text: Projector Reviews – General Performance2 Posted on September 3, 2006 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma EP1690 Widescreen Projector Review2. Physical Tour of the Optoma EP16903. Optoma EP1690 Projector Review – Image Quality - The Optoma EP1690 Widescreen DLP Projector - Optoma EP1690 Projector - Brightness - Optoma EP1690 - Color Accuracy - Red,Green and Blue Settings - Cinema mode temperatures4. Optoma EP1690 Projector Review – Image Quality2 - Projector Sharpness - Compression Technology - Basic Video Performance - The EP1690 as a bright home projector5. Optoma EP1690 Projector Review – Image Quality3 - Black Levels and Shadow Detail - Rainbow Effect6. Projector Reviews – General Performance - EP1690 Projector Menus7. Projector Reviews – General Performance2 - Remote Control - Optoma EP1690 Manual - Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Audible Noise Levels - Optoma EP1690 Lamp Life8. Optoma EP1690 Projector Review – Warranty9. Optoma EP1690 : Summary, Pros, Cons - Pros10. Optoma EP1690 : Summary, Pros, Cons2 - Cons - Typical Capabilities - Optoma EP1690 Widescreen Projector: Summary11. Optoma EP1690 Projector Specifications Remote ControlThe remote's controls are fairly typical of a well laid out business projector remote. I should start by pointing out that the EP1690 supports remote mousing, thus the large disk pad, and accompanying left and right mouse buttons.At the top of the remote are Power controls, an A/V mute, and other short cut buttons, that allow you to do an Auto setup (re-sync), image Freeze, Keystone correction, Mode change, and aspect ratio change, without having to navigate through the entire menu system. Below the disk pad are digital zoom in and out, Page up and Page down buttons, and four arrow keys for navigation. You'll note that they also have numbers on those keys, and the rest of the 0-9 numerics are below. You use the numbers for setting Projector ID, and possibly (didn't work with it) security features.Below the arrow keys are the Menu button a Clear button (escape), and Enter. If you are not in the Menu system, those buttons and those below directly select different sources (VGA, S-video, etc.) The Clear button doubles to toggle off/on the Source lock mentioned about.Overall, an excellent menu, and it offered better range than many remotes (especially the remotes with some other Optoma's I have tested, which had very limited range (barely 20 feet). Optoma EP1690 ManualAt this point, I'd like to comment on the EP1690's manual, just to say, it is one of the more impressive manuals I've read through lately. Easy to understand, and very well laid out, with plenty of good graphics. It could stand a little more detail relating to the "why's" of some of the controls, especially for those wanting to tweak image performance, but overall, one of the best manuals I've seen this year.Lens Throw and Lens ShiftLens shift is easy – the Optoma EP1690 does not have variable vertical nor horizontal lens shift. The built in lens shift places the projector below the bottom of the screen to get the ideal rectangular image on the screen. The amount of offset is more than most. I assume, since it uses the same layout as the home theater HD72, that for a 100″ 16:9 screen, the center of the lens is going to be almost 17″ below the bottom of the screen surface, and around 15 inches if you are working with a 16:10 image instead of 16:9.The lens throw is about average for a business projector (though some would call say it has a short throw lens, but since most projectors have moved toward shorter throw lenses in the last few years, I'd say the EP1690 is fairly typical. To fill that 100″ 16:9 screen, the closest you can position the projector (measured from front of the lens) is from approximately 11.24 feet or you can place it as far back as 13.5 feet. The manual has a nice chart and data table – great for computing the screen size based on distance, but not as friendly if you know your screen diagonal and need distances, as I did.Audible Noise LevelsThe EP1690 is a pretty quiet projector as a business projector. In full power (Bright mode), noise is more typical of home theater projectors than business ones. Even in a small room, you should find the noise level to be fine. In low power modes it quiets down further, not as good as the best home theater models, but more than acceptable for almost all movie type viewing. Officially Optoma claims 30 db at full power and 27 at low. If I had to guess (I do not have the tools to measure, I would believe the 27 db rating, but the noise difference between the two modes is definitely more than 3db, so I'd make that guess around 33 db, still very acceptable. To give you an idea, the Panasonic LB60 business projector claims about 36 db in full power, and the Epson Powerlite 760, a whopping, and noisy 41 db. Optoma EP1690 Lamp LifeAnyone care to guess? Unlike Sanyo, who never publishes lamp life specs, Optoma does. The problem here is conflicting information. On the Optoma Datasheet it only says 2500 lumens in Eco-mode (low power) and doesn't list a full-power rating (not uncommon). The problem is, that in the manual, it says 2000 hours in full power, and 3000 hours in Eco-mode.I emailed the product manager at Optoma (right before the Labor Day weekend started)for clarification, but have not heard back yet. I will presume the 2000/3000 hour spec because it lines up with the other projectors Optoma has using this chasis, lens, and lamp.


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Ask Experts & Get Answers to Your Questions - ASAP
NDTI produces data regarding the physician practice of medicine. I would like to get their estimates for the latest year regarding the diagnosis osteoporosis. Please tell me how to reach this company by phone?
I am a general Specialist and was able to find this information for you. I found a number for NDTI, but it is for the Panel Administrator and they offer an email adress link here: Panel Administrator at 1-866-373-0383 or email using ths link: https://web01.imshealth.com/ndti/EmailUs.aspx. Other than this information there is no other phone number listed for them. I am hoping this information can get you the Data you are seeking. Please let me know if this information is helpful. Joan

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The current White House has been called the most secretive in modern history, and ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Martha Raddatz seconds that assessment. Raddatz talked about covering the Bush presidency and the war in Iraq Thursday at the Westminster Town Hall Forum.
Covering the war and the White House


