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Returns + exchanges
Product care
Gift certificates
Custom orders
Design + production
Press inquiries
Wholesale + retailers
Do you offer gift wrapping?
We do not gift wrap, however all of our products are gift-ready. All invoices are emailed, no printed purchase or price information is included in our packages. If you'd like us to include a special message or gift note in the package, just let us know at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note on a letterpress notecard for no additional cost.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes! We ship all over the world with UPS and DHL. You can get an exact shipping estimate on any product prior to purchase. Add product(s) to your cart, proceed to the cart and enter your shipping address. This will allow you to preview the shipping price for each shipping method available in your area.
International shipping is crazy expensive! Can you offer a discount?
International shipping is expensive, no arguments there! Rates are set by shipping companies. If you live outside the US and are considering ordering multiple items at once, email us and let us know the products you'd like to order and we'll send you an estimate for the lowest shipping rate available. Sometimes we're able to help you get a lower rate by packaging multiple items together in a single box, rather than multiple big boxes.
How long will it take to receive my product after I have placed an order?
All orders are processed within 1-3 business days, Tuesday - Friday. If your order includes a custom product, the whole order will be held until all items are ready for shipment. Please refer to individual product pages for accurate and updated production lead times. Custom orders currently take 2-4 weeks, and any "pre-order" product will have specific production lead times on the individual product page. For domestic orders, UPS ground shipping takes 1-5 busines days, for international orders, DHL and UPS shipping take 1-5 business days.
Once your order is ready for shipment, you will receive order tracking information and estimated delivery date by email. Please allow 12-72 hours for tracking codes to activate. For additional information, read our complete shipping policy.
Will I have to pay customs fees if I am ordering from outside the USA?
Customers outside the US may be subject to import taxes, customs duties, and other fees upon the shipment's arrival in your country. These charges must be paid by the recipient. Contact your local customs office for further information.
Can you give an estimate of the customs fee if I'm ordering from outside the USA?
We are unable to advise or estimate specific customs fees, as customs policies vary from country to country. For additional information, read our complete shipping policy.
I live outside the US, can you please mark this as a gift on the customs form so I don't have to pay customs?
No. We are required to follow the law without exceptions.
What is your return policy?
We are unable to offer returns on any product more than 14 days after your receive your order. Please be sure to read all product measurements carefully prior to purchase, to ensure that our product is the right size for your needs. Sale items and custom orders are not eligible for return or exchange. Please refer to our returns and exchanges policy for a full explanation of our very detailed return policy.
I received my order, but I want to exchange it for a different product, can you help?
Yes! on standard products, exchanges may be made within 14 days of receiving your order. All claims must be authorized by us by email prior to exchange. To be eligible for an exchange, your item must be unused and in the original packaging. Any customized, used or altered merchandise will not be accepted. You may receive a store credit once the item has been returned in its original condition. Please refer to our returns and exchanges policy for additional information regarding our exchange policy.
Why use wood record dividers?
We believe a well-organized collection will be a frequently-used one, so with our dividers, you'll spend more time enjoying your collection rather than searching through it. Aside from being beautiful, wood dividers won't create static, which is why wood dividers are a superior option to plastic or metal dividers. Our vinyl organizing products will also help prolong the life and value of your vinyl collection in two ways: 1. By sorting your vinyl with our wood panels, individual pieces will be handled less frequently which will help reduce wear and tear on album art. Instead of thumbing through your collection, you can go directly to the section you need. 2. Our panels help take the pressure off stacks of vinyl by providing even pressure in each wood panel, which will help to preserve the integrity and sound quality of your vinyl.
How much space does each divider take up?
Each divider is about the same thickness of one gatefold album [1/4 of an inch ~ 6mm]. 6 panel sets will take the space of about 6 gatefolds, and so on.
What kind of wood is used to make these products?
All our wood products are made from an untreated and unsealed high-grade European Birch multi-ply wood, which is carefully sourced and inspected for quality and consistency. This isn't low-grade Baltic birch with a high glue content and low quality fill, commonly found at lumberyards and home improvement stores. We do not use medium-density fibreboard (MDF) engineered wood in any of our products.
Why is there a price difference between stenciled and engraved record dividers?
Engraved sets are etched on both sides of every panel and take nearly twice the amount of time on the laser bed and in post-production, which makes them more costly to produce.
Why are these products so damn expensive?
The short answer: Every panel is designed, handcrafted and packaged by hand, by a small team of skilled workers in San Francisco, California. We pay above minimum wage to our team because we believe handcrafting skills are valuable, but too often undervalued.
The long answer: Our products are a labor of love, and we take great pride in creating a useful and durable handcrafted product. We work hard to produce products that are useful, well-made and designed to last. Our business operates on the principal that every element of our production should be responsible considered and carefully sourced, so that we can create a durable and high quality product for our customers, which we are very proud of. We practice environmentally safe production practices, support our workers and work within our local community whenever possible. We primarily work with California-based suppliers and other small businesses to produce this collection. When local isn't an option, we work with US-owned and operated small businesses. Working with local and/or small US businesses allows us to have complete control over every element of our products, and it helps support our community of local businesses and fellow makers.
How are these products made?
Panels are laser-cut and engraved by highly accurate laser cutting machines. Every other part of the pre-production and post-production process is done completely by hand. Every product we produce goes through multiple rounds of inspection to ensure we're delivering the strongest, cleanest and most useful product we can. All of our wood products are hand-sanded to ensure a clean, smooth finish.
Will my order look exactly like the photographs?
The design will be exactly as pictured, however you should expect slight variations in wood color, burn, and grain. All of the wood is hand-selected for quality, however natural (and cool) variations may occur. Each piece of wood may have small unique visual differences. Depending on the sap content of the wood, there may be very slight variations in the burn color, and overall wood color may vary slightly, depending on the season the wood was harvested.
Can I buy replacement panels?
Yes, if you've had an accident, or damaged a panel (perhaps caused by a teething puppy...true story) we can send you replacement panels - A-Z panel replacements are around $10 per letter, depending on the style. Just send us an email!
How should I use dividers with my vinyl collection?
No matter how you store your vinyl (vertically like music at a record shop, or horizontally like books on a bookshelf) your collection should be store upright, and not at an angle. Wood dividers should be stored vertically between albums to help maintain even pressure across the surface of each album. The wood dividers will help reduce the pressure on your collection when stored correctly.
How should I care for my dividers?
Treat your panels the same way you treat your vinyl. The wood panels are very durable, however they should be handled with clean hands, as dirt or oil may discolor the wood. Panels may be wiped clean of dust with a soft cloth, and should be stored in a dry, moderate-temperature environment, just like your record collection. Vinyl and your dividers should be stored away from harsh lighting or direct sunlight. Extreme temperatures or abrupt changes in humidity may cause the wood to warp slightly; this is temporary. To remedy any warping, simply stack all your wood panels on top of one another, and weigh down with a stack of books or other weight on top. Wood should return to a flat state within an hour or so.
How should I care for my record tote?
If you need to wash your tote, remove the wood base before washing. We recommend washing in cool water on the gentle cycle (or by hand) to preserve the color. We do not recommend high heat or tumble-dry.
Do you sell gift certificates?
Yes! We offer laser-cut wood gift certificates in any amount from $25–$410. The wood certificate is made from the same wood as all of our products, so the recipient will know exactly what our products look and feel like. Gift certificates are valid only in our online shop and do not expire.
I have more than one gift certificate to use, and I can't seem to use more than one at checkout!
Our system currently does not allow more than one discount code or certificate to be used at checkout; however, we're happy to assist you! To use more than one gift certificate code at checkout, email us to set up a custom invoice, and we'll make sure to include all gift certificate codes in your order.
When are individual custom record dividers available for purchase?
We offer customizable record divider panels for purchase. Check our custom product collection for availability. Average production lead time on custom products is 2-4 weeks. During busy production periods, we put a hold on all custom panel orders.
Can you make a set with tabs in a different place or the letters reversed?
Yes! To speed up the process, send us an email with the exact product name you want, with an explanation of how you'd like to customize the set (ex: tabs on top, etc). Quick customizations like this cost an additional $10-25 depending on the number of panels and take 2-4 weeks to produce after payment is received.
Can I request a custom sizes or different shape of wood panel?
We're happy to work with you to make the custom wood panel set of your dreams. Custom sets are available year round, however during busy production periods the wait time may be longer than normal. We make custom sets for CD, DVD, and 10-inch record collections, record cabinets, media storage and more. Just ask! If you have a piece of furniture that you'd like us to make custom dividers for, we can do that, too! If you are an Atocha Design customer, please let us know, as we work directly with Atocha Design on many of our custom projects.
If you'd like a price estimate for a custom set of dividers, please email us here. In order to provide you with an accurate price estimate, please include the following information in your email:
- Type of media you want custom dividers for (LPs, 45s, CDs, etc)
- the number of panels you'd like to order
- the dimensions of your custom panel (if different from our standard sizes)
- Lettering style (Engraved or Stencil) + tab size (square or long)
- Anything else you'd like us to include on the panels! ( ex: your logo or different language)
How long will it take to produce my custom order?
Depending on the quantity ordered and our production queue, production time on custom orders is typically 2–4 weeks. During particularly busy periods (like the holidays), we may suspend custom ordering. We'll be able to give an accurate estimate of production times at ordering.
I own a record store/record label, can you make custom logo panels or a custom set of genre panels for my shop?
We love working with labels and record shops interested in ordering larger quantities of custom panels. Custom design rates and file setup fees apply. We offer retailer discounts for larger orders. Contact us to start the conversation!
Who designs and produces this collection?
This collection is made locally by a small team of craftswomen in San Francisco, California. All of our products, packaging, and boxes are designed and manufactured by Koeppel Design in California. A few of our products are manufactured by small and/or local partners, always in the USA.
What is laser cutting?
Laser cutting machines use a high-powered laser beam to cut and engrave a variety of materials. The laser is extremely precise, making clean cuts and/or etching by vaporizing material in its pathway. These machines are guided by computer-generated designs, which set the parameters for laser cutting. The process, although beautiful and very precise, can be time consuming depending on the complexity of the design and the material.
Can I write about your design and/or products?
Sure! Download the press kit for high-res photos and our current catalog. Send any additional questions to email@example.com.
Is the collection available for wholesale?
A selection of our products are available for wholesale. If you are a store owner or buyer interested in carrying the collection, please use our wholesale inquiry form to introduce yourself! We carefully select our retail partners, giving preference to brick and mortar shops.
Is the collection available for wholesale outside the USA?
A limited selection of our products are available for wholesale internationally. If you are a store owner or buyer interested in carrying the collection, please use our wholesale inquiry form to introduce yourself! We carefully select our retail partners, giving preference to brick and mortar shops over online-only stores.
Updated February 11, 2019


