bonnets bedecked with a profusion of artificial flowers, and ostrich, and Bird of Paradise plumes. I suppose they go on the principle that fine feathers make fine birds. In some circles of New York society you meet ladies of highly cultivated minds and literary attainments, and in the enjoyment of their society you almost forget that they are perhaps a little too cerulean in hue.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Winter 1835. Voices of Women in America; Peculiarities of Language in America.
A great unknown pleasure remains to be experienced by the Americans in the well-modulated, gentle, healthy, cheerful voices of women. It is incredible that there should not, in all time to come, be any other alternative than that which now exists, between a whine and a twang. When the health of the American women improves, their voices will improve. In the meantime, they are unconscious how the effect of their remarkable and almost universal beauty is injured by their mode of speech...
I rarely, if ever, met with instances of this pedantry among the yeomanry or mechanic classes; or among the young. The most numerous and the worst pedants were middle-aged ladies. One instance struck me as being unlike anything that could happen in England. A literary and very meritorious village mantua-maker declared that it was very hard if her gowns did not fit the ladies of the neighbourhood. She had got the exact proportions of the Venus de Medici, to make them by: and what more could she do ? Again, a sempstress was anxious that her employer should request me to write something about Mount Auburn: (the beautiful cemetery near Boston.) Upon her being questioned as to what kind of composition she had in her fancy, she said she would have Mount Auburn considered under three points of view: as it was on the day of creation, as it is now, as it will be on the day of resurrection. I liked the idea so well that I got her to write it for me, instead of my doing it for her.
As for the peculiarities of language of which so much has been made, I am a bad judge: but the fact is, I should have passed through the country almost without observing any, if my attention had not been previously directed to them. Next to the well-known use of the word " sick," instead of "ill," (in which they are undoubtedly right,) none struck me so much as the few following. They use the word " handsome" much more extensively than we do: saying that Webster made a handsome speech in the Senate: that a lady talks handsomely, (eloquently:) that a book sells handsomely. A gentleman asked me on the Catskill Mountain, whether I thought the sun handsomer there than at New York. When they speak of a fine woman, they refer to mental or moral, not at all to physical superiority. The effect was strange, after being told, here and there, that I was about to see a very fine woman, to meet in such cases almost the only plain women I saw in the country. Another curious circumstance is, that this is almost the only connexion in which the word woman is used. This noble word, spirit-stirring as it passes over English ears, is in America banished, and "ladies" and " females" substituted: the one to English taste mawkish and vulgar; the other indistinctive and gross. So much for difference of taste. The effect is odd. After leaving the men's wards of the prison at Nashville, Tennessee, I asked the warden whether he would not let me see the women. " We have no ladies here, at present, madam. We have never had but two ladies, who were convicted for stealing a steak; but, as it appeared that they were deserted by their husbands, and in want, they were pardoned." A lecturer, discoursing on the characteristics of women, is said to have expressed himself thus. "Who were last at the cross? Ladies. Who were first at the sepulchre? Ladies."


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A Catholic Archbishop is trying to scare people with his radical theism + woo.
Archbishop Chimoio told our reporter that abstention, not condoms, was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.
"Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries.
Gee, women with no physical, psychological, emotional, financial, etc etc etc power-- if you would just stop being such a whore, you wouldnt get The AIDS. But since you ARE a whore, and you ARE going to get The AIDS and pregnant, let me scare you away from antiretrovirals.
Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people".Yeah, nothing like a lentivirus to 'finish quickly' a group of people. *rolleyes* Arent Catholics supposed to know Latin?
Alas, this isnt news. Loving Missionaries and radical theist opportunists of all stripes have been telling people that condoms dont stop HIV for a long time.
But this is what I LOVE about this particular incident:
"They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."This was spoken by a native African who rolled over like a dog and accepted his masters god. Who were your ancestors gods 'Archbishop'? Do you even know their names? The 'colonizers' have already taken your soul, what do you care about land??
I suppose every soul has a price:
Archbishop Francisco Chimoio of Maputo told the local publication Magazine Independiente this week that the archdiocese has launched a tithing campaign to "overcome the financial crisis and allow the archdiocese to achieve economic autonomy."
Banners hanging in the Cathedral and in parishes around the archdiocese remind the faithful: "Giving a donation as a show of faith is the opportunity God gives us to become better persons."