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Nothing is cooler.
You can Maek D-Fenz, or you can play the game.Zero-K is a free, open-source Real-Time Strategy game developed for the Spring engine, and available for Windows and Linux. Originally called Complete Annihilation, it was a fork of the (at the time) Abandonware Balanced Annihilaton, which was itself forked from the permanently deceased Absolute Annihilation. The latter was a Spring port of the original Game Mod and unit pack of the same name, which was based on Uberhack, a rebalance of The Core Contingency, an official Expansion Pack of Total Annihilation.The developers stated design goals are for the game, "to be dynamic, action-packed and hassle-free, full of clever strategies and constantly moving combat with games lasting an average 20-30 minutes." To this end, several important differences from the other TA-derived games have accumulated, including the exclusion of the metal-maker units, the inclusion of both artillery and assault units in almost every factory, a free factory for every player, and the removal of the Tech Tree altogether. Certain units also possess "Unit AI" that automates their combat behaviour to a certain extent - raiders jink to avoid slow projectiles, skirmishers back away from enemies that try to close in, while construction and dedicated anti-air units try to avoid ground combat entirely.The result is a game focused heavily on mobility and overarching strategy. Players are forced to take more and more ground to keep their economy expanding, with combat units that can be built from the first few seconds of the game. Units themselves can be relied upon to conduct themselves sensibly in combat without frenzied micromanagement, leaving players more time (and brainpower) to plan ahead. Turrets have a nasty tendency to be pounded flat from afar, or overrun completely, unless counter-attacks can be mounted with mobile units of their own. In general, if something hasn't blown up after two minutes in-game, you're doing it horribly wrong.Many of the units in this game borrow their features (and names) from similar units in its predecessors, but the designers decided to break from Total Annihilation's meager storyline altogether, in the hopes of divorcing the game from its copyrighted roots. The replacement story, or what fragments of it have been decided on, consists of two eras - the PlanetWars, in which five barely-Cosmetically Different Sides repeatedly battle across the Milky Way, and the post-PlanetWars, in which humans have been wiped out and only their still-battling machines remain.
The game contains examples of:
- Beam Spam: Archangel, Detriment, and Scorpion never stop shooting lasers when a target is near.
- Beehive Barrier: Shields are composed of tesselated hexagons that fade from blue to red as their charge depletes.
- Character Customization: After unlocking commander parts, your commander can be fitted with different modules that are added to it at level of in-game upgrade. There are 5 upgrade levels, and upgrading to each one requires resources, so a player without these commander upgrades can develop a unit advantage to counter it.
- Colour Coded Armies: Type I, as seen above.
- Command & Conquer Economy: Partially justified in that you are using metal and energy in the form of nanotech. How you got them from the stores, however...
- Crippling Overspecialization: "Nerf weaknesses, buff strengths" is the developers' mantra when it comes to rebalancing units between releases.
- Death from Above:
- Disintegrator Ray: Ultimatum
- Do Not Run with a Gun: Slashers have to stop moving to deploy their fire. This was apparently implemented because a rolling mass of trucks firing long-ranged, high-rate-of-fire, homing missiles was too much to bear, but at the same time the developers didn't want to Nerf the Light Vehicle Factory's only anti-air unit.
- Easy Communication: Though your army is composed of radio-capable Mecha-Mooks, so it's justified.
- Easy Logistics: As long as a unit is active, it can use the materials collected anywhere else in the game. Partially averted by certain heavier defence structures; to fire, they need to be connected to an energy grid that's producing at least 50 energy. Taking out the nearby pylons or fusion generators can render the heavy base defenses inoperative, and is often easier than taking out the guns themselves.
- Enemy-Detecting Radar: Radar towers, naturally. Advanced radar towers, with a much greater range and less "radar wobble" exist, but it's generally more worthwhile to simply build more radar towers further forward.
- Bantha, Cutter, Racketeer, and Reef shoot EMP missiles. A Shockley is an EMP Missile. Tick is a walking EMP Bomb.
- Gnat, Infiltrator, Thunderbird, Scorpion, and Venom shoot Electro-Stunner bolts.
- Buoy, Constable, Goliath, Moderator, Outlaw, Rapier, Seawolf, and Viper have disruptors that cut unit speed in half.
- Glass Cannon: Quite a few units do this, some more than others. Of particular note:
- The Ultimatum has a disintegration gun that can vaporize a heavy tank in one blast, as well as a cloaking device to get it close enough to use it. It isn't much in the defense department, though.
- The Penetrator is a hovercraft armed with a tachyon accelerator that does a number on anything it hits, and has excellent range. On the flip side, it is very unmaneuverable, and a bomber less than half its cost can one-shot it easily.
- Grey Goo: Puppies can replicate themselves by consuming wreckages.
- High-Speed Missile Dodge: Raiders do this automatically when facing skirmishers.
- Hover Tank: The Hovercraft Platform exists to build these. They're slower overall than the comparable Light Vehicles, but are able to cross water just as easily as land.
- Humongous Mecha: Given the scale of the units, anything with legs is at least a Mini-Mecha, but the Strider Hub takes the cake with the Dante, Catapult, Bantha, Jugglenaut, Funnelweb and Detriment.
- Kill It with Fire: The mentioned Dante, Firewalker, Inferno, Kodachi, Phonix, Pyro, and Wurm. Pretty much any unit that has a weapon that does Afterburn damage.
- Kill Sat: The Starlight, a planet-terraforming laser that generally spells the end of the game for its unfortunate targets.
- Lightning Bruiser: The Detriment has 4/5 the hitpoints of a Jugglenaut, does twice the damage, and moves at twice the speed.
- Lightning Gun: See Shock And Awe.
- Macross Missile Massacre: Recluses fire clusters of three rockets that turn and spread out randomly as they fly. Large groups of them produce a veritable hail of rockets that make closing the range gap with anything a very difficult prospect. Defenders, Rogues, Rokos, and Slashers massacre in groups. Catapult massacres by itself.
- Mighty Glacier: The Jugglenaut (not a typo) can barely move, but in addition to heavy laser cannons, it has three gravity guns to keep you there.
- Mind Control: The rather interestingly-named Dominatrix.
- No Recycling: Averted, and, moreover, an important game mechanic. Reclaiming a wreck refunds up to 40% of its Metal cost, which means that in an even unit trade, the player that subsequently secures the wreckage will be almost completely reimbursed for the cost of their units.
- Real-Time Strategy
- Recursive Ammo: The Wolverine is an artillery vehicle that fires mines, which in turh fire clusters of tiny homing missiles when triggered.
- Spider Tank: The Spider Factory. Its units are capable of scaling any surface that isn't another unit, which can give them a significant range advantage, thanks to the extra height.
- Shock and Awe: Bantha, Panther, Scorpion, and Zeus sports a Lighting Gun that shocks and stuns targets.
- Tank Goodness: The aptly-named Heavy Tank Factory, whose gameplay revolves around the careful preservation of your big, expensive war machines.
- Tech Tree: Averted. Which mobile units you can build depends upon which of the eleven factories you picked, but there are no prerequisites for any of them, nor is there any restriction on building more factories. Likewise, any structure can be built by any constructor from the outset.
- Throwing Your Shield Always Works: That is exactly what the Felon believes. It throws its own and its allies' shields with its shield gun. It works as it is the only skirmishing riot outside the strider class allowing it to kill many units at a time before they have a chance to close in and attack itself or its allies.
- Transforming Mecha: Commanders are able to permanently morph into larger units by spending metal on upgrades.
- Unlockable Content / Double Unlock: Upon first creating an account, you only have one type of commander, and several Superweapons and other advanced structures are unavailable for construction. As you play games, your account gains levels and experience. The experience can be exchanged for this content, but each item also has an account level requirement. Thankfully, the basic commander is fairly robust, the unlocked commander parts are only useful if you spend in-game resources to upgrade the commander in that game, and the missing buildings and units won't likely come up in newbie 1v1 games. The experience and level required for all the unlockables is also low enough that it isn't hard to get everything within a few hours of playing. However, It can still be annoying if you want to jump into team games or use the cool superweapons right off the bat.
- Walking Tank: The Shield Bot Factory churns these out. They're the slower and tougher of the two main Bot groups, with shield generators on several of their units.
- We Cannot Go on Without You: Averted by default, unlike its predecessor. While the loss of the commander is often a major blow, due to the various upgrades it may have had before being destroyed, it doesn't immediately end the game for that player. This was done to prevent all-in rushes against the commander from being the main strategy. Can be played straight with a pre-game setting, though.
- You Require More Vespene Gas: Like its predecessors, there are two resources: Metal and Energy. Metal can only be acquired from metal deposits, whereas Energy-producing structures can be built anywhere, but excess Energy is used to "overdrive" metal extractors that are connected to a grid, further increasing metal production.
- Zerg Rush: Massed raiders are often seen in games with large maps and few players, as they're the only units that are fast enough to respond to enemy raids over a large front.


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|This tummy-warming chicken soup has farro, kale, and turmeric to brighten the flavors.
