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** Update: Original Video apparently pulled by user. No need to skip ahead in the new video above, just hit Play! **
GEEBUS. Just saw this. SKIP AHEAD TO Minute 2:55 of the Video above to see RIM's touchscreen BlackBerry Storm in Action!! I'm not sure how recent the hardware/OS build is of the pre-release device featured in the video, but this is the first hands-on video look of RIM's upcoming Thunder / Storm we have seen. Initial Reactions? Sound Off in the comments and forums!!
Runell A Sep 10, 2008 at 1:32 am
yea, I just saw the video in the 95XX forum... I WANT TO PLAY WITH IT!! it definately looks exciting
LonerATO Sep 10, 2008 at 1:34 am
wow that looks freaking bad a** and so does that Lotus
chudson85 Sep 10, 2008 at 1:35 am
Personally i think it is a very good thing they have where u have to press it down again to make sure its selecting the correct key. Seems like this will reduce errors but take some getting used to. Wish he would have played with it more. Great Find
simpleleap Sep 10, 2008 at 1:41 am
seems like it would reduce errors. Seems like it could slow things down a bit, compared to using most touch screens. But we'll see!!
I hope they price it right!
John-Fox Sep 10, 2008 at 1:59 am
His voice is horribly annoying. I liked the looks of the device a lot more than I thought I would.
Redneckbutlerboy Sep 10, 2008 at 2:05 am
I like the click, maybe I wont avoid it like the iPhone after all. I wish he would have shown the scrolling. Kind of surprised Kevin hasn't found a way to get his hands on one of these yet to show us more detail.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 2:05 am
I think i just filled my pants! Can't WAIT for Telus to get it!!!
Showaman Sep 10, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I cant wait to play with it too!...TELUS needs to get movin and give us the Thunder/Storm
cabgirl89 Sep 10, 2008 at 2:05 am
i dont know how i feel about it. the whole one big button thing throws me off. hopefully its improved way beyond this because its not going to be worth anything if the touch doesnt match up to the iphone.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 2:06 am
I think i just filled my pants! Can't WAIT for Telus to get it!!!
Stonewall Sep 10, 2008 at 2:20 am
Well I'm excited to see if any news is dropped at CTIA. Then of course it dropping on my nearest Verizon store so I can get my grubby fingers on it! I'm sooo looking forward to get my first BB device. With ALL the new BB devices dropping over the next couple of quarters, I just need to win the lotto! Great find Kevin.
Sweetness, it's enough to make me consider switching to Darth Verizon...
tsatsut Sep 10, 2008 at 2:25 am
damn crackberry ninjas don't sleep huh, good fucking intel!!! i'm still sticking with da bold on fukking at&t cuz Big Red Verizon spells dooms to da thunder-storm.
dgs2000 Sep 10, 2008 at 2:35 am
Need a lot more than this to decide if it's good or not, but what I saw kind of makes me wish they kept the trackball on this thing...
franky0707#CB Sep 11, 2008 at 8:37 am
I personally think the whole trackball is a flaw in blackberry devices... I mean don't get me wrong I do enjoy it for navigating and all but I and other people I know with curves have had issues upon issues with the trackball. I have actually gotten to a point where I don't even press mine in anymore out of fear of it crappin out on me again, very annoying.
Ogre, The Sep 10, 2008 at 2:48 am
The Part of the iphone/ipod touch that I hate is the keyboard. I just cant get used to the no feedback. I think I will love the "double click" of the Storm. Can't Wait to get my hands on it, and hopefully they doll up the keyboard a little before it goes to production.
Pea_Sea_Ess#CB Sep 10, 2008 at 2:55 am
Do your thing Sprint to get this device at all costs. I do not want to switch carriers, you guys have the best rates of them all with your SEP plans, nobody beats your pricing.
And this is a CDMA device, which you would normally get about 12 or so months later, after the other carriers have had there way with it.
To have this alongside your Instinct, and the new Iden BB (curve) coming soon, you guys would be the carrier to beat!
And i agree with the other folks, i wish he played a little bit more with it instead of talk it down because he did not like it. Thats ok, Kevin will strike back with an honest review of it. Soon he says, more time he says. mmmm, yes.
bobojay Sep 10, 2008 at 2:54 am
Precisely why I don't like the Iphone, it takes no effort to make a mistake on that kboard.
This might be a refreshing change. Might be the last straw for me to switch to Verizon.
To be honest it looks to be a giant step backwards. the touchscreen is never going to come close to the iPhone's and that keyboard will be shocking to use.
The scrolling feature is going to be ridiculously hard to use compared to the trackball and the way the iPhone does it.
Plus it looks bulky and that keyboard is ugly as hell!
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 3:13 am
how can you judge all this months before its release?
most of the things you complain about are software issues anyway, which definitely needs work (especially keyboard skin)
you can tell all this from 30 seconds that some kid shows?
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 3:32 am
Because I listened to what the guy said in the video...
Typing on this will be so much worse than with a physical keyboard (I don't think that can be disputed).
Why not just make the Bold's screen touch sensitive? Best of both worlds.
Bla1ze Sep 10, 2008 at 3:54 am
What he said about it, wasn't worth the air he breathed to say it..hardly enough time to make judgment on a device when no one knows what is actually running on the thing or what revisions could have been made since then..
mnokia Sep 10, 2008 at 10:08 am
I was just going to say the same thing...
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 3:10 am
The phone looks good, but why the black bandana, Al-Quaida style look, dude? I mean, any worse and you'd be wearing a checkered scarf around your whole head. Just gives me the creeps...
John-Fox Sep 10, 2008 at 1:33 pm
And was someone choking him? Who talks like that?
r1ckynutz Sep 10, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Batman talks like that
PalmWebOS.org Sep 10, 2008 at 3:17 am
So you don't have to load and skip through the other phones, here is the Thunder only part:
Why is that monkey wearing a ninja mask? haha.
great video, cant wait for that thing! kevin please get your hands on one! I'm sure your already working on it ;)!
derekdevine Sep 10, 2008 at 3:23 am
I just can't wait to play with one
that ninja is so stupid!!!!!
Bla1ze Sep 10, 2008 at 3:50 am
I'll never have a Touch berry, so I guess my thoughts on it will never be really great, but that's just me...
Aside from that their is no way of knowing how old this device he has actually is..what OS is on it nor what revisions to the device may or may not have been made since..besides, once Kevin locks it down and the blackberry fairy drops one at his door..then we will have a good idea of the REAL capabilities this thing will have..until then some dude I never heard of saying "Uhh I don't like it" means nothing to me.
tatteredntorn83 Sep 10, 2008 at 4:15 am
Does he really think someone is going to push their finger through the screen?!? That would be a feat to see.....
Other than that the phone seemed a little slow to orient itself to the way it was tilted. Not much to see about the keyboard usage.
This wasn't as in depth as I was hoping to see but at least we get a little confirmation of our hopes here
Thanks guys!!
kablaamo Sep 10, 2008 at 4:56 am
Well, I highly doubt this is the final hardware or OS, especially due to the super basic keyboard design. I'm sure RIM will have a much more polished version when it hits stores. While I must admit that the "pushing in" of the screen to press icons is probably not the best for scrolling, it sounds like a really awesome compromise for those who struggle with the inaccuracy of touch screen keyboards, as it will have a somewhat tactile response, even one more realistic than say the buzz reaction from LGs Voyager. In addition, since the screen does in fact respond to basic touch as an indicator of where you are on the keyboard (without actually pressing any keys), perhaps it is not too late for them to make the scrolling and menu interface a bit smoother. In fact maybe they already have. It's not like RIM to skimp on details.
krs1nyc2 Sep 10, 2008 at 4:57 am
Seems like this guy is an apple/iphone lover, frankly his voice sounds like hes got one stuck up his ass as he's talking. The phone looks awesome thank goodness we finaly have a live look at it.
Sebhelyesfarku Sep 14, 2008 at 5:24 am
And Apple lovers are fags, that explains his voice.
kablaamo Sep 10, 2008 at 5:05 am
UuuUUUhhHH... i dont like it...UUUHhhhuhuuUH
sounds like he was stabbed before he started the review.
TvTechGuru Sep 10, 2008 at 5:33 am
How did this guy obtain these phones? He's obviously trying to hide his identity with the mask covered the lower half of his face. So can he get in trouble for posting a video like this or is he a hired beta tester for BB and other phone makers?
mattmarenic Sep 10, 2008 at 5:57 am
Nice, I wanna this phone...
Hope RIM will make GSM version...
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 5:24 pm
"Hope RIM makes a GSM version..."
This phone is CDMA+GSM. Vodafone will be carrying the device at the same time as VZW. It will just be locked out so that USA GSM carriers won't be subsidizing the handset purchases for use on their networks.
kitcat72 Sep 10, 2008 at 6:10 am
That short section of video is not enough to make any solid decisions about the phone. It obviously still needs a lot of work. The scrolling feature does not look user friendly, the keyboard looks quite small and I wonder how easy it would be to press other buttons while typing - I can't tell because the guy in video is more interested in being controversial rather that showing us the phone. I like the self-righting sensor thing. I am not really keen on the iphone mostly because it's a toy with capabilities that have been limited by Apple who want to be all secret squirrel about it and so far that video does not make me wanna drop the BB I have for that.
Too bias... to anti BB ... Too AT&T ... this device is going 2 be great... I think the deathstar is nervous....
As you can see below BG works for ATT... He started being BB now he is apple , att fanboy... HE IS TRYING TO UNDERMINE RIM, TMOBILE , VERIZON... ANYONE THAT CAN POSE A THREAT TO ATT
Exclusive Boy Genius interview! White Pearl, 8800, and 9XXX information | BlackBerry Cool
See, you could be lying to me, you know, but that would make some sense. You're telling me "companies better watch out" meaning that there are loads of informants out there?
