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Liz Benjamin
Reader 1: East - Air Winter is the time for cold winds and freezing breezes. Spirits of the air, be with us today.
Reader 2: South - Fire Winter is the time for sitting in front of roaring fires for warmth, and blazing candles for light. Spirits of fire, be with us today.
Reader 3: West - Water Winter is the time of snow, of water turning to ice, and Jack Frost nipping at us. Spirits of the water, be with us today.
Reader 4: North - Earth Winter is the time when the earth is bare, and most trees have no leaves. No food is growing now. Spirits of the earth, be with us today.
In the greatest darkness Out of winter's cold From our deepest fears When we most despair When all seems lost When the earth lies waste When animals hide When the leaves are gone When the river is frozen When the ground is hard Shadows are fleeing Light is returning Warmth will come again Summer will be here once more Plants will grow again Animals will be seen once more Green will come again Life will continue
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Last updated on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.
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This actually was not heavy enough for my very thick curly, shoulder length hair. I mixed a very generous amount of the cream with Deva gel, and my hair dried into an afro. My hair wasn't too frizzy but there was a lot of shrinkage and my curls looked awful and tight.
I have fine hair that is curly, but mostly the underneath part. I bought this in my attempt to be kinder to my hair and wear it curly (versus blowing it dry straight and flat ironing it). This doesn't keep my curls "shapely and resilient" like the bottle says. It makes my hair look greasy and weighed down.
my hair is neither thin nor fine, but no matter how little i use of this stuff it makes my wavy/curly hair stringy, greasy and flat. it also leaves a film-y residue on my hair that begs to be washed out. the smell is sickly sweet and lingers.
I had been hearing about this for years but hadn't tried it - there are always so many products to try, and it is pretty pricey. But I finally got around to it, and hoped that it would be my HG. Unfortunately, it's not.
I had high hopes. My 3b curls looked great initially, either using a blow dryer w/diffuser or letting my hair air dry. But halfway through the day, I started to look like an unkempt poodle. My curls were fluffy and voluminous, but in a dry and out-of-control way.
I wash my hair every other day, and Day 2 with this was hard to handle. Typically, I will add a little product to revive my curls; adding this was out of the question, and adding other products was ok, but still not ideal. Basically, my hair was big and fluffy. Very curly, and pretty unruly.
My biggest complaint, though, is that it left my hair gross to the touch. It left a gritty film that I just didn't like. It's also pretty expensive and rather drying. I had even less shine than normal when I used this. I tried it for about two weeks before giving up.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
this is my holy grail product. i have very thin hair (few hairs per square inch), very fine hair (thin hair shaft), and wavy-to-curly hair. usually very frizzy.
this stuff defines my curls, controls my frizz, and leaves my hair soft and bouncy. but the key is all in the application: i.e. use VERY little.
my hair is very long, down to my bra strap. i take only a dime-sized amount of this product AT MOST, rub my hands together, and then bend over and work it in from root to tip, starting at the back of my head and moving forward. the front/top of my scalp gets the least amount of product. if you have shorter hair, you'll want to use even less product.
i think the price on this is super reasonable because one bottle has lasted me two years and there's still 1/4 left. very little goes a long way.
this is miles better than ANY mousse i've used and was much better than the fekkai curl creme. i'm not totally thrilled that this is a silicone-based product, which is notoriously bad for curly hair and fine hair, but honestly, if i use it the right way (super sparingly) i get really great results.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
My sister's salon carries Bumble and Bumble and she gave me some of this. While I notice a good shine without the help of serums and a soft texture, it takes longer for my hair to dry (even with a blow dry balm) and is easier to overuse. If your hair is dry or thicker and more course this might be worth looking into. Otherwise use sparingly. Another problem, Bumble and Bumble is owned by Estee Lauder.
I first started using this because my stylist recommended it. I have been using it for two years now. It did take me a few tries to get it to do what I wanted. Unlike previous reviews I do not feel like this weighs down my hair but I have learned that you only need to use a small amount of product. I keep my hair length between a bob and my shoulder and at most I need a small dime size drop to work. Since you need to use so little a bottle lasts me close to a year which justifies the cost to me. I have even used this on my sister who only has wavy hair and have seen great results. Overall this is a product that takes practice using but once you get it you have natural soft defined curls.
This over priced creme does nothing for my very curly fine hair. I had high hopes because of the high price and even the name of the product - says right on the label, 'defining creme for fine curls'
Just seems to weigh my hair down. I think this might work for curly hair, just not FINE curly hair.

subset: commoncrawl


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Classified Staff Council
Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2003
PRESENT: Diana Phillips, President; Heather Shumate, Elizabeth McCutcheon, Beverly Jones, Louella Rennie, Ann Lester, Steve Leach
There may be an additional election if council approves the original alternates: Nancy Parks and Katiy Hartzell.
Classified Employee of the Year: The council plans to meet weekly to plan the Classified Employee of the Year Award Luncheon. The date chosen for this is October 22.
• Diana Phillips will contact the President's office for his availability.
• President Bradley has agreed council can meet weekly to plan the luncheon.
• The availability of the Dining Hall, Aladdin.
• Ballroom is available for luncheon.
• Diana will talk with Georgeann in the print shop for printing.
• We still have the decorations used before. Should we ask for donations again?
• We will sell raffle tickets for three parking passes. Two passes will be purchased by council and one will be donated by Rick Porto-Finance.
• Consider raffle for a computer, as done before. Ann Lester will ask H.L. Heaster.
Steve Leach said the budget is usually $500 and will check with Mort Gamble. He will see if there is Staff Development money for this. Gifts to be given from the $500 gift from the Foundation, one gift to family, one to classified.
The new constitution is on the web and minutes are to be sent to Chuck Manly.
Diana will represent Classified Staff at the Board of Governors meetings. The next meeting is October 2, 2003.
The budget committee will meet next week to begin discussion on where to take more budget cuts. Some options could be: Restricted or non-restricted budget cuts, Operations, Travel, Equipment, Indirect Costs, and programs. Summer School could be considered, could we be closed for one month. If so, would a low-earnings slip be given? Instructors receive five pays in summer. Also, not hiring replacements.
FSC has approximately 474 full-time employees, with 173 Classified, 93 non-classified, 192 faculty, including over 200 adjuncts, 60 part-time employees, and 6-8 Kelley employees. Discussion about how a 9 percent budget cut would affect the 4 year vs. 2 year schools and how budget cuts would be split.
Council will meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2:00 p.m., room 309Ed to begin planning the Employee of Year luncheon.


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Living Like Kings is an exhibition that explores the surprising ways in which the ancient game of chess intersects with the powerful, creative expression in hip hop culture, which includes music, fashion, art, dance, and spirituality.
"The concept for Living Like Kings began when WCHOF's team was introduced to Adisa Banjoko, an author and educator who founded the nonprofit Hip Hop Chess Federation in San Francisco, CA. Adisa fuses chess and hip hop to promote peace, knowledge, and self-reliance among young people. This has been the inspiration for our ground-breaking art exhibition," said Shannon Bailey, chief curator at the World Chess Hall of Fame.
The exhibition is centered on an immersive, multimedia experience created by Saint Louis artist Benjamin Kaplan. Executive produced by Nicole Hudson and commissioned by the WCHOF, the installation includes archival and original video, music and photography, custom-designed type and illustration, and a series of interviews. Kaplan weaves these pieces together to create a linear narrative that will literally surround visitors in sound and sight using inventive projection techniques.
Kaplan's piece is approximately 25 minutes in length and will be shown in WCHOF's first floor gallery. It touches on themes that chess and hip hop share: history, strategy, spirituality, process, creativity, education, and symbolism. Interviewees for the piece include Banjoko, International Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Eugene Brown (founder of Big Chair Chess Club, Inc.), Dr. Daaim Shabazz (founder of thechessdrum.net), and woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade. The first floor gallery also contains murals depicting chess clocks and boomboxes created by Peat "EYEZ" Wollaeger.
Learning Lab
WCHOF's second floor gallery will serve as a companion Learning Lab for the Living Like Kings exhibition. The lab will allow visitors to participate in the show through interactive music and video stations, hands-on art opportunities, and educational presentations.
The Learning Lab will open with graffiti-inspired exhibitions by two local artists. Street Beautification is an exhibition of photographs by Adrian O. Walker featuring powerful images of graffiti from the St. Louis area showcase an art form that many consider vandalism, but is often beautiful and extremely vibrant.
Artist Daniel Burnett is curating the development of a series of murals that will be created by a team of artists throughout the run of Living Like Kings. Each month, a new artist will create a work based upon a different chess piece, beginning with Burnett's images of the pawn. Subsequent months will feature work by Christopher Burch, Ruben Aguirre, Ben Pierce, Stan Chisholm, and Nice & Lucx.
B-boy images © Patrick Lanham
More information coming soon!
