text:
The newest deck to hit ShopBicycleCards.com is the result of a collaboration between the Bicycle® Brand and the Kings Wild Project. You may be familiar with Jackson Robinson, the founder of Kings Wild and the illustrator of popular decks like Federal 52, the Gold and Silver Certificate decks, and a series of Sherlock Holmes decks.
Today, Bicycle® Brand released the Civil War Deck, Jackson's newest deck and his first deck widely available through ShopBicycleCards.com. Jackson illustrated the deck in his trademark style, with influences from the same engraving style found on US currency. Each court card contains a famous player from the American Civil War. Characters from the Union side are featured on the spade and club court cards, while the heart and diamond cards feature characters from the Confederacy. The card backs are available in both red and blue.
You can order the Civil War Deck online here, or learn more about it on its product page here.
Stuck on what to get dad for Father's Day? Redbook Magazine has a few suggestions—including Bicycle®'s own Wounded Warrior Deck! We were featured along with a host of other fun goodies in an article about great gifts under $100. Says Redbook, "Cards to make poker night more meaningful: For each deck sold, a donation is made to help support injured service members." It's true; we donate 15¢ to the Wounded Warrior Project for every Wounded Warrior Deck sold. Find it here.
In April, we gave away an extra-special edition of the 125th Anniversary Edition Deck.
We held the giveaway on Facebook, where anyone could enter to win a red and a blue numbered edition of the 125th Anniversary Deck. On top of that, it came in a hand-crafted case made out of the floorboards of the original US Playing Card Factory, first built in 1894. We received over 2,000 entries over a two-week period. Ultimately, Bicycle® fan Eddie T. walked away with the prize.
If you missed this contest, don't worry! We'll host more contests on Facebook in the future. Stay tuned for giveaways, news, and more here.
Bicycle® Playing Cards is proud to present our two newest decks: the Luchadores Deck, and the Pandamonium Deck!
The Pandamonium Deck is covered from tuck to Joker in pandas. The endangered black-and-white mammal is perhaps the most recognizable conservation symbol in the world. The deck features hand-drawn custom cards with panda facts on the ad card. Plus, each pip card contains a corresponding number of pandas. You can find the Pandamonium deck here.
The Luchadores Deck celebrates the culture of Lucha Libre, a type of wrestling with roots in Mexico but popular worldwide. Luchadores is the term for the wrestlers themselves. Colorful masks, high-flying maneuvers and rapid sequences of holds are common characteristics of Mexican wrestling. The deck features 16 different Luchadores, including colorful masks and unique finishing moves. You can find the deck here.
Bicycle® recently added the Warrior Horse, Brosmind, and Zombified decks to ShopBicycleCards.com.
Graaaugh! Zombies are back in Bicycle®'s third zombie-themed deck. Billy Tackett, an award-winning artist known for his zombie art, illustrated the Zombified Deck.
Warrior Horse and Brosmind, previously available only in overseas markets, are now easily accessible for fans North America.
Warrior Horse
Warrior Horse celebrates people born in the year of the horse; these people are active and energetic, charming and cheerful, hard-working, self-possessed and sharp. The design is rooted in Chinese style and tradition, and was released in time to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Find yours here.
Brosmind is a design studio in Barcelona, Spain, founded by Juan and Alejandro Mingarro in 2006. Their bright illustrations draw inspiration from street art all over Spain—and now you can find their whimsical designs on every card in the Brosmind Deck. Grab yours here.
In addition to the current stock of four NASCAR Driver Decks, the Bicycle® Brand has added two Matt Kenseth Driver Decks to the collection. One features Kenseth himself, while the other features great shots of the #20 Dollar General/Husky Toyota Camry. Grab a deck of your very own here.
Eight new decks are now available for perusal here, and available for purchase at ShopBicycleCards.com. From a variety of artists and covering a variety of topics, the new decks include:
All decks feature original art on the card backs and tucks, and were printed in the USA at the United States Playing Card Company on premium stock with a quality finish.
The Sideshow Freaks Deck is here to stay! This newest deck from Bicycle® Playing Cards features classic sideshow characters like the bearded lady, fire-breather, lobster boy, and more. With a red and yellow circus tent motif and a hand-illustrated back design, this deck is bound to be a staple of your gaming nights. Get yours here!
NASCAR is taking over at Bicycle® Brand Playing Cards! With four new sets of NASCAR decks at shopbicyclecards.com and our logo on the hood of Landon Cassill's #33 Chevrolet for the next few weeks, we've got racing on the brain.
The four NASCAR drivers featured in the new deck releases are Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. Each set comes with two decks: one deck for the driver, one deck for the corresponding car.
In addition, we're in the midst of a three-race partnership with Landon Cassill and Circle Sport as the primary sponsor on the No. 33 Chevrolet. In tribute to the Memorial Day holiday, the No. 33 Chevrolet will proudly display the nation's colors incorporated into the car's paint scheme in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and at the FedEx 400 in Dover, Delaware. "To have the Bicycle Brand on the car at Charlotte, in the backyard of the majority of the NASCAR teams, is exciting," said Cassill. "You always want to have a good run in front of the home crowd, and the red-white-and-blue scheme featuring NASCAR Playing Cards looks great.
The Bicycle®'s Brand's official holiday, Play More Cards Day, celebrates its inaugural observance on February 23, 2013. Play More Cards Day is a holiday dedicated to bringing family and friends together for an evening of good times and playing cards. We help give fans the tools, inspiration, and card rules to celebrate. All you have to do is show up.
To visit the official Play More Cards Day page, click here. Look for the section on becoming a Bicycle® Brand Ambassador for the chance to win free stuff!
The Bicycle® Brand's How to Play App is now available (and free) in the iTunes store for the iPhone and iPad and Google Play for Android 2.1 and up. It includes easy-to-follow rules for over 75 card games, and lets you search for games by number of players, the type of group playing, or simply by name. Whether you need a rules refresher or want a new game to play for your game night, How to Play is the app for you!
Available for iPhone, iOS 6
Available for iPad, iOS 6
Available for Android, 2.1 and up
The Bicycle® Brand is proud to introduce Club 808, the exclusive membership club for the brand's biggest fans. While Club 808 officially launches on January 1, anyone can sign up now for just $18.85.
As members of Club 808, fans will have access to one-of-a-kind decks, limited-edition gear and accessories, interviews with celebrity Bicycle® Brand fans, insightful articles about every angle of the playing card industry and tradition, and the ability to participate in high-stakes contests. It's a fun and exclusive way to show off Bicycle® Brand loyalty and full of content fans won't find anywhere else.
It's also the perfect holiday gift for any playing card fan. To be one of the first to join, click here.
Didn't think Bicycle® could do gothic fantasy? Think again. Bicycle® presents our newest decks: the Anne Stokes Collection Dark Hearts Deck and the Alchemy England Deck, featuring the fantasy art of Anne Stokes and Alchemy1977.
Anne Stokes and Alchemy1977 designed all 52 cards for their respective decks, meaning each card features unique design. The classic suit symbols are now jewels or intricate cogwork, while the court cards feature colorful characters and scenes. It's a new experience in every shuffle. To check them out for yourself, click here for the Anne Stokes Collection Dark Hearts Deck or click here for the Alchemy 1977 England deck.
These decks feature original artwork on the front and back of each card. They were printed in the USA at the United States Playing Card Company and printed on premium stock with a quality finish.
Bicycle® is proud to present our newest, spookiest deck yet: the Zombie Deck, featuring a horde of colorful characters, a wealth of survival tips in case of zombie attack, and a new back design. It's a totally unique look for the classic 56-card deck.
The Zombie Deck features original artwork on the front and back of the cards, including zombified face cards and jokers. These decks were reanimated in the USA at the United States Playing Card Company and printed on premium stock with a quality finish. Check out the product page here
Now Available!See details and order now exclusively at ShopBicycleCards.com.
Haven't you always wanted to design your own playing cards? Bicycle® Playing Cards is excited to announce its partnership with Zazzle, one of the world's leading platforms for customization and on-demand commerce. Thanks to this partnership, consumers can now personalize and design one-of-a-kind Bicycle® brand playing card decks.
VP of Marketing at The United States Playing Card Company Roy Gifford said, "Our partnership with Zazzle opens up an exciting way for Bicycle® brand card lovers to express themselves by creating a one-of-a-kind deck of cards. Plus, it gives aspiring designers a way to sell decks with designs and artwork they create."
The partnership gives consumers a platform for creating unique card designs featuring Bicycle® brand premium quality cards and the iconic Bicycle® brand artwork on the faces. Zazzle's easy-to-use tools and navigation make it easy to turn a simple photo into the backing of a 52-card deck (plus Jokers). The site also gives card enthusiasts and artists the opportunity to sell their own deck designs.
Want to get started making your own deck? Just visit bicyclepersonalizedcards.com.
Bicycle loves the sustainability, durability, and varied usage of hemp fibers—including its appearance as the art on our newest deck of playing cards. As a company whose principal output is a paper product, Bicycle knows a bit about fibers.
We also know that hemp fibers are an environmentally friendly crop used in textiles, body products, and even bio-fuel. Hemp fibers are stronger than cotton fibers, and can even block UV rays more efficiently than other fabrics.
Bicycle's Hemp Deck features our classic air-cushion finish and a weathered burlap look. The deck contains original artwork on the Ace of Spades, Joker, back design, and tuck, with unique coloring on the court cards. Made in the USA at The United States Playing Card Company on quality stock with a premium finish.
Now Available!See details and order now exclusively at ShopBicycleCards.com.
True Steampunk aficionados know it's okay to mix metals—which is why we added the Silver Steampunk deck to our collection.
You don't need a monocle to see the shining contours of the intricately embossed tuck, or to appreciate the finer details of the illustrations on the backing and Ace of Spades. The entire deck is evocative of its namesake's affinity toward gleaming cogs and intricate gears. Airship sold separately.