text: http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_24123694/klamath-water-task-force-needs-more-time Klamath water task force making progress By JEFF BARNARD Associated Press POSTED: 09/18/2013 01:36:09 PM PDT | UPDATED: 10 DAYS AGO GRANTS PASS, Ore.—A task force working on an agreement for sharing scarce water in the Klamath Basin has made progress on securing low-cost power for irrigators but will need more time to complete its work, officials said Wednesday. The thorniest issue—finding ways to ensure cattle ranchers have irrigation water while the viability of fish sacred to the Klamath Tribes is protected—is proving the toughest to resolve. The task force's last meeting had been scheduled for Thursday in Klamath Falls, but it will need a few more weeks to finish. "All the parties involved in the water negotiations are working hard to get to agreement," said Richard Whitman, the governor's natural resources adviser, who is overseeing the task force's work. The task force was created by the governor and members of Congress after drought and newly recognized water rights for the tribes forced irrigation shutoffs to ranchers on the former reservation. Its report will serve as a supplement to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which is a companion deal to an agreement to help salmon by removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. The restoration agreement has been bogged down in Congress, where it is adamantly opposed by House Republicans. A draft report being considered Thursday includes a provision to extend low-cost power to irrigators in the upper basin at similar rates afforded irrigators on the Klamath Reclamation Project, a federal irrigation project straddling the Oregon-California border. It also will include a section on reducing the overall cost. Whitman said a previous $550 million estimate of costs to the federal treasury for 10 years has been cut by 38 percent to $209 million. Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, agreed that progress was being made on the tough issue of ensuring some water for ranchers now cut off by drought and the tribes' water rights. "But we know we've got more work to do," Gentry said. Once the task force produces a set of recommendations, it would be open to revision based on public comments. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20130928/8094345f/attachment.html

subset: commoncrawl


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Nation & World
Kentucky activist to IRS: 'Apology not accepted'
In February 2012, conservative activist Eric Wilson of Georgetown began claiming in news releases that the IRS was delaying his group's application for special tax status by asking personal questions.
Fifteen months later, Wilson said he was "relieved" when an IRS official admitted Friday that the agency had targeted conservative groups in a presidential election year. Wilson is director of the Kentucky 9/12 Project and co-chair of the national group.
At an American Bar Association meeting, Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said organizations that included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status were singled out. She said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati.
The IRS apologized for inappropriately flagging for increased scrutiny groups like the 9/12 Project, created in 2009 by TV and radio personality Glenn Beck.
"I'd love to say I feel vindicated but more needs to be done," Wilson said Monday about the IRS apology. "While this is a victory for free speech and liberty, I would say 'apology not accepted.' There are many questions that still need to be asked. There are many that remain unanswered."
Wilson, a 43-year-old senior forecast analyst for a Lexington mattress manufacturer, said he would like to see a congressional investigation and hinted that legal action may be taken.
President Barack Obama on Monday said there's "no place" for selective enforcement of IRS rules and that employees should be held accountable.
"I can tell you that if you've got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous, it is contrary to our traditions and people have to be held accountable and it's gotta be fixed," Obama said during a joint appearance with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Obama said he learned about the alleged malfeasance on Friday from news reports.
Wilson said his group was one of the first "to face the overreaching authority of the IRS."
"It was clear to us in February 2012 that our organization was being singled out due to implied affiliation with Glenn Beck and patriot organizations," Wilson said. "It has become apparent with the IRS admission that we were correct in our fears and that they unjustly targeted our organization. We believe these attacks were coordinated and targeted."
Wilson said the Kentucky 9/12 Project filed for a special tax status in December 2010 with the IRS office in Cincinnati. It sought a 501(c)(4) status, which would allow the group to sell merchandise, such as t-shirts, without charging taxes. Donations to the group would not be deductible for tax purposes.
Such 501(c)(4) organizations are not required to disclose their donors publicly. That lack of disclosure has become controversial as some groups spend heavily on political advertisements.
"We don't have that much money," said Wilson, who volunteers as the Kentucky group's director. He said his group represents about 3,000 people. Its stated purpose is to unite Americans as they were on Sept. 12, 2011, the day after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and to follow nine conservative principles and 12 values pushed by Beck.
Soon after applying for the tax status, Wilson said, his group received notification from the IRS that a determination would be made within 90 days.
But 14 months later, on Feb. 14, 2012, the IRS sent Wilson's group a four-page letter asking for documentation to answer 88 separate inquiries. The group had two weeks to comply.
"Even more alarming," Wilson said, "was the personal nature of the information the IRS was requesting and its overreaching questions."
The IRS wanted information on the groups members, donors and family members of the board.
"It was outside the bounds," he said.
On April 1 of this year, Kentucky 9/12 Project received a one-paragraph response from the IRS, saying its request for special tax status had been granted, Wilson said.
"There were no further questions. There was no explanation for the 2 ½ -year delay," Wilson said.
Congress should investigate, he said.
Already, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Montana, have called for a full investigation.
Kentucky's two U.S. senators also have spoken out against the IRS.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, said Obama should order a "transparent, government-wide review aimed at assuring the American people that these thuggish practices are not under way at the IRS or elsewhere in the administration against anyone, regardless of their political views."
McConnell noted that he issued "a very public warning" last year to the administration that the targeting of private citizens on the basis of their political views would not be tolerated.
The apology by the IRS is "proof that those concerns were well-founded," he said.
Wilson said his group and others are working with the American Center for Law and Justice to determine what legal steps to take.
He described the Washington-based law center as "the conservative's ACLU."
Wilson said he is pleased that the issue "finally is getting widespread media attention."
"I believe Fridays are usually the day of the week the media like to dump stories that generally are ignored. This one was dumped on Friday but it is not being ignored," he said. "When wolves smell blood, they try to go after the kill."
McClatchy Washington Bureau reporters Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark contributed to this story.


text:
Lindsay Lohan, whose life and career seemed in freefall for the past couple of years, said on TV this morning she got her wake-up call and has a new outlook on life.
In an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today show this morning she said she wants to focus on herself and on work:
Life seems to be on the upswing for Lohan — her role as Elizabeth Taylor, "SNL," getting the all clear from the judicial system — and undoubtedly many do wish her well. But as Lauer mentioned, many will also expect that Lindsay 2.0 can't possibly last. "How do you feel when you know there are doubters out there like that?" he asked.
"If I harped on that and only focused on the negative and the people that doubted me, then I might be right back where they think I'll be," she said. "But that's not what I want for me…. I don't want to go back to that place. I want to move forward with my life…. I want to keep growing and I want to keep growing in the right ways."
She also said in the interview that her community service in the Los Angeles County Morgue was humbling:
"The two women that I work with there have been so wonderful to me. I've learned so much from them…. It's been a learning experience. I'm grateful that I've learned from it. It's helped me."


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Big, powerful, and capable.
Who said American automakers are the only ones capable of building a full-size pickup truck? The Titan is Nissan's take on the segment, and it matches its Detroit competitors in size, power, and heft. It has one engine, a beefy 5.6-liter V-8, that mates to a five-speed automatic transmission. Body choices are a four-door crew cab and the King Cab, which has hinged rear half-doors, and there are three bed lengths. We think the Titan is one of the few big pickups that doesn't drive like one. The 317-hp V-8 provides muscular acceleration, and the steering has better feedback than that of some sedans. The Titan's ride is comfortable and planted over lumpy roads. This big truck has a maximum tow rating of 9500 pounds and an array of tie-downs, storage compartments, and towing gear available. The roomy interior is nicely laid out and filled with storage bins and cupholders. The front passenger seat folds flat to provide a work surface, and the center console can hold hanging files. The Nissan Titan delivers on all the primary reasons for which buyers select full-size trucks: size, power, utility, and capability. Unfortunately, all those qualities haven't translated to sales, as Nissan has been unable to gain much of a toehold in the lucrative full-size-pickup market. Currently, Nissan sells one Titan for every twenty-seven F-series pickups sold by Ford.
Chevrolet Silverado
Ford F-150
Ram 1500
Toyota Tundra
new for 2013
The three-spoke steering wheel is replaced with a four-spoke unit, and the tailgate is redesigned for better aerodynamic efficiency. The PRO-4X model is restyled with new decals, a satin chrome grille, darkened wheels, and white stitching for the seats. Step rails become standard on SV and SL models, and S models receive redesigned steel wheels. A backup camera is now standard on the PRO-4X and the SL.
Front, side, and side curtain air bags; stability and traction control; ABS with brake assist; and a tire-pressure monitoring system are standard.
Powerful V-8 engine
Spacious interior
Macho styling
Bland interior design
No two-door version
Single-digit city mpg
Base Price Range: $28,500–$41,500 (est.)
DRIVE: Rear-wheel, 4-wheel
BODY STYLE: Pickup, 5- or 6-passenger
ENGINE: 5.6L V-8, 317 hp, 385 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic
CAPACITIES: Towing 7300–9500 lb; payload 1644–2153 lb


text: Flowmaster operates the only exhaust Research & Design facilities of its kind in the world, centered around the SuperFlow SF-7100 engine dynamometer complete with E.C.A. (engine cycle analysis) equipment and also SuperFlow chassis dyno's. Through use of these dyno's, Flowmasters engineering staff can track the complete engine cycle in millionths of a second and can obtain exact technical data of each degree of cam rotation, from induction to the tip of the exhaust system, while also showing the power numbers that really matter, the power numbers "to the ground."


