text:
Mister Forcefield
(The toy version of the comic also removed his alcoholism.)
(Because he's an alcoholic.)
(You see, because his 1984 tech spec said he was inefficient at metabolizing fuel, so...)
Anyway, now that Trailbreaker's out, your roster of 1984 Autobot Cars is complete! He was the last out the door, much like at the bar every night OHHHHHHHH! Ha ha ha, gems like that are why I'm a popular webcartoonist. And once Hoistand Skids come out in the upcoming waves, your 1985 Autobot Cars'll be done, too.
Like Skids (and also like upcoming Legends Class Tailgate and Swerve), Trailbreaker is based on his appearance in the current ongoing More Than Meets The Eye comic book. His robot mode, anyway! Also like Skids and Tailgate and Swerve, the toy gives him an Earth-ish style vehicle mode rather than the wacky-looking Cybertronic vehicle he is in the comic proper. This makes Trailbreaker look less like his comic book robot mode design than he would otherwise, because about 40% of his robot mode is his truck's front end. But make no mistake, the parts of his robot mode that aren't parts of his truck mode are definitely based on Alex Milne's design. Check out those Milne-style forearms (larger box connected to a smaller box with a little tab between them) and the sculpted FOC-style light-stripes Milne put on the thighs. Also, well, the feet. The armored-SUV parts are the only non-Milne stuff to be found on him.
The truck bed cover is removed during transformation to robot mode to become either a shield or be attached to his back to give him his usual double-cannoned silhouette.
His transformation hits that sweet spot between simplicity and complexity. His hood/torso area's multilayered and takes a short while to figure out, but it's not rough to do. The arms fold underneath as you'd expect and his legs collapse in on themselves. The only point of real annoyance for me are his shoulders. Not because they don't functionally work, but because even though the joints are tight enough for his arms to stay in the right place, it's obvious that the grooves which should lock on to the side view mirrors aren't attaching fully. It's a neuroses thing.
He's the size that Deluxes are now. On the smaller end of Deluxes Through History, but still clearly a Deluxe.
I like him. He's fun. And he's an alcoholic except when edited for children. And he's in a comic I like.
Tagged: generations, trailbreaker
Fifty Shades of Gray But Mostly Black And Some Purple
But then Hasbro decided not only to make a toy of it, but to also commission of comics about the toys they were making to include in the packaging. And so we got this amazing comic book both written and illustrated by Nick Roche. I wish Nick Roche would write more. Hell, I wish he would draw more. .... while he writes. He also both wrote and drewSpotlight: Kup, which is another fantastic Transformers story, easily one of the best. The connect between what the story wants to do and what it actually does is strong. Not an inch is wasted.
You might roll your eyes at a "Spotlight: Megatron" issue because, yeah, oh boy, FINALLY, there's gonna be a focus on Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, ABOUT TIME, but the comic book lives up to and exceeds your expectations. We see Megatron returning to life in a new body amidst his crumbling army, and we see how we begins to build that army back up again. He has a way of things, a formula, and center to that formula is Starscream. However, Starscream's as much in shambles as the rest of the Decepticons, and so Megatron literally spends the issue beating Starscream back into his usual self again. And Jesus God, is it slashy, and not in a kind way. By issue's end, you have a perfect idea of how Megatron's brain works. It's brutal, but amazingly executed.
ANYWAY NOW I CARE A BUNCH ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR MEGATRON BODY I GUESS. Thanks, comic. Stupid excellent storytelling.
Stealth Megatron is a Deluxe. This means he's on the small size for towering over much of your collection as he should, but there's a Starscream who's arriving on pegs at the same time who is just about the right size relative to him. Legends Starscream is also an IDW comics design, but a discarded one that was never used for Starscream himself (just Thundercracker). Also, this Starscream comes with a tiny Waspinator partner/weapon. I'm just piling on the reasons to own these things, aren't I. And so I've been having my Deluxe Megatron smack my Legends Starscream around my desk since Megatron arrived in the mail. They're a good pair.
Despite Stealth Megatron's Deluxeness, he's pretty meaty. His arms have a great mass to them, and he just looks like this intimidating chunk of dude who could mess you up... so long as you don't put him next to anybody else in his size class. He transforms by bunching up into this pentagon-shaped thing, and then you tear his arm cannon in half and plug them into the ends for wings. It's a little complicated and messy the first time you try it, but on the second tries and beyond it gets pretty simple. The learning curve is fairly short.
And of course the comic book comes with it. If you don't own the comic book, pick up the toy just to read it, dammit. (Or here it is on Comixology.)
Tagged: generations, megatron, starscream, waspinator, thrilling 30
From robot to brick and back again
People are still scrambling Toys "R" Uses this week to get their hands on Masterpiece Soundwave. He's scarce and tends to be bought up in the first five minutes of whatever store he appears at. It's been a mad dash, and hopefully more will continue to filter into stores. I got mine at Comic-Con, from Entertainment Earth's booth, thanks to some help from Phillip Donnelly and his magical mug. (Brandon Bird also owes PD some thanks, as the mug was not only magical but transferable.)
How is the toy? Well, long story short, it's the best robot toy you'll ever own that folds up into a box. And man, does it fold up into a box! I know there's something in my brain that pumps happy juice through my body when I know a robot can transform into something, but damn if that Box Mode ain't superfluous. It's not like you can't do all the stuff you can do with his box mode in robot mode! That mini-cassette door still opens and everything. And it's not like Box Mode actually looks like a micro-cassette recorder -- he looks like a box with a very tiny window in it. This is entirely because his cassette door is still the same size as the original's to accommodate identically-sized micro-cassette toys, but the robot mode which surrounds that door is a chunk larger, and so you have this ridiculous... thing. Like Soundwave's altmode got elephantiasis.
The door still opens when you press the eject button on the top/shoulder. This time around, there's room inside him for three Recordicons. The back wall of the cassette storage area can slide in by pushing on it, and a button on Soundwave's backside will reset this wall to the usual one-cassette-deep width, so long as he's not full of dudes at the time. The arrow buttons on his crotch also depress, but those don't accomplish anything. There are ridges on both Soundwave's shoulders and his forearms that Buzzsaw or Laserbeak's feet can plug into, all perch-like.
He transforms about as simply as you'd expect -- very similarly to the original toy -- but with a few added wrinkles of some additional fold-out panels to cover up his articulation. His shoulder-mounted missile launcher and hand-held rifle are also included, but this time they don't transform into his batteries and store inside a battery compartment. Mind, they still transform into the same battery shape, but you don't put them inside him like batteries inside his battery compartment anymore (that's where his head goes) and instead they kind of just peg behind him and fill up space easily viewable from behind. D'oh well.
Soundwave also comes with a plethora of additional accessories, other than the five Recordicons and their stuff. He has a little vacuum cleaner attachment for his wrist, he has a digital-readout screen which you can plug into his chest door to make it look like he's computing stuff, he has an energon cube which you can pull the lid off of and plug into his chest door to make it look like he's making energon cubes -- all things he did in the cartoon. I'm not a big cartoon guy, so those won't get much play from me. He also comes with a nontransformable Megatron rifle. I think it's the same one that came with earlier MP toys.
Unlike the Japanese release, though, this Soundwave has yellow eyes instead of red, which reflects more his original toy and early comic book appearances. I welcome this change! I was happy to learn he was getting yellow eyes. On the other hand, his Frenzy seems to be purpler than the Japanese Frenzy, in order to make him look more like cartoon Rumble, even though the packaging still calls him Frenzy. Buzzsaw's accent color is now more yellow than orange, and I think there may be some other very slight color differences all around.
IMPORTANT: Be careful with Soundwave's dang index fingertips. Seriously, this piece will drop from him like ripened fruit. The only thing keeping the fingertip on the rest of his finger is the tiniest bit of friction, and trying to articulate it without it sliding out of "joint" (I use this term loosely because there is barely a set of bumps in there to keep it in place) will almost always cause it to go diving for whatever floor or table or couch you're over at the time. You will be looking for this finger constantly. Years from now, there will be no Soundwaves with complete index fingers. I prophesy this.
Tagged: buzzsaw, ravage, soundwave, frenzy, rumble, laserbeak, masterpiece
A Tale of Two Kitties
G.I. Joe Ravage is a newly-molded nontransformable Ravage for Baroness to keep on a leash. This pairing homages an OTFCC 2004-exclusive cover to Devil's Due's Joe Vs. Transformers #3by Mike Nortonand an unreleased First4Figures statue based on that cover. Both Baroness and the leash are removable from Ravage, and Ravage's articulation consists only of a balljointed neck (at the shoulders).
Masterpiece Ravage is also newly-molded, surprise! Like the other Masterpiece Recordicons, he still transforms into the same-sized microcassette tape as the original toys, and so he works in either MP Soundwave or either of the original Soundwave or Blaster toys. He looks great from the front, but the back isn't terribly great. It's kind of a mess back there, beyond what you usually expect from a Transformers Mini-Cassette guy. Usually it's at least flat back there, if not obviously an arrangement of animal parts, but here the backside is mostly a hollow pit surrounded by legs. MP Ravage does not have a very pretty backside, no.
It's in service of a fully articulated, as-cartoon-accurate-as-possible-at-the-scale jaguar mode, though! Like Buzzsaw and Laserbeak, Ravage's previously-removeable weapons are integrated into the transformation itself. He's pretty damn intricate! He kind of has to be, at the size he is. Lots of overlapping skinny parts and, really, he's a jungle of hinges. He's not bad, though, other than the aforementioned pit at the back of his cassette mode. He certainly aims to do what he aims to do. He's just not terribly fun, though, and despite how fully-articulated he is, he doesn't feel as fun to me as Universe 2008 Ravage (the guy who came with Universe Hound). I like transforming that Ravage back and forth, but this guy's got way more steps (and a foreboding feeling of fragility) that keeps that fun from happening. Maybe if he had a articulated jaw.
But hey, he can do his stock art pose, so hurrah!
Now all we need is Masterpiece Skids, I guess, so Masterpiece Ravage can get knocked into an abandoned mine shaft and be forgotten in American comics for like fifty issues.
Tagged: baroness, gijoe, ravage, masterpiece
Currently, Harmony Gold is famously trying to sue Hasbro for this year's Jetfire, claiming it infringes on their ownership of Robotech. I don't know how that'll go down, but the stated terms of their suit is kind of over-reachy. They seriously want everyone to return their purchased toys to them. You do your best, guys, we'll see how that works out. But the event raised my interest in this Giant Thing I Happened To Buy With My Bludgeon enough to try to start putting it together Wednesday night.
Immediately I had regret. This thing is so huge. I mean, I have some huge toys, but there's this algorithm in my brain where the size of a toy needs to match my desire to possess it, and my desire to own this giant Jetfire thing was almost zero, but its footprint in my house was titanic. I actually started to feel a little claustrophobic as the damn thing took up half the couch as I stickered it. Halfway through the process, I texted my friend Ron to please remove this thing from my house for me. (He gladly accepted, but he's currently out of town.)
The jet itself is a Skystriker. A big thing! It's even bigger with the newly-tooled jet booster pack that you attach to it, which makes it look more like Jetfire. There's even room for a new seat in that extra part section. Seriously, this thing is large. The stickers are... well, they fall in line with Metroplex's stickers, but less fit-where-it's-supposed-to-go-y. There're some mislabeled things and some stuff that doesn't exactly fit, and the paper likes to come up along with the sticker part basically always, so it helps to have fingernails. Don't even try to get the striping around the cockpit to match up. It won't. You're just gonna have to agree with yourself that it's gonna be imperfect.
It's actually a pretty neat giant-ass Jetfire. If you have room for a giant-ass Jetfire.
I do not.
No, you can't have my Baroness. Stop asking.
Tagged: bludgeon, gijoe, jetfire, sdcc, harmony gold