Silver Steampunk contains original artwork on the Ace of Spades, Joker, back design, and tuck. The tuck itself is embossed in polished, metallic contours. Made in the USA at The United States Playing Card Company on quality stock, with a premium finish.
Now Available!See details and order now exclusively at ShopBicycleCards.com.
Inspired by mythology and illustrated by hand, Archangels represent a new level of elegance in playing card design.
The design was produced by theory11 and illustrated by Tom Lane in the United Kingdom. The design itself required six months of intricate, pen-and-ink illustration. The result: breathtaking.
The back design is the crown jewel of the Archangel deck. The closer you look, the more detail you will find. Archangels showcase a juxtaposition of good and evil, darkness and light, night and day, angels and demons.
Archangels contain original artwork on the Ace of Spades, Joker, back design, and box. On the box, debossed ridges provide a unique feel that accent majestic gold foil across each face. Made in the USA at The United States Playing Card Company on premium quality papers, stock, and finish. In stock now for fast shipping.
Now Available! See details and order now exclusively at ShopBicycleCards.com.
From the very beginning, we focused on producing the world's finest playing cards, with premium quality and durability. From 1907 to 1947, we applied that same focus and dedication to something else: gambling chips.
Collectors call them 'crest and seal' chips, and they were made by The United States Playing Card Company from 1907 to about 1947. Often referred to as the "Cadillac" of casino chips, crest and seals are some of the most colorful and beautiful chips ever produced.
Crest & Seal chips appeared in game rooms across the United States, from mob-owned private rooms to legitimate casinos and country clubs. In addition to the many colors, the variety of inlays (the center section with the design or the name of the club) is truly staggering. When it comes to gaming, you can always bet on one thing: that USPC stands for quality, durability, and the world's best.
Special thanks to Rich Hanover at OldPokerChips.com for permission to include these images.
If you've ever looked at a modern Bicycle® Ace of Spades or Joker, you've probably seen the number "808" across the card face.
What does "808" mean? Many people don't know the significance of that number, so we wanted to explain its origins in this article.
The United States Playing Card Company began as a printing company called Russell, Morgan & Company.
Russell and Morgan produced their very first deck of cards in a Cincinnati, Ohio factory back in 1881. The brand was called "Tigers" and the number assigned to these new decks was 101.
A short while later, the numbers 202 and 303 were used when the firm printed decks under the "Army" and "Navy" brands.
The "Congress" brand and a few others were produced and given similar numbers in sequential order. Eventually Russell and Morgan introduced the Bicycle® line and assigned it the number 808.
Over 125 years later, Bicycle® Cards became the most popular brand of playing cards in the world, and the number 808 continues to be used on the Ace and Jokers provided with each and every deck we manufacture. Want to find out more about our company history? Find the full story and complete details here.
Bruce Schneier is a security consultant and a leading expert on codes and ciphers.
In the late 1990's, he created a powerful cipher code system using a deck of ordinary playing cards that he called the "solitaire encryption algorithm." Although invented for a novel, Solitaire (called "Pontifex" in the book) is actually a very secure method of developing a cipher key.
By putting a deck of 52 cards (plus two Jokers) into any given starting order, a person could manipulate that order in a very specific manner to arrive at a unique "key." That key could then be combined with a simple substitution alphabet (where A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, etc).
The result appears to a casual observer to be a random series of numbers. However, anyone that knows the original starting order can reproduce the key and use that key to reverse-engineer the message.
It's complicated and somewhat time consuming to implement Solitaire, but when it's done correctly, the cipher is considered very secure. Like most ciphers, Solitaire isn't perfect, but most experts agree it would require sophisticated analysis to crack.
And you thought only magicians kept secrets with their playing cards!
Here's a challenging logic puzzle that seems simple at first, but some people have trouble getting the right solution. Take a look at the photo above and consider this statement: Any card with an Ace on one side has a red back on the other side.
How many cards must you turn over to determine if this statement is accurate? Can you come up with the right answer?
Spoiler Alert! The Answer: If these are all normal cards, then you must turn over the Ace and the blue-backed card. You must turn over the Ace to make sure it has a red back, and you must turn over the blue-backed card to make sure it is not an Ace. You do not need to turn over the red-backed card, as it can be any value. The puzzle said all Aces have to have red backs, but it didn't say all red-backed cards had to be Aces.
If you allow for non-standard playing cards to be used, then you must also turn over the King, just to make sure there isn't an Ace on the other side! If there was, that would make the proposition false. Although we don't normally encounter Kings with Aces on the other side in everyday life, there is nothing that excludes that possibility from a purely logical standpoint.
Share this puzzle with your friends by hitting the LIKE button above!
The United States Playing Card Company has manufactured the world's finest playing cards since 1885, but where did it all begin? Which decks were first off the printing press?
Bicycle® Playing Cards are the most famous brand of playing cards in the world today. Although we know what year the first decks rolled off the presses, we don't know which exact back design came first.
For years, experts and historians seemed to agree that the most likely candidate was the "Old Fan" back design. It was released in 1885 and remained in production for many years afterwards.
If that's true, then the famous "Rider back" design, which has remained in production for over 120 years, was likely the second Bicycle® design. We know it was released in 1887. So where's the controversy?
It's possible that a little known back called the "Oak Leaf" design was printed sometime in 1885 along with the Old Fan back. At least one Oak Leaf deck has surfaced with the earliest known Ace of Spades, which would appear to date the deck to 1885, along with the Old Fan back.
The question is, did the Old Fan back design come first and Oak Leaf second, or is it the other way around? Or, is it possible that the Oak Leaf back with the original Ace is simply a fluke and wasn't actually in production that early? We will likely never know the real answer. This mystery might never be solved!
What is The World Series of Poker, and how did it all start?
The World Series of Poker began as an invitation-only tournament in 1970. Legendary Las Vegas casino owner Benny Binion brought a handful of the best poker players in the world to his famous Horseshoe casino to determine who was the number one player on the planet.
Although the first tournament was decided by a vote, beginning with the second contest in 1971, the champion has been determined by a winner-take-all no-limit hold 'em tournament. Past winners include legends like Johnny Moss, "Amarillo Slim" Preston, and Stu "The Kid" Ungar.
The WSOP began with only 6 players in 1970, but by the mid 80's, it saw upwards of 2,000 entrants. The series reached over 8,000 players in 2006 with the winner of the "Main Event" no-limit hold 'em tournament taking home over $12,000,000. The winner also takes home the coveted WSOP Champion bracelet.
The 2012 WSOP begins on May 28th at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Will you be the next bracelet winner?
Although it's not likely to come up in a game situation, here's a great trivia question about high-ranking poker hands that is sure to stump even your most serious poker-playing friends.
In a classic game of five-card draw poker, what is the best possible full house?
The obvious answer would be "three Aces and two Kings," but that's not technically correct. The real answer depends on how you define the word "best."
It's true that there is no full house that can beat Aces over Kings. But, there are two other hand-rankings that can beat a full house: Four of a kind and straight flushes (including Royal Flushes).
If your full house consists of Aces over Kings, then there are 11 sets of four-of-a-kind that can beat you and 34 possible straight flushes that can beat you. That's a total of 45 possible hands that your opponents could have.
However, if you instead chose Aces over Eights (or Sevens or Sixes), then you interrupt the necessary sequences for some of the straight flushes.
This strategy lowers the number of straight flushes you could be facing to only 27. That lowers the total number of possible hands your opponents could beat you with to only 38 hands.
If you could choose a full house, you're better off taking Aces and Eights than you are choosing Aces and Kings. Strange but true!
We are proud and excited today to announce the launch of Casino by Zeniz, a new social casino app for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch! Within the app, you can play all sorts of casino games with your friends - free!
From Texas Hold'em Poker to slot machines, the Casino by Zeniz app has something for everyone! The app is available right now in the iTunes App Store. Within minutes, you can download the app and start playing your friends!
Please join us, spread the word, and let the games begin!
Over the past few decades, countless television shows and movies have included cards made by The United States Playing Card Company.
One of our favorite films with a USPC cameo is Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman as an anti-establishment character assigned to a Florida prison road gang in the 1960's. After losing, but enduring, in a fight with the leader of the prisoners (played by George Kennedy), Newman engages in a famous scene involving a card game.
While playing stud poker, Newman successfully bluffs out the other prisoners one at a time until he wins the pot. When his hand is revealed, the players see that Newman stayed in with "nothing." The cards in use during the game? They were "Bee" ® (No. 67) cards made by The United States Playing Card Company.
The line that ends this classic scene? "Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."
An iconic painting from 1594 that shows two card cheats in action.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio created what is arguably the most copied painting ever to depict gambling and more specifically, playing cards. Completed around 1594 and now on permanent display at the Kimball Art Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas, The Cardsharps shows a young aristocrat being fleeced by two cheats.
The first cheat signals the strength of the honest player's hand, while the other cheat removes cards from his waistband to beat his unwary opponent. As a painting, it's a masterpiece, and as a method of cheating at cards – well, let's just say it isn't exactly obsolete. Our advice? Admire, but don't imitate!
The United States Playing Card Company and digi117 team up to introduce Zeniz, a groundbreaking mobile social casino company.
The United States Playing Card Company ("USPC"), a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), today announced a partnership with mobile strategy agency digi117 to launch the Zeniz Social Casino ("Zeniz"), a mobile social gaming platform planned for iOS and Android release this spring.
Operating under a freemium model, with a new game planned for addition to the platform every two months, Zeniz's social gaming network provides brands with a Main Stage where players can engage with mobile games through interactive, 3D graphics and video before entering the branded game rooms.
"Our product is more than just another poker app, it's a virtual casino: one lobby with digital entertainment as well as many games," said Marc Hill, President of USPC. "The platform is targeted to social gamers with high-end graphics optimized for mobile devices and tablets that bring together critical game attributes and branding opportunities that don't exist in any other mobile game application. Our platform introduces new technology and exciting new ways to play casino games in both single-play and social-play modes."