Living Like Kings Exhibition Press Release
1/22/15: Fox2Now — HipSwing at World Chess Hall of Fame (Video)
1/20/15: STLToday.com — HipSwing event taking place at World Chess Hall of Fame by Kevin Johnson
1/8/15: I Heart Buffets — Stills from Living Like Kings
1/7/15: STLCurator — Through the Eyes of Peat Wollaeger, St. Louis Stencil Artist
1/1/15: St. Louis Public Radio — On Chess: 2014 Proved Banner Year For Chess In St. Louis
12/2/14: The Chess Drum — "Living Like Kings"… a royal treat!
12/1/14: KDHX — Shannon Bailey and Benjamin Kaplan, "Living Like Kings" (Podcast)
10/19/14: Hot 104.1 — RZA & Adisa Banjoko Panel Discussion
10/16/14: Riverfront Times — Living Like Kings Multimedia Exhibit Links Chess and Hip-Hop
10/16/14: ALIVE Magazine — Q&A With RZA: Hip-Hop Pioneer, Wu-Tang Clan Founder And Chess Player
10/16/14: Vibe — We Rode Around St. Louis With RZA Playing Wu-Tang's New 'A Better Tomorrow' LP And Preaching Chess Lessons
10/15/14: ALIVE Magazine — World Chess Hall Of Fame "Living Like Kings" Opening Night
10/11/14: Beta's Block — Tef Poe (@TefPoe) spitting to Wu-Tang's RZA at the World Chess Hall Of Fame
10/10/14: The Chess Drum — HHCF and WCHOF present "Living Like Kings"
10/10/14: ArtDaily.org — Living Like Kings: The unexpected collision of chess and Hip Hop culture at the World Chess Hall of Fame
10/9/14: ALIVE Magazine — World Chess Hall Of Fame Premieres 'Living Like Kings' Tonight
10/9/14: The St. Louis Egotist — #ShitToHit TONIGHT: Living Like Kings Opening Reception - The Unexpected Collision of Chess & Hip Hop @WorldChessHOF
10/9/14: St. Louis Public Radio — Worlds Collide: Hip-Hop And Chess At The World Chess Hall Of Fame
10/8/14: STLToday.com — Rapper RZA speaking on panel bringing together youth issues and chess
10/8/14: West End Word — "Living Like Kings" At Chess Hall Of Fame
10/2/14: Ebony — Hip-Hop Chess Federation Makes Grandmaster Moves
10/1/2014: St. Louis Jewish Light — All the Right Moves
10/2014: ALIVE Magazine — Hip Hop Happening
10/2014: ALIVE Magazine — 7 Things to Do This Month: Live Like Royalty
9/29/14: I Heart Buffets — THE KING'S REMIX by Benjamin Kaplan
9/23/14: STL Hip Hop — Living Like Kings: The Unexpected Collision of Chess and Hip Hop Culture (Press Release)
7/16/14: STLCurator — The World Chess Hall of Fame Attracts … Hip-Hop and Fashion Lovers?
Living Like Kings Exhibition Brochure


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Hoku was at daycare and Billy and Ging needed to get some things done so Dallas and I watched Damien for a bit. It was no big deal, really. He is pretty independent and mostly just played with Makai. We did take both of the boys to the beach for a while. Dallas and Damien ran around and played a lot. I hung out with Makai, but closer by the water. Not so close that he'd get sprayed in the face again, though! He actually seemed to be warming up to the beach a little bit. .. but also.. he was eating sand by the handfuls if I wasn't watching him every single second! Damien dug Makai a tidepool that he could sit and splash in. Then it started to rain so we headed back to the house (only a half block away! Billy and Ging are so lucky!).
Ging made us salmon for lunch and we all sat down and ate a nice meal. Then we had to pack up and leave. It was our last day in Waimanalo. We'd see Billy and Ging again on the trip but we wouldn't see Damien and Hoku so that was kind of sad. All of the kids were having so much fun together.
We rented a condo on Lewers in Waikiki. It was 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and we were sharing it with Dallas's parents. We moved over to Honolulu to be closer to the nighttime events taking place for the Kamehameha Schools alumni week. Dallas's parents were going to babysit and having a place closer to the city would mean much shorter drives home at night.
The condo was very nice and the guy who met us and let us in was great. Our only issue was that we didn't have anywhere for Makai to sleep, so we ended up building him a makeshift bed/fort with a stack of blankets on the living room rug surrounded by all of the throw pillows from the whole condo. It worked out ok, actually. Not ideal, but it worked.
Dallas's friends were calling as soon as we arrived. It was the talent show night and while we missed the show, there was an after party up at the dorms. I couldn't go because Dallas's parents weren't on Oahu yet, but Dallas went up and saw everyone. He told me that someone in the class of '89 was a Heineken rep and got 25 kegs (for 25 years). Crazy. I think it was gone within a couple days, actually!
Dallas's parent's flight came in later and they made it to the condo around 11 p.m. Dallas was out much later!
I love Kauai, but where we were staying in Waimea, it is definitely the country. The population in Waimea is about 1,700 people and the family house is down a long driveway and secluded. Waimanalo was really nice too. But again, really small. About 5,000 people live in Waimanalo. And when we spent time on Oahu's North Shore.. that's definitely the country. Say what you will about Waikiki, but after having lived in huge cities for the past 12+ years, it felt comfortable to be back in Honolulu. A good way to start to transition back into "real life" as our vacation was starting to come to a close.


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Archive for February 3, 2013
Christ Is Among Us
It is so easy for Christians to get discouraged these days. To be honest, I find myself getting discouraged a lot – it seems as if we have lost battle after battle in this new age, "do whatever feels good" time in which we are living. In fact, I often find myself meditating on the life of the early Christians – when the penalty for practicing one's faith was death. But, I am so happy to report that my soul has been renewed and encouraged over the past few weeks. I have been sick lately (spent 5 days in the hospital) and I can not tell you how full my heart is from the outpouring of love that I have felt from those around me. Yes, my friends and family have been phenomenal. However, it is the kindness of absolute strangers that has shaken me to my core. And, I can only come to the conclusion that Christ is among us. There is no doubt that He is still here fighting along side us, drying our tears, and even working miracles.
Today, although I am supposed to be resting at home and recuperating, I had a deep yearning to get to Mass. I had to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. But, I was not well. I pushed myself to get ready and by the time we arrived at our parish, I was exhausted. I sent my family in ahead of me while I sat in the car to get my bearings. With only a few minutes before Mass would begin, I pushed myself to get out of the car and to walk inside. When I got to the narthex, I almost passed out. And, sure enough, someone was there to catch me. I barely recognized the face at first, but it was my friend and she walked me in side. It was almost is if Christ knew how desperately I wanted to be in His presence and He sent her to help me at the very moment I needed it.
Well, it seemed as if we were walking miles. When we stepped inside the Sanctuary, I saw my family seated near the front and I thought to myself, "Can I make it that far?" My friend whispered in my ear, "The Father has us now." Those words touched my heart like you would not believe and I thought about the woman who had to touch the hem of His garment as we slowly made it to the pew.
I am so grateful for each person who has shown me Christ through them. And, I pray, that I am able to show others Christ through my actions.
Happy Stitching! God Bless!


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Clue: Ancient Egyptian rulers
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Having wowed audiences as the big bad in both
The Avengers
, Tom Hiddleston won't be the sole antagonist in
Thor: The Dark World
, with Malekith the Accursed also set to be introduced to proceedings.
Played by Christopher Eccleston, Malekith is another malcontent with designs on absolute power, and is hatching a wicked plan to throw the Nine Realms into chaos. And according to Hiddleston, Eccleston pulls it off brilliantly.
"Christopher Eccleston is one of Britain's greatest actors," says Hiddleston to
Red Carpet News TV
). "He brings a degree of commitment, intelligence, conviction and complexity to everything he does. I think he really got his teeth into this thing. Christopher has enormous presence, which is very distinguishable on stage as well as film.
"It's one of those things you can't really define, you just can't stop watching him when he's on screen. I think he'll be absolutely magnetic. Malekith has his own ambition. Whether or not Loki can coincide with or contradict, subvert or enhance that ambition remains to be seen."
Speaking of Loki, Hiddleston goes on to explain that he'll be following an interesting arc of his own, with the character continually teasing a potential for redemption.
"Loki is constantly dancing on that tightrope between yielding entirely to his darker instinct and redemption," says the star. "The hope that one day he can be brought back and be recruited to the side of good."
Directed by Alan Taylor and co-starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins,
Thor: The Dark World
will open in the UK on 30 October 2013.
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Apple has released a revamped beta version of its Apple TV platform, borrowing heavily from iOS 7's design.
While the grid layout remains the same, the icons are flatter, and eagle-eyed gadgeteers will notice the change in font to match the one found in iOS 7.
Given that iOS 7 is one of the most beautiful OS' we've ever laid eyes on, this is all welcome news.
If you've got an Apple TV and fancy taking the new beta for a spin then you'll have to register as a developer at the iOS Dev Center.
Regular folk can look forward to the refresh landing later this year, when iOS 8 lands alongside the new iPhone 6.
