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Some new concept art from Fox's 2005 Fantastic Four movie has surfaced, and you're either going to need a bag to vomit in or a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from your brow, because as mediocre as that film was, we clearly dodged a bullet. Unless, of course, you were hoping for a lumpy, rock-tumor-ridden Thing to stalk the screen, or for Dr. Doom to look like a rejected Farscape alien. In which case, uh, sorry about your luck, I guess.
G/O Media may get a commission
[Via Blastr]


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WASHINGTON — When Anthony Foxx took the oath as U.S. transportation secretary last week, it had been more than four years since the last fatal commercial airline accident on American soil.
That changed Saturday, when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport en route from South Korea, killing two passengers and injuring more than 100.
However, the most public face of the response isn't Foxx's. According to Mary Schiavo, a Transportation Department inspector general in the 1990s, transportation secretaries are more behind-the-scenes players in the responses to accidents.
"In terms of getting in there and rolling up your sleeves, no," she said. "He's not going to play a direct role."
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board immediately activated their response teams, sending them to the accident site to begin their investigations into the causes.
Foxx, a former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., learned of the Asiana accident almost immediately through the Department of Transportation's crisis management center, which monitors the nation's transportation system, according to Transportation Department spokeswoman Meghan Keck.
Keck said that in the days since, the new secretary had maintained contact with the FAA, the NTSB and the White House.
"The Department of Transportation and the FAA are working closely to assist the NTSB with its investigation," Foxx said last weekend in a joint statement with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.
More bad news came Sunday, when an air taxi crashed after takeoff in Soldotna, Alaska, killing 10 people, including nine members of two families on vacation from South Carolina.
Even though Foxx doesn't have a hands-on role in the accident responses, he's active in promoting safety, one of his agency's primary goals.
"Safety will remain our top priority at DOT," Foxx wrote in a letter to the department's 55,000 employees on his first day as their boss.
In spite of the sometimes-sensational coverage of crashes, aviation has become much safer in recent years. According to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, no fatalities in U.S. commercial aviation occurred during eight of the past 20 years. In 1960, there were 499 fatalities in a year when passengers flew 1.1 billion miles. Last year saw zero fatalities, out of 7.7 billion passenger miles flown.
But major aviation accidents are still traumatic for the public and can test even the most seasoned veterans.
Foxx's predecessor, Ray LaHood, had been in the post only a few weeks when a Colgan Air regional jet crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., killing all 50 people aboard. LaHood has said it was his worst day on the job.

subset: commoncrawl


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(a) An applicant for an auctioneer license shall:
(1) Apply on forms prescribed by the commissioner;
(2) Pay a nonreturnable application fee and a license fee; and, upon successful completion of the application process, a license fee; and
(3) File a bond as required by this article.
(b) The commissioner shall, within 30 days after the receipt of an application, notify the applicant of his or her eligibility to be examined at the next regularly scheduled examination, as well as the date of the examination.
(c) If the license is denied, the commissioner shall refund the license fee submitted with the application to the applicant.
(d) All licenses expire on June 30 of each year: Provided, That an auctioneer may continue to perform auctions for up to 30 days after June 30, so long as he or she has submitted the required paperwork to renew his or her auctioneer license: Provided, however, That licenses issued in 2019 shall continue to be active through June 30, 2020. A license may be renewed upon the payment of the annual renewal fee within 60 days of the expiration date. Renewals received more than 60 days after the expiration date are subject to a late renewal fee in addition to the annual renewal fee.
(e) A license that has been expired for more than two years cannot be renewed until the auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer takes the written and oral examination, pays the examination fee and complies with the other requirements of this article.
(f) Where an auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer requires a duplicate or replacement license or a license reflecting a change in information, the auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer shall submit the fee with the request.
(g) The State Department of Agriculture is the agent for the purpose of service of process on a licensed auctioneer for any action occasioned by the performance of the duties of the auctioneer. Every licensed auctioneer, by virtue of his or her application for a license, shall be considered to have consented to the statutory agency.


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Paperweights Can Be A Functional & Decorative Desk Accessory
Certain types of desk accessories are purely for decoration and serve no task in organizing your desktop. A figurine is an example of such a desk accessory. Then, there are desk accessories that are purely "productive" tools such as a stapler. When it comes to engraved paperweights, Gifts for Professionals gives you both options. We have the most beautiful engraved paperweights that can be functional and add to the grandeur of your office desk. Find themes such as star paperweights. Our crystal paperweight collection is our finest desk accessory offerings.


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Bloodline® by John Page JP-1 - 1 set of 2 (N&M)
Bloodline® JP-1 pickups bring the sonic perspective and character of John Page, among the world's greatest living custom luthiers, to your guitar. They have a classic early 60's S-style tone - stringy with great clarity, full and meaty but not overly hot. In John's words, "It's time to start feeling your guitar as well as hearing it – and my Bloodline® JP-1 pickups can help."
Alnico #5
Flat Pole Design
#42 gauge wire
Polyurethane insulation
8,500 turns
6.38 K Resistance
Reverse wound
8,500 turns
6.38 K Resistance
9,700 turns
7.38 K Resistance


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SOFTBALL: Brian Hurlock named interim softball coach at Wolcott Tech
TORRINGTON >> Brian Hurlock, Wolcott Tech's girls basketball coach for the past four years, takes over as softball coach this year.
He's on an interim basis while veteran Vera Richardson takes a year's sabbatical from coaching.
Nevertheless, the Wildcats are already experiencing a sea change in style.
"A lot of kids know how I am and what to expect," Hurlock grins.
It's a sometimes-wild mixture: part fun, part fundamentals and rules, part high expectations.
"I know the game. I was taught by the best," says Hurlock, whose 14-8 girls basketball team recorded the most wins in school history two years ago.
In softball, Hurlock started as an assistant to legendary coach Eileen Crompton in 1980 at Lewis Mills High School. Crompton's Spartans won two of her three state championships in the eight years Hurlock was with her.
He left for the softball head coaching job at Farmington, where the Indians had a five-year state tournament drought before he arrived. They qualified in five of Hurlock's seven years there.
His next stop was Brookfield for the girls head coaching job, but another legendary softball coach,
Bobcat athletic director Cyndi Adamski, asked him to co-coach with her in softball as well.
The number one lesson from two Hall of Fame coaches, plus legendary player Linda Hamm?
"Bring the fun you might have after practice into the practice itself. Make sure they want to be at practice."
So Hurlock spices up a run-down drill in the Wolcott Tech gym Thursday.
"I heard from one girl -- I won't mention any names," he tells the group. "She thought playing the outfield was boring."
Then he explains the spots his outfielders ought to be covering as backups in the drill.
An important part of fun in any sport is the possibility of actually winning.
At 7-13 last year, the Wildcats were just one win away from qualifying for the state tournament.
"The kids are excited," said Hurlock. "Monday, we worked out in the parking lot. Nineteen guys for two hours in 37-degree temperatures. They were saying, 'Hey, new guy! Push us, teach us!'"
By Thursday, he returned their wishes with his own hopes and expectations.
"I think we can win 10 games," he told them.
"Right now, the one flaw I see is we don't have a lot of people with commitment to a high school sport. I can't remember the last time Wolcott Tech made the state tournament. If you're a varsity starter and you live in Oshkosh, you need to be at practice."
Hurlock is a self-proclaimed stickler for fundamentals.
"We've got to know the rules of the game," he tells them.
"We catch the ball with two hands. We run as a team, we throw as a team.
We do everything as a team."
Hurlock feels good about the key positions on his team. With the kind of commitment he's asking, the Wildcats can win as a team.


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Representing Today's Indigenous Champions
International Indigenous Speakers Bureau
Indigenous peoples make up for more than 5000 distinct tribes.
While Indigenous peoples total only about 6% of the world's population, they represent 90% of the cultural diversity.
Featured Speakers
Ngahihi BidoisBusiness Leadership + Environment + Inspiration
Multi-award winning International Leadership Speaker and Author, Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is kno...
Michelle ThrushCaring + Creative + Inspiring
Gemini Award winning Actress, and multi-award nominee, including Best Lead Actress and Best Ac...
Jaris SwidrovichPharmacist + Health Care + Educator
Named one of CBC Saskatchewan's "Future 40", Dr. Jaris Swidrovich is Canada's first self...
Eddy RobinsonEducator + Dancer + Drummer
Featured in CBC's Moccassins & Concrete documentary and having performed with the li...
Recent News
Joseph Naytowhow speaks on Residential Schools: My truth is Your truth. We are All in this together.
IISB Speaker Joseph Naytowhow speaks with Lululemon to educate on the significance of Orange Shirt Day in Canada elevating our understanding with his experience in Residential School.
Dr Keolu Fox - Widening the Lens on Genetics
Dr Keolu Fox, featured in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights how Indigenous people hold the answers to many genetic questions.
Featured Speakers
Eddy Robinson
Featured in CBC's Moccassins & Concrete documentary and having performed with the likes of Serena Ryder, Andrea Menard, Plex and many others, Eddy Robinson's perspective and drum beats are highly sought after.
Eddy Robinson is a caring and motivated educator, speaker, and life changer. He speaks to the need for understanding the benefits of knowing your culture. Eddy will enlighten and entertain with passionate, personal narratives, along with a depth of insight into indigenous culture and knowledge.
Jaris Swidrovich
Named one of CBC Saskatchewan's "Future 40", Dr. Jaris Swidrovich is Canada's first self-identified First Nations Doctor of Pharmacy. As President of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, and member of numerous other boards Swidrovich brings his successful multiversity experience of bridging organizational needs with Health Care mandates. Passionate about health, education, and how Indigenous and marginalized people are impacted at local, provincial, national, and international levels, Dr. Swidrovich delivers powerful presentations illustrating how we can all be part of the cure and partake in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action.
Michelle Thrush
Gemini Award winning Actress, and multi-award nominee, including Best Lead Actress and Best Actress in a TV series, powerhouse celebrity Michelle Thrush knows what it takes to light up a stage. Wit, humour, passion, and creativity are just a few of Michelle's attributes, outside of celebrity, that draw her to stages world-wide. Whether she is speaking from her heart, hosting galas, or breaking down the barriers of stereotypes, Michelle engages, captivates, and moves audiences to feel and see her unique vision of life.
Ngahihi Bidois
Multi-award winning International Leadership Speaker and Author, Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is known as "The Face of New Zealand" inspires with the timeless wisdom from the Maori culture. This Modern day warrior's presentation on "Ancient Wisdom Modern Solutions" is why he is the recipient of the National Professional Speakers Association, New Zealand Inspirational Speaker of the Year. A Maori leader, Ngahi combines centuries of tradition, along with his hands-on business experience, and academic qualifications to bring a message that transcends cultural boundaries.