A ton. Nothing is safe. And to clear something up, people said I work for RIM, I do this, I work for Cingular (NOW ATT) - I have never worked for any company in the tech world, ever. I am under no NDA so anything and everything is open season. People said RIM gave me the Pearl, etc.
RIM is probably the tightest company I have seen - the fact they didnt sue over the Pearl showed the transition they are making. 5 people get fired over leaking one photo, so that was huge. Good job RIM. They understood "viral marketing" and how it played a big role.
Wait, I said multiple Boy Genius' ? There's like a 100, man…Or maybe only one. Who knows? Also, I want to shoutout the Engadget team. They are part of the reason I have been so vocal, they gave me an avenue to speak.
isaacleese Sep 10, 2008 at 7:53 am
If you read the statement, he specifically said he *doesn't* work for AT&T, or *any* tech company, for that matter.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 6:27 am
what a piece of crap! ....and I was hyper about this????!!! Guess I am buying the Bold,... and an IPHONE.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 7:03 am
I like the design of the phone, but i would love to see how it does copy and paste as well other features. but still looking for the bold, or a mix between that and the javalin. does anybody know whether or not the thunder would come out for gsm service?
CGSCOT Sep 10, 2008 at 7:09 am
How can people get upset & judge the device on a few minutes of video ? Who knows how old it is, it could be one of the first beta devices & lots of things could have changed since then...also its only 1 persons review, he doesn't like it thats his opinion, doesn't mean everything is rubbish about it.
V3NZ3L Sep 10, 2008 at 7:20 am
Looks slick.. but the software... :shudders:
I hope this kid works for RIM and gets his ass fired for being such a lame ninja and reviewer. I'll wait to see the handset in person.
isaacleese Sep 10, 2008 at 7:50 am
See, I think he (the guy in the video) is dead wrong about the haptic response on the Storm - I love love LURV the fact that you have to actually push the screen for something to happen, for two reasons:
1.) It keeps things familiar for us die-hard physical QWERTY lovers.
2.) It bypasses one of the biggest problems I had with WinMo - accidentally selecting things I didn't want to.
The physical clicking makes so much sense, and if that guy had ever REALLY used a WinMo device for any period of time he'd realize that.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 7:51 am
Per what he said it clicks. I hope its software based. Its hard to have an actual button touchscreen.
Lomion Sep 10, 2008 at 7:59 am
It sounds great. Finally a nice phone on Verizon... (though they probably will cripple it). However, in response to the video commentator, having to touch the screen slightly harder makes complete sense and its not going to "break" the phone. In fact this type of action is very similar to digital SLRs in full auto mode. Press lightly on button to auto-focus press harder to take the picture.
roninksb Sep 10, 2008 at 8:04 am
Seems like it would slow things down a lot but I suspect that the sensitivity is adjustable much like the sensitivity of the trackball.
While this was really a very short look, the hardware looked solid and I really like that it flips to orient in any direction. One thing I did not is that the screen did not seem to have any greater pixel density than the iPhone but a nice screen nevertheless. They do need to prettify that keyboard though. :)
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 8:38 am
Not nearly enough video. Its obvious this guy is anti-RIM. If it were a finalized version, don't you think he would have shown us the browser and media player, camera, etc...
I'm going to wait and see what happens at CTIA today and tomorrow. The Storm will be much better than this video described. BB lovers, don't fret over this video, too inconclusive.
therock69 Sep 10, 2008 at 9:12 am
thunder looks good but im a att man so im waiting for the bold. nice to see the thunder in the wild so hopefully it will be in stores soon for all u verizon people. = P
scottlucky13 Sep 10, 2008 at 9:29 am
Anybody else think this guy is a complete tool??? Looks like he is just a phone whore!!! LOL j/k. I can't judge a phone by 30 secs of air time and not even showing hardly anything. He only said negative things about the phone. I guess i will be my own judge and try it out. If i don't like it then i will return the phone.
SebasCvdB Sep 10, 2008 at 9:35 am
It looks a little bit to big (and thick) honostly. I am not a big Iphone fan but at least that is thin and still fits a lot in there. Maybe Blackberry SHOULD take a look at the iPhone for a change?
reuvypoo Sep 10, 2008 at 6:28 pm
The 3G iPhone is .49 inches thick, the Storm is .54 inches thick. Not that much of a difference really. About 1 mm.
Grafixx01#AC Sep 10, 2008 at 9:41 am
Well, I liked the pictures and although it does look kinda cool on the video, I'm not too sure about it now. I hope that VZW does get the Niagra soon after it's launched because I'd rather have that over this Thunder / Storm. I don't like that on-screen keyboard cause it takes up too much of the screen so it's going to be hard to type anything that is substantially long on it. It probably would have been better if they had it with a on-screen AND slide-out keyboard for those who want a real keyboard to use.
Just my opinion though.
Jeeverz Sep 10, 2008 at 9:48 am
I really dont't know until i get a feel of what the device is like and get a real hands on experience with the interface and keyboard. I love my bold and i am going to keep it for a long long time.
ps. the lotus looked pretty hawt too.... for my younger sister.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 9:54 am
I don't understand why people get mad when someone gives a negative review or just says a couple things you don't like about a device you wanted to like so bad. Maybe you didn't get to hear the things you wanted to hear but that doesn't mean that he is wrong or you are wrong. It all depends on the person. Just like any other phone, some people will love and others will hate it. As soon as someone says something bad about a device that exclusive on another carrier thatn AT&T people have to throw out "his AT&T bias..." and all that mess. Since this phone is probably not going to be exclusive to VZW FOREVER, do you think his opinion will change when AT&T gets it? His opinion here is about the device and not the network. Maybe this will be a good device, maybe it won't. As for me, I have a Curve and iPhone and when the Bold comes out next month, I'm trading my Curve!
crakedparrot Sep 10, 2008 at 9:58 am
I think I'll be sticking with my Curve for a while.
Papa.pompous Sep 10, 2008 at 10:15 am
Wow it is looking good so far, but I do pray it isn't the final OS. The transitions when tilting could be a lot smoother, like the iphone or something along that line. I am liking the actual button press screen though. That guy might not but I sure as hell do. haha
MaysBerry Sep 10, 2008 at 10:20 am
ok ok ok i saw this halfArsed "touchscreen" comming but didnt expect it to be so dang GNARLY!!! yucksauce!! well this device will be AWESOME for watching movies right guys? but what about for the practical Business use? scroll through your emails real quick? i think not...but then again you never know a CB untill you grasp it between your addicted fingers and begin to get your Lewis and Clark on with a the latest OS (aka:fix) from RIM
sorry guys i say we are still a long way off from the touchscreen CrackBerry we all dream of....:(
maybe in the future.....
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 10:33 am
WTF???!!! I hit play.. it played for the first 10 seconds then.....
"We're sorry, this video is no longer available."
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 10:38 am
If anyone wants to see just the Blackberry Thunder part of the video its here:
watch it before it gets pulled
CinoEvil Sep 10, 2008 at 10:38 am
Already removed... keep moving, nothing to see here.
A Claye Jones Sep 10, 2008 at 10:40 am
Why do these people dress up like a ninja to review or show a phone? That's very retarded. IMO Guess he has a few cold sores on his lips he can't show. LOL
Dannyg227 Sep 10, 2008 at 11:48 am
"We're sorry, this video is no longer available." nooooooooooooooo!!!!1!! ;(
mycrownvic02 Sep 10, 2008 at 11:58 am
He deleted the longer vid, but this one you can still watch
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I was really excited for the Thunder/Storm, but this video is giving me second thoughts. If its gonna be a royal pain just to click, I dunno. Hopefully this isn't the final deal and this guy with a moronic voice is just an idiot, but now I'm gonna have to go and play with it physically before I hit the buy button on this one, there may be better options. And plus, still no word on the technical specs at all...it looks decent though, except the pushing hard on the whole dam thing.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I still want it. I'm not happy with the scrolling feature if that is the case, but I'm sure with the release of third party themes/applications and maybe updated os releases it will fix most users concerns with the device. Making each their own.
Hi-Definition Sep 10, 2008 at 12:32 pm
That's all I wanted to contribute.
hombrepajaro Sep 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Could any one help me out here? I think I didn't understand why this guy didn't like the Thunder/Storm.
The main reason I didn't migrate to iPhone was because of the keyboard.
This touchscreen keyboard clicks! And not only that, it TURNS!!!!!!!!!!
My god when is this coming out?
atstoney79 Sep 10, 2008 at 12:50 pm
i don't know about this... i am waiting for something new from rim but i don't think this is it! i agree with the video. looks a little hard to use but maybe my mind will change when i get it... can't wait!!!
wouldya Sep 10, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Baby Ninja sounds like he is trying to poop his diaper while crying about the Storm.
bobojay Sep 10, 2008 at 1:41 pm
You know I watched this video last night and that bandanna did kinda creep me out.
Didn't pay much attention to his comments about the phone as much as to the way the phone fit his hand etc. Obviously the software in there is obsolete by now and won't be the "final" release.
How could you judge the way the interface between the phone and the user works by this then??
ansoninc Sep 10, 2008 at 1:57 pm
The Iphone was a problem for some women with fingernails. The keypads would not repond to being tapped by a fingernaail only the pad of a finger. I wonder if this phone will have that problem?
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Very nice looking device. A bit thick maybe? Also, the interface doesn't seem to respond very fast to changes in orientation.
And what's with the "ninja"?! Good lord... LOL
Razius Sep 10, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Hey, I love the phone from the looks of it. The whole button thing looks like he is exagerating a little bit on how hard you have to push but anyways that is awesome.
