text:
Just another example of too much to soon. Being so young without loving parents to guide her then coming to a strange country with all that fame and money coming in had disaster written all over it.
I wonder if she would have been better off not winning the Olympics, or even any medal. Maybe she would have stayed in her country and had a more stable life. Her life doesn't appear to have been a fairytale by any means.
It's hard to know whether her life would have been better without a successful skating career. Her father had abandoned her late mother and Oksana when she was just a toddler as I understand it, her grandmother and mother both died and she basically had no one or nothing except for her skating talent. Not sure about the Ukrainian support system for orphans in the post-Soviet age. I just hope Oksana is okay and finds some peace, stability and happiness in her life.
Given what happens to many young girls in Eastern Europe with no home, no family, and no future prospects, I highly doubt Oksana's life would have been more stable. In fact, I cringe at the thought of what probably would have happened to her.
This is snoopysnake writing, not snoopyskater. Was she with the current boyfriend yet in the fall of 2011? (That was when I saw Oksana skate at Evening with Champions and got to sit next to her at the meet & greet photo op.) At that time she seemed to be very together and friendly. It sounds like her BF is toxic. I hope that she can get herself whatever she really needs. Perhaps she could be happiest back in Ukraine.
I think she moved to the US because Galina did. Because she was a minor and had no family Galina was controlling her money. After she won the OGM agents, managers, and boyfriends began trying to separate her from Galina so they could have access to her money. It was a conflict of interest for Galina to be both receiving income from her as coach and agent, and making her financial decisions, but since there was no one else to act as parent I don't know what else she could have done. I don't think Oksana would have been better off without her. Given the fact that Oksana had so little stability in her life it probably isn't hard to plant doubt in her mind and make her distrust the people close to her.
Galina was her coach and her family but she wasn't her agent. Oksana had an excellent agent in the US, Michael Carlisle of Wm. Morris. Michael negotiated some major contracts for her, actually at the time it was noted that she had signed contracts for more money than any first year female OGM - she was on her way to 'wealthy.' Doesn't mean she made the most over time (I would guess that is Yamaguchi) but those intial US contracts were significant and they were not negotiated by Galina.
I think the camera's flash made the dress more see-through than it actually was. I bet Oksana did not realized that and was probably mortified that that picture was posted on the Internet.
He became her agent in August 2011: http://www.farinaco.com/index.php?o...lo-j-farina-entertainment&catid=1:latest-news I don't know if the personal relationship came first or the professional. But if Oksana's FB page was any indication, she did seem to be doing pretty well in 2011 and 2012. Although she wasn't performing on TV, it looked like she was practing at the rink regularly and she appeared to be in great physical shape. She was also sporting a more natural look in terms of clothing, hair color, and makeup. I got the sense that she was going to be OK. She still might be OK. Lawsuits aside, Oksana isn't exactly making Lindsay Lohan headlines these days. It's been sixteen years since her drunk driving accident; fifteen years since Tom Collins sent her to rehab. Some people talk about these events as if they happened last year. I'm not sure if moving back to Ukraine is the answer. Oksana has lived in the USA since she was a teenager; she may feel more at home here. Also, if she is still struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, she can get better help in this country. However, I think perhaps it's time for Oksana to start fresh and look for something to do outside of skating. As I said in an earlier post, Disson is the only place to go for pro skaters and clearly she has burned that bridge.
I do not think Disson is the only place to go for pro skaters. Isn't Holiday on Ice still active in Europe? There are also shows on cruise ships. Of course these type of shows will not be televised.
With all due respect to those who have skated in Holiday on Ice and/or on cruise ships, neither is really a traditional venue for an OGM, and the (meager) paycheck that either option offers reflects that. Disson is not the only place for pro skaters on a global basis, but they pretty much have a lock on the US market. Now, maybe she could get a gig with Averbukh or Art on Ice, but within North America, there's not a lot of choice for her.
In 2006 I saw her skate in Davos for the Art on Ice folks (this particular show had another name but it was Oliver Hoerner and his producing team). I saw several days of rehearsal and the two weekend shows. She wasn't particularly exciting nor did she put out that much energy at any point. Nothing particularly wrong but nothing particularly right either. Ho-hum. All this a way of saying that the Art on Ice folks know her - I don't know that she was ever invited back to any of their projects. Or maybe she has turned them down in the way she turned Disson Skating down. Who knows... Given Oksana's inconsistency on the ice over the last decade and the challenges (now including possible law suits) of dealing with her and her management, what is the "win" for any producer to hire her at this point? None as far as I can see. There are female skaters who are easier to work with, can actually do a group number without almost wiping out one or more of the other skaters (she's famous for this!) and put out a better performance. She doesn't really have that much to offer. It didn't have to be this way but it is the way it has turned out. She has a very sweet side and can be very nice some of the time but overall I think she's a producer's headache.
I hope Snoopysnake and I don't get banned for our similar names. I really like this forum. Where else will I keep up on all the news? Can you even change your user name or do you have to register all over again?
I was poking around at some old articles and reading this NY Times piece now, it's a bit eerie. She sounded rather apprehensive about moving to the States, but the rink in Odessa was falling apart so I guess she didn't have a lot of options: ON THE ICE WITH: Oksana Baiul I wish Oksana hadn't turned pro right away. I know she dealt with injuries and a growth spurt so it's hard to say if she would have won any other major titles, but training probably would have given her more of an anchor in those years following the Olympics. I also think it's a shame that she really only completed two seasons on the international stage- and she used the same long program both years.
We have almost never posted in the same forums. I don't think we should have to change our names. I have had lots of FSU-ers misread my name as snoopyskate, though. I am snoopysnake because I collect Snoopy stuff and love snakes (have five pet snakes, too!) Happy Year of the Snake! Getting back to Oksana, she did return to Ukraine a few years ago and was reportedly coaching and involved in charities there. It sounded like she was happy and was well over her partying days. She seemed to enjoy performing in the Evening With Champions shows and liked helping the Jimmy Fund (the charity of the show - it funds pediatric cancer research.) She did several of these shows over the years and even if her skating was up and down at least she seemed most of the time that she really wanted to be there. Physically, Oksana was bitten late by the puberty monster, so skating-wise .she may have peaked in her teens anyway, but IMHO when she left Galina, she lost the magic in her skating, which may not even reached its full potential. Her bad lifestyle choices (drinking, smoking, not keeping trained and fit, etc) did much additional harm and I consider all of this a squandering of truly great skating talent. Today, I just hope she can have a healthy and happy life.


