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Stock Market Reasons to Be Bullish - At Least For A While!Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012 Nov 24, 2012 - 10:59 AM GMT
After stumbling again in the summer months, the U.S. economy is clearly back on track - if politicians smarten up and prevent it from going over the fiscal cliff.
The recovery is also now being led by the housing industry, which is a particularly good omen. The two main driving forces of the economy have traditionally been the housing and auto industries. That makes sense since when those industries are healthy their good fortune pays forward to their suppliers and peripheral industries like furniture and appliance makers.
The U.S. auto industry began recovering soon after the Great Recession ended in June, 2009, and by many measurements it's back to its pre-financial meltdown levels.
But until this year the housing industry has had a much rougher time of it; home sales and prices declining further each year, foreclosures and the inventory of unsold homes rising.
The changes this year, and particularly in the last few months, have been dramatic. Existing home sales, new home sales, new construction starts, and home-builder confidence indexes all rising sharply; unsold inventories and the pace of bank foreclosures declining sharply.
Next will come the other side of the widespread destruction of hurricane Sandy in the Northeast - the rebuilding phase.
Not surprising then, the number of new jobs being created each month has been jumping sharply, while the unemployment rate has been falling. Retail sales have been rising, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index has been rising, consumer confidence indexes have been rising, and inflation remains under control.
Prior to this week, the stock market was concerned about the looming fiscal cliff, with the Dow losing 1,070 points, or 8% over the last two months, and some sectors like utilities and other high-dividend stocks, down 11% to 18%.
But this week the market rallied sharply, the Dow up 3.2% for the week, reflecting mounting confidence that politicians are coming to their senses and will succeed in hammering out a compromise that will either resolve the fiscal cliff threat, or more probably succeed in kicking it down the road to next summer.
So the market has been able to pay more attention to the economic reports.
And it has additional support factors.
The market is now in its favorable season, the winter months, where over the long-term it tends to make most of its gains each year.
There are also signs that corporate managements have become believers again. Corporate insiders, who have been selling heavily, seem to have returned to the buy side. According to Vickers Insider Report, near the market high in September insiders were selling heavily into the market strength, with the insider sell-to-buy ratio just about double its average sell ratio of the last ten years. But last week, for the week ended November 16, insiders had moved sharply to the buy side again, the sell-to buy ratio dropping to less than half its long-term average.
That seems to also tie in with investor sentiment as measured by the weekly poll of its members by the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII), which is considered to be a 'contrary' indicator. That is, unlike corporate insiders, who tend to be bearish and selling at rally tops, and bullish and buying at correction bottoms, individual investors tend to have 'contrary' sentiment, very bullish at rally tops, and bearish at correction bottoms.
For instance, as the correction from the mid-September top accelerated to the downside, the AAII poll reached a level of 48% bearish on November 11, just over a week ago. That was just days before this week's rally began. The last time the AAII poll was 48% bearish was on September 22 of last year, just as the big rally of October to May got underway last winter.
Not that the market doesn't still have a wall of worry to climb.
It was reported this week that the 17-nation euro-zone is now officially back in its next recession. Perhaps more troubling, Germany, the euro-zone's strongest economy, reported its GDP growth slowed again in the 3rd quarter, to just 0.2%. It's expected to deteriorate further. James Ashley, economist at RBC Capital Markets in London, says, "The early indications for the 4th quarter suggest that the eurozone recession is likely to continue at least through year-end. And whereas Germany and France provided a partial offset to 3rd quarter overall eurozone weakness, they look set to suffer a fall in the final quarter of the year."
Also in Europe, the United Kingdom was back in recession this year until its GDP growth came in fractionally positive for the 3rd quarter. But the governor of the Bank of England warns that was due to the one-time economic effect of the Summer Olympics being held in London, and the U.K. economy could be back in negative growth in the 4th quarter.
The U.S. economy can't offset deteriorating global economies for the long-term, and may run into problems of its own next year. But it looks like a window of opportunity for a typical favorable season rally to next spring, with still enough questions to keep volatility high and investors nervous.
Sy Harding is president of Asset Management Research Corp., and editor of the free market blog Street Smart Post.
© 2012 Copyright Sy Harding- All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.
© 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


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By Max Miedinger with art direction by Eduard Hoffmann at Haas. Design began in 1956 and first shown as Neue Haas Grotesk in 1957. Revised at Stempel and released for the Linotype as Helvetica in 1959. [Kupferschmid]
Revised at Linotype in 1982 as Neue Helvetica (more systematic) and again at Monotype in 2019 as Helvetica Now (3 size-specific subfamilies). See also Neue Haas Grotesk (Font Bureau/Linotype, 2012), a restoration of the original in two size-specific subfamilies.

subset: commoncrawl


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Superman Pajamas for Boys
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Superman Pajamas for Boys!
Whether your little one dreams bigger than the tallest building or being stronger than the Man of Steel, he will love bedtime with his new pair of Superman pajamas for boys. Super comfy and super fun, what better way to conquer the monster under the bed than when your little man can jump into his favorite super suit and know he is safe while his hero is there to help. Buy Superman pjs for boys today to help ignite imagination and creativity!
Superman Pajamas for Boys with CapeThese Superman pajamas for boys feature a cape and are made specifically for sleep time fun and safety. The Superman pjs sold at CrazyForBargains.com are made from one of two materials; they are either 100% polyester or 100% cotton. The polyester pajamas are loose fitting and flame resistant. And the cotton pajamas are snug fitting keeping children safe from any potential fire hazards. These safe and comfortable pajamas turn bedtime into fun time! Superman pajamas will also make mornings a blast!
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203-609-0653 found in 1 public record:
Address: 1536 WHALLEY AVENUE, NEW HAVEN, CT 6515
Last updated: June 19, 2020
Area code 203 and prefix 203-609 assignment information:
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Name: JANET LOPEZ
Address: 193 PORTSEA ST, NEW HAVEN, CT 06519-2238
Name: CARMEN COLON
Address: 414 POPLAR STREET, NEW HAVEN, CT 6513
Name: DOLORES E QUEZADA
Address: 154 LEETE ST APT 1, WEST HAVEN, CT 06516-5340
Name: DIRIELA RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ
Address: 29 IRVINGTON ST, NEW HAVEN, CT 06513-4619
Name: MARSHALL PAUL SHAFFER (WACHTELL LIPTON ROSEN AND KATZ)
Address: 51 W 52ND ST, NEW YORK, NY 10019
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Address: 441 POPLAR STREET, NEW HAVEN, CT 6513
Name: AWAN, JACOB
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Name: BL COMPANIES ARCH ENG LANDSCAPE ARCH SURVEYORS, P.C.
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Name: Carole M Scillia (Revera Health Systems)
Address: 538 Preston Avenue, Meriden, CT 06450
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Address: 28 EAST 10TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10003
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Fox is trying some very fun and innovated approaches to marketing its new J.J. Abram's produced supernatural procedural Alcatraz. The network began its viral campaign by sending a mysterious box to the Collider offices, then followed up with a premiere party on the island itself (Click here for our red carpet coverage). Now that the show is on the air, the Alternate Reality Game is moving ahead full steam.
Last Friday, the studio held a massive scavenger hunt inside of the prison as part of the www.legendsofalcatraz.com. Collider reader Tucker attended the event and was kind enough to send us a write up and a photo. Read on for Tucker's thoughts on the game and a picture of his prizes.
We were also on the scene and will have a full, detailed write up and video for you in the next few days, but in the meantime, here is what Tucker has to say.
"Thanks for the heads up about the viral campaign on Alcatraz. We went and checked it out and had a great time. After hearing Jorge Garcia's voice on the Ferry over, we learned that he needed our help to retrieve a file concerning a mysterious inmate. On the island we were then given a map, pen, and an mp3 player containing some short blurbs by Jorge. Using the map, we spent 2-3 hours exploring Alcatraz – deciphering clues, meeting guards, getting items for inmates, rummaging through books in the prison library, using the city skyline for reference etc. until we finally got access to the infirmary and retrieved the file from a creepy doctor. It was all very cleverly done. Best part was exploring Alcatraz after dark. If really wish the show had more historical mystery like this and was less of a conventional procedural."
The event was really cool and strange. As with the premiere, we basically had a run of the place. While there were guards on duty and a few roped off areas, all 312 players were more or less permitted to explore the whole of the island in whatever order we pleased.
While none of the cast members were on location, Jorge's narration added a nice bit of flair to the proceedings, making it all feel like an extension of the show rather than a silly gimmick. I'm not totally sure how all of this will tie into the narrative, or even if it will tie directly to the narrative, but the weird meshing of reality and fiction is very appealing.
Check back in for our full write up and more details on the ARG.
click on the picture for high-res


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Student or Learner
I'm staying in Australia at the moment and I've heard this expression: "full as a goog". I've understood that it means "to be drunk", but could it mean also "be full", "can't eat anymore"? Because if I'm not wrong "goog" stands for "egg".
Thank you.
Ok thank you.
From what I know, goog is an egg. "Full like an egg"
Thanks. We have the same idiom in my country, I just wanted to make sure it has the same meaning also in English.
I am Hungarian and 'goog' does not mean 'egg' in our language. Egg is 'Tojás' in Hungarian (Pronounced cca. as 'Toe -yush')
I've always assumed that the Australian "goog" came from the same source as "googie egg", which in my NZ childhood usually meant a boiled egg that you would place in an eggcup, slice the top off and have for breakfast.
The on-line Irish Language Forum has this note: And found another interesting term "gogaidhe a childish name for an egg". In Australia children say "googie-egg" and sure enough Oxford has "goggie noun. N. English & (now only) Scot. dial. L18. [Origin Prob. alt. In Scot. use cf. Gaelic gogaidh. Cf. goog.] (A child's name for) an egg."
I don't know which edition of the Oxford this refers to, there are no goggies in mine.