trevor d Sep 10, 2008 at 2:55 pm
its quite funny how people are making quick judgements, esp. on the BGR site (mostly Apple fanboys) anyways. I would like to see more features. Also it may look small and thick cuz the guy is 5'1 lol so its all relative.
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 3:06 pm
lol he got busted by RIM!!! go to his website, he posted a retraction, LMAO!
Rob B. Sep 10, 2008 at 3:44 pm
What's his website?
spsands Sep 10, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Makes me more glad I switched to the iphone 3g last week. gave my curve to my sister. I'm sure they will fix some of the issues with the scrolling and stuff before they release it. But still, Apple has such a headstart on the touchscreen. Its gotta be hard for RIM to make a really good touchscreen without copying apple too much.
Ryan J Sep 10, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Um, so WTF is with this dude's voice?
Hrshycro Sep 10, 2008 at 4:37 pm
So why dose Vz get this and im stuck with att and the crappy bold coming some time? Oh and the bold is 100 more then this touch bb! How the hell dose that make any since?
I'm just going to get a new curve 8310 and then get a all white becky case! :D
raymond Sep 10, 2008 at 4:56 pm
awesome! i can't wait.
CanisMinor Sep 10, 2008 at 5:06 pm
So, a little bit of googling turns up that the BrewNinja, aka Lee Almodovar, is employed by IT Ascent and has been a contractor to Yahoo Mobile for the past three months. Nice Yahoo. You let your contractors out one of the most anticipated Berry's to date. Hopefully we can be certain that Almodovar is now unemployed, IT Ascent has lost it's contract, and Jerry Yang of Yahoo! has received a strongly worded letter from RIM's attorneys.
Tommy G Sep 10, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I'm a HUGE BlackBerry fan but also use an iPhone. While the upcoming Bold is a worthy successor to the BlackBerry brand in the business market, it's obvious that the touchscreen Storm is a gigantic step backwards in the consumer market. There is a reason why RIM shares have dropped more than 30 percent in recent weeks as people who have actually gotten their hands on these products are in private giving them low marks——versus fanboys here who keep touting the superiority of products they haven't even held to the market-tested iPhone being used by millions. Worst of all is the hypocrisy of those who worship at the altar of "full-size" physical keyboards -- which simply don't exist on smartphones, folks! -- and trash the iPhone but suddenly are willing to flush the Bold for a horrific iPhone knock-off like the Storm. In so doing, you prove your are less a true BlackBerry fan than a true iPhone-hater. Meanwhile, I agree with some comments that giving the Bold a touchscreen to complement the keyboard would work quite nicely or giving the Storm a slideout keyboard would also work—-assuming RIM nails the touchscreen. And right now, folks, not only does iPhone lead the world in touchscreen technology but it also has 100 patents to lock its supremacy as THE multi-touch UI across all kinds of devices yet to be developed over the next hundred years. Get used to it.
Crucial_Xtreme Sep 10, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Can you please explain why the Thunder/Storm hurts RIM? And give me some real examples.....waiting.......oh thats right, you haven't actually used the device so you wouldn't actually have a clue. Wow, you people kill me. I'm done going back and forth, and I'm not going to try and convince anyone. But it's rather immature you hold such a opinion on a device you've never actually held much less use. You are 110% completely uninformed at best.
TommyG Sep 10, 2008 at 10:15 pm
You make a good point. I have not held the Storm itself. I have held many other touchscreens--see the comments below—-which by their very nature cut against the BlackBerry experience of a responsive, reliable physical keyboard for creating and replying to emails—-BlackBerry's raison de'tat. This is the edge the Bold has for its core power users over the iPhone--and it's an edge BlackBerry forfeits with the Storm. Make sense?
CrackBerryHarry Sep 10, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I'm in the Point-of-Sale industry... we've been using touch screens for 20 years.
They're great for some applications, but for others they're terrible. I cannot imagine why you'd want a touch screen on a device primarily known for it's ability to get a message sent faster than any other device on the planet. BlackBerry's are fast because of their keyboard design. They're reliable because of their keyboard design.
Touch screens were adopted in electronics because they're easy. So they're great for the ipod/iphone consumer -- have you met any of them? Most of them are morons.
Touch screens are also easy for other reasons... They break easy. They scratch easy. They lose calibration easy. Touch screens are finicky... They're hard to type on, hard to control, hard to be precise on...
I just can't see the serious BB users picking these up and trading in their keyboards. I certainly won't. Ever.
The iphone is a neat idea, but it's not better. It's certainly not better for practical reasons. I think 20 years from now we'll look back on the iphone and laugh... like we do at Pong.
How are we going to play brick breaker on here? That is the important question. Touch brick breaker???
Anonymous Sep 10, 2008 at 8:29 pm
whoa that looks awesome...i don't know why he's bitching about the whole hold thing...isn't that why its supposed to be better than the iphone cuz it actually responds to your touch like a button...even though that whole holding to scroll thing looks like it would be a bit of a pain...but i'm sure you'd get used to it...
all i can say is I WANT IT!!!
Justine Lee Sep 10, 2008 at 8:31 pm
How can you say this guy isn't a Canadian lover?? He likes, the keypad, he likes the phone, he likes the 360 orientation of the phone. The only he doesn't like is the screen. Which I agree would limit it tremendously for anyone that isn't into biz only apps. The main draw for me in the iPhone was multi-touch. The screen is able to recognize 1 finger to 3 fingers plus different motions and gestures, this can't so it is very very very limited in what it can do. Otherwise if it sells for less then 500 it is a good deal.
Cealtus Sep 10, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Ok, anyone who has EVER had a touchscreen phone, and I've had my share, would actually LIKE the fact that you can select things on screen with a light touch but have to push to activate.
I can't tell you how many times I've fat fingered a TS Phone device and hit an icon I didn't want to. You learn to adjust..
Once you got used to the difference it would be much better for not making typing errors also.
It simply sounds to me that he is not a lover of TS devices. Some of us are, and I can't wait for the 9530 to arrive....
I will admit that he has a point about the scroll function.... but there has to be a better way.
cbanks_80 Sep 10, 2008 at 9:59 pm
He's such a damn whiner. "You have to push it and it clicks..and I dont like that" Grow up crybaby. Theres not a single device out there that doesnt have at least one thing the user doesnt care for. The bottom line is its the best BB produced to date. If you dont like it then get the bold.
Anonymous Sep 11, 2008 at 12:39 am
Sorry, but I'm getting an I-Phone when my contract expires in November.
Anonymous Sep 11, 2008 at 2:37 am
Obviously you will be able to adjust the sensitivity of the touch response. I know you can do so for the ball of the curve...Obviously the keyboard will be more aesthetically pleasing upon release. Obviously the person in the video had a deformed face.
Anonymous Sep 11, 2008 at 6:27 am
I don't understand this, why is this guy was able to obtain a thunder and crackberry can't? This is embarrassing.
Crackberry needs to get out there and get this phone and do a complete review of it, since it's like the best represented blackberry website.
JBDizz Sep 11, 2008 at 10:48 am
You obviously enjoy BB products and what they offer the business world. You agree that are the standard for quickness, reliability, and business functionality. In addition, you apparently enjoy what the iPhone has to offer as far as consumer functionality. There are verifiably many advantages a sound capacitive touchscreen/UI can offer. I couldn't agree more with both opinions.
FYI- BB is aware of the possibilities of touchscreen technology and wanted to see if it was possible to take the BB strengths and actually carry them over to a touchscreen. The cool guys at BB have spent the last COUPLE YEARS in secrecy attempting to do just that. That is why Storm technology is far different than anything out there, including the iPhone.
Those who have experienced the UI, excluding Mr. Ninjabrew, have expressed it as nothing short of revolutionary. The melding of BB functionality of top notch touchscreen tech and MultiMedia functionality...what's not to like!
Now according to Mr. Ninja (and some other naysayers), it apparently isn't possible to combine the two, or he just doesn't like it due to his fear of breaking the screen...ok. Thank you Mr. Ninja for your insight. I'm sure he was fully aware when posting the video that his shinning clip would be the first clip of this super-secret phone to surface on the web. Good for him. I hope it was worth his future in the industry. I doubt he will be working on any more upcoming products. I think he apology of his website says it all.
As far as technology, apple is not the only one with patents. BB has their share. To be really specific, excluding many companies that aren't as well known, the patents at work in Microsoft Surface technology would probably minimize the significance of even the iPhone(which I like). How many iphones can pay your bill at a restaurant by placing your CC on touchscreen. Kind of scary. And to think Gates wants one in every home in the next 10-15 years.
Since you like BBs and the iPhone, I hope the Storm turns out to be a great melding of the two so you can drop to just one device...and if not, life goes on I guess:)
Anonymous Sep 11, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I think a ninja from apple is trying to make the Thunder look bad to convince anyone holding out to go ahead and buy the iPhone. Anyone else thinks so?
Here are some fact or fiction answers for you:
Press button screen...Fiction
Video playback...Fact
WiFi...Fiction (for Verizon)
Battery Life 8 hours talk time...False (~5 hours ~11 days standby)
Jon McCain invented it...Fiction (did support fund for fed equip for these types of devices)
Video voicemail...Fact
Hackability...You will have to be good, real good!
Anonymous Sep 25, 2008 at 7:33 am
New images of the BlackBerry Storm here!!!! - www.storm-reviews.co.uk/blackberry-storm-news/exclusive-blackberry-storm-screen-shots