READ MORE: iPhone 6: price, specs, release date - everything we think we know
[via What Hi-Fi]
Submitted by himanshu911 on Sat, 2014-08-09 06:38.
well i have got a media streaming device from Esycast, it was cheaper than apple tv and yet, i think the product quality is somewhat the same. check it out at www.esycast.com


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All the lesson plans listed below are available for easy access using Adobe PDF files. Click on the Title to view, save or print. If you have trouble downloading the lesson, please email email@example.com and we will send you a cd.
If you would like to search the lessons by artwork instead of theme, go to our highlights page in the collections database and scroll to the right.
Images of BuddhaInspired by Great Salt Lake
Sculptures of Buddha in the UMFA collectionGreat Salt Lake is an exciting way to teach science, art, history and writing


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This Tuesday, Yours Truly is presenting hip hop acts: G-Side, Main Attrakionz, and DaVinci. With ST 2 Lettaz and Yung Clova on the mics and Block Beattaz's space-agey production, it's easy to see how G-Side is garnering national attention from Fader, why XXL featured them as a "Breakthrough Artist", and how they made it to #8 on SPIN's Top 50 list of best albums of the year. G-Side's aspirations of making it, may all be coming true as they're gaining notoriety for their "slow cook-country rap" and "dirty south soul."
SF born and raised rapper, DaVinci, has also been getting attention of his own. Drawing inspiration from life in the Fillmore district, DaVinci represents a "post-Reaganomic crack-era rap" generation indicative of life in the inner-city. Yours Truly spent some time with Oakland's Main Attrakionz and captured them in their environment and the culture that influences them and the passion and drive that makes them so genuine.
Check out and download a collaboration of Main Attrakionz featuring G-Side here and check out all three perform tomorrow at the Independent. Doors open at 8:30pm and the show starts at 9pm. Tickets are available for purchase for $15 here.
Commentary by Jennifer Kajioka.


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Volendam Cruise Review by Bellair: Volendam cruise May 2nd to 17th, 2011
Member Rating
Compare Prices on Volendam British Columbia Cruises
Volendam cruise May 2nd to 17th, 2011
After a fairly intensive dry dock in Singapore for two weeks, the ship looked very good wih new carpets, seating, decking etc. The ship was due to travel to northern Japan but due to the recent disasters there, HAL opted for South Korea & Russian ports. Less than 1000 passengers.
Each passenger was given $250 OBC and 10% discount on their next cruise due to the itinerary change.
The crew were excellent as with entertainment, although we had seen the regular shows on past cruises (12 months ago)
Meals were the standard fare and nothing to complain about...especially the extra seafood on offer as they were taking new supplies on in Alaska.
Tender ports were speedy with minor lines.
Overall an excellent repositioning cruise.
Click the link to see the highlights:
Video highlights of the Volendam Northern Explorer cruise from Kobe,Japan to Vancouver,Canada via Busan, South Korea, Vladivostok & Petropavlosk,Russia, Kodiak Island More
& Sitka (via Inside Passage) Alaska May 2-17, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQgh4_pMEKI Less
Read more Volendam cruise reviews >>
Read Cruise Critic's Volendam Review >>
Cabin review: Volendam Large Fully Obstructed Oceanview Lower Promenade 1953
Cabin 1953 was a good location toward the aft of the ship starboard. Minor upgrades from dry dock (they said they ran out of time) Mirror needs replacing. Soap & shampoo now attached to wall in shower. Fruit on request Window was rusty & stained Kept well serviced each day
Port and Shore Excursions
Exceeded Expectations
Loved this one-night cruise!
Overall enjoyed the cruise
Maasdam was great!
MS Rotterdam Southampton to Si...
Sponsored Links


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to the DWT Family dragonrider! Hope you enjoy your time here!
to the DWT Family dragonrider! Hope you enjoy your time here!
to DWT.com!
Hope you will find your time here to be fun!
Join us in our Chat Room Tuesday and Thursday Nights 9:00 PM EDT
WDWRadio Moderator
Hello and Welcome to this great place! Enjoy your time here.
glad your here hope you have a great time!
Welcome to the boards!!!
Lord High Keeper of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong, Counselor in Moments of Temptation, and Guide along the Straight and Narrow Path and Oldest Active DWT/WDW Radio Member
DL: 1955* (1); WDW: 1977* (2), 1980* (2), 1985* (3), 1989* (3), 1996 (ASMu-3), 1999 (ASMo-3), 2000 (ASMu-2/PO-2), 2001 (ASMu-5), 2002 (ASMu-5), 2003 (ASMo-5), 2004* (8), 2004 (ASMo-8), 2005 (PC-10), 2006* (15), 2007* (20), 2008* (22), 2009* (26), 2010* (27), 2011* (32), 2012* (39), 2013* (36), 2013* (15), 2013* (9), 2013* (13), 2014* (40) 2014* (20) 2015* (3) Total Trips/Days = 28/380
*Off Property
Welcome! I hope you like it here as much as I do!
Welcome to the DWT family!!
I hope you have many hours of fun on here with the rest of us!!
"Most of my life I have done what I wanted to do. I have had fun on the job.I have never been able to confine that fun to office hours." ~ Walt Disney
Wow, you guys sure are friendly.
WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!!!!! You'll have a great time joining our happy family!
2009 April Boardwalk & Beach Club Villas
2008 July Polynesian Conceierge
2008 March Beach Club Villas
2007 July Contemporary Concierge
2007 April Grand Floridian Concierge/Beach Club Villas
2006 July The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge
2006 April Polynesian Concierge
2005 Contemporary/Grand Floridian Concierge
2004 Grand Floridian Concierge
2003 Polynesian Concierge
2002 Beach Club Villas
2001 Polynesian
2000 Polynesian
Originally Posted by Dragonrider1227
Thanks for noticing!
HIYA DRAGON....Welcome and Enjoy the site
SOOOO....by the dragonrider name is that a general thing or are you an Anne McCaffery fan? If you have no idea who she is disregard this question....lol
It's a Disney thing. If you understood, your only question would be "can I go?"
FOR MORE INFO CLICK THIS LINK http://inside.unicefusa.org/goto/Meghyn
Hi Dragonrider1227 and to our DWT family! Hope you enjoy your time here with us. Now sit back, relax and HAVE FUN!
No idea who that is. I just played with named one day and came up with it.Originally Posted by vixen101485


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Interest form for Encore High School Inland Empire
Interested in Encore HIgh School's Inland Empire Campus?
Our Performing & Technical Arts Junior/Senior High School is planning on opening in the Inland Empire in the near future. We are compiling an INTEREST LIST of families that want to learn more about our arts & academic programs as well as receive updates on our progress in the community.
YES, I'M INTERESTED! Send Me Info! I have material interest in attending a performing arts charter school in the Inland Empire.
Join the interest list
You attest under the penalty of perjury that you are the legal guardian of the listed interested student. This submission reflects your meaningful interest in having your student attend Encore Junior and Senior High School. You understand that this does not enroll the student into any school. Your typed legal name to follow should act as an official signature for the purposes of this interest list only.
Encore Education Corporation is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations. We do not discriminate against any person based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability. Accredited through the Western Association of School and Colleges.
Charter schools follow the same legislation as any public school and must adhere to the California Department of Education requirements. They are funded by state and federal means and cannot charge tuition. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Encore's board of Directors meets on the last Thursday of every month at 6:00 pm. Agendas for board meetings are posted by the front door of the A building. Access to upcoming agendas is available 24 hours per day. Access to public records is available during front office hours only.


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It's nearly the end of another year...
Posted by Huw,...and as this is the 500th news posting I thought I'd give you some statistics on Brickset usage this year:
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | |
Page views | 56,500,000 | 35,173,212 | 18,065,605 |
Visits | 11,300,000 | 6,258,637 | 3,727,744 |
Hits | 269,000,000 | 104,020,606 | 52,526,035 |
Reviews | 5509 | 7397 | 5491 |
As you can see the site is going from strength to strength and is currently ranked 13,937 in the Quantcast US site rankings which I am very pleased about considering this is just a hobby site!
36 comments on this article
congrats on 500 news posts:) P.S Happy New Year! Wow, 269 million hits! that's amazing!
this is my first comment ever. wohoo.;)
Wow, huge spike in reviews last year! I'm impressed! Looks like we had a maximum of 3.4 million page views in a day! All these statistics: SO COOL! This should become a professional site to go to 1st place in rank! JK!
Awesome!!! I can see why people like this site though, it's extremely helpful.
Awesome rankings! Thanks for creating the website because all of us brickset users love it! Keep it up!
Um,huw i don't want to be rude but it says 13,937 on the site.
@7op89, thanks
Amazing, This website deserves it as you did a great job Huw!
Thanks for the stats. I did not know there were that many of those, WOW =o-- I hope next year is even better. And the ranking is very impressive, I agree. I wonder if there is cause that there were not as many reviews this year? anyone else have a guess?
We are a bunch of lazy bones. Get doing a review!