(Makes about 6 servings; recipe created by Kalyn when she was craving farro.)
2-3 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped onion)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. ground turmeric
10 cups homemade chicken stock (or use canned chicken broth if you don't have any homemade; one can = not quite 2 cups broth)
1/2 cup semi-pearled Farro (can substitute barley, or use brown rice for gluten-free version)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced in medium-sized pieces (or start with 2 chicken breasts and cook in water or stock)
4 cups finely chopped kale
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
South Beach Suggestions:
Nutritional Information?
More Tasty Ideas with Farro:
(Recipes from other blogs not always South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Farro Pilaf from TasteFood
Farro with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar from Kalyn's Kitchen
Mediterranean Farro Bowl with Yogurt Tahini Sauce from Circle B Kitchen
Autumn Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Farro (or brown rice) from Kalyn's Kitchen
Farro Salad with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Basil from David Lebovitz
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)
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Thursday, November 01, 2012
At 10:20 p.m. today, Connecticut Light & Power Company said 9,784 Westport customers were without power, or 79 percent of the town.
Posted 11/01/12 at 02:20 AM
Is it just me, or does this number seem to be increasing?
It's pretty amazing that apparently not one person in Westport has had their service restored since Tuesday morning.
Town of Westport is doing a great job of managing the recovery phase. Just imagine months without power and access to clean water, while cleaning up mold in 90 degree heat (Katrina). We are fortunate to have been well-prepared, and now to have access to accurate and thorough information about power, clean up, water, etc.
If you have access to a radio, listen to 90.3 FM.
Don't anyone even dare to complain!
Having worked for the power company in a hurricane-prone area (south Florida), I definitely dare to complain about CL&P's response to both last year's storm and this year's storm. It's woefully inadequate and worthy of not only complaint, but sanction.
I called Govenor Malloys office today. Apparently it's not their problem. They gave me another number to call. Why bother? Connecticut light and power won't give out any information. Fairfield is almost fully restored and Westport still sits and waits and waits and waits….....
If Mr. Joseloff said this yesterday "I held a news conference at mid-afternoon today and said the the CL&P response left me appallingly disappointed. We did not have the multiple crews promised in advance and progress was unacceptably slow in clearing roadways." What is he saying today? ZERO restoration progress. In fact it seems to be going up (or stable at best) but no progress. How is this even possible to have no one restored in what is now more than 36 hours since the storm ended?
CL&P has once again misrepresented themselves to our elected officials and all of us! I hope the state utility commission takes some firm action with them after this is all over.
Maybe instead of spending millions in tree trimming and poll replacement, that money should go towards updating their system and putting wires underground!
DEFINITELY NOT defending CL&P here, but I just wanted to touch upon what Marcy said about Fairfield being "almost fully restored." As of 645PM today, Fairfield still had >13,000 customers without power (~60% of town); Fairfield is also served by a different utility.
In addition, Sandy was an historic storm for our area. Whether or not CL&P has misrepresented their actions, which does seem to be the case, we were warned IN ADVANCE of the storm to be prepared for perhaps a week without power.
Believe me, I totallt understand(!) that it has been a difficult, frustrating - and at times frightening - 48 hours since Sandy, but it has been only ~48 hours.
Lets make sure we all work together to get Westport back on its feet as quickly as possible. In the meantime though, remember that patience is indeed a virtue.
All the best,
I'll be as happy as anyone to get power restored (although I would rather have my roof back than power at the moment). I am actually more concerned about how many roads are blocked off due to trees and downed wires. Cross Highway is still blocked between Main and North Compo, and North Compo is now blocked due to a dangerous tree, but that tree was leaning for nearly 48 hours before the road was blocked off.
We had about 10 neighbors using chain saws, hand saws and brooms work together to clean up our section of Cross Highway and make it passable yesterday - it was a great effort. If somebody could just move the wires, even without restoring power, we could clear the trees and finish the job. I don't want anyone to wait for an ambulance or fire engine to find a good route while CLP or the town are prioritizing their efforts. I'll bet that other roads would be cleared by neighbors if they weren't afraid of getting electrocuted.
Next entry: Malloy: Free Metro-North Service to/from Stamford
Previous entry: Metro-North Resumes Stamford-NY Service Thursday
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Technology Sectors
Integrity is everything: Facilities and operation support for the military
Kent Jacocks
From emptying classified trash in the Pentagon to providing state-of-the-art security monitoring for America's most important military installations, private sector contractors are instrumental to securing the nation's most precious resources -- our sons and daughters.
In a highly diversified and complex age of security, the unique challenges and mission support requirements of federal, state, and local government departments and agencies demand comprehensive, reliable, and cost-effective strategies. More than ever, the U.S. government has relied on a select group of private sector contractors to develop these strategies by operating and securing its facilities -- and protecting the well-being of both military and civilian personnel.
As a matter of national security, facilities and operation support is a proposition that requires an enormous amount of training, expertise, and a highly developed sense of threat awareness. It takes organizations whose leaders have military experience and an eye trained upon the future of emerging security technologies and strategies.
ABM Government Services (ABMGS) has nearly five decades of experience in facilities operation and support. Its clients include multiple departments and divisions within the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Treasury, Department of State, Department of Veterans Affairs, GSA, and many more agencies. ABM has active contracts on five continents, including combat zone locations and other "austere" environments.
ABM has found that hiring ex-military personnel is integral to its success. In fact, most of ABM's leadership team is comprised of veterans with long and extensive track records in the armed services. When you've had a career in the military, base operations and security posture become second nature. You have a certain level of threat awareness that the general public simply doesn't.
Yet the commercial and military worlds are becoming ever more enmeshed every day. Increasingly, the former is beginning to recognize the opportunity to leverage the experience of companies such as ABM. Security and efficient facility operations are tantamount for the private sector as well and they're applying techniques, strategies and technologies developed at military installations by contractors such as ours.
Day-to-day military base operations support
While the public's perception of our deployed military is dominated by the image of combat troops, most of the military's human resources reside predominantly within compounds and military bases. Whether domestic or abroad, these facilities operate very much like small towns. They need operating headquarters, dining facilities, reliable electricity, housing, recreational facilities, plumbing and water supply, properly working vehicles, heating and cooling equipment, and medical facilities and devices -- to name a few. This requires military bases to have significant facilities support including maintenance, repair, operations, construction, engineering, energy services and much more to ensure our men and women in uniform can operate at peak efficiency.
For any military installation, it is imperative that base operations support and mission support services be provided in a world-class manner, allowing our soldiers, Department of Defense (DoD) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) civilians as well as other military staff to focus on the tasks at hand rather than worrying about their facilities infrastructure.
Quite often, the military relies on specialists from the commercial sector to provide these critical facility and operations support functions. These service providers also play an important role assisting in properly securing military bases, making providers experts in the security protocols necessary for any military installation. Additionally, the military relies on its facilities services providers to handle many logistical necessities including:
- Designing, developing, acquiring and maintaining services, supplies and other materials;
- Personnel transportation;
- Construction and renovation;
- Medical and healthcare support services;
- Administrative support services;
- Equipment maintenance and operation;
- Utilities operation and maintenance; and
- Selective training.
Securing U.S. military bases
Providing these facility services is a critical job, but not just any provider is eligible to step onto a military base and begin working. The U.S. military requires civilian workers to meet rigorous background checks, while service providers must apply for, be granted and maintain required security clearance levels in the form of a facility security clearance (FCL) in order to work on DoD contracts or with other government agencies.
There are four basic security clearance levels for service companies and their personnel: unclassified, confidential, secret and top secret. Maintaining the highest level of security clearance with the DoD, top-secret facility clearance requires review on a periodic basis. Employees must also be familiar with federal regulations for the protection of classified information, and service providers must employ a security program to comply with the DoD's extensive requirements.