text:
*image shown is 5 x 8 or larger rug
*smaller sizes will not show complete pattern, will be scaled down to fit.
Name: Nitro 14
Manufacturer: Surya
Collection: Nitro
Material: Polyester
Construction: Hand Woven
Colors: Pink/Rose
Origin: China
Description: Energetic artistry for your floor, this collection provides an explosion of color options. Hand crafted from 100% polyester these shags are sure to create a Splash of color to brighten a room. Available in 16 colors choose the one that accentuates your style. (Nitro 14 Pink Shag Hand Woven Polyester Rug)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The 'back to top' button is a very populair tool lately. A lot of blogs and websites use it so visitors can easely go to the top of their blog/website if they have an infinite scroll script installed.
To see the demo, simply scroll down and the 'back to top' button will fade in at the bottom right corner. Click it and the window will slide back to the top of the page, the button will fade out once you reach the top as well.
Add the javascript at the top of your theme/website code.
Where do I find the code of my theme?
The CSS part has to be between the <style type="text/css"></style> of your website/theme code.
Where do I find the code of my theme?


text:
Mushroom & spinach risotto
Cooking timePrep: 50 mins - 55 mins
Skill levelModerately easy
ServingsServes 2
Make the time to stir carefully during cooking to make this vegetarian Italian rice pot super creamy
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Vegetarian
- kcalories
- 574
- protein
- 17g
- carbs
- 70g
- fat
- 22g
- saturates
- 10g
- fibre
- 5g
- sugar
- 0g
- salt
- 1.93g
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25g butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 140g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
- 140g arborio rice
- 150ml dry white wine
- 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 500ml hot vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 25g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, freshly grated
- 100g fresh young leaf spinach, washed if necessary
- warm ciabatta and green salad, to serve
Buy Ingredients
Buy the ingredients for this recipe now via:
Want to know how this works? Read all about it here.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large deep frying pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice to coat with the onion and mushroom mixture. Pour in the wine and cook over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the wine is absorbed.
- Reduce to a gentle heat. Add the tomatoes and 125ml/ 4fl oz of the stock and cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Pour in a further 125ml/4fl oz stock and continue cooking until absorbed. Repeat with the remaining stock, until it is all absorbed and the rice is creamy and tender.
- Stir in the parsley and half the parmesan. Season to taste. Scatter the spinach over the risotto. Cover and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002
Ads by Google
Comments, questions and tips
Great recipe - very tasty risotto. This was the first time I had made risotto and it was very easy to do. The only problem is that I had to make 2 batches for 5 people as I didn't have a big enough deep pan. If using an AGA this means that the simmering plate lid is up for a long time and AGA loses heat and slows down. Lesson to those with AGAs is get a big enough pan with a lid for risottos, paellas etc. Going to go to the shop and get one, as I will definitely make this again.
One word ....... Scrumptious! I always thought I didn't like risotto but made it for my fiancé who loves them, it was so EASY to make, and not knowing a great deal about wines and what was a dry White wine I.e Chardonnay or Pinot grigio, I went for sainsburys house dry White wine and that was even quite nice! So result all round!!
The risotto was really really good! Tasted better than it smelt once the wine had been added! The risotto did start to stick to the pan and go brown during the last stage with the spinach so be careful, I found that I had to keep stirring it at this stage instead of covering it. I found that it didnt even need the 4-5 minutes stated in the recipe, the spinach wilted quicker. Overall though, a great recipe!!!
I made this tonight as we have a glut of spinach in the garden and had everything else in the cupboard and fridge, except that the mushrooms were plain old closed-cup. So, to enhance the mushroom flavour I added soaked dried wild mushrooms and used the soaking water as the base for the vegetable stock. It was great and I'll definitely make it again, perhaps not for a dinner party but certainly for us, and friends staying the weekend.
P.S. Thanks Good Food for so many spinach recipes, we have a lot of it!


text:
Charles E. Henry
Updated: June 27, 2013 3:19PM
CROWN POINT — On June 19, murder charges were filed in the Superior Court of Lake County, Criminal Divison against Charles E. Henry, 32.
The charging document states that on June 15 Henry killed Brittany Peters by means of a knife at Peters' apartment in the Heritage Court complex off of Indiana Avenue.
The incident appeared at first to have been a knife fight as part of a domestic dispute. Injuries sustained by Henry had him in the hospital under police guard late last week.
The probable cause affidavit signed by Crown Point Police detective Larry Scott shows that the investigation discovered that a large knife the police found in the hand of the murder victim was actually the weapon used to murder her.
Henry's two daughters were in the apartment at the time that their father was allegedly murdering Peters. The girls were in the adjoining bedroom and could hear what was being shouted and screamed.
The investigation shows a timeline of Peters being murdered with a large knife approximately 10 inches long and two inches wide. Police then allege that Henry went into the kitchen to get another knife that was eight inches long and one inch wide. The investigators found that knife back in the knife block in the kitchen with what turned out to be Henry's blood on the handle and the tip.
The apartment was very bloody when the police arrived.
The autopsy done by the medical examiner, Dr. Young Kim, showed that the murder victim had sustained five stab wounds from a large knife.
Police allege the knife fight was staged.
In his affidavit Detective Scott said, "During my investigation I reviewed Charles E. Henry open Facebook account and located an Ecard message which he had shared on June 3, 2013 which states 'I hate you so much that sometimes I watch CSI just to get pointers on how to kill you without actually getting caught.'"


text:
Standard Neurological Exam by Dr Leonard
*Note these are all acrobat reader files. If you want to see them larger than the frame allows, look for the magnification button on the tool bar (Magnifying glass with a + sign in the middle)
Follow each link for file photos of Dr Leonard performing an exam.
Medical history taken from patient
Exam of Eyes, Ears Nose & Throat (ENT)
Exam of head and neck
Exam of heart and lungs
Exam of abdomen
Exam of cranial nerves
exam 7
Sensory Exam
Reflexes - Extremities
exam 10
* This page is under construction and more
documentation will be added soon


text:
- Size Available :S,M,L,XL
- Pattern Type :Print
- Sleeve Length :Sleeveless
- Color :Blue
- Material :Cotton
- Style :Vintage
- Collar :Scoop Neck
- Bust(cm) :S:78cm,M:82cm,L:86cm,XL:90cm
- Length(cm) :S:65cm,M:66cm,L:67cm,XL:68cm
Special offer for VIP Learn more
Free Shipping Worldwide
Standard Shipping: 5-28 Days. Free Shipping.
Express Shipping:3-10 Days, US$15
Receiving time = Processing time +Shipping time
Learn More
Our Guarantee
Return or exchange within 30 days from the delivered date.
1. Items received within 30 days from the delivered date.
2. Items received unused, undamaged and in original package.
3. Return shipping fee is paid by buyer.


text:
Melissa Etheridge Ends Her Partnership, Tammy Lynn Takes to Her Blog
Melissa Etheridge, whose album Fearless Love came out last April, has officially filed a Petition for Dissolution of Domestic Partnership, ending her her nine-year relationship with L Word actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. Etheridge is seeking joint custody of the couple's two children "and asked that the court not award financial support to Michaels." Lest you think that Etheridge is the lyricist in the couple, Michaels has been posting revealing and widely circulated poetry about the split on her personal blog, accusing Etheridge of back-stabbing her with the timing of the breakup:
even though we both promised
no filing until after tour
in the fall
could you stop blind sighting me?
have a good concert."
Er, come to my window?
'Melissa Etheridge's Divorce Leads to Intense Online Poetry' [Runnin' Scared/VV]


text:
Started this discussion. Last reply by Richard Firstner Jul 15, 2011. 2 Replies 0 Likes
I just received an order through UPS and half of the order was melted. My question is; will refrigeration bring it back to normal, and will the chocolate still be usable.
© 2014 Created by Clay Gordon.