text:
Mira Weller
development & promotions associate
Born in the mountains surrounding San Gabriel Valley, Mira Weller has been a life-long participant in the Los Angeles classical music world. Starting with piano at age five and viola at age eight, her youth was largely dedicated to studying classical music and cultivating a deep commitment to the vitality of the art form. Mira graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service with a concentration Culture and Politics.
Mira joins LACO after a brief run as associate director of social media in a Los Angeles based anti-poverty nonprofit. She brings a diverse array of skills to her position, from digital design to marketing.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
vendor info...
So Fabulous Kids
Children's Boutique
etsy products... View all Etsy products →
SoFabulousKids.com offers a variety of clothing, toys, furniture, bedding and room decor for babies and children. We also feature fabulous baby shower decorations and favors.
The term 'Etsy' is a trademark of Etsy, Inc. This application uses the Etsy API but is not endorsed or certified by Etsy, Inc.


text:
Connect with your online community.
Find your favorite department, interest or club listed below, and click the social media icon of the page you want to visit. If you'd like to add your page to the directory, submit your listing.
Social Media Directory
University Groups & Departments
Student Clubs & Organizations
Class Groups & Alumni


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Internet regulation is a loss for us and Google
We want clear and transparent privacy policies but at what cost? Larry Page says Google's current policy is necessary...
October 18, 2012 10:36 by Muhammad Aldalou
We as human beings have always had a strong instinct to share, even before the development of the Internet. As it came along, that didn't change but the methods, speed and ways of sharing have. They also developed beyond our earlier comprehension. We still want to share all of us but only with certain people. We are addicted to sharing but yet we hold our privacy, and the privacy of our information, very dear.
With giants like Facebook and Google dominating the monetisation and influence of the World Wide Web, we constantly question whether they are using our private information to sell us products, services or merely collect it for a large database stored high in the mountains. The company's chief executive officer said that its current policy is necessary for them to be able to create new products that know more about Google users.
When Kipp asked Google in the Middle East about their privacy policy in the eyes of European regulators, they said that they are currently reviewing the report. "Our new privacy policy demonstrates our long-standing commitment to protecting our users' information and creating great products. We are confident that our privacy notices respect European law," said the company spokesperson in an emailed statement.
For the first time since June, Google co-founder Larry Page, spoke at a public conference after losing his voice to an illness a few months ago. He talked about Google, its privacy policy and the European Regulators that want it amended and clarified. The company's CEO, with a hoarse voice, also defended Google's privacy policy and insisted that it need not change. He expressed his concern about the Internet being regulated by governments and how attempts to over-control the web will certainly damage them.
"Virtually everything that we want to do, I think, is somewhat at odds with locking down all of your information for uses you haven't contemplated yet," Mr. Page said. "That's something I worry about."
According to Page, nobody can even predict how the Internet will be used in a decade and that it is 'sad' that regulators are fighting to restrict certain types of online data collection.
The fact is that, many of Google's products (especially the recent ones) would not exist if it weren't for the multi-billion dollar company's current privacy policy. As regulators continue to restrict the web, will we eventually be satisfied at transparent privacy policies or will we long for the days of Internet freedom?
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Campaign Spending Limits Make Good Business Sense
Unlimited campaign donations are bad for the economy and bad for innovation.
Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the latest case on campaign finance limits: McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. This case is an attempt to undo one of the few remaining restraints on campaign contributions left after the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in 2010. The McCutcheon case calls for overturning a rule by the Federal Election Commission that puts a cap on the total donations a person can make to all candidates running for federal office in a given election cycle.
You'd think that most business owners would join the call for eliminating spending limits, but it turns out they don't. In a scientific poll of several hundred business owners, American Sustainable Business Council found that 66 percent of small business owners opposed unrestricted campaign spending:
[See a collection of political cartoons on the economy.]
Why would business owners oppose – by a huge margin – a bill that makes it easier for business owners to buy favor with candidates? The answer has to do with what kind of businesses are doing the buying – and what that does to the economy as a whole.
There are two ways to succeed in business. One is to make a truly superior product or service, one that beats the competition, one that customers are willing to buy at a premium a price. That's called innovation and entrepreneurship.
The other way to win is to curry favor with government so you don't really have to be an effective competitor in order to make a lot of money. For example, you can curry favor in the form of having government pay you for not working (as with agricultural price supports). You can get the government to keep your competitors out of the market (as with government prohibiting the importation of prescription drugs from other countries). You can get the government to sell you raw materials at below-market prices (as with federal mineral leases). You can get government to force the purchase of your products even though real customers don't actually want them (as with weapons systems pushed through Congress for the pork they bring, even though the armed forces reject them). And you can get special provisions put into the tax code that give you an artificially lower cost structure than others.
Conservative thought leader Ayn Rand had a special phrase for businesses that curry favor in ways like this, and for the people who run them: she called them "looters." These people loot the economy to gain rewards they lack the talent and fortitude to earn on their own.
[See a collection of political cartoons on Congress.]
The problem with unregulated campaign finance is the looters are far better positioned to take advantage of it than are the true innovators. They have been playing the game longer. They have more and better-organized lobbyists. They have more cash on hand to throw at the Washington game than others, and they can easily outspend the small, scrappy entrepreneurial teams that are building the next iPhone, Facebook or Google.
When the looters win, the economy suffers, and the rest of America loses. The American economy is not helped when we prop up obsolete and inefficient businesses that cannot win in a fair fight with fresh, nimble competition. The American economy is not helped when we give looter banks a free put to dump their bad loans on the taxpayer. The American economy is not helped when companies that enjoy a false economy of scale, based on nothing but tax dodges, defeat other companies that are actually better operators and which do more to build the skills and productivity of their staff.
The argument against campaign spending limits is essentially that campaign spending is speech and hence must be protected under the First Amendment. Free speech is precious, but there are limits to it, and in our society we regularly balance the damages that can come from speech against the need to protect most speech, most of the time. For example, we don't protect Bradley Manning's right to spill government secrets. We don't protect someone's right to spread libel that hounds the victim to suicide. And we don't protect someone's right to falsely yell fire in a crowded theater, as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously observed.
The Supreme Court should recognize that the need to protect America – and our government of, by, and for the people – has often been raised by the court as a valid reason to trim the rights of speech a bit. This is a time for trimming. For our economy to prosper, we must limit the looters' ability to purchase policy and corrupt the Congress. This can't be accomplished without spending restraints and radical transparency about who is trying to buy whom.
David Brodwin is a cofounder and board member of American Sustainable Business Council. Follow him on Twitter at @davidbrodwin.


text: Bonnie Kruse reacts as she views her family's property that was in the path of the Black Forest Fire, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Of the six homes that Kruse and her family have in Black Forest, all but one was destroyed. The Black Forest Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history, has destroyed 502 homes and charred more than 22 square miles. It was 85 percent contained Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Michael Ciaglo)


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A man appeared intent on suicide, or what's known as suicide by cop, when he opened fire with a pistol inside a busy terminal at Houston's largest airport and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said Friday.
Carnell Marcus Moore, 29, of Beaumont shot himself in the temple with a 40-caliber semi-automatic pistol Thursday afternoon after shooting twice into the ceiling at a ticketing area at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
A Department of Homeland Security special agent who confronted him in the terminal also shot and wounded him in the shoulder when Moore refused to drop his weapon. Homicide Sgt. Brian Harris said Moore's head wound was the fatal gunshot.
"At this point we know what this was and what it wasn't," Harris' partner, investigator Fil Waters, said. "And what it was, was a desperate act committed by a confused young man who has apparently lost all hope."
Harris said Moore had a bag containing an AR-15 rifle with ammunition. That gun was not fired and not removed from the bag, which also contained a Gideon Bible and a suicide note that indicated Moore had no plans to hurt others, Harris said.
"'Here in the last hour, I yield to mercy when this could have turned bad,'" Harris said, reading some of the contents of the note signed by Moore.
Police said events leading up to the airport shooting began Tuesday in Beaumont when Moore abducted the female manager of the apartment complex where he worked as a maintenance man and insisted at gunpoint she accompany him to Houston, about 85 miles to the west.
Moore, who had no criminal record, apparently had become infatuated with her but Waters said she is engaged to another man and did not return his affections. She somehow convinced him to release her.
Authorities said she filed a report with Beaumont police Wednesday but they had not been able to confirm that.
Moore checked into a Houston hotel Tuesday. He called a brother who told police Moore had said about a month ago that he wanted to confront an armed officer. The brother told detectives he asked Moore if he had a gun with him but Moore said he had disposed of his weapons.
Surveillance video shows Moore arriving at the airport's Terminal B just after noon, dragging a bag he took from his pickup truck and taking a seat. The gunfire erupted about 90 minutes later. People in the terminal began screaming and running for cover but no one else was hurt.
Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland said it is not illegal for people to carry firearms in public areas and that Moore had not breeched secure areas of the airport.
State News
Police: Houston airport gunman intent on suicide
A man appeared intent on suicide, or what's known as suicide by cop, when he opened fire with a pistol inside a busy terminal at Houston's largest airport and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said Friday.
- State News
Lifelong Struggles Facing TX Foster Kids Who Age Out
Hundreds of children have already gotten their Christmas wish this year: finding a forever home.
TABC to begin collecting taxes at Texas seaports January 2014
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) will begin collecting personal importation taxes on alcohol and cigarettes from passengers returning from cruises in Galveston in 2014.
Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium offers education on large herd dairies
How can future dairy producers improve the dairy industry?
Texas A&M Honors Former Student And Medal Of Honor Winner
Medal of Honor recipient Clarence Sasser was welcomed back to the Texas A&M University campus Thursday where his medal will be on permanent display in the school's Memorial Student Center (MSC).
Texas inmate set to die for '91 abduction, slaying
An abusive childhood led Jamie McCoskey to a juvenile offense record that kept escalating as he reached adulthood.
Nichols Announces Re-Election Bid for Senate District 3
Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) announced his bid for re-election for Texas Senate District 3.
2 rescued by chopper after SUV swept away in Texas
Emergency personnel in a helicopter hoisted a man and a woman from trees after their SUV was swept away during Central Texas storms and flooding.
Gov. Perry Announces Initiatives to Meet Growing Demand for Higher Education
Gov. Rick Perry outlined his initiatives for the upcoming legislative session to improve accessibility, accountability and affordability in higher education.
Houston schools cancel activities due to weather
Houston's school district has cancelled afterschool activities as inches of rain fell on the city hours before Halloween trick-or-treating was set to begin.
More rain forecast for Central Texas
Parts of Central Texas are expected to get more rain Tuesday evening into Wednesday as a cold front moves through the area.
- More State News Headlines
- Lifelong Struggles Facing TX Foster Kids Who Age Out