text:
Page will feature how-to content, partnerships, tips, forums and upcoming events
Miller Electric Mfg. Co. announces the expanded Racing-Customizing-Restoring (RCR) Web page on MillerWelds.com.
Geared toward providing valuable content to Do-It-Yourself auto enthusiasts, race fans and the aftermarket and performance industries, the page will feature how-to welding and cutting articles and videos, highlight racing partnerships and "True Blue" industry leaders, share relevant projects and offer tips for welding and cutting.
"As a company, Miller is invested in making its website into an indispensable resource for welders and fabricators," said Sue Feldkamp, Interactive Marketing Manager for Miller Electric Mfg. Co. "Our RCR page is a critical component of MillerWelds.com, and our automotive and racing audience has indicated hands-on, how-to information is among the most valued content Miller provides."
Miller fans can also access a discussion forum for helpful advice from other welders and view upcoming events including auto shows and the Miller Jet Dragster race schedule.
Visit MillerWelds.com/rcr for more information.


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Don't see your question? Visit our help section.
Get access to great in-store deals and local pick-up
Sign up for our email deals newsletter!
Bayonetta is a cinematic and stylish action game from the creative mind of Hideki Kamiya. As a gun-wielding witch with powers beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, Bayonetta faces-off against countless enemies in a game of 100% pure all-out action. Outlandish finishing moves are performed with acrobatic grace as Bayonetta flows from one fight to another. Bayonetta pushes the limits of the action genre with magnificent over-the-top action and fast-paced, dynamic climax combat.
Rated 9.0 out of 10 by Game Informer.


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|© 2005 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Gonzo going to the All-Star Game07/03/2005 7:00 PM ET
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- Luis Gonzalez has played for four Major League teams, but as Arizona's longest-tenured player, he's become synonymous with the Diamondbacks.
So it only seems fitting that Gonzalez was the lone Arizona player named to the National League squad when Major League Baseball on Sunday announced the rosters for next month's All-Star Game.
"When you think of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Luis Gonzalez's name comes to mind very quickly," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "Very consistent for us all year, offensively and defensively."
It's the fifth time in his seven years with the Diamondbacks that Gonzalez has received such an honor. He has three hits in six All-Star Game at-bats, including a double. In 2001, he won the Home Run Derby.
"It's just nice to go," Gonzalez said.
The All-Star Game, to be held at Detroit's Comerica Park on Tuesday, July 12, at 8 p.m. ET, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage and MLB Radio will provide exclusive play-by-play coverage of the game on the Internet.
Gonzalez is once again putting together a solid season for the Diamondbacks, who are in contention for the top spot in the NL West after a disastrous 2004 season in which they lost 111 games.
The 2004 season was a tough one for Gonzalez as well. The veteran began the season with a 50 percent tear of a ligament in his right elbow. Despite having his arm go numb for a brief period each time he threw and pain when he extended the arm while swinging, Gonzalez refused to take time off.
Finally, he gave in, and on Aug. 2 underwent Tommy John surgery. When doctors performed the procedure, they discovered that the ligament had been completely torn.
After an exhaustive rehab program, Gonzalez has been the team's leader on and off the field.
"He's just been a rock," second baseman Craig Counsell said. "He's been real consistent. He's been our three hitter every game. He just brings it every day. He does something to help us win every day. I think the best thing about it is that he's coming off a serious surgery in the offseason and he's gotten himself back to what he was a couple of years ago. After a serious surgery, that's a real credit to him."
Gonzalez wanted to spread some of that credit around to team physicians Michael Lee and Don Sheridan as well as team trainers Paul Lessard and Dave Edwards and the team's rehab specialist Derek Steveson.
"There's a lot of people that, when I go to the game, I represented a lot of [those] guys because they've helped me," he said. "And not only that, but my teammates. You don't get to the All-Star Game without having good teammates around you. I have a lot of love and passion for playing this game, but a lot of your accomplishments, they don't come by themselves, they come from the guys around you."
Gonzalez has been on a roll over the last month, hitting safely in 20 of 25 June games and compiling a .323 average. The 37-year-old hit the 300th homer of his career on June 5, in Philadelphia.
"Hitting 300 homers is great, I just didn't think it would take this long," he said jokingly after hitting the blast.
Gonzalez came to Arizona with 107 home runs in parts of nine Major League seasons, but hit 185 in his first six seasons with the D-Backs. He is the Diamondbacks' all-time leader in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases and games.
The left fielder helped the Diamondbacks preserve their 7-5 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday when he dove into the front row of the left-field seats to rob Jason Phillips of a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
"That was just a great play, by a guy who grinds it out every single day," said manager Bob Melvin after the game.
While Gonzalez has always relished each All-Star Game appearance, this year's will be even more special for a couple of reasons.
First, he was able to call his mother with the news. It's been a tough week for her and the rest of his family because of the sudden death of his stepfather.
"It was exciting for her just to hear some good news," Gonzalez said.
In addition, Gonzalez's son, Jacob, is now 7 years old so he will be able to take him on the field for the Home Run Derby and share the All-Star experience with him.
"I want him to see and experience something like that," said Gonzalez, who plans on taking his wife Christine and the couple's two daughters to Detroit as well. "It's a unique opportunity. I haven't done it in the past because he was too young and now Jacob is going to get to go with me and I'm going to take him out there and just savor the moment of being with my son out on the field."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Rukiya Abbas, a professional caterer and passionate home cook, invites viewers to learn her down to earth recipes in Food diaries. Rukiya Abbas shows how cooking her personal style of Pakistani, American, Italian, Chinese and Indian can be elegant and yet approachable. Enjoy unique family specialties like steak royal, strawberry cheesecake pots, Aloo Paneer pops and home made donuts with cinnamon.
There are so many different ways to prepare our food, and often new gadgets are to be found that help in the preparation and cooking. Today, the emphasis is very much on healthy eating, not everything has to be swimming in unhealthy oil and fried. KhanaPakana.com offers an easy way for you to filter desired recipes and videos based on cooking methods and techniques. To follow are Grill or BBQ technique used in some of the different ways of food preparation. New recipes and videos based on cooking methods and techniques are added on daily basis, so check back regularly for the latest!
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Pages: 1
I am trying to make a simple custom action for thunar that lets me select files to compress and then select an output file and location to save to.
I have a custom action which just compresses to the directory of the selected files with a progress notification (or at least a notification, it doesn't seem to progress too well).
7za a -t7z -m0=lzma -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on %n.7z %N | zenity --progress --text=Compressing --percentage=0 --auto-kill
Now as a custom action to select the output file
zenity --file-selection --filename=%f.7z --save --confirm-overwrite && 7za a -t7z -m0=lzma -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on %d/%n.7z %N | zenity --progress --text=Compressing --percentage=0 --auto-kill
This naturally doesn't work right, it just runs the zenity file selection, and the actual compression as unrelated commands.
Is there a simple way to link these two in one line, like with a command, so it can be used for the custom action?
Why don't you put this in a bash script?
I thought of that but I'm not too experienced with bash scripts either so how could I reference the %F in a script to what thunar is doing?
Small sample:
echo "$1"
echo "$2"
Then add the following command in thunar-uca:
[code]test.sh '%F' '%N'[/code]
I don't understand, you mean add it to thunar-uca.la ?
No, add this command in the custom actions editor, that uses the bash script.
Pages: 1


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The Meyerhoff Cohort Giving Challenge presents an annual opportunity for alumni to demonstrate both their appreciation for the program that gave them so much, and their commitment to future Meyerhoff Scholars. In the spirit of healthy competition, the cohort with the highest participation of giving each year will be recognized on the Meyerhoff website and on a plaque in the Scholarship Program office.
Congratulations to the M4's for winning the 2010-2011 challenge with 36% participation from their cohort!
For more information about the cohort giving challenge and to make a gift toward the 2011-2012 challenge, click here.


text: Welcome to PFS, the dating site dedicated to helping single professionals find love in Fontana. In exclusively offering a dating service for professionals in Fontana, we make it easy for you to find friendships, relationships and love online. We understand how busy you are and how hard it can be to meet new people outside of work, so we designed our professional dating site around you. In specializing in professional dating, PFS makes it possible for you to find the one for you.