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Surachai "Coach Sam" HarnsongkramWrestling Coach, 1969-1998
Jesuit High School
Inducted: 2000
Coach Sam was the wrestling coach and a P.E./Mathematics instructor at New Orleans' Jesuit High School from 1969 to 1998. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin University, Coach Sam led Jesuit to seven straight city wrestling championships, 18 state championships, including 11 in a row from 1988-98, and nine state runner-up finishes. During that time, he coached 81 individual state champions (including five All-Americans) and was named Coach of the Year 14 times by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Coach Sam was the Southern AAU/USA Wrestling chairman since 1969 and a USA National and FILA wrestling official. In 1975 he was presented a Certificate of Merit and Key to the City of New Orleans as well as being named an honorary Colonel on Governor Edwin Edwards' staff. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.


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Call us today regarding your specific matter. We offer case evaluations free of charge. Being fully informed on your case is the first step towards resolution.
Once your case has been opened, we will immediately begin the steps towards resolving your matter and getting your ticket(s) dismissed!
We pride ourselves on top tier professional service every step of the way. Rest assured that we will take care of everything.
Greetings, and welcome to the website of 866speeding.com. We are hands down the best site for California residents or persons with a California traffic ticket, who are seeking information regarding any kind of traffic violation. We specialize in speeding violations, red light violations, suspended license, failure to appear, as well as DMV licensing matters and issues. You are sure to find the professional California Traffic Ticket Attorney services that will meet your needs right here.
I personally have over 46 years of trial experience . . . with an 86.57% case success rate [see Victory List]. The majority of ALL cases that we handle end with successful results for the client. Our extensive "Victory List" is available right here on our website for all to view . . . you might not believe it otherwise. You can click below to hear a message from our founder, Sherman M. Ellison. Or, if you are in need of an experienced, qualified California Traffic Ticket Attorney right away, you can fill out our Free Evaluation form or call us at 818-994-8888 for a FREE consultation regarding how we would handle your specific ticket. We will take into consideration the specific facts regarding your ticket and your own personal reasons for having the ticket dismissed.
Speeding Laws
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VC 22350 - Basic Speed Law
VC 21453 - Red Light
VC 41501 - Traffic School
Downloadable Forms
Message From Sherman
Links of Interest
Site Map
Articles of Interest
Click here to view an ever growing archive of articles related to Traffic Tickets.


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One of the best uninstallers is now available in a new version!
Ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG today released version V1.10 of "Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite"!
Monitor and remove Windows applications. COMPLETELY.
Modern Windows applications are very complicated "beasts". They include large numbers of files that are often saved in many different places, not just in the application's own program directory. In addition to this they also have even larger numbers of settings, sometimes hundreds, which they record in Windows' central database, which is known as the Windows Registry.
Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite works by creating two "snapshots" of your system, one before you install an application and another one directly afterwards. These snapshots record the entire status of your computer system, including all registry entries, the locations, dates, sizes and versions of all files and the contents of all configuration files. After creating the second snapshot the program then compares it with the first and records all the differences in a special file called an "installation log file", or "log file" for short. When you tell Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite to uninstall the application it loads a previously created log file and uses the information it contains to restore everything on your system to the way it was before you installed the application.
New in version V1.10 of Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite:
* Additional languages: Spanish, Dutch, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish
* News Channels: The integrated news channel system keeps the user informed about update versions and other Ashampoo news.
* Several improvements under the hood
The shareware version V1.10 of Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite can be downloaded here
For more information see the product page at: http://www.ashampoo.com/products/0403
Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite in a nutshell:
Name: Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum Suite
Version: V1.10
Author: Ashampoo
Software: Shareware
Languages: English, German, French, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, Dutch,
Platforms: Windows 98, Me, 2000 and XP
Size: 6,04 MB
Price: 49.99 $
Screenshot: http://www.ashampoo-11.com/ashampoo.com_images/img/frontend/img/products/0403/en/screenshots/scr_0403_en.jpg
Product page: http://www.ashampoo.com/products/0403
Homepage: http://www.ashampoo.com
Contacts for Media:
Johann Lueppen
ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG
++49 +441 93379 34
Angela Woisch
ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG
++49 +441 93379 11


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Attorney General Tom Horne Obtains Indictment Against Maricopa Real Estate Owner
Phoenix, AZ – March 31, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — After an audit by the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) of Maricopa Properties, LLC revealed a shortage in the company's statutorily mandated trust account, Attorney General Tom Horne obtained an indictment against owner Dawn Anderson. Maricopa Properties is a property management company based in the City of Maricopa, Arizona. Anderson has been charged with theft, forgery, and fraud schemes and practices.
As a real estate broker engaged in the business of property management, Anderson is licensed and regulated by the ADRE. She is required by law to maintain and be responsible for a trust account containing funds belonging to the owners of the rental properties managed by her. The property owners are the legal beneficiaries of this trust account. In the most recent Broker Audit Declaration filed by Anderson with the ADRE, she indicated that the trust account was in balance, meaning that all owner money that should be in the account was in fact in the account. However the audit determined that more than $270,000 of owner funds entrusted to her was missing as of January 31, 2013.
All charges are allegations and the Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