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Here's my idea of fun: Roaming around or and looking at stuff and thinking of what I can make with it.
I know. I need to get a life, right?
I just find it fun to get creative with raw materials. What an item is intended for doesn't necessarily lock the item into that role. The fun part is thinking about what else an item can be.
Recently I had to fabricate some enormous draperies, made of burlap, for a restaurant in Woodstock, Georgia. I was working with my friend and fellow designer Jordan Woodruff. She was converting an old train station into a restaurant for her client. Her vision included "industrial" lighting and hardware.
Not only was industrial the look she wanted, but the width of our expanse of drapery and the weight of it all definitely required heavy-duty goods.
Galvanized pipe (the lighter weight kind used in plumbing) was the solution. We were able to use "T" joints and corner pieces to install them, and we used bolts to attach them to the ceiling beams. It looked great!
Galvanized pipe or copper pipe are some of those hardware store finds I love to consider creatively.
Jordan is also working on a long dining table for that same restaurant using re-claimed wood beams from a demolition and the base will be galvanized pipe! It's not complete yet, but it will be so good-looking!
If you do some Internet research, you will find lots of examples of great stuff you can make with galvanized pipe or copper pipe. And the really great thing about it is it doesn't take a lot of equipment or skill to make stuff from pipe.
For example, on our rod, we simply measured the length we needed and the guys at Lowe's cut and threaded the pipe for us at no charge, so that we could screw it into the corner pieces. It was so easy!
It is really easy to make a coffee table or end table from copper pipe.
Copper pipe is soft enough to cut yourself with an inexpensive tool. Using the ready-made corner and joining pieces is super easy and having a piece of glass custom cut and finished is inexpensive and also easy. Better yet, recycle another piece of glass you already have!
You can make an entire bed from Galvanized pipe. It does require some joint adhesive, but what you end up with it very chic and sturdy. Like almost anything these days, you can find instructions online.
Another fun hardware store find that you can get creative with is PVC pipe. It is paintable, not too hard to cut, and also comes in a wide variety of diameters with an equally wide variety of joints and corners. It's as easy to cut as copper pipe, maybe even easier because you can use your chop saw. The adhesive at the joints is optional, depending on what you are going to do with your creation. You can also drill into PVC easily which allows for easy pattern enhancing like this umbrella stand demonstration.
I've only barely scratched the surface of what you can find to feed your creativity in the hardware store. Listing three different types of pipe in these examples is just the beginning of what you can come up with. Need some inspiration? There is actually a book available of hardware store decorative projects.
You guessed what's on my Christmas Wish List, right?
Open your eyes to the possibilities in your favorite . Let your imagination run free! But don't run in the isles. They frown on that...


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Napier's rescue waives adoption fee
Date: June 19, 2009
by: Pam McTeer | News Editor
Napier's Log Cabin Horse & Animal Sanctuary currently is waiving its adoption fee for several horses and yearling fillies.
The rescue has taken a large number of horses in recent months and cannot rescue any more until some of the current horses find a new home.
Applicants must have knowledge in gentle horse training or have an available trainer, and must have pasture, shelter and references to qualify.
For more information, visit www.NapierFamilyFarm.com and click on the "free horses" link or call 750-8185.
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- Aug
23 Back to School Splash Bash
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Sep
27 Health & Wellness Expo
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Sep
27 Health & Wellness Expo-LWR
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Oct
3 Florida Balloon Festival
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Instructor jazzes up routine
The East County's Sue Encke, a jazzercise instructor, recently attended the annual Jazzercise Live event in Washington, D.C., along with more than 1,500 other customers and instructors from across the world.
Tiny Hands supports students
The Tiny Hands Foundation, with the help of more than 200 volunteers, will fill 1,500 backpacks with school supplies for children in need from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 2, at the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota, 3100 Fruitville Road, Sarasota.
Fund begins wreath sales
The Taylor Emmons Scholarship Fund, established in honor of former Out-of-Door Academy student Taylor Emmons, is at it again.


text:
Special to The Sun
A seven-minute scoring drought midway through the first half put Central Oklahoma in a big hole and the Bronchos couldn't recover in falling to Oklahoma 94-66 in a Wednesday night exhibition at McCasland Fieldhouse.
UCO trailed just 15-14 with 11:38 left in the first half after two Spencer Smith free throws, but the Bronchos wouldn't score again until the 5:46 mark — missing four field goals, two free throws and committing five turnovers — as the Sooners scored 18 unanswered points to open up a 33-16 lead.
OU went on to take a 46-27 cushion into the halftime locker-room and the Bronchos got no closer than 18 in the final 20 minutes.
It was the first of two straight exhibition games for UCO, which goes to Oklahoma City Thursday night for a 7 p.m. contest. The Bronchos open the season for real next Thursday, hosting Southwestern Christian.
Christian Huffman and freshmen Cal Andrews led a balanced UCO attack with 11 points apiece, while Josh Gibbs and Smith added 10 each. Gibbs also contributed seven rebounds and three steals.
The Bronchos fell behind 5-0 to open the game and were down 14-6 after just four minutes. Nic Combs hit two free throws before Huffman made a layup and Jamell Cormier a short jumper in a 6-0 run that got UCO with 14-12 and it was a 15-14 OU lead after Smith's two foul shots.
But the Bronchos went cold after that and the Sooners took advantage to open up their 19-point halftime lead.
UCO tried to stay close and was within 18 at 58-40 following an Andrews trey at the 15:15 mark, but OU scored the next five points and stayed safely in front the rest of the way.
Central shot just 35.8 percent from the field for the game, including 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from beyond the arc, and made only 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) of its free throws.
Cowgirls outmatch UCO women
STILLWATER — Central Oklahoma was no match for Oklahoma State Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena in its final exhibition game of the preseason.
The Bronchos fell behind 12-0 in the first four minutes and shot just 27.1 percent from the field in dropping a 118-43 decision to the powerful Cowgirls, who returned all five starters from last year's 22-12 team and are ranked No. 23 in Division I.
OSU shot a sizzling 64.9 percent from the field and the taller, more physical Cowgirls held a huge 51-16 rebounding advantage while also forcing UCO into 25 turnovers.
"They've got a great team and we just couldn't match up with them," UCO coach Guy Hardaker said. "I was disappointed we didn't play better than we did, but they obviously had a lot to do with that.
"Hopefully we've learned some things from these exhibition games and we'll be ready to go when the games start to count this weekend."
The Bronchos, who beat Oklahoma Baptist in their exhibition opener before losing to Wichita State and OSU, goes to San Antonio, Texas this weekend for the St. Mary's Classic. UCO opens against Minnesota-Duluth Saturday and then plays Cameron Sunday.
Freshman McKenzie Solberg led UCO with 11 points, while Courtney Harper had eight of her 10 in the first half. Jill Bryan made three 3-pointers in the final four minutes to add nine points.
Toni Young hit 13-of-17 shots in scoring 26 points while adding 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and four steals to pace the Cowgirls.
UCO had five turnovers and missed its first three shots to trail 12-0 barely four minutes into the contest before Harper ended the drought with a pair of free throws and she added back-to-back 3-pointers a few minutes later.
The Bronchos were within 13 (29-16) with 9:08 left in the half after McKenzie drained a 10-foot baseline jumper, but OSU ended the half with a 23-6 run to go up 52-22 at the break and UCO could get no closer.


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The Mortgage Debt Relief Act (MDRA) of 2007 is getting a vote of confidence from the Obama Administration.
And that could save you tens of thousands of dollars.
(Update: "Congress passes fiscal cliff bill with mortgage debt forgiveness tax relief, mortgage insurance tax deduction, other home-related tax benefits all intact")
The administration's 2013 national budget proposal includes a provision to extend MDRA through 2014 and perhaps beyond.
You remember the MDRA? Real estate professionals and consumer advocates have been warning those who could benefit from MDRA to get their qualifying real estate transactions in gear because the MDRA, a mortgage debt-forgiveness tax exclusion is currently due to expire this year.
MDRA is a federal tax law that allows qualified taxpayers to exclude from taxation, income derived from the forgiveness or discharge of debt associated with a mortgage on a principle residence.
In a short sale, the difference between the amount owed on the mortgage and the amount of the sale, can be considered income. A short sale occurs when a lender agrees to write off – forgives or discharges – a portion of your mortgage, typically a portion that is higher than the value of your home, provided a capable buyer is available.
Robert Aldana, a 25-year real estate veteran and publisher of "LetsTalkRealEstate.com," offers this example:
Let's say you borrowed $500,000 for a home and later sell it as a short sale or lose it in foreclosure, but the lender gets only $200,000 and doesn't come after you for the difference (in some states, including California, the lender can't come after you for the difference in a short sale). You gained $300,000 because you borrowed that amount without having to pay it back.
If you are in the 35 percent tax bracket, then you would owe the IRS a whopping $105,000. Only in the 15 percent or so bracket? You would still owe $45,000.
Likewise, in a mortgage modification or other mortgage restructuring that includes a principal reduction, the amount of the reduction can be considered taxable income.
This year, Aldana and others have chided homeowners considering a short sale, mortgage modification or other workout that will come with forgiven debt, to get a move on. Those transactions can take time, lasting as much as a year and cause them to lose the exclusion, currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2012.
And the budget proposal, right now, is just that.
"Five to six months can be the norm, but there are some exceptions to the rule and you never know how long a short sale will take. I've witnessed short sales taking more than a year to complete," Aldana writes.
MDRA has allowed struggling homeowners to unload a tax burden under certain circumstances.
• The exclusion applies to up to $2 million ($1 million if married and filing separately) in forgiven debt for calendars years 2007 through 2012, but only if the forgiven debt is related to a decline in the home's value or the taxpayer's financial situation.
• The exclusion applies only to the debt on the principal residence. Vacation homes, investment properties and other second homes don't qualify.
• The tax rule can be applied to debt used to refinance your home, provided the principal balance of the old mortgage, immediately before the refinancing, would have qualified.
On Page 22 of "General Explanations of the Administration's Fiscal Year 2013 Revenue Proposals," the "Extend Exclusion From Income For Cancellation Of Certain Home Mortgage Debt" section explains the proposal for an extension on MDRA as necessary in the continued housing crisis.
Despite the many government-backed and private-based mortgage relief programs, millions of homeowners still face foreclosure and, because many have a mortgage that's larger than the value of their home, they may have to have debt discharged.
The tax exemption helps foster short sales and modifications that might not otherwise occur because the already struggling homeowner would see a tax on the added income as a prohibitive cost.
The budget provision proposals reads: "Facilitating home mortgage modifications remains important for the continued recovery of the residential real estate market. The importance is demonstrated by the fact that HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) has been extended through the end of 2013."
Likewise the Obama Administration, over time, has added improvements to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to make it available to more home owners.
Extending MDRA through 2014 may not be the end of the rule.
"An extension beyond January 1, 2015, may be appropriate to correspond to the availability of additional homeowner relief as a result of government actions or other arrangements," the proposal reads.