GameOn99: I don't think it is as much that there is not many reviews this year,but as there was a lot last year.
I still remember when you started the check off the sets you want/own. This is no doubt my favorate LEGO site for sets
Congrats indeed! It looks like most of your stats are doubling each year. This is by far my favorite LEGO site as well. Keep up the good work and we're all looking forward to 2010!
Huw you deserve a medal for making such a great site!
Thanks for such a great and useful website, Huw! I look forward to yet another year of Brickset accomplishments.
did you see the comment? anyway yeah this is a very good site and I would give it a 100,000,000/5!
Your welcome huw.
Thx! 500 news posts, and a great year!!!
Congratulations Brickset!
I guess the surge in reviews in 2008 was because the older this site gets, the less reviews are needed, and also because we haven't yet gotten past Christmas 09, and I assume lots of people post reviews from their Christmas sets between Christmas Day and New Year.
Also, 2009 only got 18 more reviews than 2007.
500 news posts already!
That's amazing!
This is great! Its great to see that everyone contributes. Thats how these stats got up! great job huw, you created a great website!! happy new year every body here on Brickset!!
Top Lego website, is there any chance of a brickset iphone app being developed, or the demand for one??
@Zuma, I don't have the skills but if you know someone who does, get them to get in touch!
This is great!!!! This website really has great information. Happy New Year!!!!!
I think we did better than The Brothers Brick. They also did their yearly statistics post recently: http://www.brothers-brick.com/2009/12/18/brothers-brick-com-turns-three-editorial/
I really like the direction in which Brickset is going. And I'm glad to be more a part of the site now.
Looks like the number of reviews has gone down from '08, but the site still rocks hard! I don't know what I would do without it!
UPDATE: I went back to the 2008 stats news article and looked at the comments, noticing my reply to sammy1 about the idea for Set Notes, and the idea became a reality in 2009! Cool!
It's odd but it looks like 2008 was a review jump and then it goes to normal again in 2009
I have only joined this site in 2009, but these statistics speak for themselves. Out of the many LEGO sites I have visited, this one is head and shoulders above the rest both in quality and quantity. Thanks to all those that make this such a great site!
If brickset were to ever go away, *shudder* I can't think if where I would spend my days just patrolling the web. I can't even think about that.
@brickapolis, I don't think we necessarily did better than Brothers-Brick, and the figures can't really be compared. That site is an essential daily read and one that people tend to go to once a day to read the home page only, or perhaps one or two specific entries linked to from elsewhere (or maybe that's just me)
Here, people tend to visit not just for the latest news but to browse around or research so spend longer on the site. In fact Google Analytics claims the average time spent on the site is just over 4 minutes and people look at an average of 6 pages per visit.
Woah, page views, hits and visits almost double each year! Last year was the year for reviews.
This is amazing! I remember last year when we where really excited! And now we almost DOUBLED!!! WOW
This is tons of fun and I'm glad to be a part of it!
One of the reasons the number of reviews is a little down on last year is that we're taking a slightly harder line when moderating reviews. Based on the feedback from the survey earlier in the year, it is apparent that most people *really* don't like poor quality reviews & they feel that too many of the reviews on the site fall into this category, so we've notched the quality control up a notch or two; fewer low quality reviews make it through the moderation process, but, even so, the quality of reviews still isn't as good as it should be!
Thank you for the great site. I have been here for a while now, and this is always the first place I go to get info for new sets, and to be able to keep track of my collection. I am glad the site is working out so well. I really look forward to the future on this site. Thanks again for making this such a fun place to visit.
Hooray! This is an awesome website, thanks for running it!
My offer still stands on offering assistance(6 years msft sql server/reporting svc experience, asp.net, vb.net and soon silverlight(formerly actionscripter on flash)). We cry for a way to record the purchase price of our sets such that we could pull up a graph of the value of each set over time...
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UHM Library computers and related equipment are to be used only to access information resources for educational, instructional and research needs. The use of Library computer equipment for other purposes is prohibited. Users must respect the rights of other users and abide by all University and Library policy, licensing, and contractual agreements. Users must not use equipment in an unsafe or harmful manner and should not damage equipment and facilities.
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Optimization is a bit of a black art when you're dealing with an api or engine where you can't profile the internals, and unity-iphone is no exception. I've collected here a few of tricks I've found that have helped me squeeze more performance out of my iphone projects.
1. Do Less, (aka timeslicing)
Lets be honest, it's really easy to put lots of code in Update() or FixedUpdate() for a behavior, or have it called once a frame. However that means that no matter how fast that code is, it's going to be called at a rate of (hopefully) 30fps.
Most of the time, you don't need to do this. Take for example this pseudo-code of a homing script.
public class MyHoming : MonoBehaviour { public void Update() { // expensive targetting and not so expensive trajectory calculations in here // currently called every frame } }
Consider replacing it with this:
public class MyHoming : MonoBehaviour { public float targettingFrequency = 1.2f; public float trajectoryFrequency = 0.2f; public float trajectoryBlend = 1.0f; private Vector3 updatedTrajectory = Vector3.zero; private Vector3 currentTrajectory = Vector3.zero; public void Start() { InvokeRepeating("DoTargetting", targettingFrequency*Random.value, targettingFrequency); InvokeRepeating("DoTrajectory", trajectoryFrequency*Random.value, trajectoryFrequency); DoTargetting(); DoTrajectory(); } public void DoTargetting() { // search for targets here, we don't do it often because it's expensive } public void DoTrajectory() { // trajectory isn't as expensive but it's not something we need to do every frame } public void Update() { // Just interpolate values each frame currentTrajectory = SetTrajectory(Vector3.Lerp(currentTrajectory, updatedTrajectory, Time.DeltaTime*trajectoryBlend); } } }
It looks a lot more complicated, but it's really not. You're still doing the same trajectory updates it's just that they're now being blended across multiple frames. I can't stress how much performance can be saved by doing this to all of your update functions. If you haven't done so already just do it now.
2. Force garbage collection frequently.
If you don't, eventually there'll be a huge spike when it does so automatically.
Try dropping this script into an object in your scene:
using UnityEngine; class GarbageCollectManager : MonoBehaviour { public int frameFreq = 30; void Update() { if (Time.frameCount % frameFreq == 0) System.GC.Collect(); } }
It won't improve your fps, but it will cut down on the occasional spikes that memory management will cause.
3. Triangle & Draw Call counts
- Stay under 7.5k tris
- Stay under 20 draw calls
These are often preached as a gospel, I'd say it's more of a guide to keep an eye on your art performance.
If you go over 7.5k triangles, or over 20 draw calls it's not the end of the world… you're just likely to be bottlnecking yourself at submitting your graphics content to the graphics API.
You can batch draw calls by sharing the same material across mutiple objects and also increase this further by marking objects as "static" when they'll never move.
But! Don't forget that there are other factors not displayed here… for instance fill rate, when rendering scenes with overdraw and complex shaders. The best way to track your total graphics performance is still through xcode instruments, and the debugger log with profiling turned on.
While these three are by no means the only tricks to getting unity to perform on an iphone, these ones are my first port of call when things start to slow. I've been told about a whole lot of other optimizations, such as managers instead of unity called Update functions, coroutines better than invokes… so forth but haven't tried them yet.
Anyone got any suggestions, techniques they've found saved them some performance that are different from the ones above?


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NAMM 2006 Product Preview
A sampling of new products to be displayed at NAMM 2006, Jan. 19-22 in Anaheim, Calif.
Furman Sound has released the IT-20 II balanced isolation transformer, which is targeted for use in critical, low-noise applications. The unit can supply 20 amps of balanced AC power with more than 80 dB of common-mode noise reduction from a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The IT-20 II features a switchable ground isolator, a laboratory-grade digital voltmeter, and Furman's proprietary Linear Filtering Technology, which reduces transverse noise, according to the company. Price: $1,799. Availability: February. For more information, see Furman Sound at NAMM booth 6874, or contact the company at 707-763-1010 or at www.furmansound.com.
Self-powered loudspeakersQSC Audio has released the HPR Series of self-powered loudspeakers for live sound applications. The HPR152F (pictured here) two-way, bi-amplified loudspeaker system features a 15-inch cone transducer, a 3-inch voice coil, a 1.75-inch diaphragm, and 500 W continuous power. The HPR153F three-way, horn-loaded loudspeaker offers a 15-inch cone transducer, a 3-inch voice coil, a 6.5-inch midrange, a 1.4-inch diaphragm compression driver, and 600 W continuous power. The HPR151W subwoofer includes a 15-inch cone transducer, a 3-inch voice coil, and a frequency response down to 43 Hz. The HPR181W subwoofer features an 18-inch cone transducer, a 4-inch voice coil, and a frequency response down to 39 kHz. Price: N/A (all models). Availability: currently available (all models). For more information, see QSC Audio at NAMM booth 6750, or contact the company at 800-854-4079 or at www.qscaudio.com.