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The stream is back. Switch while we lead!
Yeah, I was informed of that a while ago. For some time they thought there could've been a buyer, but it didn't work out.
No, none, sorry. Have you tried restarting? It could just be a local issue with your connection.
We don't keep it on 24/7, 365. Only during bigger events and breaking news.
Don't have the stats off-hand, but the limited guest viewing system has definitely returned us at least half a dozen registrants over the last couple months. Pretty good numbers considering we're in a lockout.
Bad... or smart?
Vikings are coming to Wembley in 2013. Better start saving!
That's bizarre. I mean, Floor Janssen is awesome, but that's really really weird.
Yup. It'll still happen. Just can't afford the up front costs for everything right now.
It's still going to happen. Too much shit going on this year with the wedding to deal with it right now.
Whiskey Girl
Mia San Mia
Bank of Quinn
Senior Member
Sighing Dutchman
The prince that was promised
In the System Watchodog


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LITTLE ROCK, Ark (Reuters) - Republicans in Arkansas are struggling to get past the controversy generated by a state lawmaker who wrote that slavery might have benefited blacks and a candidate who has advocated expelling Muslims from the United States.
The Republican politicians' comments have been roundly criticized and have created an opportunity for Democrats ahead of the November 6 election. Arkansas has a Democratic governor but has voted Republican in the past three presidential elections.
In his self-published 2009 book titled "Letters to the Editor: Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative," state Representative Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro, Arkansas, writes that "the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise."
Hubbard, a retired teacher and Vietnam veteran who was elected to the statehouse in 2010, also wrote, "Wouldn't life for blacks in America today be more enjoyable and successful if they would only learn to appreciate the value of a good education?"
His book also says that blacks "are likely much better than they ever would have enjoyed living in sub-Saharan Africa."
Charles Fuqua of Batesville, Arkansas, is currently seeking a House of Representatives seat. His e-book "God's Law: The Only Political Solution" came out in April on Amazon.
"I see no solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the religion from the United States," he writes in his book, according to The Arkansas Times newspaper.
Fuqua, an attorney, served as a state representative from 1995 to 1998 before losing a state senate race.
Neither Hubbard nor Fuqua could be reached for comment. Both are running for election in November.
The Republican Party of Arkansas denounced their comments and distanced itself from the two candidates.
"The reported statements made by Hubbard and Fuqua were highly offensive to many Americans and do not reflect the viewpoints of the Republican Party of Arkansas," state party chairman Doyle Webb said in a statement on Saturday.
But Webb also blamed Democrats for drawing attention to the two books, which he called "distractions."
Candace Martin, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said that "with these appalling views, Jon Hubbard cannot be trusted to represent Arkansans and set policy for our state."
Jay Barth, a political science professor at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, said the controversial comments were a throwback to the 1960s when Arkansas was a civil rights battleground.
"It's hard to remember a set of remarks this extreme on racial matters by an Arkansas official since the state's politics modernized in the late 1960s than that by Mr. Hubbard," Barth said on Saturday.
He added that Fuqua's writing created a particular challenge for Republicans because it made it more difficult to frame Hubbard's remarks as that of a single misguided party official. (Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Alex Dobuzinskis and Paul Simao)


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Central Connecticut senior goalkeeper Erin DeLancey was named Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. DeLancey anchored the Blue Devil defense in an 11-5 non-conference win against Manhattan College last Wednesday as Central remained undefeated at home.
DeLancey made seven saves in the victory over Manhattan, which brings her season total to 36. Through four games this season, DeLancey has posted a .507 save percentage and has recorded more saves (36) than goals allowed (35).
Over the last three games, DeLancey and the Blue Devil defense have limited their opponents to only 17 goals. None of those teams has scored more than seven goals against the Central keeper who has played every minute in net.
DeLancey was previously honored as NEC Defensive Player of the Week on February 27, after Central's 11-5 victory over Bryant in the conference opener.
DeLancey and the Blue Devils (2-2) travel to the West Coast next week for a three-game non-conference road swing. Central will play Fresno State, U.C. Davis and St. Mary's (CA) on the trip.


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Clint Barton is a spry guy, but without a magical levitating hammer or jet thrusters, he's pretty much outclassed by his teammates. Comic artist Noelle Stevenson a.k.a. Ginger Haze (previously: 1, 2) has drawn up a delightful series of panels depicting the surly archer hitching a ride with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I imagine there a lot of Mjölnir-paper-scissors contests to assign this privilege.
You can find more of Ginger's Avengers comics here. Loki is an Asgardian who enjoys his appletinis, apparently. Hat tip to Syafiqjabar of Mars!