text:
Published November 19, 2012
Barack Obama is the first U.S. president to visit Burma. It is part of a trip to Asia meant to reinforce Washington's so-called "Asia pivot" which has raised concerns in Beijing about greater U.S. influence in the region. VOA State Department correspondent Scott Stearns reports on how China sees the president's visit to Burma.


text:
If you have a Publix Store nearby…. you can really stock up your pantry by shopping their BOGO deals. BOGO meaning buy one, get one free! And then add coupons… Wow..what a combo!
I've recently adjusted my grocery shopping strategy and have been mainly using Aldi grocery stores, Costco and Publix. I only shop the sales at Publix. They run decent to pretty good deals each week.
This week they had a great deal on Welchs grape juice which they have priced at my Publix for $3.91 (other stores it is priced around $3.51). This week it was BOGO $3.91 which was a great deal….but the deal was sweeter with the Welchs coupons I had and Publix store coupons for free Welchs grape jelly when you buy 2 Welchs juice. I bought over $30 worth of juice and jelly for about $7. I was pretty pleased with that.
I also stocked up on Solo plastic cups and plates….BOGO $3.29 minus the coupons. Paying about $.89 cents for each package of cups and plates isn't too shabby.
I also was able to score napkins, greek yogurt, and Dove chocolate for a fraction of the cost by combining sales with coupons.
I'm looking forward to putting sales and coupons and Publix together next year for a ravishingly good time


text:
My Account |
Contact Us |
What makes Solas one of the best-known names in propellers? Quality and value. Their commitment to quality shows through when you see their products in action. Each product is designed to provide you with more fun and safety in watercraft recreation at the best price available.


text:
Added Feb 8, 2009
by anajan
Belgrade, Serbia
Classic skirt with 5 pleats on right thigh and one double pleat on the left thigh. It has an asymmetrical front yoke, trimmed with top-stitch. The back of the skirt is constructed from 4 godets that slightly flare at the bottom.
You can make it in wool or tweed for more formal occasions, or in thin denim or cotton for sporty look.
Feb 10, 2009, 03.01 AMby klaartje
What a super nice skirt! looks great on you!
xx klaartje
Feb 9, 2009, 01.17 PMby tattooedkitty
Fabulous skirt and I love the color wool you used – perfect! I must try it!
Feb 9, 2009, 08.55 AMby ichigogirl
Such a gorgeous, stylish skirt! Thanks for adding the pattern!
Feb 9, 2009, 07.23 AMby medmunky
What an amazing skirt. Everything about it is beautiful. Thank you for sharing the pattern. It is definitely something I look forward to sewing in the future.
Feb 9, 2009, 07.10 AMby elainemay
This is so beautiful! I love all the details. Thank you so much for posting the pattern!!
Feb 9, 2009, 12.48 AMby lybu
wow. It's beautiful. Looks great on you. Anyway, green colour suits you very well.
Feb 8, 2009, 10.56 PMby juebejue
beeeeautiful! I love the lines at the waist. it is going on my todo list!
Feb 8, 2009, 04.40 PMby zsanine
This is gorgeous. I just downloaded your pattern this morning!!! It's awesome, Great job!
Feb 8, 2009, 03.32 PMby arete999
It is gorgeous!Such a beautiful work!And the color is great!
Feb 8, 2009, 01.42 PMby ghainskom
wow, ana, beau-ti-ful!
Feb 8, 2009, 01.32 PMby erdronen
wow wow wow! beautiful skirt! thank you so much for posting the pattern- awesome job! and as everyone has already said- perfect fabric choice!
Feb 8, 2009, 11.45 AMby sew4my3
Oh AnaJan! I really adore this skirt and the color is just fantastic!
Feb 8, 2009, 09.49 AMby allygally
Ana, as usual this is beautiful work. Gorgeous choice of fabric, and the fit is perfect!
Feb 8, 2009, 08.54 AMby dressdummy
Gorgeous (and in my favorite green). Your detail and tailoring is so beautiful.
Feb 8, 2009, 08.35 AMby nenasew
What a beautiful classic yet sexy skirt. To me, this is power dressing for the office.
Feb 8, 2009, 08.21 AMby camilaustral
really nice!!! thank you soo much for the free pattern!!
Feb 8, 2009, 05.47 AMby meseide
A beautiful skirt and a stunning color!
Feb 8, 2009, 05.16 AMby sewella
Suknja je predivna a i boja je prelepa. Zelena ti super stoji!
Feb 8, 2009, 05.07 AMby susisonne
What a beautiful skirt, looks really great and the color is awesome, I like it!
Feb 8, 2009, 04.49 AMby serinute
Looks perfect, great colour, well done, feminine and elegant :)
Feb 8, 2009, 03.23 AMby sew-pr-t
Feb 8, 2009, 03.19 AMby polychromatin
This is a beuatiful skirt! I love the color! Suits you perfectly. And the photo where you sit on the armchair is great!
Feb 8, 2009, 03.18 AMby yoshimi
This is a great skirt! It looks very neat and so pretty on you.
Add to Favorites 168 people added it
View All (2)
Member Project of the Week
She modified this coat wonderfully by adding length and changing the pockets and collar
Congratulations to addiemiller22 for winning, and now being the face of our Cascade Designer Dress!
Editors' Picks
Flaunt your sewing skills as well as your fab fashion sense in these modern, head-turning designs
Watch Meg's promo of our upcoming course! It is the future of at-home pattern drafting...
Pattern of the Week
The oversized shape has a cool bell shaped silhouette with a wide body and fitted sleeves
You must allow our "request for permission" request to login to Burdastyle with Facebook.


text:
Detail Information
- Identifying optimal vaccination strategies for serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis conjugate vaccine in the African meningitis beltSARA TARTOF
Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
PLoS ONE 8:e63605. 2013..We developed an age-structured mathematical model of MenA transmission, colonization, and disease in the African meningitis belt, and used this model to explore the impact of various vaccination strategies...
- Factors associated with Group A Streptococcus emm type diversification in a large urban setting in Brazil: a cross-sectional studySara Y Tartof
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
BMC Infect Dis 10:327. 2010..However, local factors may also affect strain diversity. We compared the emm types of GAS isolates from children with and without sore throat in one large urban setting in Brazil...
- Waning immunity to pertussis following 5 doses of DTaPSara Y Tartof
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Pediatrics 131:e1047-52. 2013..To assess the risk of pertussis by time since vaccination in children in Minnesota and Oregon who received 5 doses of acellular pertussis vaccines (DTaP)...
- Bordetella holmesii bacteremia cases in the United States, April 2010-January 2011Sara Y Tartof
Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Clin Infect Dis 58:e39-43. 2014..These cases occurred during a peak in pertussis outbreaks with documented cases of B. holmesii/Bordetella pertussis respiratory coinfection; whether there is a link between B. holmesii respiratory and bloodstream infection is unknown. ..


text:
Tea Tree Oil Questions
- Q: Are tea tree oil products more beneficial than others? A: Your email did not specify what you are trying to treat so we cannot give a definitive answer for you. Tea tree oil has not been studied well enough to know if it is the best choice in treating skin conditions. If you would like to provide more information as to what you...
Recent Drug Ratings
- Insulin Glargine for Diabetes mellitus
- Gildess FE 1.5/0.03 for Contraception
- Rolaids Extra Strength for Pyrosis (heartburn)
- Binosto for Osteoporosis
- Exemestane for Breast Cancer
- Clozapine for Bipolar Disorder
- Osphena for Dyspareunia
- Tecfidera for Multiple Sclerosis
- Sanctura XR for Urinary Incontinence
- V-Gan-25 for Allergic Reaction


text:
A selection of images from different outreach program
Showing 21 to 40 of 32
WiFi is available throughout the Museum
All our phone, email and other contact details.
Become a Member for free admission, Explore magazine subscription and more.
Subscribe to our newsletters for the latest events, offers and information.