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#1 Today in History september 18 201209-18-2012, 03:25 PM
Today in History
September 18
1758 James Abercromby is replaced as supreme commander of British forces after his defeat by French commander the Marquis of Montcalm at Fort Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War.
1759 Quebec surrenders to the British after a battle which sees the deaths of both James Wolfe and Louis Montcalm, the British and French commanders.
1793 George Washington lays the foundation stone for the U.S. Capitol.
1830 Tom Thumb, the first locomotive built in the United States, loses a nine-mile race in Maryland to a horse.
1850 Congress passes the second Fugitive Slave Bill into law (the first was enacted in 1793), requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners.
1862 After waiting all day for a Union attack which never came at Antietam, Confederate General Robert E. Lee begins a retreat out of Maryland and back to Virginia.
1863 Union cavalry troops clash with a group of Confederates at Chickamauga Creek.
1874 The Nebraska Relief and Aid Society is formed to help farmers whose crops were destroyed by grasshoppers swarming throughout the American West.
1911 Russian Premier Piotr Stolypin dies four days after being shot at the Kiev opera house by socialist lawyer Dimitri Bogroff.
1914 The Irish Home Rule Bill becomes law, but is delayed until after World War I.
1929 Charles Lindbergh takes off on a 10,000 mile air tour of South America.
1934 The League of Nations admits the Soviet Union.
1939 A German U-boat sinks the British aircraft carrier Courageous, killing 500 people.
1948 Margaret Chase Smith becomes the first woman elected to the Senate without completing another senator's term when she defeats Democratic opponent Adrian Scolten. Smith is also the only woman to be elected to and serve in both houses of Congress.
1960 Two thousand cheer Castro's arrival in New York for the United Nations session.
1964 U.S. destroyers fire on hostile targets in Vietnam.
1980 Cosmonaut Arnoldo Tamayo, a Cuban, becomes the first black to be sent on a mission in space.
Born on September 18
1709 Samuel Johnson, English lexicographer, essayist, poet and moralist.
1819 Leon Foucault, French physicist.
1827 John Towsend Trowbridge, poet and author of books for boys, wrote the Jack Hazzard and Toby Trafford series.
1839 John Aitken, physician and meterologist.
1895 John G. Diefenbaker, prime minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963.
1905 Greta Garbo, actress nominated for Oscars for her roles in Anna Christie and Ninotcha.
1951 Dr. Benjamin Solomon Carson, Sr., African-American neurosurgeon.
Revelation 15:1
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
1865 - John B. Stetson designed the first real cowboy hat. The Texas Rangers wore it for its versatility and durability.
1933 - At Monument Hill, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas dedicated a new vault.
1929 - Julius Myers died in San Antonio, TX. He is considered the last town crier in America.
1944 - At Best, Holland, Lt. Robert G. Cole was killed by a sniper during "Operation Market Garden." He was rewarded a Medal of Honor for his heroic actions the previous day.
1944 - In the Palau Islands, Charles Howard Roan jumped on a grenade to save his comrades. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. A Texas historical marker was placed on his family plot in the cemetery in Claude, TX.
1962 - The American League held a meeting in New York to explore the possibilities of major league baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Although the idea was deemed worthy, league owners rejected Kansas City A's owner Charley Finley's attempt to move his team to the metroplex.It's not how old you are, it's how you got here.
It's been a long road and not all of it was paved.
. If you ain't havin' fun, it's your own damn fault
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Oven-baked porcini & thyme risotto
Nutrition and extra info
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal374
- fat6g
- saturates1g
- carbs75g
- sugars5g
- fibre2g
- protein9g
- salt0.64g
- 25g pack dried porcini mushrooms
The mushroom is a fungus which comes in a wide range of varieties that belong to two distinct…
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
This popular herb grows in Europe, especially the Mediterranean, and is a member of the mint…
- 350g risotto rice
Rice is a grain, the seed of a type of grass, which is the most widely grown and the most…
- 750ml hot vegetable stock
- 100ml white wine
- handful grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), plus shavings, to serve
Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
Put the mushrooms in a bowl, pour 425ml boiling water over and leave to soak for 10 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and fry the onion for 2 mins until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another min.
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop. Add the mushrooms, thyme and rice to the pan, then stir well. Strain over the mushroom liquid, pour in the stock and wine and bring to the boil.
Season to taste, cover and bake for 25 mins or until the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the grated Parmesan, check the seasoning and sprinkle with extra thyme leaves and Parmesan shavings to serve.


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Taking the "name your own pricing" model one step further
There are many ways from which I could explore this issue, but as you can probably see by the lack of updates on this blog, I don't really have much time to write about this - I have more important and/or interesting things to do... Anyway, this blog post can work in three ways: 1) to tell you about one experiment I did, how it went, and what will I do now that the experiment is over; 2) to improve my comment on André's blog post about Portuguese people (in Portuguese), where he states that "Portuguese people think that everything that has to be paid is too expensive"; 3) to improve my comment on Miguel's blog post about tips and tip jars, where he says that some tips are "socially accepted" while others aren't...
Yesterday, the 2nd of April 2009, my micro-label Noori Records released its first "Pro CD Audio" (a term generally used by labels and distributors to describe Audio CDs that aren't CD-R's), a limited edition beautiful (as you can see in the picture) compilation called "April in Jazz".
I've been playing in my mind with the concept of the "name your own pricing" model in my mind for a long while: first it was the Nine Inch Nails experiment, releasing an album for free in digital format, selling it also as a physical release that soon was sold-out, and Radiohead's "In Rainbows", where people could choose how much to pay for the (digital version) of the album. From March 2008 I decided to let people buy Merankorii digital tracks at the price of their choice, and in May 2008 I wrote about why wasn't all my music free. Yet, and after many hours thinking, reading and learning, I decided to take the "name your own pricing" one step further.
At the 2nd of April, "April in Jazz" was released, and got sold out. News about the album release were spreaded via e-mail to Merankorii and Noori Records fans and friends, and because I was more of less afraid of the results I decided to tell first (and it ended up being only) about it to Portuguese people (because shipping costs are less that way). And so, the challenge was made:
[...] and doing it in a very special way: you choose the price. That's right: it was your money that made this release possible, so you are the ones who have the right to tell how much is it worth to you, how much you're willing to pay.
There are several things that you have to think about this: probably the most important one is that I wasn't selling the CD on a widely available website where everyone could click and buy, I was talking to true fans, and only to them. Still, here are some data about the results of the experiment:
- More than 50% of the buyers paid more than I would ever dare to ask for a CD;
- I hadn't a "price" in mind, but the price I would probably choose for this release is the same as the lowest price people paid for the CD;
- If the edition had the double of its size, and everywhere else paid 0 € for it, and those other copies needed to be shipped to the moon, it would still be profitable;
- 20% of the people who bought it didn't like to have to choose how much to pay for it.
- WOW, Noori Records and Merankorii fans totally ROCK.
Think about it.