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I thought it would be fun to showcase some of my favorite Monster Squad-themed art on the weekends this month, and who better to kick it off with other than a couple of seriously cool dudes who I am so happy to have originals of hanging in Branded HQ (not these pieces, but plenty of others.) First up are some amazing sketches by one of my favorite comic book artists, Dan Schoening (of IDW's Ghostbusters comics.)
I really love Dan's eye for detail and the way he filters likenesses though his dynamic style. If you get a chance, pick up his collected Ghostbusters comics work, you won't be sorry! Dan is also doing a really cool Halloween Countdown with monsters and creatures on post-it notes all month long!
Next we have one of the nicest folks I've ever met online, the awesome Christopher Tupa!
Chris' whimsey and his ability to tap into the wonder of childhood is unrivaled! He is also participating in the Countdown to Halloween this year via his instagram account, check it out!
Now for today's Trading card!
Since there was never any MS merchandise produced, specifically a Topps trading card set, I thought it would be fun to make a mini set of 80s-style digital trading cards for my favorite movie of all time. So come back each evening for Trick or Treats and collect them all!
Today's card is #28, The Squad is formed!


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Drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt is about to hit the road to celebrate his latest recording, Canada Day (Clean Feed).
The record documents his original book of music for the longstanding quintet, Canada Day, featuring Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Bauder (tenor saxophone), Chris Dingman (vibraphone) and Eivind Opsvik (bass).
Check out Eisenstadt and Wooley playing a stripped-down version of the track "Kategeeper" in the Time Out New York office.
The tour begins Saturday with the first of two nights at New York's Cornelia Street Cafe and continues with concerts in Buffalo, Rochester and Toronto.
Here's the complete schedule:
10/24 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/25 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/27 :: York University (Toronto, ON)
10/27 :: Tranzac (Toronto, ON)
10/28 :: Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (Buffalo, NY)
10/29 :: The Bop Shop (Rochester, NY)


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|System: Xbox 360
|Dev: RedLynx
|Pub: Ubisoft
|Release: December 19, 2012
|Players: 1-4
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|Mild Violence
by Shelby Reiches
Trials Evolution is an extension of the sort of game I'm accustomed to playing in my browser, composed in Flash and simple enough in concept to be controlled with only a trio or quartet of keys at most. The idea is that physics are fun and driving motorcycles is more fun, so combining them with hazardous obstacle courses that demand the total sum of your physics-defying, high-flying, acrobatic acumen to surmount must be super fun.
Well, they're right. It really is super fun. Or it was, anyway, since Trials Evolution came out in April. Trials HD, to which it was a sequel, hit way back in 2009. Now we're looking at the game's second expansion pack, Riders of Doom, so titled to cash in on the fervor that had surrounded the December 21, 2012 apocalypse hullabaloo that had the Internet cursing a long-passed Native American culture and their truncated calendar.
The world didn't end, though, and Riders of Doom probably wouldn't have been how I'd have chosen to see it out, anyway. That isn't to say it isn't a fun addition to the core experience that Trials Evolution provides, but if you're going to pay five dollars for an expansion, a full third of what the original experience cost, you're going to expect something that makes you feel like you got another sizable chunk of the experience.
I guess, in the strictest terms, Riders of Doom delivers exactly that. More tracks for those at all levels of skill, more skill challenges with unique and often wacky objectives, some of which don't even seem to touch on the core game, and more parts for building one's dream (or nightmare) track, which can then be unleashed on the unsuspecting masses.
In the new tracks, nothing of the core experience has been altered. You're still manipulating your rider's balance on his bike as he speeds along turbulent terrain, surmounting obstacles with careful shifts in his weight, hurtling from perilous jumps over dramatic distances. It can often prove positively eye-catching, and some of the new tracks (such as one set in a city in the sky) are positively breathtaking. There's also one that serves as a belated Halloween celebration, and a third that involves UFOs. It all smacks of a missed opportunity, though. Riders of Doom has a few stages that evoke that "end of the world" sensation, playing on tropes thereof, but it doesn't really serve as a unifying theme. The levels are more a hodgepodge of different flavors and textures that are certainly of high quality, but would have been more interesting if they in some way formed a progressive narrative. The difficulty, on the other hand, follows a progression much like that of the base game, though far sharper.
The stages run the gamut in challenge from the very simplest, pretty much easing one back in after a long absence from the game, to controller-chucking hard, with painfully precise jumps stacked atop one another with nary a checkpoint in sight. Personally, I think the game as a whole is at its best when its tracks strike a balance between spectacle and challenge. There's little fun to be had trying the exact same jump 30 times just to get it right once in isolation, but it's an absolute blast trying to chain together a sequence of simpler maneuvers in a single, faultless trial. I'm sure there are Trials hardcore who disagree with me, though, and are able to flawlessly bunny-hop from platform to platform.
Skill challenges are where the designers behind Riders of Doom went nuts and pulled out all the stops. While the main levels are enjoyable, they don't really diverge from what has defined the Trials experience since day one. That skill challenges, meanwhile, don't stop with variations on the basic motorcycle-navigating-the-track theme, but include one-off experiences such as motorcycle shot put, jumping challenges, a jet-pack-based stacking game, a Marble Madness-esque ball-rolling maze, and a slalom-esque rocket race with controls ripped from Asteroid.