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Ah fake New York in February... pic.twitter.com/Jw5GTEMMnb— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 14, 2014
The cast got emotional during the final table read on February 14, 2014.
The final #HIMYM production mtg this AM. (Please note the Kleenex on the table!) pic.twitter.com/hiSWRxklFs— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 14, 2014
Final #HIMYM table read -- there are no words.— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 14, 2014
And to state the obvious: The cast, including Cristin, was just amazing. #HIMYM— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 14, 2014
Read the HIMYM series finale script on the treadmill at the gym this morning. People probably thought that was sweat in my eyes. Suckers.— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 14, 2014
Today we are having our last ever HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER table read. Carter & Craig are trying to rip my heart out on Valentine's Day.— alyson hannigan (@alydenisof) February 14, 2014
Umm...so this is how the last HIMYM Table Read went for me.
#sorrytrees pic.twitter.com/UApWvPbbOM— alyson hannigan (@alydenisof) February 14, 2014
Just finished the initial read thru of the final How I Met Your Mother. Ever.
Holy moly.
Just... holy dang moly.
#soproud— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) February 14, 2014
And then filming started last week.
Just hit "send" on Carter and my final pass on the #HIMYM finale. It is done. Let's shoot this.— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 18, 2014
We love all you guys -- we're so grateful that you have come on this journey with us. Thank you all. #HIMYM— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 18, 2014
Among the guest stars returning in the #HIMYM finale: the fourth wall of the bar! Last seen in episode... 2? pic.twitter.com/aipHuZT77D— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 19, 2014
Saying bye to Ted, Barney, Robin, Lily and Marshall will be as hard as saying bye to real people in my life (sorry, real people in my life!)— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 18, 2014
#HIMYM pic.twitter.com/hAZsZBriLh— alyson hannigan (@alydenisof) February 18, 2014
Aly's daughters, Satyana and Keeva, visiting the set (or maybe more?) one day.
Just wrapped my final #HIMYM Bar scenes. Wow, we drank A LOT!!!— alyson hannigan (@alydenisof) February 19, 2014
Shooting the final scene of the #HIMYM finale right now. Potential "last line of the series" ad lib battle is brewing.— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 20, 2014
A picture Cobie Tweeted and then deleted - most likely because she's wearing the locket.
Things are gettin real on the HIMYM set. #fivemoreshootingdays— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 20, 2014
We just shot our last scene in the #HIMYM apartment...so that happened.— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 20, 2014
Today we also shot what will be the final scene of #HIMYM. (Weird to do that on day 3 of a 6-day shoot! Hard to process!)— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 20, 2014
And then, because he had to film a movie, Jason wrapped up filming early.
Here's Big Fudge's chair.
Sadly, today is his very last day shooting on HIMYM.
I'm really gonna miss this guy 😕 pic.twitter.com/VQEihThVyA— David Baker (@DaveProps) February 21, 2014
@jasonsegel is heading off to Michigan to shoot a movie, so he won't be with us for our last week of filming.
#HEARTBREAKING— David Baker (@DaveProps) February 21, 2014
Jason Segel's last #HIMYM scene tonight. It has been an honor to work with a man so talented and kind. We are lucky.— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 22, 2014
I love Jason Segel— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 22, 2014
Just shot last scene w all 5 at once @alydenisof @jasonsegel @ActuallyNPH @CobieSmulders @JoshRadnor #HIMYM tissues! pic.twitter.com/tzLciuVlKs— Kelly Harris (@kellyharris83) February 22, 2014
Just wrapped Jason Segel. There is no truer gentleman. Boy, did we hit the jackpot with him. Godspeed Marshall.— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 22, 2014
Fun on set with our shipment of BITE lipsticks. Love this Canadian brand! bitebeauty http://t.co/pegVVjMUWX— Cobie Smulders (@CobieSmulders) February 26, 2014
I just uttered my last word as Barney "Awesomepants" Stinson today. Nine years. Man, time sure flies when you're having fun...— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) February 26, 2014
Sandy Rivers is returning!
Btw, all you HIMYM fans, I said goodbye to Sandy Rivers today.
Thanks for having me back @CarterBays et al. pic.twitter.com/JAGp7FOs2j— Alexis Denisof (@AlexisDenisof) February 27, 2014
The apartment just filmed its last scene. #GoodbyeHIMYM pic.twitter.com/J8jpZj2AEG— George Sloan (@georgesloan) February 26, 2014
Big ups to @ActuallyNPH. What a dream writing for this cat. We wouldn't be here without him, and wouldn't want to be. Godspeed Barney.— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 27, 2014
Cheers to @ActuallyNPH - just shot his last #HIMYM scene...he is a writer's dream come true - what a legendary ride.— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 27, 2014
And now today, the final day of shooting.
Final shoot day of #HIMYM today...thank you guys for going on this ride with us, it has been a true honor...— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 28, 2014
Probably some emotional (read: drunk) tweeting to come later today. #HIMYM— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 28, 2014
That's a wrap for @CobieSmulders and @alydenisof -- both amazing, talented and above all, kind...we love you! #HIMYM— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 28, 2014
A yellow umbrella prepares for its close-up. #HIMYM pic.twitter.com/cxCXRIuirR— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) February 28, 2014
Last stop. pic.twitter.com/aMJRmbG4GS— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 28, 2014
Thank you @alydenisof for nine amazing years. A wonderful actress and friend. Godspeed Lily!— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 28, 2014
A round of applause for the wildly talented @CobieSmulders -- a privilege to work with you these nine years. Godspeed Robin.— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) February 28, 2014
I am officially wrapped from How I Met Your Mother!!! It has been a true pleasure to be a part of this family. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!— alyson hannigan (@alydenisof) February 28, 2014
9125 scenes, 208 episodes, 9 seasons
#HIMYM pic.twitter.com/rcdK7e56kR— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 28, 2014
About to shoot a scene on a train platform. pic.twitter.com/50Xh303SDH— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 28, 2014
It was raining the day I auditioned for HIMYM. It's raining the day I finish. English majors, what does this mean?!— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) February 28, 2014
so fun working w u @EllenDWilliams ! hope to catch u on the train back to NYC after the wedding ;)— Billy Zabka (@WilliamZabka) February 28, 2014
.@JoshRadnor @alydenisof @jasonsegel what an honor & blast to have played with u all. thx for the open arms! #HIMYM pic.twitter.com/YxOPvhxVUx— Billy Zabka (@WilliamZabka) February 28, 2014
i know... what a lucky guy :)) congrats @CobieSmulders & Cristin Milioti! thanks for the HIMYM fun & hospitality pic.twitter.com/zFfWlbXC0J— Billy Zabka (@WilliamZabka) February 28, 2014
T-minus 3 hours til cameras roll on final day of #himym prod. For a show with a yellow umbrella at its heart, L.A. rain feels appropriate.— HIMYM Production (@himymprod) February 28, 2014
About the only thing on set that can be revealed without #himym spoilers. Fans... The ceiling: pic.twitter.com/Oi71M2F5Ff— HIMYM Production (@himymprod) February 28, 2014
#GoodbyeHIMYM pic.twitter.com/eagTMvWZVX— George Sloan (@georgesloan) February 28, 2014
Neil Patrick Harris wrapped up his nine-year run as How I Met Your Mother's Barney on Thursday with…short shorts?!
In the following behind-the-scenes photo of the actor filming his final scene (as director/executive producer Pam Fryman and the crew give him a round of applause), Harris is seen wearing a very casual outfit in lieu of one of his character's classic suits.
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Take Home Paint Kits
Tuesday, September 22
per guest
Learn more
Class Details
Paint and have fun in your own space! Our painting kits include all the supplies you need and are fun for all ages. (Please read event descriptions or contact your local studio for more information.)
The Perfect Night Out
Enjoy drinks, upbeat music and hanging out with your favorite people while you paint! It's as fun for first-time painters as it is for experienced artists.
Fun Atmosphere
From the moment you walk in, the mood is light, the music is fun and the conversation comes easy!
Easy to Do
You don't need to be a seasoned painter — we make it easy for everyone to find their inner artist!
Sit Together
You'll get seats with all your friends, even if you book separately. Just tell us your friends' names when you register.
Paint Your Way
There's no rule that says you have to follow the artist's steps. It's your art, so paint it however you like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our FAQs to learn more about what to expect from your Pinot's Palette experience or feel free to call the studio to speak to a member of our staff.
Is SOCIAL DISTANCING required at your studio?
🎨 YES. Only guests with reservations paid in advance may enter and must bring and wear their own mask and adhere to all social distancing guidelines. Walk-ins not accepted.
What is the CANCELLATION-REFUND policy?
🎨Due to the custom nature of ALL of our classes, NO REFUNDS will be issued for reservations! However, For Individual Reservations: if you cancel with at least 24 hours' notice we will convert your payment into a CLASS CREDIT that can be used within 30 days for a future class. No Shows will forfeit their reservation payment. For No-Shows, we do not allow you to take unused supplies from the studio, as we incur an expense for prepping unused supplies. 🎨 Refund and Cancellation Policy for Private Parties and Little Brushes camp: For cancellations that occur at prior to the event, we will issue a Class Credit for use within 60 days of issue. In General, our art sessions are NOT eligible for refunds of any sort, due to the expense involved in planning and scheduling these. 🎨 For Details, See Reservation Terms and Conditions and Private Party Terms and Conditions. http://pinotspalette.com/pleasantridge/reservation-terms-and-conditions. By completing the check-out process, you agree to this policy.
Can I bring my own ALCOHOL or Other Drinks to the studio?
🎨 We have an awesome WINE BAR at our studio. BYOB establishments are not permitted in the state of Arkansas. Customers 21 and older are able to purchase fine beers, wines and soft drinks from our fabulous Wine bar for on-premises consumption. Our bar menu is available at our website homepage.
Can I bring people with me to the studio as OBSERVERS who do not want to paint?
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A new source of start-up financing
Without much fanfare, a revolution has been occurring in the way that entrepreneurs find start-up funding. People who used to rely on venture capital are setting up new kinds of partnerships with established companies and getting a lot more than money in return. It's already a major trend among technology firms -- I see it everywhere I go. And I suspect that this is only the beginning. -- J.K.
This was not supposed to happen to someone like Finis Conner. A legendary figure in Silicon Valley, he had cofounded both Shugart Associates and Seagate Technology Inc., two of the more spectacular success stories in the history of the computer industry. Yet when he set out to raise money for a new disk-drive start-up in 1986, he got the kind of reception usually reserved for novices. Some venture capitalists acted as though they were doing him a favor just by listening. A few openly questioned his ability to manage. As for the handful who came through with offers of money, they did so at valuations so low that Conner feared losing control of his venture.
To be sure, Conner understood why investors might be skittish: a sudden downturn in the microcomputer business had left many of them with burned fingers and cold feet. "The conditions in the industry made everybody suspect," he says. Nevertheless, the 45-year-old entrepreneur found the experience galling. "I was angry and disappointed. I felt like I was constantly being asked when I'd stopped beating my wife. Every venture capitalist seemed to want to squeeze me a little bit more."
Frustrated, Conner turned for advice to Rod Canion, president and CEO of Houston-based Compaq Computer Corp. The two were old friends: Conner had served as Canion's sounding board during the launch of Compaq. Now, Canion returned the favor -- and then some. "He asked me, 'Why should you take this grief?' " Conner recalls. "He suggested that Compaq take a position in the new company. So I told the VCs, 'Forget it. I don't want your money.' This is how Rod Canion saved this company."