text:
A man who was stabbed downtown on skid row died early Sunday, and police were searching for his assailant.
The attack occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday near 8th Street and Werdin Place, police said.
The victim was taken to County-USC Medical Center with multiple stab wounds but died of his injuries shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday.


text:
Moda Bake Shop shows how to make this patchwork coupon clutch from charm squares. Now you can clip coupons in style, and use all the money you save on groceries to buy more fabric! Get the how-to.
[photo from Moda Bake Shop]
[tags]sewing, tutorial, coupon, clutch, pouch[/tags]
By Anne Weaver


text:
Shop Talk
Retailers, consumers and prices
Check Out Line: Teens spending less, but super-rich still shopping
Check Out the sinking economy creeping into the lives of some of the most resilient shoppers — teenagers, whose need for fashion and fun often trandscends economic downturns.
Rising prices are forcing teens to cut back spending as their parents face mounting gas and food costs, declining home values and a credit crunch, according to a WSL Strategic Retail survey.
"Clearly we have reached the final frontier of cost cutting. It doesn't bode well for holiday 2008 when teens, the most demanding of our shopping citizens, are cutting back," said WSL's Chief Executive Wendy Liebmann.
Like their parents, teens are paring spending, with 35 percent buying less expensive clothing brands; 28 percent buying less expensive hair care and shaving products; 20 percent cutting back on salon manicures and haircuts; and 19 percent signing up for fewer sports and lessons, according to the survey.
Only one in 10 teens said they had more to spend for back-to-school 2008. That's down sharply from 2007, when 40 percent said they had bigger shopping budgets.
Contrast that with the attitude of the super-wealthy, who remain confident shoppers. An Elite Traveler consumer spending survey found that families worth more than $30 million planned to spend the same or more as 2007.
Also in the basket:
U.S. clothing chains falter as shoppers clamp down (Reuters)
Victoria's New Place (NY Post)
Designer Divorce: Liz Clairborne, Narciso Rodriguez are seperates (NY Post)


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Our family team of Keith, Erika, and Jason combine to make Goodfellow's Italian Chop House and Goodfellow's Wings and Things island favorites.
Please call our catering department for reservations and information regarding catered events at (906) 847-0260.
Executive Chef Keith Lynch hails from Boca Raton, Florida. Keith graduated from the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, FL. His early experience includes 5 years as Sous Chef at the acclaimed French restauarant, La Viella Maison, in Boca Raton. While there, Keith worked with the internationally recognized Executive Chef Richard Ruiz. La Viella Maison is a 5 star restaurant, and voted one of the top 12 restaurants in the United States.
From here, Keith moved north to Harbor Springs, Michigan as the Executive Chef at Teddy Griffin's Roadhouse. After 4 years perfecting his French, Italian and American dishes, Keith came to Mackinac Island's Lake View Hotel. As the Executive Chef of Goodfellow's and Catered Services, Keith has developed a marvelous new menu. His mouthwatering dishes include Steaks, Seafood, Pastas, Pizzas, and Salads.
Banquet Chef Erika Lynch is a native of Harbor Springs, Michigan, and a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Erika came to Lake View with her husband Chef Keith in 2004, after 7 years as Sous Chef at Teddy Griffin's Roadhouse in Harbor Springs. She also taught 2 years of High School in Culinary Arts.
Erika has traveled the Eastern seaboard from Westbrook, Massachusetts to Key West, Florida in various capacities. As an intern at the upscale Oyster Cabin in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Erika gained expertise in preparing seafood dishes and specialty meats such as lamb and quail from The Oyster Cabin's third generation Executive Chef Christopher Phaneuf. Erika also has notable experience as a Pastry Chef, preparing a delectable assortment of Wedding Cakes and Dessert selections.
Sous Chef Jason "The Kid" Fettes is from Hamburg, New York, and moved to Michigan after studying culinary arts at Hilbert College in Buffalo, New York. As sous chef, Jason works as a team with his cousin Keith prepping steaks, lamb, ribs, sauces and salad dressings.
Please visit us on your next trip to Mackinac Island and experience our family's tradition of outstanding food and beverage service.
Bon Appetit!
Keith, Erika, and Jason


text:
3 Lessons From Obama on Building Relationships With Other Leaders
- By Scott Eblin
- June 6, 2013
- Leave a comment
This weekend, President Obama will host the new president of China, Xi Jinping, for two days at a resort called Sunnyvale in Rancho Mirage, California. As reported in the New York Times and other outlets, the two leaders will spend a lot of time in relaxed and unscripted conversations with the goal of getting to know each other better.
While there are risks involved in such an approach, they seem to be outweighed by the potential rewards of the leaders of the world's two biggest superpowers better understanding each other. Their approach holds a lesson for leaders in all walks of life who, like Obama and Xi, find themselves simultaneously collaborating and competing with their peers.
When people rely on each other without really knowing each other an information vacuum is created. Nature abhors a vacuum and, when it comes to leaders who depend on each other without knowing each other, that vacuum is often filled with assumptions, misperceptions and stories that the parties make up about each other.
I see this happen all the time in my executive coaching work with leaders. The most effective ones recognize the dynamic and take steps to counteract it. The more they get to know and trust their peers, the more they get done together.
How can you get the ball rolling on working better with your fellow leaders? Here are three steps to get started:
1. Pay Attention: Take half an hour to step back from your daily routine and think about who you interact with a lot but really don't know that well. Who are the two or three leaders that are at the top of the list? Make a commitment to yourself to get to know those people better over the next three months.
2. Create Some Down Time: Take the initiative to create some one on one down time for you and each of the leaders on your list. Invite them to grab a coffee, a meal or a sporting event together. Get out of your office so that the conversation focuses more on the people than the business. Talk about your families, your hobbies, favorite vacation spots, where you grew up – anything other than work.
3. Look for Shared Interests: After you've had a few laughs together and gotten to know each other better, look for some shared work interests. Ask each other what success looks like in the coming year. Talk about shared customers or projects. Look for simple ways to support each other that are relatively easy for each of you to follow through on and likely to make a difference.
So, what do you think? Ready to take some next steps? What other ideas do you have to reset the way you and your fellow leaders work together?
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Your baby is teething. And you have questions. Lots of them…What can I do to soothe him? How long will this last? When will any of us get sleep again? Those little teeth can cause big issues. This group can help. It's the place to share your teething stories, ask questions and find other parents who feel your pain. less
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Charles Woods, the father of Tyrone Woods, who was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack at the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, reveals details of meeting Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at the publicly broadcast memorial service for the slain Americans at Andrews Air Force Base only days after the attack.


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text: We welcome enquiries from local and international students and professionals willing to offer their services to Philani voluntarily. Many Philani volunteers are doctors, dentists, dieticians, newly qualified medics or nurses, or pre-med and paramedical students and artists but we also consider volunteers from other disciplines. Tasks ranging from interesting to sometimes very basic might include: weighing, recording and graphing the weights of malnourished children, assisting with pre-school children in our Educare Programme, sorting donations, assisting with administrative tasks, creating a database, compiling research data, assisting Philani's dietician or shadowing and assisting our Medical Doctors in their clinics.


