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When I wrote about the science of carbonation I mentioned it's possible to rig a cheap, powerful, and versatile carbonation system using readily available parts.
Here, I'll tell you exactly how to do that, and will describe all of the benefits, as well as a few potential downsides.
Why Not Just Buy a Carbonating System?
There are plenty of great commercial options out there, but there are also some pretty good reasons to rig your own custom device.
The popular SodaStream series of carbonators are attractive and easy to use, but they produce seltzer that's a little weaker than store-bought options. Plus, the machines and their proprietary refill cartridges don't come cheap. And if you carbonate anything but water, you'll void the warranty.
If you're in the market for a carbonation tool that uses single-use cartridges, I'd go for the iSi Soda Siphon. But cartridges are pricey. 10 CO2 chargers cost around $12—so carbonation is around 83 cents per liter, assuming a single charge per liter. Using the DIY rig, I was able to carbonate for about 5 cents a liter. Ka-ching!
For me, the true draw of a DIY system boils down to cost, convenience, and customization. I got tired of constantly buying new cartridges, especially since I had no idea when one of them would up and quit on me. Refilling carbon dioxide into a standard tank is ridiculously cheap. And, as I found out, it's really helpful to be able to carefully control carbonation levels.
Parts You'll Need to Build a DIY Home Carbonation Rig
- 24-ounce paintball tank (or other CO2 tank) at Amazon, around $35
- Paintball tank adapter at Amazon, around $12
- Plumber's Tape at Amazon, around $6
- Pressure Regulator at Amazon, around $47
- Ball Lock Gas Line Assembly at Amazon, around $16
- Carbonator Cap at Amazon, around $15
- 1-Liter plastic soda / seltzer bottles, around $1 at the grocery store
Total = $132 (approximately)
How to Build Your Carbonation Rig
Buy and fill a tank of carbon dioxide
I bought a standard 24-ounce paintball tank that cost $35 filled at a paintball place down the street from my house. (More on carbon dioxide sources and safety below.)
Many folks prefer larger, more expensive tanks. I went with the paintball ones because they can be filled at any sporting goods store (though this might not be ideal—see the section on safety, below). The larger tanks can be filled at a welding supply store or other stores that supply carbon dioxide.
Step 1.5: Connect the Tank to an Adapter
If you do end up buying a tank made for paintball, know that you will need a special adapter (another $17) to connect it to the regulator.
I also recommend picking up some teflon plumber's tape from the hardware store to use on the connection points between the tank, adapter, and regulator.
In the below image, you can see the adapter I used in blue and a little plumber's tape sticking out where I made the connection to the regulator.
Connect the Tank to a Pressure Regulator
The regulator is what makes the whole carbonation rig awesome. I bought a regulator at Amazon used for pumping draft beer out of a keg. The knob on the front controls your output pressure. Two gauges show both your output pressure and the remaining pressure left in your tank.
These gauges are great because one lets you control exactly how carbonated your soda is, while the other one warns you before you run out of gas.
You'll notice that the regulator has a pressure relief valve. I accidentally triggered this one time and freaked out as gas started spewing from the device. This valve is designed to release gas if your output level goes above 60 PSI (pounds per square inch). If you do trigger it, quickly turn down the output pressure on the regulator, then gently pop the mechanism back into its housing and the gas should stop.
Connect the Regulator to a Ball Lock Gas Line Assembly
To connect the regulator to a plastic soda bottle, you'll want a ball lock assembly with plenty of extra hose. As we'll discuss in a moment, you'll be shaking your carbonated bottle a good bit, so you want enough hose so that you don't run the risk of jerking the regulator around as you shake.
The ball lock attaches to a carbonator cap that can be screwed onto a standard 1 or 2-liter plastic soda bottle. There's also a stainless steel version if you want something more durable.
Connect the Gas Line to a Carbonator Cap
The ball lock attaches to a carbonator cap that can be screwed onto a standard 1 or 2-liter plastic soda bottle. There's also a stainless steel version if you want something more durable.
Screw the Carbonator Cap on the Bottle and…
Carbonate! To carbonate water, I set my regulator to 40 PSI. For cocktails, I try to go as high as possible without triggering the release valve, which ends up being just under 60 PSI for me. But first...keep reading.
How To Get the Best Results Carbonating Water or Cocktails
- Chill the liquid. Carbon dioxide dissolves better in colder liquids.
- Leave plenty of headspace. A good rule of thumb is to leave the bottle 1/4 empty. Before charging the bottle, squeeze out as much air from the headspace as possible. Air competes with carbon dioxide for room in water. The bottle will inflate once you turn the gas on and the headspace will give you room to shake the carbon dioxide into the liquid.
- Leave room for foam. Some liquids, like wine or beer, will produce a lot of foam during carbonation. For these situations, try filling your bottle just half or a quarter full to leave room for the foam to grow. Also, don't forget to release the pressure from the bottle as slowly as possible.
- Shake it like a bartender. Carbon dioxide doesn't just magically dissolve into water: you have to shake the bottle while you're adding gas (don't detach it!) to encourage the gas to get into the liquid and stay there. Pretend like you're shaking a cocktail and give it a good thirty seconds to a minute. You'll hear the regulator slowly release more gas with every shake—a good indicator that you're doing it right.
- Carbonate at least twice. Water or cocktails will have some amount of air dissolved in them by default. After your first shake with carbon dioxide, vent the bottle by unscrewing it from the carbonator cap quickly. The rapid release of pressure causes lots of bubbles to form, releasing both CO2 and other dissolved gases from the water. Sure, most of the carbonation will boil off, but so will any other gases dissolved in the liquid. Once the bubbles settle, recharge the bottle and carbonate again. This is another reason why I don't like carbonators that use cartridges: to do it right, you should be using two cartridges every time you carbonate, which can get expensive.
- Avoid using cloudy juices. Or really anything that isn't crystal clear, like a homemade syrup. Particles in your liquid act as nucleation points (spots where bubbles are likely to form). This means it's more likely that dissolved carbon dioxide will turn into bubbles and bubble off from the liquid, making your carbonation less strong. If you have to use a cloudy syrup to make a drink, I recommend making seltzer water and mixing it with the syrup just before serving the drink.
- Rebottle for storage. Although you'll want to leave plenty of headroom to actually carbonate your water or cocktail, you won't want to store the finished product with that much headspace. Instead, either top off your bottle with a second batch of carbonated drink, or carbonate in a larger container and then store in smaller bottles.
Addressing Safety Concerns
Let's address the elephant in the room: is rigging your own soda-carbonation system safe?
To look into the issue of whether the carbon dioxide you can buy is safe to consume, I scoured a bunch of homebrew and SodaStream-hacking forums, and most people's arguments fell into two basic camps:
- There's no such thing as "food-grade carbon dioxide" or...
- The FDA regulates food-grade carbon-dioxide and it has to be 10 times more pure than industrial grade.
Neither side is entirely correct.
The FDA does not, in fact, regulate the quality of carbon dioxide in foods. Instead, the FDA simply requires that any gas use in food be of "suitable purity" as defined by "good manufacturing practice."*
* I also checked all the other FDA documents I could find on carbon dioxide and food-grade definitions in general, and couldn't find anything more on carbon dioxide. I also referenced Ruth Winter's food additives book at Amazon, which simply said carbon dioxide was generally recognized as safe. 2. See the second figure in this article. It lists common contaminants and their sources.
But, there is a definition for food-grade carbon dioxide. The International Society of Beverage Technologists defines food-grade carbon dioxide as a 99.9% pure gas. It should also be tested for a number of other impurities.
After checking at a few bulk suppliers of carbon dioxide, it appears that "industrial grade" gas is anywhere from 99.5% to 99.8%, "high purity" gas is supplied at 99.9% pure and medical and research gases are even higher purity.
Many of the impurities that could contaminate carbon dioxide gas are harmless—stuff like plain old air or water vapor. But there are a few that could cause real harm.2 In fact, one document from the Coca-Cola company specifically warns against using industrial-grade carbon dioxide, such as the carbon dioxide used in welding.
So what can you do?
I got in touch with Dave Arnold, a carbonated-cocktail pioneer, and he told me that although he gets his carbon dioxide from a 'welding supply' place, that same source also supplies carbon dioxide to the food industry and medical industry. As long as you tell the supplier you intend to use the gas for food applications, they should be able to give you the right type.
I tried Dave's tip out by calling my local homebrew shop. I asked them where I could purchase food-grade carbon dioxide. They immediately knew what I was talking about and pointed me toward two carbon dioxide supply options. If your homebrew shop can't help you out, check with a local restaurant and try to find out where they get the tanks for their fountain soda machines filled.
As for the rest of the components in this rig being food-grade, you'll notice that all of the pieces I bought are designed for homebrewers. The tank itself is often used as a hack for refilling SodaStream machines, and I haven't any read any reports of the tank itself corroding or leeching hazardous chemicals, which would be the primary concern.
In summary: before you go in on a tank of gas, check out whether there are good places to get it filled near you. If they don't know what you're talking about, stay away and find a different supplier who understands that you need everything you use to be food-safe. But ultimately, this is a DIY job and you (the DIY-er) need to be ok with assuming the responsibility of ensuring all your components and ingredients are safe for whoever you plan to serve your drinks to. Double-check as you go.
What About Exploding Bottles?
Standard soda bottles should withstand up to 150 psi without exploding, but you would never want to get anywhere near that at home. The biggest risks come from using bottles that have been left out in the sun, run through the dishwasher, or crumpled so much that creases have formed in the plastic. Aim to use a new-ish bottle. If you don't get a regulator that caps out at 60 PSI, I would recommend staying around 60 PSI anyway to reduce your risk.
Don't Forget to Clean Up Afterwards
One of the risks of carbonating cocktails at home is that if you do end up foaming sugary liquid all over the place, the mess can get all over your equipment and eventually promote the growth of harmful microbes. Make sure to clean your rig if it gets dirty in any way.