The offer represented more than the generosity of a friend. Canion saw in Conner Peripherals Inc. the solution to a major problem confronting his own company -- the need for a dependable source of technically advanced disk drives to go in Compaq's new line of portable computers. "We could see ways to improve [disk drives], but we saw no one doing them," Canion says. Conner was ready, willing, and able. Beyond that, he had a revolutionary design for a lightweight disk drive providing both high performance and exceptional reliability. That was just the kind of disk drive Compaq needed to reinforce its own reputation as the leader in technology and quality among manufacturers of microcomputers for business.
"The arrangement allowed us to gain an advantage over our competitors," says Canion. "For [Conner], it was a way to get going. For us, it was a form of vertical integration -- but a couple orders of magnitude less expensive."
Compaq invested $12 million in Conner Peripherals, initially getting 49% of the stock in return (see "The Structure of a Deal," page 6). But the start-up received more than capital. It also got a major customer, not to mention the marketing knowledge and technical expertise of one of the premier management teams in the microcomputer industry. Conner Peripherals made the most of it. In 1987, its first year of production, the fledgling venture garnered a remarkable $113 million in sales, with more than $11 million in aftertax profits. In 1988 sales and profits climbed to more than $256 million and $20 million, respectively. Scarcely two years after being effectively shut out by the venture capital community, Conner Peripherals was employing almost 2,900 people and had emerged as one of the most successful high-tech start-ups of the 1980s.
And Compaq, for its part, hasn't done badly, either. It is so pleased with the Conner disk drives that it offers them in all its computers. Meanwhile, its revenues have continued to soar, passing the $2-billion mark in 1988 (just six years after the company's founding). Equally important, Compaq's reputation for quality and performance remains secure -- thanks partly to its deal with Conner.
It's becoming an increasingly common story in the world of growing companies. Start-ups that would once have been prime candidates for venture capital are instead looking for other sources of funding, and their search often leads them to established companies in related industries. In many cases, they wind up talking to potential customers, as Conner did; occasionally, they go to potential suppliers or distributors. Whatever the relationship, the goal is to find a larger company that stands to benefit from the start-up's success. If the pieces fit, the two companies do a deal, providing the smaller company with capital and expertise, and the established company with a promising relationship and an ownership stake. Win-win. Call it a natural partnership.
The concept is not altogether new. Large companies have been taking minority positions in smaller ones for decades. Lately, however, the trend has been accelerating -- particularly, though not exclusively, in the high-technology arena. The extent of the change was evident in a 1986 survey of 121 high-tech CEOs by the Southern California Technology Executives' Network. Those CEOs ranked corporate partnerships first among the various choices for new funding -- almost twice as popular as venture capital. On a national level, meanwhile, the number of Fortune 500 corporate investments in venture-backed small companies skyrocketed from 32 in 1980 to 477 in 1987, according to Venture Economics Inc., in Needham, Mass.
But the change goes beyond the sheer volume of deals. There has also been a shift in the nature of these so-called strategic alliances. In the past many large companies established such relationships for the purpose of gaining "a window on technology." Others tried to play the venture capital game, viewing their investments simply as a means of achieving large capital gains. In neither case was the large company counting on the long-term success of the smaller one as an operating business. The assumption was that, sooner or later, the small company would go public or be acquired, and the large company would either cash out or integrate its erstwhile partner into its own corporate structure. The new kind of alliance, in contrast, is based on the assumption that each partner has a strong interest in the other's ability to be an established, successful, independent company.
There are apparently two major forces behind the trend. For one thing, many young companies have been forced to seek sources of capital outside the venture community, which has grown cool to start-ups in recent years. That's because venture capitalists have been finding it more difficult to make money on early-stage financing. "As returns go down, people look for other investments," observes Fred Warren, a partner at Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles venture capital firm. "It's a natural shift." Between 1986 and 1987, for example, the amount of venture dollars invested in start-ups declined from 16% to 11%. Today some of the industry's leading firms, such as Brentwood, place the bulk of their investments in latter-stage financings and leveraged buyouts. In 1983 the $161-million Brentwood IV fund allocated only 25% of its money to leveraged buyouts, using the rest as traditional venture capital. More than 70% of the firm's current $210 million has been placed in LBOs.
This shift in priorities has affected everyone looking for venture backing, even such well-known company builders as Conner. And it has been devastating to relatively obscure entrepreneurs in capital-intensive businesses built around technologies with which investors are unfamiliar. Moshe Alamaro, for one, spent the better part of two years trying to raise venture capital for Deshen International Inc., a Boston-area company formed to develop and manufacture movable electric-arc fertilizer plants. Using a long-neglected process discovered by Christian Birkeland and Samuel Eyde in 1903, the technology would allow the same equipment to manufacture fertilizer in, say, Canada during the summer and the midwestern United States during the winter -- thereby taking advantage of electricity available at off-peak rates. Alamaro is now seeking his funding from companies he sees as the natural beneficiaries of his venture's success: the utilities that would be able to sell their excess capacity, the engineering firms that might build his systems, and so forth. "I don't think venture capital firms are very venturesome anymore," he says. "They've gotten to be like banks."
But changing fashions in venture capital are not the only forces driving the trend toward natural partnerships, nor even the most important. Perhaps the greatest impetus has come from new attitudes in corporate America -- notably, the discrediting of the once-prevalent notion that big companies produce virtually all the major technological breakthroughs. These days, Fortune 500 companies regularly seek the assistance of smaller businesses in developing new technologies and products. Even the proudest of the giants, IBM, has invested in such small companies as Wisconsin-based Supercomputer Systems. Other big companies known for start-up investing include 3M, Corning Glass, Analog Devices, and Digital Equipment.
"The not-invented-here syndrome is not that common anymore," says Arthur L. Rosenthal, vice-president of research and development for Davol Inc., a subsidiary of C. R. Bard Inc., a Fortune 500 company with several small-company alliances. "Fifteen years ago you didn't see so many of these small, technically advanced firms. Now, they're of major importance."
At the same time, big companies have grown more sophisticated and focused in their investing. Through a pro-cess of trial and error, a growing number have learned that the best policy is to invest in start-ups whose technology or service fits into the larger company's core business.
Consider San Francisco-based McKesson Corp., the nation's largest distributor of such nondurable goods as pharmaceuticals and general merchandise. David Malmberg, the company's director of strategic planning and new technology, readily admits that McKesson took several disastrous turns with start-ups in fields outside its area of expertise. "We were making investments all over -- we'd look at anything," he says. "Nuclear technologies, software companies. It was ridiculous. We had no business in these areas. But it was the popular thing to do, and we were riding the crest of the wave. Then, all too often [the companies] just went south."
Chastened by the experience, McKesson now puts all investment decisions through a screen designed to filter out deals unrelated to its core distribution business. One company that passed the test is a Hayward, Calif., software house developing a computerized warehousing system -- a product with obvious benefits for the $7-billion distributor. McKesson also decided to invest in Slzrco (pronounced seltzer-co) Partners, a seltzer company in Monrovia, Calif. That deal, however, took an unexpected turn.
In the early 1980s Rich Hagan, a disabled Vietnam veteran, founded Golden Gate Bottling Co. His idea was to sell old-fashioned seltzer in glass bottles with siphons attached. Hagan bought tooling from an old siphon manufacturer in the Bronx, N.Y., collected glass seltzer bottles from around the country, and went into business. Before long, he realized that he would have to come up with new forms of packaging if the business was to expand. So Hagan teamed up with several investors to launch Slzrco Partners and went to work developing a plastic siphon for use with plastic bottles.
Although Hagan solved the technical problems, he quickly ran into financial ones and began approaching venture capitalists. "They liked the idea and were intrigued by the product," Hagan recalls. "But [at the time] they invested in high tech. I guess this didn't qualify."
In 1983 a venture capitalist introduced Hagan to Malmberg. At the time, McKesson was already involved in the bottled-water business through its Alhambra subsidiary in northern California and its Sparkletts subsidiary in southern California. Clearly, Hagan's seltzer concept fit in. "The venture people couldn't understand anything that didn't have a microprocessor," Malmberg says, "but when I took the idea to our water people, they said, 'Gee, this is great.' They thought the product had a lot of potential."
Hagan and McKesson's representatives sat down to negotiate a partnership. As they talked, Hagan began to realize that he might want more from McKesson than he had thought. Not only did the company possess a huge distribution network; it could also afford to build the manufacturing facilities needed to commercialize Hagan's breakthrough. (Some of the plastic molds for the process cost $250,000 each.) "I came to the realization that all this was beyond my capabilities," Hagan says. "I knew my limitations. That's a problem for a lot of entrepreneurs, but there comes a point where you have to give to get."
So Hagan decided to sell the patent for his technology to McKesson, which provided him with a lucrative consulting contract and a royalty. Even so, he views the deal as a kind of partnership. "Although I get paid through a large corporation, I still feel like an entrepreneur," says Hagan, who heads up the technical part of the effort. He points with pride to the new state-of-the-art Bay Area factory just built by McKesson for the national rollout of his seltzer product. "They are fulfilling my dream, after all -- which is to see that product on the shelf."
Hagan is not alone in finding that big-company partners often provide more assistance to a start-up than traditional venture investors. Nor does the younger company have to be acquired to get it. By the very nature of the deal, Finis Conner says, such alliances force a start-up to concentrate its efforts in a more realistic and more businesslike way.
That's because new companies usually develop a product first and then scurry around looking for customers. All too often it turns out that the product -- no matter how elegant in design -- never had a market in the real world. An alliance turns the process around. "When you build the product with a customer, it's a totally different experience," Conner says. "You don't build for your own fancy, but for a real need. It greatly reduces all your risks."
Compaq's real needs certainly helped determine the initial product design for Conner Peripherals. The two companies worked closely on developing the new disk drive for almost 10 months. Along the way, Conner Peripherals changed the drive's interface. Instead of a product oriented to high-end workstations, the company ended up making one geared to the IBM-AT standard preferred by Compaq and other IBM-compatible makers. In addition, Compaq's engineers helped guide the manufacturing process, alerting their counterparts at Conner Peripherals to the problems that had plagued other drives Compaq had purchased, and making sure that the problems were solved. "Usually, you just keep walking down a road until you fall into a ditch," says John Squires, executive vice-president of research and development at Conner Peripherals. "The Compaq people told us where the ditches were and helped us avoid them. It wasn't just a matter of building a good drive, but of building one that would work in the real world for a real customer."