USPC, the largest provider of playing cards in North America and owner of the Bicycle®, Bee®, and Aristocrat® playing card brands, is executing an aggressive digital strategy aimed at re-positioning USPC as a provider of entertainment targeted at a new generation of customers.
"We are excited to be partnered with USPC and feel lucky to be involved with a visionary like Marc helping to implement the USPC digital strategy," said Vadim Chernega, President of digi117. "After designing, developing and promoting over two hundred mobile applications with millions of downloads, we feel confident our experience will make this game a winner. We have some of the most talented designers, and we have launched a new-to-the-world social gaming concept."
"USPC has been providing games and entertainment for 125 years, but as entertainment becomes centered on digital, we know we have to offer our customers a new way to play," said Hill. "Our vision is to leverage our heritage and develop a revenue-generating social gaming company to compete in the mobile application space."
About Zeniz: Zeniz Gaming Network is owned by Jarden Corporation in partnership with digi117. For more information please visit www.zeniz.com
About The United States Playing Card Company: The United States Playing Card Company is the leader in the production and distribution of premier brands of playing cards, including BEE®, BICYCLE®, AVIATOR®, HOYLE®, KEM® and CONGRESS® playing cards. BICYCLE® has been the bestselling playing card brand in the world for more than 125 years. Founded in 1867, the company manufactures, markets and distributes traditional playing cards, card games, children's card games, and card accessories. BEE®, BICYCLE®, AVIATOR® and HOYLE® are registered trademarks of The United States Playing Card Company. For more information, visit http://www.usplayingcard.com
About Jarden Corporation: Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden ranks #379 on the Fortune 500 and has over 23,000 employees worldwide. For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit http://www.jarden.com
About digi117: digi117 is a mobile marketing strategy agency that specializes in full-cycle client solutions that have the power to push brands into the mobile arena. digi specializes in guiding projects from idea to execution regardless of scope. digi117 is privately owned and located in Vancouver, BC, Canada. For more information please visit http://www.digi117.com
Blackjack is one of the most popular card games enjoyed by players around the world. But where did the game begin?
The modern game of Blackjack has its origins in various "comparing" card games dating back to the 16th century! Although directly tracing Blackjack's history is impossible, many modern scholars believe that French games like vingt-et-un and quinze contributed several features.
Additionally, the Italian game of sette e mezzo and the (probably) Spanish game of trente-un almost certainly provided playing elements that would go on to be incorporated into modern Blackjack.
At any rate, the game was being played in American gaming houses in the early 1800's but wasn't called "blackjack" until the first part of the 20th century. The name comes from a special "bonus" of 10 to 1 that was paid if the player received a black Ace and a black Jack as his first two cards.
Although that particular bonus is no longer found in the modern game, a smaller bonus of 3:2 or 6:5 is still paid for any player that receives an Ace and any 10-valued card as his first two cards (assuming the dealer doesn't also have a blackjack).
Today, Blackjack is the most popular banking card game in casinos, and it surpassed Craps as the number one table game back in the 1960's. When was the last time you played a hand?
A special deck of cards with a map hidden INSIDE the layers of the paper! When was it made, and what was it used for?
During World War II, the United States Playing Card Company joined forces with American and British intelligence agencies to create a very special deck of cards. This deck was specifically created to help Allied prisoners of war escape from German POW camps.
This deck of cards became known as the "map deck." It was made by hiding maps of top-secret escape routes between the two paper layers that make up all modern playing cards.
These decks, when soaked in water, could be peeled apart to reveal hidden maps that allowed escaping prisoners to find their way to safety.
Due to the nature of the war and the prosecution of war crimes thereafter, the map decks remained a closely guarded secret for many years after the war ended. The secrecy surrounding them was so high, that no one really knows how many were produced or how many have survived.
There is one on display at the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. and another one said to be in private hands. It's possible that these are the ONLY two surviving examples. The card shown in the picture here is a limited edition reproduction made in April of 1990.
We are proud to announce our partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project and these special edition playing cards. Now available!
Help support wounded soldiers with these special edition playing cards by Bicycle®. $0.15 per deck sold will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
These decks feature our patented Air-Cushion Finish, softly beveled edges, and sandwich construction for enhanced game play. Made in the USA to ensure the highest levels of quality.
See details, spread the word, and support a great cause.
What are the odds of beating Four Aces with a Royal Flush in a game of Poker?
In a recent article here on BicycleCards.com, we discussed the odds of a few incredible Poker scenarios. You can read that original article here.
In this post, we wanted to elaborate on the odds of one specific, remarkable situation occurring: beating four Aces with a Royal Flush. What are the chances?
It's not possible to have both of those hands at once in traditional 5-card Draw or 7-card Stud poker (without using wild cards), but it is possible in Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha. It isn't likely, but it is certainly possible!
In fact, it actually happened back in 2008 during the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. Television cameras caught all of the action, complete with a cameo from Ray Romano. Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Incidentally, the video quotes the odds as 1 in 2.7 billion. That's not exactly correct. The 1 in 165 million hands figure we quoted in our original article is correct. It's true that the odds of the hand occurring in the exact manner in the video are much higher and much closer to (although not precisely) 1 in 2.7 billion. However, there are other ways for these two hands to fall at the same time, so the real odds are much less than that.
In any event, if someone wrote that scenario into a movie script, the audience would never believe it. It's one of those once in a lifetime moments that makes for a great story! Will it happen to you?
Last week, we posted a unique visual puzzle: an impossible object made from a single playing card. Here's how to do it!
To make a hypercard, you need a pair of scissors and a single playing card. That's it! No glue, no tape, and no adhesive! The hypercard in last week's post was made from a double-backed Bicycle® Rider Back card.
Having a double-backed card isn't necessary, but it makes the illusion more difficult to figure out. When learning how to make a hypercard, it's easier to use a regular card. So grab any card and let's get to it!
Begin by making three cuts from the long sides to the center of the playing card. Two of these cuts come from one long side, and the third cut comes from the opposite long side (like in the picture above).
Once the cuts have been made, twist either end (it doesn't matter which one) 180° until the opposite side of the card is facing you. Flatten the card and gently crease the folds until the tab sticks up in the middle of the card. And that's it - you've made your first hypercard! It should look like the image below.
If you want to make your hypercard even more deceptive, use a plain white piece of paper or a playing card with the same back design on both sides. Using a double backed playing card will make your hypercard look like this.
If your friends can't pick up the card to examine it, they probably won't have any idea how you made it. Let them try to figure it out! Have fun with it!
What is a hypercard? An amazing, impossible object made from a single playing card! Can you figure out how it's done?
The late Martin Gardner, in addition to being an amateur magician, wrote dozens of books on mathematical games, puzzles, and other discoveries. In the 1970's, he popularized an amazing "impossible object" known as a hypercard.
You can create a hypercard by making a few simple cuts in an ordinary playing card. No glue, tape, or adhesive is required!
A complete hypercard is shown in this image. As you can see, the tab of the hypercard sticks up at a peculiar angle from the rest of the card. This is accomplished by a secret move that only takes a second to do!
Try to figure out how the hypercard "works" without experimenting first. If you figure it out, great! If not, check back on Tuesday and we'll show you step by step how it's done - only at BicycleCards.com!
The United States Playing Card Company, the makers of Bicycle® Playing Cards, is proud to announce the launch of Jacked Up! card games, a new interactive twist on traditional playing card games. Jacked Up! card games combine traditional playing cards with a digital application that changes the rules with every hand. In the digital application the "Joker," known as Jack, interacts with players throughout the game to twist the rules.
Each Jacked Up! card game package includes a special deck of cards, a smart phone stand, and a free app download (available for iOS and Droid phones and tablets). Scan the special cards with the free Jacked Up! Smartphone app during game play, to have Jack reveal new rules that add excitement to each game. Versions of traditional strategy games like Hearts and popular leisure games like War and Solitaire will be available.
Our Cards + Your Smartphone = New Rules in Every Hand!
Roy Gifford, VP of Marketing at The United States Playing Card Company, says "The Jacked Up! interactive card game will not only bring excitement but will elevate the level of play for playing card and digital game consumers alike." Jacked Up! Interactive Card Games will be available in stores and online at www.bicyclecards.com on April 26, 2012.
For additional information contact:
Karen Baer
Sr. Brand Manager
The United States Playing Card Company
About the United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company is the leader in the production and distribution of premier brands of playing cards, including BEE®, BICYCLE®, AVIATOR®, HOYLE®, KEM® and CONGRESS® playing cards. BICYCLE® has been the bestselling playing card brand in the world for more than 125 years. Founded in 1867, the company manufactures, markets and distributes traditional playing cards, card games, children's card games, and card accessories. BEE®, BICYCLE®, AVIATOR® and HOYLE® are registered trademarks of The United States Playing Card Company. For more information, visit http://www.usplayingcard.com
About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden ranks #379 on the Fortune 500 and has over 23,000 employees worldwide. For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit http://www.jarden.com
In 1877, a historic deck of cards commonly referred to as "Bulldog Squeezers" was released. Here's the inside story of how those cards got their name…
Most decks contain 52 cards, plus or minus a couple of Jokers. Most cards contain the suit indicator and the value indicator in the upper left and lower right corners. Sometimes you see suits and values in all four corners, but this is less common.
Prior to the mid 1860's, you didn't see anything at all in the corners of playing cards. There were no suits or values in the corners. If a player wanted to see his or her entire hand, the cards had to be widely spread or moved from the front of the hand to the back one at a time.
In about 1864, card manufacturers came up with a couple of ways to solve this problem. The only ones still popular today are the suit and value indicators that we're all familiar with. When this innovation was first introduced, the decks that featured it were called "Squeezers." This name came from the fact that players could now "squeeze" the cards into a small fan to see their entire hand.
A more modern method of looking at a poker hand came along once plastic playing cards were introduced. This method is also called squeezing out a hand, and it uses a strong buckling action to allow the player to look down into the curved portion of the cards and see every index.