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|Version 27 (modified by 11 years ago) (diff),
Lol Software
This is the home for Lol Software, creators of the Lol Engine.
The Lol Engine is a minimalist game engine specialised in 2D games with a focus on global world domination.
It is the primary game engine for the upcoming final version of Monsterz and in several other titles kept secret for now. The Lol Engine is called thus because the CryENGINE made us cry.
Other projects from Lol include LolUnit, a unit test framework, and LolRemez, a function approximation toolkit.
Warning: except when stated otherwise, all of this is 100% unusable shitty code that will not behave as you expect
Lol Engine blog
Latest articles:
See all blog entries.
The Lol Engine supports the following platforms:
- all versions of Windows
- Mac OS X
- all versions of Linux
- PlayStation®3
- Xbox 360™
- Android devices
- iOS devices (iPhone or iPad)
- Google Native Client
- Raspberry Pi
- Documentation
- Research
- Published files and information?
- Opensource software
- Development notes
- Design discussions
- Communication
- Galleries
Projects that use the Lol Engine:
Attachments (1)
- no-idea.png (192.1 KB) - added by 11 years ago.
Download all attachments as: .zip

subset: commoncrawl


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My goodness, have I really been doing these for 10 years now? I know I play the gobsmacked card at just about every one of these milestones, but when you take a step back and think about how time moves both quickly and imperceptibly, it has the power to bowl you over.
It's so interesting to look back at my various top 10 lists and see how my top choices reflect how I've changed since writing this blog. There was my anxiety about being a loner in high school ("Up in the Air," "Black Swan"), the awakening of a political consciousness as I watched cinema respond to the Great Recession in real time ("Win Win," "The Queen of Versailles"), a freakout about identity after a semester abroad revealed a new side of myself ("American Hustle") and the desire for deep connection and feeling in a dark world ("Manchester by the Sea," "Call Me by Your Name"). Oh, and there was also a period where I fully believe I chose inarguable masterpieces ("The Immigrant" in 2014, "Inside Out" in 2015).
Who knows how I'll feel looking back at this crop of choices down the line? I can't worry about it now or think like that, though. As I can now see, learning more about these movies has also led to me learning more about myself. One unifying theme I picked out of the 2018 list is that six are roughly 90 minutes or less, and none are over two hours long. I watched 173 new releases in 2018 and spent over 875 hours watching movies during the year (thanks, Letterboxd, for that frightening statistic). Making that time count and not wasting it apparently counts for a lot with me these days!
A final note for longtime readers of Marshall and the Movies – namely, friends and family – I'm sure you've noticed that I am posting less and less on the blog these days. My work has primarily shifted to doing freelance writing on other websites so I can make a little bit of money off my words. I don't regret this pivot, but I do wish that I'd done a better job about communicating that change to people who mostly come here (and to the Facebook page) looking for those takes. So, in 2019, I resolve to be better about sharing my work to my first real audience.
Thank you all, as always, for your time and support. No matter how your 2018 went, I hope your 2019 is filled with joy and splendor, be it cinematic or real.
So, without further ado, my 10 favorite films of 2018…


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i haven't posted anything on here in quite some time, but thought i'd share some photos from last sunday's Hunter S Thompson Fear and Loathing 50Kilos run through San Francisco.
last year, i trudged out the 50 miler. i had signed up for the 50M again; but, during mile 22, i just couldn't see going that far on that day. my training quality and quantity really wasn't there anyway. i made the cutoff at mile 25 and probably could have kept going (trudging again this year), but didn't want to be late on the overall 10 hour cutoff. last year, i was over by eight minutes and i didn't want to do that again…
funny part is that i was being hard on myself about dropping to the 50K and someone reminded me that it WAS STILL 31 miles! ok, i will acknowledge that – plus it was my second fastest 50K. still, it hurt a bit to drop down, but it was the right decision.
as i finalize my plans for 2017, the HST F&L 50 miler is on the list and i will be ready!
anyway, here are some of my favorite photos from the run.


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I haven't blogged in so long, I think I have forgotten how..
I can't let go completely of the blog just yet and so since I did these, and wanted to show them off, and it seemed a fitting place to post them considering this was/is/limbo a Wow blog, in which I share the love of the game.
What do you get for someone, who says they don't want anything for a present. Well to me that means – Challenge accepted!
We had a shared passion for a game, and he had a Passion for Gnomes and Rogues that I will never understand, and I like making stuff. ( Hence new Lego Obsession )
So I made this as a trial run
The Art is recyled from the 2012 Wow Mini Calender that I could not throw out ( NOT MY WORK and I have searched and searched and cannot find the artist for this one , but I will keep looking because even though they didn't make it easy by naming the artists on the calendars it should be available somewhere but it is from the WOW Trading Card game apparently will update if I find it. )
Boxes are from Bunnings Craft Timber Piece Boyle Trinket Boxes *
Pic was stuck down using Spray Glue, and stickers 'artfully' placed around in a border and then layers and layers of 'Craft Smart Glaze paste' because the craft shop I went to ran out of Modgepodge. ( Alliance sticker came with the 2014 large calendar)
That was my 'lets see if this can work' experiment and I learned a few things in making it.
and then the Present
Since the pic was taken it dried ( some of the glaze up the top in the photo is still wet) and I few more layers added to make sure the Cogs stayed on, and to smooth the border on the top.
Art from same Wow Calendar – had to layer the border pieces to get them to sit nicely, Its The Tani Bixtix from the Wow trading Card game Artist Ittoku Seta
and the Cogs are from a Steam Punk Jewelery range from Janlynn
He reports he is happy with it, and it survived the shipping overseas to the US with some Tim Tams hidden inside and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I have some more boxes I will work with but they won't be a Wow theme, these were one offs.


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Kirov, Sergei Mironovich
Kirov, Sergei Mironovich syĭrgā´ mērô´nəvĭch kē´rəf [key], 1888–1934, Russian Soviet leader. He fought in the civil war of 1918–20 and rose to power as one of Stalin's most trusted aides. A member of the Communist party Politburo from 1930, he was secretary of the party at Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) when he was assassinated, probably at Stalin's order. However, Stalin used Kirov's murder to institute the party purge and the treason trials of the late 1930s. Among those tried and executed for Kirov's murder were Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Rykov.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Russian, Soviet, and CIS History: Biographies


text: Since the start of the Dreamworld, there's been a constant theme of searching for my passion and ultimate happiness, while inspiring others and sharing success stories. It's taken several years, but I've finally discovered that it is hard searching for myself and inspiring all of you at the same time. This explains my frequent breaks from blogging. At some point, I needed to take my own advice, right? Well, I did…and it worked! Continue reading


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I threatened in an earlier post – a few of them as a matter of fact – I would someday write about how, in DC's world, everything is somehow related to Disney or some of the other movies he enjoyed as a child and still enjoys now as an adult. Originally I thought this would just be a fun post to write, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized:
– Everything being related, has, many times been used as a learning tool.
– Everything being related, has helped him to move on to a more diverse realm of TV shows and movies (while still loving all of the originals he has loved since he was a baby). When attending an ARC movie activity or even just a movie night with friends, for instance, a Disney or animated movie may not be the choice of the others attending. Relating one movie or actor to another has helped him to be more open to watching something that may not be Disney-based. This was not always the case, but now he can go and enjoy a movie with his friends or at an ARC activity without issue. I can almost always find a "sixth degree of separation" from something he loves to something new ; at times it can be a stretch, but I can usually find it if he doesn't find it for himself. These days, because he now knows that there is always the chance that something or someone just might be related to his favorites, and now that he realizes that his favorites are in many other movies than the ones he watches over and over again, he is much more willing to watch any movie with his friends, without the preparation beforehand. He has also discovered new favorite actors and movies that had not previously been in his circle of favorites.
–Everything being related, oftentimes just explains his love for a particular city, game, song or some of the many other things that he does or says. – This post is about just that……
So here is the first in a series of "Everything is Related" posts:
It all started with Disney…. Those little half hour Disney Sing-A-Long VHS tapes. You know the ones…
"Come right in, sing a long, with your favorite Disney song……"
They contained many songs from many Disney movies – old and new.
At about a year old he moved on to the full length movies.
Mary Poppins –
Mary Poppins songs and clips were included in many of his sing-a-longs videos.
Mary Poppins= Julie Andrews
His love for Julie Andrews led him, through the years to "The Sound of Music", "Eloise at the Plaza", "Eloise at Christmastime", "Shrek 2 and 3" (although he did develop a love for Shrek all on his own – Julie Andrews just added to it), "The Princess Dairies" (all) and "Tooth Fairy".
We were at a friend's house for movie night one evening. The movie they chose to watch was "Tooth Fairy". His friends were excited to see this movie because of "The Rock". DC on the other hand, was excited because it also stars Julie Andrews . He did not know of or care about "The Rock".
This soon changed when he discovered that "The Rock" was in "Race to Witch Mountain" – he has seen and owns all of the old original versions of the "Witch Mountain" movies and now "The Rock" and "Race to Witch Mountain" has been added to his collection.
– Still on the subject of Mary Poppins, we have – Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke led him to "Chitty Chitty, Bang, Bang" , Night at the Museum (s) , "Bye, Bye, Birdie" and most recently, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".
– "Full House"
Just how is this related. you ask? DC loves Full House. He has every single season on DVD. He first came across the show on TV one morning – the episode airing just happened to have Annette 'Fun-chew-lo' (Dc-speak – 'Funicello') guest starring. Annette 'Fun-chew-lo' just happens to star in another one of DC's favorite Disney movies – "Babes in Toyland", (can we say "worst movie ever"?) also starring Ray Bolger from the Wizard of OZ (we will get to OZ another time).
He was a Full House fan from that point on. – But how is this related to Mary Poppins?
A few years ago we were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. We turned it on just in time to see a performance from the cast of the new "Bye, Bye, Birdie" revival – and who was playing Dick Van Dyke's, 'Albert' in that revival? None other than John Stamos (Uncle Jessie)! Well….. of course we HAD to go – we were due for a day trip to New York anyway.
I will never forget DC sitting in the audience pounding his leg with his fist mimicking the "Jes-sie, Jes-sie, Jes-sie!" chant. I did everything I could to get him to stop but he was "in the zone" and determined to continue. I could see, he was finding it very hard to control himself. I really thought I would have to take him out of the theater. He did finally get himself together and enjoyed the show quietly (as quietly as he could manage). – So "Full House" is related by both Disney as a whole and Mary Poppins.
Let's not forget, Ann Margaret also from "Bye, Bye, Birdie" – who also plays 'Cinderella' in the 10th Kingdom. The 10th Kingdom starts out and ends in New York City, with the City being the 10th Kingdom.
Ed Wynn (Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins) is also the Toy Maker in "Babes in Toyland" (again, I say…… worst movie EVER – who's with me?) and the voice of the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Not only does DC know all of these actors and their names, he can also tell you who was "the voice of" almost any Disney character.
His love of New York City stems directly from Eloise at the Plaza, therefore we must visit the Plaza just about every time we go.
Our trips to the Plaza now include a visit to the "Eloise Store" where items are 'Rah-ther' expensive. Of course now NY means so much more to him. It means Broadway and many shows, including "Mary Poppins". It means 'Set-tral Park', Toys R'Us, Times Square and we can't forget "West Side Story".
He is without a doubt, my Broadway Baby, and it is all due to his love of Disney and more specifically, "Mary Poppins"