By the same token, the partnership also provided Conner Peripherals with instant credibility in the marketplace. "It made us very visible," Conner says. "It showed that we were at the cutting edge. Normally, it's hard to convince companies, particularly large ones, to go along with a new company. The Compaq connection eased the way for us." It did indeed. Today Compaq accounts for 47% of all Conner Peripherals's sales, with the balance coming from such major corporations as Toshiba, Zenith, NEC, and Olivetti. Some of these have also established special relationships with Conner Peripherals, whereby the larger company's engineers work with Conner's people to design customized products.
All this has, of course, produced enormous financial benefits for Conner Peripherals. According to senior vice-president and chief financial officer Carl Neun, its marketing costs are 2% of sales, less than half the industry average. By going with an IBM-AT interface, the company avoided making a substantial investment in the wrong kind of tooling and inventory, and it was able to cut other manufacturing costs as well. As a result, every $1 invested in its factories in San Jose, Singapore, and Italy can generate about $25 in revenue, according to Neun. By comparison, other companies typically make $5 to $10 in revenues per $1 of plant and equipment.
"Partnerships allow you to become very focused in your work," says Neun. "When you're working with your customer, rather than merely selling him, you know where you want to go. It gives you a predictability of demand -- something that usually doesn't happen to a new company."
The obvious benefits are not enough to ensure the success of a partnership. Besides having complementary interests, the two organizations must be able to work closely, avoiding conflicts over corporate culture or strategy. That proved relatively easy for Conner Peripherals and Compaq, both of which are entrepreneurial companies controlled by product-oriented engineers. Perhaps more important, the CEOs were longtime acquaintances with deep mutual respect. "We are as different as night and day," Conner says of Canion. "He's calm and secure, and I kind of do my thing by sheer energy. But Rod and I understand each other."
A partnership can succeed without such a bond between the CEOs, but it is essential that the key people on both sides have a common commitment. Just ask Arthur Lacerte, founder and CEO of Basic Computer Systems Inc., a $2-million software company in Anaheim, Calif.
A Canadian and a former Big Eight accountant, Lacerte had built Basic into a successful niche player, targeting such markets as advertising agencies and office-product dealers. In 1982 he approached United Stationers Inc., a large Chicago-based wholesaler of office supplies and equipment that was interested in selling and supporting his office-product software.
The proposed deal had the elements of a good alliance. Basic would supply the technology; United Stationers would provide both name recognition and, with more than 100 salespeople and extensive contacts nationwide, a huge marketing boost. In addition, Lacerte enjoyed a good relationship with the top management at United Stationers. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. "Top management thought [the software program] was important, and the salespeople were champing at the bit, but the key managers were overly cautious and bureaucratic," Lacerte says. "There were lots of meetings, and they'd be here for days, but nothing happened." In the end, the alliance failed to generate more than a fraction of the projected sales. Lacerte says he gave up, selling the software package to United Stationers for about $600,000.
This experience, along with several other abortive alliances, has left Lacerte skeptical of such deals between small and large companies. "The big problem is the lack of control," he says. "You are completely dependent on the quality of the people the large company dedicates to the project. There's not much small companies can do to influence that. They just don't have the resources, and they aren't prepared for the bureaucracy. That just kills you."
Indeed, small companies cannot do much to influence their big-company partners, and that often leads to lost sleep, as Jack Taylor discovered in March. Taylor is cofounder and vice-president of marketing for Brier Technology, a start-up making high-capacity floppy disk drives that has a partnership with Irwin Magnetic Systems Inc., a major manufacturer of computer-backup tape drives. All went well with the partnership until Taylor woke up one morning to discover Irwin had been sold to one of its competitors. Now, he doesn't know what to expect. "The crazy thing is that we have no idea whether this is a positive, negative, or indifferent development," he says. "I guess it's all part of the risk you take in working with someone else. It's the background you have to live with."
Despite such disadvantages and risks, we are likely to see more natural partnerships as time goes on, and not only because of domestic factors. In the long term, the value of such alliances may lie in their ability to help U.S. companies compete more effectively in international markets.
That could prove to be a strong incentive. As adept as U.S. entrepreneurs have been at bringing new technologies to market, they have regularly stumbled in developing their manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Large U.S. companies, on the other hand, have generally shown themselves to be far less proficient at commercializing technology -- even their own -- than their counterparts in Japan, Germany, and other industrialized countries. In marrying the strengths of large and small companies, natural partnerships just might give foreign competitors a run for their money.
From that perspective, such alliances offer U.S. companies some of the benefits of the traditional Japanese system, which links a host of small, often dynamic companies with the resources of a giant one. "But this is a refinement of what the Japanese do," notes Mark L. Radtke, vice-president of Venture Economics Inc. "Corporate people here know they can't dominate, or the small-company people will leave with their technological expertise and their knowledge of the market. Corporate people also know they need the technology to stay ahead. For them, the alliance with the smaller company is the way out."
Just how international competitive pressures might foster natural partnerships can be seen in the linkup between Cray Research Inc., the world's leading supercomputer maker, and GigaBit Logic Inc., a semiconductor manufacturer located in Newbury Park, Calif. Founded in 1981, GigaBit was the nation's first producer of gallium-arsenide computer chips, which it supplied to Cray, among others. But in 1986 GigaBit ran into serious cash problems, and that spelled trouble for Cray. If it lost GigaBit as a source, it would be forced to rely on other suppliers -- many of them connected to its competitors -- for essential components in its new Cray 3 line of supercomputers. Rather than run such a risk, Cray bought a 15% interest in GigaBit, a deal that helped attract other investors as well.
"The attitude of major users has changed: in 1984 they didn't care where the chips came from. Now, they've seen what happened in memory chips and the dangers of relying on the Japanese," says John Heightley, CEO of GigaBit, which made roughly 70% of its sales last year to Cray. "For a company like Cray, it's crazy to depend on Japanese companies that are also potential competitors."
The same logic led Brier Technology, the disk-drive start-up, to form a partnership with Intelligent Systems, a Norcross, Ga.-based electronics conglomerate. "When Brier needs something from the Japanese, they can get it from us instead," says Leland Strange, president of Intelligent Systems, which also owns Quadram, a computer-board manufacturer, and Datavue Corp., a laptop-computer company. "Sure, the Japanese could have helped them a lot, but this way the technology and hopefully more of the manufacturing can remain here in the States."
Similarly, Insite Peripherals Inc., another disk-drive start-up, has sought the backing of stronger U.S. companies as it prepares to go after the Japanese-dominated market. It has formed an alliance with Iomega Corp., which makes the Bernoulli Box, another kind of computer storage device. Iomega has a state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Roy, Utah, where it will manufacture Insite's drives under the terms of the agreement. "We lost this industry to the Japanese the first time because we weren't paying attention to quality manufacturing," Insite president Jim Adkisson says. "Now, with the new technology we developed, we have a second chance. But we can't do it alone as a start-up. We need partners to make it happen."
It is probably this sense of partnership -- of teaming up to go after a common goal -- that is driving the trend. Most young companies, after all, would prefer to work with an investor concerned with long-term product development and corporate strategy rather than one interested mainly in cashing out at a decent multiple. "Working with a real partner on real products changes everything," Finis Conner says. "With this kind of alliance, you don't run wild. You don't run for the short-term killing. You run it for the long run, for yourself and your partner. And that's how it should be."
Research assistance was provided by Elizabeth Conlin.
Headquarters San Jose, Calif.
Type of business Disk-drive maker
Founded June 1985
Date of partnership June 1986
Revenues at time of partnership $0
Relation to partner Supplier
Purpose of deal Start-up funding
Headquarters Houston
Type of business Personal computer manufacturer
Revenues at time of partnership $625 million (FY 1986)
Relation to partner Customer
Purpose of deal Source of advanced disk drives
Headquarters Monrovia, Calif.
Type of business Seltzer-water bottler
Founded 1983
Date of partnership June 1984
Revenues at time of partnership $0
Purpose of deal R&D funding
Headquarters San Francisco
Type of business Wholesale/distributor
Revenues at time of partnership $4.3 billion (FY 1984)
Relation to partner R&D partner
Purpose of deal To capture sparkling-water market share
Headquarters Newbury Park, Calif.
Type of business Semiconductor manufacturer
Founded 1981
Date of partnership April 1987
Revenues at time of partnership Not available
Relation to partner Supplier
Purpose of deal Equity investment
Headquarters Minneapolis
Type of business Supercomputer manufacturer
Revenues at time of partnership $687 million (FY 1987)
Relation to partner Customer
Purpose of deal To ensure supply of gallium-arsenide chips
The Compaq-Conner Peripherals 'natural partnership'
The natural partnership between Compaq Computer Corp. and Conner Peripherals Inc. was always about more than money, but money certainly played a role. Under the terms of the 1986 deal, Compaq received 49% of Conner's stock for two $6-million investments. Equally important to both companies was the joint-development agreement, which outlined how they would work together on the new disk drives. Using software microcode instead of mechanical parts, the new drives proved easier to customize, cheaper to build, simpler to test, and more reliable than previous models. So happy was Compaq with the results that it accounted for 89% of Conner's sales in 1987, its first year of production.
That was a mixed blessing for Conner. The danger was that other potential customers would be scared off, undermining Conner's ability to establish itself as an independent company. "There was concern about the Compaq share of the company," Conner admits. "It was hard to convince [our other customers]. We were lucky that no one else had a drive with our format."
But both Compaq and Conner were determined to avoid a subservient, Japanese-style subcontractor relationship and took steps to allay the fears of other potential customers. Although Compaq initially had directors on Conner's board, a strong legal agreement ensured that Compaq would not have access to sensitive information picked up in negotiations with other potential customers, many of whom are Compaq's direct competitors. (The board members from Compaq have since resigned from their Conner seats.)
With Rod Canion's approval, Conner worked hard to diminish Compaq's stake in the company. In that, ironically, he got help from venture capitalists, who responded to the company's first-year success by offering money on terms that Conner and his team found acceptable. In August 1987 a group of venture firms put $27.5 million into the company. In April 1988 the company went public, raising an additional $42.5 million through stock sales. In the process, the Compaq share of the company dropped to 41%. Yet Compaq still plays a crucial role in preventing the kind of venture capital domination feared by Conner. With about 20% of the company in the hands of employees and officers, institutional venture funds now own less than one-fifth of the stock.
Meanwhile, Compaq's share of Conner's production dropped to 47% in 1988, as concerns of other customers abated. Among Conner's major customers are such fierce Compaq competitors as NEC, Zenith, Toshiba, and Olivetti. Several of them also have product-development deals with Conner, and Olivetti has a European-based joint venture. "We believe in fathering products with customers," Conner says. "So these alliances will continue to make sense for us, even as we grow into a larger and more independent company."