The name is still around on one brand of USPCC cards, Bulldog Squeezers, which have been in production on and off since the late 1870's. Now you know how they got their name! If you want to add a deck of these historic playing cards to your collection, we have a limited quantity in stock now!
It's one of the most famous paintings ever created, and it hangs in living rooms and game rooms all around the world.
Cassius M. Coolidge's "A Friend In Need" is a terrific example of turn of the century art with timeless appeal. Looking at the painting today, it's difficult to determine that it was actually painted over 100 years ago! It looks like it could easily depict a scene from the 1950's or 60's. Only the playing cards themselves reveal the era.
Commissioned by Brown and Bigelow to do the series in 1903, Coolidge actually finished 16 "dog" paintings. Nine of them depict dogs playing cards and the others show the dogs playing pool. "Dogs Playing Poker" is the common name for the series, but that isn't actually the title for any of the nine paintings about playing cards.
"A Friend In Need" (pictured above) is the most famous of the "Dogs Playing Poker" series, and it shows a bulldog helping his partner by passing an Ace of Clubs under the table. That Ace will give his partner a virtual lock hand of four Aces. Side note: that bulldog has remarkable dexterity in his paws!
Although other paintings in the series have sold for over a half-million dollars, no one knows where the original "A Friend In Need" is, or if it still exists. For now, it remains a mystery.
Have you ever had trouble remembering a name? Or memorizing someone's phone number? Those are fairly simple things. Imagine trying to memorize the random order of an ENTIRE deck of cards in under a minute!
That's exactly what Simon Reinhard does. In fact, Simon is the current world-record holder for "Speed Cards." That's the name of the category in the World Memory Championships, held every year. The winner is the person who can memorize a single deck of cards the fastest.
The one-minute barrier was officially broken by Dominic O'Brien in the early 1990's, and in 2007, Ben Pridmore finally broke the 30-second barrier.
Today, Simon Reinhard has the current record for memorizing a full deck in 21.19 seconds. That's less than a half second per card!
Although the techniques used by these memory masters vary, Ben Pridmore's method seems to be one of the most common. Pridmore composes a mental story of sorts, associating cards with tangible objects to remember and recall the order of the deck. Like this new article? Hit the LIKE button above to share it with your friends!
This famous brainteaser has a counter-intuitive answer that might surprise you! Can you solve it?
Imagine you have THREE playing cards. One has a blue back on both sides. One has a red back on both sides. The third has a blue back on one side and a red back on the other.
Place all three cards into a hat and shake the hat to mix them up. Without looking, reach into the hat, pull out a single card, and look at only ONE side of it. You see a red back. Obviously it isn't the blue/blue card, therefore it must be either the blue/red card or the red/red card. Here's the question:
What are the chances that it's the red/red card? Think carefully!
Most people guess that the answer is 1 in 2 (fifty-fifty). That's incorrect! While it's true that you have eliminated one card completely (the blue/blue card) and there are only two cards left to choose from, one of those cards is more likely to be the one selected than the other. The red/red card has two possible sides you could be looking at right now, and the blue/red card only has one side you could be looking at right now (remember, you're looking at a red back).
The chances of you holding the red/red card are 2 in 3. Don't believe me? Try the experiment yourself many times in a row. Since you probably don't have double-sided playing cards, make up some cards out of regular slips of paper with "blue" and "red" sides marked on them. After going through the procedure, you'll find that you're holding a card with both sides the same roughly 2/3rds of the time.
Sometimes you'll have the blue/blue card and sometimes you'll have the red/red card. But only 1/3 of the time will you have the red/blue card (which is exactly what chance would have predicted in the first place). Learn more here. Like this new article? Hit the LIKE button above to share it with your friends!
Ever wonder what the odds are in getting a royal flush in Poker? What about getting four Aces?
These questions are fairly easy to answer mathematically, but we must first be clear about which variant of poker is played. Let's consider five-card draw poker, the version most popular amongst casual players until Hold 'Em took the world by storm in 2003. Receiving a royal flush in the first five cards in draw poker happens only once in 649,740 hands on average.
Those are the chances of getting ANY royal flush. The chances of getting a specific royal flush are 1 in 2,598,960 hands. To offer a comparison, you're FIVE times more likely to get struck by lightning!
In Hold 'Em, each player potentially has seven cards (the two cards in your hand and the five community cards) with which to hit the elusive royal. The chances of getting a royal flush in Hold 'Em are 1 in 30,940 hands. Incidentally, the chances of getting a royal flush in 7-Card Stud are the same as in Hold 'Em. Here are a few more fun poker probabilities:
Chances of getting four Aces in 5-card Draw: 1 in 54,145 hands on average.
Chances of getting any four of a kind in Hold 'Em: 1 in 4,165 hands on average.
Chances of getting pocket Aces in Hold 'Em: once every 221 hands on average.
Chances of a royal flush beating four Aces in Hold 'Em: about once every 165 million hands!
In the late 19th century, "Wild Bill" was a sheriff, an exceptional marksman, and a living legend.
His reputation as a gunslinger continued well past his death on August 2nd, 1876, when he was killed while playing Poker at the Number Ten Saloon in South Dakota.
It's been widely reported in popular culture that Wild Bill (real name: James Butler Hickok) was shot while holding four specific cards, which have become known as "the dead man's hand."
Most versions of the story claim that the dead man's hand consists of the Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, Eight of Spades, and Eight of Clubs. The identity of the fifth card varies.
Although it's true Hickok was shot and killed on that day, conclusive evidence is sorely lacking to prove what exact cards Wild Bill was holding at the time of his death. To date, no contemporary accounts have been discovered that might reveal what the hand was, or if there even was a hand in progress at the time.
The term "dead man's hand" has been used in Western lore since 1886, but that early citation wasn't in reference to Bill's hand. The story of Hickok's final hand doesn't actually appear in print until 1926. For those of you keeping score, that's fifty years after the actual shooting occurred. This mystery will likely never be solved.
Modern, high-end consumer cameras are capable of capturing 60 frames per second (fps), and the fastest camera in the world can take over a trillion frames per second.
However, the field of high-speed photography was still in its infancy in the early 1930's. Professor "Doc" Edgerton was one of the early pioneers of strobe photography.
During his long and distinguished career as a professor at M.I.T., Dr. Edgerton produced dozens of wonderful photographs with a tremendous degree of artistic merit. This is all the more impressive when you consider that creating works of art wasn't his goal per se; Dr. Edgerton's goal was good science.
One of Edgerton's most famous series of photographs depicts bullets passing through everyday objects. Apples, bananas, balloons, light bulbs, and playing cards were all shot (pardon the pun!) in Edgerton's lab. In our slightly biased opinion, one of his best photographs is called Cutting the Card Quickly (1964).
The picture shows a bullet tearing through a King of Diamonds. The card in the photograph was a Racer Back No. 2, one of the Bicycle® brand playing card designs popular in the 1960's. Photograph by Harold E. Edgerton. Courtesy of MIT Museum © 2010 MIT.
A complete deck of playing cards contains four suits, two primary colors, and thirteen values ranging from the Ace to the King. Usually, it contains two Jokers.
Lurking within these colors, suits, and values is an astonishing, but entirely coincidental, relationship to our modern calendar. Some of the proposed "alignments" between cards and the calendar are:
- Two colors representing night and day.
- Four suits representing the four seasons.
- Twelve court cards representing the 12 months.
- Thirteen values representing the 13 lunar cycles in a year.
- 52 cards representing 52 weeks in a year.
Perhaps the most interesting coincidence is that if you add up all of the values in a deck, using the Aces as one, and the Jacks, Queens and Kings as eleven, twelve and thirteen respectively, you arrive at a total of 364. Adding the first Joker as another one gets you to 365 – the same number as there are days in a year – and adding the second Joker gets you to 366, so we even have leap years covered!
The modern deck of cards wasn't designed with these relationships in mind. They're merely a coincidence due to the numbers involved. It all adds up to a lot of fun!
Every year, over 1,100 toy manufacturers from 100 countries gather together in New York City. And they call it… Toy Fair!
Over 360,000 square feet of space, all filled with games and toys! Today was the first day of this year's event, and Bicycle® was on the scene to be a part of the action.
At Toy Fair 2012, Bicycle® is unveiling many new products that we've been working on behind the scenes over the past several months. We're very excited!
From new games to new playing cards, we're happy to finally pull back the curtain to show our latest products for 2012. Watch this quick update on our YouTube Channel to check out the view from the ground floor.
Where did the game begin? Experts disagree on the exact origins of poker.
Although it's been called "America's Game," poker is believed by some historians to derive from the Persian game As Nas. There is no question that As Nas and an early form of poker share many similarities, but experts state that this is merely because both games share a common ancestor, and not necessarily because one was derived from the other.
This common ancestor could be any of several "vying" games from Europe, but the French game Poque and a slightly older German game called Pochen appear to be most obvious candidates. In any case, the game came to U.S. shores through a French colony in Louisiana sometime in the early 1800's.
In the early to middle part of the 19th century, poker players adopted the standard 52-card pack (early versions used a 20-card deck), added straights and flushes to the list of hand rankings, and incorporated the "draw" aspect of the game. The addition of the draw added significantly to the complexity, and therefore the appeal, of the game. The rest, as they say, is history!
In December of 2011, a tropical typhoon named "Sendong" hit the Philippines. The cyclone began to push through the city of Cagayan De Oro early in the evening. Heavy rain fell, followed by major blackouts.
Later that night, the storm reached its peak and flash floods ravaged Cagayan De Oro. Nearly an entire month's worth of rain fell in one day, resulting in extreme damage and perilous conditions.
As the storm settled, a young playing card collector named Carlo returned to his home to inspect the damage. All 74 decks in his prized collection were completely destroyed. He posted a video on YouTube of the damage.
Carlo is a big fan of Bicycle®. Wanting to help restore his collection, we teamed up with our partners and put together a package for Carlo. A collection of 74 decks is quite large. After much discussion, we concluded that we could not send him 74 decks of playing cards, the same number he lost. Instead, we sent 75 decks - completely restoring his original collection, and adding one more as the start of something new.