text:
Recipes (Most Popular)
A yummy way to start the day with very little fat and lots of flavor!
Submitted by JOJOMKEA much quicker version of the Italian classic; less time, but no less taste.
Submitted by VEGGIEKITTYDelicious and quick, this dish is a great way to get more fish into your healthy meal plan! We think this baked tilapia recipe can't be beat!
Submitted by RACHIELOOThis is a delicious chicken recipe that my family loves
Submitted by ALECSANDRASix ingredients, 5 minutes of hands-on cooking, and dinner is served!
Submitted by ORANGECOWCATTechnically this is a crustless quiche, but the addition of flour makes for a delicious crusty bottom and sides.
Submitted by JENNLOVEThis quick and healthy side dish takes just minutes to prepare! And as a bonus, it's an easy way to get the kids to eat their vegetables.
Submitted by MATCM81The same great taste of the Italian favorite, but this one only has five grams of fat!
Submitted by CONNIE563This quick Southern dish contains no added fat and very little added salt in its spicy tomato sauce.
A quick and easy dinner that is also low in fat, this chicken casserole is perfect for busy nights.
Submitted by LYZ219Serve up creamy, cheesy chicken enchiladas, and no one will be late to dinner!
Submitted by SKEYDOOWho can resist thick, creamy decadent cheesecake? Try this low-fat version in the single serving size.
These pumpkin muffins are so simple to make. They will fill your house with a sweet aroma, too!
Submitted by LORILARSENRN
Frozen bananas rival soft serve when given a whirl in the food processor. No cholesterol and no added sugar, just creamy and sweet bananas!
Five ingredients, 10 minutes of work. One delicious dinner.
Submitted by 2BHOTTCelebrate spinach season with this lean and green scramble. Salty feta and velvety eggs combine beautifully with wilted spinach for a filling breakfast that's high in protein.
Submitted by HOPEIGETIT24 ingredients, 20 minutes and dinner is served! If you're looking for the perfect boneless pork chops recipe, this is it!
Submitted by LINJENThis healthy apple crisp recipe is sweet and simple to prepare but uses very little added sugar.
Submitted by JLCROMPThese spicy and moist boneless pork chops are made with no added fat, egg whites, evaporated skim milk, and a lively herb mixture.
Try this inexpensive and fresh version of a chicken casserole--no need for processed soups or sauces!
Submitted by CHEF_MEGA healthy and filling middle eastern dip! Eat it as an appetizer or snack with some pita. Why buy your hummus ready made from the store, when you can make it yourself?
Submitted by GRANT_ME_WINGSI am known for my pancakes, so trust me on this one!
Submitted by AMROZ123Sweet and tangy, this chicken takes less than five minutes to prep!
Submitted by LAUR986This roasted chicken gets its sticky coating from the juices it releases while being baked.
Forget fancy spices--four ingredients are all you need to make this deliciously simple supper.
Submitted by VRAKLIS

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LOVE wedding band
White gold, diamond
White gold, diamond
A child of 1970s New York, the LOVE collection remains today an iconic symbol of love that transcends convention. The screw motifs, ideal oval shape and undeniable elegance establish the piece as a timeless tribute to passionate romance. Studded with diamonds, yellow gold or rose gold: how far would you go for love?
18K white gold wedding band set with a diamond.
Width: 4 mm
Excl. Sales Tax
Discover our personalization service in order to have your Cartier creation engraved.
Read More
Our ambassadors are available to answer any questions or assist in making a boutique appointment.
Read More


text:
Earn awards by posting, commenting, and reacting!
These awards are about your personality. They are a snapshot of your likes, interests, and personality type based on how you post and react to buzz.
Muffin received a "Hater" badge on Dec 19 because they were being cantankerous. This is their "award." Air quotes are "sarcastic."
has been editing this post since .
took your lock at .
Something's wrong, a mini-history of this post:


text:
The Longwood campus Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Department is a full-service organization which includes experienced professionals in biosafety, campus safety, environmental engineering, radiation-protection, occupational health, pest control, sanitation and asbestos. The EH&S Department also manages the campus hazardous waste and radioactive waste disposal program.
Follow this link to complete the Annual EH&S Hazardous Waste Refresher Training Program!
The EH&S Department can be reached at (43)2-1720. Following is a list of EH&S professionals and their direct phone numbers:
Name | Title | Phone Number |
Mark Bennett | Associate Industrial Hygenist | 432-4723 |
Mary Corrigan | Associate Director | 432-4725 |
Kathleen Gilbert | Manager of Biosafety | 432-1671 |


text:
Tampa and the Gulf Coast will surpass your expectations with its variety of things to do and see.
By continuing to use ba.com you will be agreeing to the website Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy, and the Use Of Cookies while using the website.
ContinueViaje com a British Airways e tire proveito do serviço premiado, da excelente relação qualidade-preço e da inexistência de encargos ocultos:
Enjoy a wide range of things to do in Tampa and around the Gulf Coast. Shop in stylish boutiques, treat yourself to an unforgettable spa treatment or sample some fine dining.
Stay in one of our golf or spa hotels and take advantage of their fantastic amenities. You'll find golf courses that are suitable for all levels, from advanced to beginner, and spa facilities that will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. Head to St Armand's Circle for art galleries and stylish bars or visit Naples and people watch from relaxed pavement cafes.
Fort de Sota near St Pete's provides a paradise for nature lovers. Spot dolphins or take a canoe ride through the mangroves. With lots of things to do at Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, this is one of the best kid friendly beaches on the Gulf Coast. Siesta Key was voted the best beach overall in America. Enjoy the popular past time of shelling at Captiva and Sanibel.
International Plaza in Tampa has over 200 shops offering high-end to high-street fashion. Enjoy a luxury shopping spree in Naples and browse the exclusive 5th Avenue boutiques. In Clearwater and St Pete's head to the Tyrone Square Mall or the Ellenton Premium Outlets at Sarasota. Or visit Coconut Point in Fort Myers and enjoy its Mediterranean atmosphere.
Choose from five coastal courses near St Pete's at Innisbrook Golf Resort. La Playa Golf Course in Naples features the David Better Golf Academy and with 10 minute tee off times you can enjoy a quick game. Longboat Key Club and Resort includes two golf courses within its grounds. Old Corkscrew Golf in Naples provides a challenging game.
In Tampa visit the trendy area of Ybor city. Join the sunset celebrations at Pier 60 in Clearwater. For fine dining 5th Avenue in Naples prides itself on its choice of sophisticated restaurants. If you're staying in Sarasota book a restaurant at St Armand's Circle. For a relaxed atmosphere Fort Myers is renowned for its Tiki bars, one of the best being at The Outrigger.
The Spa at Sandpearl offers an extensive range of treatments, some even suitable for kids. Golden Door Spa at Waldorf Astoria Naples enjoys a Japanese influence and the Ritz Carlton Spa uses the finest organic ingredients. The Stillwater Spa at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point is world class and in the Spa at Hilton Marco Island Beach resort you can select the music, temperature and aroma for your spa session.
Combine a beleza selvagem do Serengeti com atracções soberbas e animais exóticos O Busch Gardens Tampa Bay apresenta montanhas-russas emocionantes, vida selvagem de cortar a respiração e entretenimento espectacular. Situado apenas a uma hora de automóvel de Orlando, este parque temático Africano vale bem uma visita.
The Florida Aquarium offers a dramatic and unique look at all that swims, floats, preys and crawls in and around Florida's waters. Home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and marine animals, see river otters, alligators, stingrays and sharks.
Enjoy a cruise aboard a 130-passenger catamaran from the Florida Aquarium. Tampa Bay is home to over 400 bottlenose dolphins. It is also one of the best places in Florida to view birds and an abundance of native fish.
Take a leisurely lunchtime sightseeing cruise in Florida's beautiful inland waters, aboard a luxury yacht. Enjoy a gourmet lunch, whilst your captain provides informative narration on the area's history and points of interest.