Wireless microphone systemsThe Opus 300, 500, and 800 Series wireless microphone systems from beyerdynamic are designed for fixed installation and touring applications. Targeted at multichannel applications, the 800 Series can support up to four true diversity receiver modules in a 1U/19-inch rack-mount housing. The 500 Series (pictured here) offers six different system configurations. Targeted at lower-level applications, the 300 Series also offers six system configurations. Price: $279 to $719 (800 Series); $649 to $749 (500 Series); $419 to $529 (300 Series). Availability: currently available (all models). For more information, see beyerdynamic at NAMM booth 6500, or contact the company at 631-293-3200 or at www.beyerdynamic-usa.com.
LoudspeakersTannoy has introduced its VNET Series loudspeakers. The VNET 12 offers a 12-inch driver, a 60 Hz to 25 kHz frequency response, and a 126 dB peak SPL, while the VNET 15 features a 15-inch driver, 50 Hz to 23 kHz frequency response and 127 dB peak SPL. The VNET 15HL 15-inch, horn-loaded subwoofer offers a 48 Hz to 250 Hz frequency response, and a 136 dB peak SPL. Each model is factory calibrated and includes the VNETWARE Windows-based interface control software. Price: N/A (all models). Availability: currently available (all models). For more information, see Tannoy at NAMM booth 6840, or contact the company at 519-745-1158 or at www.tannoy.com
Mixing consoles
Targeted for use in live sound reinforcement, house of worship, and theatre applications, Inter-M's Kensington Series mixing consoles are available in 24-, 32-, and 40-channel versions. Each model offers 48 V phantom power at each input, a microphone preamplifier, a four-band equalizer, and high-pass filtering. The Series features eight auxiliary sends with pre-fader switching, LCD panning, four mute groups, and direct outputs. Price: N/A (all models). For more information, see Inter-M at NAMM booth 6849, or contact the company at 866-636-5795 or at www.inter-m.net.


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As of Jan 2nd, the above cannot be saved or printed. Great job on content!
Charles Tobias
Remember when you bought your first digital SLR camera? You thought, "What a piece of engineering!" You opened the box and took the first glance as excitement and joy ran through your veins. No more film, no more limitations and the ability to take as many photos as you want. The world was your oyster.
You went through the manual and the number of options, menus and settings left you gasping. While the battery was still charging you were already planning your first photo endeavour.
Then you ran outside with your shiny new camera and started shooting like mad. After all, with digital there are no limits.
In the evenings you hit the Internet. You were sure you had the best camera on the market. You read all the reviews that were proving your point. But wait, you thought, "Maybe I should get a better lens, a better-rated lens."
You scratched together all the money you could and bought a huge, beautiful pro-rated lens. "Now I can take really stunning photos!" you cried.
You drove to the nearest park and photographed everything around you: benches, trees, leaves, people, even hydrants. You uploaded your photos, looked at them at 100%, and admired sharpness and dynamic range.
Again, you went on the Internet, hit the blogs, forums and ratings and thought, "If only I had a telephoto lens, I could take even more amazing photos." The next day you visited your local dealer and came back with a massive telephoto 2.8 pro-rated. WOW!
But wait! Another question hit you. "How I am going to carry all this equipment?" You ran back to the store and picked the largest and best camera backpack you could afford.
Daily you carried the backpack with your expensive SLR and superb lenses and took hundreds of photos. Sure the bag was heavy and the camera overwhelming but you told yourself, "This is the price I have to pay for top quality." You justified an inconvenience. You kept uploading your photos to the computer, then processing and uploading them on the Internet. Next, you repeated your mantra about your camera's superiority.
You followed this sequence religiously every day. But despite your best efforts, photography had become an almost robot-like endeavour. Then it hit you. Something was not right!
You noticed that others were taking much more interesting photos that were more engaging, more powerful. You went through them, you counted every pixel and you compared. Sure their photos were not as sharp as yours, the resolution was lower, the dynamic range was nowhere near yours but somehow their images were so much better and more interesting. You grumbled to yourself, "It is not possible! After all, I spent thousands on my equipment and I feel I am going nowhere!"
You nervously studied the 300-page manual and asked yourself, "Maybe I am missing some settings? If only I knew how to set up…" You fell asleep with the manual as your pillow.
Next day in the field you set up a tripod, put your brand new, huge, super-fast lens on your camera, went through your settings, played with all the buttons and you came back home… with even more mediocre photos.
Your frustration was growing. Where is the joy? Where is the passion? Should I buy a better lens? Should I change my in-camera settings?
Weeks and months passed and you left your heavy backpack at home more often. You became unengaged and uninspired. You started avoiding photography. What a chore it had become! You think, "Maybe that's just how it is. Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe this is the new normal."
The following day you bumped into a kid next door and he showed you a few photos he had taken with his iPhone. You immediately dismissed the quality and told him to buy a real camera but deep down you admired his images, creativity and passion. You went home depressed and discouraged.
Then, one day you came across your old friend who was holding a small and interesting camera. Out of respect and curiosity, you took it, looked through the viewfinder and played with the controls. At first, you felt hostile towards this tiny camera. After all, at home you had whole backpack of expensive gear.
But deep inside you had a strange feeling. Something drew you closer. It was the strange but familiar feeling you had when you shot Leica or Contax film cameras. You could not stop thinking about the little camera you held in your hands today.
After a few days of internal struggle you decided to go for it. You realized what had been missing.
How many of you have had a similar experience? I did.
As the owner of an SLR with expensive, professional lenses, it wasn't an easy decision to buy the Fuji X100. In fact, I cannot explain what drew me closer to this purchase. I thought, "People say it is such a slow camera with so many quirks. Maybe they are right." Despite those concerns one day I went to my local store and bought a Fuji X100.
The first thing I noticed was that it felt so right in my hands. It was solid but not too heavy. The build quality and materials were first rate, unlike many other glitzy "plastic" cameras nowadays. The next things that drew my attention were the key control dials: the aperture on the lens, the exposure compensation and shutter speed – on the top – at hand and exposed. They were simple and engaging. I thought, "WOW! This is really great."
And the viewfinder – two in one! Wow, what a concept. I had never seen anything so essential yet simple at the same time. How come nobody had come up with this before?
Then every day, I shouldered my heavy backpack with my expensive gear along with my Fuji X100. I tried to shoot with both, sometimes in the same locations with the same subjects and in the same lighting. When I came home and downloaded my photos I was really surprised. The majority of images taken with this small camera were more interesting, engaging, more creative and even sharper and with better colours than the photos taken with my professional bag of gear.
Indeed, with this little camera I forgot about using a tripod. Quite the opposite! I crawled, climbed, looked for new perspectives and walked back and forth. I adjusted my major settings on the fly without thinking about it. This little camera became a part of me. I stopped thinking about menus and submenus. My attention turned to the light, subject and composition. I was bursting with creativity. Most importantly, I always carried it with me.
The joy has returned! It was like shooting photos with a film camera… digitally.
After a while I noticed I was no longer taking my backpack with me. My X100 was the only companion I needed: one lens, one camera. Many people would think it was limiting but I found it liberating.
After a while, I sold all my SLR gear and replaced it with the Fuji X-Pro1. Although I have been enjoying the interchangeable X-Pro1, I missed my X100. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. Last week I received the X100s, a new iteration of my beloved X100.
Outside, it is the same camera. Fuji made it smart by not fooling around with a great physical design. It feels good and solid in my hands unlike many other cameras. The only downside I see is that the strap is made of poor quality material, which after extensive use starts to fray.
The controls remain the same but with a few key improvements. The aperture compensation dial is now stiffer, which is a welcome change. In the first iteration of the camera it was too easy to turn the dial by mistake. Fuji removed the RAW button and replaced it with the Q (Quick) menu, which gives access to all major settings at once, without hassle. Finally, the button that lets you choose the focus point was moved to the right so now it can be moved with just one hand! Thank you, Fuji, for listening.
The greatest improvement is the operations and, in particular, the speed. Once you turn on the camera it is instantly ready for action. The greatest complaint about the X100 (slow autofocus) has been improved dramatically. I took the camera to the annual Vancouver Sun Run and didn't have any problems locking focus even on moving subjects. Of course, it doesn't have the D4 speed but this camera was never intended to be a sport shooter camera.
Straight from a camera, minor contrast adjustment in LR4.
The fact that all the major problems with the original X100 have been addressed in such a short time speaks volumes about Fuji's commitment to the platform. It is so refreshing to see a company that actually listens to photographers and reacts to their concerns. Despite that, I would be delighted if Fuji would simplify the camera even more. I am waiting for a camera without a video mode, without in-camera processing options (I don't know anybody who processes images in the camera) that clutter the menu. Wouldn't it be great if all jpeg settings disappeared when you chose the RAW-only option? Finally, a little bit of weather sealing and double card slots would be the icing on the cake.
I found the image quality slightly better than the X-Pro1 and XE-1 cameras, which use a similar X-Trans sensor. Part of it could be the perfect pairing of an excellent, fast lens and part of it the improvement in sensor technology.