Over the past 125 years, USPC has remained an American institution not just because of support from across the USA, but from around the world. To Carlo - thank you.
For over 127 years, The United States Playing Card Company has been the leader in production and distribution of premiere playing cards and a creator of innovative games the whole family can enjoy.
Today, we are proud to welcome 2 new games into the Bicycle® family!
With Jumble™, use the lettered cards to play one of the games by yourself or with your friends - or make up a game on your own! Based on the popular Jumble Word Game found in many daily newspapers.
One2Ten™ has players try to correctly guess how other players rate a variety of items on a scale of 1 to 10 and be the first player to reach 10 points. It's easy to learn and easy to play!
For over 127 years, The United States Playing Card Company has been the leader in production and distribution of premier playing cards and a creator of innovative games the whole family can enjoy.
Today, we launch our brand new web presence. This site will be our central hub and your ticket to countless games and good times. Across these pages, you can learn how to play every game under the sun, and get the cards you need to get the party started. Be sure to check our newly launched YouTube channel, and stay tuned to our newsletter, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest news and releases!
We are very excited about our new clothing line by Jacks and Jokers Apparel. This new line of high-end, designer apparel features elegant, timeless playing card art from over a century ago.
Released only a few months ago, the apparel has already appeared on the backs of Hollywood's greatest stars and in the world's most respected retail stores.
The artwork is instantly recognizable - fortified as distinctly American.
Jacks and Jokers created this new line of apparel in a manner truly respectful of the rich history and tradition of Bicycle® playing cards. Most importantly, we want to make you look good. Dress like you're ready to win! See details.
Late this evening, we released a new cardistry video by Michael James. The video was produced by theory11 and filmed in Texas this past week. Showcasing Bicycle® brand playing cards, Michael pushes the limits of what is possible with a single deck of cards.
You can watch the video now on the official Bicycle YouTube channel, or click here to watch it right now!
The United States Playing Card Company (USPC), makers of Bicycle® Playing Cards, is pleased to announce a partnership with theory11 to evolve the company's playing card product line to appeal to a new generation of consumers. Under this strategic alliance, we will work with theory11 to create a line of playing cards as well as online content.
The goal of this strategic alliance is to combine theory11′s creativity with USPC's unrivaled distribution power. Accordingly, under this alliance, we will work together to innovate in the areas of web development, playing card design, marketing, and brand enhancement. We are extremely excited to work with theory11 to propel our creative output into the hands of new playing card enthusiasts around the world.
In order to remain relevant in today's world, it's critical for us to continually evolve the playing card product line, and we believe that this strategic alliance will do just that.
About theory11: theory11 is internationally known as the most respected destination for magic training online. Composed of a team of the most influential minds in the conjuring arts, theory11 produces and publishes instructional magic trick videos and designs high-end, premium playing cards. Founded in 2007, theory11 has quickly risen to the top of the industry, showcasing its creativity, passion, and expertise in the field of magic, cardistry, and playing card design. For more information, visit http://www.theory11.com.
About The United States Playing Card Company: The United States Playing Card Company is the leader in the production and distribution of premier brands of playing cards, including Bee®, Bicycle®, AVIATOR®, HOYLE®, KEM® and CONGRESS® playing cards. Bicycle® has been the best selling playing card brand in the world for more than 100 years. Founded in 1867, the company manufactures, markets and distributes playing cards, children's card games, collectible tins, puzzles and card accessories and is part of the Branded Consumables segment of Jarden Corporation (JAH). BEE®, Bicycle® ®, AVIATOR®, HOYLE®, KEM® and CONGRESS® are registered trademarks of The United States Playing Card Company. For more information, visit http://www.bicyclecards.com


text:
Jason Moran on the 'bandwagon'
The acclaimed jazz pianist, a MacArthur Foundation 'genius' grant recipient, now oversees jazz programming at the Kennedy Center. He and his group perform in La Jolla Wednesday.
Jason Moran's status as one of the most gifted and acclaimed jazz stars to emerge in the past 15 years is a matter of record. So is his 2010 MacArthur Fellowship, informally known as the "genius grant," and his position as a first-call pianist for such luminaries as saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Jack DeJohnette and singer Cassandra Wilson. n Less noted, but equally notable, is this Texas native's status as a self-acknowledged workaholic with a tireless devotion to his chosen art form.
"I don't know when — or where — my limit is, but I might be reaching it," Moran, 38, said from a recent concert tour stop with Lloyd in Finland. "I'm doing a lot right now, but the music demands that. And the health of the music demands that."
In addition to composing, touring and having recorded 10 increasingly assured solo albums since 1999, Moran has been featured on nearly 60 albums by other artists.
He teaches at both the New England Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he lives with his wife, singer Alicia Hall Moran, and their 4-year-old twin sons, Jonas and Malcolm. Since late 2011, he has served as the Artistic Advisor for Jazz at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
That position was previously held by fellow pianist Dr. Billy Taylor, who died in 2010. Taylor was one of the nation's foremost champions of jazz, through his work at the Kennedy Center and nationwide, and as a featured correspondent on the weekly CBS national TV show "Sunday Morning."
"This allows me to continue what Dr. Taylor had done at the Kennedy Center, which is to create a forum for jazz, to present the finest music, and to make sure we present the full spectrum of the music," Moran explained. "I not only curate the performances, I lead the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program, which is an intensive, two-week, annual program for musicians under 25. I also commission pieces from other artists. (Saxophone giant) Wayne Shorter is writing a piece for the National Symphony Orchestra, which we'll debut in the fall."
Always eager to think and act outside of the box, Moran last fall put together a jazz and comedy concert at the Kennedy Center. It teamed his stellar trio, The Bandwagon, with comics David Alan Grier, Faizon Love and Marina Franklin.
'A dream position'
Under Moran's guidance, the Kennedy Center has also hosted such diverse offerings as a jazz tribute to the songs of Oscar winner Randy Newman, a concert series by various Scandinavian jazz artists and the first Kennedy Center performance in 20 years by saxophonist Anthony Braxton.
For the center's upcoming 2013/2014 season, Moran is stretching even further.
Likely highlights include a solo concert by avant-jazz piano icon Cecil Taylor, a salute to gypsy jazz guitar pioneer Django Reinhardt, a duo performance by jazz and gospel-music pianist Cyrus Chestnut and opera star Kathleen Battle, and a concert saluting the 75th anniversary of Blue Note Records that will feature Wilson, Moran and Norah Jones.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The following is an archive of a post made to our
'vox-tech mailing list'
by one of its subscribers.
On Tuesday 14 July 2009, Alex Mandel wrote:
> So I was poking around looking for meeting rooms on campus and noticed
> that LUGOD could be eligible to officially book rooms(I'm sure there are
> limits) on campus when we need.
> To become a campus affiliate group here's what it takes:
> 10 UC Davis employees, students, alumni, and spouses of employees or
> students
> $35 a year
> I think this might be a good investment so we can directly book rooms
> for meetings or Installfests on campus without having to jump through
> departmental hoops every time.
> If so we'll need 9 other UC affiliates to step up and volunteer to put
> their names on the application. 2 of us will be the official Business
> Representatives, ie the 2 people who can call in and make the reservations.
> Thanks,
> Alex
> _______________________________________________
> vox-tech mailing list
> email@example.com
> http://lists.lugod.org/mailman/listinfo/vox-tech
you can put my name on it.
Dylan Beaudette
Soil Resource Laboratory
University of California at Davis
vox-tech mailing list
Hosting provided by:
Sunset Systems
Sunset Systems offers preconfigured Linux
systems, remote system administration and
custom software development.
LUGOD: Linux Users' Group of Davis
PO Box 2082, Davis, CA 95617
Contact Us
LUGOD is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization
based in Davis, California
and serving the Sacramento area.
"Linux" is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.


text:
Media Violence versus Real Violence
In the days since Wayne LaPierre of the NRA blamed the Sandy Hook massacre on violent movies and video games (in particular, for some reason, Natural Born Killers, a film that came out 19 years ago and was a critique of the media's obsession with violence), a number of people in the entertainment industry have been asked about whether their products contribute to real-world violence, and they've seemed extremely uncomfortable answering the question. They seem to have no idea what the answer might be. As it happens, this is a question that has been studied extensively, although the research is a bit ambiguous and unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I thought it might be worthwhile to go over just what evidence there is for the assertion. So if you're a Hollywood big shot, read on so you'll have some idea what to say next time the question comes up.
But before we get to that, I was prompted to write this by seeing this interview Quentin Tarantino did with the UK's Channel 4. When the interviewer asks why Tarantino thinks there's no connection between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence, Tarantino refuses to answer in a way that suggests to me that inside his head he was panicking. "Do not ask me a question like that. I'm not biting. I refuse your question," he says. "I'm not your slave and you're not my master. You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey." When the interviewer presses him, Tarantino says "I'm shutting your butt down," and "It's none of your damn business why I think that." The fun starts around the four minute mark:
You'd think that given his oeuvre, Tarantino would have a more thoughtful answer to these kinds of questions, but apparently not. So let's get on to what the research says. Like all media effects research (and much other social science), the studies in this area have a particular challenge, which is that the methodologies that can offer clear evidence of causality don't represent the way people use media in the real world very well, while those that measure things in the real world make it hard to unpack causality. You can do a lab experiment and know you've produced a particular effect with your stimulus, but does that mean it works that way? To see what I mean, take the "Bobo doll experiments," which were conducted in the 1960s by Albert Bandura. To simplify it somewhat, Bandura had kids watch a video in which an adult bashed a big inflatable doll with a mallet, then put the kids in a room with a big inflatable doll and a mallet, whereupon they picked up the mallet and bashed the doll. Bingo: media violence leads to real-world violence!