text: My Profile bekky932_6324495 morris plains, New Jersey Member since Nov 2006 Flag This ProfileFlag as Inappropriate All Activity | Comments & Reviews | Uploads Flag This Profile? Please provide the reason why you think this profile is inappropriate. Flag Profileor Cancel I have no recent activity to share. Load More


text:
Hollywood Stuntwoman Recalls Trial Balloon Work with Hal Needham
The group of authors who repeatedly defied death in order to make it to a booth at the 2013 LA Times Festival of Books is very small. FishbowlLA was lucky enough to spend some time Sunday chatting with one of them.
Julie Ann Johnson was at the event with her co-author, three-time Pulitzer nominee David L. Robb, to promote their recent release The Stuntwoman: The True Story of a Hollywood Heroine. Though the bulk of the book is about how she was blackballed from the industry for blowing the whistle on unsavory working conditions on the set of Aaron Spelling's TV series Charlie's Angels, we asked her about her experiences with the legendary Hal Needham, author of a similar 2011 tome and the recipient of a recent honorary Academy Award.
Johnson talked to us about the stunt she and Needham did for the 1976 movie Nickelodeon, starring Burt Reynolds and Ryan O'Neal. It is one of several collaborations with Needham she covers in Chapter 18 ("A Piece of Cake"). The scene required Needham to dangle Johnson, doubling respectively for Reynolds and Jane Hitchcock, high up in the air from a hot air balloon:
It was a great scene; the studio even used it in the poster for the film. But it almost got Julie and Hal killed – again…


text:
Country: Australia
Location: Wollongong (50 miles South of Sydney)
Language: English
Level(s): Undergraduate and Graduate
Subjects: Most Majors- See Academic Program Section
Length: Academic year or semester
Cost: Host university tuition and fees plus room and board in host country. Further cost information for study abroad students at: Univ. of Wollongong Website
Deadline: Oct. 1 to go in Feb.; March 1 to go in July (Some exceptions may apply)
*This Direct Exchange Program is currently inactive. Contact the Study Abroad office at 406-994-7151 for more information.
Program OverviewBy national Australian standards, public and private, the University of Wollongong features in the top group of Australian universities. The main campus, close to the city but in a beautifully landscaped setting, provides an ideal atmosphere for study and for leisure. The University of Wollongong has an enrollment of over 12,000 including some 1400 international students from over 60 countries
Academic ProgramPrograms are offered in Arts (Aboriginal Studies, Communications & Cultural Studies, English, History and Politics, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Science and Technology, Sociology, Multicultural studies) Commerce (Accounting and Finance, Business Systems, Economics, Management) Creative Arts (graduate school of Journalism), Education, Engineering (Civil and Mining, Materials, Mechanical), Health and Behavioral Sciences (Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, Psychology, Public Health and Nutrition, graduate school of health and Medical Sciences), Informatics (Applied Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology), Law, and Science (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics, Environmental Science)
Language of InstructionAll courses are taught in English.
EligibilityOpen to students who have completed one full academic year of university level work at MSU with a 3.0 GPA by the time they begin studies in Wollongong are eligible.
Academic CreditCredit will be awarded at MSU for all courses taken and passed at Wollongong. The student's academic adviser at MSU, in consultation with the Office of International Programs and the Registrar's Office, will determine how these credits will apply to degree course requirements. However, successful study at Wollongong satisfies MSU's Multi cultural/Global core curriculum requirement. Students are urged to work closely with the their adviser and the office prior to departure to plan a course of studies which will maintain steady progress toward their degree.
LocationWollongong is Australia's ninth largest city, 50 miles South of Sydney. The local area, the Illawarra region, is one of great natural beauty, as illustrated by the aboriginal name "Illawarra", which means "where the mountains meet the sea." The main Wollongong campus is situated on the forested lower slopes of Mt. Keira.
Within walking distance of the campus you will find some of Australia's finest swimming and surfing beaches. Nearby National Parks, the South Coast and Southern Highlands regions provide spectacular scenery and many leisure activities. The Botanic gardens are just next to the campus.
Wollongong City is a large commercial, retail and industrial center. The facilities and local attractions include a modern pedestrian shopping mall, the Performing Arts Center, and a major regional art museum. Nearby are bush walks, historic villages and a variety of sporting facilities. The high level of ethnic diversity of Wollongong's population and the presence of many international students ensures a wide range of food choices in the city's restaurants and fast food outlets.
Cost and Included BenefitsStudents receiving exchange placements at Wollongong will pay tuition at MSU in the same amount as if studying in Bozeman. Students who are not awarded an exchange placement at Wollongong will need to pay the "study abroad" fee to attend Wollongong. (Visit the International Opportunities Resource Center for more information on this fee.) Each student is responsible for his/her room and board in Australia as well as trans-Pacific travel expenses. Remember to plan for extra expenses such as internal travel and personal spending money as well as for unexpected changes in the exchange rate.
Financial AidFinancial aid may be available for study abroad at Wollongong. Additional costs for study at Wollongong (e.g. travel to and from the study site) may be used in calculating students financial aid package. Students are responsible to apply to the Office of Financial Aid.
ApplicationApplications are available in the Office of International Programs at 400 Culbertson Hall.
DeadlineApplications are due in the Office of International Programs on Oct. 1 (some exceptions may apply) to study in Wollongong the following February, which is the preferred time to begin. Applications are due March 1 to go in July.
Additional Information
For additional information on study in Wollongong, contact:
Anna Greenberg
Study Abroad Advisor
Office of International Programs
400 Culbertson Hall
Phone: 994-7151
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
For information from Wollongong contact:
Alison Taylor or Trish Tindall
E-mail: email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com
Wollongong's Home Page: http://www.uow.edu.au/


text:
5 Ridiculously Yummy Picnics in Cape TownThere are few things lovelier than relaxing under ancient oaks in the dappled sunlight, wine glass in hand, a panorama of mountains around you and the yummiest picnic of all time before you.
Tips to getting around Cape Town this season
Rob PetersSummer in Cape Town is going to be as busy as ever this year. Travelling by car may not be the best way to go, but thankfully the city is geared to ensuring you don't need to.
Have a merry Cape Town Christmas
Rob PetersChristmas under the African sun can take a bit of getting used to for those used to more chilly locales, but while it may not be a white Christmas in Cape Town there is still plenty of festive cheer to go around. Want to know how to do the silly season like a local? Look no further, we have everything you need to know on how to enjoy Christmas like a local.
The Power of a Hand MassageIt's amazing how easily we underestimate the power of a great hand-massage. I know I certainly have. Thankfully I have seen the light, and trust me, I will never look back. It will become a must-have treat. This is all part of looking after my own wellbeing.
Most Popular
Tips to have a seamless summer in Cape Town
Most Popular
Meet the Cool Kids: The 5 Best Boutique Backpackers in Cape Town
Most Popular
Your #lovecapetown weekend: What's on from Thursday 18 December to Sunday 21 December, 2014
Most Popular
Get into the Christmas spirit in Cape Town
Most Popular
Five Cape Town Banting Restaurants to Try
Loading blog articles, this will just take a moment!
The Cape Town Stadium Course: The Golfing Jewel in the Mother City
The Metropolitan Golf Club, within walking distance of the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point, gets well-deserved awards
Reds, whites and greens – golf in the Winelands
"Many professional golfers are wine aficionados, and worldwide recognised names have launched or are in partnership with vineyards throughout the world." This quote is by golf and travel writer Michael Cunningham, writing in the Wineries Refined magazine in British Columbia, Canada.
Golf tourism: word of mouth vs word of mouse
I am so old-fashioned that I still believe that word of mouth is as important as word of mouse. My following my father's advice that "you mustn't be selfish – you must allow other people to meet you" of course enhances this!
Ten good reasons to go golfing around Cape Town
Golf in South Africa began in 1885 when Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D'Oyley Torrens, commander of the British garrison stationed in the Cape founded the Royal Cape Golf Club. Well over a century later the course has stood the test of time and remains one of the Cape's premier golfing destinations. A relatively flat course, it weaves through avenues of trees and water features which add to the appeal and challenge of the game.


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post4770504340316388907..comments2014-12-19T07:58:15.096-05:00Comments on RPG Blog II: Games We Forget AboutZachary Houghtonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-88845539551278943552009-01-30T21:36:00.000-05:002009-01-30T21:36:00.000-05:00Our group abandonded DnD 3.5 when we heard about H...Our group abandonded DnD 3.5 when we heard about Harp. Our group liked RM 2nd ed though (never played the RMSS or RMFRP) so we gave it a go and it had all the elements we liked about RM without the hassles we had...

We havent looked back.
Ok we did once but we came back when ICE released Cyradon, the HARP world. Its gritty and allows for any monsters without the whole "super high magic" things that always annoyed me about DnD worlds.
Regards,
email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-36663686954367829992009-01-29T10:42:00.000-05:002009-01-29T10:42:00.000-05:00I loved RM. Played it infrequently for a decade. A...I loved RM. Played it infrequently for a decade. A friend recommended HARP and I scooped it up, but then never gamed it. It sits now in box, dying a dusty death.

Dudes, when we get old enough for catheters and diapers we have to all hookup at the same palatial retirement centre for endless gaming.Johnn Fourhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-88919957107101205392009-01-28T13:12:00.000-05:002009-01-28T13:12:00.000-05:00@ Steve: Precisely! The only reason we didn't pi...@ Steve: Precisely! The only reason we didn't pick it up when I came back to the States is *someone* had an objection to it. Now we can't remember what it was, and HARP still sits there.

I ran a GREAT game with HARP when in Spain.Zachary The Firsthttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-21904653213354498432009-01-28T12:58:00.000-05:002009-01-28T12:58:00.000-05:00that's funny, because I remember you really sellin...that's funny, because I remember you really selling HARP back in the first incarnation of your blog.Stevehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-44904925177044198272009-01-28T12:57:00.000-05:002009-01-28T12:57:00.000-05:00Embarassment of riches. It's true. For me tr...Embarassment of riches. It's true. For me trying out a new set of rules is not fun and unless someone strongly suggests something new I'll stick with D&D. I'm lazy like that.Yaxhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-59739172724912968752009-01-28T12:34:00.000-05:002009-01-28T12:34:00.000-05:00I've got the HARP hardcover and picked up a couple...I've got the HARP hardcover and picked up a couple of the magic supplements. It's not a bad system, but for me it suffers from an attempt to make an "RM Lite" but still being juuuuust complex enough to turn away people who aren't used to its crunch. I also think they abstracted / generalized some things they shouldn't have, like the weapon tables, which weren't complicated or hard to use - just another level of detail.

You're right though - there's a lot of good systems sitting along the sidelines that just quietly chug along, ignored by most but loved by a few.Badelairehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-57213027565818776022009-01-28T11:05:00.000-05:002009-01-28T11:05:00.000-05:00Golgotha- I think it's a cost/benefit thing. To be...Golgotha- I think it's a cost/benefit thing. To be honest most new rpgs these days don't often anything you couldn't get from others that you might already be playing. But a new edition of what you're currently playing offers a bunch of new products (if of the scale of 4E) to what is in effect it's current users. Of course they will for the most part change.