text:
As part of the sesquicentennial observance of the Civil War and West Virginia statehood, a "Civil War and Other Tales" historic walking tour of Mount Wood Cemetery in Wheeling will be offered from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19.
Eleven costumed presenters will tell the stories of people who made a major impact on Wheeling, with nine of those having a direct link to the Civil War. The event is free.
The cemetery is located on Mount Wood Road, but there is no parking at the site. Visitors should gather at West Virginia Independence Hall, 1528 Market St., Wheeling, to be transported to and from the cemetery. Walking at the site is uneven, so visitors should wear comfortable shoes.
Article Photos
Article Photos
Friends of Wheeling members Judi Hendrickson, left, and Jeanne Finstein meet at the McLure family monument in Mount Wood Cemetery. Hendrickson is portraying Elizabeth Campbell McLure, while Finstein appears as Diana Norton.
In addition, a pre-tour reception for people with ancestors (from any era) in the cemetery will be held Friday evening, May 17.
No reservations are needed for the Sunday tour, but those interested in the reception are asked to make reservations. For details on the pre-tour reception, call the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp. at 304-232-3087.
Mount Wood Cemetery was incorporated in 1848 and is the oldest extant cemetery in the city. It was built in the "rural cemetery" style that was popular throughout the mid- to late 19th cemetery. This plan incorporated the natural beauty of the landscape with carefully planned lots and a park-like setting.
Years have passed since the cemetery was used actively. Nature and vandalism have taken their toll. However, much of the original beauty, including amazing views of Wheeling and the Ohio River, can still be enjoyed.
The tour will include stories of these people:
Capt, Samuel Kraus (1832-94). The German immigrant served in both the Mexican War and the Civil War, when he was captain of the 7th Virginia Infantry (Union). After the war, he was a successful businessman in Wheeling. (He will be portrayed by Jeremy Morris.)
Col. Daniel Frost (1819-64). The Ravenswood editor of the Virginia Chronicle was elected Speaker of the House of the Restored Government of Virginia. He served as colonel in the 11th Virginia Infantry (Union) and was mortally wounded in the Battle of Snickers Gap. (His wife, Ellen Frost, will be portrayed by Vicky Musicaro.)
Isabella Goshorn Kelley (1816-60). A daughter and sister of slave owners John and William Goshorn, she was married to Benjamin F. Kelley, who later became a general in the Union army. She was the mother of two sons who also fought for the Union. (She will be portrayed by Lola Miller.)
George Loy (c. 1842-77). This member of Carlin's Battery was captured by the Confederates and survived both the infamous Andersonville Prison and the Sultana riverboat disaster. (He will be portrayed by Carson Cox.)
Edward M. Norton (1812-83). The successful iron manufacturer was one of the members of the local delegation to the convention nominating Abraham Lincoln for president. He later served as the U.S. marshal and actively enforced the Confiscation Act. (His wife, Diana Norton, will be portrayed by Jeanne Finstein.)
Col. Joseph Thoburn (1825-64). The Irish immigrant became the surgeon of the 1st Virginia Infantry (three-month service) and then the colonel of the re-enlisted three-year unit. He was killed in action at the Battle of Cedar Creek. (He will be portrayed by Roger Micker.)
Dr. Simon Hullihen (1810-57). The doctor's death was termed "a public calamity." Known as the father of oral surgery, he specialized in the treatment of the mouth and head and performed more than 1,100 surgeries. He was also a founder of Wheeling Hospital. (He will be portrayed by Mike Medovic.)
William P. Wilson (1800-73) and George Wilson (1834-61). The successful businessman signed the Ordinance of Secession and therefore was considered a traitor. His son, George, joined the Confederate Shriver Grays and was killed in action at Antietam. (The wife of William and mother of George will be portrayed by Gael Fincham.)
Capt. John McLure (1816-93). The riverboat captain displayed his support for the Union by steaming through Confederate territory with U.S. flags flying. He later captained boats carrying Union troops. After the war, he owned the McLure Hotel. (His wife, Elizabeth Campbell McLure, will be portrayed by Judi Hendrickson.)
Alfred Caldwell (1817-68). The Harvard-educated lawyer served as Wheeling's mayor before the Civil War. He was one of the members of the local delegation to the convention nominating Lincoln for president. He later served as U.S. consul to Hawaii. His wife, Alice Caldwell, will be portrayed by Bekah Karelis.)
Noah Linsly (1772-1814). The Yale-educated lawyer moved to Wheeling in 1799 and served as mayor from 1810 to 1814. His will established a Lancastrian School in Wheeling that still bears his name. (He will be portrayed by Jon-Erik Gilot.)


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Vilyan Bijev Scores at Hat Trick to Propel Red Past Blue in 1992/1993 Academy Select Match
PHOENIX (Dec. 4, 2010) – As the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team and Nike International Friendlies took a break on Saturday, aspiring national team players born in 1992 and 1993 took to the showcase field at the 2010 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase with Vilyan Bijev scoring the games three goals in a 3-0 victory for Red against Blue.
All of the players in the match are eligible for the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and many have been a part of youth national team player pools in the past. U.S. Under-20 head coach Thomas Rongen, Under-18 head coach Mike Matkovich, U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director Claudio Reyna and numerous other U.S. Soccer Technical Advisers and scouts were on hand evaluating the match.
The Red squad opened the scoring in the sixth minute and continued to control the match throughout the first half. Bijev, who plays with Cal Odyssey, was played into the right side of the penalty area by a diagonal pass from Concorde Fire's Robert Botchway where he calmly finished to his left inside the far post.
The second goal featured much of the same, with U.S. U-17 MNT alumnus Nick Palodichuk playing a driven pass forward to the feet of Botchway about 30 yards from goal. Botchway, who has committed to play at Penn, again played Bijev into the area. This time the finish was from the left side of the area inside the right post.
Bijev earned the natural hat trick in the 32nd minute with Jamael Cox playing the role of provider with a longer pass into the area to Bijev's feet. A low near-post finish gave the match its final goal.
Each head coach made mass changes at halftime to give the scouts a look at a variety of players. The teams played even for 45 minutes, although the Blue team created its best chance in the 75th minute. CASL Chelsea's Monbo Bokar, who twice called Red goalkeeper Matthew Pacifici (North Meck SC) into action to make saves, hit a shot off the far post. Ricardo Velasco (Real Salt Lake AZ) had a chance to put the rebound into an empty net from a tight angle but only found side netting.
- U.S. Soccer Development Academy Match Report -
Matchup: 1992/1993 Select Teams; Blue vs. Red
Date: Dec. 4, 2010
Competition: 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase
Venue: Reach 11 Sports Complex
Kickoff: 1:15 p.m. MT
Attendance: 583
Weather: 74 degrees, partly sunny
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Red 92/93 3 0 3
Blue 92/93 0 0 0
RED – Vilyan Bijev (Robert Botchway) 6th minute
RED – Bijev (Robert Botchway) 17
RED – Bijev (Jamael Cox) 28
RED: 1-Jeffery Gal (18-Matthew Pacifici, 46); 2-DeAndre Yedlin (4-Verneri Valimaa, 46), 19-Dakota Edwards (7-Nathanial Eggleston, 46), 14-Nathan Diehl, 6-Jack Coleman; 13-Riley Wolfe (20-Christian Dean, 46), 10-Miguel Lopez, 11-Nick Palodichuk (9-Brian James, 46); 8-Jamael Cox (16-Vilyan Bijev, 67); 16-Vilyan Bijev (3-Julian Griggs), 17-Robert Botchway (15-Amadou Dia, 46)
Head coach: Tim Regan
BLU: 1-Jonathan Kempin (18-Andrew Wolverton, 46); 5- Jordan McCrary, 19- Jonathan Campbell, 11- Boyd Okwuono (20- Peter Beasley, 46), 14- Mike Ambrose (13- Leo Ayala, 46); 8- Will Trapp, 10- Eric Miller; 17- Khiry Shelton (16- Sean Okoli, 46), 3-Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler (15-Gregory Antognoli, 46, 3-Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler, 85), 9-Victor Pineda (7-Ricardo Velasco, 46); 12-Jonathon Top (6-Monbo Bokar, 46)
Head Coach: Eric Yamamoto
Stats Summary: RED / BLUE
Shots: 8 / 8
Shots on Goal: 6 / 3
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 6 / 4
Fouls: 4 / 7
Offsides: 1 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Vilyan Bijev


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FREMONT — Several downtown streets will close Friday for the annual Fremont 4th of July Parade.
Stevenson Boulevard, between Civic Center Drive and Paseo Padre Parkway, will close at 7 a.m.
The following roadways will close at 9:30 a.m.: Paseo Padre Parkway, between Mowry Avenue and Stevenson Boulevard; Capitol Avenue, between State Street and Paseo Padre Parkway; Hastings Street, between Capitol and Mowry avenues; Walnut Drive, between Liberty Street and Civic Center Drive; and Liberty Street, between Beacon and Capitol avenues.
All closed streets will reopen at 1 p.m.
The parade will run from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information, visit www.fremont4th.org.
Contact Chris De Benedetti at 510-353-7011. Follow him at Twitter.com/cdebenedetti.