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Oakland's hip and vibrant Temescal Alley takes off
Oakland neighborhood takes off thanks to hip and vibrant alley brimming with shops - clothing, collectibles, coffee - on the cutting edge
True to its name - the Nahuatl language word for sweat house - Oakland's Temescal neighborhood couldn't be hotter. The latest wave at this well-trafficked intersection - historically home to Italians, then Ethiopians, Eritreans and Koreans - is bohemians, hipsters and young families who are drawn to the local shops and services.
Where a horse-drawn street car line once ran Victorian pleasure-seekers from Idora Park amusement/trolley park - with its wooden roller coaster, skating rink and opera house - north on Telegraph to UC Berkeley, their modern counterparts now flock for queue-worthy food at the East Bay's latest challenge to Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto.
Much like the long-buried and dammed original Temescal Creek, the neighborhood's reputation for revelry was never quite vanquished - bearing witness is the wildly popular Temescal Farmers' Market, a Sunday magnet planted near the site of the massive turn-of-the-century Lusk Cannery and the resurrected creek.
In the past six months, a miniature village within the onetime village, the former horse stables-turned-carriage houses in Temescal Alley off 49th Avenue, has taken off.
The place was bubbling with activity on a balmy, early spring Saturday afternoon, with new shop Oakland Dry Goods, purveying preserves and honey from the owner's nearby hives, and Mind's Eye Vintage, run by two veterans of the Down at Lulu's co-op, preparing to fling open their doors near the Dona Thomas and Pizzaiolo back patios. Under the curatorial eye of landlord Sarita Waite and her husband, UC Berkeley architecture Professor Raymond Lifchez, the vibe is part mini-utopian commune, part artists' open studios, with just a dash of dapper last-days-of-Prohibition Hooverville emanating from Temescal Alley Barber Shop.
"It's a real community here," says Leigh Okies of Crimson Horticultural Rarities, strolling by with jewelry designer Marisa Haskell. "People have studios in their stores." Her own rustic jewel box of a shop mixes sculptural succulents, terrariums and taxidermy with a Paxton Gate-like verve. Ordinary Joes and long-tressed rockers loiter outside the barber shop to take their turn in the chair, and Lot 49 owner Perry Lucina chats with passers-by while lounging outside his home design space.
"Everybody here is doing stuff - that's why I like it here," adds Haskell, wearing a tangle of her own long, tribal-tinged brass and deer-hide necklaces with mustard-colored workwear.
"It's a little like art school," Okies interjects. "You can get a crit any time."
No pressure, though: The beauty of this neighborhood is how organic and easygoing it feels - even when a production crew is pulling most of the furniture out of Lot 49 and attempting to film a Volkswagen commercial starring telegenic urbanites shopping Lucina's bite-size boutique, as they did recently.
Start at Temescal Alley - perhaps during the first Friday Art Hop, when bands perform - and wander down Telegraph to see what pop-ups (such as the skateboard store that temporarily filled the pink colonial Hooper's Chocolates) have materialized.
1 Esqueleto: Curious about the provenance of this pair of slivered raw diamond earrings, that sea urchin-inspired necklace or even that psychedelic cross-section of fossilized coral? Jewelry designer Lauren Wolf is usually right at hand in her white-walled, airy shop to give the rundown on her works, talk up her finds or fill in the background of that specific designer. Her gorgeous handcrafted pieces, which have compelled celebs and draw inspiration from the creatures of the sea, as well as desert sands, are well-represented here, along with covetable pieces by Rebecca Overmann, All For the Mountain, Satomi Kawakita, and Mociun. Changing displays of artwork add to the gallery-like ambience, as does the care that Wolf puts into her displays, which incorporate delicate vitrines, ceramics, intriguing slabs of semi-precious stone and a formidable ram's skull that would push all of Georgia O'Keeffe's buttons. 482-A 49th St., (212) 920-5666, www.shopesqueleto.com.
2 Lot 49: "My prices are not San Francisco prices," says chatty owner Perry Lucina of his collection of estate-sale, thrift and salvage treasures. "People ask, 'Why is it so cheap? Why is it so cheap?' " The answer? "I like to keep things fresh." A veteran of Temescal Alley of two years, Lucina opened the home and design space in the former architect's office space as a pop-up - and as a way to thin his personal collection of midcentury modern chairs - but he was persuaded to stay thanks to the welcome he has received from Oaklanders determined to shop locally. Some San Franciscans are even catching on, lured by the down-to-earth prices. Ogle the pristine '60s-era Googie-friendly lamps, "The Ice Storm"-style array of colored glassware and the handsome dark-wood mini-bar that could easily slip into Don Draper's bachelor pad. 470 49th St., (415) 328-4756, www.lot-49.com.
3 Crimson Horticultural Rarities: Consider this your miniature pit stop for curious, beauteous flora of the gothic variety. Dramatic succulents are arrayed in well-weathered pots below an antique wire birdcage; spiny tillandsias spray from delicate vessels and terrariums evoke tiny woodland worlds. Threatening to eclipse the small but tempting assortment of curiosities, gifts, soaps and artwork are Alicia Goode's delicate shadowboxed taxidermy specimens. Think seriously about pulling the trigger on the crow's head clasping a juicy fake eyeball in its beak. Then ponder enlisting shopkeeps Leigh Okies and Allison Futeral to craft a flower arrangement at their handsome reclaimed wood counter for your next darkly sparkling get-together. 470-A 49th St., (510) 992-3359, crimsonhort.com.
4 Temescal Alley Barber Shop: "I want my fade freshened up for Friday," declared one patron as he slid into his chair at this hip but not-too-cool-for-school throwback to classic barbershops. Old school? Sure, if that includes an intense dedication to the vanishing craft of barbering, polite and personable service, a ruggedly retro interior, biker mags and the kind of friendly, rangy conversation that happens when men find themselves thrown together in close quarters. A portion of the dedicated clientele has already followed co-owner Nick Vlahos from Al's in Alameda, so they're willing to jot their names on the chalkboard of this three-chair outfit and cool their jets in the alleyway - no problem - for the $22 haircuts, $30 warm straight razor shaves and $10 beard trims. Shots of Tequila or whiskey ease the wait. 470-B 49th St., (510) 761-5074; temescalalleybarbershop.tumblr.com.
5 Ali Golden: The sewing machine is front and center in Ali Golden's minuscule work space and showroom. After sewing bespoke pieces in Hayes Valley and selling at spots like Shotwell and Dish, the Oakland designer describes her Fall 2012 looks as her "first legitimate collection." Tailoring is key to her style; acolytes swear by her on-trend, eminently versatile chiffon maxi-dresses, kimono coats and cropped tops, but also look into her wonderfully drape-able wrap sweater. Golden says Temescal is right up her alley." It's just a great place. It can be isolating to work on and run this clothing line by yourself so it's so nice to be part of a community every day and bop around if you need inspiration or ideas." 470-E 49th St., (805) 340-7086; www.aligolden.com.
6 Marisa Haskell: Playing off native and Southwestern iconography and maintaining a minimalist edge, the Oakland jewelry designer transforms hammered brass chevrons and prongs, deer-hide fringe, faceted beads and Tibetan lapis into elegant, modern necklaces and wrapped bracelets. Her Laramie bolo and adjustable Oaxaca necklace take the beach-loving aesthetic that led Haskell to follow the waves to Mexico after her graduation from UC Berkeley, to another, luxurious level. Haskell describes her jewelry, which is sold locally at Erica Tanov stores, Reliquary and Metier as well as Saks Fifth Avenue and Free People, as lying "along the lines of modern bohemian crossed with a tougher rock 'n' roll" feel. 470-D 49th St., (510) 325-0019, www.marisahaskell.com.
Blink and you might miss these
These petite but sweet spots embody the hybridized agility of Temescal independents.
7 Coyote Counter Collective: Bringing a burning steam-punk "Mad Max" sensibility to the hood, this spot fuels its fire with recycled, rescued clothing and accessories. Select from a well-priced menu of custom reconstruction/deconstruction possibilities for that jacket or leather bag that you'd given up on and have the collective's sewing masters turn it into - fingers crossed - wearable art. 423 40th St., www.coyotecounter.com
8 Mosswood Mercantile: Every last weekend of the month, this precious pop-up in the storefront that ordinarily houses an art gallery unfurls some genuinely fantastic women's vintage shoes, clothing and accessories. Keep an eye peeled for Chanel sling-backs, neo-geo patterned '60s and '70s hostess frocks, French sunglasses, and belts with acres of funk to spare. Smokey's Tangle, 4709 Telegraph Ave., www.facebook.com/mosswoodmercantile.
9 1-2-3-4 Go! Records: This punk music store-that-could outgrew its digs across the street and has thrown down roots in a larger space. All the easier to flip through the vinyl, with its fervent emphasis on local garage rockers and neglected treasures, CDs, singles and zines. 423 40th St., Suite 5, (510) 985-0325; 1234gorecords.com.
Edible complex
Beverage and hangout options abound, from coffeehouses (Mixing Bowl, Remedy Coffee, Arbor Cafe) to the teeniest, chic java stand (Subrosa Coffee), not to mention nightcap-ready hipster dive bars (fireplace fave the Avenue, shuffleboard central Kingfish Pub). If you can't abide the (fast) line for a fried chicken sandwich at Bakesale Betty, these newish eateries promise to revive and restore.
10 Scream Sorbet: This sorbet spot continues to take its cues from the farmers' markets that gave it its start, basing its ever-changing flavors on local, seasonal fruits and veggies. Check the artwork as you lick at a scoop of lemon shiso or white guava. 5030 Telegraph Ave., (510) 394-5030; screamsorbet.com.
11 Aunt Mary's Cafe: The brunch mob can be daunting as they flock for the freshly made baked goods, but settle into a thrift-shop easy chair with a cuppa joe at the host's stand, and the wait speeds by in anticipation of major comfort-food fortification with a down-home and "spicy" Southern, Southwestern and Texas slant. Cajun-style pain perdue, winter red flannel hash with beet-horseradish gravy, or orange ricotta pancakes with ambrosia, anyone? 4307 Telegraph Ave., (510) 601-9227; www.auntmaryscafe.com.
This article has been corrected since it appeared in print editions.
Kimberly Chun is a Berkeley freelancer writer. firstname.lastname@example.com