text:
View: Larger Image
Ships in 5-10 Days
Sometimes... bigger really is better. Printed on high quality canvas with deep pine stretcher bars, Loft Art emphasizes the dramatic in each work of art, and provides a perfect centerpiece for any modern space.
Because of the oversized dimensions, we are not able to ship this piece pre-assembled. Instead, we've included an easy stretching system with each piece of Loft Art. All the materials and instructions you need are included in the kit, and because of the patent pending easy system, you don't need to be an expert to put your art together. For more information on the assembly process, you can view the instructions here. Price
Other ways to order:
Call Us: 1-800-952-5592 30-DAY RETURN POLICY If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can receive a replacement or refund within 30 days Learn More
Ship time indicates the typical time it takes for your item(s) to leave our facilities. This includes any framing or customizing services ordered as well as careful packaging to prevent damage in transit.
Items that ship same day normally leave our facilities on the same business day if your order is placed before 5:00pm EST. Orders that contain multiple items with different ship times will be shipped out based on the item with the longest ship time. Shipping FAQ Shipping Rates |
© Art.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Terms of Sale
Art.com, You+Art, and Photos [to] Art are trademarks or registered trademarks of Art.com Inc.
Various aspects of this website are covered by issued US patent No. 7,973,796 and other pending patent applications.