text:
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: I've Been To London To Visit The Queen
"I've Been To London To Visit The Queen."
Digital Image. June 1992. Original photograph
privately held by Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski. Copyright (c) 1992.
Posted by
Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
4 comments:
Wordless Wednesday
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tombstone Tuesday: Karoline
One of the many disappearing grave stones in the Merrill Cemetery (Lincoln county, WI)
Digital Image. Undated. Copyright (c) Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski. 2011
Posted by
Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
1 comment:
Lincoln County
Tombstone Tuesday
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Easter Sunday 1965
"Easter Sunday 1965."
Digital Image. Undated. Original photograph privately held
by Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski. Copyright (c) 2011
Posted by
Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
3 comments:
Wordless Wednesday
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Sandhill Crane Minuet
"Sandhill Crane Minuet."
Copyright (c) 2011 Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
Posted by
Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
3 comments:
Wordless Wednesday
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tombstone Tuesday: Alonzo B. Polar
Alonzo B. Polar is my reminder that when researching, one should never ever assume that an unfamiliar name in vital record index is not related to your family line. That statement bears repeating as I have fallen into this trap on more than one occasion but I'll spare you the repetition. (I've come to the conclusion that the definition of the word
is where the term "
taking a wild a$$ guess"
is derived, both resulting in the same conclusion.)
A number of years ago, I discovered that my great-great grandfather, Rancellor Polar, for a period of time, lived in neighboring Waupaca County, which is a lovely place to research. Waupaca is the heart of the
Chain Of Lakes
, the perfect setting for a day spent searching for records with a break for lunch at a favorite l
akeside restaurant.
My Polar family research would be incomplete if it weren't for the efforts of a second cousin who began his research long before Ancestry and Footnote; writing letters, filling out family sheets in longhand, keeping copious and meticulous notes. Additionally I consider it a blessing for my family history that my mother paid attention when her mother and Aunt Leona talked about their Polar family history.
Going through the records at the Waupaca County court house, Mom and I were aware of the children of Rancellor Polar and Mary Jane Carson: Charles Finley Polar, father of Alma & Leona; their Uncle Giles and Aunt Adelia; Uncle Clarence who was deaf; Uncle Warren and sister Aunt Alice who married siblings of the Jones side of the family; Aunt Emma who married a brother of the Clarke relation; Aunt Phebe affectionately known as Aunt Pheb. Land records yielded an array of additional Polar's giving us several clues to possible siblings of Rancellor.
Alonzo Polar.
"Mom, do you recall Gram or Aunt Leona mentioning an Alonzo Polar?"
Nope ... can't be our Polar. Alonzo is defiantly not one of our family names.
Fast forward a few years and a wiser family researcher who resists the temptation to assume. Suffice it to say that, yes, Alonzo belongs in the Rancellor Polar family. While he is not in my direct family line, as an avid and enthusiastic believer in
Cluster or Whole Family Genealogy
, every now and then, Alonzo gets my undivided attention.
Alonzo B. Polar as born 1812, in the state of New York. The oldest child of Simeon Polar and Charlotte Pooler/Poler? eight known children. The name Benjamin appears in several of the family lines leading me to surmise that the
stands for Benjamin.
In October 1843 Simeon and Charlotte Poler of Royalton,
Niagara, New Yor
k purchased 320 acres of land from Joseph and Betsy Compton. In October 1844 Simeon and Charlotte sold 40 acres to their son Alonzo Poler; the remaining 280 acres was sold to their son George W. Poler in December 1844.
The addresses of all parties is recorded as Leslie,
Ingram, Michigan
This is the last recorded land record found listing Simeon and Charlotte.
Records indicate that at the time of Alonzo's death, he was a resident at the
Wisconsin Veterans Home in the town of King
, Waupaca county, WI. A request of these records provided very little family information as I had hoped, but they indicated that when he became a resident of the veterans home he brought with him his wife Cordelia.
Alonzo served the state of Wisconsin during the Civil War and is found listed in Ancestry's database including
American Civil War Soldiers
which indicates Alonzo was a residence of Wautoma, Waushara County, WI. He enlisted as a private on January 20, 1862, in
8th Light Artillery Brigade
and received a disability discharge on January 21, 1863.
Also found on Ancestry is a listing for Alonz[o] B. Polar in
Headstones Provided for Deceased Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903
, confirming that he is buried at the Wisconsin Veterans Cemetery.
A lovely afternoon spent strolling the cemetery grounds yielded the grave of Alonzo Polar with wife Cordelia's grave located in the vicinity.
On their application to the WI Veterans Home, they indicate that Cordelia was born March 21, 1828, in Ohio. She does not list her maiden name, they have no children and were married in October 1873 in Kilbourneville, Racine County, WI. Cordelia's death certificate does not list her parents names, probably due to the fact that they are not listed on her entry application. Cordelia died on March 14, 1908.
Cordelia was not Alonzo's first marriage, thanks to cousin Harold, we know that Alonzo's first marriage was to Mary Ellen Palmer on May 6, 1840 in Rochester,
Monroe County, NY
. Mary Ellen was born September 29, 1823, in Rochester. They had one child, Mary Helen Palmer, born July 7, 1841, in Rochester. Harold indicated that Mary Helen married Nicholas Scharding on September 20, 1858, in Yolo County, CA, but I have not been able to document this fact.
Alonzo and Mary Ellen parted ways sometime between 1841 and 1850. Mary Ellen married George W. Brown and is found living with Mary Ellen Polar in Somerset Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan in the 1850 Federal Census.
But was there another Mrs. Alonzo Polar in addition to Mary Ellen and Cordelia?
Listed in
Wisconsin Marriages, Pre-1907
is Alonso B. Polar, married on February 23, 1894, in Columbia County. This record indicates a marriage 21-years after the date given by Alonzo and Cordelia as their marriage date and comes only three years prior to Alonzo's death in 1897.
What about the family of A. B. Polar found living in Dakota Township, Waushara , WI?
Or is there another Alonzo B. Polar?
Well I'm sure that he can't be related to my line of Polars.
Posted by
Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
2 comments:
Cluster Genealogy
family history
Tombstone Tuesday
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For games of March 4-5, 2011
Both Hope basketball teams begin play in the NCAA tournament this weekend, the women at home and the men travelling to Rock Island, Ill. Here is an update on tickets.
Tickets for the women's first and second round NCAA tournament game are available in the DeVos Fieldhouse ticket office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hope women take on DePauw Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the DeVos Fieldhouse. Doors will open at 4:15 p.m. and tickets will be good for both games with the first game beginning at 5:15 p.m. between Washington University-St. Louis and Denision.
The winners of the Friday games will play on Saturday at 7 p.m.
TIckets are general admission seating. Fans will sit in designated sections. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for students and children ages 3 - 18. Children 2 and under do not require a ticket. Hope students do need to purchase a ticket.
The men's tournament will be held at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.
Tickets for the men's first round game are available in the Hope's DeVos Fieldhouse ticket office. The ticket office is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There are about 300 tickets available through the Hope ticket office, and additional tickets will be available at the door at Augustana's Carver Center.
The Hope men will play Hanover College on Friday March 4 at 5:30 p.m. CT. The second game will pit host Augustana against Webster, Mo. Friday's winners will play Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
Tickets are general admission seating within a section designated for Hope. Tickets are $6 for adults, and $3 for Senior Citizen's 60 and older as well as $3 for students and children ages 3 - 18. Children 2 and under do not require a ticket. Hope students planning to attend will need to purchase a ticket.
Hope College Ticket Office


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It's fun to Eat at Millennium too!
While it's fun to learn how to cook great vegan food at Millennium, it's also a great place to dine. I have to tell you, I've enjoyed two great meals there since my Sunday cooking class and I already have a reservation for next week!
These photos are from an early dinner. Above the delicious gold dusted frites with smoky ketchup. Below, flatbread with "gorgonzola" cashew cream, black olives, chile and oregano with radicchio salad:
And the glorious Edamame Gnocchi with seared snap peas, spring onions, shiso aioli, Sencha tea and sesame salt.
This is such an incredible dish, I think we have to learn how to make this in an upcoming Millennium cooking class! Although I don't have photos, I also enjoyed:
Seared Brassicas with a smoky almond romesco
Sesame Crusted Oyster Mushrooms
Housemade pickled vegetables
Miso broth with soba noodles and marinated tofu


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Jacob Siwicki of Sagaponack, who in his high school career played for top football programs in suburban Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., before taking a postgraduate year at the Northfield Mount Hermon preparatory school in Gill, Mass., learned recently that he has been accepted at Dartmouth University, where he is expected to make an immediate impact.
Asked if his goal were still to play in the National Football League, the personable, 215-pound, 6-foot tailback said, "Absolutely — it's been my goal ever since I was a kid." Though, in case that isn't to be, he's going to major in business, he said.
Siwicki left East Hampton following his freshman high school year for greener football pastures, stopping first at Upper St. Clair, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, before moving on in his senior year to storied DeMatha in Washington, D.C.
"You might get a crowd of 1,000 at homecoming in East Hampton, but at Upper St. Clair we played Friday nights before 5,000 on average, and there were 11,000 at DeMatha's championship game with Our Lady of Good Counsel in D.C."
"DeMatha [ranked sixth in the nation when he went there] has over the past 10 years sent an average of 15 football players a year to Division 1 schools. U.S.C. was still really good when I went there — Alex Park, who quarterbacked the team I was on at Upper St. Clair, is at Dartmouth now. He's a sophomore."
While at DeMatha, Siwicki was nominated as the D.C./Metro area's player of the year, and was its player of the week twice; was the top-ranked running back in Maryland and led the Washington, D.C., Catholic Athletic League in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and was his team's most valuable offensive player. Moreover, he was cited as the most valuable player of the DeMatha-Our Lady of Good Counsel clash, a game in which 30 of the players on the field had received Division 1-A offers, and was picked for the Chesapeake Bowl, a regional all-star game in which the best players in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., competed.
During his junior year at Upper St. Clair, Siwicki, who led that team in all rushing categories and was named to the all-Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic League team, participated in the U.S. Army combine for the nation's top 500 juniors, was a Football University top-10 running back and Top Gun Top 80, as well as a U.S. Army all-American Top Junior.
Now 20, Siwicki will enter Dartmouth as a freshman with four years of eligibility. He agreed that the extra year he'd spent in further preparing himself for an Ivy League education and in further honing his football skills had been worth it. The stopovers at the above-mentioned schools had been broadening, socially, athletically, and academically, he added.
Each year, he said, in reply to a question, he has gotten stronger and faster. "The shuttle [which measures agility and quickness] is my strong suit. I can do it in 3.94 seconds. Most high school running backs do it in 4.5."
"My 40-yard dash," he said, in answer to another question, "is 4.45. . . . That's getting fast, certainly for a 6-foot running back who weighs 215."
In each of his high school years he had played the tailback position, averaging, he thought, "about seven yards per carry at DeMatha, and, though they didn't keep stats at Mount Hermon, about five or six per carry there."
The prep school had gone winless the year before Siwicki came, and went 3-5 the year he was there, "though three of those losses were winnable. We could just as easily have been 6-2."
Asked if he would describe himself as a power back, he said, "I'd say I'm a more of a balanced runner. I can be shifty too. I get off the mark fast — the first 10 yards is my strong suit."
Prep school football — Northfield Mount Hermon played against such schools as Andover, Exeter, and Taft, which also had postgrads on their rosters — was "definitely not easy."
Siwicki is also a pretty good receiver. "Most of my catches were coming out of the backfield."
He found out last spring that he was also pretty good at lacrosse, a sport he hadn't played since his eighth-grade year here. He'll play only football at Dartmouth, however.
This writer sent him a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers: The Story of Success" on learning that he would spend a "pg" year at Northfield Mount Hermon. Practice, practice, practice is the book's advice. Don't rush it whatever the field, says Gladwell. On average, 10,000 hours of practice will do.
"It was good that you let the game come to you, as it were," he was told.
"Definitely, I wouldn't have done anything different," Siwicki said in signing off. "Everything works out — I really believe that."