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Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Counter Culture Coffee Subscription
We had to include some serious coffee in our series of holiday giveaways this year. How else are we supposed to stay awake for all the noshing? We're big fans of Counter Culture and are excited to give away this three-month single-origin coffee subscription. Winners will enjoy one 12-ounce bag of two seasonal, fresh-roasted coffees delivered directly to the door for three months (two bags per month). The coffee subscriptions will include single-origin coffees such as La Golondrina and others.
To enter to win: tell us how you take your coffee.
You have until 3 p.m. ET tomorrow (December 4) to enter. One winner will be chosen at random from among the commenters. Contest winners are limited to residents of the continental U.S., and you can only win once during the duration of the Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway contest. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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By nearly all accounts, Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney scored a win last week in the first presidential debate at the University of Denver.
Now what?
From the get-go Romney was on the attack, aggressive as he laid out his plan to put the U.S. economy on the path to recovery, cut taxes, create jobs and help the middle class, as well as differentiate between his vision for America's future and that of President Obama.
An estimated 67.2 million people watched the first presidential debate, Nielsen reported. Viewership for the Obama-Romney tilt was up 28 percent compared to the first presidential debate in 2008 between then Senator Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
In the run-up to Wednesday, pundits declared it was one of the most important events in the race for the White House and the chance for Romney to woo undecided and fence-sitting voters.
Republicans and GOP operatives were heady on Thursday.
"Last night, Obama was unable to defend his failed policies and broken promises," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus posted on his Twitter account.
"Gov @MittRomney knocked it out of the park last night," another Priebus post read.
Romney challenged Obama on his record on the economy, healthcare and the deficit, arguing he would take the country down a different path to restore its economy and stature. Obama tried to counter Romney's criticisms -- charging the former Massachusetts governor favors a top-down economic approach and chiding him for not fleshing out particulars of his plan for tax reform and deficit reduction, but the president found himself playing defense rather than offense.
Romney came to play, as one post-debate analyst put it, while Obama looked like he wanted to be elsewhere.
The debate was a great antidote to a few lousy weeks for the Romney campaign. Weeks in which a secretly taped video of Romney at a private fundraiser said 47 percent of Americans don't pay taxes, refuse to accept responsibility and see themselves as victims. Weeks during which he saw polling numbers dip in crucial swing states.
"Romney played offense throughout the debate, and usually effectively," political commentator Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College in Minnesota, said. "He essentially took the fight to the president and seemed to enjoy doing it, but in a respectful way."
Romney's best moments, Schier said, "were when he framed the deficit as a moral issue and explained his approach to governing with three explicit references to the Constitution."
Looking ahead to the election less than a month away and the two remaining debates, Romney must do more of what he did Wednesday, the commentator said.
"His performance was very good and he needs to repeat his command of facts, arguments and demeanor in future debates," Schier said.
Going into the first face-off, Romney had to convince the electorate he was presidential, which he accomplished when looking at post-debate snap polls, Schier said.
The challenge going forward is to try to build on his performance, keep Obama off-balance and keep trying to underscore he is, indeed, the right person to lead the country for at least the next four years.
"It is now up the Romney campaign to reinforce that impression," he said.
Congressional Republicans gushed over Romney's performance and the excitement it breathed into his campaign and down-ticket races, Politico said.
"It gives Mitt Romney the opportunity now to have more key people, undecided voters, listen to what he's saying," said Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who stood in for Obama during Romney's debate prep work.
Portman posted on his Twitter page that Romney delivered.
"Strong performance tonight by @MittRomney. Voters are looking for leadership, policies & record to create jobs."
"He used this [debate] to show the American public that he's got a plan, that he can articulate the specifics of the plan and that he has the confidence in himself and can build confidence with the American people to lead the country," Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., told Politico.
As many as 25 percent of voters indicated they could be swayed to change their vote, so the 2012 debates are important, Carleton's Schier said.
"This is particularly the case because there is widespread dissatisfaction with national conditions and the country's direction," he said. "That discontent creates voter volatility in which debates can matter a lot."
The second debate is Oct. 16 at Hofstra University near New York. It will be moderated by CNN "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley.
Last week's debate was a turning point for Romney, "because it was a big contrast to the negative media coverage he received throughout most of September," Schier said. "Whether his campaign can capitalize on this remains to be seen."


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Program Type: Guided Tours Subject: Art, History & Social Studies
1 items found
Browse the Educator's Adventure Planner
PDF of the full Adventure Planner
Art Exhibition Guided Tour: Frank Hayden
Artworks by Baton Rouge artist Frank Hayden are found throughout our city, from the campuses of LSU and Southern University to public plazas. Students will learn about the life and work of this preeminent Louisiana sculptor whose artworks, which reflect deep spiritual and humanistic concerns with universal themes, are made of wood, plaster, fiberglass, and stone.
This Art Exhibition Guided Tour is available from March 24, 2020 - September 15, 2020.
Available to Grades: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Program Type: Guided Tours Subject: Art, History & Social Studies
Cost: $2.00 per student & chaperone


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The Irondale Squirt A team hardhat is featured on the front page of the Minnesota Youth Hockey Coaches Association December 2008 e-newsletter! Coach John Fuhr talks about the hardhat and why it is important.
Check out the article by clicking HERE
If the link is no longer available, here is the article from the December 2008 Newsletter:
Teaching Work Ethic
Teaching kids to work hard is sometimes not any easy task. If we make it fun and provide special recognition to the hardest workers on the team it will foster more of the same and spread throughout your team. Here is how one team accomplishes this. If you have other ideas you are willing to share email them to me and I will put them in the newsletter.
Here's a method we use to teach hard work as a foundation for hockey. After each practice or game, we present a team hardhat to the hardest worker. They get to wear it home and put a sticker on it or write their number on it. We started doing it last year and the kids absolutely love it. We've even had kids wear it on the bus to school. As an end of the year gift, we gave each kid a team color hardhat with our logo, their name and number on it. It's really helped us develop a solid foundation to build our team on. Of course, we hope it carries over to everyday life.
John Fuhr
Irondale A Squirts
New Privacy Policy


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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Nemanja Djurisic each scored 17 points and Georgia won its fourth straight game with a 52-41 victory over George Washington on Friday night.
John Florveus pulled down 10 rebounds to help the Bulldogs (6-7) overcome a season-high 25 turnovers.
Kevin Larsen scored 14 points to lead George Washington (6-7). The Colonials went 0-for-12 on 3-point attempts, missing all but two of them in the second half.
George Washington shot a season-worst 24.6 percent from the field.
The Bulldogs were just 4-for-11 on free-throw attempts before Caldwell-Pope and Djurisic combined to hit Georgia's last six.


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Kaleidoscope Contact Lenses
Show off your mesmerizing new fashion contact lenses today. Everyone will fall in love with the array of eye-catching colours and striking design from these fabulous Kaleidoscope Contact Lenses.
Transform your look with Crazy Contact Lenses. These contact lenses give you a fantastic choice, from natural looking colour lenses to scary Halloween designs. Crazy Contact Lenses are light, soft and comfortable to wear. Their 38% water content ensures that your eyes stay hydrated and feel fresh all day. They're ideal for parties, Halloween costumes and festivals.
- Sold as a pair
- 38% water content
- Packaged in sterile buffered isotonic saline
- Manufactured in accordance with the EU Cosmetics Directive
- Produced under ISO International Standards quality control
- Manufactured in the UK
Available as a 90 Day life span.
Crazy Lenses ships orders to every corner of the world and offers a range of shipping options that vary by region. All available options and their applicable costs will be presented to you at checkout, this takes place before you are required to enter your payment details. Regardless of location, all orders are dispatched within 24 hours between Monday to Friday. Meanwhile, orders place over the weekend or on a national holiday will be shipped on the following Monday.
If you would like to enquire about the status of you order, please email firstname.lastname@example.com and a member of our team will get back to you within 24 hours.
USA Orders
Orders form customers residing in the USA will be shipped via one of the following three shipping options:
- USPS First Class (2-4 days) - $4.99
- Priority Mail (1-3 days) - $10
- FedEx Express Saver (1 day in most states) -$30
UK Orders
Orders form customer residing in the UK will be shipped from our main warehouse. We offer the following two shipping options:
- Royal Mail (2-4 days) - FREE
- Royal Mail 24 hour (1 day) - £4.99
International Orders (Excluding UK and US)
International orders (excluding USA) will be shipped from our main warehouse. We offer the following two shipping options:
- International Mail (5-10 business days) - FREE
- Tracked International Mail (5-10 business days) - £11.99


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CBS topped Tuesday night with some help from Gibbs, Rudolph and some Angels.
The network's annual broadcast of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was the highest-rated program of the night with a 3.5 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic and 9.3 million viewers. Lead-in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (10.1 million, 2.9) and an NCIS repeat (11.1 million, 2.0) also performed well.
Fall TV Report Card: How's the new class doing?The Voice (11.3 million, 3.4) was down-fourth tenths from last week, but the rest of NBC's lineup was flat or within a point of last week's numbers.Without Dancing with the Stars as a lead-in, ABC's Happy Endings (3.5 million, 1.3) and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (3 million, 1.2) were actually up from their last new episodes. Private Practice (4.3 million, 1.2) was also up.Fox's whole lineup was down, while both of The CW's shows grew.8 p.m.
CBS: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 10.1 million viewers (2.9 demo rating)ABC: Shark Tank 6.8 million (1.7)Fox: Raising Hope 3.7 million (1.4); Ben and Kate 2.6 million (1.1)NBC: The Voice 11.3 million (3.4)CW: Hart of Dixie 1.7 million (0.6)9 p.m.
CBS: NCIS (R) 11.1 million (2.0)ABC: Happy Endings 3.5 million (1.3); Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 3 million (1.2)NBC: Go On 7 million (2.5); The New Normal 4.6 million (1.7)Fox: New Girl 4.1 million (2.0); The Mindy Project 2.6 million (1.3)CW: Emily Owens, M.D. 1.6 million (0.4)10 p.m.
CBS: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 9.3 million (3.5)ABC: Private Practice 4.3 million (1.2)NBC: Parenthood 4.9 million (1.7)


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Impairment(redirected from age-associated memory impairment)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical.
Reduction in the value of an asset because the asset no longer generates the benefits expected earlier as determined by the company through periodic assessments. This could happen because of changes in market value of the asset, business environment, government regulations, etc.
A reduction in a company's working capital as a result of a loss on an investment or a distribution (such as a coupon or dividend) to investors.
Reduction in a firm's capital as a result of distributions or losses.