Again, I'm simplifying those experiments a little (there's an explanation you can read here), but only a little, and you can see the problem. Subsequent researchers have tried to create more realistic scenarios to see whether watching violent films or playing violent video games can produce aggression, with varying degrees of success. There have been hundreds of studies in this area; here's a brief summary of what they've found: First, laboratory studies do find that watching a violent film or playing a violent game can, in the short term, increase aggression. However, the highest correlations are found on things like "arousal" and "aggressive thoughts," while the lowest correlations are found on actual behaviors. Second, lab studies tend to show higher correlations between media violence and aggression than surveys or observational studies attempting to capture aggression in the real world. Third, surveys and observational studies suffer from the causal direction problem: If you find that, for instance, people with violent criminal records are more likely to enjoy violent movies, is that because the movies turned them into criminals, or because violent people like violent movies?
Like any widely-studied area, there are lots of different results, many of which are contradictory. But there are a small number of researchers who have produced multiple meta-analyses (which summarize large numbers of studies by many researchers), making the claim that taken together the results are unambiguous and that violent media constitute a public health threat. However, in the past few years their work has come in for some serious criticism, including re-meta-analyses, and among the arguments these more skeptical researchers have made are that the size of the effects produced in media violence studies is, on average, very small to begin with, and the more realistic a study's measure of "aggression" or "violence" is, the smaller the size of the effect (see here for an example).
So to summarize, media violence can make some people more aggressive in some ways to some degree in some situations for some period of time. Like I said, not particularly satisfying, but hey, that's social science.
Now let's try to haul ourselves out of that morass and get back to the question we started with: how artists and entertainers should think and talk about what they produce and its effects on our society. For starters, it's absurd for a movie director or game designer to say, "This is just entertainment; it doesn't mean anything." Art is supposed to affect people; that's the whole idea. It's supposed to arouse us, change our view of the world, make us feel something or think something. The greatest art can change us forever, and less meaningful art may make us feel something only for a moment. And just as television and movies can affect how we think about love or work or death or beauty, they might be able to change how we think about violence, which is why those who produce our culture should be as thoughtful as possible about all the messages they send.
That being said, it's a far, far cry from acknowledging that media portrayals of violence might get some people riled up to saying that they are the primary, or even a significant, cause of crime and violence in our society. Compared to things like genetics, childhood trauma, material deprivation, and the availability of guns, media violence makes only the tiniest contribution to our society's level of violence, if it makes any contribution at all.
Or to put that another way, if exposure to violent media was a significant determinant of real-world violence, then since media culture is now global, every country would have about the same level of violence, and of course they don't. Japan would be the most violent society on earth. Have you seen the crazy stuff the Japanese watch and play? (Two words: tentacle porn. Don't ask.) But in fact, Japan is at or near the bottom among industrialized countries in every category of violent crime, from murder to rape to robbery. There are many reasons, some of them cultural, some of them practical (Iike the fact that it's basically illegal for a private citizen to own a gun there), but the point is that even if all that violent media is having an effect on Japanese psyches, the effect is so small that it doesn't make much of a difference on a societal level.
And the same is true here: even as our movies, television, and video games have gotten more violent over the last couple of decades, crime has fallen dramatically. Because the other factors are the ones that matter.
Fri, 2013-01-11 18:18
Sat, 2013-01-12 12:48
"You'd think that given his oeuvre, Tarantino would have a more thoughtful answer to these kinds of questions, but apparently not."
Lazy thinking on your part, Paul. He's doing a ton of interviews in support of Django Unchained and he gets asked that or something similar in each one, and in dozens of other interviews going back years. He thinks it's a stupid line of inquiry with an obvious answer, and in fact he gave the short form of his answer before the guy even asked the question -- films are make believe and people know it and among the reasons they go to the theater is so they can experience something without having to actually experience it, in this instance what Tarantino describes as the "cathartic violence" of the film. If you got asked the same question hundreds of times you might get pissy about it too, particularly when you suspect the interviewer already knows the answer and simply wants you to dance to his tune. Like a monkey.
Tue, 2013-05-28 08:24
Wed, 2013-07-03 03:35
Sat, 2013-08-31 07:08
Wow Tarantino got pretty mad when he had to answer the questions about the link between media violence and real violence. I watched with my family House at the end of the street movie the last night, if I knew my kids would change their behavior after watching horror movies I would not allow them to watch but they are old enough to realize that movies and life are two different things. I`m sure Tarantino had to answer this question a lot of times and even now he does not know how to explain that there are other factors that matter and media violence is not on the top of the list.
Sun, 2013-09-08 01:52
People on the left correctly criticize the right for ignoring the science and denying man-made chemicals are changing the climate. And then they turn around, and ignore the science, and deny that violent media is having a very negative effect on consumers of violent media (and just about every American consumes at least some violent media).
Defenders of violent media argue that violent media could not possibly be increasing aggression because the violent crime rate has halved and is now back down to where it was in the mid-1960s. What they fail to mention is that over the past 50 years, the incarceration rate has increased 500%. In other words, could we release 80% of the prisoners without any increase in the violent crime rate. Personally, I don't think so.
The evidence is very strong that for someone who is already very aggressive, that the additional effect of violent media can and has pushed them over the line to actual real-world violence. But much, much more importantly, experimental evidence has shown incontrovertibly that everyone who consumes violent media is effected in a negative way. The more you consume violent media, the more willing to harm others you will become, the more desensitized you will be, and the less empathetic you will be. All these individual effects add up to a society that is meaner, and more corrupt (after all lying, stealing and cheating are all ways to harm others).
The violent media industry has been very effective at framing the debate as whether or not violent media causes real-world violent crime. The implication being that as long as scientists have not proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that violent media causes people to run out and commit violent crimes that that means that violent media is completely harmless.
You need to be logged in to comment.
(If there's one thing we know about comment trolls, it's that they're lazy)


text:
KoRn Discrimination
How do you feel when people criticize your taste in Listening to Korn? It seems Korn (band) gets bashed frequently for some of these reasons:
- Metal fans dislike them cause they're not Metal enough
- Hip-Hop fans dislike them cause they're not Hip-hop enough
- The term Mallcore freqently used..
- or they use the excuse that they are for teenagers to listen to..!?
its fucking annoying. Korn is here to stay, I don't see myself not stopping anytime soon from listening to them (im 23)
What are your feelings on Korn bashing?? and where do you think all the hate came from..?
It feels like something...no, it's nothing
Replies to This Posting
Re: KoRn Discrimination
hahaha i feel the same!
before me and my gf were together, she asked me what do i listen to mostly, and I answered KoRn...
and she replied "oh, KoRn. You still listen to them. Cool I used to listen them when I was 13"
and I was like -.-
Re: KoRn Discrimination
When they started out I was a little older than a lot of my friends that were jammin on ko®n. I really was not a fan....at all. Shoots and ladders was just weird to me. I cant really say why, I do remember saying to these younger friends "they just used nursery rimes cant they come up with their own stuff" or some such foolishness. Years later Blind got me hooked, this has only grown to the point I listen to nothing but ko®n literally! Looking back I can not come up with a reason that I did not like them. It was new, it was strange, and I was a die hard Metallica fan! Now I cant stand Metallica, I dont even really like the old ones that were "good" James' voice just dont compare to JD and I cant stand to here him sing! Its a very strange situation when you dont like a band because they are not what your used to, and years later you cant stand the sound of the first band because the one that you did not like sounds SO great! I wish i could answer better about where the hate comes from, for I feel I have a unique prospective to give. I wont really say i was a hater or "basher" of ko®n. I did not go around speaking trash just to be speaking. But if asked, I would most often give a negative response about ko®n. I recently made the comment to a friend that back then "I just didnt get it, and now I do" though to be honest I'm not sure I completely understand the comment I had made! The best thing I can come up with is they just dont get it. LIke I used to not get it. And so you know, now, Shoots and ladders is fucking awesome! All them nursery rimes had meanings. Thats why they even exist to begin with. And ko®n brought that back to a newer generation. Well to any that know the meanings of them i.e ring around the rosie altho rejected by some, others believe this was about the black plague where millions died and it was practice to put flowers in the pockets of the dead to help with the smell of the decomposing bodies. Is it true I surly dont know but it is what i have always believed. The way it was explained to me made since to me so it stuck. Off track, I do that...there will always be haters for everything everywhere.
They just dont get it!!!!
As for how I feel about others bashing them now. It happend to me not long ago on an online game by a few kids. And I was PISSED! They were talking crap just to be talking. But I maintained maturity and simply said "shhhh children" and went on with my day, jamming to ko®n to take the hurt of their words away
They just dont get it, FUCK UM!
Re: KoRn Discrimination
I can relate. I didn't like Korn the first time I heard them. I was into "gangsta rap." A couple of years later, I started going back to my metal roots. My friend played the "Follow the Leader" album for me and it was like, "Holy Shit!!! This music belongs in my soul!" I mean it was lot's of crazy heavy riffs and it had Ice Cube. I just completely fell in love with them and the 7 string sound. Now I love all their old stuff. I'm not as big of a fan since Head left but SYOTOS was pretty good. The new album sounds awesome too.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
I personally can't tolerate it when people I know bash Korn. I will keep my mouth shut out of respect of their opinion,I'm the only one in my group of friends who is really into them.
For example I have a friend who just got into Korn last year (I tried to introduce him to Korn a few years before, but he wasn't interested). With the upcoming album he claims that it isn't Korn. Mainly due to the fact that there is less of Fieldy's bass and that it's dubstep. I simply kept my mouth shut and told him 'Okay so and so, whatever you say.'
Your throat I take grasp.
Then your eyes roll back.
Love racing through my veins.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
its called nu metal, a perfect in between. Created by korn and for korn and only korn. they are the only 1s that fit the description.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
Well if Korn lyrics teaches fans anything it is to be yourself and not care what people think. SO it doesn't matter when people talk shit. What I find way more annoying is people who show up at their shows who aren't even fans, just want to get drunk be in a most pit. They are rude, looking for fights, and talk during the performance. One dude seriously told me to "shut the fuck up" for singing along to a song while he was talking to his friend. There seems to be a lot more of these people at Korn shows than there used to be.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
What I find way more annoying is people who show up at their shows who aren't even fans, just want to get drunk be in a most pit. They are rude, looking for fights, and talk during the performance.