text:
French artist Didier Massard's photography had me perplexed until I looked more deeply into his process. Massard creates these amazing images by constructing a small detailed set design or dioramas and thoughtfully integrating lighting techniques. What strikes me most about these images is that they at first appear to be paintings or digitally rendered, but closer examination reveals layering and depth that is not possible to create digitally. I read how Massard uses manual techniques to create fabricated sets, but honestly could not believe the entirety of his process until viewing this short video, where he explains his work from his studio. In the video, he also explains how his work is inspired from real and imagined places, places he'd like to visit but realizes the limitations involved in this desire.The subjects of his work vary from nature to mythology to architecture, but all of them evoke a cinematic and magical realist quality.
Massard began working as a commercial photographer for fashion and cosmetic companies, but once he began this meticulously fabricated photography work, he decided to stay focused on this personal project. All of his work is drawn from his own imagination, and he calls each image "the completion of an inner imaginary journey." Because of the highly skilled and detailed work that goes into each set design and diorama, Massard produces only a few images per year, spending months considering the manipulations for each image. For Massard, his work succeeds when it breaches a border of truth and lies, dream and reality. His work is currently on display at Julie Saul Gallery in New York City until October 19.


text:
Charcoal Pencil Sets
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Throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason, it was never clear whether veteran offensive lineman Brian Waters, who is under contract to the Patriots, would play this season. But now it's clear: He won't.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Patriots and Waters had discussed a potential deal throughout the season, but it's a moot point now because Friday was the deadline for teams to take players off the reserve/did not report list. The Patriots didn't take Waters off the list, so Waters won't play.
For unsigned players, such as players given the franchise tag, the deadline to report to the team is the Tuesday after Week 10. But for players under contract who simply don't report, the deadline is later in the season. So Waters still could have played for the Patriots this season if he had reported by last week.
Now the 35-year-old Waters, who started all 19 games up to and including the Super Bowl for the Patriots last season, is apparently content to retire. The Patriots were reportedly offering Waters a raise to get him to come back, but now they'll go with the line they have.


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EMS and Paramedic Training
The Department of Emergency Medicine offers a wide variety of training programs that prepare students to work in the streets as prehospital emergency medical care providers. Prehospital personnel have enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for providing consistently high levels of emergency medical care and customer service.
Our education program offers the entire spectrum of courses for those people looking for a career or simply wishing to volunteer time and service to their communities. These include original and refresher courses for the following levels:
All courses are sanctioned by the New York State Department of Health and follow national standard curriculum guidelines. Successful completion of these programs results in a three-year certification by the State of New York.


text:
To bestow honor and recognition upon living Alabamians for their outstanding accomplishments and services, the Alabama Academy of Honor was created by the State Legislature on October 29, 1965. Each person elected to membership is a distinguished citizen of Alabama, chosen for accomplishment or service greatly benefitting or reflecting great credit on the State.
Each year ten members may be elected by the Academy of Honor until its membership reaches one hundred; additional elections will maintain the membership at that size. All living governors of Alabama are automatically members of the Academy.
On October 25, 1968, a nominating committee appointed by Governor Albert P. Brewer in accordance with Act 15 of the Third Special Session of the 1965 Legislature of Alabama selected the first members.


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In a briefing en route to Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt, Secretary Clinton spoke about the continuing Middle East peace negotiations. The Secretary said, "...there is no prospect for success in the absence of direct negotiations; there is absolutely no way that the legitimate needs of Israel can be satisfied for the long term, nor that the aspirations of the Palestinians can be achieved.
"So for me, it is a question of: how can we work toward making these direct negotiations break through the clear and difficult obstacles that stand in the way toward achieving a comprehensive peace? And the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are part of what has to happen in the region that would include an agreement between Syria and Israel, and Lebanon and Israel. But we have to begin and we felt encouraged by both the words and the body language and the commitments made by the two leaders when we met with them in Washington.
"I am completely aware of all the challenges that we confront, but I have said, and I will repeat, that I think that the time is right for a lot of reasons for these two leaders and their people to work diligently and productively toward a resolution. So when we meet in Egypt tomorrow we will be having individual bilateral meetings, including with President Mubarak, and we will have then a trilateral meeting among the Palestinians, Israelis, and the U.S. The next day, we will continue those meetings in Jerusalem and we will push the parties to come to grips with a lot of the issues that have to be sorted out."
You can read the full briefing here.


text: Helloo!! I dont understund something: Postfix runs in port 25 or what? Postfix is el smpt server? why i can get emails from port 993 Imap with a mail client like Thunderbird? It should to be POP3 at port 110? Why i can not send emails from Thunderbird using smtp port 25 with tls in a Virtual Server? I have many dudes because before all were more easy... i am very very confused I have Ubuntu 8.04 with ISPConfig 2.xx running in VPS like my domain, i can recive emails but i can not send, allways talking that operations are from outside server from a email cliente (Thunderbird) This is the error message: Dec 12 23:21:49 virt1016 postfix/smtpd[3865]: warning: SASL authentication failure: cannot connect to saslauthd server: No such file or directory Thank you very much


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Post villages and cities of Wood County, Texas from the Gazetteer of Texas (1904) Note: All were listed as post villages except for Mineola and Quitman.
Alba, Andrews, Cartwright, Coke, Golden, Hainesville, Hawkins, Mikado, Mineola (City, pop. 1,725), Peach, Perryville, Pine Mills, Pleasant Grove, Quitman (County Seat), Redland, Smilax, Speer, Stagner, Stormville, Stout, Winnsboro (pop. 899), Yantis.
Source: Gannett, Henry, Gazetteer of Texas (Second Edition), Bulletin No. 224, Series F, Geography, The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1904.
Filed under: Resources | Tagged: 1904 Post Villages |


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Unfortunately, no quick fix for improving health club sales exists, but there are some things you can do when you find sales lagging. That was the case at a club I recently visited where a new general manager had just been hired. The club had lacked leadership and direction for an extended period of time. Although it was making some sales, the situation was chaotic, morale was low, customer service had struggled and the pressure was on to produce. To turn things around, the focus had to be on behavior, leadership and what could be done to have a quick impact. Here is a snapshot of what the general manager needed to do, and perhaps what you should do if you find yourself in a similar situation:
- Catch people doing something right. You should always be doing this, as it is important to reinforce the behavior you want to have duplicated.
- Create an environment that allows a motivated person to act. Help your staff focus on their assigned job—nothing more, nothing less. You must get your sales staff focused on making sales. Good sales fix everything, or at least, the other things won't seem to take on quite the same level of importance.
- Simplify the job. Reduce the number of moving parts to get things done. Do you really need one more piece of paperwork or one more meeting?
- Don't let the staff feel your pressures or frustrations. This is one of the keys to creating the proper environment. As far as the staff is concerned, you have everything under control, and expectations for success are high.
- Conduct regular training sessions for each department. Education and accountability will start to happen, but they will never be important to your staff until they are important enough to you to schedule and do regular training and follow-up.
- Play the hand you are dealt. As a general manager, you must perform under the set of rules given to you by the club owner. Get in the habit of seeking solutions and not talking about how the owner is wrong.
- Become a resource center for those around you. One of the more common behaviors I see is pushing, pushing and pushing for performance, but seldom taking the time to really help someone understand how and why things are done a certain way.
- Stay focused on the goal of your staff. If you help your staff get what they want, you will get what you want. Yes, we know everyone wants sales, but your staff also wants respect, to feel valued, to have their voice heard, good communication, etc.
- Do not lose sight of your super objective. Just like you do in the membership sales process, take the time to know and understand your own super objective. Why is this job important to you? Once you understand that, you will be able to look at each issue that comes up as a pathway to accomplishing that super objective. Remember, the super objective is the emotional reason something is important. Do not make it entirely about money because there will never be enough money.
- Keep it fun. In order to really be successful in the fitness business, it should be your passion. Keep it fun, and it will rub off on others.
Now, go get your club back on track.
Jim Thomas is the founder and president of Fitness Management USA Inc., a management consulting and turnaround firm specializing in the fitness and health club industry. With more than 25 years of experience owning, operating and managing clubs of all sizes, Thomas lectures and delivers seminars and workshops on the practical skills required to successfully build teamwork and market fitness programs and products.