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Game Design by Steve Jackson
Developed by Giles Schildt
Illustrated by John Kovalic
168 cards, a unique six-sided die, and a rulesheet.
Suggested Retail Price $24.95 Stock #1440 UPC 837654320471
Available Now – click here to order!
Also available in:
Fly through the city. Smash the villains. Backstab your teammates and grab their gadgets.
Munchkin has parodied the classic dungeon, the kung-fu warrior, the space epic, and the creatures of the night. Now it's the superheroes' turn!
Be a Mutant, an Exotic, a Mystic, or a Techno. The higher your Level, the more Powers you can have. Battle dastardly masterminds, devastating monsters, and invading aliens from the next dimension – from the wimpy Bucketman all the way up to Big Ol' Planet Eater Guy himself – and TAKE THEIR STUFF! With the Electro-Mento-Hat, the Telezapinator, and the (jet-powered) Pogo Stick, no foe can stand before you!
Super Munchkin is a stand-alone game, which (of course) can be combined with other Munchkin games. Designed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, this one is destined to RULE THE WORLD! Mwahahaha!
Super Munchkin 2 – The Narrow S Cape
There comes a time in every munchkin's career when he's taken on more than he can handle, bitten off more than he can chew, gotten in over his head. It's time for – the Narrow S Cape.
Munchkin: Marvel Edition
Unleash your super powers with Munchkin: Marvel Edition!
Munchkin Marvel 2: Mystic Mayhem
Unleash your super powers with Munchkin Marvel 2: Mystic Mayhem!
Munchkin Marvel 3: Cosmic Chaos
Unleash your super powers with Munchkin Marvel 3: Cosmic Chaos!
Munchkin: X-Men Edition
Join in the mutant mayhem with Munchkin: X-Men Edition!
Munchkin Deadpool: Just Deadpool
Munchkin Deadpool – Just Deadpool. Your game will never be the same.
Munchkin Loot Letter
Get all the loot!
Munchkin Boxes of Holding
At last, a way to store your Munchkin collection that gets you in-game bonuses!
Munchkin Doors and Treasures Sleeves
Mix and match your favorite Munchkin sets with Munchkin Doors and Treasures Card Sleeves!
Munchkin Dungeon Sleeves
Protect ALL your Dungeon cards!
Munchkin Dice Bag
Store all your Munchkin dice – and give yourself a bonus!
Munchkin Duck of Gloom
The Duck of Doom's mopey twin brother!
Munchkin Jumbo d6
Bigger, better, and beautifuller!
+6 Bag o' Radioactive Munchkin d6
Munchkin dice suitable for the end of the world!
Munchkin Level Playing Field
Counter your rivals and stomp 'em flat!
Munchkin Pawns
Multicolored sets of Munchkin character pawns!
Munchkin Pins
Stick it to your enemies . . . or your friends!
Munchkin Metal Pin
A brushed-metal pin in the shape of the Munchkin head!
Munchkin Bookmark Collection
Ten classic bookmarks and two NEW bookmarks!
- For even more expansions, variants, and accessories, go here!
- Download the official rules and card list.
- To download the most up-to-date rules for all Munchkin games, go to our Rules page!
- Mixed up your decks? Not sure which expansion your cards are from? Check out our handy icons page to get things sorted out!
- Looking for more Munchkin resources? Find places to meet fans, epic rules, other languages, and more here!
- Click here for errata on Super Munchkin, or read the errata and frequently asked questions for ALL Munchkin games!


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|Mallon's Media Watch
Mallon's Media Watch is a Catholic blog site featuring news analysis, response to and commentary on misinformed media reports on the Catholic Church.
Humanae Vitae
Documents of the II Vatican Council
Mallon in the News: Citations & Quotes
Mallon the Right Wing Religious McCarthyite!
Weblog: NYTChristianity Today Magazine
In Memory of 9/11/01 - Rescue Workers Page 7
Benton County Republicans Links
U.S. Catholic Bishops - Pro-Life Activities, August, 2001
U.S. Catholic Bishops - Pro-Life Activities, June 2002
UN article in German: J. Mallon und A. Ruse
Elisabeth Elliot: Commitment Phobia, Marriage: A Right or a Gift? February 17, 2000 Gateway To Joy
Elisabeth Elliot, Commitment Phobia, Quest For Love, August 07, 2001, Gateway To Joy
San Diego News Notes, February 1998 | Clips
St. Joseph Catholic Community - Bulletin
John on EWTN (RealAudio, Scroll to #269, Nov. 13, 1998)
John's Conversion Story in the Book, Spiritual Journeys
TheFactIs.Org Biweekly Column:
Catholic Online Weekly Column: Reality Check
The Culture of Pornography & Committment Phobia
The Tragedy of the Sexual Revolution
The Dating Dearth: A Man's Perspective
When the Trouble with Men Becomes the Trouble with Women
The Reality of God and Political Delusion
Mallon Articles:
Who Really Cares for Women's Lives?
John Kerry's Integrity Problem
What Catholicism Is: an election-year reminder (CWN)
The 'Un-Woman' on the march in Washington (CWN)
Wickedness and the Catholic Vote (CWN)
Bias and judicial nominees - The Washington Times OP-ED
PFAW vs. Mallon response in Wash. Times
National Catholic Register: U.N. Population Fund Ignores U.S. Alarm:
Mallon (Sort of) on VOTF, NCRegister
Mallon's Boston Globe Sept. 6 Op-Ed
Project Rachel: Healing the Wounds of Abortion: An interview
WorldNetDaily: Making victims of Catholics?
The Dating Dearth: a Man's Perspective
Interview with Archbishop Renato Martino
Canticle Magazine - The Voice of Today's Catholic Woman
The US Embassy to the Holy See
FaithfulVoice (Not Voice of the Faithful)
Catholic Blogs
St. Blog's Parish Directory (Until I can get my links rebuilt. Thanks to Gerard Serefin of the Praise of Glory Blog)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
by John Mallon
| link
Any woman who thinks she knows anything about men should look at this...


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Tagged: Colby Rasmus
One Fine Day
Quite a day on the South Side. Here are some of the highlights:
–The 2-1 victory over the Tigers, giving the Sox their second straight series win over Detroit and enabling them to move within 3 1/2 games of the division leaders.
—Alejandro De Aza (above), just up from Charlotte, hit his first major league home run, which proved to be the difference in today's triumph.
–De Aza's promotion has moved Alex Rios to the bench, a smart move considering the latter's disastrous season both at the plate and in the field.
—John Danks was outstanding today, giving up only a run and six hits in six innings along with 10 strikeouts. Most impressive was the fact he got out of jam after jam against the tough Tiger lineup.
–The Trade: Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to the Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and minor league pitcher Zach Stewart. The fact that Jackson will be a free agent at the end of the season made his departure an obvious move. Teahen is addition by subtraction. And Frasor, a Chicagoan who has always been tough on his hometown/new team, will be a big help in the pen.
For the record, Jackson was quickly dealt from the Jays to the Cardinals for centerfielder Colby Rasmus, who was rumored to coveted by the Sox. Counting Toronto, who Jackson never played for, St. Louis is Jackson's seventh team–Dodgers, Rays, Tigers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Blue Jays, Cardinals–in his nine big league campaigns.
–Extra! Extra! Adam Dunn didn't strike out today and had a hit and three walks. A cause for celebration.
–The bullpen has been extraordinary most of the season. This afternoon was no exception as Chris Sale and Sergio Santos (21st save) preserved the Danks win, coming in for three frames of perfect relief. Sale did most of the heavy lifting in his 2 2/3 innings of work as Santos retired one batter–Brennan Boesch, who made the final out.
Sox Note of Note: Apart from the Jackson deal, rumors are flying that other moves are on the way as the Sox try to cut some payroll. Could Matt Thornton, Juan Pierre, Carlos Quentin or even Danks and Gavin Floyd be next?
Sox-Wise and Otherwise
o Return to Unsettled Bullpen and Catching Situations