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Dennis Toeppen, infamous former cyber squatter and current owner of the Illinois shuttle bus service Suburban Express, rose to further notoriety last year for his attempts to silence social media critics on reddit and Yelp through legal threats and alleged online intimidation. Those critics were responding to Suburban Express's policy of suing students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in an out-of-county court to coerce them into paying penalties when they didn't follow draconian passenger policies. Unsurprisingly, the situation didn't work out well for Toeppen, resulting in a massive Streisand Effect (including drawing attention from Ken "Popehat" White, who offered pro bono legal help to a redditor threatened with a lawsuit).
Yesterday, Toeppen added another chapter to his strange story when he was arrested in Champaign, Illinois on two counts of "Harassment through electronic communications," a class B misdemeanor in Illinois, according to a spokesperson for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. By this morning, he had posted the $10,000 bond and was free awaiting arraignment, according to a spokesperson for the Champaign County Sheriff's Office where Toeppen was booked.
Toeppen frequently posts "dirt" about his competitors and detractors on his company's website, and he actively defends his reputation on Yelp and reddit by engaging posters of negative reviews. In last year's public incident, Toeppen eventually dropped his legal threats against a redditor and then had over 100 lawsuits against students that he filed in Ford County dismissed. (Toeppen later filed to vacate their dismissal, however, so that he could re-file them elsewhere.) He has continued to aggressively go after people who express negative opinions since, as Na'ame Firestone of Oakland, California recently experienced on Yelp:
July 8, 2014 10:30 PM
This business owner is really freaky- BEWARE!!!
All day today he has been editing and re-editing his reply- I know that because every time he edits his reply I get notification e-mail. So far today I got EIGHTEEN notices- eighteen!!!! The guy is obsessed with me and I'm starting to get worried.
He took out the names he called me in his initial response, such as "liar" "Nutcase" and the such. He also took out the line where he accused my girl and her friend as having SIX wheelchairs with them...
But what really freaks me out is that he ended his last comment with a question:
"ps Is this you?"
And then he pasted this link, which is TOTALLY not related to my Yelp review:
"usatoday30.usatoday.com/…; [Link broken]
HE ACTUALLY GOOGLED MY NAME OR SOMETHING. He is stalking me!! HELP!!!!
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY or you'll be stalked- be warned!!!!
July 8. 2014
It gets even scarier...
I just got a message from him:
Hi Naama, Dennis T. sent you a message on Yelp:
Subject: RE: Your Review
"By the way, what is all that trash in your driveway on the google street view of your house? You seem a little wacko."
A look at other reviews on Yelp shows that Toeppen frequently goes back and rewrites responses to negative reviews. On a review dating back to 2010, his current comments have a post date of June 21, 2014.
Apparently, this time at least one target of Toeppen's tactics documented the situation well enough to get misdemeanor charges filed. According to Lake County Circuit Court's database, the charges filed against Toeppen were based on incidents on September 23, 2013 and January 10, 2014.
Update: In an email response to Ars, Lake County State's Attorney's Office spokesperson Cynthia Vargas said that Toeppen's next court date is August 1st. Because there hasn't yet been a preliminary hearing on the case,"at this time no other information can be released," Vargas told Ars. "The Lake County State's Attorney's Office cannot make extrajudicial comments."


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First I wanted to thank some of the gracious people who got back to me in regards to my post about 30 social media experts, evangelists and pundits. It was a fun list to compile and did not really expect to hear from some, and am surprised I did not hear from others. So much for the conversation? too busy? traveling? 3 day weekend? Nevertheless I want to thank Chris Brogan, B.L Ochman, Valeria Maltoni, Phil Gomes and Toby Bloomberg, Their responses to this post were more than gracious and reinforces why I read their blogs on a regular basis.
Sure, I know I should be bashing twitter right now, but Chris is all over it like a cheap suit, and there's nothing I can think of thats going to change it except to say that Twitter is effin up in a big way. Maybe IT IS time to go over to Friend Feed? Actually I have, I just don't use it as much…yet.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, One of our Top 30, who rocks the effin house, has graciously provided me with 4 more peeps/peers that we can add to the list. Here they are, and I must admit, they were great additions to this list.
Geoff Livingston
Rajesh Lalwani
Jeneane Sessum
Paul Chaney
I'm still open to add to this list as it might be a pretty cool list to maybe work up to 50. or maybe this is it? Maybe the conversation only consists of 34? You tell me.