Zachary- I'll shoot you the old copy I used to post online. I have a newer one that I intend to use LuLu to make myself a hardcopy, but it's in pieces and has been a long process with much delays.Gleichmanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-47306188370228075372009-01-28T10:48:00.000-05:002009-01-28T10:48:00.000-05:00@gleichman: We ended up gutting a lot of stuff ou...@gleichman: We ended up gutting a lot of stuff out of RM when we played it. Didn't use maneuvers as intended, simplified/stopped level stat increase/decrease (like you've mentioned, I believe, I like changes on the character sheet to come through play, not instant levels, though you can do that to a point with in a leveling framework, I believe).

I believe I had a copy of Age of Heroes on my old desktop, but have lost everything on that comp. If you were ok with it, would you be able to email me a copy of AoH to look over? I'd like to check it out again.

Thanks!

PS--Hooray for Pete Fenlon's maps!Zachary The Firsthttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-38719094024452081582009-01-28T10:46:00.000-05:002009-01-28T10:46:00.000-05:00We gamers are a flighty and petulant bunch. I sus...We gamers are a flighty and petulant bunch. I suspect that the same reason we bypass good systems (that might just do what we are looking for) is related to the same mindset that will make a gamer state how he refuses to play a non-d20 game because he "doesn't want to learn a new system" then--in the same breath--talk about how much he enjoys learning 4e.Golgothahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-65895778805546197612009-01-28T10:01:00.000-05:002009-01-28T10:01:00.000-05:00We attempted RM after DragonQuest but right before...We attempted RM after DragonQuest but right before throwing in the towel and creating a home grown ruleset to play fantasy games with.

After that I looked at MERP but never saw HARP.

The failing points for us was that the complexity of changing or even understanding what the crit tables were actually doing was too high. Plus the system put a lot of focus on elements that weren't of interest to us.

ICE however did the best Middle Earth modules ever...Gleichmanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-22034642884223073612009-01-28T08:56:00.000-05:002009-01-28T08:56:00.000-05:00HARP is an excellent game - it's just what I w...HARP is an excellent game - it's just what I want in a fantasy RPG. Much more so than D&D, really. The only thing that keeps me going with D&D is the sentimental attachment.

d20 was such a disaster for the RPG industry in many ways. Just think of all the potential HARP fans lost to mundane d20 fantasy games.noismshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-92210406396275527592009-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:002009-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:00Never played HARP. Didn't feel like giving my mone...Never played HARP. Didn't feel like giving my money to ICE. After the RMSS disaster (yes it was in the end a disaster), it was hard to take anything ICE put out seriously. At least in the groups I've played with there was no desire to do anything with HARP. I know I took a brief look through a rulebook, but it didn't do anything for me. ICE has had almost no presence anywhere I can think of. I was quite surprised to see that HARP actually had it's own website with an announcement of a new licensee. I wonder how expensive it is to become one or if ICE gives them away.

Ok, enough harping on HARP. (ok sorry, I thought that was clever). But you are correct, There are variety of games out there to play. Any people should always review their options before starting a new game. It doesn't have to be just some version of DnD nor a D20 system.Bonemasterhttp://email@example.com


text:
|Results: 11Comments by: nielc
|File: Lunarblood08-28-09
Originally posted by Turina
Originally posted by Turina Sounds weird, it's working here. Did you try moving the center frame? It will only work if you move the main frame. I'll take a look at it. ok i got it to move by dragging a blank part of the screen where i would assume the icons will show, i was dragging the trick and cold blood icons as those...
|File: Lunarblood08-26-09
i cant seem to get the unlock to ma...
i cant seem to get the unlock to make it movable :( and its trapped behind my unit frames in its default placing.
|File: Combuctor07-04-08
any luck on getting combuctor moveable, like with ndragit or something?
|File: Dominos06-16-08
love it
but where did the minimap config button go? or am i just blind?
|File: ItemRack 2.16 (Old version don't download)03-04-07
Random problems with 2.0 beta.
What is happening is sometimes i mouse over my rack, and it only shows me the empty slot for each piece, if i reload the ui it fixes it 100% of the time, but then later on it breaks again and i cant seem to figure out what is causing it. so i know this bug report doesnt help much but is it happening to only me? ive tried playing...
|File: VendorValues02-18-07
ive tried
/veva separator (hopin...
ive tried /veva separator (hoping it would toggle) it doesnt ive tried adding off,false,toggle, none of these seem to turn it off :( please help
|File: VendorValues02-17-07
i would like to know how to turn off the "-=-=-==-==-=-=-" stuff i dont need a seperator line and it kinda distracts my attention looking at the tooltip.
|File: aUF_Layouts01-30-07
minor bugs
there seems to be a bug in the nyrtest and buu layouts where the xpbar sticks out to one side.
|File: FuBar - HonorFu10-14-06
Re: WTF
when is the double rep double honor and double wins/losses error going to be fixed? ive tried just about every version and they all do this.
|File: Bongos208-27-06
pet bar problem latest 2 releases.
the pet bar isnt responding to setting rows/colums, the bar is always horizontal regardless, and i used to run a vertical bar. using .25 and .27 found on curse both do this.
|File: TTSpellTimer02-04-06
Re: Results of testing.
How can i simply drag the window around where i want it? ive tried the reset command and its default spot overlaps some of my minimap and buttons. i just wanna drag it a little bit.


text:
Nano Nano
This last week, I was mostly offline, thanks to 75 cents/min for 56k baud modem speed internet on a cruise ship. When I got to port in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, I used the 3G on my phone to tweet and checkin via Foursquare.
But when it came to music, it was all local on my iPod nano (both my 5th gen pictured above and my smaller 6th gen model – both 16gb in size).
When it comes to music in the cloud, I do like Spotify, Amazon Cloud Player and Google Play, but when you don't have a decent connection to the internet, they are useless [with the exception of Spotify if you subscribe to the $10/mo plan, which syncs the music locally to your device]. Which is why I will probably always have music local to my digital media players. In fact, I don't foresee a day anytime soon where I will not want my music locally stored.
Even if it will be a few years before I take another cruise, I find myself in the outdoors and away from a web connection enough times where my local music keeps on playing.
Music Monday: Cloudless by Banal Leakage, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.


text:
Firstly, I want to post up our tentative schedule for the transition. All times are Eastern U.S. Daylight Savings Time, GMT-4.
- Monday July 30, 2012 2 PM--Virtual Table closes down from the Wizards of the Coast website (access to campaigns will close at 11 AM, the campaigns and access to the VT pages will go down at 2)
- Tuesday July 31, 2012 12:01 PM--Deadline for VT users to submit their name for campaign transfer to RPGTable Online (see below)
- Wednesday August 1, 2012 from 9 AM to 3 PM--GameTable Online closes to prepare for the addition of RPGTable Online
- Thursday August 2, 2012 3 PM--RPGTable Online comes up for service!
Business Model:
Access to RPGTable Online will be free for anyone to use. Just register at GameTable Online and you can use RPGTable Online. Along with free access to the game platform users get 3 tile sets, 28 player tokens, and 20 common monster tokens. We have created a virtual store to purchase more objects to use with RPGTO. Prices will be as low as $.30 for a monster token, $1.20 for character tokens, and a few dollars for tile packs. Purchase will be used with the new GTO currency, GTO Gold. GTO Gold is valued at $.06 per Gold Piece.
In addition to the basic Free RPGTable Online experience, we will also be offering a Premium User subscription for as low as $7.99/month. The Premium Subscription will give you repository storage of 50 maps, 50 PCs, 50 uploads per month of user generated images, the ability to share your maps, adventures and characters with other Subscribers, and a monthly allowance of 35 GTO Gold to spend on game pieces. Both Subscribers and non-Subscribers can purchase additional repository slots and art uploads.
Transferring Your VT Campaigns to RPGTable Online:
When the VT closes down but before RPGTable Online launches, GTO will be capturing existing VT campaigns and assigning them to their profile at GameTable Online. To facilitate this transfer, GTO needs to know your Wizards of the Coast Community Site screen name and GTO user name. If you do not have a GTO user name register at http://www.gametableonline.com now and send the needed information to email@example.com. If you have already sent this information, please verify that we got it at viewtopic.php?f=61&t=3655. The deadline for submitting your screen name/user name is Tuesday July 31, 2012 at 12:01 PM, Eastern U.S. Daylight Savings Time (GMT-4).This transfer will be a bulk transfer so we do not need to know your campaign name or count. It will include the participating PCs. If PC's player is not designated, the game master will be able to reassign the character.
Saving Characters from the Dungeons & Dragons Insider Character Builder:
Characters built using the DDi Character Builder can be exported from the DDi site to your local computer and then uploading it in RPGTO campaign. RPGTO has no direct link to the DDi Character Builder but we believe this will allow DDi subscribers to still reap the benefits of the Character Builder.
Game Tokens and Tiles:
Yes! We have more game pieces for your adventures. At this time we have over 300 items in our RPGTO store and art for more being organized. In time we plan to be reaching out to artists and game publishers to include objects to appeal to a variety RPGers.
D&D Monster Data:
Currently we do not have access to official 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons monster data but are working on it.
Adventure Sharing:
If you have a Premium Subscription you will be able save your game in the Repository. You can choose to share with others who also have a Premium Subscription.
Importing Images to Your Campaigns:
This has ability has been built but we are still finalizing the cost. We are still factoring the cost of storing the images and the bandwidth cost. Right now we have storage as part of the subscription and al a carte option for non-subscribers. We are trying to determine if we have to cover the expense for storage, at the upload stage, or at both.
The Relationship with GameTable Online and RPGTable Online:
Rather than fractionalizing the online tabletop game community, GTO has decided to connect the GameTable Online and RPGTable Online game portals. Although they have separate URL addresses, they share the same registration process so with one registration you gain access to both board and role-playing games. Both use the same virtual currency system so the GTO Gold you purchase are in a single account that crosses over to both GTO and RPGTO. GTO users with existing GTO Coins will have those converted into GTO Gold on during the outage on August 1.
RPGTable Online, Dungeons & Dragons, and Other Game Systems:
Part of our agreement with Wizards of the Coast is that RPGTable Online shall not be an official Dungeons & Dragons game portal. As it was originally developed to be for 4th Edition D&D, there are many features designed with it in mind. Neither Wizards nor GTO wanted to throw all of that optimization away so we have it but some of it had to be de-branded. We will be going live with a 4E and a generic character sheet. In time GTO has plans to do similar optimization with other game systems or other versions of D&D. We want to RPGTable Online to be the choice virtual RPG tabletop for all RPG systems. Publishers interested in collaborating with RPGTable Online are welcome to contact us about collaborating at email@example.com.