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Rapper Files Police Report Over Incident With Russell Crowe
US rapper Azealia Banks has filed a police report after Russell Crowe allegedly "attacked" her at a Beverly Hills dinner party.
Banks claims the confrontation happened in the Oscar-winner's hotel suite and is "disgusted" with how the incident has been reported.
Crowe, Banks and about 10 other attendees were in the suite on Saturday night.
"She did file a police report after the incident," Banks' representative told Us Weekly magazine
"She wants to go back to New York. "She's very distraught. "She's not comfortable being in LA after what happened."
Russell Crowe has retweeted the TMZ story on his official Twitter account
TMZ, quoting witnesses, reported the incident flared when Banks laughed out loud at Crowe's music selection at the party and called him and at least one other guest "boring white men".
Banks was a guest of Crowe's friend, rapper RZA, at the Beverly Hills Hotel gathering.
Crowe reportedly put Banks in a bear hug and physically removed her from the suite after she grabbed a glass and made "bloody threats".
Banks claimed Crowe choked, spat and used the N-word on her.
TMZ claims guests, including RZA, said it was Banks who used the N-word, not Crowe.
"She is very, very disgusted by the reports," Banks' representative told Us Weekly.
"The reports out there don't even remotely resemble what actually happened.
"She was attacked."
It is not the first time Banks has become embroiled with an Australasian.
Last year, she hit out at Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.
"I just really want to know what your fascination with Black women is," Banks wrote on Twitter. "Why do you want to act like us."


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It's hard to say the following is one of my favorite columns. Other people have told me it was their favorite MOTO, but for me it's still too close to too many emotions. Certainly I've never otherwise been so despondent or bitter when writing a column, and I'd like to say time has changed things, but it hasn't. The work-for-hire ethic is more ensconced than ever in comics publishing (though Marvel's reputed forthcoming creator-owned line offers some hope), ensuring that new generations of comics talent wallow in frustration and dream of better possibilities they may never live to see.
It's Monday. Gil Kane died this morning.
I'm not exaggerating when I say Gil was comics to me. I only worked with him in the past few years, and our output together was scant: three published out of four finished issues of EDGE for Malibu/Bravura (we were never able to find a publisher for the fourth issue, once Malibu pulled the plug on the line); an issue of I-BOTS for TeknoComix (Gil also provided some terrific covers for the book); the two issues of LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE that start on sale in March; and a Superman graphic novel Gil was half-finished with when treatment for his cancer curtailed his ability to work. But there wasn't a month in the time he knew me that we didn't discuss projects which, unfortunately, will now never be done.
I say in the time he knew me, because I had known him for much longer, from the very beginning of my days as a comics reader. When I was seven years old, years before the portable television was even heard of, I caught some childhood disease and was forced to spend a week in bed. What books I had – by then I was already reading like there was no tomorrow – I finished. I must have liked westerns on TV then, though I don't specifically remember that, because my dad decided to amuse me with ALL-STAR WESTERN #119, which turned out to be the final issue of that book. While not the first comic I'd seen – I vaguely recall being given an issue of Dell Comics' LONE RANGER by a barber in return for sitting still during a horrid buzzcut – it was the first comic I pored over, the first one that really caught my attention. I liked the stories okay, but what I really liked was the clean, quasi-realistic art. The lines looked sharp. The lead feature was DC's premier western hero, Johnny Thunder. With art by Gil Kane.
But I don't think I knew that. Given that the artist on the second feature was his other mainstay, Carmine Infantino, I suspect Julie Schwarz edited the book, and Julie had a habit of identifying the talent long before it was de rigueur in the business, so I may have read Gil's name, but if it did it didn't sink in. Then. What did sink in was his art style. It was months before I saw it again, on GREEN LANTERN #9, featuring an amazing collection of grotesqueries – crystals with tentacles, bird-faced creatures, human sized insects – and these were the heroes: that issue introduced the Green Lanterns Of The Universe. This was all so weird to me, so new, so different from anything I was aware of that in a heartbeat Green Lantern was my favorite character and I had a favorite artist. ALL-STAR WESTERN #119, to all intents and purposes, introduced me to comics; GREEN LANTERN #9 truly hooked me on them. Past that point, I was a goner. I found Gil's art wherever I could: on The Atom, Star Hawkins in STRANGE ADVENTURES, even Dell Comics' BRAIN BOY (and I never looked at Dell Comics). There was something about his work that opened doors in my head that nothing else did, but I didn't understand that until Green Lantern ceased to be my favorite character as soon as Gil left it.
Gil's work was the underpinning of all my tastes in comics. He ruined me for other artists. I quickly grew so used to the fine linework and mellow, open coloring of Julie Schwartz-edited comics, and mainly Gil's, that when I saw my first Marvel comic, FANTASTIC FOUR #10, I was repelled by the thick black lines around everything, and refused to have anything to do with Marvel for years. I couldn't stand the cartoonier style of the Batman comics, nor the lumpine staidness of the Superman comics. What I wanted, though I didn't know enough at the time to articulate it, was lots more comics by Gil Kane. But there was a progressive attitude inherent in Gil's style that gave also me a taste for the idiosyncratic in comics art, for the kind of artist who creates his own style and makes the medium his own. I've liked the work of a lot of artists over the years, but I've never had another favorite.
The funny this is: Gil was always frustrated by that work. He wasn't ashamed of it. I don't think Gil ever took on a job where he didn't try to do his best, however it turned out in his eyes. Most of the work itself he was proud of. But he was frustrated by the limits of the format, the enforced vanilla characterizations and repetitive content, the speed at which he was forced to produce in order to earn a living. The same limitations many of us chafe under today. Gil had a reputation for speed, reportedly matched only by Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert, but it wasn't his choice. Like most freelancers perpetually indebted, faced with Lilliputian page rates, his only option was to produce and produce and produce. He rarely wanted to turn his pencils over to other inkers, but that was the system. What we today hold up as classics of the Silver Age came out of his ongoing nightmare.
Still, even that work set a style that revolutionized how action was handled in comics. Gil, raised on Alex Raymond and Burne Hogarth, on Robert E. Howard and AE Van Vogt, on John Wayne and Gilbert Roland and Edward G. Robinson, spent his DC years looking for a new expressiveness, a way to make the action in comics as vital and compelling as action was in the movies. Gil once mentioned that in 40s artist Lou Fine's work, everyone looked like a Greek god, and the same goes for Gil's figures, when they weren't Greek monsters instead. Particularly when Gil inked his own work, they looked like they were made of coiled springs, ready to rocket off the page. (His women simply looked pneumatic, some of the few really sexy images in 60s comics.) My best friend, himself an artist, pointed out that Gil's was the most geometric style in comics, and Gil designed on the principle that curves are static and angles mean action, something a lot of younger artists could stand to learn. His art had its mannerisms, certainly: when I entered the business, "Gil Kane up-the-nose shots" were something of a running gag in comics, and he produced hardly a single action story in the 70s that didn't feature a full page climactic punch where the puncher was in the background, following through on his swing, while the punchee flew backwards toward the audience in agony, his hands strangely contorted. In fact, in high school I taught myself to mime a Gil Kane hand: fingers and thumb splayed and straightened yet also curling up, above the plane of the hand, while the wrist knuckle protrudes visibly.
Yet it's safe to say Gil was one of the major three influences, with Neal Adams and Jack Kirby, on action comics of the past three decades. His curse was that, like Adams and Kirby, his viewpoint, technique and style were so strong, so charismatic, that his style was absorbed whole into the unconscious language of comics, employed (one could say pilfered) by artist after artist after artist, until what he did was such a commonplace that many people began looking on his work as common as well. For a time, he was eclipsed in the business to the point that artists in interviews would list "influence" upon "influence" without mentioning his name, while the books they drew were saturated with Gil Kane swipes. With his work on things as diverse as Captain America, The Hulk, Tower Comics' Raven, Captain Action, Hawk And Dove, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Warlock, Iron Fist, The Flash, Conan and numerous other projects, Gil changed our perception of what action in comics should look like. Today comics are composed of swipes of swipes of swipes of swipes of Gil's art, so many generations removed that many artists don't even realize the original source. We're so saturated in his style, surrounded by it to the point that it's generally considered a part of the landscape, that he never really got credit for this. Let's make sure he gets it from now on.
If it were a matter of art, Gil would have left comics long ago. His obsession was storytelling. He wanted to tell stories. He always wanted bigger stories, better stories. He fretted about structure, about character. He voraciously read, especially books on literary criticism, trying to attain the tools he needed to express the ideas he struggled to get out. He hooked up with writers he thought could give him what he wanted: Roy Thomas, John Jakes, Ron Goulart, Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin. And ultimately, but only chronologically, me. In addition to better material, he was always hungry for new formats and new venues, any way to take comics to different audiences, and to produce comics that might grab their attention.
The word visionary, like genius, gets tossed around carelessly, particularly when people die. I wouldn't call Gil a genius. I'm disinclined to call anyone a genius. But Gil was certainly a visionary. And he put his money where his mouth was. He broke away from DC Comics in the late 60s, abandoning Green Lantern and The Atom to found the company Adventure House and self-publish HIS NAME IS… SAVAGE in black and white magazine form, intended for sale not with comics but among men's adventure magazines like ARGOSY and SAGA. There had been b&w comics magazines on the market before, notably Jim Warren's CREEPY and EERIE, but Gil's was the first to use the space – both more pages and the possibility of more panels per page – to tell a single story, a spy adventure soaked in ultraviolence. It was Gil's movie on paper, Mickey Spillane as James Bond, and with it Gil arguably invented the modern American graphic novel. The Comics Code overtly decided to kill it, first by interfering with the printing and, failing that, by crushing the distribution, so the magazine never had the chance to find an audience.
Broke, he returned to servitude at DC until he could get the mass market paperback series BLACKMARK, Gil's post-apocalyptic homage to Conan, off the ground, through Bantam Books. Editorial shifts and distribution experiments put an end to that after one book, again without the project having the chance to find an audience. (Meanwhile, Gil's connections to the Robert E. Howard estate made it possible for Marvel to grab the rights to CONAN, a property that enhanced the company for well over a decade.) He started a line of hardcover graphic novels, Morningstar Press, which issued a beautiful Richard Corben-illustrated (I believe Jan Strnad wrote it, but I'm no longer certain) adaptation of Robert E. Howard's "Valley Of The Worm," which Gil and Roy Thomas also later adapted for Marvel. Again, Morningstar Press fell victim to distribution: there wasn't any. With John Jakes and Burne Hogarth, he tried to launch a combination novel-graphic novel series based on the King Arthur legend, EXCALIBUR. With Ron Goulart, he created the syndicated comic strip STAR HAWKS, innovating a two-tier structure that allowed a concentration of story unheard of in daily newspaper strips, and that succeeded for a couple of years, but as Star Wars interest faded, so did interest in STAR HAWKS, forcing Gil back to mainstream comics again.
When I first entered comics, on several occasions Marvel editors asked me to write stories specifically for Gil to draw, and I leaped at every chance, but all ended up drawn by other artists, with the editors baffled, on questioning, that I ever thought they were for Gil in the first place. I never understood that. Gil puttered around Marvel, taking what work he could find, and did small jobs at DC until taking over the Superman slot in ACTION COMICS until the post-Crisis revamp. By the mid-80s, debt, the need for a change, and the radically shifting comics market that suddenly emphasized hot new talent over mainstays, forced him out of comics to California and into animation as a designer at Ruby-Spears. I don't think he was ever felt satisfied there, but Gil and satisfaction were largely strangers anyway.
Curiously, when I moved to Los Angeles in late '84, I ended up living half a block from Gil, in Brentwood. Though we knew people in common – principally Howard Chaykin – I never went over and introduced myself. I was afraid he'd think I was some stalker, or, worse, that I'd just start gushing uncontrollably. It wasn't until '92 that we were hooked up by our mutual lawyer, Harris Miller, to put together a project, ultimately EDGE, for what would become the doomed Bravura line at Malibu. Gil was surprised that, surface differences aside, I shared many of his attitudes toward comics. It didn't surprise me at all; an interview with Gil, done by Roy Thomas for ALTER EGO magazine, was the first semi-philosophical oratory on comics I ever read, and a major influence on my thinking about the medium since.
Before we started to collaborate, though, Gil got cancer, the same kind that ultimately took the life of our friend Archie Goodwin. I watched both go through it with grace and good cheer, and I know it helped both that they had each other to talk to, a private little support group. The treatments, and the treatments to repair the damage caused by the treatments, took a lot out of Gil. There were months at a time when he couldn't pick up a pencil. At various points, his voice gave out, his legs gave out, his heart gave out. He didn't really want people to know. I think he was more concerned with creating something that he could proudly leave behind him, but by then the business was in a downturn and paying avenues for new projects, particularly adventurous new projects, shut down fast. The great frustration of working with Gil is that he came up with far more ideas than either of us could possibly keep up with. Almost every time I spoke with him until recent months, he was always excited by some new idea he had just had, chucking the previous one like old scraps. What was heartbreaking was that they were almost all great ideas – and the business was pre-programmed to reject all of them.
Gil never stopped dreaming. Throughout all the ups and downs of his career, he continued to dream of something that was completely his, and successful, of something so good it redeemed the promise of comics. Whatever the state of the form, Gil always had a vision that comics could be something greater: far more sophisticated, exciting and pertinent than anyone was allowing them to be. That he failed to achieve that vision in his lifetime is also our failure. That he tried and tried and tried should shame the rest of us into emulating his effort. It's safe to say that comics art would be far different - and greatly impoverished - if Gil hadn't existed. We owe him more than we can even calculate now.
When I finally got a chance to work with Gil, it was one of the greatest honors I've ever had professionally. That he continued to want to work with me was also a great honor. I don't really want to talk about him personally, not because I have anything ill to say about him but because that part belongs to me. I wish we'd connected on a market upcycle, with the opportunity to do more. Gil was my inspiration and somehow he ended up being my friend, and it's just sinking in that I lost my friend today, and, as much as I lost, his wonderful wife Elaine, and the whole comics industry, lost much, much more. I hope that when histories of the field are written, Gil places prominently and is remembered not just for what he did but for what he struggled to do, and I hope someone – everyone, really - is willing to carry the torch and achieve it for him, now that he can't.
There was a story from the '40s that haunted Gil. I forget its title and author, but Gil and Roy Thomas once adapted it for a Marvel comic. It was about a boy born with wings who could fly like a bird. His wings get clipped, his life gets cluttered with daily concerns and responsibilities, but something in him just longs to fly again. When he finally gets the chance, death overtakes him, like Icarus trying to reach the sun. That was Gil.
I hate eulogies. They always make me think of Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL where Marlene Dietrich, with great hardboiled melancholy, eulogizes the piggish, vulgar and ultimately vindicated cop Hank Quinlan: "He was some kind of man. What does it matter what you say about people?" Whatever people are going to say about Gil, I wish they had said it while he was alive.
Thanks, Gil.
Damn it.
Spent most of last week with a sinus condition that left me unable to talk on the phone or concentrate enough to string three words together, so I ended up catching up on a lot of movies. RUSH HOUR 2, while allowing Jackie Chan more chance to be Jackie Chan than RUSH HOUR did, is a throwback to Jackie's sloppy Hong Kong films where a hunt for a MacGuffin is little more than an excuse to string acrobatic fight scenes together. Chris Tucker turns out to be ridiculously superfluous, reduced to a semi-psychotic excessive blather that I guess is supposed to be funny, and like many Hong Kong films the supposed emotional core is little more than lip service. Plus it's a real waste of Zhang Zihi. Skip it. Marginally more entertaining is Tim Burton's PLANET OF THE APES remake, but then again I find Mark Wahlberg very watchable, though his character's motivation is way too inflexible as presented and there's never really a moment where any other ending is conceivable. I mean Burton's ending, not the "shocker" the studio tacked on. Watch it on DVD. If you want to see something in a theater, look for the British thriller SEXY BEAST, though it might be hard to come by. My big TV experience of last week was the Showtime debut of LEAP YEARS, a flabbily-written, clichéd, jawdropping train wreck of a series. Not just awful on a TV level, but so far beyond bad it might become a guilty pleasure if anyone can bring themselves to watch it more than once.
In the meantime, I read THE METABARONS: PATH OF THE WARRIOR, a gift from my old pal Dave Olbrich at Humanoids Publishing. Writer Alexandro Jodorowsky's technique is interesting enough that it makes me wonder why more American comics don't employ narrators as a storytelling device. Skillfully done, they're an excellent way to skip over the connective filler that clogs a lot of comics stories, and get to the point of every scene... plus Jodorowsky uses his narrator (and the "person" the story's being told to) to illuminate a bit of his story's landscape. It's not that this technique is unknown here, but it's rarely ever put to good use, and carries more heft and personality than the more traditional expository captions. Good job. Buy the book. (A mere $14.95.)
Over at my GRAPHIC VIOLENCE forum on Delphi, we're having a discussion on Building A Better Comic Book. Drop over and stick your two cents in.
And the Question Of The Week at the Master Of The Obvious Message Board: What was the last comic book you wholeheartedly loved? I don't mean just liked, I mean that you thought was so good it blew away all your pretenses of ironic distance, you felt compelled to get other people to read it, you walked on tiptoes with your heart in your throat in anticipation of the next issue or volume. Maybe it was when you were a kid, maybe it was last week, but sometime you've been there or you wouldn't be here now.
For those who're wondering, three or four weeks of reruns, and then the debut of the new column PERMANENT DAMAGE. How will it be different from MASTER OF THE OBVIOUS? You'll just have to wait.
Whatever questions you might have about me can probably be answered with a quick trip to Steven Grant's Alleged Fictions. You can also express your own views at the Master Of The Obvious Message Board, or send me mail. Bear in mind that while I read all my mail, time constrains me from replying in most cases. Thanks.