The in-camera jpegs are the best in the industry, period. I have used Nikon, Canon, Olympus and many other brands and I have never liked jpegs straight from the camera. Fuji is the only company that does it right. The colour is accurate, skin tones are beautiful and sharpness is right on. The only film simulation that may still need some tweaking on Fuji's part is Velvia. Many of us remember the brilliance of Velvia film and in my view Fuji still hasn't figured it out in its digital incarnation.
Fuji Velvia, minor contrast adjustments in LR4, saturation could get pretty crazy but it has its appeal for some people
Then there are RAW files. What a saga it has been since the introduction of the X-Trans sensor! Adobe Lightroom was the first usable software that supported the platform (Silkypix was first but an extremely slow) and it was far from perfect. Many observers and photographers quickly jumped on the X-Trans RAW "doom and gloom" demosaic bandwagon. Then, Capture One 7 announced its support with a much-improved algorithm, which prioritized details over moiré and in my view, did a fantastic job. Most recently Aperture joined the party (I haven't had an opportunity to test it yet).
From my own observations, Capture One 7 remains the best RAW converter for the X-Trans sensor files today. I hope Adobe will improve its conversion soup even more than it did in the most recent incarnation. My personal choice would be details over other concerns such as smearing, moiré, etc. One thing is for sure, the demosaic algorithm for the X-Trans files is already very good and it is going to get even better, as further improvements are expected.
I know that many of you would like to see 100%, 200%, 300% crops to indulge in a pixel orgy; after all, this is an equipment review. I figured if you are looking for that, there are plenty of places on the Internet that will offer you just that. I view this and any other camera as an artistic tool, not a pixelmator. Therefore, my choice of images was guided mostly by an artistic/visual principle. I chose a variety of photographs: jpegs straight from the camera and some processed in Lightroom 4, some B&Ws and others with strong saturation just to show the versatility of this camera and its files. You choose, and please let me know which ones you liked the most.
Of course, there's lots more technical data about this camera and its menus. I am not going to write about it all. You will find plenty of technical data on the Internet.
Playing with a new in-camera filter "miniature", it is fun to play with but it must be used with the right subjects
Who is this camera for? First of all, this is a great camera for newcomers to the field of photography and for those who want to learn photography the right way. The Fuji X100s with major controls at hand along with the fixed focal length lens is something every student should start with. Unfortunately, today the majority of people begin with a big zoom and a complicated camera with the main knob turned to green (automatic). It's a recipe for mediocre photography.
Secondly, this is the camera for people hungry for great imagery. It's for those who never stop creating and challenging the status quo, and for those who speak with their images, not their words. Finally, it's perfect for those who seek emotions and the pivotal moment, light and creativity in a photograph, rather than pixels and ratings.
While you may have plenty of gear at home, the strength of the X100s is its simplicity, mobility and silence. This camera will be always with you! You will grab it without concern about weight, security or complications. With your constant companion, you will take photos you wouldn't otherwise take.
With the X100s you will find perspective unlike any other. It will force you to think before you press the button. Most importantly, you will regain the joy of photography and rediscover the art of creating an image.
Great websites and reviews:
My favourite review of the X100s is by Zack Arias (but is there anybody out there who hasn't read it yet?). This is a review I wish I had written. Yes, Fuji is the new Leica.
Make sure to check out Montreal photographer Patrick LaRogue whose work is unique and brilliant.
Fujirumors is a must for everyone shooting or considering Fuji X-cameras. Patrick is doing a great job keeping us updated and motivated.
Finally, "Scoop It" by Thomas Menk should be bookmarked and followed; it has great photographs and insights.
Kasia and I recently returned from a photographic trip to some of the forgotten places of British Columbia. We have many more images and stories to share. Stay tuned.
© Olaf Sztaba. All rights reserved.
As of Jan 2nd, the above cannot be saved or printed. Great job on content!
Charles Tobias
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Thanks for one's marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you can be
a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and may come back someday.
I want to encourage you continue your great writing, have a nice morning!
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Great site & very nice work! Would you share your in camera settings for B&W with Fuji X series especially X100s
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OMG. What a beautiful review. Your images are just brilliant. I am a Mexican with a 1 month old X100s. No I did not start with a film Leica. It was in 2011 that I got my first DSLR. A Nikon D3100. And what you just said about the first camera is all true. I did not invest in new equipement. But with the insecurity here in my beloved country…. I decided to go stealthier. And this was my option. And boy I love it ! And it even encouraged me to start my photo blog. Not better than yours for sure. Nevermind I wil stay tune so I can get to know more about your beautiful British Columbia, without spending a heck of $$$$ going there. Thanks for sharing your photos… Sorry, yours are not photos… it is all ART! .
Cheers from Mexico.
Any word on an improvement to the x100s? I would live Fuji to read your suggestions for making this an even better camera and release it as soon as possible!
I've a second question I'd love an answer to – most of my photos are travel photos, so the x100s sounds ideal due to its weight, quality and versatility – can you recommend a good tripod to use, for travel – light, yet sturdy etc.?
Thank you! Great blog!
You should definitely look at the Velbon Ultrek series. I have the UT-53Q and it's the best travel tripod I've ever used.
I wrote a quick review with a video on my blog if you want to see more : http://www.an-chan.net
It's perfect for the X100s but works fine with any dslr as long as you avoid long and heavy tele lenses.
Great post, i loved it. I too have shared the same experience when it came to my gear :D I've been reading up on this Fuji for some time now and i think i might finally hit the buy button. I too miss the fun of photography and hope to find it again with this camera
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Dear Olaf,
Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos and such genuine feelings about the act of shooting photos. This is much more than a camera review. You just described the way that a photographer can rescue his former passion for this art.
I never liked to do something just because everyone does. That's why, some year ago, I entered in the DSLR world with Sony Alhpa system. Even now, I think Sony still playing aside of Canon and Nikon's rules. But maybe they lost the way with multiples models launched in such a small time. Before that, I had a Fujifilm S9000 when I learned the basic principles.
Last year I returned to Fujifilm (I still have my Alpha) with a X20. I'm very happy with it in every aspect, except battery life wich I solved with a spare one. I hope to soon have an opportunity to buy a mirrorless Fujifilm and some lenses (prices are very high in Brazil, so I'll need to do it when travelling).
Well, I just liked to say thanks for sharing yor opinion.
Best regards,
Anderson Ivo.
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Hi Olaf,
Fantastic review. I read it before I bought an x100s. Multiple times. You convinced me! I read it again after I bought it. I'm still 100% in agreement with your views :)
Thanks! JF
like your review, especially the opening part, u spelled me out :)
Do feel free to visit my photos taken in Japan using x100s, pls share your view and comment. Enjoy!
flickr/kennyt phtoz
Great post and you know what? I bought a new lens for our Canon DSLR two months ago. Great improvement, as I got OIS and faster aperture… ok… now I have more photos sharp, but I am not sure I have more good photos…
I completely recognize myself in this post's introduction and I still have to fight with my geek's mind telling me to go for the X-E2 with many lenses etc……… aaaaaarrrgghhhh… where all I need for now is simplicity and a camera to bring everywhere just to shoot what I like, without being intimidated/intimidating.
My wife might get upset, but I think I'll buy that X100s this week!
Great idea, but don't throw away the dSLR…yet. The X-series simply cannot replace it- despite all the (over)hyped reviews to the contrary. The X100s is a brilliant camera- for things that stay still in good light. Look at Olaf's (very beautiful) images- how many of them are street action? Nada- just a guy in front of a wall playing a banjo- he aint goin nowhere. All the other things are still.
The single-point AF is crap. The CF function is total crap. I have tried every combination of settings recommended here and elsewhere to improve it, but I suspect people are too caught up with the ability of the sensor, and not looking at the thing that actually makes the lens elements move- The lens 'motor' is TOO SLOW. You can hear it moving back and forth trying to lock, but it's in no great hurry. It's the elephant in the room, I think. Put a Nikon 24-70mm/2.8 zoom on even a D300 in low light and check how fast it locks. we are talking 6-year-old technology here in both cases- but the focus motor moves to the right spot almost instantaneously.
It is such a great pity, because the image quality out of the X-trans sensor at high ISOs is sooo damn good- it leaves EVERY Canikon dSLR in the dust for noise control, but you will throw away at least 50% of your shots due to mis-focusing. And, as a street photographer, I've lost the moment countless times (unless I shoot manually and zone focus at higher f-stops- obviously no good for night shooters).
In good light it's still hit and miss- even if you get focus confirmation on your selected AF point, when you open the damn file, it's focused on the background. It's a lemon.
None of which would be a big problem, except that the cam is still outrageously overpriced. I'm not a pro, but my experience has been truly love-hate with the X100s. If I'd known that the AF was still crap, i would never have blown a lot of money to upgrade from the X100- AND I am a big Fuji fanboy!.