text:
Don't Have an Account? Join the IHG® Rewards Club
Redeem when you want, for what you want. Your points never expire and there are no blackout dates.
Reward Nights
When redeeming points for a Reward
Night, you may only book one room at a time.
Once you complete your Reward Night
reservation you will be given the option
to duplicate this reservation
* Requires affiliation in the respective organization.
** Best Available Rate Search does not include affiliation rates.
To book more than 9 rooms for one stay or request a quote, please use our Easy Meetings tool, call 1-800-MEETING (in United States, Mexico and Canada) or contact a Global Sales Office.
Welcome to sunny Sao Paulo, home of the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel Sumare Avenue - Sao Paulo. This hotel's location in Sao Paulo, near the Financial District, offers the utmost in comfort and convenience for an affordable price, ensuring a pleasant travel experience.
Business travelers have all the resources they need to be productive when they stay with us. Free Wi-Fi access is provided in every room, and the 24-hour Business Center
View More
Business travelers have all the resources they need to be productive when they stay with us. Free Wi-Fi access is provided in every room, and the 24-hour Business Center provides guests with free local fax, copy and print services. With the Financial District on Av. Paulista less than five kilometers away, guests enjoy an easy commute to and from the many major businesses nearby. Sao Paulo offers many great parks, museums and architectural attractions.
Let the hotel's amenities make your Sao Paulo trip more convenient. Start your day with the free, hot Express Start Breakfast Bar, which serves coffee, local pastries and much more. Host your meetings in one of our four on-site meeting rooms. You can save time and money by staying with us on your next visit to Sao Paulo!
Torchbearer Award
The Torchbearer Award is given to hotels that have achieved the highest level of excellence in all aspects of operations - from quality to customer satisfaction. Created to honor the best of the best as measured by our guests, this award is presented to hotels that raise the bar even further. These outstanding hotels "carry our torch", and represent the highest achievement in quality and service.
Hotel Quality: Excellent
These hotels have received our highest level of guest endorsement, based on scores from our guest satisfaction surveys. Guests evaluate hotels based on the quality of the product, return value and quality of service experienced during their stay.
Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
About IHG
IHG Careers
IHG Global Brands
Explore Hotels
Email Management
Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Cookie Usage


text:
JDRQuest & Co. is a boutique search firm specializing in the hospitality industry. We are hired to recruit potential candidates, provide advice on who to hire, and facilitate making the engagement happen. We provide the critical skill of attracting the candidate that exactly matches our client's job profile and fits into their organization.
Our Guarantee:
JDRQUEST&Co. is confident that our end-to-end service will find you the perfect placement. We offer competitive guarantees. Through personal service, tailored recruitment, and quick results, we help you reach your goals. And we can prove it: our step-by-step executive search process gives structure and accountability to the recruiting engagement.
By using this system we have compiled a 97.1% completion rate and a 98.2% retention ratio.
Our business depends on your satisfaction.