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Get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week; click here to sign up. Please send your questions for publication to firstname.lastname@example.com. (Questions may be edited.)
Got a burning question for Prudie? She'll be online at Washingtonpost.com to chat with readers each Monday at noon. The next chat will be held on Jan. 7 of the new year.
Dear Prudence,
I'm a 23-year-old professional woman living with a close friend. A few months ago, we were out with a big group and everyone was drinking. My roommate was very drunk and ended up having sex with a guy I work with who was also extremely drunk. The next day, they woke up together, but neither of them remembered how they ended up there. She was very upset because she didn't remember consenting to sex. I believe they were both too intoxicated to consent, but I also don't think that he took advantage of her. Since then he and I have become good friends. Recently, I mentioned to my roommate that he'll be at an upcoming party. She freaked out, forbade me from saying his name, and went on a tirade about how she couldn't go and that I shouldn't either. I don't blame her for being upset, but I don't think it's fair to blame him. He and his roommate overlap many of our social circles, so she's definitely going to run into him. I think that she should go to therapy, to try and work through what happened to her. But I'm not sure how to say that, or if it's even appropriate. Please help!
—Bottle Blues
Dear Bottle,
Finally, a letter that convinces me that my frequently stated stance against drunkenness is wrong and that I've been too censorious. I can now appreciate that excessive alcohol intake is just a delightful social (and sexual) lubricant. Getting so hammered that you don't know what you're doing enables you wake up in mysterious locales and have intimate adventures with people whose names you haven't quite committed to memory! I know a case can be made that because your friend was intoxicated she was unable to give consent, therefore she was raped. Some will argue she should pursue this case legally. But if the story is as you say—two young people voluntarily had too much to drink and were too much in the bag to make a rational decision about how to consummate the evening—I think seeing herself as a victim would keep your friend psychologically stuck, and turning the guy over to the police would have the potential to unnecessarily ruin his life. Imagine watching a remake of Knocked Up in which the Seth Rogen character ends up on the sex offender registry. Your friend's unfortunate one-night stand should help her realize she needs to learn the difference between taking the edge off and ending up in a walking blackout, and how to stay on the right side of that line. I think your friend needs to see a therapist, not to explore the wrong that was done to her, but to help her process this regretted evening and get her to the point where she can comfortably be in this guy's presence. You should say that as her friend you've become concerned that she hasn't gotten past this event and that it's affecting her enjoyment of life. Tell her that you think some focused therapy will help her regain her composure and confidence.
Dear Prudence,
I have a dear friend who has two children the same age my as mine. Our older children never clicked, but our younger ones are best buddies. My friend's older child, a 13-year-old, has some behavioral issues. The child is very bright, but has a terrible temper and says awful things to my friend and the younger sibling, some of which I've heard. He's broken things and made threatening comments. My friend is getting him help (therapy, medication, etc.), but I'm concerned about allowing my younger one to play over there. Frankly, I'm afraid of what the older child might say or do and he scares me. My friend has mentioned having my younger one for a sleepover on a few occasions, but I'm not comfortable. Should I just keep inviting hers to play at our home? My friend knows something's up, but neither one of us has addressed it. I know it's difficult dealing with a child with these issues, and I don't want to add to her stress or risk damaging our friendship.
—Mum's the Word
Dear Mum,
In light of the horror of Newtown, many more people are going to be looking warily at hostile, troubled kids. It's really important to keep in mind that very few of these children are truly threatening. They cause agony for themselves and their families, but they rarely become violent. Your friend has been dealing with a heartbreaking situation for years and deserves your kindness and support. But as close as you are, apparently she has not confided in you about her concerns over her older child, so I think you should follow her lead. You have to trust your instincts. Her 13-year-old has made disturbing comments and you just aren't comfortable leaving your younger child around him. That's fair enough. So you just need to keep countering her sleepover offers by saying you'd rather host. If she asks you point blank what's up, say that you know she is doing everything possible to help her older one deal with his temper, but for now you think it's easier to let the little ones play at your house. Tell her how much you admire how she's handled this difficult situation. Let's hope all these kids, and their families, find more resources to get the help they need.
Dear Prudence,
I'm a cute-enough, slim-figured marathoner and academic who will be turning 35 in January. Before I reach my birthday, as is the case every year, I will have figured out a socially acceptable way to spend New Year's. But as of late, I've had an unexpectedly acute onset of night sobbing, loss of sleep, and have been isolating myself from discussions that involve weddings or kids. I feel like I need to get used to the idea that I might not ever have children or a companion. Although I'd like to find someone, I've lost interest in being set up by friends and getting gussied up to go out. I've done 15 years of it. This impending birthday has me stuck and terrorized. Every solution I come up with just makes me feel more isolated. Help.
Dear Alone,
I've been there, so I know the dread of which you speak—the sense that finding a partner was somehow easy and natural for everyone else, and for whatever combination of reasons it may not ever happen for you. I was one month shy of my 39th birthday when I married my husband. The one thing I decided was to look at my life patterns and realize it wasn't just a coincidence that over and over I chose men who were terrified of commitment. I decided I'd rather be alone than invest any more years in dead-end relationships. That one shift helped me connect with a man who previously wouldn't have been my type, precisely because he himself was looking for marriage. Of course everyone's situation is unique. But my suggestion is for you to move forward on parallel tracks. One is accepting that maybe you won't marry and have children, and that you've got to find a way, as do millions, of finding satisfaction in your work, your friends, and those things—culture, social action, travel—that bring you pleasure. Consider taking a break from the search for say, the next six months and see how you feel. Then, when you resume, do so with a combination of willingness and acceptance of the absurd. Take advantage of online dating. Keep your social network alert to prospects for you. Host some cocktail parties in which you ask friends to invite someone they like (of either sex) whom you don't know. Enlarging your social circle can only make your life better. Throw yourself a 35th-birthday dinner party or brunch—surrounding yourself with people who care about you will make you realize you don't need to be paired up to have a full and satisfying life.
Dear Prudence,
I went to see Zero Dark Thirty this weekend with my father and during the movie we ate popcorn and drank soda as normal people do. This guy next to us kept giving us dirty looks and then after the movie went into a diatribe about how they spent millions for the sound and it was so rude of us to eat during the movie. I ignored him and made my way out of the theater, but I pride myself on being a good person. Is it wrong to eat during a movie? I assumed that the concessions stands were there for that exact purpose and as long as we weren't passing the popcorn bag back and forth an undue amount or chewing with our mouths open, eating was totally copacetic. What is the right way here?
Dear Hungry,
Zero Dark Thirty hasn't opened in Washington, D.C. yet (I can't wait!) so that wasn't me giving you the stink eye. People go to the movies to be transported, but mass masticating, texting, and talking can make patrons feel like they're in an experiment testing their ability to focus. When I saw the The Bourne Legacy I sat next to man who had containers of popcorn and soda big enough to conceal a dirty bomb. For the entire two plus hours he ate the popcorn—mouth open—one kernel at a time while frequently washing it down. It was a Dolby-quality munching and slurping extravaganza, rather like listening to a cat cough up hairballs. However, you are right, concessions are sold so that patrons eat and drink them, and it's silly to chastise someone for increasing the theater's profit margin. But given that before the feature starts you sit through about 20 minutes of ads and trailers, I think movie-goers should endeavor to make a big dent in their snacks during this prelude. Certainly the rustling and gulping should be completed early in the show. You were right to just ignore your critic. But by the time the helicopters are descending on Abbottabad, no one should have to listen to another patron finishing off the unpopped kernels.
Discuss this column with Emily Yoffe on her Facebook page.
More Dear Prudence Columns
"Weapon of Choice: My husband insists we buy a gun to protect our family, but I disdain firearms." Posted Oct. 13, 2011.
"Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: My wife doesn't want sex frequently, so I visit prostitutes. Should I stop?" Posted Oct. 6, 2011.
"Surviving Mommie Dearest: My abusive mother haunts my dreams. How can I move on?" Posted Sept. 29, 2011.
"Once a Cheater: My husband says he had a one-night stand with a co-worker—but she called it a torrid affair. Who can I believe?" Posted Sept. 22, 2011.
More Dear Prudence Chat Transcripts
"Who's Your Mommy?: Dear Prudence advises a man whose wife doesn't want their twins to know they came from donor eggs—during a live chat at Washingtonpost.com." Posted Oct. 17, 2011.
"Start Spreading the News: Dear Prudence advises a woman whose boyfriend revealed he had herpes only after they had unprotected sex—during a live chat at Washingtonpost.com." Posted Oct. 10, 2011.
"Don't Tell Dad: Dear Prudence advises a woman whose friend won't tell her one-night stand she got pregnant—during a live chat at Washingtonpost.com." Posted Oct. 3, 2011.
"Life or the Party: Dear Prudence offers advice on a woman self-destructing with sex, drugs, and alcohol—in a live chat at Washingtonpost.com." Posted Sept. 26, 2011.


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Groundhog Day has recently been resurrected as a Broadway musical, and Bill Murray went to see it on Tuesday. And Bill Murray went to see it on Wednesday. Is Bill Murray fucking with us?
By all accounts he enjoyed the show, laughing and pumping his fist during musical numbers. Not all of us are destined for NYC this summer, but the good news is, you can catch Groundhog Day pretty much any old time, and here are but a few reasons why you should revisit this classic over and over again.
- Director Harold Ramis originally wanted Tom Hanks for the role but realized Hanks was "too nice" and went knocking elsewhere. Michael Keaton turned it down. Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Howie Mandel, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Kevin Kline, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner and John Travolta were also considered before Bill Murray was cast.
- Harold Ramis has a cameo in the film as Phil's neurologist. Also appearing, if you watch dedicatedly enough: Michael Shannon in his big screen debut – he's Fred, one of half of the young couple who's supposed to get married that day.
- Although a family of groundhogs was raised specifically for this movie, when Bill Murray was severely bitten not once, but twice, he had to receive rabies treatment, which are rather painful injections.
- Although set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the film was actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, just 50 miles from Murray's hometown, Wilmette. Tourism in Punxsutawney spiked after the film's release, but it's in Wilmette where you'll find a small plaque that reads "Bill Murray stepped here" on the curb where Phil continually steps in a puddle, and another marked "Ned's Corner" where Phil perpetually meets Ned the insurance salesman (Stephen Tobolowsky).
- There are 38 days depicted partially or in full in the movie. Ramis said originally he wanted about 10 000 years worth of days and ended up with what he considers to be a decade's worth which is still a really, really, sad, lonely long time to be reliving the same day.
- Bill Murray was offered a "spit bucket" for the scene in which he gorges on pastries. That was a terrifically bad idea on his part…guess who got a tummy ache?
- In one scene, Phil throws the alarm clock, destroying it. In real life, Murray's throw did little to damage the thing so the crew took baseball bats to it to smash it up. And yes, it really did keep playing that stupid song, just like in the movie.
- Murray was going through a divorce at the time and compensated by becoming obsessed with the movie, calling up Ramis with all kinds of questions. Ramis tired of it and sent the writer (Danny Rubin) to sit down with him and iron out all the wrinkles. This caused a rift in their friendship – Murray didn't speak to Ramis for many years.
- When Phil is at the piano teacher's house, it's actually Bill Murray playing. He can't read music but plays by ear, and learned that passage by heart to play it in the movie. [It's Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paginini, fyi]
- Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and Stephen Tobolowsky have all served as honourary Grand Marshals in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
- In Swedish, the movie's title is translated as "Monday Every Day" – although in 1993, when the movie came out, Groundhog Day was on a Tuesday. The specific day of the week is not mentioned in the film.
- In once scene, Phil throws himself from a bell tower. The building is actually the opera house in Woodstock, Illinois, where local legend has it that the ghost of a young girl haunts the building ever since she fell off a balcony section and died.
- The famous line "Don't drive angry!" was improvised by Murray when the groundhog in his lap was aggressively trying to escape by climbing over the steering wheel. [Yes, this was one of the times when Bill got bit]
- In the final shot, we see Phil carry Rita over the gate before climbing over it himself. This may seem romantic but was unscripted: in real life, the gate was simply frozen shut.


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If you're the kind of person that wonders more about the internals of PHP and how it works "under the covers" you'll find this new post from Nikita Popov a good read. It talks about how PHP handles its order of operations in more complex evaluation statements.
At this point many people seem to think that the order in which an expression is evaluated is determined by operator precedence and associativity. But that's not true. Precedence and associativity only tell you how the expressions are grouped.[...] What does this tell us about the order of evaluation? Nothing. Operator precedence and associativity specify grouping, but they do not specify in which order the groups are executed.
He gives a few examples to illustrate his point including multiple increments of the same variable at one time and how it's the "fault" of the compiled variables that were introduced in PHP 5.1. He shows the opcode version of the same PHP userland code and talks briefly about how to avoid this odd functionality in your application.