All I'm saying is this- IF you have lots of $$$ to throw around- then go for it! But if this decision is gonna cost you big brownie points with the missus, DON'T do it- get the X20 instead as your pocket wonder- there's really not much difference, and it's more versatile. Just my 2c. hope it helps.
firstly i apologize for the tone (if not all of the substance) of what I said in the previous post. Maybe 'crap' was too harsh- the word was certainly overused in the post. But if you look at my earlier post (5th May), you can see the initial enthusiasm and hope that I held out for the X100s. And the last post clearly shows my frustration at it having not met my expectations.
My reference to (over)hyped reviews goes to the issue of camera reviews generally- even the ones using objective measures of resolution, noise, etc. The reason is that they fail to capture the full experience of shooting with the cameras. My use of 'crap' to describe the AF was specifically a response to my expectations derived from reading too many such reviews and believing that the AF system was actually as quick and as accurate as they had led me to believe. It is adequate in most well-lit situations, but I stand by my comment that it still often fails to lock on the chosen AF point- even in good light. If you have any suggestions for ways to improve this I'd really appreciate it !
I generally find the best source of information about real-world shooting experience is to be found in the discussion forms at DP Preview or Flickr- but of course these don't start to fill up until a product has been out in the market for some time. I have tried everything that I have read there about AF- still no fix.
I'm still mightily impressed with what this camera can do. The colours, the IQ, the form-factor are all brilliant- no question. I also agree with you that the fixed lens makes one think about composition and light more, and therefore ultimately improves one's technique – it is actually one of the reasons I bought an X100 and not the X-pro1.
Regarding your comment that 'outrageously overpriced' was the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, obviously you have never listened to an Australian politician talking (-; Again, maybe 'outrageously' was over-the-top, but it is at least 'somewhat' overpriced for an enthusiast mirrorless with a fixed lens and no weather sealing. A D7100 and 35mm/1.8 can be purchased for the same amount, and it is no more or less plasticy than the X100s.
Finally, I want to say I wasn't trying to discourage anyone from buying an X100s camera- When I open a file that has nailed the moment, i couldn't be happier. I would however discourage anyone with a limited budget from selling their dSLR gear to buy an X100s (like I did). Because there's some things it just doesn't do well. Add it to the kit when you can afford to instead. Keep in mind that Zach Arias still uses a PhaseOne for his day job.
On a happy note:
There's some things that the X100s can do that you may not have thought it could- check out this guy's flickr site: He's a pro who uses the X100s for edgy environmental glamour/portrait shots. He's a brilliant user of natural light and his work is a great advertisement for what the X100s can do in the right situation!
Different cameras, different use. I am buying the X100s in a few hours today and my approach after reading all the blogs and camera reviews is that my current DSLR is good enough for anything that requires a zoom of speedy focus. I am also very cautious not to fall in the equipment upgrade trap that Olaf described so well in the review…
So I'll get that X100s, work on my photography skills and if the results objectively improve after a year or two, I may indulge in upgrading my DSLR to anything I see fit at the time :-)
But thanks for the warning anyway, it's always good to cool things down a bit when all the reviews are so positive.
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Hi Olaf!
I really love your review. Since I started blogging my love for photography only grew. When I started I bought the 'beginner' camera Canon Eos 1100D which was good for the first year, but now I want more. Now I'm planning to invest in a new camera. The thing with blogging is that I have to make outfitpictures, product pictures and event pictures. It's hard to find a camera that is both good and compact (to take with me for the event pics). Next to the blogging thing I just love photography (I would just take pictures of everything). First I thought about a big camera with a big lens and lots of features. But that makes me have the same problem as you've described above: that camera won't be in my handbag wherever I go. I'm sure when I'll buy the Fujifilm X100S, I'll take it everywhere. I still have to learn a lot about photopgraphy.
I think your review was very inspiring and I hope I can make lots of these pretty pics as you did! :)
I , too, enjoyed your comments and your photos. Just bought the camera and am excited to get the settings right.
I read your color settings outlined in 'Family at Play'. Could you tell me what settings you used in the picture above of the old man with an antique truck in the background?
Much appreciated.
Ok, I have it, I love it. But my main problem is with color, I don't get beautiful crisps like you do. And I'm really annoyed by it. I think my color settings are wrong or my configuration or something. I've googleing "perfect color x100s" for a while now, and, well, no luck. Your pics are AMAZING!
I recently bought a X100s that's how I came to read your article! Very well written! I found my self in your story like many of us did! Thank you Olaf!
A provocative insight! Just what we need!
I did as well and now I'm soooooooooooo happy! :) Great review :)
Fantastic review and gorgeous images. It strikes such a chord. I found myself chuckling away thinking yep that was me :). Spending all that money on Pro DSLR gear only to prefer my £800 Fuji X100. And by a long way. I now also have the X-Pro1 and X100s. Absolutely adore them :)
Olaf: Thanks for the great review. I loved Arias and Hobby's reviews–and they influenced me to buy the X100s–but I enjoyed your review more. Your view of photography and this camera strongly mirror my own. And you take great pictures. Thank you!
As someone who is about to take the plunge onto the 5DMkIII, I'm glad I did some research first and found this post. I was about to upgrade to FF but then I realize that my current DSLR is put at home 98% of the time and next year will be my traveling year so yes I'll skip the FF and will go for the X100S.
Your image and review is much more compelling than Zack Arias and Hobby. Thanks for that. At the moment I'm traveling with my Lumix LX-5 as the main camera but the image that comes from it is very low in quality especially on the high ISO range. No more thinking and wondering, I'll get the X100S in next week!
Your photos are inspiring. Your words are appreciated and thoughtful. I love Zack's and Hobby's review. But your images and how you were able to say what I was searching for in your own experiences, helped me bite the bullet and sell my gear and get the x100s. Should arrive in a week. BTW, for those who are having a hard time finding x100s', go to http://www.digitalrev.com. They have them in stock. I ordered mine Monday (7/8) should me about a week with free shipping. Plus pretty good package deals.
Again, I love your work Olaf. I hope to capture images like those some day.
This post is a little off the track, but recently there have been some new developments in X-trans RAW file development. For those interested in maximising the potential of the X100s RAW files I urge you to look at Iridient Developer 2.1.1. I have the free trial (watermarked saves). It is superb, especially regarding NR and detail preservation. I finally have my X100s upgrade from the X100, and with this cam and that software, I'm sorted. Huzzah!
amazing, love the feeling for colour but then you show great understanding for black and white do you crop at the taking or wait for processing Regards Richard Strong ps ever think of a trip too Tasmania, amazing place
Scary how well you know me … although we've never met. Very well written review.
Bought an X-E1 with 18-55 for travel and hiking 2 months ago after ruling out Olympus m4/3 and Sony NEX. Observation: the Canon 5D2 plus Zeiss lenses stay at home ALL the time. Now I'm ready to pull the trigger to sell all that big and heavy stuff. (maybe my best camera before the Fuji was the lovely Pentax ME-Super with a 50mm pancake lens like another person mentioned here). Thought about getting me a wide angle for the Fuji, preferably the zoom. I might not do that in order to keep things simple.
On the other hand I might add an X100S to replace my "everywhere, always" Canon S95, or maybe instead the announced 27/2.8 pancake lens for the X-E1. Any thoughts on having both an X100S and an X-E1?
Love your photos!
There's no doubt how fun the fuji x-cams are. I just forget my XE-1 / 18-55 kit more and more all the time and get better photos as a result. These cameras really get out of the way. Two things though:
1) if there were one accessory I would buy it would be a transmitter for the hotshoe to send jpgs to iPad wirelessly. The LCD screens aren't all that large for in-field review once the eyes start going and having the option to send to a larger screen for review would be nice occasionally — like back at the car or hotel.
2) I think there's a place for full-size DSLRs still, but what's happened is that society has changed in a way that's sped life up a lot. Life was slower in the 60's and 70's, and then seemed to start to accelerate in the 80's and 90's. it seems to me that the digital revolution and the ever persistent push for more / better has made us all impatient for the next "it", and for some of us that's been cameras like the x-series. Having said that, I went to a festival last weekend and about lost it when I realized I'd left my XE-1 at home. As it turned out I had a nikon d50 in my backpack with a 24mm f2.8 D lens that I'd left in the trunk for a month. I had a great time shooting with that 6mp camera and didn't miss the fuji. Sure, the OOC jpgs were a bit lackluster compared to the XE-1, but I did some post and all was good. The point is its great to own a fuji, but I'd rather have a full frame nikon with a 24-70 2.8 than NO camera at all.
Ps: my cell phone is a blackberry — useless for mobile photos.
Ps2: I am coming to Vancouver for the first time ever in June….can't wait to take the place in.
Hi Olaf
Thanks for your very interesting observations. I think your journey is one many of us find ourselves on just now. Reading what you've said, and other people's comments here, helps make me feel a little less guilty about having a bunch of expensive equipment that just doesn't interest me as much as mirrorless cameras.
I liked my GF1 and somewhat my GX1 (it's has tiny lenses and the touch screen actually works really well for focusing), but really enjoy my wonderful X-E1 with its accessible controls that seems to change and calm my whole approach to photography.