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On raising a son on the autism spectrum, progressive politics, pop culture, and coffee addiction.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Whatcha readin'?
I don't have a lot of "must reads" to pass on to you right now, but I do have a sizable stack of books in my "to be read" pile. I'm currently reading Lev Grossman's The Magicians, but on deck, in no particular order, are:
Dave Eggers' Zeitoun
Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked
Katherine Neville's The Fire
Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections
Paul Collins' The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World, and
Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book
I've also got a couple of special needs parenting books on the stack:
Dawn Heubner's What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD, and
Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page's Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism
So, how about you? Read any good books lately?
32 comments:
- Ali said...
I'm currently working through the appropriately titled "The Migraine Book," which is proving helpful for medical advice. I have "Sick" for after that, about the current US healthcare system (it's about 2 years out of date but strongly predicted what was to come). For fiction, I'm about to start "Fly By Night," a juvenile lit book.
- January 20, 2010 11:39 PM
- girlonwheels said...
the outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
- January 21, 2010 12:25 AM
- Robin said...
If you like supernatural I highly recommend the "Undead and ..." series by MaryJanice Davidson. Betsy makes me laugh. I also like "Eat, Pray,Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson, and anything by Laurie Colwin. I'll have to check around by my bed to see if there is anything else worth recommending (I read a lot of trash- guilty pleasure!)
- January 21, 2010 1:15 AM
- Ms. TK said...
I have been SO stressed out. I needed some good trash. "A Reliable Wife" has shades of "East of Eden" with some GREAT erotica and really good plot.
A really good snack. Guilty pleasure.
- January 21, 2010 2:16 AM
- Chris said...
"True Confections" by Katharine Weber - just came out this month. Story of a woman who is separated from her husband, whose family has owned a candy business for generations. Hilarious, and the narrator just might not be all that reliable :)
- January 21, 2010 5:53 AM
- jess said...
have you read vicki foreman's wondrous book - this lovely life.
incredible. truly.
- January 21, 2010 6:31 AM
- *m* said...
I am reading THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett; BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott; and GROWING UP ON THE SPECTRUM by Lynn Kern Koegel. Very much enjoying all of them.
- January 21, 2010 6:40 AM
- CANDACE said...
Some of my all-time favorites (in no particular order) are:
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenedis
and if you like mysteries, Sharp Objects & Dark Places, both by Gillian Flynn, were creepy and fantastic. I listened to them both on audio on separate 13 hour solo car trips. Kept me WIDE AWAKE.
- January 21, 2010 6:48 AM
- Niksmom said...
Have just started on The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. It sounded interesting; I'll let you know!
- January 21, 2010 9:15 AM
I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's been slow-going for me (not because of the book, because of me) but it has made quite an impact on me. Life-changing.
- January 21, 2010 9:25 AM
- Cari said...
Im reading Vanished by Jodi Picoult and on the occasion when I need a change Johnny Cash: CASH (Autobiograhy)
But I highly recommend any Jodi Picoult books
- January 21, 2010 9:41 AM
Anything by Janet Evanovich. Mostly the Stephanie Plum series. :) Very funny, easy read.
- January 21, 2010 9:58 AM
I just finished The Help (my book club's pick for the month) and was surprised as all hell that I really really enjoyed it. Not a book I would have chosen on my own, but a good read.
I am also reading Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork. It's a YA novel about a 17 year old boy with autism. Very good so far.
- January 21, 2010 10:04 AM
- Kaethe said...
Liar by Justine Larbalestier. Talk about possibly unreliable narrators. Zippy to read and puzzling.
- January 21, 2010 11:03 AM
- datri said...
I'm trying to read 100 books by the end of the year. Here's what I've read so far:
1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
2. Say You're One of Them, Uwem Akpan
3. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
4. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
5. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout
6. Too Much Happiness, Alice Munro
(I'm already behind, at this rate I'll never get to 100!!)
- January 21, 2010 12:39 PM
- Bea said...
Hehe - two of those books are in my pile too: Juliet, Naked and The Graveyard Book. I wonder who will get to them first?
- January 21, 2010 12:47 PM
- pixiemama said...
Anything by Anita Shreve is usually a good read; Water for Elephants is spectacular; I hear Barbara Kingsolver has a new book out ...
I don't know. I've been working on The Hour I First Believed for a few weeks. I just don't have that much reading time right now. Sad.
- January 21, 2010 1:20 PM
Theo again. :)
Return of the King- last book of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien
Memnoch the Devil- 5th book in the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
On the shelf
Canterbury Tales- Various authors
A Lion Among Men- 3rd book in the Wicked Series by Gregory McGuire
The Divine Comedy- Dante Alegheri
All very highly recommended!! I also recommend Paradise Lost, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and the entirety of the Wicked sereis. Also by the same author Mirrior, Mirrior and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
- January 21, 2010 2:28 PM
- TC said...
I don't generally 'do' music and TV, so I was quiet then, but now...BOOKS. That I can do.
Reading (well, re-reading) right now my all-time favorite, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My other all-time faves, if you haven't hit them yet, are Toni Morrison's Beloved, The Known World by Edward P. Jones, and Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. (Really, ANYTHING by Stegner...)
On my iPod right now is Mary's Roach's Bonk (a nonfiction book about, yes, sex and sexual response, which is brilliant).
I've been on a classics kick of late, reading (and/or rereading) pretty much all of Austen as well as Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, but having just (for the first time!) also read (well, listened to) Middlemarch, which was incredible.
On my nightstand, waiting for me to finish the Marquez, is Book 3 of Maggie Anton's Rashi's Daughters trilogy. I don't know how much they would 'speak' to non-Jews, but I love them; they're sort of a combination of history, romance, Talmud studies, with some other topics thrown in.
I haven't finished my book list for 2009, but if you check my blog archives in December and January, you'll find long lists of at least most of what I read last year.
And now I'll stop. ;-)
- January 21, 2010 2:33 PM
I just read a really good kid's book, if you like that sort of thing. It's geared toward middle grades 4-8. It's The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. I can't recall the author right now, but it was a really well written coming of age book.
- January 21, 2010 3:12 PM
I highly endorse The Graveyard Book and would add Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett writing together)... I've just started it but it's pretty great so far and comes highly recommended from a trusted bibliophile friend. I also have a never-ending pile of Chris Bohjalian books at my bedside and he has another on the way in Feb. His stories a somewhat heavy and at time predictable but they can also be tremendously uplifting.
- January 21, 2010 3:54 PM
- BRJ said...
I read ALL the time!! Just finished one I really liked by a new author. It's her second book- I read the first one, and liked it, but liked the second one much more! It's called "The Likeness" by Tana French. (her first one is called "In the Woods")
Other books I have loved:
"One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus
"The Book Theif" by Markus Zusak
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
"Those Who Save Us" by Jenna Blum
"Firefly Lane" by Kristen Hannah
"Pope Joan" by Donna Wollfolk Cross
"Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan
"The Plague Tales" by Ann Benson
"Bag of Bones" by Stephen King
and nearly every Jodi Picoult I've read!!
Happy Reading
- January 21, 2010 5:13 PM
- Melissa said...
Oh, without a doubt ... "The Financial Lives of the Poets" by Jess Walter. Love, love, love this book. (See review on my blog, if you want.)
The Story of a Marriage, by Andrew Sean Greer
Parallel Play: Growing Up with Undiagnosed Aspergers, by Tim Page
The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister
The Red Leather Diary, by Lilly Koppel
Reading the OED, by Ammon Shea
The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, by Tiffany Baker.
The Life You Longed For, by Maribeth Fischer
Let us know what you end up reading!
- January 21, 2010 8:54 PM
- Dani G said...
I love to read. It's my escape from my ASD world. People ask me ALL the time what I'm reading and what I like. So, I set up a virtual bookshelf with books and ratings: www.shelfari.com/dggotb
I also posted a list of the best books I read in 2009:
I need to go troll through the rest of the comments for some more book suggestions!!
- January 21, 2010 9:47 PM
- Daisy said...
Pretending to be Normal (Lianne Holliday) -- a memoir about growing up with Asperger's, but not knowing it. Fascinating and insightful!
- January 21, 2010 10:08 PM
- cathy said...
I just finished This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathon Tropper and loved it. Very disfunctional family sits shiva for their deceased father. Alternately hilarious, touching, and scathing.
And if you like Neil Gaiman, you might check out Christopher Moore. He's quirky and more lighthearted than Gaiman, but his books are fun reads. I especially liked A Dirty Job and Fool.
- January 22, 2010 1:56 PM
In the middle of Barbara Kingsolver's latest "The Lacuna". In the queue are the Nick Hornby and the new John Irving (I'm not sure I even like Irving anymore, it's more of a compulsion).
I heartily agree with other comments regarding Angle of Repose and Extremely Loud and and Incredibly Close. Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool is an all-time fave.
Loved Kate Atkinson's series of books about detective Jackson Brodie (Case Histories, One good turn, When will there be good news)
Anything by Kingsolver, Ann Patchett, Laurie Colwin, Michael Chabon, Sue Miller.
Okay, I'll stop now...
- January 22, 2010 10:19 PM
- ghkcole said...
Read "What I Thought I Knew" on my iPhone in about 2 days while on vacation and loved the whole experience.
In case you haven't heard of it, a divorced mom in her forties with some medical issues suddenly finds out she is 5 months pregnant, very likely with a special needs child, and she has to rethink everything she thought she knew. After that description, you might not believe me, but I thought it was VERY FUNNY. Darkly funny.
- January 22, 2010 11:32 PM
- Island Mom said...
Oh my word, i've been off-line for a few days and look at the book list!! I'm so glad i said something -- I will need to take notes on this and go to the library myself.
Here's my recent excellent reads:
I just finished "Lit" by Mary Carr, who wrote "Liar's Club" and "Cherry", which are also excellent.
"Wolf Hall" (won the Man Booker prize this year)-- historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell, dense and brilliant writing.
Nicole Krauss' "A History Of Love" which is in my top 5 of all time. I wept and wept and wept.
"The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance" by Elna Baker, a hilarious memoir by one of the writers who performs on the MOTH radio hour.
And ALSO, check out the MOTH site, you can hear stories performed by the writers, it's the best memoir stuff out there, absolutely gorgeous.
"Plague of Doves" by Louise Erdrich (acutally, anything by Louise Erdrich)
"Water Music" and "World's End" by T.C. Boyle (all-time faves)
"The Magician's Assistant" or "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett b/c she writes prose the way others write poetry, flows like absolute honey.
"Everything Is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer, also in by all-time top 5
And of course, "Eat, Pray, Love" because Elizabeth Gilbert articulates yearning and doubt so utterly precisely.
- January 23, 2010 11:08 PM
- MI Dawn said...
I second the Dante. I love his Commedia. Re-read it often.
New Favs for light reading:
Aunt Dimity's Death (and subsequent books) by Nancy Atherton
For adults and children (might be a fun read-aloud for Bud): The Dewey Deception by Ralph Raab. 2 kids (twins, very competitive between each other) end up in a mystery over a summer that involves solving clues left in a library book.
Always on my list: Alice in wonderland, Through the looking Glass, Swiss Family Robinson, Hans Brinker (yeah, I DO re-read a lot of kid lit for fun.)
- January 24, 2010 3:32 PM
- Unknown said...
Do you like mysteries? I'm not really a big fan, but I can recommend two excellent series:
Elizabeth's George's "Inspector Lynley" books and Phil Rickman's "Merrily Watkins" books. George you can find anywhere - Rickman you'll have to find online at B&N or Amazon.
If you like Neil Gaiman and/or Douglas Adams, you might like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Absurdist, satirical, um, fantasy is probably the closest genre. Many of your readers' other suggestions overlap with what I have read / want to read, so listen to them, too. :)
- January 24, 2010 5:01 PM
- ~Kassie~ said...
ooh books! I have been on a huge vampire kick... yea I know... so cliche... but the house of night series is 10 times better than twighlight... and now i am starting vampire acadamy...
I got some super good to-read ideas from everyone else though!
- January 28, 2010 7:35 PM