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Hackers Replace Bomb-Making Instructions with Cupcake Recipes in Terrorist Magazine
British spy agents from MI6 have reportedly hacked into a terrorist magazine and replaced instructions telling potential Islamic extremists how to make bombs with recipes for "The Best Cupcakes in America".
A report by the Associated Press explains how the British hackers "managed to hack into the extremist Inspire magazine, replacing its bomb-making instructions with a recipe for cupcakes".
It has been reported by The Daily Telegraph that the recipe used was actually "The Best Cupcakes in America" originally published by the Ellen DeGeneres chat show.
The terror magazine "Inspire" is a well-known English-language magazine produced by al Qaida somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula.
The magazine is created in PDF-format and then sent to registered extremist websites and email addresses interested in its destructive content.
In an edition created last year, the magazine ran with a special feature titled "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom".
However, British spy agents were able to hack into the pages and decided the best course of action would be to erase the detailed bomb-making instructions and replace them with cake recipes.
So rather than precise outlines on how to make a life-threatening bomb, terrorists were treated to instructions for mojito cupcakes "made of white rum cake and draped in vanilla buttercream", and rocky road cupcakes that cautioned: "warning: sugar rush ahead!"
Reports also indicated that the hackers erased special articles written by Osama bin Laden himself, as well as pieces written by his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.


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Unlike most shows about children, the one thing South Park rarely addresses is the one thing that childhood is all about: growing up. It's been touched on before ("4th Grade" comes to mind), but mostly South Park's kids, like the show itself, exist in the sort of stasis required of cartoons, ostensibly learning but never really evolving. As Sharon says at the surprisingly poignant end of tonight's episode, every week we see some slight variation on the same sort of story, and every week it gets a little more ridiculous, only to have the whole thing reset when the next week rolls around. That's even truer of South Park than most other cartoons, considering this is the show that spent its early years killing the same character in every episode yet always brought him back, fresh as a daisy, ready to be slaughtered all over again.
And as the revelations of last season's "Mysterion" trilogy showed us, it seems as though South Park is getting a bit reflective about that sort of thing in its old age, turning inward and examining its formula in a way that my colleague Todd VanDerWerff would probably identify as "meta." Much as that explanation of Kenny's many rebirths dissected one of the show's oldest conventions, tonight tackled a relatively newer, but no less formulaic pattern, with Sharon finally calling out Randy on his insatiable need to fill his life with short-lived fads that lead to him making the same stupid mistakes again and again with only minor variations. It's a criticism you could level at a lot of shows, of course—entire runs of sitcoms have been built on that—but that dearth of new ways to spin the same old thing obviously hits pretty close to home for Trey Parker and Matt Stone, given that they started off the season openly dreading having to come up with all-new stories to tell.
Even without that context, though, there was a definite note of weariness and finality in "You're Getting Older," so much so that there are already scores of people questioning on IMDB boards and Twitter whether it was, in fact, a surprise series finale. (For what it's worth, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still under contract through 2013—so no, probably not.) But knowing that Parker and Stone have been experiencing a bit of an existential crisis or even just restlessness definitely made tonight seem unusually thematically heavy. Sad, too. I don't think I've ever seen an episode of South Park end on such a downbeat note, with its montage set to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" that was both a parody of a self-serious drama's season finale and an actual, self-serious, dramatic season finale. (More on that later.)
In keeping with the episode's themes about the way getting older makes you regard the things you used to like with a far more critical eye, South Park is certainly the right age for a similar growth spurt. As tonight's britches-hoarding hillbillies pointed out, humanity is currently in the midst of the 'tween era of 2009 to 2012—and that goes for the show as well, which seemed to hit a difficult patch right around '09. And by 2012, South Park will have reached the end of its 15th year—not quite a man, but definitely not a kid, and in that tricky, bitchy teen era when suddenly everything just seems kind of pointless and shitty.
Stan only turns 10 here, but already he finds himself not only hating all of the music, movies, and even food he used to love, but hating absolutely everything and everyone. As he soon finds out from his doctor, some people never really grow out of that phase. They "get their wires crossed" and come down with a condition known as "cynicism" that causes them to broadcast their distaste for everything from processed foods to stupid movies to rampant consumerism at every available opportunity. Sometimes that cynicism becomes permanent, and calcifies until they're offering knee-jerk opinions to anyone within earshot about, say, why L.A. Noire looks shitty, even though they've never played it. And sometimes, if they hone that cynicism into a mode of creative expression, they can get hired by a pop culture website to channel those knee-jerk opinions into snarky blog entries.
But most people (even those pop culture writers) avoid getting totally lost in the valley of the shadow of shitty by achieving a sense of balance—accepting that there's plenty of crap out there but finding other things to enjoy, and most importantly, not letting the proliferation of shit convince them that the world itself has inherently changed for the worse, as Stan does here. After all, as he soon finds out, it's a lonely and boring life to live in constant disappointment and anger. And while that's a universal theme, it's also a very timely one: The truth is that the Internet has turned nearly everyone into a cynic, with the blank canvases of every blog, Facebook and Twitter status update, and comment board begging for your opinion, and "this looks shitty" being both the easiest and least debatable opinion to convey. (It's a modern human condition my other colleague Nathan Rabin addressed quite astutely in his opening "My Year Of Flops" entry as "Everything Sucksism.") If South Park is really taking a hard look at itself here, it's also offering a critique of the "fan" whose response to every new episode is unfailingly that the show totally sucks now, and that it should hurry up and end so they can stop watching it every week.
As for Randy, he has an equally unbalanced response toward not enjoying things the way he used to: He rebels with a contrarian stance, convincing himself that he actually loves something that others hate—namely "Tween Wave," the newest meaningless subgenre of music that those damn kids are always listening to, but which to older ears sounds like pure shit. Like actual shit, that is—in Stan's words, "It sounds like somebody is shitting in my ears"—albeit shit layered over some generic dubstep beats. Refusing to admit that he just doesn't "get it," Randy goes so far as to form his own Tween Wave act, Steamy Ray Vaughan, and eventually duet with the equally defiant Steamy Nicks on a series of britches-shitting ballads.
Just from the short sneak preview that was released before the episode aired, some were already drawing parallels between the scenario of Randy forcing himself to like music seemingly based on cheap shock value and the critics who have fallen all over themselves to praise a group like Odd Future, just to prove that they also "get it." And while I'll admit that the swipe about Randy's failed rock-star dreams definitely seemed like an overt nod to music journalists (not to mention, it hit pretty close to home), I'm also not so vain that I think this was all about the likes of us. Because as I said, this episode was working with some fairly universal themes: As much as all people are given to everything sucksism, they're also prone to bandwagoneering out of a fear of being left behind.
And as summarized in Sharon and Randy's episode-ending argument, blindly following or blindly refusing, it's all stagnation: The second we stop growing we become unhappy, and that's when we cease living honestly and start desperately chasing new identities like Randy, or like Stan, we completely shut down and decide that everything is shitty. It's that realization that they've stopped growing as people that causes Sharon and Randy to split up (for a second time) and brings "You're Getting Old" to its unexpectedly emotional end, with the Marshes selling their house and leaving their old lives behind. And while I'm not totally convinced that the fall season premiere won't once again hit the reset button on all this, Sharon and Randy's confrontation and ultimate tough decision posed some rather pointed questions about the show's own advancing age, namely: Can South Park itself break its own patterns? Can it become a show where the Marshes really are divorced, Stan is ostracized, and—as their fleetingly exchanged glances suggest—Kyle and Cartman become actual friends? Can it be the kind of show where genuinely serious moments coexist with people literally spewing diarrhea out of their mouths? Can it be allowed to grow?
As much as I loved this episode for all the ways it toyed with these bigger questions while still splattering poop everywhere, and showed that such an evolution is possible, I'm leaning toward the answer being no, if only because it would be a rather abrupt shift to make in its waning hours. And if it can't grow—if it's forced to remain in the stasis that we've come to rely on—well, maybe we can forgive Parker and Stone for also wanting to walk away before everything starts to look shitty to them.
Stray observations:
- In my excitement to (over)analyze its import, I obviously forgot to talk about just how fucking funny this thing was. The brilliance of "You're Getting Older," to me, was that its Very Special Episode-ness came as a total left-turn surprise, and that a half-hour with just as many farts as actual lines of dialogue could cause so much considered reflection.
- Funniest part: The sequence of sort-of-fake trailers mocking Mr. Popper's Penguins, Adam Sandler's actual upcoming movie Jack And Jill, and another where "the President is a duck or a dog or whatever." Of course, much like when it implicitly compared Zookeeper to "a reheated turd in the microwave," this scene sort of had it both ways—criticizing the cynicism that causes people to automatically complain about stuff, while also identifying the things that create that cynicism in the first place. I mean, I may be a cynical asshole, but that doesn't mean Zookeeper isn't also a reheated turd in a microwave.
- Tween Wave: a parody of dubstep, crabcore, chillwave, all three?
- Even if they were only there as a "meta" example of the ridiculous escalations brought in to pad out the same old stories, I wouldn't mind if the britches-hoarding hillbillies came back. The police confiscated all their britches, but they were just trying to look after them is all. Who else was going to love those britches?
- Randy's earliest Steamy Ray Vaughan track sounded an awful lot like Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge" with more farts.
- I like L.A. Noire, but Stan's right: Most of the time it doesn't really matter what choices you make, and that's kind of shitty.
- "It's like some kinda britches Holocaust?"
- "No, that's Stevie Nicks. Steamy Nicks just shits her britches."
- "This November, Adam Sandler shits in your eyes, ears, and mouth!"


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There were so many highlights for me today. I felt like I totally dorked out when it came to getting photos with chefs but that's okay…I'm not embarrassed:). It all started when I spotted Fabio Viviani…I LOVED him from Top Chef Season 5. He was so cute with his Italian accent and man-crush on Stefan!
Next I laid eyes on Ming Tsai and Michael Chiarello who were nice enough to pose with me for a photo. After that I had a cookbook signed by Bobby Flay and got a photo with him and Michael Symon. Both were so nice and personable! After that I spotted Ed Lee from the most recent season of Top Chef. I wish he had made it further in the show but I have no doubt he'll do well.
We went to 3 seminars today…all which were great! First was Jose Andres…so full of energy and it's clear he loves what he does. I wish I could have a private meal with him. He seems so interesting and I'd love to pick his brain. And I can't forget to mention that we sat right next to Nobu and had a really nice conversation with him! (we're going to his restaurant tonight and are really looking forward to it!). Next was Paul Qui – the Top Chef Season 9 winner! He's new to his "famous chef status" but was so authentic and seems so appreciative of everything he's been given since. Last but not least was Bobby Flay. He's just classic when it comes to the food scene. He's been a part of the Aspen Food & Wine Festival for 14 years…that's crazy! But he's clearly deserved it and seems like a great guy.
Can't wait for tomorrow!!!