Your photos are quite wonderful, some very involving, capturing attention and causing you to linger and explore them rather than give them a quick glance. I agree the Velvia is quite intense, but a lot of people seem to like that… They appear almost as HDR. Pretty amazing if they've come from the camera lie that. Sme of the Fuji colours are beautifully subtle and people are creating wonderfully charming photos.
I look forward to reading more of what you have to say.
This is my first digital SLR. Long time ago I had a reauglr SLR and a strong photography hobby. For the past 10 years I have used various digital point and shoot cameras. Loved digital photography, computer editing, no wasted film, etc, but was not really inspired. I sure am NOW! My camera came (as of this writing) two days ago. I love everything about it. I have small hands and it is easy to hold this camera. Heavier by far than what I have been used to, but I ADORE it. A VIEW FINDER! Goodbye little screens I can't see in daylight. Hello nose smudges on the screen (lol.)
You speak from my heart – especially the first part. The photos shown are impressive. Not only because of the image quality, but because of their inspiration.
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I love your resumé here! Still I read a lot from Steve and Zack, this one comes quite close to what experiened with the X100.
I had been in in a life long relationship Canon but those smooth shiny contours of the X100 were hard to resist however my fling with the X100 never became a permanent relationship. When that flirty little X-E1 showed up it caught my eye and really got me in trouble but there was still something missing. I finally found it in the X-Pro. Divorce is never easy and we still have some difficult moments but my photographic life is so much more interesting. Thanks for a great blog which said everything!
You are right that "divorce is never easy" – especially with cameras we have been using for many years.
Thanks for your comments.
All we need now is a X110S with interchangeable lenses and to get their Velia setting a little better, then I'll switch to digits. Till then velvia film is fine, While I read with amusement the upgraders. Best review of the X100S I found was Ken Rockwell 'cos he designed the color chips, worked in Holywood to move the Industry from film to digits etc. and is a pro. photog. see his velvia 4x5s!!
I know Ken Rockwell's work and his writings. His strength is his focus on important aspects of photography such as composition and light.
I don't think we need "a X110s with interchangeable lenses" – such camera already exists – it is the Fuji X-Pro1.
Thanks for visiting and taking your time to share your thoughts.
Hi Olaf,
Great read, this story is very much like me.
Backpack worth of gear that doesnt come out as much as it really should. Sometimes photography feels like a chore – but it really shouldnt be like that.
I want to get this camera and relive when i first picked up my 350D all those years ago (body upgrades in the interim of course) – maybe after my wedding when the finances ease up slightly hahah.
You are wise with your approach – relationships first, cameras second! Many of us forget about it.
Thanks for visiting.
Such a great read, I found myself nodding and smiling regarding your description of the evolution of a photographer. I think it's soemthing we all can say "been there, done that"
Great review!
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Hello Olaf and Kasia – great article and really reinforces what so many of us experience. I've got a Nikon D600 and a kit of a couple of lenses that I really love using, no regrets upgrading to that from a D80. What I've been finding is that the big DSLR really restricts what you do and how you connect with your family when you're out for the day. It's a hassle to pack the gear, and even it you limit yourself to a walk around zoom it's still a pain to get it out of the bag. Try getting a 5 year old and 3 year old to stop and wait while you fiddle around changing lenses!
With that in mind, I just ordered a X100s that I can use as an everyday camera – I thought briefly about using the money to buy a long Nikon lens to add to my kit, but I really feel that the X100s was the much better way to go. There is something to be said for simplicity, less is more.
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Great review and lovely photos
I am considering the FujiFilm X100S as my next camera.
I have an old EOS 10D with 35 mm (=50 mm Focal length due to 1.6X sensor). Your approach and your attitude to photography totally suits me.
I was considering the x100, but the images and the reviews I have read to date convinced me that I should take the extra plunge and get the 100s. You images only proves my decision right, your insight confirm my assumptions and your pictures in general are inspiring.
Thanks for a wonderful post.
Olaf, in the opening paragraphs you have described me with uncanny precision- quite scary, actually! It is very easy to lose sight of the subject, object and the verb in the picture, and instead focus on the pixels in PP. I had been a camera/lens-porn addict for a long time, but last year I'd had enough and sold my D800 and four primes in favour of the X100. I still have that expensive backpack you talked about. I will be trading up to the X100s as soon as the first price drop occurs. And I just bought a Billingham bag to replace the huge back-wart, too.
Thanks for so eloquently describing both the anxiety and the joy of flipping the big guns for the X100(s) and thanks for sharing your fabulous images with us. I too have your blog bookmarked now and look forward to future posts, especially about the X100s.
Great photo's, great review. Bookmarked!
I have owned a lot of gear, I currently own a X100S and I hope I will get the same excitement with this camera as I did with my old Pentax ME Super and old lenses.
What can I say, beautiful photos and truthful reading, such as always
Wow. I just got my X100s and have barely used it yet. It took me months to take the plunge but I realized that over the last 12 months, my iPhone was actually my primary camera, not my 5D and four "L" lenses. All that gear stayed at home 98% of the time because it was just too much to lug around. It's all either sold or FS and I look forward to always having this great camera at my side, just like when I started out photographing with a simple Canon AE-1 and a single 50mm lens.
I've been following your blog a little while now and really enjoy it. It also reminds me that I need to get back to BC and explore more of it.
I got an X100 just before Christmas last year, and really like it. It wasn't long before I got an X-E1 too. The EVF and focus by wire is taking a bit of getting used to (coming from SLRs) but I'm getting there. I'll still keep the DSLR and film cameras for when I want long lenses and fast operation, but these Fuji's are great travel cameras and remind me a lot of my Contax G2, but with the instant gratification of digital that I've now gotten used to.
Nice review, I like that you've kept it non-technical without all the emphasis on pixel-peeping and "IQ" comparisons. I made the choice years ago to only shoot JPG, and it's been working for me. The little Fuji's are great for that.
Olaf, your review reflects only some positives of the X100S. My experience shows images of foliage smearing, even with NR -2. The sensor QE is actually inferior to that of the X-Pro 1, due to focus peaking implementation. Even Fujifilm writes about how some light is actually blocked due to this new technology.
By the way, while your images are interesting, but also appear to suffer from "foliage-smearing."
Best regards,
Just to clarify: C1 does NOT support the RAF files from the X100s. I asked Phase One and they replied that they don't know when they will get around to it. Processing RAFs to their best potential from the X100s is still an issue. For those who don't care, then it's not an issue. The camera itself is nice.
Thanks for a great life and camera review. Ditto on selling my DSLR (Nikon) gear. I also dabbled with a Leica M8.2 and 3 lens but they have all been sold also (Fuji is the new Leica….). Had the X100 for 2 years and love it. X100s coming soon. Thanks once again.
It's a nice story, but I'll stick with my 5D3. I need the right tool for the job.
@Scott, I have a 5D3, several L lenses, two speedlights, and I use them for professional and family purposes. I recently bought an X100S for my young family's first trip to Disney World. Boy was I glad to have DSLR quality in my pocket, without having to lug my DSLR around the park. As far as I can tell, my 5D3 will never be used for family candids again. Unless of course I need WA or Tele or sports AF. Now I am eying a Ricoh GR for 28mm duty.
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Seriousely it's the BEST review of the X100s that I have read so far !!!
Thanks a lot Olaf.
Patrick (From Montreal, Canada)
Are you sure you're not me? I've done the same thing, all my Canon gear has gone, have the X100 and X-E1 18-55. Smartest move I ever did. You article is spot on with picture that make me think, yeah that's what it's about,
I thought at the beginning that you were telling us my story… :-)
Full Big Bag with Big Canon FF DSLR + 5 Types of different Lenses + Flash + Tripod…amazing…
Well what was amazing was that all those gears were in the BIG Bag staying at home every time I go out…
I just loose the love of taking pictures until…………I get the X100 and now the X100s…..
The question is what is the most important….The gear that you use or the pleasure that you take when you take pictures….
For me Fuji answer to my question :-)
Btw, Very nice review !
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Oooh it hurts to read the truth yet get comfort from knowing you are not alone….
… and another one here, sold almost complete gear without regrets.
Me too, I sold my Canon gear for a X-Pro1 – and I am happy now.
A great well written article with some good photography as a bonus. Fuji are at the top of their game at the moment with the cameras they are producing. I sold all of my cameras to get the xpro 1 and don't regret it for one moment.
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Model: V11H452520W Item: EPSV11H452520W
Make almost any wall—or even a tabletop—interactive. This high-performance projector and interactive pens integrate into one machine without the constraints or expense of an interactive whiteboard. Annotate from any source without the use of a computer. Plus, with dual pen support, two users can write simultaneously, making it easier than ever to actively engage your students in the curriculum. And, setup is easy with auto calibration and no PC driver to install. Ultra-short-throw projection means you can project large, interactive, WXGA images up to 100" without shadow interference. Brightness: 3,100 lm; Technology: 3LCD; Zoom: 1.35X; Weight: 13.5 lbs.