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You are here: Home >> Brunello di Montalcino 2001 - 66 tasting notes
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Brunello di Montalcino 2001 - 66 tasting notes
See my overview of Brunello 2001 for more background but basically this collection of wines included all of the following: - some simple, slightly dilute wines, perhaps because vines were too young or selection was not strict enough – enormous variation in style, depth of colour and acidity level with about 40 per cent of slightly caricature super-modern wines, presumably because of the variation in picking dates, macerations and, especially, oak regimes - but also, when the wines were good, some very good wines indeed Wines are listed below alphabetically by producer name ignoring the words...
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Sewickley Patch brings you businesses seeking to fill positions in town and in nearby communities. Here are five opportunities we found this week:
Who's Hiring: Verland
Location: Sewickley
Job: Human Resources Representative
Pay: Salary
Requirements: Excellent communication skills, proficient computer skills, strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and HR responsibilities in a confidential environment. Local travel required. Bachelor's degree required with a minimum of two years related experience.
To Apply: Send resume to: Verland, 212 Iris Road, Sewickley, PA 15143. Attn: Richard firstname.lastname@example.com EOE
Who's Hiring: Masonic Village
Location: Sewickley
Job: Director of Sales and Marketing
Description: Responsible for maintaining and implementing a comprehensive sales and marketing program for the Masonic Village at Sewickley and ongoing operational responsibility for the same with emphasis on maximum occupancy levels for optimal operating efficiency.
Requirements: Have a bachelor's degree in marketing, advertising, business administration or human services with five years of sales/marketing experience or in another field with seven years of sales/marketing experience. Have the ability to effectively present programs in both written and oral form to potential clients; a knowledge of media marketing communication techniques including, but not limited to, select personal mailings and select mass media publications and outlets; knowledge of basic business financial transactions.
To Apply: Click here to apply online.
Who's Hiring? Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Location: Sewickley
Job: Children's teacher
Requirements: Submit 4-5 examples of work in any format - photographs, digital images, slides, via webpage. Submit a class proposal as in what you would like to teach. Must have Act 151, 34 and 114 clearance forms if teaching children.
To Apply: Click here to apply online.
Who's Hiring: JH Technical Services, Inc.
Location: Sewickley
Job: Web Developer, three-month contract opening
Description: Work closely with members of the Marketing Department and other sales staff in order to complete the corporate website, built on a SharePoint platform. This position requires development of specifications and ability to recommend the use of new and emerging technologies. This position reports to the Marketing Supervisor.
Requirements: Associate's or bachelor's degree and a minimum of 3 years related experience; proficiency with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is required; 3 years minimum experience with HTML/XHTML, CSS and jQuery; 2 years minimum Web programming experience with ASP; one year experience working with relational database systems, specifically SQL, graphic design experience, video/interactive design is preferred and strong Photoshop skills.
Pay: $25 per hour and benefits available.
To Apply: Click here to apply online.
Who's Hiring: Tournesol
Location: Sewickley
Job: Retail Assistant Manager
Description: Experienced, highly-motivated person who enjoys the retail environment, providing the highest level of customer service and is comfortable with current computer programs. We use QuickBooks Point of Sale program. Tournesol also has an online store, www.tournesolgifts.com All web orders are processed in the retail shop.
Requirements: High level of organizational abilities and verbal communication skills. The position is assistant to the store owner and can be full-time or part-time.
To Apply: Click here to apply.
Continue your job search by clicking here.
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We Love Color
Robert Kaufman Company produces and ships millions of yards of Kona Cotton Solids internationally and throughout the United States every year, and over the 30 year history of the brand, the Kona name has become synonymous with the idea of a quality quilting solid.
Featuring the work of:
Lisa Call
Alissa Haight Carlton
Emily Cier
Malka Dubrawsky
Amy Ellis
Jacquie Gering
Elizabeth Hartman
Rita Hodge
Cherri House
Kathy Mack
Modern Quilt Studio (Weeks Ringle & Bill Kerr)
Jennifer Sampou
Jean Wells
Valori Wells
Betz White
Kajsa Wikman
Quilting on solid ground
- A fresh selection of bold and beautiful quilts in both modern and traditional styles
- Experiment with precision piecing, improvisational quilting, or appliqué
- Includes a Kaufman color index so you can match the exact fabric for each pattern
Some of the biggest names in quiltmaking have joined with Robert Kaufman Fabrics to share a gorgeous variety of quilts made with vibrant Kona Cotton Solids. Known for their original style and use of color, these sixteen designers show you how much fun it is to play with solids, no matter what your skill level. There's not a print in sight!


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For 23 years, Keep Warner Robins Beautiful has kept many used Christmas trees out of landfills.
This year, as in previous years, the organization is also giving away a seedling to those who bring their trees to the Great Christmas Tree Round-up Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Maple Street.
Most of the trees will be turned into mulch for parks in Warner Robins, according to a news release. Other trees will be used in lakes and streams in the area to provide a better habitat for fish.
Flint Energies sponsors the round-up by providing the seedlings as well as the chipper that mulches the Christmas trees.
We feel it is important for our organization to be a part of the community we serve, said David Carr, manager of energy services at Flint Energies.
Carr also said their 20-plus year support of the event is another way to help Keep Warner Robins Beautiful.
The trees must be stripped of ornaments and tinsel to be donated.
Trees can be dropped off near the water tower on Maple Street at any time, but Saturday is the only day to get a tree in return.
For more information, contact Debra Jones at 929-7258.


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MORIAH — Children's entertainer Cathy Sprague says stories that she was driving a clown stunt car that went out of control and crashed into a wall are not true.
It is true that she's now confined to a recliner in her living room, covered with blankets, her right leg in a cast and propped up to the side.
Sprague, who appears professionally as Penelope the Clown, broke her ankle in three places recently, but it was in her driveway at home in Moriah's Cheever hamlet.
"I was going to the greenhouse out back. I was running, and it was icy. I slipped and fell, went right down."
That was on Feb. 22, and she came home for awhile to let the swelling subside, then recently spent a week in CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh for surgery to repair the breaks in her ankle and insert a metal pin for stability.
The day she fell, she was taken by Moriah Ambulance Squad to Elizabethtown Community Hospital, then transferred to CVPH.
Now she's recuperating at home, sleeping in the chair because she can't get upstairs to her bedroom, and making balloon animals for children's parties while she watches TV.
She won't know until April 4, her next doctor's appointment, when she can return to her clowning.
"I'm hoping I can get back to work in May," Cathy said. "I already have contracts all summer. I'm not taking new jobs until I know more."
She had a clown appearance scheduled for the day after she fell, and her sister, Mary Fielder, volunteered for service.
"She said, 'I'll do the job,'" Cathy said. "So at 4 a.m. I was sitting here making 200 balloon animals for her."
At that point, she had been out of the hospital for only a few hours and was in a lot of pain, Cathy said, but she felt she had to fulfill her contracts.


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Has Bessie finally learned what it takes to make people laugh?
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Will Bessie prove herself worthy of the mighty Gorillas?
Can Bessie persuade her little brother to join the elite society of The Gorillas?
The Mighty B, The Hurtful Hornet and Happy team up to defeat the evil teddy bears!
The Mighty B and the Hurtful Hornet square off in a battle for the ages!
Who's messing with Bessie's orange juice? So pulpy!
Ben arrives just a bit too late to be Bessie's sidekick, so the job goes to Happy!
Happy's secret past is revealed!
Penny and Walter fight over a bone they discovered but Bessie thinks it's from a dinosaur!
Bessie battles the fish goons to save Penny!
Bessie tries to scare away the other Bees from fishing but her plan backfires!
The votes are in: SpongeBob and his fave sea-shell network are the most LOL-worthy!
Catch all the top moments of the first-ever Kids' Choice Sports!


text: Q&A: Moby on his latest album, space travel, music apps and Twitter Culture 15 July 11 by Olivia Solon Tweet Vegan. Nerd. Christian. Sell-out. Raver. Teetotaller. Activist. Insomniac. These motley nouns have all been used to describe Richard Melville Hall, who you're more likely to know as Moby. It is the insomniac Moby that has most influenced his latest and tenth album, Destroyed, which he launched in May along with a book of his photography going by the same name. Both album and book are the products of witching hour resourcefulness while touring. Moby channelled his chronic, time zone-confused wakefulness to his advantage in a process he calls "repurposing insomnia".The result is a melancholy album that reflects the sleepless circumstances in which it was written. It has a liminal, trippy quality that is much more subdued than some of his best-loved music. The accompanying book, published by Damiani, features 55 photographs taken by Moby that show the loneliness of touring, with stark, night-time cityscapes and airports interspersed with euphoric snaps of club crowds, taken from the stage.Moby has flown to the UK to film the video for his latest single Lie Down in Darkness. The central character is an old Russian cosmonaut looking back at his time in outer space -- a reflection of the artist's fascination with space.Wired.co.uk met Moby in his suite at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, fresh from the shoot. Dressed in a slim-fitting grey suit with his signature rimmed glasses, he wouldn't have looked out of place in an episode of Mad Men. Up-close he appeared less boyish than expected, with greying stubble and a composed gravitas that belied his delicate frame.Over the course of 45-minutes Wired.co.uk quizzed the softly spoken musician on a broad range of topics, including space, Twitter, insomnia, music therapy, gaming, Spotify and net neutrality. Here is what he had to say.Wired.co.uk: Before coming to meet you, I read a great interview on The Quietus that referred to you as the "Brian Eno for the Britney generation". What do you think about that? It's a nice compliment. I can't think of any musician or producer who has influenced me more than Brian Eno. From when he was in Roxy Music, producing Devo, the Talking Heads and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. And he sort of single-handedly invented ambient music, so being compared to Brian Eno in any capacity is a big compliment.When you wrote Lie Down in Darkness, did you have a clear idea about what the video would look like? I rarely know, if ever. We sent the song out to a bunch of video directors and directing duo Luke Seomore & Joseph Bull (Institute For Eyes) had this idea of making a wistful, Tarkovsky-inspired video about an old cosmonaut looking back at his life. I grew up obsessed with science fiction. When I made this video I realised that a good 50 or 60 percent of the music videos I've made have something to do with astronauts or outer space. I guess I'm basically a nerdy musician who wishes he was an astronaut.Is it true that you have signed up to fly with Virgin Galactic? At one point the people from Virgin Galactic came to me because they wanted to get some early adopters and asked if I'd be interested. Of course I'm interested, but it's really expensive for not a lot of time. You basically go above the atmosphere, so I think you'll have some weightlessness and I'm sure it will be great, but I think I'll wait to go into space when they can actually have 2001-style space shuttles where you can go and visit the space station and jet around the solar system.How come you are releasing a photography book to coincide with your album? I've been a photographer since I was 10. I started doing music and photography at around the same time, but I'd never felt comfortable showing people the photographs that I took. The music on the album Destroyed and the pictures in the book were created at roughly at the same time. The idea behind both is sort of being dispossessed and isolated while travelling and living in these weird anonymous spaces. The strange thing about hotel rooms is that they look familiar and seem familiar and have many of the accoutrements that seem domestic and familiar, but they are really weird, alien and anonymous places. 24 hours ago, some strange person was in here doing who knows what and 24 hours from now after I leave, some other strange person will be in here doing who knows what. To go on tour and live constantly in airports, airplanes, hotel rooms, and dressing rooms is certainly not a bad way to live but it's odd because you are always in someone else's space. You are always sleeping in someone else's bed, wearing somebody else's clothes, eating someone else's food. It's a really odd strange way to live.You talk about repurposing your insomnia. Can you elaborate on that a bit? I've had insomnia since I was a little kid and I never sleep well. Sometimes I sleep very badly and sometimes I sleep slightly badly. I get it especially when I'm on tour because you cross a lot of time zones and I'm not very adaptable. So if I travel from California to Germany, I get to Germany and I just stop sleeping. So rather than lying awake and be miserable about the fact that I'm not sleeping, I try to be productive -- whether that's working on music or taking pictures or buying worthless crap on eBay. So it's that idea of repurposing the exhaustion and letting that level of exhaustion almost inform the music and the art. That's why there's a quality of exhaustion to the music on this album Destroyed. What camera do you use? I grew up shooting film with a Nikon F, then a Yashika-Mat 120. But for the book I wanted the pictures to be spontaneous so a lot of the pictures are shot with a little Canon Powershot. For the pictures that I shoot more formally I use a Canon 5D Mark II. Read page 2 12 Read on one page Comments Read more on Music Everything from bands to festivals to instruments to tonal experimentation Technology Rounder sound with the Wilson Bunesch Full Circle 25 Culture MusicDNA creates minimalist artworks from your favourite tracks Culture 2014 iTunes Festival lineup revealed Science Headbanging to Motörhead can kill you, says science Science Chimpanzees prefer African and Indian music Culture YouTube blocks indie musicians who don't play ball Read more on Twitter The micro-blogging and social networking service based around short public status updates Technology Facebook removes messaging service from main app Politics Crime on social media covered by existing UK law, Lords conclude Culture Meet the novelist bringing his fiction to Twitter Technology Twitter is finally becoming useful for direct messaging Liat Clark's Blog It pays to be popular on Bubblews. But beware of bots and ads Technology You can finally sign up to Google+ using a fake name Read more on Space Everything to do with space technology, exploration travel and cosmological research and discovery Science Nasa validates 'impossible' space drive Science Vomiting, anxiety, blackouts. Are you sure you want to go into space? Science Russia regains control of lizard sex satellite Science Russia has lost control of a satellite full of lizards Culture Bonsai tree rides helium balloon to edge of space Science India already planning second mission to Mars Latest on wired.co.uk