text:
Gay marriage is a useful marker. It's an issue that's rather orthogonal to atheism, but we can still use it as a parameter to help us identify our allies (it is not, of course, a perfect or even entirely sufficient marker, but it's still kind of cool to see how it splits the country into the the America I want to live in and the America I hope to see in the dustbin of history). Here's a poll on legalizing gay marriage that breaks respondents down into various categories.
The proponents of Bad America: the Tea Party and religious-values Republicans.
The vanguard of Good America: Urban liberals and the agnostic left.
Maybe I should flip my metrics around. The real marker for regressive, bad ol' Americans is their conflation of God and country.


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Posts Tagged 'Human'
How fast Homo sapiens can go..
Posted November 10, 2008on:
Amazing as Usain Bolt's Olympic record-breaking 100-meter victory was, his time of 9.69 seconds is nowhere near what biostatisticians such as Peter Weyand of SMU thinks is the natural limit for the human body. Experts studying the steady progression of records over the past 50 years, see the limit of the world record, with a probable error of 0.17 seconds, namely, to lie between 9.26 to 9.60 seconds. Some see 5.0 seconds a possibility.
Because 6′ 5″ Usian Bolt broke the mathematical model that had fit 100-meter record data for almost a century, his incredible performance has reset the bar for how fast researchers believe humans ultimately can run. Will it be done by a 6′ 9″ future version of Bolt?
How fast will man eventually run? Will he ever run the 100 meters in five seconds flat?
"Not impossible," says one of the world's best known authorities on physiology and biomechanics. Professor Peter Weyand, of Southern Methodist University, known for his expertise in terrestrial locomotion and human and animal performance. Weyand said that humans would soon have the "ability to modify and greatly enhance muscle fibre strength." This is would actually reduce the difference between the muscle properties of humans and the world's fastest animal, the cheetah, to almost zero.
Usain Bolt has now brought up the question — will man get faster and faster? And based on what Weyand says, will he one day outrun the cheetah?
"Probably not," said Weyand. "The same laws of physics apply to all runners. However, biologically speaking, speed is conferred by an ability of the limbs to hit the ground forcefully in relation to the body's weight, an attribute conferred largely by the properties of the muscles of the runner. The fast four-legged runners or quadrupeds do seem to be advantaged versus bipeds in terms of the mechanics allowed by their anatomy. These mechanics help quadrupeds to get the most out of the muscles that they have in a way that bipedal runners probably cannot.
Scientists believe man can't run faster than 30 mph, with the best at about 27mph. A cheetah, on the other hand, reaches speeds triple that. Weyand said he expected speed to continue to improve and faster runners to emerge.
Reza Noubary, a mathematician at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and author of a textbook on statistics and sports, had previously calculated an "ultimate record" of 9.44 seconds for the 100 meter.
Mathematicians don't use the body's physiology to assess human physical limits. They were merely working with data that suggested that human speed increases were decelerating and would eventually stop completely. Indeed, in some events, like the long jump, the pace of record-setting has slowed nearly to a stop. That record has only been broken twice since 1968.
Despite the success of Mureika's model, Weyand, said that mathematical models could never predict how fast humans might eventually run.
"Predicting it is fine for the sake of kicks, but it's not a scientifically valid approach," Weyand said. "You have to assume that everything that has happened in the past will continue in the future."
He suggested that it's impossible for mathematicians to predict the magnitude of the "freakiness of athletic talent at the extreme margins of humanity. Bolt, it turns out, is a perfect example."
Weyand, who has conducted research on the body types of the top 45 100-meter sprinters in the last 15 years, said that almost all elite runners conform to the body norms for their race length, except for the most-recent Olympic champion.
"Bolt is an outlier. He's enormous," Weyand said. "Typically when you get someone that big, they can't start."
That's because muscle speed in animals is generally tied to their size. For example, rodents, being much smaller than elephants, can move their muscles much faster. The same holds true for human beings. Sprinters are short and have more fast-twitch muscle fibers, allowing them to accelerate quickly, but compromising their ability to run longer distances. Four hundred-meter runners, almost always taller, have the reverse composition of muscle fibers.
Bolt, though, combines the mechanical advantages of taller men's bodies with the fast-twitch fibers of smaller men.
"We don't really know what the best form is and maybe Bolt is redefining that and showing us we missed something," said biomechanicist John Hutchinson of the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London, who studies how animals move.
Hutchinson also agreed with Weyand that the human speed limit will remain impossible to predict with any confidence.
For him, it's the International Olympic Committee and other regulatory authorities that will determine how fast athletes will be able to run by limiting the amount of advanced biotechnologies sprinters can use.
"The limits will be largely set by the rules of the IOC," Hutchinson said. "It's kind of an arms race with the regulators of the sport and the people trying to push the technology to the limits. At some point here there must be a détente where technology can't push us any further and the rules will restrict it."
With techniques for gene therapy likely to become available at some point in the not-too-distant future, Weyand said that its use by athletes was "inevitable."
"You could see really freakish things and we probably will," he warned.


text:
This 14K White Gold Vintage Engagement Ring with 0.50 cts of accent diamonds having G color and SI1 clarity is the perfect ring to showcase the unique diamond which symbolizes your enduring love. The accent diamonds beautifully enhance and showcase the splendor of the magnificent center diamond and they make the center stone look much bigger and more important. This ring speaks to the voice inside you which desires to make the entire ring a symbol of your enduring love. And the vintage styling makes the ring an instant classic which speaks to timelessness of love and an attention to detail that further enhances the uniqueness of the ring. Center diamond sold separately.
Additional Information


text:
If you are old enough to remember a world where computers didn't exist, then you probably remember the Smurfs, a lovable bunch of blue creatures who lived in mushrooms and dabbled in magic.
Well the guy who helped bring the Smurfs to U.S. audiences lives in Aventura and he's been feeling the blues lately.
Stuart R. Ross pleaded guilty in August to attempted grand larceny, admitting he tried to extort $11 million from his son-in-law by threatening to destroy his son-in-law's professional reputation and offering to give up access to Ross' grandchildren.
U.S. & World
But now Ross is having a change of heart and his attorney says he might change his plea and fight the charges.
If Ross, 73, went along with the deal, he was promised probation by a judge, but he also had to attend alcohol-abuse and psychiatric programs. Now he risks seven years in prison if convicted.
According to his attorneys, the powers that be took advantage of Ross' failing health and he had no choice but to agree to the plea deal. Apparently getting out of jail free sounded like a a smurftastic idea at the time, but somewhere along the line Ross had a change of heart.
"He had tremendous medical issues going on at that time," attorney Matthew Myers said of Ross while he was jailed on $200,000 bond as he awaited trial. "We just wanted to get him out of jail."
Ross admitted to trying to shake down David Blitzer, an executive at the financial services firm The Blackstone Group LP. He threatened to drag his son-in-law's name through the mud, a la the Smurfs arch-nemesis Gargamel, if he didn't give up the green.
For now, Ross is continuing to negotiate potential probation conditions with prosecutors, Myers said. Ross is due back in a Manhattan court Nov. 1.
Ross, of Aventura, owned certain rights to the Smurfs years ago, according to civil court papers filed by Ross and his son-in-law.
Ross says he bought North American rights to the sky-blue, gnome-like characters after seeing them in their native Belgium in 1976. The cartoon creatures rocketed to fame in a 1980s TV series made by the animation powerhouse Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Now a CGI film about the walking, talking, singing, dancing gnomes is set to hit the big screen and anew generation will be exposed to the Smurfs.
Meanwhile Ross is broke and probably wishing he had Smurfette's shoulder to cry on.


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A 5" x 7" greeting card featuring an image of Mike and Rob from Tough, having a fun pillowfight.
"Text Inside" cards (the default choice) are printed on premium 86 lb. double-sided glossy stock and each comes with a correctly-sized envelope. This card includes the text "You make everything fun." inside and you can add your own note easily with a regular ballpoint pen.
"Blank Inside" cards (which also come with envelopes) are printed on 60 lb. paper that's glossy on the outside where the art is, but regular paper on the inside, so you can easily write inside with whatever you'd like, even pencil! (And they save you money. :) )
The cards also make a great gift for yourself, allowing you to enjoy some of your favorite Tough art at a fraction of the price of one of the larger prints. (They look great on your refrigerator door!)
Using the Card Options menu above, you can buy the cards as singles (with envelope) at the regular price or as packs of 5 (with envelopes) at a special discount.
You won't find these cards at your local drugstore. ;) Share your love of Tough and get a card that's sure to be unique!