text:
Fantagraphics January 2013 New Arrivals Recap | |
Written by Mike Baehr | Filed under Tom Kaczynski, The Comics Journal, Robert Crumb, Prince Valiant, new releases, Michael Kupperman, James Romberger, Jack Jackson, Hal Foster, David Wojnarowicz, Alexander Theroux | 5 Feb 2013 12:39 PM |
Well folks, it's our first batch of 2013 releases and a swell batch it is.
In the past month we've received the gorgeous new definitive edition of the '90s cult classic 7 Miles a Second; Tom Kaczyinski's acclaimed short story collection Beta Testing the Apocalypse; the mammoth new issue of The Comics Journal; a reprint of a Complete Crumb Comics volume loaded with Fritz the Cat classics (and a sweet deal on multiple volumes); Alexander Theroux's encyclopedic, entertaining rant The Grammar of Rock (with Crumb on the cover); true Tejas tales in Jack Jackson's American History: Los Tejanos & Lost Cause; an essential new volume of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant; and the new 2nd hardcover collection of Michael Kupperman's hilarious Tales Designed to Thrizzle!
Remember, our New Releases page always lists the 20 most recent arrivals, and our Upcoming Arrivals page has dozens of future releases available for pre-order.
(Want these updates in your inbox every month? Subscribe!)
7 Miles a Second
by David Wojnarowicz, James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook
68-page full-color 9" x 12" hardcover • $19.99
7 Miles a Second is the story of legendary artist David Wojnarowicz, written during the last years before his AIDS-related death in 1992. Artists James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook unsentimentally depict Wojnarowicz's childhood of hustling on the streets of Manhattan, through his adulthood living with AIDS, and his anger at the indifference of government and health agencies. A primal scream of a graphic novel, 7 Miles a Second blends the stark reality of Lower East Side street life with a psychedelic delirium that artfully conveys Wojnarowicz's sense of rage, urgency, mortality and a refusal to be silent.
Originally published as a comic book in 1996 by DC's Vertigo Comics, 7 Miles a Second was an instant critical success and has become a cult classic amongst fans of literary and art comics, just as Wojnarowicz's influence and reputation have widened in the larger art world. This new edition finally presents the artwork as it was intended: oversized, and with Van Cook's elegant watercolors restored. It also includes several new pages created for this edition.
"Revolutionary.... a runaway, over-the-top circus... An excursion into areas few, if any, comics creators have tread." – Jim Steranko
"Seven Miles a Second veers between an almost unbearably gritty naturalism and the incendiary heat of surrealist hallucination." – The New Yorker
"A revelatory work of art." – Art in America
"A cult classic... both a celebration of the unlimited potential of the comic book form, and a perfect melding of inspiring, iconoclastic imaginations." – Jim Jarmusch
Beta Testing the Apocalypse
by Tom Kaczynski
136-page two-color 6.5" x 9.25" softcover • $19.99
It would be easy to call Tom Kaczynski the J.G. Ballard of comics. Like Ballard, Kaczynski's comics riff on dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes and the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments. Yet while Kaczynski shares many of Ballard's obsessions, he processes them in unique ways. His visual storytelling adds an architectural dimension that the written word alone lacks.
Kaczynski takes abstract ideas — capitalism, communism, or utopianism — and makes them tangible. He depicts and meditates on the immense political and technological structures and spaces we inhabit that subtly affect and define the limits of who we are and the freedom we as Americans presume to enjoy. Society and the individual, in perpetual tension. Once you've read Kaczynski's comics, it should come as no surprise to learn that he studied architecture before embarking on a career as a cartoonist.
Beta Testing includes approximately 10 short stories, most notably "The New," a brand new story created expressly for this book. It's Kaczynski's longest story to date. "The New" is set in an unnamed third-world megalopolis. It could be Dhaka, Lagos or Mumbai. The city creaks under the pressure of explosive growth. Whole districts are built in a week. The story follows an internationally renowned starchitect as he struggles to impose his vision on the metropolis. A vision threatened by the massive dispossessed slum-proletariat inhabiting the slums and favelas on the edges of the city. From the fetid ferment of garbage dumps and shanties emerges a new feral architecture.
The Comics Journal #302
edited by Mike Dean & Kristy Valenti; Gary Groth, Executive Editor
672-page black & white/color 7" x 8.5" softcover
The newly formatted, 600+ page Comics Journal proved a resounding success with 2011's edition. 2012's Volume 302 is sure to prove just as essential and exciting to comics readers worldwide.
This edition's cover feature is a long, intimate interview-portrait with and of Maurice Sendak, the greatest and most successful children's book author of the 20th — and 21st — century, the author of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, Higglety Piggelty Pop, and the illustrator of works by Herman Melville, Leo Tolstoy, and Randall Jarrell. In his longest published interview (and one of the last before his death in 2012), Sendak looks back over a career spanning over 60 years and talks to Gary Groth about art, life, and death (especially death), how his childhood, his parents, and his siblings affected his art and outlook, his search for meaning — and also, on the lighter side, about his love (and hate) of movies. And his unbridled comments on the political leadership of the previous decade have already garnered national media attention and controversy.
Sharing equal billing in this issue's flip-book format: Kim Thompson conducts a career-spanning interview with French graphic novel pioneer Jacques Tardi. The two explore the Eisner Award-winner's genre-spanning oeuvre comprising historical fiction, action-adventure, crime-thriller, "icepunk" and more, focusing on Tardi's working methods (with step by step illustration), collaborations and other media (such as film and animation), and his fascination with World War I. Plus, Matthias Wivel examines Tardi's adaptation of Léo Malet's 120, Rue de la Gare.
Also in this issue, Art Spiegelman conducts a wide-ranging aesthetic colloquy on classic kids' comics (Carl Barks's Donald Duck, John Stanley's Little Lulu, Sheldon Mayer's Sugar and Spike, and many more) with a group of comics critics and historians. Bob Levin provides a revelatory investigation of the twisted history of the "Keep on Truckin'" litigation and a fascinating biographical portrait of R. Crumb's lawyer, Albert Morse. Warren Bernard writes a ground-breaking historical investigation of the 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Juvenile Delinquency. R.C. Harvey looks at Bill Hume's Babysan and Donald Phelps examines Percy Crosby's Skippy. And a tribute to the late Dylan Williams from his peers and the artists he published.
Plus: "How to Draw Buz Sawyer" by renowned newspaper cartoonist Roy Crane (and a previously unpublished interview), a new comic by Joe Sacco and one by Lewis Trondheim in English for the first time, Tim Kreider on Chester Brown, Tom Crippen on Mort Weisinger and Superman, Rich Kreiner on "difficult comics," and a visual gallery of and commentary on proto-comics.
The Comics Journal has been for 37 years the world's foremost critical magazine about comics. It is now more vital than ever, a gigantic print compendium of critiques, interviews, and comics.
The Complete Crumb Comics Vol. 3: Starring Fritz the Cat (New Softcover Ed.)
by Robert Crumb
128-page black & white/color 8.5" x 11" softcover • $19.99
Starring Fritz the Cat includes Crumb's classic original Fritz stories from 1965, including "Fritz Bugs Out" and "Fritz the Cat, Special Agent for the CIA," the first two "real" stories in the Fritz canon, as well as "Fritz the Cat, Ace Statesman," four pages of a previously unpublished Fritz story, and several Fritz illos never before printed in color. Plus: Crumb's first published work from Help! and Yell, including the "Harlem Sketchbook" and the "Bulgarian Sketchbook," most never before reprinted; two dozen of his Topps trading cards, plus extremely rare promotional items, as well as many creeting cards done for American Greetings, several in full color; and many pages of strips from Crumb's 20-year-old sketchbooks. Plus more of Marty Pahls's ongoing Crumb biography, including the story of Crumb's first acid trip, with more rare photos of the young Crumb!
1989 Harvey Award Winner, Best Domestic Reprint Project
Buy Two, Get One Half Off! When ordering this volume, add any two other available volumes from The Complete Crumb Comics series and the third volume will be half price! See product page for more details.
The Grammar of Rock: Art and Artlessness in 20th Century Pop Lyrics
by Alexander Theroux
352-page 6.25" x 9.25" hardcover • $28.99
National Book Award nominee, critic and one of America's least compromising satirists, Alexander Theroux takes a comprehensive look at the colorful language of pop lyrics and the realm of rock music in general in The Grammar of Rock: silly song titles; maddening instrumentals; shrieking divas; clunker lines; the worst (and best) songs ever written; geniuses of the art; movie stars who should never have raised their voice in song but who were too shameless to refuse a mic; and the excesses of awful Christmas recordings. Praising (and critiquing) the gems of lyricists both highbrow and low, Theroux does due reverence to classic word-masters like Ira Gershwin, Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, and Sammy Cahn, lyricists as diverse as Hank Williams, Buck Ram, the Moody Blues, and Randy Newman, Dylan and the Beatles, of course, and more outré ones like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Patti Smith, the Fall (even Ghostface Killah), but he considers stupid rhymes, as well — nonsense lyrics, chop logic, the uses and abuses of irony, country music macho, verbal howlers, how voices sound alike and why, and much more.
In a way that no one else has ever done, with his usual encyclopedic insights into the state of the modern lyric, Theroux focuses on the state of language — the power of words and the nature of syntax — in The Grammar of Rock. He analyzes its assaults on listeners' impulses by investigating singers' styles, pondering illogical lunacies in lyrics, and deconstructing the nature of diction and presentation in the language. This is that rare book of discernment and probing wit (and not exclusively one that is a critical defense of quality) that positively evaluates the very nature of a pop song, and why one over another has an effect on the listener.
Jack Jackson's American History: Los Tejanos & Lost Cause
by Jack Jackson
320-page black & white 7.5" x 10.25" hardcover • $35.00
Jack Jackson loved American history and creating comics. He combined these into a single vocation and created a legacy of historical graphic novels that has never been equaled.
Jackson is credited with creating what many consider the first underground comic, God Nose, in 1964. He co-founded Rip-Off Press in 1969, and made some of the most scathing satirical comics about contemporary America ever seen. But, Jackson was a Texan, and in the 1970s he returned to his roots and began writing and drawing short historical comics about Texas history. He then went on to produce six graphic novels chronicling 19th century Western history focusing on his beloved Texas and the Plains Indians. Fantagraphics, which published Los Tejanos originally in 1981, is proud to bring his graphic histories back into print in a series of three volumes, each reprinting two of his long narratives.
The first volume features Los Tejanos, which Fantagraphics published as a solo book in 1981, and Lost Cause (1998) — chronicling Texas history before and after the Civil War.
Los Tejanos is the story of the Texas-Mexican conflict between 1835 and 1875 as seen through the eyes of tejano (literally Texan of Mexican, as distinct from anglo, heritage) Juan Seguín. It is through Seguín, a pivotal and tragic figure, that Jackson humanizes Texas' fight for independence and provides a human scale for this vast and complex story.
Lost Cause documents the violent reaction to Reconstruction by Texans. As Jackson wrote, "Texas reaped a bitter harvest from the War Between the States. Part of this dark legacy was the great unrest that plagued the beaten but unbowed populace." The tensions caused by Reconstruction are told through the Taylor-Sutton feud, which raged across South Texas, embracing two generations and causing untold grief, and the gunslinger John Wesley Hardin, who swept across Texas killing Carpetbaggers, Federal soldiers, and Indians.
Jackson's work is as known for its rigorous research — he became as good an historian as he was a cartoonist — as well as its chiseled, raw-boned visual approach, reproducing the time and place with an uncanny verisimilitude.
This edition includes an essay by and interview with Jackson about the controversy Lost Cause generated, and an introduction by the novelist Ron Hansen.
Prince Valiant Vol. 6: 1947-1948
by Hal Foster
112-page full color 10.25" x 14" hardcover • $35.00
Hal Foster's masterpiece of adventure enters its second decade as Valiant and Aleta journey to "The New World," a 16-month epic that allows Foster to draw some of his spectacular native Canadian backgrounds, and during which Aleta gives birth to Arn and acquires her Indian nurse, Tillicum. Most of the rest of the book is taken up with the action-packed five-month sequence "The Mad King," during which Val, back at Camelot, confronts the evil, fat little King Tourien of Cornwall.
This volume is rounded off with an essay by Foster scholar Brian M. Kane (The Prince Valiant Companion) discussing Foster's depiction of "Indians" as it relates to other interpretations of the times, accompanied by various graphic goodies including our most spectacular bonus feature yet — a double-sized fold-out page reproducing a strip hand-colored by Foster — plus a previously unpublished camping cartoon by Foster from circa 1915, some of Foster's Mountie paintings, Foster's own map of Val's voyage to/from the New World, and more rare photos and art.
As always, this volume is shot directly from Foster's personal collection of syndicate proofs, their glorious colors restored to create an unprecedentedly sumptuous reading experience.
Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 2
by Michael Kupperman
176-page full-color 7.25" x 10" hardcover • $24.99
Hot on the heels of his acclaimed Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010 comes Michael Kupperman's second all-comics collection of surreal slapstick and crazy non-sequitur goofiness, all from the pages of his beloved comic book series Tales Designed to Thrizzle.
Tales Designed to Thrizzle Volume Two features two of Kupperman's recurring duos: America's favorite mustachioed physicist/writer double team of Twain and Einstein (solving new crimes and barreling through exciting new adventures), and the crime-fighting team of Snake and Bacon ("Sssssssssssss!") who make a special return just to star in Reservoir Dogs 2.Elsewhere in this volume the crusty Quincy, M.E. makes his comic book debut, struggling through the fantastic landscapes of his own dreams in "Quinception" (in which St. Peter also gets his own comic book). And learn the true story of the first lunar landing, guest starring Woodward & Bernstein, Lt. Columbo and... Quincy again??... in "Moon 69."
Also: The Jungle Princess battles rhino traders... A story of Broadway theatrics in "All About Drainage"... Slightly cursed merchandise and other dubious products... Cockney grave robbers... Cowboy Oscar Wilde... McArf the Crime Dog takes a bite out of scum... The origin of The Hamanimal... A photocomic starring comedian Julie Klausner, "Voyage To Narnia"... Break out your crayons for the highly educational "Train & Bus Coloring Book"... The story of French national hero "The Scythe"... and "Murder, She Goat."
Plus! This volume contains a full issue's worth of never-before-published, brand new Thrizzle material featuring "Mandate the Magician," "Fart Boobs," "The Odd Couple of Draculas," "Skull Groin," "Gladiator & Snivolus," "Mr. Flopears," "Gordon Ramsay's Fairy Tale Toilet Kitchen Nightmares," "McGritte the Surrealist Crime Dog," a new Twain & Einstein adventure and ever so much more!