This +100000
Last night at Roseland the real Korn fans were at the M&G. Just like u said on the floor it was all these mooks who just wanna get wasted, mosh and cause a fucking scene. Same as metallica shows. They just wanna do the same thing when "real" fans want to enjoy the music and see them with out some asshole drunk in front of them slamming into them. Hell last night this guy behind me was verbally torturing his girl to the point she was gonna cry. Like why have relationship drama at a fucking show. Take it outside. I had all my signed shit in this little carry bag and some rube spilled beer on the top of it. got lucky and it did not leak in.
Then again (No offense anyone) you get the as we say in the boroughs....the "Bridge and Tunnel" crowd. But the trashiest ones.
Luckily Sunday I got a seat stage left in line with the stage so I can enjoy it more then.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
Korn complete changed music when they emerged in the 90s. They do not fit any genre so the term " rap metal or nu metal" was created for them. Other bands and artists to this day still emulate their style and sound regardless. To me they are like the Lil Wayne ( who is a friend of the band) of hip hop. His style is always imitated but, no one can tear it up like he can. The same goes for Korn.
People talk crap about Korn to me all the time. I just roll my eyes because these are the same people buying up all the tickets to the shows standing there dumbfounded when a song is played like Proud .
Does it make me bad??
Re: KoRn Discrimination
I feel numb to it. I listen to what I want to listen to, not what someone else tells me to listen to or what may be the flavor of the week. I can make up my own mind.
Let them bash, it is a waste of time to try and talk sense to someone who downs another because of their creativity. It's ironic, usually people who are bashing do not have one creative bone in their body.
the hate is coming from jealousy and envy. to listen to them bash is beyond insanity, they are fools if they think I will listen to what they want me to listen to, like I said, I can make up my own mind on what I love or dislike. Having someone try to tell me what to love or not like is ridiculous.
Re: KoRn Discrimination
it annoys the shit out of me
so all i tell them is
"why do you care what i listen to anyways"
RE: KoRn Discrimination
I have been listening to Korn for half my life. No joke. And I have been hearing people talk down aboot Korn for just as long. None of my closest friends are into Korn, and if they ever were, it was just to humor me, I think. I used to get defensive and try and justifly my love of Korn, like I would any family member or friend.
Anyhoo, for as long as there has been Korn, there has been Korn haters, and the same goes for any band. No one seems to be universally loved (except for Wyld Stallyns), but us Korn fans can smile because its like we know something that the rest of the world doesn't know.
RE: KoRn Discrimination
Korn is a band where, for many people, the listening value comes from emotional attachment.
For that emotional attachment to happen, one needs to accept some facts about the band; that they do not pride themselves on virtuosity, that the lyrics are fairly childish, that they do not always take themselves seriously, etc.
Lack of acceptance of said characteristics, the rejection of the band's imperfections rather than enjoyment of them, results in scorn. I myself still can't enjoy most of Korn's lyrics simply becasue I find them to be simplistic and clumsy for the most part.
Having said that, for many people Korn is a gateway band to a certain type of sound, and it becomes that band at a young and vulnerable point in their lives. Then their tastes mature, develop, change, and they leave behind the part of their lives where they needed and craved Korn's sound and influence. Korn becomes a source of shame, a reminder of a young past self that the person doesn't like looking back on. Hence, 'Yeah, I thought ST was cool... when I was in middle school.'. Nu metal is dead, and Korn was its figurehead, whether it liked it or not.
And there is, of course, the plethora of people who quite simply dislike them.
RE: KoRn Discrimination
Is this the wrong thread to state I think Korn suck balls?
RE: KoRn Discrimination
les guste o no,KoЯn es metal,y no entiendo por que tanto rollo,solo es una banda normal,cualquier otra banda puede aser lo que KoЯn no igual,pero a su estilo,la verdad,solo molestan por que no quieren aser algo de sus vidas o simplemente son unos trolls de los cojones XD LOOOOOOOL no ya,que simples,todas o la mayoria de las canciones de korn son muy buenas,como ball tounge,blind,need to,clown,twist,y mejor aqui paro por que me aburrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrro.
RE: KoRn Discrimination
I'm about to shed some light on this whole situation- STANDBY
I used to be a die hard PUBLIC ENEMY fan (hip hop) and I was attracted to their delivery, powerful lyrics and the HARD bass in their beats. I was all about the underground hip hop artist and lyrics were everything to me. I would listen to underground radio stations and only watch underground music video shows. I hated mainstream hip hop.
One special day, a ray of light shined down on my television as I was pouring a drink. I started to drink my juice when my heart started to beat to the sound of this bass I heard coming from the television. I followed the sound and fell to my knees at the sight of this sexy white guy with dreadlocks and a oversize Adidas track suit on. lol Just kidding, it was something like that...
I went to get a drink and when I came back to my television, the video for BLIND was on and I was immediately blown away. Since then EVERY album has taken me on a journey that I don't want to end.
Korn has never been hated with in the hip hop community because the attitude is there, the delivery is there and the style is there! Korn is respected by the hip hop community that's why they had Rappers in their early music and videos. The current hip hop scene is heavily influenced by rock music and style. Korn is forever baby! and people hate to love them!
Keep Bangin!
RE: KoRn Discrimination
As for the other haters,
They were too young to know who Korn was back in the 90s and now that they are old enough to go to shows they want to see what they've been missing all of these years. The other haters "used to be a fan" have what I like to call "Peter Pan Syndrome" they don't want to GROW THE FUCK UP!!
Keep Bangin!
RE: KoRn Discrimination
I contest that the reason I'm no long a fan is because I have grown the fuck up. I no longer have to vicariously address my emotions through others, especially not at the level of immaturity contained in your average Korn lyric.
RE: KoRn Discrimination
Is this the wrong thread to state I think Korn suck balls?
Wow! I have been mystified, KoRn has rocked my world hard, the love I have for Jonathan alone has perplexed me, I am drawn to this man, you gave the answer! I SUCK FUCKING BALLS TOO! koRn and I are not unevenly yoked-gosh I need to go celebrate I am not perplexed any longer.
"Men are not the only ones who love Hummers"
I love you Kashmir!
RE: KoRn Discrimination
As for the other haters,
They were too young to know who Korn was back in the 90s and now that they are old enough to go to shows they want to see what they've been missing all of these years. The other haters "used to be a fan" have what I like to call "Peter Pan Syndrome" they don't want to GROW THE FUCK UP!!
Keep Bangin!
I have never been a hater. When I seen KoRn back in the 90's, opening band for Ozzy, I was so flipping high out of my mind. Meth only allows you to be focused on what you desire (or least this was my experience when I was using). I was so geared towards Ozzy, but one thing I do remember, the energy, the energy KoRn put off-fans were reflecting it. . I cannot wait to see them again! (You are right I did miss a lot, not because of hate, I have not been in my right mind-I am now, I found home). *sniff, sniff*
Is that what NO. has Peter Pan Syndrome? If so GROW UP AND GO FIND ANOTHER PLAY GROUND!
"Men are not the only ones who love Hummers"
I love you Kashmir!
RE: KoRn Discrimination
Is that what NO. has Peter Pan Syndrome? If so GROW UP AND GO FIND ANOTHER PLAY GROUND!
Reading comprehension is not your strong point, is it?


text:
Mounting A New Set of skins on your late-model Corvette will put a big dent in your budget. We kept this thought in mind during a recent tire test at Spring Mountain, Nevada, where we had a chance to thrash Michelin's impressive new C6 Z06 Pilot Sport 2 Zero Pressure (PS2 ZP) tires on the racetrack. Since the Michelins carry a 10-15 percent price premium over OE Z06 replacement tires, we wanted to find out if they were worth the extra cost. To that end, we decided to put them to a real-world road test, including both low-speed city driving and an extended trip at highway velocities (and beyond). Another test on our list involved trying the new tires out on a racetrack. We spoke with Nicolas Goubert, Michelin's brand category manager, who sent us four PS2 ZPs (P275/35ZR18 front and P325/30ZR19 rear).
While we don't have a C6 Z06 in our fleet, we do have a fixed-roof coupe (FRC), in the form of our former project car, the Pewter Rocket. The Rocket is fitted with C6 Z06 reproduction wheels (9.5x18 up front and 11.0x19 in the rear) and OE tires. It weighs 3,153 pounds, while the '10 Z06 tips the scales at 3,180. The nose-heavy FRC has 51.4 percent of its weight in front and 48.6 percent in the rear. The Z06, meanwhile, boasts a near-perfect 49.3/50.7 percent distribution. The Rocket's 416ci LS2 puts out plenty of grunt, at 481 rwhp. In a previous test, its upgraded suspension (including sway bars, springs, shocks, and brakes) helped us lap Road Atlanta 1.3 seconds faster than a stock Z06. So while the cars are not identical, Editor Heath agreed they were close enough for this review.
First, we had to get our new tires mounted correctly. After our new skins arrived, we met with Ed Burge, service manager at Maher Chevrolet in St. Petersburg, Florida, to discuss our project. Maher has a full-service shop and regularly performs high-quality work on area Corvettes. Burge agreed to help us out and assigned Service Technician James Ritchey to the job.
The installation began with the FRC being placed on Maher's four-point lift so the wheels and tires could be removed. Ritchey marked each rim with tape so it could be returned to its original location; this obviates the need to recalibrate the tire-pressure sensors. The fit of the rear Z06 rims and OE tires is very tight on our C5, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Michelin's slightly flatter sidewall provided more clearance.