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We'll it's blowing 40, and raining sideways, but the show must go on! Grilling a tri tip on the gasser tonight. Seasoned with worchestershire ghost pepper infused salt, garlic, and pepper.
post #1 of 4
9/29/13 at 4:27pm
Thread Starter
When used in moderation the Ghost pepper salt isn't all that bad. It does have a kick to it and a little bit goes a long ways!!


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Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I'm 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we've assumed to be true about health and wellness...Tell Me More
Dear Taco Bell,
It has come to my attention that you have recently created a Drive-Thru Diet. You are clearly taking bold new steps to change the way Americans view healthy eating, so I am writing this letter to express my gratitude and enthusiasm and to offer insight for further improvement.
I first noticed your "Drive-Thru Diet" ad on a billboard outside of a childrens' extra-curricular learning studio in west Los Angeles. Ever the inquiring mind, I visited Tacobell.com for some heavy research. I read Christine Dougherty's 80 word story about losing 50 lbs over 2 years with Taco Bell. Very convincing. Then I watched TV personality Chris Rose interview four paid actors, and every single actor praised Taco Bell's seven healthy Fresco menu items. Next I learned from registered dietitian Ruth Carey that some food choices are nutritionally better than others. These people clearly weren't lying. The Drive-Thru Diet looked legitimate, so I decided to make a Frescolution. I hit a road block when attempting to fill out my pledge. The form required me to fill out "what I know." I attempted to write, "I live a healthy lifestyle based on the 10 immutable Primal laws validated by two million years of human evolution…," but Taco Bell overrode that with, "My idea of exercise involves the all-you-can-eat buffet marathon." Oh well, I suppose what I know isn't nearly as important as eating Taco Bell Fresco menu items.
So here I am, having soaked up the thorough and detailed information on your website, almost ready to embark on my two year plan of eating Taco Bell food every day. However, I have a few simple questions before starting such an exciting, healthy journey.
First, I am slightly confused by the math of calorie reduction. I understand that a Fresco taco is 20 calories less than a regular taco (kudos for that feat of engineering!). If I am trying to reduce my daily consumption by 500 calories by eating Fresco tacos rather than regular tacos, does that mean I need to eat 25 Fresco tacos a day? (20 calorie reduction x 25 = 500 calorie reduction). That means I need to eat roughly six tacos a meal, including, of course, fourthmeal. Speaking of which…
I am still trying to work out the logistics of fourthmeal. If I eat fourthmeal after midnight, is it technically firstmeal? In calculating daily calories, which day does fourthmeal count for? If I eat fourthmeal at the stroke of midnight, does it count for both days or neither? And also, if I eat fourthmeal every day, when do I sleep?
Finally, what exactly did Christine eat? If I know the combination of Taco Bell choices she made, I would feel much more confident moving forward. Did she keep a food log?
Once you have answered my questions, I will be delighted to fulfill my Frescolution.
Additionally, while I have no criticism of your company or your dietary philosophy, I do see room for improvement in your quest to convert American eaters into healthy decision makers. Below, I've listed a few possible menu adjustments…
1. A "Sans Queso!"option
After close scrutiny of your seven Fresco menu items, I discovered the secret to your revolutionary way of creating healthy foods: You replace the cheese with tomatoes. I'm no food lab scientist, but with careful engineering it seems you could apply the Cheese Removal Principle to not just seven menu items, but to every single product you offer. Call it "Sans Queso!" and you've got an entire menu full of super-healthy foods. Want a healthy Mexican pizza? Sans Qeuso! it. Sans queso! that volcano nachos and you've turned a 1,000 calorie item into a 920 calorie health food. It's not a reduction of quantity, it's an upgrade of health. You can even charge an extra thirty cents to Sans Queso! a food. The new anti-supersize.
2. A calorie total at purchase – All your food items have calorie amounts the same as they have prices. How hard would it be to include a function on the cash register that adds up the total calories of the foods purchased and prints it on the receipt? Heck, take it a step further and tell the customer directly, "Your total is $8.76 and your calorie total is 2,400. Would you like to Sans Queso! your meal for an extra thirty cents?" Bam. Satisfied customer, more profit, and less wasted ingredients. Is that genius or what?
3. Salsa – I'm not one to make rude accusations, but it does occur to me that you are a Mexican restaurant without a salsa bar. I do respect your little border sauce packets of modified food starch, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, onion juice, and xantham gum, but including a secondary option of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and tomatillas could improve both taste and the amount of nutrients your customers consume. So get yourself a salsa bar. People like salsa and they like bars, it's a win-win.
4. An "UnFried Salad" – The traditional Taco Bell Mexican salad sits in an edible bowl of fried enriched bleached flour and corn. That fried bowl sits in a second, plastic bowl. I suggest removing the edible bowl and placing the salad directly into the plastic bowl. You may have concerns about the way customers will react to this "one bowl" concept. The problem can be solved easily by using a "do not eat this bowl" warning label. Fill the plastic bowl with a bed of lettuce, grilled chicken, salsa from your newly installed salsa bar, and a couple slices of avocado (the fresh kind, not the green stuff I've seen your employees squeeze out of a caulking gun) That's a healthy menu item if ever there was one. Sans Queso! that salad for thirty cents and make it even healthier.
5. Water – I can't help but notice the 32 oz cup of Diet Pepsi that accompanies all the pictures of your Fresco menu foods. Have you considered creating a 32 oz cup that says, "Water!" I've never seen a fast food water cup before. Taco Bell could be the first.
6. Rename all products according to the Gordita methodology
I'd never heard of a Gordita before you added one to your menu. I had to pull out the old translation dictionary to learn that "gordita" is Spanish for "chubby." What a brilliant concept! Right there in the name of the food you've included a warning for how the food will make you look and feel. I love it! You should rename other menu items to include similar warnings. A nacho bell grande could be called an "estomago grande," a caramel empanada could be a "caramel diabetica," and a mexican pizza could simply be "El Diarrea."
7. A weekly taco limit – Like the bartender who cuts off the alcoholic, set a hard limit on the number of tacos a customer can buy. Consult Ruth Carey, your registered dietitian, and figure out how many tacos a week someone must eat to remain healthy. Never sell a customer more than that number.
Last, but certainly not least…
8. TELL PEOPLE WHERE YOUR MEAT COMES FROM – Consumers are fickle, skeptical doubters, and I'm sure you've heard some of the rumors and urban legends surrounding the origins of your meat. To jog your memory, there have been claims that your meat is of lower quality than dog food meat; that it contains feces; that there are fingernail fragments, human blood, ash, worm, copper wire residue, cellophane, and bits of Jimmy Hoffa floating around in your meat. While I'm fairly certain these accusations are false, I was unable to find any information on your website as to meat origin and quality. I even called your hotline, with no further success. Why not replace one of the 3 giant 5 layer burrito posters on each store using the third to show a picture of the grass fed, grass finished cows that I'm sure you use to make those burritos.
I do realize making these changes may take a small upfront investment. Because I feel as responsible for America's health as I'm sure you do, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. If you make all eight of the suggested changes, I will donate $10,000 to a charity of your choice (perhaps the American Diabetes Association?). Thank you for reading my letter and for creating a diet that does not require me to leave my car. Maybe one day you will take the next step by creating a "Delivery Diet" so I won't have to leave my house.
Yours in good health,
Mark Sisson
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204 Comments on "An Open Letter to Taco Bell"
Please tell me you actually sent that!
Hi! I've been reading lots of Paleo & Cross-fit stuff on the web the past 2 weeks, wondering if I had the guts to make this kind of change in my life.
Well, I was munching on my yummy subway sandwich while reading this, and I may have reached the point of critical mass!
Plus, my darling girlfriends took me out of town for a birthday bash, and it turned into an episode of The Hangover meets The Real Housewives. Any advice?
Nobody is standing at your local Taco Bell and stopping you from entering, so go ahead and indulge if you want. The problem here, however, is not the fact that "fatty fat" is eating more fatty food voluntarily, but rather the fact that Taco Bell cunningly and deceitfully play with the truths about their food and advertise it as to encourage unhealthy eating without proper education and advertising ethics. They sound like they care about customers' health but what they give them is the same crap just with different names dressed to look "healthy"
I think you have summed it up perfectly, Dahae. The "healthy choices" deceit by Taco Bell is what is so wrong here. Not everyone has the time or desire to trawl through all the latest research, fast food ingredients, etc.
I thank MDA for this work.
BTW Taco Bell didn't last long in Australia. Maybe we like our salsa truly fresco…
I love it!
I'll take an "El Diarrhea" "to go", please! Vintage Mark!
Oh my freaking god. I think I just wet my pants. And I'm a grown-up!!
You're a HOT adult. (That's what us adults call 'grown-ups')
HAHA! Yea, if you are telling us you are a grown up, you probably aren't.
Like the following quotations:
"I'm a brilliant man!"
"I'm a man!"
come on…
What kind of wet?
…and bits of Jimmy Hoffa floating around in your meat
I have to admit…. that was one of the best lines I've ever read on MDA 🙂
or Elvis lives
I especially love the disclaimer on the commercial that says "Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet is not a weight loss program."
I saw their ad during a football game and had to text every single person I know. Unbelievable.
After eating you'll experience Taco Hell! What's in that meat?
bahahahahahaha! Oh, I have tears. LMAO!
Priceless! I actually have a colleague at work who said she was going to go on the Taco Bell diet. I couldn't tell if she was joking or completely serious.
I don't know why Taco Bell is even trying the "diet" angle. This is a food chain that made its fortune catering to HYMs (hungry young males).
Their last commercial featured Kareem Abdul Jabar and his "mother" eating half pound beef burritos. The inconsistency is killing me.
I suppose it should come as no surprise, since KFC and Taco Bell are owned by the same company, and the KFC "grilled chicken" has been playing on the health angle, probably with success. Expect Pizza Hut to follow suit soon.
my mistake, it was Evander Holyfield and his "mother." I don't know where Kareem came from on that one.
Mark you can get water at every fast food place..no need to drink sodas there.
NO plastic plates please, Use paper plates only with the salads. Plasticis terrible for the environment and uses too much oil as well. The rest of the suggestions are good.
LOL! Mark, shame on you for dumping on Taco Bell. Taco Bell was responsible for just about every lunch I consumed for three years during which I was getting my masters in anthropology. And the fact that no-one wanted to be in the room with me after each meal was a bonus–more time to focus on my studies!
Sarcasm: Just another service we offer.
I think I just peed my pants laughing so much!
Are you preparing for a career in stand-up comedy? Your posts are getting more and more hilarious.
'Maybe one day you will take the next step by creating a "Delivery Diet" so I won't have to leave my house.'
Only in a perfect world would we see a delivery car with a happy taco bell logo rushing to deliver you your nutrtrient rich fourth meal. We can only hope… maybe someday.
That's awesome! Living on the "drive through diet" will turn into the moving via forktruck lifestyle.
Priceless Mark! When I first saw their commerical, I thought they were joking! Until I looked at their website. I posted on my blog about it as well. I sincerely hope you sent this to them. This is hysterical!
"People like salsa and they like bars, it's a win-win."
That made me LOL.
I was just gonna post the same thing! That made me HAPPY! LOL
If they'd serve some margheritas, maybe the alcohol would sterilize the meat. And the food would seem even better.
"… you replace the cheese with tomatoes" love this post 😀
Only you could make real food topics this funny, Mark. Kudos for tearing down Taco Bell's nutritional philosophy in the most hilarious way possible.
Thank you so much for writing this! The Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet is what prompted me to finally blog about eating Paleo the last 10 months. These commercials have been a pet peeve of mine, they just drive me crazy. Your letter had me completely rolling, tears in my eyes and all. Well said!
Are you going to address the Hollywood Cookie Diet next? This madness needs to stop!
Mark – great post! Only problem: I think they'd be more likely to go with a "Sin Queso" option, as "sin" means "without" in Spanish. "Sans" is French…maybe Au Bon Pain is your next target? Would they go for a "Sans Pain" menu?
Mike, I figured using "sans" helps them expand into the French market. Two birds – one stone. Although the queso TB uses IS a Sin…
ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!
I just fell off my chair.
I mean, j'ai tombe sur ma chaise.
oh my gaga. i went ape $hit when i saw this commercial on tv. utter madness! thank you for this, it bought the LOLs
that. is. awesome.
Just sent a link to the article to everyone I email with. Sure some will be scratching their heads.
Brillitant, So funny…LOL
"and a mexican pizza could simply be "El Diarrea." – HA, i like that. I concur with one of the above statements… and hope that you actually sent this to them.
It's funny that the insides of these food item reminds me of puke… which is what food is supposed to look like AFTER you've dished it back OUT of your body.
Odd isn't it?
Love it! But you forgot to mention that they need to have recommended daily allowances that are aligned with the number of joints one has smoked before entering the establishment (or approaching the window).
Beautiful! I love it!
If you think that's bad, Kellogg's is touting Rice Krispies as being a great way to support your family's immune system:
The sad part is that people actually buy into these messages!
Brilliant. I seriously hope you send it.
That was pure awesome! Loved the politely veiled snark.
You just asked Taco Bell to turn into Chipotle or Baja Fresh!
Savage, Gonzo burn, my friend!!!
Thanks for saying what I was THINKING.
Pitch-perfect. . .well done!
That has to be sent to headquarters.
Too funny! Caramel Diabetica indeed(too close to the truth)! The meat comments are right on. I used to eat at Taco Bell a really long time ago (I'm talkin 30 years) and it wasn't bad. I think they used real food back then.
I laughed out loud while reading this at work – now my students think I am crazy….
Mark –
You forgot to add their Chihuahua! Didn't he strangely die in the past few years? Perhaps he was a test pilot for this Drive Thru Diet and it simply drove thru him and right on to his little grave…
This was hilarious!
I think he was added to the meat.
They already have a delivery diet- Nutrisystem. But it's not exactly fast food and it's not exactly cheap. And i'm going to go out on a limb here guess it's not exactly Primal, either.
I think Taco Bell stole this idea from Pixar's WALL-E. They have visions of an obese society living in automated Taco Bell pods.
Brilliant post. Thanks.