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BERLIN – Despite the sagging economy, plans are moving forward to convert a vast open space adjacent to a Berlin golf course into a campground with nearly 270 approved sites.
Deer Run Golf Course owner Ed Colbert this week said the project planned for a vast parcel across from the entrance to the existing golf course continues to plod forward with nearly all of the required approvals and permits in hand. The plans call for the development of a campground on the site with some cabins and sites for up to 269 recreational vehicles along with a recreation center. The plan does not call for any tent camping sites at the facility.
"It's going to be a wonderful project, if and when we get around to doing it," said Colbert. "It's going to be a mixed-use campground with some nice cabins, a recreation center and over 200 sites available for recreational vehicles. We're doing it upscale all the way."
Colbert said the campground will co-exist with the Deer Run golf course and will be promoted as an amenity for golfers. Under Worcester County's code, campgrounds are only allowed to be open four months of the year, which would loosely coincide with the golf season in the area.
"We're going to market it in conjunction with the golf course," he said. "It's going to be a seasonal thing. I envision a group of golfers staying in one of the cabins or in an RV for the weekend and playing golf."
One of the remaining obstacles for the project was cleared last week when federal Army Corps of Engineers public comment period closed on the proposed impact on emergent non-tidal wetlands lying with traditional agricultural lands. According to the Army Corps' description of the project, nearly 95,000 square feet, or a little over two acres, of non-tidal wetlands will be impacted by the project and, as part of the Corps' normal protocol, the public has an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed impacts.
However, a preliminary report on the proposal prepared by the Army Corps does not indicate any substantial problems with possible environmental impacts.
"The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest," the report reads. "A preliminary review of this application indicates that the proposed work will not affect listed species or their critical habitat."
Colbert said county officials have already reviewed the plans and issued the required permits for the project, making the Corps approval on the wetlands impact permit one of the last steps in the process.
Colbert said he began planning the project about four years ago and most of the permits he has acquired are active a few more years before they expire. In the meantime, he is attempting to arrange financing but has found it difficult in the current economic climate.
"The economy is still pretty awful," he said. ""Money is frozen up and the banks aren't keen on lending right now. I have two or three years to do something with it, but I hope to get something going much sooner."
Colbert said his original plan for the property was to develop it with a residential project, but zoning and other issues with the county code wouldn't allow it.
"I'm waiting for some final approval on some water and sewer issues, but there doesn't appear to be any more major stumbling blocks," he said. "This is going to be a nice amenity for the county. It's going to be a nice family destination just a few miles from Ocean City and the resort area and it fits in with what the county is trying to promote with tourism."