text:
Get the Magazine
Contact Us
In springtime in the Northeast, timber rattlers emerge from their shared dens, dodging snake collectors before setting off to lie in wait for their own prey.
By Ted Levin
I have seen timber rattlesnakes before, mostly on sun-baked talus in western Vermont—dark, with vague markings, or mustard-colored and distinctly banded to merge with the forest floor—but never an incandescent yellow one in the Northeast. This snake stretches out in the morning light, basking on the stone foundation of a building preempted by trees in a forest outside Elmira, New York. Chocolate-colored bands stain the yellow areas and loop its body from head to vent; the tail is black as obsidian. And like most timber rattlesnakes I've seen, this one seems content. No rattling. No threatening coil. No retreat. Not so much as a glance in my direction. Lidless eyes focus on the all or the nothing of a central New York morning, golden spheres each slashed by a vertical black pupil—eyes of the night.
At 52 inches and just over three and a half pounds, Hank, as this guy is known, is big. Of all the rattlesnakes I've encountered in the Northeast, only Travis, Hank's hillside neighbor, a black morph recumbent beneath the overhang of a bramble a quarter of a mile away, is bigger: 52 inches, four and a half pounds, and as thick as the barrel of a baseball bat.
I'm with Rulon Clark, a Utah native who recently completed his doctorate at Cornell University in nearby Ithaca with a dissertation on the communal habitats of timber rattlesnakes. As a child, Clark was attracted to non-fleeing predators and presented public feedings with his menagerie of reptiles and arthropods. "I had tolerant parents," he recalls.
Radio-tracking enables Clark to eavesdrop on timber rattlesnakes during the four or five months when they're away from the den and fanning out for miles across the countryside. Earthly pulses and species-specific biorhythms, formerly understood only by the snakes themselves, govern the reptiles. Using a remote-sensor video, Clark films rattlesnakes as they wait hours, or even days, to ambush the small mammals that are their principal food. He learns where they eat, when they eat, what they eat, and how they eat. And what they do between meals (lounge and digest). Clark's work dispels myths, confirms scientific speculation, and sheds light on unknown aspects of their behavior. It also adds a sense of wonder to the woods and ledges of the Northeast.
Timber rattlesnakes are one of 32 species (and 83 currently recognized subspecies) of rattlesnakes, all restricted to the Western Hemisphere. As a group they are as American as apple pie or, stated more accurately, as Mexican as nachos. Rattlesnakes evolved two million to five million years ago on the plains of north-central Mexico. Fifteen species live in the United States, including 11 in Arizona, four in the East, and two in the Northeast. The northern timber rattlesnake is brown or gray to yellow or black; the front half is stippled in blotches that fuse to crossbands midway down the back. The head is unmarked. The southern form, called the canebrake (a reference to the low-lying wetlands where it often lives), is more colorful: yellowish, pinkish, or brownish with a reddish-brown back stripe that bisects the crossbands, and a dark stripe behind each eye. Both forms have velvet-black tails.
The timber rattler was the first snake encountered by Puritans and the first classified by Linnaeus, who, in 1758, named a Manhattan specimen Crotalus horridus, a reference to the animal's "musical rattle" and "bristling" or "scaly texture" (not to its supposed temperament). The snake was written about far out of proportion to its usefulness. In 1612, describing clothing worn by Virginia Indians, Captain John Smith made the first reference to a rattlesnake in English: "Some on their heads weare the wing of a bird or some large feather, with a Rattel. Those Rattels are like the chape of a Rapier but lesse, which they take from the taile of snake."
Benjamin Franklin promoted the snake as a cultural icon in 1751, when he wrote "Rattlesnakes for Felons," an essay that suggested the colonies export the snakes to London in retaliation for the King's unloading British felons on the colonies. From 1776 to 1778 Esek Hopkins, the first commander-in-chief of the American Navy, flew a yellow flag with a coiled timber rattlesnake that bore the now-famous motto "Don't Tread on Me."
The timber rattlesnake as positive symbol for youthful America did not last long. Originally found in 31 states, from east Texas to Minnesota and from northern Florida to New England, as well as in southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec, timber rattlesnakes have been extirpated in Maine, Rhode Island (in the 1980s), and Michigan, and are on the verge of vanishing from New Hampshire. In fact, New Hampshire has seven hills, one point, and one island named "rattlesnake" but only one active den, and that lies between Concord and Manchester, the state's urban center. My home state of Vermont, an acknowledged center of forward thinking and environmental justice, paid a bounty for timber rattlesnakes from 1894 to 1971—a dollar a tail—then listed them as an endangered species in 1987. Our own view of rattlesnakes is more venomous than the snakes themselves. In the recorded history of Vermont, only a single fatal snakebite is reported: A weathered tombstone in Putney reads "Killed by a Serpente."
Rulon Clark's snakes live at distribution's northern edge for the entire rattlesnake tribe and continue to roll evolution's dice, gambling that in a landscape with little competition they can survive and reproduce during a truncated growing season. In the Northeast, timber rattlesnakes den in precise locations—microclimates—where the heat of the sun warms southeast- or southwest-facing rock outcroppings, usually steep talus slopes above exposed ledges. Deep fissures allow the snakes access to frost-free subterranean chambers, where they ball together (sometimes by the hundreds) to prevent both freezing and desiccation. Den sites (called hibernacula) are the limiting factor in their distribution, and these long-lived, slow-reproducing reptiles do not quickly repopulate depleted dens.
A female timber rattlesnake reaches sexual maturity at nine or ten, reproducing only at three-, four-, and five-year intervals. Only a few adult females are able to reproduce more than twice in their lifetimes. Gravid snakes stay near the den all summer, basking and fasting, living like monks off the proceeds of long forgotten meals. It takes years to recover from the pregnancy. Six to ten very vulnerable young, born in late summer, remain near their mother until the crisp air of October ushers them all below ground.
On a warm day in late April or May, in the company of Alcott Smith, a retired veterinarian who monitors Vermont rattlesnakes, I might see 20 or more snakes around the mouth of a den, waiting with the patience of Job for nights to warm. They then disperse up the ledges or down the valleys and wander in serpentine loops across miles of woods and wetlands, feeding and slithering, until the chill of late August lures them toward the den. Big males leave first, then non-breeding females and young. Pregnant females stay behind and bask—which is a problem.
Northern timber rattlesnakes sell for a hundred dollars or more on the black market. A den I visited with Alcott, owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy, was pillaged by collectors who could easily sack 10 or more snakes in a day. The same trait that made the snakes susceptible to bounty hunters makes them susceptible to collectors: predictability. If you know where a den is, snakes will be there in season, entwined and basking, benign and vulnerable.
One poacher, Rudy Komarek, an itinerant car washer and carny, has removed more than 9,000 timber rattlesnakes from dens, mostly in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, since the 1950s. Eighty-one and the self-proclaimed "Cobra King," Komarek has a website (currently offline) from which he sells maps to snake dens and offers private rattlesnake-collecting trips (prices start at $5,000). He also runs an ad for a "young, slender female" who enjoys "travel, adventure, hiking, and mountains."
Komarek has appeared on the The Tonight Show, CNN, and the front page of The Wall Street Journal. He also appears on wanted posters in New York—he skipped bail, then fled the state when he was apprehended for poaching snakes in Harriman State Park. His snake-collecting license was revoked in Pennsylvania; he was deported from Kansas for possession of timber rattlesnakes; he served numerous stints in jail and paid numerous fines, including four months in a federal prison and a $2,500 fine for trafficking timber rattlesnakes; and he was arrested for possession of illegal weapons (baby timber rattlers) in connection with the placement of three baby rattlers in the home of a woman who was at odds with a friend of Komarek's. The woman survived, and Komarek spent three months in jail for the crime.
Komarek once sent Skidmore College herpetologist William Brown a photograph of two boxes of captive timber rattlesnakes. A handwritten note on the reverse side of the picture read: "Bill, We heard about your problem being bitten in the leg the SECOND time, so we ellimated the problem! In the future leave the collecting of poisonus snakes to the experts.
"Speaking of the future, we will be collecting many poisonus snakes in he future as there's much money to be made! In case you're wondering, ther are 62 snakes in the boxes (2 days hunting)."
To torment biologists, when Komarek visits a study site he often moves den rocks around to disrupt and destroy habitat. In retaliation, Brown has distributed poaching posters across the Northeast, given talks about Komarek's illegal activities, and co-written an article about Komarek's poaching activities that appeared in The Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society. (As Audubon went to press, word came out that Komarek had died of a massive heart attack.)
On April 21 and again on April 28, I joined Alcott Smith at each of Vermont's three snake dens. Two were remote; one was along a ledge above a busy state highway. The sound of passing cars filled the valley. At all three dens snakes were either basking or moving unseen through the talus, scales scraping rock. At one site, the slope above the marsh, snakes were tinged orange, stained by a veneer of iron oxide—rust—that coated the iron-rich talus. The snakes were adults, smaller than Hank and Travis but large by Vermont standards, 35 to 40 inches. In a week or two the neonates (or newborns) and pregnant females would be out.
We returned on May 28 and found only small rattlesnakes, a year or two old, and one pregnant female, lounging in the sunshine beneath a balcony of rock. Eight oval embryos, like beans in a pod, firm and growing, crowded her abdominal cavity. There was no room for food.
In the woods beyond the ledge, Alcott found a three-foot-long rattlesnake coiled against the trunk of a red oak. The snake was outside a denning zone, en route to a life obscured by the oak–hornbeam woods of western Vermont, feeding and moving and basking. If someone (like us) found this snake, it would be quite by accident, which is why Rulon Clark's research in central New York so intrigues me.
Clark, carrying a collapsible antenna, radio-tracks the snakes as day length and the unseen scent trails of potential prey and other rattlesnakes guide them. After watching Hank sunbathe, which is analogous to watching a length of gorgeous, thick cable, Clark carefully captures the snake with aluminum snake tongs, a utilitarian cross between a golf putter and pliers. He coaxes Hank into a Plexiglas tube. I hold the rear half of the snake, rough and muscular, while Clark examines the front half, safely stowed in the see-through tube. A scar on the lower jaw, likely the mark of an aggressive and desperate mouse or chipmunk, is all that's unseemly. We return Hank to the foundation and he pours down the stones, disappearing into a cowlick of brambles.
Back in Ithaca for lunch, Clark opens a laptop, downloads the snake-surveillance videos, and then plays snippets of the hidden lives of timber rattlesnakes for me. The sequences are short, seconds really. A mouse runs over a snake, peeks into the camera lens, then hops away, unscathed. A gray squirrel runs past the snake, leaps away, then returns to torment its incubus, jumping, chattering, flicking its bushy tail, just beyond strike range—half the length of the rattlesnake. As long as the squirrel hurls its insults, the serpent, cryptic or no, will surprise nothing. The footage reminds me of crows or jays mobbing an owl, only the squirrel is a lot closer to the business end of the rattlesnake.
Next, head against a log, a rattlesnake waits in ambush—a snake chooses a potential feeding site using its tongue to detect the odor of prey. If log or runway or burrow smells (tastes) promising, the snake stays. Instead of a mouse, a long-tailed weasel, perhaps attracted by the same cocktail of odors, appears on screen and is struck on the hip—a blur even when the video is slowed down.
The stricken weasel then leaps out of view, also a blur. A strike covers a distance of a few inches to more than a foot. From start to finish it takes less than half a second. If a marathon runner could contract his leg muscles at the same rate and expend as little energy as a rattling rattlesnake, he would complete a 26-mile race in less than eight and a half minutes.
After several minutes the rattlesnake slowly unravels, tongue extended, reading the air, then moves off-screen to swallow the weasel, which is already being digested from the inside out by enzymes in the venom. Prey is usually consumed head first, slowly and methodically, like most things a rattlesnake does. After a meal, the snake relaxes and then, driven by hunger, moves to another promising site. And waits. And waits. For mice usually—white-footed, deer, meadow voles, red-backed voles, pine voles—and shrews, chipmunks, squirrels, and cottontails. And sometimes nosy birds, like catbirds. When a timber rattlesnake strikes a bird, it hangs on until the bird stops struggling. Unlike a fleeing mammal, a bird that flies away before dying would be difficult, if not impossible, to track.
On one of Clark's videos a horned owl checks out a rattlesnake as its own possible meal. On another, a deer vents, prancing and pawing the ground, utterly disrupting the snake's solitude. On my favorite video, an unsuspecting hiker finds the remote camera, performs for the lens, his wide-angle, face-full smile like the Cheshire Cat's, his left foot inches from a coiled, yet placid, rattlesnake.
Freelance writer Ted Levin lives in Vermont.
Back to Top


text:
Robert Higgs on the Logic of Crisis and Leviathan and Why It Still Holds
Recorded: Monday, February 17, 2014
On February 17, 2014 Robert Higgs presented this speech as part of the ongoing Economic Liberty Lecture Series, a joint project of The Future of Freedom Foundation and the George Mason University Economics Society.
Check out Higgs' book Crisis and Leviathan.
Experts: Robert HiggsType: TelevisionIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Freedom, Government Power, Political Ideology and Philosophy, Politics, Privacy
David J. Theroux Discusses Libertarianism on WichitaLiberty.TV
Recorded: Sunday, December 1, 2013
Independent Institute Founder and President, David J. Theroux discusses libertarianism and gives liberty-based perspectives on current events with host Bob Weeks on WichitaLiberty.TV.
Experts: David J. TherouxType: TelevisionIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Culture/ Society, Free Market Economics, Freedom, Political Ideology and Philosophy
The State Is Too Dangerous to Tolerate
Recorded: Saturday, July 27, 2013
Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and author of Delusions of Power, speaks at the 2013 Mises University, hosted by the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on 27 July 2013.
Experts: Robert HiggsType: TelevisionIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Defense and Foreign Policy, Government Power, Political Ideology and Philosophy
Civil Liberties and Security in an Age of Terrorism
Recorded: Thursday, July 18, 2013
Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism: A special evening with our "Challenge of Liberty Summer Seminars" students and featured by C-SPAN's Book TV. Watch this eye-opening, timely discussion on the recent revelations of systematic government spyingincluding NSA accessing of phone records, USPS photocopying the exterior of all mail, and the dangers posed to liberty and security by these and other such unchecked and unconstitutional powers.
Experts: Anthony Gregory, Robert Higgs, Mary L. G. TherouxType: Independent Institute EventIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Defense and Foreign Policy, Privacy, Terrorism and National Crises
Full Video of The Independent Institutes 25th Anniversary Gala for Liberty
Recorded: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Part 1 |
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Full Video of The Independent Institutes 2011 25th Anniversary Gala for Liberty held November 15, 2011.
Part 1: Introductory Remarks and Tribute to Robert Higgs
Part 2: Tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa
Part 3: History of The Independent Institute and Fund for the Future
Part 4: Tribute to Lech Walesa
Part 5: Special Tributes, Sponsors, and Credits
Experts: Leszek Balcerowicz, Price V. Fishback, Robert Higgs, Ron Paul, Jorge Quiroga, David J. Theroux, Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, Mario Vargas Llosa, Lech Wałęsa, Yuri Yarim-AgaevType: Independent Institute EventIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Business, Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Defense and Foreign Policy, Democracy, Economic History and Development (U.S.), Economic Policy, Government Power, History (International), History (U.S), Latin America, Nationalism, Political Ideology and Philosophy, Politics, Privatization, Property Rights, Terrorism and National Crises
Highlights from the Independent Institutes 25th Anniversary Gala for Liberty
Recorded: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Part 1 |
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Highlights from the Independent Institutes 2011 25th Anniversary Gala for Liberty held November 15, 2011.
Part 1: Robert Higgs accepting the Alexis de Tocqueville Award
Part 2: Tribute from Ron Paul
Part 3: Tribute from Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Part 4: Tribute from Leszek Balcerowicz
Experts: Leszek Balcerowicz, Robert Higgs, Ron Paul, Archbishop Desmond M. TutuType: Independent Institute EventIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Economic History and Development (U.S.), Government Power
Is U.S. Justice Broken?
Recorded: Thursday, December 9, 2010
From fingerprinting to criminal sentencing, from lawyer licensing to judicial selection, and from eminent domain to wealth transfers via class-action lawsuits, how do perverse incentives impact the law and what reforms would create a more just and efficient legal system?
Experts: David D. Friedman, Alex Kozinski, Edward J. López, David J. TherouxType: Independent Institute EventIssues: Crime, Criminal Justice/ Prisons, Law Enforcement
Edward López with David Theroux on the New Book, The Pursuit of Justice
Recorded: Thursday, December 9, 2010
Independent Institute Research Fellow Edward Lopéz, Associate Professor of Law and Economics at San Jose State University and editor of the new Institute book The Pursuit of Justice, talks with Institute President David Theroux about the faulty incentives at the heart of government legal failures and whether market-based alternatives can provide viable solutions to the serious problems caused by the bureaucratization and politicization of the law.
Experts: Edward J. López, David J. TherouxType: RadioIssues: Criminal Justice/ Prisons, Law Enforcement, Privatization