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Red Sand II
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The piece was advertized as being 43"x30". When it came it was 39"x28.5". Was supposed to be plate numbered and signed by the artist. When it came No plate and signed in pencil on border of piece...with NO letter of authenticity...so for all I know could have been signed by person framing it. Very dissapointed with these things! How could the size be that far off?
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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text: After looking at pictures of himself in The ENQUIRER, Robert Blake admitted to pals he just can't lie about it anymore — he needs a FACE-LIFT! Blake's had two reupholsteries to date, but our photos convinced him it's Touch-Up Time . . . and dat's da name of dat tune!


text:
Phoenix Kiula wrote: > [Ppsted similar note to PG General but I suppose it's more appropriate > in this list. Apologies for cross-posting.] > > Hi. Further to my bafflement with the "count(*)" queries as described > in this thread: > > http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-general/2009-01/msg00804.php > > It seems that whenever this question has come up, Postgresql comes up > very short in terms of "count(*)" functions. Sorry - I'm confused. That thread doesn't seem to contain a slow count(*) query. You seem to be saying you're having problems with the query taking 10-15 seconds, but the example takes less then half a second. How have you identified the count() as being the problem here? > The performance is always slow, because of the planner's need to guess > and such. I don't fully understand how the statistics work (and the > explanation on the PG website is way too geeky) but he columns I work > with already have a stat level of 100. Not helping at all. But your own email says it's slow sometimes: "My queries are fast in general *except* the first time" I'm not sure how the planner comes into this. > We are now considering a web based logging functionality for users of > our website. This means the table could be heavily INSERTed into. We > get about 10 million hits a day, and I'm guessing that we will have to > keep this data around for a while. > > My question: with that kind of volume and the underlying aggregation > functions (by product id, dates, possibly IP addresses or at least > countries of origin..) will PG ever be a good choice? A good choice compared to what? > Or should I be > looking at some other kind of tools? I wonder if OLAP tools would be > overkill for something that needs to look like a barebones version of > google analytics limited to our site.. Typically you'd summarise the data by hour/day via triggers / a scheduled script if you weren't going towards a pre-packaged OLAP toolkit. Otherwise you're going to have to scan the hundreds of millions of rows you've accumulated. > Appreciate any thoughts. If possible I would prefer to tone down any > requests for MySQL and such! I'm not sure MySQL is going to help you here - if you were running lots of small, simple queries it might make sense. If you want to aggregate data by varying criteria I don't think there is any sensible optimisation (other than pre-calculating summaries). -- Richard Huxton Archonet Ltd
Next: From: Merlin Moncure Date: 2009-01-28 17:55:16 Subject: Re: PG performance in high volume environment (many INSERTs and lots of aggregation reporting) Previous: From: Robert Haas Date: 2009-01-28 14:18:52 Subject: Re: PG performance in high volume environment (many INSERTs and lots of aggregation reporting)


text: As seen on reputable language news site, Lambda the Ultimate. http://lambda-the-ultimate.org/node/2164 Mutable variables eliminated from .NET Redmond, WA: At an unusual press conference held this Sunday morning, Bill Taylor, Microsoft's General Manager of Platform Strategy, announced that after much research into the causes of security holes and instabilities, Microsoft will eliminate mutable variables from the .NET platform and its languages, including C# and VB.NET. "One of our top researchers found that mutable variables were the major root cause preventing us from achieving the great user experience we always strive to deliver," said Taylor. "Once we realized that, eliminating them from .NET was a no-brainer." Given that this announcement was made on a Sunday, reactions have been limited so far, but one prominent VB.NET developer commented that "Compared to the switch from VB6 to VB.NET, this ought to be a breeze." A C# developer was heard to say, "After anonymous delegates, monads shouldn't be a problem." To ensure wide penetration of this significant update, Microsoft will be issuing updated Windows CDs to all licensed customers, free of charge. The new CDs can be identified by the distinctive holographic "Haskell Inside" logo, featuring a holographic version of this[1] portrait of Simon Peyton-Jones, grinning from ear to ear. [1] http://research.microsoft.com/~simonpj/GIFs/spj-snow.jpg


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The UN's World Heritage Committee has condemned the destruction of mausoleums sacred to the Sufi strain of Islam in the African nation of Mali.
What are the different accounts of salvation given in Christian and Muslim thinking? What is involved in forgiveness? What do Christians mean when they speak of atonement through Christ?
UK-based global development agency Christian Aid has called on governments to build a 'Noah's Ark' at the UN climate change talks in Durban.
Religious leaders in Jerusalem are more willing than ever before to take part in dialogue with members of other faiths despite growing political tensions.
An Indonesian mayor is defying court rulings by pushing for a decree to block Christians from opening churches on streets with Islamic names.
The US Muslim leader at the centre of the recent storm over plans to build an Islamic community centre near Ground Zero in New York is arriving in Britain tomorrow and giving a series of talks and interviews in Scotland.
Some 20,000 mourners gathered in Birmingham for the funeral of three young men killed while defending their community from looters last week.
Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders have responded to the the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden with varying degrees of relief, regret and caution.
Western stereotypes frequently cast Muslims as either "good" (quietist) or "bad" political, with Sufis wholly identified with the former camp, says Omid Safi. This dichotomy ignores a third group of Muslims: Those who, whether mystically inclined or not, want to neither destroy the world nor acquiesce to the wishes of the Empire, but rather seek to redeem the world by speaking truth to power.
Amnesty International has condemned an overwhelming vote by the lower house of the Belgian parliament last week in favour of a ban on wearing of full-face veils in public.
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Still disappointed not to have made more of an impact with "the best club in the world", Dmytro Chygrynskiy aims to impress when he returns to FC Barcelona with FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
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Timberlake and Fallon Reprise 'Barry Gibb Talk Show' on 'SNL;' Madonna and Gibb Make Cameos [Video]
"The Barry Gibb Talk Show" is a recurring skit on NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live," with Jimmy Fallon playing the bipolar Barry Gibb.
In the skit, Fallon alternates between breaking out into falsetto and losing his mind on his guests if they open their mouths to talk, much less disagree with him.
On Saturday night, Justin Timberlake played Gibb's brother, the late Robin Gibb, who doesn't say much but has no problem with delivering a falsetto as needed.
Madonna made a cameo as a guest on the show, which discussed "politics," "issues of the day," "real important issues," "chest hair" and "crazy cool medallions" in this "crazy, crazy time."
Barry Effing Gibb, as he is known to call himself, went ballistic on Madonnna, who could barely keep a straight face when she made her political points. Gibb admitted that she tamed him like a wild horse as she stood up to him, because, as Robin Gibb said: "She is Madonna."
Fallon and Timberlake closed the the skit with the theme song, with the real Barry Gibb appearing and offering an assist.
Madonna and Gibb. Amazing.


text:
Stuff with the Perl Foundation. A couple of patches in the Perl core. A few CPAN modules. That about sums it up.
A long time ago, I mused about fetching objects directly from HTML forms instead of grabbing the ID, untainting it, validating it, and instantiating a new object. I finally wrote up a proof of concept. You can read about it at Perlmonks. Basically, it lets you do stuff like this:
use Class::CGI
handlers => {
customer => 'Class::CGI::Customer'
my $cgi = Class::CGI->new;
my $cust = $cgi->param('customer');
my $email = $cgi->param('email');
# validate email
First you'll want to auto-inflate a single param, so you'll do what you have now.
Yup. Got that.
Next, you're going to want to have more than one CGI param for each object. So you can do things like composite dropboxes and so on.
Yup. Added that a few hours ago. It was a simple matter of fixing an egregious design flaw in my original code.
Then you are going to want to define a whole group of these in one hit, so you can have something like Class::CGI::Form, which would extract a whole bunch of
First, the __PROFILE__ would be strictly optional. You're always at liberty to declare the handlers in your code instead.
Second, I agree with what you're saying about a security hole. I should add a signature check if profiles are listed in the HTML.
In thinking about this more, I see that the benefits of having forms declare which handlers they need are outweighed by the security issues. I'm pursuaded enough by your arguments that I think I'll abandon __PROFILE__ declarations in the HTML. Thanks for kicking me.


text:
OMAHA, Neb. — Nine siblings are among 11 children as old as 17 who were left at Omaha hospitals Wednesday under Nebraska's unique and new safe haven law, which allows caregivers to abandon babies and teenagers alike at hospitals without fear of prosecution.
The law, originally intended to protect infants, was expanded in a legislative compromise to protect any "child." Some have interpreted that to mean anyone younger than 19.
Gov. Dave Heineman, who signed the law, and some other former supporters are among those now saying changes are needed.
"People are leaving them off just because they can't control them," state Sen. Arnie Stuthman, who introduced the original bill, said Thursday. "They're probably in no real danger, so it's an easy way out for the caretaker."
The nine siblings — five boys and four girls ages 1 to 17 — were left by their father, who was not identified, at Creighton University Medical Center's emergency room, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Unrelated boys ages 11 and 15 also were surrendered Wednesday at Immanuel Medical Center.
At least 16 children have been abandoned since the law took effect in July, the state agency said.
Todd Landry, director of the state division of Children and Family Services, said that in nearly every case, the parents who left their children felt overwhelmed and had decided they didn't want to be parents anymore. None of the kids dropped off so far have been in danger, he said.
The department was still investigating Wednesday's dropoffs. The abandoned siblings were in no danger and it wasn't clear why their father gave them up, Landry said. Five of the nine siblings were placed in a foster home and the rest were taken to an emergency shelter, he said. The department was working on a new arrangement that would keep the kids together.
In the other cases on Wednesday, one child was temporarily placed in foster care and the other was in the hospital for evaluation.