text:
Merger talks need discussion
My support for merger of the town and village of Northfield has only been confirmed by my experience as a Select Board member since March of last year.
Here are some of the more interesting developments during that year.
The village trustees and town Select Board have been working closely together in order to coordinate their activities for the benefit of the whole community. That cooperation has already resulted in reductions in the combined highway budget that will be voted on at town meeting.
The Joint Town and Village Merger Committee completed a merger plan to be voted on March 5 that is brief and easy to understand. If the plan is approved, the trustees and the Select Board will have more than a year in which to implement it before the merger date of June 30, 2014.
Opportunities to get questions answered concerning merger are still available. Copies of the proposed plan of merger are available in several retail and banking institutions in our shopping areas. The full plan is also printed in the town report which was delivered to all residences on Friday.
In addition to the above opportunities, the Select Board held a public hearing on Australian ballot articles (including merger) on Monday, and the trustees will hold a similar hearing on merger alone today, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
Finally, Northfield voters attending town meeting will have the opportunity to discuss the proposed merger of the town and village during town meeting. This is as a result of a change made by the Legislature to allow discussion of Australian ballot articles during the regular town meeting, even though no changes can be made in the proposal and no vote can be taken.
I believe that the merger plan which has been proposed is the right one and that it is in the best interest of Northfield voters and taxpayers to support it.
Brad Denny
The letter writer is a Select Board member.MORE IN LettersAs the school year begins to wind down, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the... Full StoryVermonts cherished social fabric dates from when typical rural Vermonters were born and... Full StoryIt seems that there was a lot of extra security from private firms at the May Day celebration for... Full Story -
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
Our Price: £4.85 incl VAT
List price: £5.25
Saving of £0.40 (8%)
Earn 5 Loyalty Points each
This higher cocoa, milk chocolate bar from Pralus holds a rich, caramelised nut and toffee flavour profile using only fine flavour, Criollo cocoa from Indonesia.
Pralus Chocolate
Pralus, situated in Roanne, France, are one of the few chocolate houses creating chocolate direct from the cocoa bean. Owner, François Pralus, produces chocolate of exceptional quality, achieving accolades from The Grand Prix d'Excellence International du Chocolat and the Grand Prix du Festival International du Chocolat.
Read more about Pralus >
May contain traces of nut & gluten.
Posted Tue 6 Sep 2011 11.58am by Denise
If you are used to cadburys and enjoy the very very sweeet type of milk chocolate (without any flavour really other than sugar and artificial vanilla) then I would avoid this but if you enjoy a good milk chocolate with body and caramel flavours then I would say go for it. I speak from experience and a converted fan of fine chocolate, this company and great selection of quality chocolate available here.
Posted Thu 25 Jul 2013 4.48pm by Jo
I originally received this Pralus Melissa milk chocolate bar within their milk chocolate bar bundle. I love its caramel notes and it is now a firm favourite I sometimes order online all by itself when the fancy takes me. Ordering from the Chocolate Trading Company is straightforward and my chocolate orders have always arrived in perfect condition.
Posted Thu 19 Feb 2015 11.25am by cheryl
Great depth of cocoa flavour from a milk chocolate bar and not at all like the overly sweet chocolate bars you tend to find on the High Street. I'm not quite converted to dark chocolate but I'm now hooked on milk chocolate with a higher cocoa content, thanks to the Chocolate Trading Co.
You must be registered with us if you wish to rate & review this product.
Please Sign in at the top of the page or click here to register.
It is our intention that product reviews should be constructive, balanced and for the sole purpose of helping other customers to decide which chocolates best suit their taste, or intended recipients taste. For the enjoyment and helpfulness to all customers the reviews are moderated.
Valrhona Manjari, 64% dark chocolate barFrom £3.75
Valrhona Guanaja, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.75
Toscano Black, 63% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Toscano Black, 66% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Toscano Black, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Amedei Chuao, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £6.95
Amedei Chuao, 70% dark chocolate neapolitansFrom £8.95
Porcelana, 70% dark chocolate neapolitansFrom £10.95
Amedei Porcelana, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £9.95
Pralus Chuao, 75% dark chocolate barFrom £5.45
Pralus Fortissima, 80% dark chocolate barFrom £4.85
Pralus Indonesie, 75% dark chocolate barFrom £4.85
Pralus Le 100%, dark chocolate barFrom £4.85
Pralus Madagascar, 75% dark chocolate barFrom £4.85
Pralus Melissa, 45% milk chocolate barFrom £4.85
Domori, Sur del Lago 70% dark chocolate barFrom £2.58
Valrhona Tin of Guanaja 70% dark squaresFrom £8.99
Domori, Il Blend 70% dark chocolate barFrom £2.95
Domori, Javablond 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Domori, Puertofino 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Domori, Porcelana 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Domori, Puertomar 75% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
El Pedregal 2014 Vintage, 64% dark chocolate barFrom £5.85
Ampamakia 2014 Vintage, 64% dark chocolate barFrom £4.85
Duffy's, Honduras Indio Rojo, 72% dark chocolate barFrom £6.45
Willie's Madagascan 71 Sambirano Superior chocolate barFrom £2.99
Willie's Peruvian 70 Chulucanas chocolate barFrom £2.99
Willie's Hazelnut Raisin dark chocolate barFrom £1.90
Amedei Blanco de Criollo chocolate barFrom £7.95
Valrhona Manjari orange chocolate barFrom £3.85
Bonnat Cacao Real del Xoconuzco 75% barFrom £9.45
Domori, Canoabo 70% dark chocolate barFrom £3.95
Domori, Il 100% Criollo, dark chocolate barFrom £4.25
Domori, Guasare 70% dark chocolate barFrom £4.95
Chocolat Madagascar, 65% dark chocolate barFrom £4.35
Chocolat Madagascar, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £4.35
Chocolat Madagascar, 85% dark chocolate barFrom £4.35
Chocolat Madagascar, 100% dark chocolate barFrom £4.35
Chocolat Madagascar, 50% milk chocolate barFrom £4.35
Duffy's, Nicaragua Chuno, 70% dark chocolate barFrom £6.95
Duffy's, Nicaragua Rico Rugoso, 76% dark chocolate barFrom £6.95
Original Beans, Piura Porcelana 75% dark chocolate barFrom £3.85
Wilkie's, Organic Amazonas 64% dark chocolate barFrom £6.75
Wilkie's, Organic Amazonas 75% dark chocolate barFrom £6.75
Wilkie's, Organic Amazonas 75% dark chocolate bar with cocoa nibsFrom £2.95
Wilkie's, Organic Tumbes 75% dark chocolate barFrom £6.75
Wilkie's, Organic Amazonas 89% dark chocolate barFrom £6.95
Valrhona Tin of Jivara milk chocolate squaresFrom £8.99
Bonnat Porcelana, 75% dark chocolate barFrom £9.45
Doble & Bignall, Raven, Johe Beans, 72% dark chocolate barFrom £3.85
Valrhona Jivara, 40% milk chocolate barFrom £3.75
Valrhona Tanariva, 33% milk chocolate barFrom £3.75
Michel Cluizel Maralumi Lait, 47% milk chocolate barFrom £3.95
Grand Lait, 45% milk chocolate barFrom £4.25
Michel Cluizel Mangaro Lait, 50% milk chocolate barFrom £3.95
Crema Toscana, gianduja chocolate spreadFrom £5.95
I Frutti, milk chocolate bar with hazelnutsFrom £4.50
Toscano brown, milk chocolate barFrom £4.25
Amedei Gianduja, milk chocolate barFrom £4.35
on every order you make
Get special offers, news & discounts by email.
Order now and choose a future delivery date to suit you.
Standard p&p from just £3.95
Chocolate Trading Co
Welcome to Chocolate Trading Co. Sign in.Register with us
my basket (0 items)Total £0.00