text:
Wise Words: Getting through the Hard Times
Heres a little bit of inspiration to make your day fun, fabulous and full of joy: People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles. Emily Dickinson
Special Offer
Ask whatever's on your mind—and get answers from our community and the Woman's Day editors!get started
No thanks, continue without linking accounts.Continue
Your information has been saved and an account has been created for you giving you full access to everything womansday.com and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your username and/or password or complete your profile, click here.Continue
You now have full access to everything Woman's Day and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your settings or profile, click here.Continue


text:
Syd the Kyd Could Be Hip-Hop's Next Lesbian Icon
By Adam Rathe
Syd was born Sydney Bennett and grew up in Los Angeles. As a child, she played piano and loved sports. She wanted to play in the WNBA when she grew up. Although she made the JV basketball team in her freshman year of high school, she quit before the first game. "Everybody was mad at me for quitting, but I just didn't want to play anymore," she says. "I wanted to make music."
Armed with a laptop and a copy of GarageBand, Syd started to record her neighbor, Tyrone, an aspiring rapper. She stocked up on used equipment on Craigslist and took odd jobs to buy what she needed for a proper studio. Her goal, she says, was to copy Jay-Z's clean, radio-friendly sound.
Her makeshift studio moved from her bedroom, where she was charging local acts by the hour to record, to a vacant apartment above her parents' garage.
When Odd Future's Hodgy Beats came in by chance, his session led to meeting the entire group. Nobody officially asked her to join. The guys came to record and stayed, she says, and a few months later, when Syd's brother asked Tyler if she was part of Odd Future, he said yes.
"It was great being able to be a part of a group that makes music that you genuinely like," she says. "You don't have to front, you know? It felt really natural."
Syd started as a mixing engineer for the group. She didn't share her beats with the boys. She thought that when they started making money, they would move on to a more accomplished engineer. That never happened.
"In the studio, I was the only girl," she says. "Part of it was because I was a tomboy; another part was because they were the only ones making music. Rather than make myself special, as a female producer, I'd rather compete with the boys. I'm not a female producer. I'm a producer. I'm just as good as this dude."
Her position within Odd Future was cemented as the group began to play more gigs and found itself in need of a DJ. After arranging to receive a cheap set-up as a Christmas gift, Syd taught herself to spin and became part of the live show.
"Even before I was in O.F., they had a local following -- it was mostly Internet-based, but it was very real," says Syd. Still, "there was a point in time where we all hit a break wall. It was like, 'What are we going to do?' "
The answer, she says, was outreach. Sure, the group could put stuff on their blog and leave it for fans to find -- a cool-kids move that kept them from looking hard-up for attention—but that didn't increase the number of people listening to their work. So Syd created a promotion company, made a logo, and started sending out releases about the band's music and live shows.
Blogs became obsessed, music executives hounded them, and then The New Yorker ran a story on the alleged mystery of Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt, who had supposedly gone missing but was really shipped off to boarding school by his overprotective mother.
"The combination of their talent and teen rebellion, and the fact that they were very young and vital kids coming at rap in a different way [was compelling]," says Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, a journalist who's covered the group since the early days. "And also because their imagery was extreme and shocking."
The attention heaped upon the group drew in not just the media, but the music industry. "Everyone was more interested in Tyler than the group," Syd says. "Thankfully, we have a leader who values his group. He knows that he didn't do this alone, even though he plays the biggest part in it. He didn't leave us behind—he always had our back."
It hasn't always been easy to return the favor. In May of 2011, after Goblin, his slur-laden album, was released, Tyler got into what now seems like a typical tussle.
Canadian lesbian twin rockers Tegan & Sara took him to task by way of a post on their website. The duo referred to his "misogynistic and homophobic ranting and raving" as "vile" and encouraged others to ignore his Pitchfork-approved hip factor and speak out against him. Tyler responded in a tweet: "If Tegan And Sara Need Some Hard Dick, Hit Me Up!"
A rep for Tegan & Sara tells Out that they're not open to discussing the incident, but Tyler went on to defend himself with the favored Odd Future method of blaming those offended for being too uptight.
"I'm not homophobic," he told The Guardian. "I just say 'faggot' and use 'gay' as an adjective to describe stupid shit." (Tyler had agreed to speak to Out and explain himself, but after many attempts to schedule the interview, it never happened.)
Shepherd, who's traveled with the band, says, "They're not just saying words that people find offensive; they do it because people find it offensive. Their vocabulary pushes the limit, and they like to get a rise out of people. I think they are going to mature out of it. I don't think they, as a crew, are actively homophobic."
Matt Martians, an Odd Future member who plays with Syd in The Internet, backs that statement up.
"The energy going on isn't hate. If you're around us, we're probably the least homophobic group you could make," he says. "Syd's gay, but nobody makes fun of her, and nothing is ever a problem."
Mindy Abovitz, the editor of Tom Tom magazine, which is dedicated to female drummers, says that paying attention is the mistake people are making. Abovitz's magazine canceled a story on Syd after the video for The Internet's "Cocaine" -- which depicts Syd as she meets a girl at a carnival, blows lines, and then tosses her from a car -- was released. The writer assigned the piece chronicled the ordeal on a popular lesbian culture blog, calling Syd "careless and offensive."
"We finally have an empowered, talented, young black queer female artist," says Abovitz, "and she is performing and presenting as a misogynistic dude. Perhaps we need to take the limelight off the artists that are doing us a disservice."
Syd balks at the criticism. "All the stuff that people got mad about, I just took with a grain of salt," she says. "I respect everyone's argument, but at the same time, I have counter arguments. The main [complaint] was, 'You're portraying lesbians in a bad light and you're saying all they do is drugs and they're so mean, they kick people out of cars.' That's totally not what I was trying to say. I mean, why would I say that about myself?"
As far as being a role model goes, she says she prefers for girls to look up to her for her accomplishments than because she fits into someone else's idea of what she should be. In a recent interview with L.A. Weekly, Syd also lamented the lack of queer female artists for her to idolize and accused Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and Alicia Keys of being closeted.
"People like me, and they want me to be flattered," Syd says. "I'll try my best, but I think my biggest message to them would be, 'Don't make gender a big deal. Let your work speak for itself.' My message is, 'Be you. I'm gonna be me, watch me be me. You might not agree with everything I do or say, but I hope that I can inspire you to say what you want and do what makes you feel happy.' "


text:
Graphic Design Blog – An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers Archives
If you can't find what you are looking for, try searching for it below:
Graphic Design Blog – An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers Archives
If you can't find what you are looking for, try searching for it below:
Lately, I came across a project posted on the inspirational site behance.net termed "The Greatest Brandversations". This incredibly creative assignment was completed by Stefan Asafti, a designer from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The project visually portrays a sort of a brand war between famous brands. The designer has taken two top rivals from 5 different ...
In my last post on famous brands that don't sell what they tell, I highlighted how many companies prefer naming their brands unrelated to what they actually sell. As I thought a little more on the subject, I wondered how brands would appear had they employed literal symbols to depict their logo design. For example, ...
Who says graphic design isn't fun? On the contrary, being a graphic and logo designer is quite a thrilling and entertaining profession in itself. Just last week, I managed to find some leisure time and decided on playing with famous corporate identities. The Idea came up when I thought of some major corporate mergers this year. I thought…why not visualize some other famous corporate mergers myself. ...
Which brand comes to your mind first when you see the letter "M"? I bet "McDonalds" is what strikes your mind. Undeniably, some of the biggest brands have built their entire reputation on a single letter. That is precisely the case with top brands like McDonalds, Honda, Unilever and QuickTime. Sometimes " simplicity ...
|Top 10 Designers
|Projects Won