Like many high-end tire shops, Maher uses Hunter mounting, balancing, and alignment equipment. The Hunter mounting machine grasps the rim from underneath to avoid surface damage to the wheel. Ritchey applied a soap solution to each tire's bead, and the wheel was rotated as a stationary arm stretched the bead onto the rim. The tire was then inflated until it was seated securely. Because we live in a high-humidity location, Goubert recommended that we use nitrogen to fill our tires. "Regular" air retains water molecules, which can rust the bead of the rim and cause an air leak. Nitrogen does not hold moisture, eliminating this concern. After filling our tires with the specified element, Ritchey used the balance machine and stick-on weights to achieve a perfect balance. With the wheels once again bolted to the car, we were back on the road with our new skins.


text:
For some people, they add to the game once it is complete. Some games use it as a cop-out to add longevity, but some really get creative and make the longevity fun.
Yeah but does it really add to the game if they are system wide instead of in-game. Personally i don't think so.
It's not like the achievements is a new concept. There has been achievement since the day of Sierra games. The points system in Sierra games was an archaic achievements system.
System wide achievements are great but there's 2 sides to the medal. Sometime devs just don't care and add them because they have to and not because they want to. More often than never achievements in 360/Steam games are dumb, easy and/or tedious to get and you feel like they have been slapped in at the last minute because they had to be there.
New achievement unlocked you just killed 10 mobs houuuraayyyyy next one you need to kill 6000 0000 00 0 00 0 0 0 0 mobs ... okay ...
I think Nintendo should add system wide achievements but i don't think this is a deal beraker.
I doubt trophies/achievements will be reset when the next generation is out. They're already cross-platform. Vita/PS3 , W8/WP8/XBOX. The new consoles will just be another platform you can access your account from.
I hope though we will be able to delete them if we want to next gen. One thing i want added to XBox Live is the ability to delete a game from my games list. Sometime i'm borrowing a game for a weekend, complete 2-3 useless and irrevelant achievements like killing 10 mobs or finishing the first level on normal difficulty and then the game is there in my game list forever and i just don't care about it and would love to remove it.
Anyway i never found a way to remove them maybe there's one i don't know (i cancelled my sub 2 years ago maybe it's possible now).


text:
|Home Page :: Pictures Post
CLICK HERE To Hook Up With Horny Redheads In Your Area!
Guarantee Yourself A Hot Date With A Redheaded Escort Near You HERE
Copyright © 2007 To Present with all rights reserved at Sultry Nude Redheads
Exemption Statement: All visual depictions hosted or displayed on this site are exempt from the provision of 18 U.S.C. §2257 and 28 C.F.R. 75 because said they do not portray conduct as specifically listed in 18 U.S.C §2256 (2) (A) through (D), as amended, but are merely depictions of non-sexually explicit nudity, or are depictions of simulated sexual conduct, or are otherwise exempt because the visual depictions were created prior to July 3, 1995.


text:
The Spanish artist Santiago Sierra shocks people with his radical and provocative works that challenge the audience's sense of propriety. Sierra has been accused of abusing the miserable situation of less fortunate people by paying them for participating in his works with forms of compensation that many consider extremely problematic. Sierra's intention, however, is not to shock, but to shed light on the general public's ideas on inequality and the unfair distribution of wealth within the society. He has remunerated prostitutes in heroin for having a line tattooed on their backs while sitting in a straight side-by-side. He has hired labourers to carry heavy objects back and forth in complete futility, and locked up others in cardboard boxes in the suffocating summer heat. Sierra represented Spain at the Venice Biennale 2003, where no one except his countrymen were allowed to enter the exhibition hall. Sierra studied art, first in his hometown of Madrid and later in Hamburg, Germany. After finishing his studies he moved to Mexico, where he lived for 14 years and his attitude towards art and society was heavily influenced during that period. Sierra now lives and works in Madrid. This is Sierra's first international exhibition consisting entirely of documentaries and videos, and his impressive performances will also add flavour to daily life in Reykjavik during the run of the exhibition.
Days 16-19 JanuarySantiago Sierra – NO Global TourPerformance held around Reykjavik in relation to Santiago Sierra's exhibition at Hafnarhús.
Tuesday 24 January 8 p.m. Cinema Paradise – NO Global TourFilm screening of NO, Global Tour by Santiago Sierra at Cinema Paradise, Hverfisgata 54.
Sunday 19 February 3 p.m. Hafnarhús – Santiago SierraGallery talk and discussions for young people.
Sunday 11 March 2 p.m.Hafnarhús – Santiago SierraSymposium – NO! Resistance, TransgressionSymposium held in relation to Santiago Sierra's exhibition at Hafnarhús. Moderated by philosopher Egill Arnarson.
Sierra Portrait - ©Santiago Sierra, photograph courtesy of Estudio de Santiago Sierra.
Mobile | Contact us | Sitemap | Large/small |


text:
This product is currently sold out.
You can obtain status and/or reserve this item by contacting us. We can also be reached by calling toll free 1-866-326-9377 (Dialing from outside the US +01 314 772 3566) between 10AM and 6PM CST (-6 GMT).
Calvin Klein's Pro-Stretch line is a collection of athletic men's underwear created to remain comfortable and supportive through all day wear or during strenuous activities. Made from ultra soft and comfortable stretch cotton the Calvin Klein Pro-Stretch collection is lightweight, breathable, moisture wicking, flexible, and quick drying. The CoolMax® waistband adds another level of comfort by keeping your skin cool and dry. An iconic Red Calvin Klein logo waistband adds stylish details to a functional and athletic collection of men's underwear.
The Boxer Brief from the Calvin Klein Pro-Stretch collection features a classic boxer brief silhouette with a contour pouch for comfort and support. The boxer brief silhouette allows for the full coverage of a traditional boxer while also providing the comfort and support of a traditional brief.
92% Cotton, 8% Elastane.
Machine wash warm, do not bleach. Tumble dry low, do not iron. Do not dry clean. Wash dark colors separately.
|28-30 in 71-76 cm
|32-34 in 81-86 cm
|36-38 in 91-97 cm
|Extra Large
|40-42 in 102-107 cm


text:
Over $600k recovered from Valitar
DEL MAR A federal bankruptcy court has recovered more than $600,000 from the defunct Valitar show that closed in Del Mar late last year, but that's far less than the amount owed to vendors and former employees.
The $600,000 includes about $217,000 in net proceeds from an auction held in January of five large tents and other equipment used for the show. It also includes about $255,000 that producer and Rancho Santa Fe resident Mark Remley took after Valitar closed and has since returned, according to court documents.
Equustria Development Inc. — the company formed by Remley and his wife, Tatyana, to launch Valitar — still owes more than $14 million to roughly 100 creditors.
The largest creditor is Remley himself, who invested nearly $10 million, according to a report filed in court by Victor Vilaplana, an attorney for Equustria.
Employees and performers are owed about $237,744 in wages. Vendors, who provided various services and production equipment supplies, are owed about $2.9 million.
"Valitar was a tragedy for all involved, the performers, other employees and certainly the Remleys. No one lost more money or was more disappointed than they (the Remleys)," Vilaplana told the U-T San Diego in an email on Thursday.
A second auction is likely to be held as additional property is turned over to bankruptcy court, including some of the horses used in the production.
The equine-human acrobatics show — once described by Tatyana Remley as "Cirque du Soleil with horses" — premiered Nov. 16 in a 45,000 square-foot tent at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, featuring nearly 30 performers and about 55 horses.
The show shut down five days later, with the Remleys citing poor ticket sales.
Equustria filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 14.
The court must now resolve several questions, including who owns several horses used in the show — the Remleys or Equustria.
A horse appraiser has been appointed to determine the ownership and value of four horses, according to court documents. Some of the horses used in the production are estimated to be worth up to tens of thousands of dollars.
The abrupt end to Valitar stunned performers and crew members, many of whom said they were left stranded without pay in local apartments and hotel rooms. With the help of a benefit show and donations from the public, most were able to return to their homes.
Some remain in the area working or looking for work.
"It's been horrible," said Bing Bush, an attorney representing several former Valitar employees. "It uprooted their lives."
In an initial estimate, Remley told the court that the company had about $1.3 million in assets, including the Valitar tents that he estimated were worth about $1 million. The rest came from decorations, a horse trailer, furniture, two horses and other property.
Attorneys for the vendors and employees said there was more property belonging to Equustria that was not disclosed in Remley's initial report, including more horses and a truck.
Vilaplana said the Remleys turned over the truck, a 2012 GMC pickup truck, and that they are trying to determine which horses belong to the company and which are their personal property.


text:
Jun 20, 2006
Microsoft and NXT part 2
(Scroll down and look at the 8th screenshot - does the small white bot look familar?)
Some other links of interest:
Download an early version here.
6 comments:
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
> (Scroll down and look at the 8th screenshot - does the small white bot look familar?)
That's true - and it seems quite threatened by the evil-looking Microsoft bully robot goons... ;-)
- Jun 21, 2006, 12:55:00 AM
old but relevant
click: resistance is futile
- Jun 22, 2006, 9:35:00 AM
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
I've downloaded the Robotics Studio stuff and started (on XP Pro) with the first tutorial (which is for the RCX, by the way - so, not only the NXT appears to be supported, but also the RCX).
The first thing I've encountered: you seem to need Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 (which I am in position to, but remember: it consumes a lot of resources, including financial ones).
Going to keep you updated about my proceedings here,
- Jun 22, 2006, 11:22:00 PM
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
It has been confirmed by Microsoft authorities that Visual Studio 2005 is manadatory for the Robotocs Studio; yet, they say that one may download a free version from http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/
- Jun 23, 2006, 1:04:00 AM
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
Next step forward: confirmed yesterday evening that at least the setting up and smoke test with the first tutorial works for Windows XP Home with the said free Version of Visual Studio 2005 for C# (latter is 54 mb download size, requires 400 mb on your hard drive, and you have to register at the latest after 30 days).
- Jun 23, 2006, 7:26:00 PM
In the Microsoft video, did you catch the Microsoft Windows logo displayed on the LCD display of the NXT brick? Seems Bill G is getting his wish of Windows displayed on every device containing a microprocessor!
- Jun 24, 2006, 11:50:00 AM