text:
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Hello and thank you for contacting Just Answer. I am an expert here and I look forward to assisting you today. If at any point any of my answers aren't clear please don't hesitate to ask for clarification.
You would not be able to sign anything to give them powers AFTER you became "incompetent". However, before you got to that stage you could give them a Power of Attorney which would allow them to conduct business for you. It is usually better to give it to only one at a time and you can have a local attorney draft it in such a way that there is a line of succession. If one can't or won't act as Power of Attorney then it passes to another.
There are forms online to do it as well, but the only place that I am aware of that has up to date forms is at http://lztrk.com/?a=2177&c=15&p=r&s1=
There may be others, but I'm not familiar with them.
If you should become disabled or incompetent before preparing a Power of Attorney then the only option they would have would be to petition the court for a guardianship. That i smuch more complicated and expensive though.
The website is showing you are offline so I will save and exit so I can assist others. I will be online most of the day but it may take a little while for me to answer if I am assisting others.
If you want to discuss this real time please wait here in Chat after providing an answer to the above question and I should be with you in a few minutes.
Well of course I would have a Power of Attorney made up BEFORE needed! My question is/was "is this the CORRECT LEGAL FORM to use???
Yes, that is the correct legal form for what you want based on your facts.
Well, earlier I sent you a reply, like I said I wanted to know what "forms" I should use......... I do know one has to have a signed "power of attorney" BEFORE if that complication comes up. Is there other forms I should have?
I do know I need to have a "signed" power of attorney BEFORE such a time comes.......... what other forms, if any, do I need?
Why did you rate this as Bad Service? your original question was "what legal paper(s) would I need to have my sister and my two son's able to sign for me?" and I answered that, very specifically with information stating that you needed a Power of Attorney.
A specific answer to a specific question.
You then returned and changed your question to "My question is/was "is this the CORRECT LEGAL FORM to use???"
And I, again, answered specifically, Yes.
Then you rated it as Bad Service. Each time I have provided a direct answer to your question within a few minutes of you answering it. Now you have asked another question after rating this as Bad Service.


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Achieving balance in both your work and personal lives allows you to perform optimally in both areas.
When you follow the 14 tips in this article, you'll have the
strategies and tactics necessary to achieve the balance you desire.
Dawn Dugan specializes in writing books, articles, white papers, reports and special communications for the human resources industry. She is the co-author of Effective Executive Compensation, which was published by AMACOM in 2008. Read more...


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|December 30, 2012, 02:05 PM
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Location: Denver, CO
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The problem is, that even if you are making fair proposals, your posts are coming off as combative, which is going to put the reader on the defensive, and less likely to pay attention to the content of your message.
|December 30, 2012, 02:09 PM
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Join Date: July 15, 2007
Location: Illinois
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We have to use logic and common sense though.
Firearms are weapons in and of themselves. Cars, spoons, ball bats, etc aren't weapons in and of themselves. Trying to run away from that fact, or making bad analogies isn't useful in my opinion.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."- Thomas Jefferson
|December 30, 2012, 02:10 PM
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Join Date: September 12, 2010
Location: Boise, ID
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I never called anyone insane. I referred to the extremisms coming from both sides as insanity. One does not have to be an unreasonable person to do an unreasonable thing.
And as far as me seeming combative, I don't intend to be hostile. I do intend to provoke, but only thought. I we can't open our eyes to reality, and we get stuck in the black -vs- white ONLY idea, then we move nowhere, and it is merely a game of tug-of-war. If we can move beyond that, and discuss reality, and figure out better solutions, then maybe BOTH sides can have their cake and eat it, too.
|December 30, 2012, 02:20 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 02:21 PM
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Even in almost utterly lawless places in Afghanistan every day is not a firefight amongst the locals... And from what I have read of our own history it seems most the gun laws were enacted to keep the drunks from shooting up the place, not from endless blood filled vendettas. Of course there exceptions, but then again they were not by far the norm.
I contend that you could eliminate every single law that controls or regulates guns with the exception of background checks for felons and the like and you would have hardly a blip change in the murder rate or if anything the overall rate would go down. The reasoning is humans are community animals and we need each other to maintain our lifestyles and existence.
If it were legal to give you a M60 machine gun and a ton of ammunition are you going to go shoot up the place where you work and live? No probably not and neither are most other people. BG's you your area would also be very hesitant to attack you or your home or your loved ones.
So my long answer to your question is the laws we currently have create the opportunity and social climate for these mass shootings. If you know were your going is going to be totally unarmed then what's to stop you if your a BG? The social climate of fear about guns feeds into this self perpetuating cycle. Gun laws don't work, parenting, community and recognition of people with serious mental stability can all go along way to addressing the issues we face. To stop treating serious mental illness the same as a cold would be helpful.
Molon Labe
|December 30, 2012, 02:24 PM
Join Date: February 19, 2012
Posts: 51
Wow. I'm pretty surprised at everybody dogpiling on myshoulderissore when he did not suggest anything approaching infringement of the 2nd amendment. I have all the respect in the world for our veterans and for the constitution and believe that an assault weapons ban would be extremely ineffective at curtailing gun violence. That said, what part of requiring background checks for all firearms purchases or transfers violates the 2nd amendment? Or requiring a gun safety class before obtaining a firearm for the first time? Both of those things would allow law abiding citizens to have access to guns and a safety class would hopefully prevent at least some negligent discharges.
The extreme response to the OP by some of the people in this thread is a prime example of our community perpetuating the stereotype of the rabid gun nut that the mainstream media wants to attach to us. I understand it is a passionate subject that we all feel deeply about, but engaging in debate and proposing solutions does not constitute weakness.
|December 30, 2012, 02:29 PM
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 18,596
Oh, relax folks - I know this is a difficult time and folks are being a touch reactive.
I don't think the OP is calling us insane but just using a term (perhaps too strong) to argue that sides are moving into dichotomous positions.
It's called group polarization when folks leave the middle or near the middle and then take polar and immutable positions. Then they yell at each other and if there are any sensible discussions, they are submerged by the rhetoric.
Let me give you an example, when CCW and CHL laws were proposed, some absolutist organizations, esp. one major organization denounced them as not needed because the 2nd Amend. was all that was needed. They attempted to sabotage some good CCW bills and did in at least one state. That there was a CCW law was seen as an evil compromise. Now we know that with 43 shall issue states - that movement was a triumph for gun owerns and probably saved the lives of those who wouldn't illegally carry.
So discuss without personal invective or seizing on words.
NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens
Being an Academic Shooter
Being an Active Shooter
|December 30, 2012, 02:29 PM
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Posts: 447
|December 30, 2012, 02:37 PM
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It seems to me that the more restrictions there are, the more gun related crime there are. There was a time when firearms were a common sight and people didn't think anything about it when they would see a gun. Lots of folks took their guns to school with them so they could go hunting after classes. Now a gun is portrayed as evil and people have been trained to believe that. The trouble is not guns. The trouble is we have deteriorated as a society and more gun control can't change that. New gun laws will likely, with the stoke of a pen, turn me into a criminal in the eyes of the government. That completely baffles me since I have been a law abiding citizen my whole life that has worked and paid taxes without ever expecting anyone to give me anything.
Stay Groovy
|December 30, 2012, 02:43 PM
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Location: Boise, ID
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So are there any views out there other than complete abolishment of all gun laws? Or is that (quite unobtainable) goal the *only* measure acceptable?
I'm asking for real opinions here, ideas that might work, rather than anecdotes for gun ownership or quoting of the 2A. I am pro-gun, there is no need to convert me.
|December 30, 2012, 02:53 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 03:08 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 03:10 PM
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Joshf128 and Glenn E. Mayer.. EXACTLY........
I'd be all for abolishing all gun laws and starting over with this base..
1.) background checks before any purchases as they are currently done to include private parties, with improvements to catch mental health issues.
2.) firearms safety class
3.) a real gun safe for securing said items when not in use..
After completing those three things you can do as you please, that leaves everything else legal, CCW, Class 3, etc..etc..
|December 30, 2012, 03:14 PM
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Location: Wyoming
Posts: 297
Of course there's middle ground...
...and of course middle ground should be discussed, rather than having a debate dominated by people at opposite poles screaming at each other.
It's more entertaining (and more lucrative for those who host the platforms), I suppose, for these two poles to chew the scenery:
First, the gun-banners: they ignore the Second Amendment, the realities of the horse being so far out of the barn it's a speck on the horizon, the facts (which I won't try to enumerate) of the benefits of firearm ownership for the vast, vast majority of law-abiding citizens. Etc.
Second, the Second Amendment absolutists: they ignore that every right is regulated, and that the constitution is a constitution, not a legal code. They ignore that the text is only the starting point, not the ending point. Etc.
It turns out, of course, that most folks, good and rational folks, are sprinkled through the middle: they recognize rights and the benefits of firearms (broadly stated) but also recognize that with a whole bunch of extremely dangerous instrumentalities out there, we need to be able to sort out what makes sense as far as limits or regulations. That doesn't lead automatically to any conclusions -- obviously -- but the more room we give those to talk, and the less room we give the extremists, the better off we are.
Dulce bellum inexpertis
|December 30, 2012, 03:28 PM
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Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,295
In my opinion, we need to...
Guns are not the problem. They might be a symptom.
"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun"
|December 30, 2012, 03:38 PM
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When one proposes compromise in regard to constutional rights, the predictable result is the errosion of constutional rights!
Never beat your head against the wall with out a helmet
|December 30, 2012, 03:46 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 03:49 PM
Join Date: February 19, 2012
Posts: 51
What part of mandatory background checks erodes 2A? I know many people here enjoy purchasing or selling their guns at gun shows and that adding a 4473 and background check to that transaction might be a slight inconvenience, but if it can help to keep guns away from the "bad guys" then what is the harm?
That said, I am not aware of any mass shooting where the weapon was obtained through the so-called gun show exemption.
|December 30, 2012, 03:50 PM
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Posts: 5,172
OK,all this talk of compromise seems to only go one way.
When Diane Feinstein will sit down and have a rational discussion of adding "Marksmanship" to high school PE classes (it is an Olympic sport) then I will consider it compromise.
The ONLY reversals in restrictive gun leglislation have come through court victories declaring anti-gun laws unconstitutional.
I do not consider that to be a compromomise.
I resent and reject the idea that I am an anarchist because I demand temporary elected officials hold true to their oath to "Defend and Protect the Constitution of the United States"
Honoring the founding supreme law of the land is not anarchy.
Jefferson's comment on the RTKBA "to prevent tyranny in government" IMO,is not so much about an armed uprising and overthrow of the government"
It is more like the canary in a cage in a mine assuring the air is good to breathe for a miner.
If the 2nd Ammendment is compromised,the canary of Liberty is dead.
Appeasement is not the answer.Conceding is not the answer.Winston Churchill knew the answer.Never,never,NEVER give in.
Times of high emotion are exactly the wrong time to alter the Constitution.
BTW,check the fact that per FBI statistics,gun violence is down.Media coverage is up.
For sheer horrific violence comparison,go to youtube and check out "Rules of Engagement".It has a much higher body count.
I have no doubt David Koresh deserved to be arrested for non-capital crimes.I had no sympathy for him.But it seems the collateral damage on innocent men ,women,and children was not justified,so our own government was the mass murderer in this case.
Look,in the 20th century,at who truly was the greatest murderer of innocent men,women,and children.The victims own tyrannical governments.They do it by the millions.
We must preserve,defend,and protect the Constitution.Period.No compromise.
|December 30, 2012, 03:57 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 03:59 PM
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|December 30, 2012, 04:02 PM
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Of course the masses have an opinion.
Everybody has an opinion on everything.
It's just not either a strong opinion or one based in fact.
But then again - by your own admission you have no desire to win support from the masses.
With an attitude like that, the anti's have already won...
|December 30, 2012, 04:07 PM
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Location: Oregon
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I notice a spate of "can't we be reasonable gun owners" posts on several gun friendly forums. Is this really gun owners coming out of the closet or is there an astroturf campaign being waged to try to sway gun owners?
Anyone who considers staunch, unequivocal support of the literal and historic intent if the 2A to be "extreme" is mighty suspect to me. The responses in this thread amply demonstrate the OP is out of touch with most gun enthusiasts. He should examine his own beliefs as being extreme, in the wrong direction.
BTW I can't recall the name of a single founding father famous for his willingness to seek compromise and accommodation for reasonable Stamp Acts, reasonable quartering of soldiers, or reasonable restriction of speech and the press.
When the British held firm on their policies, it was not compromise that won our freedom. And the gun grabbers of today have no more intention to compromise away any laws they have in place than did the Brits of 1775.
|December 30, 2012, 04:19 PM
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Well said NWPilgrim
Never beat your head against the wall with out a helmet
|December 30, 2012, 04:32 PM
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Yes, I'm a spy... Really?
What is wrong with wanting discussion other than "BAN IT ALL" vs "UNRESTRICT EVERYTHING"?
My ideal scenario - Open and concealed carry legal everywhere, except some reasonable places, such as the White House, nothing drastic though. Education pushed actively to gun owners, not just some pamphlet that goes to the trash (maybe a ccw course for everyone??). Safe storage, handling, and usage of firearms pushed. Background checks, sure, because it is a legitimate way to weed out some folks who need not own guns. Suppressors, automatic weapons, SBR/SBS not any more restricted than "normal" guns.
I really think that EVERYONE should be exposed to shooting sports, not that I want it mandatory, but it's great fun, and a great way to educate the masses on at least some basics, regardless of ownership of guns, and a great way to remove the stigma of gun ownership and the irrational "fear" of guns.
Does this sound unreasonable?
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I'm trying to make a page where I have a fixed height header and footer. I want the header at the top, the footer at the bottom, and a content box (div) to be centered vertically and horizontally in the gap between the header and footer. If the content is taller than that gap, it would push the footer down. I've made a jsfiddle with the code as I've got it so far, but it only works if the content is shorter than the gap, and it doesn't work at all in Internet Explorer (surprised?).
Where I'm at so far: http://jsfiddle.net/VrfAU/4/
If that wasn't very clear, hopefully these images make it obvious what I am trying to do.
Small content:
Large content:
You'll need the basic routine from my sticky [footer method here. Then it will need modifying to do what you want and I think [URL="http://www.pmob.co.uk/temp/sticky-footer-vertical-center.htm"]something like this](http://www.pmob.co.uk/temp/sticky-footer-ie8new-no-table.htm) should work from IE6+ (with any luck).
I've only knocked that up quickly so will need testing to see if it stands up to scrutiny:)
Thanks, that gets really close, but on Webkit browsers the footer sits just below the bottom of the screen.
Edit: I've updated my jsfiddle with what you came up with, including a few small fixes; however, I still haven't figured out the issue with the footer being below the bottom of the window on webkit browsers. http://jsfiddle.net/UYpnC/4/
Ok that was due to the old opera fix which I've removed now and is working in Chrome and Safari. Newer versions of Opera should work without the previous fix.
I've updated the example so refresh.
Amazing! Don't even want to think about how much time I spent trying to figure this out, you are a life saver. Thanks!