text:
Armasight NYX14 Flag 5x2x3 Multi-purpose Night Vision Monocular has been discontinued by Armasight and is no longer available. Our product experts have helped us select these available replacements below. You can also explore other items in the Night Vision category yourself to try and find the perfect replacement for you!
Please note: Black spots (artifacts) in image intensifier tubes are an inherent result of the manufacturing process and do not affect the performance of a night vision unit. Higher generation units have fewer artifacts.


text:
We're sorry, we need more information to run your search. Please enter a last name (adding more details will improve your results).
If you are hoping to find somebody with the last name Ardman, you can stop looking elsewhere right now. The results above will reveal that there are many people with the last name Ardman. For a more advanced people search, you can confine the number of results displayed by selecting the link that contains the first name of the person you are looking to find.
After modifying your search results you will be presented with a record of people with the last name Ardman that match the first name you selected. In addition, there are other types of people data such as known locations, date of birth, and possible relatives that can assist you in finding the specific person you are hunting for.
If you have additional information about the person you are trying to locate, such as their last known address or phone number, you can input that in the search box above and further change your results. This is a swift way to find the Ardman you are hunting for, if you know more about them.


text:
Council members seek public interface
Portola City Council met last week between passing storms in a never-ending parade of weather to complete business on a short agenda. But members also found time to discuss ways to increase public participation in and discussion of current city issues.
Mayor Dan Wilson and Mayor Pro Tem Juliana Mark advanced the idea of Saturday morning Coffee Klatches held in rotating locations once per month and found their fellow council members in agreement with their aims.
"The closeness of our community is the perfect venue to reach out and talk to the citizens individually. One big challenge has been how to get interest from the community in order to get their issues on the agenda," said Mark.
Wilson and Mark are interested in receiving input from citizens and in discussing local concerns. Residents already are encouraged to provide their opinions during the public comment portion of the agenda during regular meetings, but standing in front of a podium while being taped for television makes the process more formal and more formidable for some.
Last Saturday, the first meeting was held at Coffee Tree Express and the next will be April 30 at Dee's Station Café from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Meetings thereafter will be rotated around all the local coffee shops in alphabetical order on the last Saturday of each month.
"It's all about listening. We want to know what they want us to do," said Mark.
It is hoped that informal meetings with the public might provide local representatives with more insight into the communal mind of Portola.
The council also unanimously approved an amendment to the loan agreement between the county and the city in regard to the Lake Davis Water Treatment Plant. The original loan agreement, made in 2007, outlined the proportion of cost each was to bear in the completion of the plant and provided for a loan of $165,000 to the Plumas County Flood Control District. The loan was to be repaid by December 2012 or upon receipt of funds under the Monterey Settlement.
As the last repairs and construction details were being completed at the plant, which is still not online, it was discovered that the 250,000-gallon water storage tank needed to be re-coated. Since this item was not included in itemized cost estimates, the two parties agreed to a two-year extension of the loan by the city and agreement to split the cost of the re-coating 50-50. The council agreed to the proposition unanimously.
They also unanimously approved the Housing Element Annual Progress Report submitted by City Planner Karen Downs, who will forward the report to the state. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) requires that each city and county prepare an annual report due April 1 on the status and progress in implementing its housing element, using forms and definitions adopted by HCD.
HCD's interest is directed at assessing the need for affordable housing in an area and tracking the progress made in constructing homes to meet this need. Since no certificates of completion of new construction were issued in 2010, no progress toward meeting the "assessed need" was made.
The city looks to the Woodbridge development to supply most, if not all, of the low-cost housing needs of the future, and while Woodbridge remains stalled by the economy, no progress will be made toward meeting HCD's assessed goals.
Other HCD expectations are addressed in the report, such as developing a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, identifying low-income housing assistance sources and tracking available land within the city.
Since the housing element report only addresses new or rehabilitated construction, recent vacancies within the city, including lower cost homes, are not counted or applied to the "need" assessment.
The state-required report also does not take the recent reduction in population figures in the latest census into account. Portola's census figures were down by nearly 200 people. Prior to the downturn in the economy, Portola, like Plumas County in general, experienced a slow 3 percent growth pattern. According to Downs, the state determines the Regional Housing Needs Assessment countywide and it will not be adjusted until 2014.


text:
Registrar's Calendar
skip to eventslink for robots only
advanced search
Event Detail Information
Event Detail Information
Late Registration Begins
Date Jan 21, 2013
UIS Records and Registration
E-Mail email@example.com
Event type Affairs
Views 2087
Late registration begins for all full-term and first-half courses. Instructor approval is required to register for all courses within this criteria, and late fees apply. Courses can only be added by contacting Records and Registration.


text:
Phoronix: New Features Coming For Debian 7.0 "Wheezy"
With the recent release of Debian 7.0 Installer Release Candidate, the final release of Debian 7.0 "Wheezy" is effectively on approach. For those not up to speed on this major Linux distribution update, here's a list of some of the top features...
Debian, the extremely conservative Linux distro...
Why not mention multiarch? It's quite a big improvement to the 32bit libs on 64bit system mess.
Joking right? It can't possibly be any more of a horrible mess than cramming ALL 32-bit libraries onto a 64-bit system via a single package...
I've been running Wheezy for a year now, with multiatch enabled. Never had any problems with libraries or library paths. I've even installed a couple of libs from Ubuntu's repos in order to get Steam to work and still had absolutely ZERO problems and ZERO complications. I guess maybe it's only a mess because it's "different".. From what I've heard, the lib paths are much more organized than they were before which would be a reduction in entropy.. ie: The opposite of a mess. It was a lot of work and took a lot of effort to clean up the amd64 architecture and libs to get it where it is now, but it's now at a point where it should have been from the beginning..
I can install wine now and a ton of other 32-bit only applications on Debian amd64 and grab only the 32-bit libs that they actually *need* instead of installing ia32-libs which is a frankenstein of a package. Which is just awesome. It could mean having an operating system that loses a couple hundred megabytes of excess libs that you never use. Which saves you $$$, especially when you're installing to an SSD. It also saves bandwidth.
There is no doubt that Debian knows how to do things the right way.. I've got zsnes (32-bit assembly only) and wine (32-bit only) running on Debian amd64 and it installs just the required libs and nothing else.. No ia32-libs packages needed... Multi-arch rocks.
Last edited by Sidicas; 02-19-2013 at 09:21 PM.
Thanks, that's what I wanted to know.It doesn't. Besides, I'm sure the debian guys have thought about this very carefully. Probably more than any other distribution makers.
I don't care a hoot about 32-bit, I've been running a pure 64-bit system since 2008 with no issues. No doubt the multiarch dirs are an improvement for those wanting 32-bit on 64; I only said it would be a regression if it also forced native libs to follow the more complicated directory layout.