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Dear Ones,
I'm writing from a quieter place—one from which I will soon pivot—re-entering the world of more noise, more chatter, and less stillness. This quieter season of Lent has been life-giving and restorative. It has filled me up in ways I didn't know I know I needed filling and in places I didn't realize were empty.
After Easter everything changes. Literally. Because of the Resurrection. And this Easter season, I feel a shifting in ways which feel even a bit more significant. That come from a change in my consumption of social media.
During this particular season of Lent, I have lived in a somewhat quieter space, in part because of a social media break— which, if anyone were to ask, will come highly recommended.
I am both ready for and not quite ready for the celebration of Easter Sunday. All that it brings, all that it means. I look forward to Easter Monday—through a lens of hope and joy— to the Gift and the gifts, waiting on the other side.
I'm eager to reconnect with people in that place called Instagram, a place that holds relationships with real people with real lives. People I know and care about and care for. People I have missed. People that inspire me and bless me. People that know me and who encourage me. And people that I hope are encouraged by the message I wrap in my Instagram posts.
My plan is to drill down, dig in & write more about what I have discovered to be an important sacred rhythm or social media resting. As a slow processor, I am still processing what I have learned and discerned from this Instagram fast. But for now I'll be looking for ways to take regular social media breaks and fasts and to the restoration and shifts in focus that time away brings.
Time away gives us repackaged time for other things. Time away frees up time to be more present in our moment s and more available to truly notice. Time off of social media gives us more time to be fully in and on in our one real life.
After a hiatus last Wednesday in my weekly podcasting schedule, I am back with a new episode of Peabiddies Podcast: Pursue the Art of Noticing.
I hope you will take a listen. Perhaps you will even forward it on to a friend. That is one of the sweetest compliments a writer or podcaster can receive—sharing is high praise. It means there was something of value that you as the listener wanted to pass on to others.
Perhaps you will consider leaving a review on your preferred listening platform. Those reviews matter. And they help others find us in the increasingly big wide world of podcasting.
Thank you for listening. Thank you for answering yes to the invitation to come with me on this journey—a journey of noticing and becoming more attentive to all that we have been given by the Giver. The Creator. The Artist God.
May you be filled with Easter joy and sing loud Alleluia's of praise. I cannot stop thinking of the love, the gift, the sacrifice that the Resurrection is and will always be. Forever and ever. Amen.
Joy to you this Easter…
Easter Blessings in Him,
elizabeth wynne marshall
Join me on Instagram @elizabethwynnemarshall where, beginning the Monday after Easter, I will be microblogging and sharing what I am noticing with images paired with words. I hope to see you there.
Peabiddies: Pursue the Art of Noticing
Episode 14 – Season 2 Easter Week: Words for you, Practical Steps for Noticing and A Prayer for Noticing https://anchor.fm/elizabethwmarshall/episodes/Episode-14—Season-2-Easter-Week-Words-for-you–Practical-Steps-for-Noticing–An-Easter-Blessing–A-Prayer-for-Noticing-e3mvo8


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1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
The crow-like tengus are known as a race of scavengers and irrepressible thieves. Covetous creatures predominantly motivated by greed, they are vain and easily won over with flattery. Deceptive, duplicitous, and cunning, tengus seek circumstances in which they can take advantage of the situation, often at the expense of others, including their own kind. They can be highly competitive, but impulsive and rash. Some claim their behavior is innate, while others believe their selfish mannerisms are cultural and developed as a learned adaptation that has enabled their people to endure through centuries of oppression.
Tengus are natural survivalists. For many, only theft and guile have afforded them the temporary luxuries other races take for granted. In the past, both humans and powerful races such as giants sought the bird-folk as slaves and servitors. Many tengus scavenged for survival, scraping for food in the shadows of cities or living as subsistence hunters and gatherers in the wild. Their descendants now struggle to find their place in contemporary society, often competing against negative stereotypes or driven to embrace them, and they rely on thievery and swordplay to get by in a harsh and unforgiving world.
Physical Description: Tengus are avian humanoids whose features strongly resemble crows. They have broad beaks and both their arms and their legs end in powerful talons. Though tengus are unable to fly, iridescent feathers cover their bodies—this plumage is usually black, though occasionally brown or blue-back. Their skin, talons, beaks, and eyes are similarly colored, and most non-tengus have great difficulty telling individuals apart. Tengus who wish to be more easily identified by other humanoids may bleach certain feathers or decorate their beaks with dyes, paint, or tiny glued ornaments. Though they are about the same height as humans, they have slight builds and tend to hunch over. A tengu's eyes sit slightly back and to the sides of his head, giving him binocular vision with a slightly more panoramic field of view than other humanoids. Like many avians, tengus have hollow bones and reproduce by laying eggs.
Society: Tengus live in close-knit communities in which they keep to themselves. In urban centers, they tend to group in communal slums, while those living in rural areas establish isolated settlements. Overall, they remain secretive about their culture, which is a combination of old traditions laced with newer bits of culture scavenged from the races common in the neighboring regions. Cultural scavenging also extends to language, and regional dialects of Tengu are peppered with terms and colloquialisms from other languages. Unsurprisingly, tengus have a knack for language and pick up new ones quickly.
Most tengu communities tend to follow a tribal structure. Tribal rules remain loose and subjective, and tribe members settle any conflicts through public arbitration (and occasionally personal combat). While every tengu has a voice in her society, in most settlements, tengus still defer to their revered elders for wisdom and advice.
Relations: Few races easily tolerate tengus. Of the most common races, only humans allow them to settle within their cities with any regularity. When this occurs, tengus inevitably form their own ghettos and ramshackle communities, typically in the most wretched neighborhoods. Regardless of their tolerance, most humans maintain as little contact with tengus as possible. Tengus occasionally make friends with halflings and gnomes, but only when they share mutual interests. Conversely, most dwarves have no patience for tengus whatsoever. Other races tend to view tengus in a similar fashion to humans, though many actively discourage them from settling in their realms.
Alignment and Religion: Tengus tend to be neutral, though those who allow their impulsiveness to get the better of them lean toward chaotic neutral. Religious beliefs vary from tribe to tribe; some worship the traditional tengu gods (most of which are aspects of better-known deities), while others take to the worship of human gods or celestial spirits. Tengus can be fickle with regard to their patrons, quickly abandoning religious customs when they cease to provide any tangible benefit. Many embrace polytheism, picking and choosing to uphold the tenets of whatever deities best suit them at the time.
Adventurers: With little at home to leave behind, many tengus turn to a life of adventure seeking fame, fortune, and glory. A common tengu belief portrays a life on the road as a series of experiences and trials that form a path to enlightenment. Some take this to mean a path of spiritual empowerment; others view it as a way to perfect their arts or swordsmanship. Perhaps in spite of the prejudices upheld by outsiders, many tengu adventurers embrace their stereotypes. These individuals seek to succeed by epitomizing tengu racial qualities, and proudly flaunt their heritage. Despite their avian frailty, with their quick reflexes and quicker wits, tengus make excellent rogues and rangers, while those with a strong connection to the spirit world often become oracles. Those disciplined in the practice of martial arts take jobs as mercenaries and bodyguards in order to profit from their talents.
Male Names: Bukka, Chak-Chak, Chuko, Ebonfeather, Highroost, Kraugh, Pezzack, Taicho, Tchoyoitu, Xaikon.
Female Names: Aerieminder, Aikio, Cheetchu, Daba, Gildedhackle, Kankai, Mikacha, Ruk, Zhanyae.
Standard Racial Traits
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Offense Racial Traits
Senses Racial Traits
Alternate Racial Traits
The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.
Paizo Favored Class Options
The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
3rd Party Publisher Favored Class Options
Racial Archetypes
The following racial archetypes are available to tengus:
Racial Feats
The following feats are available to a tengu character who meets the prerequisites.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor.
Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Favored Class Options. © 2014, Jon Brazer Enterprises