text: Healthier Choices Sep 24, 2016 @ 2:29 Source PREVIOUS NEXT Facebook Google+ Pinterest StumbleUpon What did you think of the image? Cancel reply More funny pictures from this site:Motherhood. Yay. ➨ funny tumblrEllen DeGeneres' Backyard.Get over it..Something To AdmireFlorida SuperheroPretty Good DealA Lot Of DoucheryWeird Picdump 62Everyone Has FetishesBest I Can Do Is 2


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One of the myriad problems the vast majority of Americans have with President Barack Obama's ridiculous foray into Libyan civil war side-choosing is – we don't know who it is we're helping to oust Muammar Gaddafi.
With whom are we locking and launching arms?
Some of us had an idea. That these aren't Islamic George Washingtons, Alexander Hamiltons and Thomas Jeffersons – they are radical Islamists seeking to overthrow their secular government and establish something just a tad more religious.
Which is very similar to the idea we had in Egypt (and have in Bahrain, and Yemen, and …).
The tepid posits that these are Libyan democracy seekers come from some of the same people who ludicrously said the same thing about the Egyptian rebels. Who then in shocked naiveté watched their new Islamic democrats shoved aside by the Muslim Brotherhood the moment Hosni Mubarak was out the door.
President Obama didn't wait long enough for the Libyan revolutionaries to sell him and the usefully idiotic "world community" the same tall tale – he just commenced with the Tomahawk chop.
Well, look who it turns out we're helping: Al Qaeda.
Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the Libyan rebel leader, has said jihadists who fought against allied troops in Iraq are on the front lines of the battle against Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
And not just Al Qaeda (never thought I'd write that phrase) – Al Qaeda from Iraq, who have shot at and killed our troops there.
And President Obama's got their back.
This is why the President should not rush headlong into a combat zone obliviously devoid of the facts on the ground.
This is why the President should seek Congressional input before so doing.
This is why you do not elect a neophyte radical as Commander in Chief.


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No Need for 'Green' Cars, Says India's Environment Czar
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who grabbed headlines this week by blocking Vedanta Resources' mining plans in the eastern state of Orissa in order to protect forests and tribes there, dropped another bomb Thursday.
The government's protector of all things green told a gathering of the best and brightest of India's booming auto industry that electric cars and biofuels are probably no good for India.
While the popular Toyota Prius may be roaming Indian roads by the end of the year, there probably won't be very many people that love mother earth enough to accept the high cost and inconvenience of an electric car here.
Mr. Ramesh told hundreds of auto executives and analysts assembled at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers annual conference that electric cars don't make sense in India even for "green" drivers. Not only are they too expensive to be practical but they also lead to more (mostly coal-generated) electricity consumption which hurts the environment as well.
"I would urge the auto sector not to treat the environment as a speed-breaker," he said.
Biofuels are also not the "silver bullet" for India's pollution problems, he said, because India needs to use its cropland to grow food not fuel. In India, automobiles only contribute around 7% of the country's greenhouse gasses.
A smarter way to lower auto emissions in India would be to promote the use of more fuel-efficient diesel engines, set strict emission standards and phase out old cars, analysts said, agreeing with Mr. Ramesh.
"Biofuels require so much land and India doesn't have land. With electric cars you just are just moving the pollution to a different location," said Paul Blokland, director of auto research company Segment Y. "What would be a lot better is to get rid of the older vehicles."
India has around 18 million vehicles on the road today, of which close to one third are more than 13 years old, he said. As these cars on average pollute more than 20 times more than new cars, banning them from the road (or giving their owners incentives to trade them in for new cars and trucks) could cut India's emissions in half, Mr. Blokland said.