text: APTA was again a leading exhibitor at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Annual Conference, held August 8-11, at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. APTA's participation in the sixth annual NCSL "Walk for Wellness" and the association's information booth were prominent features at this year's event. In addition, more than 300 attendees took the PT Challenge at the association's exhibit booth. Participants who correctly answered questions on direct access, protection for the term "physical therapy," and the detrimental effect of high patient copays for physical therapist services were entered in a drawing for a Kindle or an iPod shuffle. Both activities drew numerous state lawmakers to association's booth where APTA State Affairs staff and volunteers from the Texas Chapter educated them about direct access to physical therapist services, referral for profit (POPTS), infringement concerns, reimbursement challenges, and other issues important to the physical therapy profession at the state level. Read more and view photos at this link.


text:
See The Frames Performance at Lollapalooza!
Didn't get tickets to Lollapalooza? You can STILL watch The Frames perform LIVE as it's happening from Grant Park in Chicago.
Don't miss out! Click here to go to the AT&T blue room and enjoy hours of free, uninterrupted, live streaming coverage from Lollapalooza Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 4th-6th.
The webcast will feature live performances from The Frames and more! So check it out!


text:
I'm slightly sheepish in saying that I was happy about "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes because it's just 163 pages. As I work my way through this year's Notable Books list, a shorty is a relief.
Barnes is a British writer, and here presents a British story. It's told by a middle-aged man, Tony Webster, who looks back on his boarding school friendships and early love life.
Tony describes how his school group of three boys grows to take in a fourth, Adrian, who is especially smart and who sees the world a little differently than the others. When Adrian takes up with Veronica, a girl who Tony dated, Tony writes them an ugly letter.Tony heads off for an adventure in America, Adrian commits suicide. Eventually Tony marries Margaret, they raise a daughter, and then divorce. Tony feels himself going along and getting along. Then Veronica's mother dies, and leaves something to Tony, and this brings back the past. It also brings Veronica back into his life.
Tony wonders what his role was in Adrian's suicide, in the unhappiness that led to his death. HAD he done something terribly wrong as a youth? Was he responsible for...something?
I confess that when I got to the end of this book and to the revelation regarding this mystery, I had to re-read the ending, and I wished that I had the gumption to re-read the whole book. I went to amazon.com to read what people had written about the book, and was relieved that several had noted that the resolution seemed confusing and underwhelming, given the lead-up.
And that may be what is genius about this book--how remarkably realistic for Tony to look back from the distance of many years, and end up not quite sure.
And is that what makes Peter Barnes a genius writer? That he can get us inside of this man's head, for good and for ill, and engage us in these reflections? Barnes is known for elegant writing, directing the reader's attention to the correct place, using just the right word, and yet also shining a glaring light on people's weakness. I'll recommend this to my reading friends who are good with a literary novel, good with what is not expected, and good with Barnes' particular "sense of an ending."


text:
Welcome to Roof to Deck Restoration
The Leader in Exterior Wood Cleaning, Sealing and Staining
Roof to Deck Restoration is Minnesota's wood restoration company. Our safe and unique low pressure process will safely protect your home's exterior from the harsh effects of the weather while at the same time making it beautiful again. Request a free online estimate today!
A Quality Deck and Roof Preservation Company
Keeping the wood on the exterior of your home in good condition is required to ensure it lasts as long as possible. At Roof to Deck Restoration, we are Minnesota's top wood restoration company, giving our customers the services they need to keep their decks, fences, porches, cedar roofs and other wood structures looking great, primarily with the use of home power washing in MN. We can help with all exterior wood-related services for your home.