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Frank Herbert's Birthday
Today would have been Frank Herbert's 90th birthday. We approach today with a mixture of joy and sadness. Joy at the fact that such an extraordinary man was born on this day and created one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time. Sad that he is no longer with us to help celebrate...
Frank Herbert's Birthday
Today -- October 8th -- is Frank Herbert's birthday. Had the master storyteller still been alive, he would've been 89 years old today.
Frank was born in Tacoma, Washington and passed away on February 11, 1986 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.


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This post is tangentially related to CHP.
Version control is a key tool when programming. Recently, much work has gone into distributed version control systems (DVCS) that dispense with the requirement to have a single central repository, and allow a distributed, loosely-connected network of repositories. There are many DVCS systems out there, but I use darcs (which happens to be written in Haskell) whenever I can. All my Haskell code lives in darcs repositories, and this post is intended to detail a little of how I use it.
Darcs and CHP
Here is the structure of my darcs repositories for CHP across my three development machines (no prizes for guessing my machine naming scheme) for the past few weeks:
Each box is a repository, with the thin arrow-less lines indicating the directory structure. The empty-headed arrows indicate the ways in which patches are pushed and pulled (they are pushed in the direction of the arrow, and pulled in the opposite direction). The directions of the horizontal arrows are far from arbitrary; while both my laptop and university machine can SSH into my home machine (middle), neither of the outer two can be contacted via SSH. Hence they also cannot push and pull directly between each other.
I have about ten repositories in that diagram, which is probably typical for CHP. I tend not to do much work in the top three (the main repositories on each machine, akin to trunks), they are mainly pass-through repositories as I shift patches around. All the work is done in the lower repositories (branches, if you like), which may exist on several of the machines (e.g. the split repository for the recent 2.0 split) and have patches passed between them regularly, or may exist only on one machine. I am usually logged in to two of the machines at once, so that I can push my patches across and test them on several different GHC versions (until last week, all three machines had distinct versions of GHC: 6.8, 6.10, 6.12).
For my other major Haskell project, Tock (which I will also make a post about soon), I could make a similar diagram, but extended on to it are the repositories of the maintainer, Adam. He accepts my emailed patches into one repository to examine them, then he pushes to his main repository, and then later on pushes the patches to the webserver. So my working copy can be about seven repositories away from the publicly visible "trunk", but it's absolutely painless for both of us. There is a limit on how many branches is sensible of course, but darcs makes branching so easy that the branch of a branch is no trouble, even when that might make you uneasy in older version control systems.
I should probably make the CHP repository available on a webserver somewhere — please say if that's something you'd be interested in. But such a public repository is unlikely to be much more up to date than the latest release. This is a combination of keeping my work in branches, and of my fairly regular release policy. You can see from the above diagram that I don't necessarily release from the top middle repository (which is the closest I have to a "trunk"), although generally all the changes do eventually reach that repository.
Branch and Merge: Hunky
Darcs has easy branching and merging (especially compared to VCS systems like Subversion). One use I often make of branching is to get a clean copy of the repository. darcs get . foo will create a clean copy in the foo directory — i.e. a copy without any unrecorded changes. This is useful, for example, when you discover a bug and want to know if it was there before you made your current changes.
Darcs record has a particularly useful hunk-oriented interface. It interactively shows you all the changes you've made, and you can pick which ones you want to form a part of the current commit. This nicely reflects the fact that just because you made two changes to the same file, it doesn't mean they have to end up in the same commit: for example, they may be fixing different bugs, but you happened to notice the presence of one while fixing another. So you can fix them both, then record them separately. This page shows an example. And I gather that hunk-splitting (which would make them even better) is coming in the next major release.
Other uses for Darcs
It's not just Haskell code — in fact, even my home directory is a darcs repository (with my settings files recorded in it):
neil@beast ~: darcs show files . ./.nanorc ./.hscolour ./.bash_everywhere ./.emacs ./.ssh ./.ssh/config
That way, when I get access to a new machine, I just darcs get from my home machine and I have the settings for my favourite editors and for bash (once I source that bash file in my .bashrc on the local machine). It's an amazingly useful idea (thanks to Adam Sampson), and it means that if I modify any settings on any machine, I can record a patch and push it to my main home machine, then pull it onto all the other machines at a later date. So all my editor macros and so on can be easily kept up to date on all my machines, and I can rollback any change I make later on, if needed.
Summary and Donations
I imagine many Haskell programmers are already using darcs, and are aware of its usefulness. The Darcs team are currently running a bit of a fund-raising drive. If you use darcs as much as I do, perhaps you can consider donating a little by way of thanks. If you're not a darcs and/or DVCS user, hopefully this post shows why it's useful.
January 14, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Thanks for the kind words (and for plugging the fund-raising drive!).
First, I'm pleased to note that the cherry picking of hunks is now also a feature in other DVCSes, notably Git. Hopefully, these systems will one day acquire Darcs's ability to cherry pick *everywhere*, during revert, pull, push, send, rollback, because that's really handy and unique. It'd be great to see this idea spread out in the DVCS world too 🙂
As for hunk-splitting, we do have the code right now and have been quite eagerly using it for quite some time. I love it! It's extremely simple to use: you are presented with a before and after block in your text editor and you make any modifications you want.
That said, we're still trying to work out a concise explanation that we can present in the text editor. So I suspect what will happen is that we'll either hide the button (e), just not make a big deal of it, or mark it as experimental.
Anyway, the principle is that hunk splitting turns your patch into a patch sequence, which is *identical* to the original patch. So from a patch p, you get a sequence like pBefore, p1..pN, pAfter. The p1..pN are the direct result of your work in the text editor, and the pBefore and pAfter are infered by Darcs. See what I mean? It's the kind of thing that's actually very easy to use in practice, but sounds really complicated when you first try to explain it. Hopefully, we'll get there…
January 16, 2010 at 4:59 pm
When I look at a scheme of personal computers like that and think about all the time you must spend on it, I can't help but think you would've been better off putting all that money & time into a really nice laptop which could replace them all!
(Not that managing ~/ in a DVCS isn't a good idea for entirely other reasons, though.)


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Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. has hired one of the architects of then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft's policies to serve as his law clerk at the Supreme Court for the rest of the current term, the court announced yesterday.I do find this troubling, but the fact that Ciongoli is a former clerk of Alito's takes some of the edge off it. It doesn't seem that Alito went looking for someone with an inside knowledge of important cases that he is likely to face. And there is a process in place for law clerks to recuse themselves: "According to a 2002 federal publication, 'Maintaining the Public Trust: Ethics for Federal Judicial Law Clerks,' clerks should not participate in cases that they worked on 'in a previous legal job,' or about which they have personal knowledge of disputed facts."
Adam G. Ciongoli, 37, a senior vice president at Time Warner Inc., served as counselor to Ashcroft from 2001 to 2003. He attended Georgetown University Law Center, clerked for Alito at the Philadelphia-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit from 1995 to 1996, and helped prepare the justice for his recent confirmation hearings.
Ciongoli was an aide to Ashcroft during Ashcroft's years as a senator and then came to the Justice Department, where he advised Ashcroft on terrorism issues in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Among the issues he worked on were the detention of thousands of terrorism suspects in the United States and the use of military tribunals to try them.
As a law clerk for Alito, his responsibilities will include helping Alito draft opinions, prepare for oral argument and sift through the mountain of appeals that arrive each week.
Ciongoli's appointment, which will last about five months, is unusual: Though there has been a slight trend at the court toward hiring law clerks with a few years of work experience, the vast majority of clerks are recent law school graduates.
Among those who have come to the court after working elsewhere, none in recent memory had held a government position as senior as Ciongoli's at the Justice Department, where he was widely regarded as one of Ashcroft's closest confidants.
Perhaps it is a good thing for the Justices to hire more experienced persons as their clerks. Here Alito has tapped a person he trusted to help him with his confirmation hearings. Hiring Ciongoli seems so strange because we are used to the strangeness of thoroughly green clerks.


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With the presidential election dominating the headlines, the newest episode of "Saturday Night Live" began with more political parody – this time focusing not on the Republican field but on the struggling Democratic incumbent, Barack Obama.
After two years of reports about low consumer confidence, people turned out in droves to spend on Black Friday, said a somewhat perplexed "Obama" (again played by Fred Armisen).
"Suddenly I see thousands of you are at Wal-Mart pepper-spraying each other for an XBox. Which is it?" he asked in the show's cold open.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
He made a halfhearted plug for his stalled jobs bill, noting that his big speech for it in September got him two things – "jack and squat."
Armisen's Obama then turned to the prospect that the Supreme Court could kill his healthcare bill in its upcoming term.
"That's right, take my signature piece of room into a room and quietly shoot it like Joe Pesci in 'Good Fellas,'" he remarked.
The presidential character went on to clear up misconceptions about the purported power of his job. He released a list of "America's Most Powerful" topped by Congress, which he said does nothing but prevents anyone else from doing anything either.
"They're like Hotel California. Legislation checks in, and it never leaves," he zinged.
Republican antitax guru Grover Norquist was #2 on the list, followed at #3 by Oprah, and then by the NFL, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Supreme Court.
Tyler Perry was ninth, and "Verizon Customer Service" was tenth.
"And finally me, the president. Barely above Pippa Middleton, and the Kia Gerbils," Obama said. "See, I may not have all the power I used to, but I still have more than all of the Republican candidates combined."