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This is pretty neat. I've definitely thought about reviewing books; even if it's for my own pleasure.
Any tips on how to construct a well written review?
Book lovers and movie fanatics of the world unite! There is a legitimate way for you to feed your addiction for bestsellers and box office blockbusters without spending a dime. In fact, it may pay to be nice to the UPS and FEDEX men because they soon will be showering you with gifts and lots of them! In a given week, I receive at least five packages — all of which contain new release books and movies ready to review. That's right, folks. Everything you were told about the entertainment industry is true. It pays to network.
With that being said, I am going to share my secrets of success with you, Wise Bread readers. I am a contributing writer/reviewer for Buzzine and know how to work my magic when requesting new titles from publishers and distributors. In fact, last month's booty consisted of over 50 books for my reading pleasure and at least a dozen comedies and documentaries from dinosaurs to wildlife photography to organic cooking. Needless to say, I am in the process of reviewing the bulk of these titles and now have gifts for every member of my family for free. How utterly cool is that? It really is easier than it looks.
Here's how you can go from your average bookworm or movie watcher to a supercharged, reviewing machine.
This can be your blog or a publication that you write for. Make sure that you clear your role in the company with the Editor before setting out to express your opinion about an upcoming new release. Much like food critics, reviewers can be brutally honest. You may or may not need to censor your content a bit to fit your target audience.
Do a simple web search to locate publishing companies and film distributors throughout the country. Locate their Press Room and make note of the name of the site's publicist. Write down the name, author, and ISBN of the titles that you are requesting to speed up the process. This information will be needed for the next step.
Some publishing companies require that you fax in requests on company letterhead. I have yet to meet one that has not honored an email request. When writing the publicist for the first time, introduce yourself by name, give background information on the publication that you work for, state the titles that you are interested in, and include a mailing address where the items can be shipped to.
If a publisher or distributor honors your request, be kind and send them a few words of thanks. Also, send them a link to the review once it goes live. Many companies use your words to help promote their artists, actors and actresses, and authors.
Treat the publisher/distributor with respect, provide them with a hard copy as well as links to the review, and watch in awe as you become the type of person who gets whatever he or she requests. It's kind of a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" philosophy. In return for free publicity, you get boxes full of books and movies for free!
Writer Linda Formichelli created a list of contact information for nearly every publishing company in the United States. Along with the name, address, and phone number of these businesses, she has also gone to great lengths to gain the contact information of publicists who are more than willing to get new material into your hands. Even if you write the wrong person, chances are he or she will forward your request to the right agent.
For a few minutes of your time, you can request upcoming new releases and stop accruing late fees on your library card for having a title out too long. Although some reviewer gigs may not pay monetarily, they do have perks in the form of free merchandise. You may also find yourself richer because of the experience.
Take it from me. Put your talent to use and start reviewing today. Free publicity is enough to get some people to stand up and pay attention. If you are passionate enough about a subject, your words will forever shine through.
This is a guest post by Charissa Arsaoui, a freelance writer with a love for arts and thrift-related topics.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This is pretty neat. I've definitely thought about reviewing books; even if it's for my own pleasure.
Any tips on how to construct a well written review?
That is very interesting, I will give it a try.
Thanks for sharing this great idea1
John DeFlumeri Jr
I work full time as the editor and publisher of the online book review website sanantoniobookreview.com. This is a very thorough description of how the book review system works -- my hat is off to you!
Now that Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews have closed, it is more important than ever before to provide an outlet for book reviews. I sincerely hope that readers of this article decide to take up the cause for literacy.
I really like this idea, I just have one question --
Is it necessary to join a review site, or would it be possible to get reviews done on a personally-run blog? What are the chances of getting a yes, are they good?
I would love to be able to do this, it just doesn't seem like my own blog is big enough to be able to. (Though I've always wanted to write for another as well.)
It's a dream job, in fact, it's not a job at all, if one could read and watch and write reviews afterward, and be paid for it. You're doing what you both love: writing and earning.
I hope there would be more opportunities for people residing in a non-US territory.
Websites devoted to book and movie reviews would be great. And where people could write their reviews, to put into practice what they've learn, while earning at the same time.
It's just a thought that I'm sure everyone is also dreaming of.
While I like this article's idea, I don't think these steps are practical. I got hung up on the step that requires you to "Make a written request". If you don't have any credentials and if you're not writing for a widely recognized blog, your request is probably going to end up in the trash. Contacts are important for every aspect of the publishing industry (a fact that I am learning the hard way) so I don't believe that reviewing books would be that easy. They're not going to send you free books if they know no one listens to you.


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CHICAGO (AP) — Once James Palmer Jr. pulled on his crisp red Nebraska jersey, it was mostly smooth sailing for the Cornhuskers.
Palmer scored 24 points after a late wardrobe change, and Nebraska shut down No. 21 Maryland 69-61 on Thursday for the first big surprise of the Big Ten Tournament.
Using a seven-man rotation because of injuries and backup guard Nana Akenten's suspension, the Cornhuskers harassed the Terrapins into 36 percent (18 for 50) shooting and 11 turnovers. Glynn Watson Jr. added 19 points, and Isaiah Roby finished with 15.
"We believe in each other. That's the main thing," Watson said.
Palmer went 8 for 13 from the field after he matched a career high with 34 points in Wednesday's tournament-opening victory over Rutgers. He played 40 minutes for the second straight day after realizing right before tip-off that he wasn't wearing his game jersey.
"Oh man. I was shocked because I've never done that before," Palmer said. "First time for everything. Lucky for me our manager Pat (Norris) got it to me in time."
Nebraska (18-15) earned a second win in the Big Ten tourney for the first time since 2016 and will face fourth-seeded Wisconsin on Friday afternoon. The Cornhuskers lost 62-51 to the Badgers on Jan. 29 in their only meeting of the season.
"A lot of teams would just say, we've got seven guys, there's no way, and they'd quit," coach Tim Miles said. "Not just say I quit, but they just wouldn't do those things. So I think that is probably that mentality is the thing I'm most proud of."
Maryland (22-10) swept Nebraska during the regular season, including a 60-45 win in Lincoln on Feb. 6. But the Terrapins — one of the youngest teams in the country — struggled offensively in their third loss in their last four games.
Bruno Fernando, who entered with averages of 14 points and 10.5 rebounds, was held to three points and eight boards. Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 17 of his 18 points in the second half, and Darryl Morsell finished with 14.
"I knew they were gonna double team me the whole time," Fernando said. "I just think they did a really good job of that and we got stagnant. I think we could have moved a lot more."
The Terrapins trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, but they closed to 35-30 on Morsell's jam with 14:49 left. The Cornhuskers responded with a 9-0 run, capped by Watson's 3-pointer with 11:59 to go.
Coach Mark Turgeon was whistled for a technical foul with 8:25 left after no foul was called as Morsell drove up the court on a fast break. Watson then made two foul shots and Roby converted a three-point play, extending Nebraska's lead to 51-37 with 8:12 left.
"We've overcome a lot. We'll overcome this," Turgeon said. "We just didn't play well today. We'll get ourselves ready to go and hopefully play better in the NCAA Tournament."
Nebraska's Tanner Borchardt had nine rebounds as the Cornhuskers matched Maryland on the glass at 33 apiece. The Terrapins entered with one of the best rebounding margins in the nation at plus-8.8 per game.
Nebraska: A third game in three days is one tough order for the Cornhuskers, but they feel a lot better about themselves than they did a week ago. They have won three in a row since a stretch of 11 losses in 13 games.
Maryland: The Terrapins showed some fight in the second half, but they had to chase the Cornhuskers after a shaky start. They had just 20 points in the first half on 29 percent shooting.
Nebraska struggled offensively in its January loss to Wisconsin, shooting 28.3 percent from the field. The Badgers have won three in a row.
Maryland waits to see where it's going in the NCAA Tournament.
Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


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Japanese auto parts maker Takata Corp. has pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and agreed to pay $1 billion for a scheme to conceal a deadly defect in millions of its air bag inflators.
Takata admits to hiding problems that can cause inflators to explode with too much force, hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers. U.S. prosecutors still are seeking extradition of three former Takata executives from Japan to face criminal charges.
Detroit federal Judge George Caram Steeh accepted a guilty plea to a fraud charge Monday.
Takata has agreed to pay $850 million in restitution to automakers, $125 million for victims and families and a $25 million criminal fine. Separately, the company faces dozens of consumer and state lawsuits that could run into millions of dollars.


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Outside the Box: 4 Ideas for Turning Family Recipes Into Gifts
Treasured family recipes are priceless, which is why they can easily be transformed into special gifts with minimum expense and just a little time. From turning handwritten recipes into tea towels to making beautiful cookbooks for less than $5, here are our four favorite ideas for giving family recipes as gifts.
• Turn them into a cookbook: You type up the recipes and print out your own own cookbooks, or use a service like Blurb to make professionally bound books for less than $5 each.
• Turn them into tea towels: Scan handwritten recipes and use the fabric-printing service Spoonflower to print them into cotton-linen fabric, which can be sewed into beautiful tea towels.
• Frame them: Highlight a favorite handwritten recipe by framing it. (Note: it's a good idea to frame a scanned copy rather than the original recipe, as the exposure to light will cause the handwriting to eventually fade.)
• Scan them and share them: Scan recipe cards and turn them into…more recipe cards! Give them out as sets or individually to be enjoyed by other family members.
Do you have any other ideas for turning family recipes into gifts?
(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)