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This article is from the archive of our partner .
Hulu is currently one of the leading premium streaming services on the Internet, with content from a wide array of networks and a full slate of original programming to boot. But depending on who ends up winning the billion dollar bidding war for the service, that all could change.
The streaming site, currently co-owned by NBC Universal, Fox, and ABC-Disney, is currently being shopped around to the highest bidder, fielding offers from Yahoo!, former News Corp. executive Peter Chernin bid, Time Warner Cable, and private equity firms Guggenheim Digital, KKR and Silver Lake Management. Each new owner is free to do whatever they please with their new toy after a sale is finalized. Yahoo! put ads in Tumblr's dashboard after their $1.1 billion purchase was finalized, for instance. According to a new report from The New York Times' Brian Stelter and Amy Chozick, Hulu may look completely different depending on who buy the streaming service:
Time Warner Cable, for instance, would like to use Hulu to create an industrywide "TV Everywhere" hub in which subscribers could have access to network and cable shows on-demand. A distributor like DirecTV could use Hulu — both its brand name and its technology — to sell a new service that streams a bundle of television channels to subscribers over the Internet. Intel is trying to create a similar type of service; if it succeeds, then traditional distributors may feel the need to sell something similar.
Bids are due on Friday and, so far, DirectTV is the only company on record offering a deal close to what Hulu owners want. DirectTV and two mystery companies reportedly offered $1 billion for Hulu, the price point the cabal of owners have been looking for. Unfortunately for Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, it appears her company's "exploratory" bid for between $600 million and $800 million leaves them on the outside of this party looking in. They have until Friday to find some more coin in those deep pockets before they're left behind completely.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
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text:
Talk:William Gibson
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Why are some of these in bold?!? Shouldn't they all be in the same style? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 18.104.22.168 (talk) 28 October 2006
- removed the bolding. Wasn't NPOV. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 220.127.116.11 (talk) 2 November 2006
- The future is already here - it is just unevenly distributed.
wasn't it like this in the book?:
- The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet
184.108.40.206 09:28, 23 May 2007 (UTC)
The Miracle Worker[edit]
Why is there a big chunk of The Miracle Worker in the middle of the article?
Terrorism and the media gestalt quote[edit]
This quote, attributed to his blog in 2004, occurs first in Neuromancer (1984), Ch. 4.