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Cheap Holidays, Flights and City Breaks to Berlin, Germany from Ireland
Berlin is Germany's capital city with a population of 3.5 million people. It is Germany's largest city and it exudes quality. The history of Berlin has left this stylish city with a highly diverse array of buildings and architecture. This city's appearance has been designed by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century.
Why don't you come and visit the German captial where you will be able to learn all there is to know about this historic city that has something for everybody to enjoy. If you wish to explore this scenic European city, check out our deals on holidays and city breaks to Berlin from Ireland.
Berlin as a holiday or short city break destination offers so much to the passionate traveller and we have cheap flights, holidays and city breaks at the best available rates so call us today. Berlin is a city of culture, politics, media and science. Berlin is a well-known destination for tourists, with spectacular festivals, amazing architecture, a bustling nightlife, contemporary arts and a very high standard of living.
There are so many major attractions here. Take your time; you will get around on them all. First you should visit the Fernsehtrum (Television Tower). The Fernsehtrum is located in Alexanderplatz in Mitte and it is one of the tallest structures in the European Union at 368 metres. You should take a lift to the Observation platform and you will also find a revolving restaurant perched on top where you will be able to observe stunning views of day and night-time Berlin.
Like Copenhagen, Berlin is well known for its highly developed cycle lane system and it is estimated that Berlin has 710 bicycles pe 1000 residents. Cycling is a religion in this city, so you may as well join the locals on your holiday to Berlin.
There are a number of big name attractions, which you have to visit during your city break to the German capital. They include the Brandenburg Tor, the Field of Stelae, The Reichstag and the Olympiastadion.
The Brandenburg Tor is a must see when you are on your city break in Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate was built as a triumphal arch. The quaddriga statue; a four horse chariot driven by Victory was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadon and it sits on top. However, the Tor had an eventful life. When Napoleon conquered Berlin in 1806, he carted the quadriga to Paris. He held it hostage until his defeat in 1814. It was badly damaged in the Second World War. The current quadriga is a 1958 copy and it was stranded in 'no-man's land' for 30 years. The Brandenburg Tor was the scene of much celebration when the wall came down.
Another interesting tourist attraction is the Reichstag. The Reichstag Building can be visited by the public, and it has spectacular views of the parliamentary and Government District. But, be advised to arrive early at the Reichstag, as queues usually form early.
If you are interested in a trip a little further afield, why not visit Berlin's Olympiastadion. The Olympiastadion was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics in the southern part of the Reichssportfeld (today Olympia Park Berlin.) During the Second World War, the area suffered little damage. Aside from the Olympics, the Olympiastadion has a very strong footballing tradition. Historically, it is the home of Hertha BSC since 1963.
The Bell Tower was the only part of the Reichssportfeld to be saved during the war. In 1956, the Bell was used as target practice for shooting with anti-tank ammunition. For a chance to see the Bell and the incredible Olympiastadion in Berlin, why don't you check our hot deals on holidays to Berlin from Ireland.
Come and enjoy this fascinating German city and be swept away by all that Berlin has to offer.
If you'd like to visit other parts of Germany, we also offer cheap Frankfurt flights and holidays.
For cheap flights, holidays and city breaks to Berlin from Dublin, Cork and Shannon, call us today.
Berlin Segway Tour
Berlin Walking Tour
River Spree Cruise
Third Reich Sites Walking Tour
Berlin has a temperate oceanic climate. Summers are warm and sometimes humid with average high temperatures of 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) and lows of 12–14 °C (54–57 °F). Winters are relatively cold with average high temperatures of 3 °C (37 °F) and lows of -2 to 0 °C (28 to 32 °F). Spring and autumn are generally chilly to mild. Berlin's built-up area creates a microclimate, with heat stored by the city's buildings. Temperatures can be 4 °C (7 °F) higher in the city than in the surrounding areas. Annual precipitation is 570 millimeters (22 in) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall mainly occurs from December through March, but snow cover does not usually remain for long.
Restaurants in Berlin will definitely suit every taste and budget. You will find different ethnic restaurants located throughout the German capital.