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This guy?
Who else but Frank William Abagnale Jr. now known as J. Edgar Hoover, a.k.a Leonardo DiCaprio!
Leonardo DiCaprio's Tiniest Biography on the Web
Every sensible biography must begin with the birth of its subject. Leonardo DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974 in LA, California. As it happens, most people who go on to become famous in their lives, come from a broken home; so was the case of Leonardo whose parents separated when he was a toddler. Leonardo's dad however was not a normal person. He was an artist…even better, he was a comic book illustrator. So his dad's influence made Leonardo explore his creative side (?) when he was little. Leonardo went to work at the tender age of 5, but was kicked out of the show for unprofessional behavior (?!) Leonardo wasn't a good student (obviously, if he were the world wouldn't be talking about him and obscure caricaturists wouldn't be drawing his rather unique physiognomy,) nor was he a smashing-hit with the fairer-sex.
One thing led to another, and then I saw him in Titanic (the movie, I mean, not the ship) smooching Kate Winslet. I checked out my parameters of handsomeness and wondered why the west found him good-looking! (BTW, he's taller than he looks. He's 5 feet 11 inches or more!)
Anyway, Leonardo DiCaprio's first movie wasn't Titanic, it was "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" for which he was nominated for an Oscar (He doesn't look like himself in this movie though). He was nineteen then. Well, one movie led to another, until "Titanic" happened. "Titanic" catapulted Leonardo into being an international celebrity. I read that 28 Kabul Barbers were apprehended by the Taliban because they were giving those kids the Leonardo-Haircut!
Why Leonardo was called Leonardo?
When Leonardo hadn't found his way out of his mom's womb, she went visiting a museum. The yet-unnamed-Leonardo decided to kick his mom for the first time when she stood admiring a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. Every mother wants to remember that first-ever kick (and hopes that the child would stop kicking once it's out,) and so Leonardo's mom decided to call him Leonardo.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Famous Movies
Some of his movies are:
- This Boy's Life
- What's Eating Gilbert Grape
- Titanic
- The Man in the Iron Mask
- Catch Me If You Can
- The Aviator
- The Departed
- Blood Diamond
- Body of Lies
- Inception
- J. Edgar (Recent)
The Caricaturist's Opinion on the DiCaprio movies that she's seen
I watched "Titanic" but it made me sad. I don't like tragedies. There's enough sorrow in real-life and I really don't like spending my time watching movies in which the hero dies. I loved him as King Luis XIV in "The Man in the Iron Mask," a movie that may or may not be historically accurate – but who cares – not the Caricaturist! "Catch me if you Can" is fantastic. Geniuses of all types make me feel optimistic and happy…and knowing that Frank William Abagnale Jr.s exist makes this world a more interesting place for me. I watched "Blood Diamond" and wondered what the heck we need those diamonds for. Even if I had millions, I'd not waste them on a stupid piece of shiny rock that I could tie around my neck and get Spondalytis. In my opinion, no sane person should wear diamonds…but then if the world was sane, I'd not have anything to do. Who'd I ridicule then?!
Finally, "Inception." I hated the movie, and I have a strong reason for hating it. I watch movies because I want a break from work. This movie puts your mind to work, and that too in the highest gear. You've got to go on calculating the dream-depth, the corresponding time-span that Leo and his team can spend in the dream…additionally you've got to remember the names of the dream-owners and the team-members who get left behind on the higher level! Phew! The movie left me with a headache that refused to leave me for two whole days! And this movie got several award nominations…thankfully, it didn't win many awards or I'd have to wonder.
J. Edgar (A movie made on the life of perhaps the longest-serving FBI director J. Edgar Hoover) is right now running in the theaters. I am wondering whether I should watch it in the theater or I should wait for it to premier on television…still thinking 🙂


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animals, Bandhavgarh, brown bears, conservation, Costa Rica, crocodiles, finland, India, kuhmo, Mexico, Monarch butterflies, namibia, natural environment, whales, wildlife, world animals' day
Who knew it? October 4 is World Animals' Day! Time to feel the beast in you.
The official World Animal Day website states its aim as "To raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe. Building the celebration of World Animals' Day unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals. It's celebrated in different ways in every country, irrespective of nationality, religion, faith or political ideology. Through increased awareness and education we can create a world where animals are always recognised as sentient beings and full regard is always paid to their welfare."
It seems like an event worth marking in photo form, so here are six photos from some of the unforgettable close encounters I've had with various wildlife in recent years. I'm not a wildlife photographer as such – I probably don't have the required patience – but I have still been lucky enough to photograph animals in many special locations.
More observant readers will notice that there are in fact seven images here, not six. Sorry about that. It might happen again.
These images are the tip of my photographic iceberg, much of it stored on my website at www.timbirdphotography.com. Watch out for my Instagrams at @tim_bird_photo, Tweets at https://twitter.com/BirdTimothy and Facebook stuff at https://www.facebook.com/timbirdtravelphoto/
Thanks for dropping in. Please share and do visit again!


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Who owns your data? Hopefully the answer is you and while that may be true it is often very difficult to get your data out of sites you have uploaded it to and move it elsewhere. Additionally, your data is scattered across a bunch of sites and locations across the web, wouldn't it be amazing to have it all in one place and be able to mash it up and do things with it? Jeremie Miller observed these issues within his own family so, along with a few friends, he started the Data Locker project and Singly (Data Locker is an open source project and Singly is the commercial entity behind it).
I caught up with Jeremie right after the talk he delivered at OSCON. Here's what he had to say:
Some of the ground Jeremie covers:
- The concept behind the Data Locker project, why you should care
- How the locker actually works
- The role Singly will play as a host
- Where they are, timeline-wise, on both the project and Singly
Extra-credit reading
- Forbes.com: The Locker Project and Your Digital Wake
- BusinessInsider: The 20 Hot Silicon Valley Startups You Need To Watch
- Matt Zimmerman: Why I'm excited about joining Singly
- OSCON: ex-NASA cloud lead on his OpenStack startup, Piston
- OSCON: How foursquare uses MongoDB to manage its data


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Wall Street expects new iPad to continue dominating tablet market
Apple's new iPad features a 2,048-by-1,536 pixel resolution Retina Display, a faster processor, LTE 4G, a 5-megapixel camera and voice dictation. The tablet goes on sale March 16 in 10 countries.
Though the third-generation iPad was largely in line with analysts' expectations leading up to Wednesday's media event, they view the new tablet as a positive for Apple and expect it to help the company widen its lead over its competitors.
Piper Jaffray
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to investors that the new iPad is a "significant upgrade" to the iPad 2. He expects the device and a new version of iOS will help Apple maintain its lead in the tablet market.
Munster also noted that the lower-priced iPad 2 is "a strong defensive move" in the face of competition from Amazon's Kindle Fire and other budget tablets. The analyst does not expect the older entry-level iPad to cannibalize sales of the new model, noting instead that it will expand "Apple's addressable market in the rapidly growing tablet space."
The investment bank expects Apple will lead the tablet market to outgrow the PC market in the long term. Given the firm's long-term outlook, Munster cautioned that its current near-term estimate of 26 percent year-over-year unit growth may be too conservative. Piper Jaffray's estimate of 450 million tablet sales, including 225 million iPad sales, in 2016 implies an annual growth rate of 40 percent over the next four years.
The firm maintains an Overweight rating for Apple stock with a price target of $670.
Maynard Um reiterated UBS' Buy rating for Apple and its $550 price target. According to the analyst, the accelerated international launch of the new iPad could "provide upside" to estimates for the March quarter. Apple will launch its third-generation tablet first in 10 countries on March 16 and 25 more countries a week later. The company waited two weeks before going international with last year's iPad 2 launch.
UBS currently expects Apple to ship 12 million iPad units during the March quarter
RBC Capital Markets
Analyst Mike Abramsky said Wednesday he expects the new iPad to "maintain Apple's tablet dominance." According to him, Apple's "powerful ecosystem," which includes iTunes, iTunes Store, iCloud, iOS, App Store, and carrier/store distribution should help drive sales of the device.
RBC continues to expect Apple will ship 62 million iPads during calendar 2012, holding on to a 74 percent share of the tablet market. Abramsky viewed the third-generation iPad as "raising the performance bar" for tablets, since it has the highest-resolution screen on a tablet, a faster processor than the NVIDIA Tegra 3 and 4G LTE.
The analyst added that the cheaper iPad 2 should have a better appeal to price-sensitive buyers. An RBC survey from late last year found that 20 percent of non-iPad buyers were "likely" to purchase a $399 iPad 2.
Deutsche Bank
Chris Whitmore described Apple as "lapping the competition again" with the new iPad. The launch of the device arrived earlier than the analyst originally expected, so he also noted a potential upside in March quarter iPad sales.
Whitmore expressed the belief that Android and Windows tablet competitors will "have trouble matching" the price-performance specs of Apple's current iPad lineup. He expects Apple to "continue to dominate the category." The firm now believes its 60 million iPad estimate for 2012 is "beatable."
Deutsche Bank also believes developers will "flock" to the iPad's raw performance characteristics. A side-by-side comparison of the third-generation iPad and the iPad 2 showed that the new hardware was "particularly impressive" when running graphics intensive applications such as games or video content.
"We expect this upgrade to attract even more developers to the iOS platform (315M+ units shipped) whose new Apps (200K+ and counting) will attract even more users to the platform," he said.
Whitmore viewed the iPad ecosystem as winning out against its rivals. He pointed out that Windows 8 is receiving "mixed reviews" and is not expected until the second half of 2012. According to him, Android is in "disarray," making the iPad's value proposition for developers "abundantly clear."
J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan's Mark Moskowitz said the combination of upgrades in the new iPad should "cement Apple's market dominance in a preemptive response" to the flood of Windows 8 tablets later this year. He called the third-generation tablet a "quality" upgrade.
The analyst also marveled at Apple's ability to add LTE without compromising battery life. J.P. Morgan's research shows that battery issues have been an "impediment to broader manufacturing and adoption of 4G LTE-capable devices." As such, he noted Apple has having accomplished an "impressive feat" by dramatically improving iPad specs while maintaining 9-10 hours of battery life.
Moskowitz also said he expects comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook that there is "a lot to look forward to" from Apple in 2012 to stoke speculation about the rumored full-fledged TV offering. In the firm's view, Apple's leadership through innovation "stands to continue" and should drive the company's stock even higher.
Morgan Stanley
Katy Huberty told investors she expects the new iPad to "drive strong demand." The investment bank's model conservatively predicts a 1.2x unit increase in iPad shipments over the next four quarters as compared to the prior four. A 2.3x increase in iPad shipments occurred after the iPad 2 was introduced last year.
If the iPad were to continue growing at the 2.3x rate, Apple could ship as many as 90 million iPads this year. The firm currently expects shipments of 51 million units during 2012.
Morgan Stanley characterized Apple's price cut on the iPad 2 as an important move to "expand its addressable market and grow profit dollars." An earlier survey by the firm showed that Apple could stimulate 15-20 million incremental U.S. unit demand and 38 million global demand by lowering the iPad 2 price by $100. According to Huberty, each incremental one million iPads could add $0.20 of earnings per share.
The analyst does not expect the iPad 2 discount to affect Apple's gross margins. She estimates Apple has negotiated 20 percent annual component cost decreases from suppliers. Assuming a 30 percent shipment mix of cheaper iPads, the gross margin of the iPad would deteriorate by just half a point, Huberty noted.