text:
With the Yen sinking to new lows nearly every day, and with French President Francois Hollande now in the act of pleading for a lower euro, it's time to step back and review the currency war madness of the past couple of weeks. There is plenty of madness to review.
Hollande Calls for End of Euro Fluctuations
Please consider Hollande's comments on euro fluctuations.
Mr Hollande called on government leaders to agree on a target for the currency's exchange rate over the medium-term, warning that the rising currency may deepen the recession.
"The eurozone must, through its heads of state and government decide on a medium-term exchange rate," he said.
"We can't let the euro fluctuate according to the mood of the market."
He added that the exchange rate should not be set artificially but that the eurozone should act on global markets to protect its interests.
Hollande says "Governments must decide exchange rates". Mish says really? What if governments don't agree with each other? Could that possibly happen?
Japan Must Stick With Stimulus says Pimco's El-Erian
Pimco co-CEO tossed his hat into the madness last week with his silly idea: Japan Must Stick With Stimulus.
Japan's government has to follow through with plans for stimulus spending, monetary easing and a doubled inflation target to sustain a weakened yen, said Mohamed El-Erian, co-chief investment officer of bond giant Pacific Investment Management Co.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe needs to carry out stimulus spending while Japanese consumers will have to accept rising prices for goods such as oil as the yen depreciates, El-Erian said.
El-Erian says "Japanese consumers will have to accept rising prices". Mish says really? If so, it implies the US, Eurozone, China, UK, Brazil, and everyone else will "have to" accept a higher exchange rate vs the Yen.
Even if everyone "accepted" the idea, is that a good thing? For who? For aged Japanese consumers retired on fixed incomes invested in Japanese bonds earning zero percent?
Questions abound. Here is another important one: What does the US think about the plunge in the Yen? That question has an easy answer ….
U.S. Carmakers Urge Obama to Punish Japan for Weak Yen
Bloomberg reports U.S. Carmakers Urge Obama to Punish Japan for Weak Yen.
President Barack Obama should tell Japan's new government that the U.S. will retaliate for policies aimed at weakening the yen, a group representing Ford Motor Co. (F), General Motors Co. (GM) and Chrysler LLC said.
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, which reclaimed power last month, has let the yen continue its slide against the dollar, making U.S. auto exports relatively expensive, the American Automotive Policy Council said yesterday in a statement.
"We urge the Obama administration to make it clear to Japan that such policies are unacceptable and will be met by reciprocal measures," Matt Blunt, a former Republican governor of Missouri and president of the Washington-based industry group, said in the statement.
Toxic Parcels
While pondering the above circular mess that apparently everyone must accept (except they don't), please consider Europe drawn into global currency wars as slump deepens by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.
The world is edging closer to all out currency conflict as Europe's politicians join a chorus of policy-makers across the globe pushing for devaluations to fight for market share.
Jean-Claude Juncker, EuroGroup chief, has signalled that Europe is no longer willing to be the last economic player holding the toxic parcel of an over-valued exchange rate, describing the euro as "dangerously high" after its three-month surge against the dollar, yuan and yen.
The comments follow warnings by two French ministers this month that the strong euro is holding back efforts to pull the France out of deep industrial slump.
Alexei Ulyukayev, deputy head of Russia's central bank, said the tilt in EMU policy marks a new escalation as every major bloc of the global economy tries to drive down its exchange rate at the same time. "We are now on the threshold of very serious currency wars," he said.
Korea has asked the G20 take a stand against beggar-thy-neighbour policies in Moscow next month, accusing Japan and the West of covert debasement through loose money.
Once again Pritchard spoiled an otherwise excellent article with a silly finish: "The underlying problem is a global saving glut as the world saving rate hits a record 24pc of GDP".
Good Grief. With global credit exceeding global GDP by many multiples, and with the US credit market at $55 trillion vs. GDP of not quite $16 trillion, it is preposterous to speak of a global saving glut.
By the way, Austrian economists will correctly point out that it's impossible to ever have too much savings, in any circumstance. However, it's certainly possible to have too much debt (the opposite of savings).
Japan had massive savings, but the Japanese government foolishly squandered all of it with misguided Keynesian stimulus, the same measures that El-Erian now insists are needed.
Also note that Russia is in on the complaining act.
There are a few sane voices in the wilderness. Jens Weidmann at the German central bank is one of those voices.
Weidmann warns of currency war risk
The Financial Times reports Weidmann warns of currency war risk.
The erosion of central bank independence around the world threatens to unleash a round of competitive exchange rate devaluations, which leading economies have so far avoided during the financial crisis, the president of Germany's Bundesbank warned on Monday.
Jens Weidmann, whose institution's own fierce independence from political influence was the model for the European Central Bank when it was founded, said Stephen King, the chief economist at HSBC, was "perhaps right" in forecasting an end to the era of central bank independence.
"It is already possible to observe alarming infringements, for example in Hungary or in Japan, where the new government is massively involving itself in the affairs of the central bank, is emphatically demanding an even more aggressive monetary policy and is threatening an end to central bank autonomy," Mr Weidmann said in a speech in Frankfurt.
"Whether intended or not, one consequence could be the increased politicisation of the exchange rate," he said, according to a text of his speech provided by the Bundesbank. "Until now the international monetary system got through the crisis without competitive devaluations and I hope very much it stays that way."
Alarming Infringements
Weidmann commented on alarming infringements and increased politicisation in Hungary and Japan. He failed to point out Switzerland. Brazil is also complaining mightily, and of course French president Hollande is in on the act? Anyone else?
Of course! Currency manipulation talk and China go hand in hand. Recall that Republican candidate Mitt Romney stated many times that one of the first things he would do would be to label China a currency manipulator. What does China think?
Yi Warns on Currency Wars as Yuan Close to 'Equilibrium'
About a week ago, the deputy governor of China's central bank, Yi Gang Warns on Currency Wars as Yuan Close to 'Equilibrium'
China's foreign-exchange regulator urged Group of 20 nations to improve collaboration to avoid any so-called currency wars while signaling he's comfortable with the value of the yuan.
Yi, who heads the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said he's concerned about the potential fallout from expanded asset-purchases programs and near-zero interest rates in the world's advanced economies.
"Quantitative easing for developed economies is generating some uncertainties in financial markets in terms of capital flows," Yi, who is also head of China's foreign-exchange regulator, told reporters. "Competitive devaluation is one aspect of it. If everyone is doing super QE, which currency will depreciate?"
Yen Policy Under Fire
Reuters reports Japan defends stimulus, yen policy under fire.
Japan's economy minister rejected criticism on Saturday that his country's extraordinary fiscal and monetary stimulus program was aimed at weakening the yen and undermined central bank independence.
"You might think there's a deliberate policy to drive down the value of the yen but we in government refrain from commenting on the exchange rate of the yen," Amari said in response to criticism of Japanese action.
Mish Translation "We have a deliberate policy to drive the Yen lower. No other country supports that, so we don't comment on exchange rates."
Dangerous Situation
The Reuters article continues …
A European Central Bank source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ECB was "not very happy" at what was seen as a step towards competitive devaluations and the Group of 20 major economies' finance ministers and central bankers should address the issue next month.
"It's not a problem yet. But if they (Japan) continue in that direction and we see also what's happening with quantitative easing in the United States and Britain, then we would be the only one who would not follow suit.
"The risk is that this would indeed have an effect on the exchange rate and that we would get into a dangerous situation," the ECB source said.
Mish says "If you are following this discussion at all, you know damn well that the situation is already far beyond dangerous".
Beggar Thy Neighbour Tactics
Please consider this discussion on Wikipedia regarding Beggar Thy Neighbour tactics.
In economics, a beggar-thy-neighbour policy is an economic policy through which one country attempts to remedy its economic problems by means that tend to worsen the economic problems of other countries.
Beggar-thy-neighbour policies were widely adopted by major economies during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Alan Deardorff has analyzed beggar-thy-neighbour policies as an instance of the prisoner's dilemma known from game theory: each country individually has an incentive to follow such a policy, thereby making everyone (including themselves) worse off.
An early appearance of the term, which presumably originates from the name of the Beggar-My-Neighbour card game, is seen in the title of a work on economics from the early period of the Great Depression.
Currency War Idiocy
One voice of reason in the midst of all this madness is my friend Pater Tenebrarum on the Acting Man Blog who writes about The Currency War Idiocy
Harvard University professor Martin Feldstein, long a critic of the euro, said on Jan. 5 that European policy makers should consider a coordinated approach to weaken the euro as a way to rally growth via exports. "A lower euro would make each of the euro-zone countries more competitive relative to the countries outside the euro zone," Feldstein said."
There you have it. Even in Harvard they just know somehow that once your money buys less, you've actually become richer. It seems to be the modern-day version of the philosopher's stone. Alchemists everywhere recommend it!
Let us hypothetically assume that we have entered Orwell-land ('war is peace!') and one can actually get richer by lowering the value of one's currency. One problem is obviously that not everybody can do it at the same time. If one wants to cheapen one's currency, other currencies must by necessity increase in value. The next problem is how does one go about it? How can one's currency become worth less than that issued by others? The only solution seems to be to increase its supply – at a rate that exceeds that of the competition. This process is also known as 'inflation'. So in other words, what the wise gentlemen listed above are all advocating is that one should attempt to get rich by means of inflation.
Pure genius! No-one has ever thought of that one! No, wait, a few people have: …
Please read the rest of the article because Russia, Norway, South Korea, and the UK are all in on the act and Pater has some humorous comments.
Bear in mind, a few years ago there was near-universal agreement the US dollar needed to drop. Now the cat-calls are predominantly for the euro to drop. In practice, nearly all the central bankers want their respective currencies to drop.
What We Know
- The US wants a lower Dollar
- Eurozone ministers want a lower Euro
- Japan wants a lower Yen
- The UK wants a lower British Pound
- Norway wants a lower Krone
- Brazil wants a lower Real
- China wants a lower Yuan
What We Also Know
- The above is mathematically impossible in relation to each other
- The above is mathematically possible in relation to something else
That something else is a currency untouched by central bank and political madness.
That something else is gold.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
"Wine Country" Economic Conference Hosted By Mish
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When selecting a ring size on Riddlesjewelry.com, available size options will display on each product page and are typically women's sizes 5 through 9, and men's sizes 9 through 12, including half sizes. Due to manufactured rings being cast to an industry standard of size 7 for women and size 10 for men, we may not have the size you selected in stock, even though the size you choose online will be processed. In this case, the normal time to re-size and process your order will be 1-3 business days.
Finding the right ring size is not as simple as taking a measurement. Things to consider that may impact your decision are; an active lifestyle, a warmer climate, aerobic activity, and even pregnancy. Also, as we age, our knuckles may tend to swell slightly, and for men, wider bands and rings tend to run smaller. After considering these factors, you may decide to order a half size larger to insure a proper fit.
The most accurate way to measure your finger is to visit your nearest Riddle's Jewelry store where our trained associates will be more than happy to determine your correct size. If this is not an option, we offer an easy-to-use, printable ring size chart for your convenience. Note: Before printing, make sure the 'Page Scaling' is set to 'NONE' in your printer settings window. Riddle's Ring Size Chart
Buying a ring for someone else? If possible, try and borrow a ring they currently wear for the finger they'll wear it on and use our Printable Ring Size Chart and measure the inside diameter. Or, you can use a carrot as a substitute for the wearer's finger. Simply slip the borrowed ring over the carrot, don't force it, and mark the spot where the ring stops, then wrap the Printable Ring Size Chart around the carrot 'above' the marked spot for the approximate ring size.
Resizing can only be done on certain rings. Some rings and bands cannot be resized due to their unique metal composition. For example, bands with very hard metal like titanium cannot be altered and must be cast by the manufacturer. Platinum bands can only be sized a few sizes above or below the original casting size. Eternity bands are normally manufactured only in the standard sizes in order to maintain the ring's strength and design integrity. Rings with intricate carving or ones with gemstones along the shank cannot be resized without adversely affecting their delicate design.
If the ring you want needs to be resized, Riddle's Jewelry is happy to adjust the size for you and process your request within 1-3 business days. Please see below for Resizing Costs associated with your resizing.
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Some rings may come in a non-standard size depending on the physical design and manufacturer. However, a specific ring may not be available in the size you need on our website and custom sizing may be necessary. In this case, please contact us at 1.888.402.3475 or message us with your specific questions in regards to size and style, and we can discuss availability and provide you with a quote and delivery options. Custom rings normally cost more than their standard equivalents due to the custom work required of for any additional materials needed, such as extra metal or the restructuring of the original design to allow for the size adjustment.
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Riddle's Jewelry is and always has been proud to offer its clients a free lifetime diamond warranty that covers both the center and side diamonds, without time limit, should they become lost from their mounting. Moreover, for the first time ever Riddle's Jewelry would like to offer its clients the opportunity to purchase a lifetime Premium Care and Repair Plan to cover their jewelry item for life as well.
If you reside outside the store location area for Riddle's Jewelry, you can mail your jewelry and guarantee to any Riddle's Jewelry location or the Corporate Office in Rapid City. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact Customer Service.
The following assurances are certified by the Premium and Base Guarantees, as long as the jewelry item is brought into a Riddle's Jewelry store EVERY SIX MONTHS for inspection.
The Riddle's Premium Care and Repair Plan goes above and beyond any manufacturer's warranty to cover items related to maintaining your fine jewelry item. There are no deductibles or hidden fees.
This is a repair plan. In consideration of YOUR payment of the Plan Price, We will furnish labor and parts necessary to maintain the Merchandise in a usable and wearable condition, provided such service is necessitated by Merchandise wear during normal usage of the Merchandise under the conditions for which it was designed. The Plan coverage includes, but is not limited to, the following services, subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan and at OUR sole discretion:
All Repairs shall be completed by US or by such other repair center of OUR choice. Parts may be replaced with others, including non-original manufacturer's parts, of like kind and quality.
This is not a replacement plan. Nothing herein shall obligate US to repair or replace materials resulting from excessive or abusive treatment of the Merchandise other than normal wear and tear. This Plan does not cover loss or theft of the Merchandise or damage resulting from loss, theft, misuse, abuse, or Act of God. If YOU purchase the Plan after YOU purchase the Merchandise, the Plan does not cover pre-existing conditions in the Merchandise that occurred after YOU purchased the Merchandise and prior to the effective date of the Plan. Coverage as defined by the Plan begins on the original date of purchase of the merchandise.
OUR total liability under this Plan is the Purchase Price paid for the Merchandise as shown on the sales slip. In the event that the total value of all authorized services WE provide under the Plan exceeds the Purchase Price of the Merchandise (as shown on YOUR sales slip), We shall have satisfied all obligations owed under the Plan.IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, NO MATTER WHAT THE CAUSE, INCLUDING DELAY IN RENDERING SERVICE UNDER THIS PLAN, OR LOSS OF USE DURING THE PERIOD THAT THE MERCHANDISE IS BEING PREPARED OR OTHERWISE AWAITING PARTS.
We require YOUR jewelry to be examined every six months by a representative of Riddle's Jewelry and to have the examination documented in the Examination Record portion of the warranty/guarantee or Plan document. YOU must and shall perform all maintenance on the Merchandise required by any applicable underlying warranties/guarantees or the Plan to maintain the Merchandise in usable and wearable condition, as provided in said warranties/guarantees or the Plan. Damage resulting from failure to comply with recommended services and/or maintenance under such warranties/guarantees or the Plan will result in coverage not being extended under any warranty/guarantee or this Plan.
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Coverage provided by the plan shall commence on the date of Plan purchase as shown on YOUR original sales slip. Time frames for coverage listed in the Plan shall be determined from the original date of merchandise purchase as shown on YOUR original sales slip. The Plan shall be in effect from the date the Plan is purchased as shown on YOUR sales slip and shall continue for the lifetime of the original customer or original receiver of merchandise, in the case of a gift, subject to OUR limit of liability as stated in the Limit of Liability Section above. The Plan is void if the Merchandise is used as a trade-in toward another item after 24 months and a new Premium Care and Repair Plan would need to be purchased on the new item. If the Merchandise is used as a trade-in toward another item within 24 months from the original merchandise purchase any difference between the original Plan and the new Plan is due from the customer to continue Plan coverage.
Cancellation by YOU. YOU may cancel the Plan for any reason at any time by visiting any of OUR store locations and requesting cancellation.
If YOU request cancellation of the Plan where services were NOT received under the Plan:
If YOU request cancellation of the Plan where services were received under the Plan:
Premium Care Plan Terms and Conditions
Riddle's Jewelry offers FREE standard shipping on ALL online orders!. Please allow 1-3 business days for your order to process.
We offer upgrades for expedited shipping. However, circumstances may occur in which we must have your order shipped in to us before we can ship it to you so please allow 1-3 business days for processing before shipment.
Overnight and two-day delivery options are available. Charges and detailed delivery options are offered during checkout.
We hope that you are delighted with your online jewelry purchase. But, if you need to return, exchange, or have your item repaired, sized or adjusted for any reason, you can do so within 60 days for all diamond purchases and 20 days on other jewelry purchases. We are unable to accept returns of special order items or customized pieces. We accept returns through the mail, or in any of our Riddle's Jewelry store locations. Returns are credited in the original form of payment. All returned or exchanged items must be in new and unused condition.
Riddle's offers a diamond trade-in policy, allowing you to buy a diamond today with the assurance that you can upgrade it at a later time.
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Take the examples of Alex Rodriguez or Andy Pettite, for instance. Two admitted steroid users who publicly apologized for lacking the natural talent to propel themselves to the height of their sport, and instead looked for a cheap shortcut through the use of artificial substances. Well, Pol Position took the day off to attend the big Yankees Pride Parade last Friday, and were shocked that we were the only ones holding up big signs that read "Cheats!" (We weren't holding them for long!) Had everyone else forgotten their preseason admissions?
Just kidding all you Yankee fans! Wave your pinstripe flag proudly and don't ever let anybody tell you that you're a second-class citizens. And keep fighting for the right to marry each other!
But we digress.
There's nothing more powerful than the apology, even when it's not really an apology. Surely you've heard this one before: "I am truly sorry if anybody was offended by my words and actions." Translation: "I'm not really sorry for what I said or did, I'm just sorry for you because you got your panties all in a bunch and started raising a very annoying stink that has disrupted my life and quite possibly jeopardized my livelihood. Thanks, jerk."
Where are we leading with all of this? Newly elected councilman Dan Halloran.
In case you don't follow politics in northeast Queens, Halloran was elected to replace outgoing councilman Tony Avella in a nasty race that focused heavily on his adherence to a non-Christian religion. The Queens Tribune, which as near as we can tell is a dating guide for men with Asian fetishes that primarily publishes in that section of Queens, particularly harped on the subject, probably because one of the owners was running the campaign of Halloran's opponent. Let's just say that on more than one occasion Halloran was referred to as a "Pagan Lord."
Unfortunately for Halloran, the story gained traction, and he has had to address the issue on several occasions, both in the media and before voters. And now he has to explain it to his fellow colleagues in the politics.
Halloran has been dogged by accounts of him taking part in animal sacrifice, which he has said has little to do with unholy ritual and more about a particular tradition centered around important religious events. In the New York Post on Monday, he said it wasn't much different than adherents of the Greek Orthodox Church partaking in a traditional lamb dinner on Easter.
And cue the free publicity machine!
Upon hearing those comments, Assemblyman Michael Gianaris of Astoria, himself a Greek-American, sent out a statement demanding an apology from Halloran.
Good Lord. (Oops...we mean) Gosh.
It's pretty obvious that Halloran could have said that it's no different than [insert faith] enjoying [insert big holiday in said faith] and a politician who practices [insert faith] somewhere in the city would have sent out a similar statement demanding an apology.
Halloran can't win, so he better learn to apologize. Which he did, even though he didn't really have anything to apologize for.
There are going to be certain outlets that are going to crucify...uhh...hound Halloran on this issue for the next four years, and they are going to wait for him to slip-up and pretend to be horribly offended in the interest of political or personal gain, so it probably won't be the last time he has to apologize. It's going to be a virtual jihad...no, not "jihad"...we mean...it's like a political progrom...no, no not "progrom" either...dammit this is hard...it's going to be an all-out witchhunt...wait, is that offensive, too?
You just can't win for trying.