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The 10th Annual Awards (1993)
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- Profiles In Technical Excellence (1985)
Winner: IBM ThinkPad 700C Family
Koichi Higuchi and the ThinkPad Development Team
Even our most skeptical editors agree on this one: The IBM ThinkPad 700C family goes so far beyond the competition that it defines a new standard in portable computing. Quite simply, this is the best integrated notebook series we've ever seen. These elegant machines sport a beautiful 10.4-inch, 256-color active-matrix LCD screen; great keyboards; and the IBM TrackPoint II pointing devicethe best, most innovative way of moving around in Microsoft Windows we've seen in a portable.
Impressively, IBM has upped the ante twice this year. The ThinkPad 700C was based on IBM's 25-MHz 486SLC processor. Its successor, the ThinkPad 720C, had IBM's clock-doubled 50-MHz 486SLC2 processor on full PCMCIA support. The latest machine in the line, the ThinkPad 750C, uses Intel's 33-MHz 486L processor, adds more hard disk storage (up to 340MB) and offers indistinctive black design includes a pop-up keyboard that gives access to removable components, including the hard disk and nickel hydride battery. To those who feel that IBM missed the boat in previous years' portable designs, we say that the ThinkPad series is a stunning comeback. (IBM Personal Computer Co., Rt. 100, Somers, NY 10589; 800-772-2227)


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Town of Cicero to receive $100,000 state grant to build playground for children of all abilities
By Sarah Moses on March 26, 2014 at 11:59 AM, updated March 26, 2014 at 1:09 PM
Town of Cicero -- The town of Cicero will receive a $100,000 grant from State Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, to install a community playground that will accommodate all children and their families, including those with special needs.
The playground will be built at Central Park, which is located 6540 Route 31, in Cicero. Central Park is 25 acres that already has public accessible restrooms, a pavilion, picnic tables, water fountain, security lighting and parking adjacent to the park.
The park currently has two underused tennis courts that the town plans to remove. The town will install a child-friendly, inclusive play area and benches. The play area will be built to accommodate children 3 to 12 years old. The play area will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and follow all the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations, according to the town.
The town's goal is to build a playground that is safe for children of all abilities, including children with special needs and parents and family members with special needs, including Wounded Warriors.
The park is currently maintained by the town's parks and recreation staff and that process will continue with this added facility.
The project is currently in its design phase and installation is scheduled for late summer of 2014.


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Guardians of the Galaxy: Hooked on a Feeling
The perfect balance of humor, style, wit, and an awesome mix tape, Guardians of the Galaxy takes a band of misfits and creates a new team of heroes for us to cheer on for years to come.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie that should not work. It has characters familiar to no one but diehard comic fanboys, a heavy, intricate storyline, and a character that repeats one line of dialog. Yet this space western is so fun and (we'll say it) heartwarming that you'll wish it came out when you were a kid.
Here's a plot run-through with minimal spoilers: On the eve of his mother's death, our soon-to-be-hero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is captured by space pirates. Yondu, leader of the Ravagers, adopts and teaches Peter the art of thievery. Fast-forward 26 years and our charming protagonist is grooving to a 70's soundtrack while dancing his way through a mission to steal an ancient silver orb that can destroy whole planets.
The big bad guy, Ronan the Accuser, sends Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the deadliest woman in the galaxy, to retrieve the orb. Meanwhile, a pair of bounty-hunters—Rocket, a wise cracking, trigger happy raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper, and a living tree creature Groot (Vin Diesel)—are out to collect the bounty on Quill. While in the midst of a melee, this quartet of misfits is arrested and thrown in a maximum security prison called Kiln. A muscle-bound inmate named Drax the destroyer (Bautista) wants to kill Gamora, but she explains that Ronan cannot be allowed to get his hands on the orb. Reluctantly, all five team up for a prison break. Cue the fight scene.
That complex scene is just the setup for Guardians of the Galaxy, but writer/director James Gunn and co-writer Nicole Perlman never let the pace slow down; they keep the storyline moving with heart-pumping action scenes and hysterical one-liners.
Guardians of the Galaxy has the heart of the original Star Wars movies. It isn't afraid to get goofy while remaining enjoyable for audiences of all ages. The acting is surprisingly good, especially since two of the main characters are CGI. Pratt's comedic timing and lovable charm prevent the movie from getting too serious, while Zoe Saldana lights up the screen with her beauty and surprising wit. And who knew Dave Bautista as Drax could actually act? (Please Dave, don't hurt me).
The scene stealers by far are Rocket and Groot. Cooper and Diesel put in amazing performances. Not since The Iron Giant has Diesel acted so well; his portrayal of the lumbering Groot had the kids yelling "I am Groot!" as they streamed out of the theater.
The Bottom Line:
Guardians is a refreshing palette cleanser for the superhero genre, and blasts the Marvel cinematic universe into the far reaches of the cosmos. It's an impressive space joyride, and easily the best film of summer 2014 so far.


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The Show Between Acts
By RANDY KENNEDY
Published: February 18, 2005
IF I were a David Mamet character, I might have reacted more creatively, or at least more emphatically, something like: ''Are you telling me that . . . what I think I hear you telling me is that . . . am I being made to understand that there is no alcohol served at this place?''
But the other night at the Atlantic Theater Company in Chelsea, during the intermission for Mr. Mamet's new play, ''Romance,'' I responded with much less flair when told that coffee, tea, soda and water were the only beverages available while one stretched one's legs between acts.
''Really?'' I said, visions of a pilsner dancing in my head. ''Um . . . O.K.''
My interest was partly recreational but mostly professional: I was near the end of a few weeks of drinking, eating, chatting, standing, gawking, eavesdropping and bathroom-waiting my way through a survey of the state of intermissions in New York theater. The tour, fairly random and thoroughly unscientific, took me from the elegant and easeful (two intermissions, one 40 minutes long, during ''Turandot'' at the Metropolitan Opera) to the middling (bad red wine and strange fashions in a pretty lounge at the Music Box Theater on West 45th Street) to the merely puzzling (a prominent sign announcing the official Champagne of the Classic Stage Company near Union Square, but no Champagne anywhere in sight).
In between, several general rules of intermissions were deduced:
Twizzlers (licorice) and Dots (like gumdrops) seem to be the two candies that concessions tables cannot be without, bringing a strange, sugary movie-house feel to the grown-up theater experience.
Bigger theaters never seem to have enough bathroom space. The wait for the five urinals in the bathroom on my side of the Metropolitan Opera House during the first intermission of ''Turandot'' was more than four minutes, and the lines for the women's room looked even longer.
The quality of the wine tends to be bad everywhere, though the $15 plastic flute of Moet & Chandon at the Met -- while expensive -- was just as good as, or better than, the kind of bubbly the same amount of money will get you at many restaurants. (Meanwhile, at the Music Box Theater, the Livingston Cellars red was $5 for a modest plastic glass. The quality? A hint: in some stores you can buy a three-liter bottle of it for not much more than $5.)
The level of conversation does not tend to rise with the level of the performance. At the ''Turandot'' intermission, I caught one high-society conversation in which a man talked about planning his son's bar mitzvah in Athens. But a more representative snippet of chatter, overheard in the line for the bar, went like this:
''Is she a good cook?'' one man asked.
''Well, she keeps it simple,'' his friend answered. ''You know -- meat, vegetable, salad, bread.'' He paused. ''Eggs, bacon, toast.'' He laughed.
The first man nodded appreciatively. ''Nice,'' he said.
Intermission-hopping was an odd reversal of the theatergoing experience. Instead of viewing the break as a diversion from the main attraction, I bought my ticket solely for the show that begins when the curtain goes down, the lights go back up and theatergoers join in that typically rushed and crowded communal mini-cocktail party that nearly always promises to be more enjoyable than it turns out to be. In part, the problem is that intermissions have become so squeezed at many Broadway theaters, where two acts and one intermission long ago replaced the three acts and two intermissions that were standard in the 1930's and 40's in the plays of Noel Coward and Kaufman and Hart. And the one intermission that now remains can seem like a reality-show time trial, in which ordering hot coffee is always a bad idea (you might get a sip or two before the lights start blinking) and those who have to duck outside to smoke need to smoke fast.
Confusion at the Counter
At the Classic Stage Company theater on East 13th Street, the intermission for the new production of Samuel Beckett's ''Happy Days'' was supposed to be 10 minutes, but it clocked in at just a little more than 8 and the two people working behind the concessions counter were not exactly prepared to work at pit-crew speed. In fact, they sometimes seemed confused about people wanting to buy things, and positively Beckett-like exchanges followed. For example:
A man bought a cup of coffee and put his dollar bill on the counter. ''Milk?'' he asked.
''That'll be a dollar,'' the woman behind the counter said.
Confused, he said: ''Milk?''
''It's a dollar,'' she said. Pause.
''Oh yes, milk is . . . oh, milk, yes,'' she finally replied and opened a carton of milk, though an already-opened carton was sitting on the other end of the bar.
Another theater employee nearby pleaded for small bills when a theatergoer tried to pay with a 20, saying the theater would run out of change, though few people were buying anything. ''Small-time operation we got going here,'' she said.
A Tradition in Transition
Of course, not everyone loves a nice, leisurely intermission. Strindberg was said to hate intermissions altogether, feeling they destroyed the illusionary world his plays were building. In interviews, Horton Foote has agreed. Classical Greek tragedy did not have them, nor did Shakespeare. But this was mostly because audiences of Elizabethan and, later, Restoration theater often did the things modern audiences do during intermission -- eating, drinking, talking, relieving themselves -- while the play or plays were under way. At Covent Garden theaters in London in the 17th century, so-called orange girls peddled fruit, other food and sometimes themselves in the middle of performances. (One, Nell Gwyn, became famous as a mistress of Charles II.)


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