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Have you ever given a thought to using online dating to look for love? Did you realize that many of the best online dating services offer better options now, than they ever did before? Has the bar scene gotten old, quickly? If you want to look for love, and you want to have an astonishingly large pool of potential dates to choose from, look no further than online dating to get meet the man of your dreams.
How to Choose An Online Dating Service
Choosing an online dating service that is right for you is now easier than it ever was before. To begin with, there are many top quality services out there, and all of them have something special to offer their members. Many offer free trial periods so you can test out the special features they offer and see whether their site is the best place for you to look for love. If you don't like it, you can move on to the next.
Many sites cater to specific demographics. If you ascribe to a certain set of religious beliefs, or if you like certain sports or even if you love certain pets, you can find a dating site that has been set up just for those people like you who want to look for love among people who want the same things.
Other sites are set up to allow you to seek a mate from people with the best possible educational backgrounds, and some even cater to people who make a certain amount of money annually. No matter who you are, or what you are looking for, you can definitely find the kind of dating site that will give you the greatest potential of finding the perfect mate.
How To Build Your Online Dating Profile
When you build an online dating profile, you may feel tempted to make yourself out in the best light possible. Although this might seem like a good idea, rest assured that if you tell any lies as you look for love, your potential dates will find out, and you'll be back at square one.
The best way to go about building your profile is this:
• Know What You Are Looking For – Be sure to use positive terms to describe what you are looking for, and what you want. You are here to look for love, not to complain about past relationships or go into detail about the worst date you've ever been on.
• Tell The World Who You Are – Let the people who will be looking at your profile see the real, true you. This will give you the best chance at finding a compatible partner you can be happy with! Don't make things up. You are who you are, and that's great!
• Be Open To Meeting A Variety Of People – As you look for love online, keep in mind that the best possible match for you might not look exactly like the person you are envisioning. Looks might seem important, but remember – they fade over time. Allow yourself to be open about who you are willing to meet and date – you might just discover that the guy with the big ears, who others have passed over, is an amazing partner.