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Identifying Sources of Caffeine
The first step to reducing caffeine from your diet (or eliminating caffeine altogether) is identifying how you consume caffeine. The following foods are common sources of caffeine:
- Coffee
- Tea (except for naturally caffeine-free tisanes)
- Colas with added caffeine, including root beer (You may also want to reduce/eliminate drinks with other stimulants, such as guarine)
- Chocolate
- Yerba mate
You may also want to learn more about the caffeine levels of coffee, tea and chocolate to better understand how much caffeine is in each source of caffeine, and to read up on factors influencing caffeine levels in coffee, caffeine levels in Starbucks coffee, factors influencing caffeine levels in tea, caffeine in green tea and caffeine in leaf tea vs. teabags.
Identifying Cravings
Once you have identified which caffeine-laden substances you consume, identify what drives you to consume them. For example, do you drink coffee because you like the taste, because it's a vehicle for sugar and milk, or because you are tired?
Once you have made a list of your reasons for consuming sources of caffeine, you're ready to find low-caffeine or no-caffeine substitutes for these cravings.
Find Substitutes
Think about your craving and (resisting the urge to cave in!) brainstorm on alternatives that can meet some (or all) of the needs you have met by the substance you're avoiding. For example, if you love the milk and sugar in your latte, try a caffeine-free rooibos latte instead. If you like the roasty flavor of coffee, try low-caf Houjicha roasted tea or caffeine-free chicory. This collection of recipes for special dietary needs includes more caffeine-free recipes.
Wean Yourself Off Caffeine
This step is the hardest. Gradually wean yourself off caffeine to avoid caffeine withdrawal, and follow my tips on reducing caffeine withdrawal symptoms if you are experiencing caffeine headaches or other discomforts. (While the 'cold turkey' approach works for some, it's rare. To use an old expression, slow and steady wins the race.)
Keep a record of what you're consuming and what you think of it. Is that rooibos latte not hitting the spot? Find another substitute! Don't be afraid to ask you local specialty food/beverage supplier for recommendations. As a former tea sommelier, I can tell you that it's a very common question!
Zone in on Your 'Likes'
Now that you're kicking the caffeine habit (Right?), figure out what you like (or even love!) about potential substitutes.
There's a famous story in the tea world about noted tea author James Norwood Pratt. He was a wine writer until he had to give up alcohol or face an early grave. He picked up tea as a substitute, fell in love with it and is now one of the most famous tea writers in the world! Find your 'tea,' and explore the flavors, aromas and physical/mental effects it's capable of.
Finally, don't be afraid to invest a little in your new found (and hopefully healthier) habit. Find a substitute you adore? Spend a few extra bucks if you have to. The more you treat it as a temporary solution, the more temporary it will be!
Caffeine Articles From Other About.com Guides
- Caffeine Chemistry and Caffeine Science Fair Projects from About.com Chemistry
- Caffeine, Stress & Your Health from About.com Stress
- How to Defeat Caffeine Addictions from About.com Healing
- Caffeine and the Latter-day Saints Church from About.com Latter-Day Saints
- Caffeine for Workouts from About.com Exercise
- Caffeine & Pregnancy from About.com Pregnancy
- Caffeine & Fertility from About.com Infertility


text: Fast Seafood Meals 5 Fuss-Free and Flavorful Seafood Meals by Camilla Salem 6/17/12 0 Reactions 71 Shares Print 13 42 16 0 0 Whether you're a seafood lover or you're just looking to get away from chicken and red meat, seafood dishes are a great alternative. Many preparations of seafood are remarkably fuss-free and quick to put together. In general, fish and shellfish cook quickly, so a long cooking time is rarely something you need to factor into your day, and they lend well to a variety of cooking techniques. Here are five seafood options that are full of color and flavor for your week ahead. Clam Chowder What's Your Reaction? 0 0 0 0 0 0 This healthier clam chowder comes together quickly, without requiring much effort. The result is unique, flavorful, and satisfying. Bonus: the leftovers would make a great lunch the next day at work! 1 / 5 Cod With Asparagus En Papillote What's Your Reaction? 0 0 0 0 0 0 For a mess-free dinner filled with Spring flavor that comes together in less than 20 minutes, make cod with asparagus en papillote. 2 / 5 Salmon Cakes What's Your Reaction? 0 0 0 0 0 0 With your food processor you can whip up these salmon cakes in no time at all. Serve them on their own, or on a bun as a tasty salmon burger. 3 / 5 Cornflake-Crusted Snapper What's Your Reaction? 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cornflake-crusted snapper is incredibly satisfying with all of its great flavors and textures. The best part is that this dish comes together quickly and easily. 4 / 5 Greek-Spiced Baked Shrimp What's Your Reaction? 0 0 0 0 0 0 Although Greek-spiced baked shrimp requires a little bit more cooking time than the rest, most of it is hands-off. Clove, cinnamon, and other flavors meld together for a memorable shrimp feast. 6 / 5 13 42 16 0 0 Read More Meal PlanningFast And EasySeafood fast and easy Celebrate Tomato Season With This Simple Summer Pasta Recipe 2 hours ago Sandwiched! 13 Life-Changing Variations 9 hours ago Quick Summery Snacks With Only 3 Ingredients 1 week ago 17 Good-Looking Lunches to Bring to Work 1 week ago 20 Prime Recipes to Pack on a Picnic 1 week ago Make the Most of Cherry Season With This Quinoa Salad 2 weeks ago Get a Personalized Living Newsletter! Help us customize your newsletter by selecting your interests (optional): Food Home DIY Vegetarian Link Love McDonald's Japan unveils tofu McNuggets — Grub Street Bake a cookie-flavored cookie-flavored cookie — HuffPost Taste Famed bartender Jim Meehan moves to Portland — Eater Get your fermentation fix with Heidi Klum's sauerkraut soup — Rachael Ray Show Why you should entertain barefoot — Yahoo Food


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We've celebrated new album releases many times; this week we're celebrating that and the rebirth of a great band. Seattle grunge greats Alice in Chains are back, and we've got them and new DLC. Two songs from the revitalized band's just-released album Black Gives Way to Blue, plus three of their greatest hits from the first time around. So you don't have to argue about whether Layne Staley or new guy William DuVall is a better singer - you can rock with both!
It's been a long time coming - seven years in fact, since the overdose of original singer Staley. The band had no intention of carrying on after that, and it took a 2005 tsunami benefit in Seattle to bring the remaining three members back together under their old name. That show featured a number of guest singers, but over time it became clear that DuVall (who'd been working with guitarist Jerry Cantrell on his solo project) was the right man to step in. A fan since he first heard "Man in the Box," DuVall sang with them first on a VH1 tribute to Heart, and from there he was singing to tens of thousands at a festival in Portugal. New material started pouring out, as the band worked out its grief over Staley and finding that the music still felt right. As Cantrell has said, "We're evolving into what we could be now, not dishonoring what we'd been before."
There are a few surprises on the album - including a guest spot by Elton John - but we've gone with "A Looking in View" and "Check My Brain," which both sport a classic Alice sound. And if it's the vintage stuff you want, we've got three of their biggest: "Would?" (the song that broke them off the Singles soundtrack), "No Excuses" (their stab at a lighter, acoustic-driven tune), and "Rooster" (Cantrell's epic about his Vietnam-veteran father, with appropriate guitar firepower). If you were finally able to master "Man in the Box," don't look now - it's time to get back to work.
The songs will be available on Xbox 360 and Wii on September 29th and PlayStation 3 October 1st.