During your tour of Berlin, you will come across open-air markets. They are a great source of excellent quality, affordable food. Why don't you visit Winterfeldpl, which is open every Saturday morning and there is so much choice. Try the market in Kreuzberg, which is located on the banks of the Landwehrkanal. It is open every Friday and if you are looking for a more Turkish flavour, this is the market for you.
When in Berlin try some of Berlin's traditional dishes. There is such a varied choice here, you will be definitely thinking about that return visit to the German capital. For those of you who are vegetarian, look no further as Berlin caters very well for vegetarians.
Berlin is a huge city. You can make use of the excellent bus, tram, train and underground services to get around. Taxi services are also easy to use and a bit less expensive than in many other big Central European cities. You can hail a cab (the yellow light on the top shows the cab is available), or find a taxi rank (Taxistand). Taxi drivers are in general able to speak English. If you ask for a short trip (Kurzstrecke), as long as it's under 2km and before the taxi driver starts the meter running, the trip normally is cheaper, €4. This only applies if you flag the taxi down on the street, not if you get in at a taxi rank.
Check the Berlin route planner (in English) to get excellent maps and schedules for the U-Bahn, buses, S-Bahn and trams, or to print your personal journey planner. The route planer can also calculate the fastest door-to-door connection for you destination for any given day and hour. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) have a detailed fare list on their web site.
If you don't know how to get somewhere, or how to get home at night, call +49 30 19449, the Customer Service of the BVG. There are also facilities in most U-Bahn and some S-Bahn stations to contact the Customer Service directly. In 2005 the BVG introduced Metro lines (buses and tram) that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All lines are marked with a big orange plate and a white M.
Legoland Discovery Centre (Potsdamer Platz)
Loxx Railway World
Babelsberg Film Park
Berlin Zoologischer Garten
Tierpark Berlin
Aquadom and Sealife Centre (Alexanderplatz)
Berlin is a city that no other destination can compete with when it comes to the sheer diversity of the German capital's nightlife. Berlin is the trendiest city in the world, meaning that you are able to discover everything from pubs to must visit clubs.
You should be aware that quite a lot of the best Berlin pubs, bars and clubs do not go out of their way to advertise themselves so why not do a bit of research before your city break to Berlin by checking out and locating the must see venues.
For all you clubbers, you are definitely going to feel spoilt for choice on your arrival. The techno scene in the city is recognised as a leading light around the world. Two major establishments that visitors to the city won't want to dismiss are Tresor and Watergate.
The Mitte District of Berlin has been the place to visit for some time now. So what are you waiting for? Don't forget to bring your dancing shoes. You are going to need them!!!
Berlin has everything here from exclusive and upmarket to cheap and cheerful. The German capital is a shopping paradise. Alexanderplatz is one of the most famous squares in Berlin as well as the largest in Germany. And it's always been a huge shopping magnet. And that is still continuing.
''Kudamm'' is the most popular shopping promenade in Berlin and it is one of the main shopping streets in the entire country also. The 3.5 km long boulevard starts from Breitscheidplatz with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Charlottenburg as far as Rathenauplatz in Grunewald, where the exclusive villa quarter of the West Berlin City begins. Around Breitscheidplatz is where you will discover many boutiques and shops.
TV Tower - Fernsehturm
Unter den Linden
Charlottenburg Palace
The Berlin Wall Memorial and the Documentation Centre
Potsdamer Platz
Brandenburg Gate
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Weekend Edition
Weekends 8-11AM
- Hosted by Scott Simon
Whether revealing events in small-town America or overseas, or profiling notable personalities, Weekend Edition from NPR News appreciates the extraordinary details that make up every story. This two-hour morning newsmagazine covers hard news, a wide variety of newsmakers, and cultural stories with care, accuracy, and a wink of humor, courtesy of hosts Scott Simon and Liane Hansen.
On Saturdays, Simon's award-winning commentaries sum up an idea or event related to the week's news. There are fresh reports from a cross-section of NPR correspondents on topics from religion to health to food to politics. Simon's interviews with key artists, authors, performers and personalities are always memorable.
On Sundays, Weekend Edition combines the news with colorful arts and human-interest features, appealing to the curious and eclectic. With a nod to traditional Sunday habits, the program offers a fix for diehard crossword addicts-word games and brainteasers with The Puzzlemaster, a.k.a. Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times. With Hansen on the sidelines, a caller plays the latest word game on the air while listeners compete silently at home. The NPR mailbag is proof that the competition to go head-to-head with Shortz is rather vigorous.