text:
The Greatest Secrets of UX Revealed!
I'm a big fan of Penn and Teller, and have been for many years. I saw them live for the first time last month and was blown away by their performance.
What I really love about Penn and Teller is that they often "pull back the curtain" and reveal how they do their magic. Other magicians produce an air of mysticism and pretense around their craft, but Penn and Teller will have none of that. They know they are playing tricks, fooling the audience, and by letting everyone in on what they are doing they debunk mysticism while also (hopefully) teaching you something.
Their attitude towards their work inspired me to write an article that hopefully "pulls back the curtain" on some of user experience design's "greatest mysteries." Much like Penn and Teller's mocking of "artists" like Criss Angel, I have met quite a few pretentious design types in UX who think way too much of themselves and what they do. This type of attitude frustrates me, because much of what UX professionals do is actually easy to teach and apply. That's why I've written one book of essays, lessons, and tactics around user experience, and have begun work on a second. I want to demystify the domain and make it accessible to all.
To that end, here are some of the key "secrets" of UX, revealed.
We Aren't All-Knowing Prophets
I know many UX designers present themselves as unquestionable experts on human beings; as seers whose edicts should be followed to the letter.
Come on.
First off, no one can be that good. If you think you are, such arrogance will in all likelihood prevent you from seeing some basic truths about human behavior (i.e. truths that don't align with your worldview). The key to success in UX is to start from a place of humble confidence, not arrogance.
User Experience Designers Don't Design User Experiences
UX designers don't design experiences, experiences happen when users encounter a situation and respond to it. They can respond well or badly. All UX designers can do is understand users well enough to design a series of objects, interactions, and/or screens that make sense and work for users—hopefully provoking a positive "experience."
The Most Important UX Skills are Soft Ones
There's an old saying often attributed to Woody Allen: "90% of life is just showing up." I'd say if you are a UX professional, a good chunk of the remaining 10 percent consist of the soft skills of listening, empathy, and communication. Listen in order to understand the problem and hear feedback from users to formulate solutions. Have empathy towards users, so that you can care about what you are doing to help them. Be a good communicator so that you can message your solution and discuss it with the people who have to execute it.
Simple is Hard
In my experience, the best designs are simple designs. Creating simple designs is really hard. Not only do you have to fight your own instinct to make things more complicated than they need to be, you also have to fight that same instinct in everyone you are working with, including stakeholders and product managers. Which is why you need …
Debate Skills
Not only do good UX people have good communication skills, they can also sell their points in the face of critics and cynics who don't like the solutions they've produced. At the same time, an open and "balanced" designer can debate a point but also accept when they are wrong. Because …
Failing is Awesome
In our society, failure has a stigma: if you fail then somehow you are a "loser." A huge part of UX design involves conceptual design and user testing, and when we fail (if we are paying attention) we can learn from it. At the very least, when a design we pilot doesn't work we know that particular approach doesn't work. Some of the best insights into people and their behaviors have come from testing designs that users did not understand and/or could not use.
It's not Rocket Science
Yes, when you do formal usability testing or user research, there is a certain amount of analysis involved, but it's not that hard. If there were a lot of math involved, frankly, I wouldn't be doing it … because I suck at math.
Common Sense is the Best Tool a Designer has
If a design solution that you or a peer creates doesn't make sense then it probably won't make sense to the end users. A big dose of common sense helps designers filter out good ideas from the bad ones. Don't try and sell a design that requires leaps in logic and over-thinking things.
UI Design is not that Important
I've designed screens and interfaces for over a decade, and what I'm suggesting might make some of my colleagues mad, but I'm going to put it out there: UI design is not that important, and it's not even that hard. It may have been hard ten years ago, but we now have a plethora of design patterns and best practices available for our review and use. We have design guidelines from every major software platform.
Focus (and sweat) the details, yes, but don't try and rethink things that people who are smarter than you have already figured out.
The Best Designers Know Users, not UIs
UI design is not hard. Understanding users and figuring out how to create designs that make their lives better—that's what's hard. The best designers spend their time trying to understand who they are designing for by doing research and interviews. "Know your audience" is a common statement I have heard in multiple domains, and it's absolutely true in UX design.
Usability Testing can be Done (Almost) Anywhere
I have built three different usability labs in my career, and have done the majority of my usability testing with one laptop in a quiet area (a coffee shop, an empty office). Building out a huge technological terror to do something as simple as testing an initial concept with some users is unnecessary overkill.
Developers can Do UX Design, too (Many are Really Good at it)
I've never been a big fan of "silos" in projects, where a dedicated group of designers do a design and then they hand it over to developers to build it. That's why I like working in an agile team, where developers pitch design ideas just like us UXers do. I've met many developers over the years who could create great useable screens, often better than those the "UX professional" made.
If you are on a team but ignore the talents of many on the team because they aren't "accredited" designers or don't have the right title, well, I pity you. You're missing out on some talent that may be right under your nose.
Usability is not Enough
We have gone beyond usability. Now, UX designers have to think about desirability, about content, and about how to frame the offering to increase usage. Usability is "table stakes."
We are All Storytellers, so Tell a Good Story
Explaining is a huge part of what we do: explaining what we have found out about our users, explaining how we can help users with what we have designed, explaining why a certain feature should be accentuated or de-scoped. The best way to explain is by telling a story, because humans are all storytellers. Some of us are good at it and some of us are not.
The best of us weave a compelling tale, and the best UX professionals know that storytelling is the key to it all.
Image of ace up sleeve courtesy Shutterstock.
Add new comment
Great points! Particularly like the one about designing "experiences" - I elaborated on that point in a blog post in 2011: http://wp.me/p1sLNl-3n
Great article. I feel as UX people we need to drop our egos and realize that we don't know everything. As a sole UI UX guy at a software company I've had to take full advantage of other peoples talents and it is a great approach and people feel involved in the process.
I definitely agree with you. Sharing knowledge is always positive.
Thanks for this article
I wish the UX community would stop telling themselves that a basic understanding of math and statistics is beyond the pale of their responsibilities.
Nice one Joe. In our business we do UX and I always tell potential staff that I'm looking for researchers who can design, not designers who think that, if they are given the chance, they can research. JB
I have noticed that UX people are so focused on UI Design at times that they lose sight of some of the truly important issues with our solutions such as 'Are we solving the right problem?' If you put out a solution and the UI Design still needs some tweaking, it tends to be relatively quick and low cost. However, if that solution has not value to people, then you've wasted a lot of time and money. As I like to tell my colleagues (with a bit more colorful language), "I don't give a damn if you make a beautiful interface if you've spent time solving the wrong problem."
UI Design is important but not as important as peoples' attention to it would indicate. I agree that in most cases it's really not that hard either. I think it gets too much attention because it is the most concrete output that we produce. It's really easy for stakeholders to latch on to the thing they can "touch and feel" rather than engage in a critique/discussion of the conceptual aspects of UX work.
Can I get an amen for this article? As someone who's getting their feet wet in UX, it's been frustrating to find someone who's willing to share their approach to the design process, and they really do make it appear as though it's all smoke and mirrors. Websites, apps, design galleries, etc. only show you the end results, not the decisions or recommendations behind the designs. That's what I'm looking for so I can emulate good designers and good design.
The UX field needs more Penn and Tellers and less Criss Angels. Also, there needs to be a failspace carved out for new ones who aren't able to "hit the ground running" (something I frequently see in job descriptions.)
I agree with a lot of this. A couple of your points are worth repeating over and over to designers and non-designers alike, particularly, "start from a place of humble confidence," and, "creating simple designs is really hard." Coupla comments though:
* When you say UI Design what do you mean? Layout? Visuals? I don't know of a component of the design process that *isn't* hard to do well. But I do agree it's worth using preexisting patterns when they apply.
* Usability *ought* to be table stakes, as you say, but somehow it isn't. Some of the most widely-used products in the world have gaping usability holes. Designers do need to think about other things, but -- going back to those debating skills -- they also somehow need to do better getting usable products out the door. See my much longer rant here: http://boxesandarrows.com/a-truly-ambitious-product-idea-making-stuff-for-people/
* Developers who understand UX are amazing to work with. More generally, the best teams I've been on have been those on which everyone understood a little of everyone else's craft.
The early reference to Penn & Teller, debunking, and 'pulling back the curtain' had me excited for a flash of rhetoric and a rapid debunking or a detailed takedown of a holy cow with a prankster's gleam in the eye. With each 'secret' you listed my expectations ramped up. When was the 'a-ha!' moment going to pop and knock me cold? The tension was wonderful but, unlike Penn & Teller, you never paid it off.
Instead, the folksy, home-spun vignettes began to pile up and suddenly Penn & Teller faded from view and Robert Fulghum appeared, taunting me with his overly-calm tone and insistence I take comfort in the cadence of reassuring, repurposed notions. "We're not all experts, soft skills are more important than hard skills, speak well, don't be afraid to fail, and rely on common sense!" These are platitudes, not secrets. They have value but in the same way a handful of pennies has value - the circumstances are limited and rare.
Storyteller, take thine own advice and rethink what story you're trying to tell. Pull back and think of the column again. Platitudes are not enough. Comforting tropes aren't design advice even when sprinkled with words like 'usability,' 'research,' and 'design.' What's that awesome moment you turned a challenge into a success and thought, "DAMN, other people should know about that!" Even just a STORY that takes us through an idea, experiment or hilarious moment that made you slap your forehead and say, "NOW it makes sense!"
Those are secrets, secrets you can reveal with a flourish worthy of Penn & Teller. Those are stories that deserve to be told.


text:
Virgin Australia began its award-winning Indigenous Employment Program in 2009 to address the under-representation of Indigenous peoples in Virgin Australia's workforce.
Since its inception, the Indigenous Employment Program has grown from strength to strength and now proudly employs many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members.
Virgin Australia's Indigenous Employment Program is developed on a strengths based approach to Indigenous recruitment, where we work hard to find and attract highly skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our business.
We are proud to say that our program is completely self-funded and provides the same employment opportunities as non-Indigenous peoples, which are real and sustainable employment options.
Dedicated Indigenous Recruitment Team
Virgin Australia has a dedicated team who are focussed on Indigenous recruitment and managing relationships with key community organisations.
The team offer career advice and provide candidate care to Indigenous people who are interested in employment opportunities with Virgin Australia.
The team can be contacted via email: email@example.com
Dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Careers Sessions
Virgin Australia runs a number of dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Careers Sessions in various locations to support and attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates to positions across our business.
These sessions provide candidates with an overview of our business; information about our current vacancies and Virgin Australia's recruitment process. It is also a great opportunity for the Indigenous Recruitment Team to meet and get to know you and to discuss your career aspirations.
These sessions are highly informative in order to help you to prepare and to put your best business foot forward when applying for a position with Virgin Australia.
So, register your interest to come to one of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Careers Sessions now.
Please note: No preferential treatment is given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates. These sessions are simply designed to help candidates to prepare for when they go through the merit based selection process.


text:
Golf Report for the week of 10/27/2010
Whitehawk RanchOur days of golfing at Whitehawk Ranch are numbered now as the course officially closes Sunday, Oct. 24. Only a few ladies continue to come out and tee it up late this fall but, those who do are rewarded with beautiful days out on the course.
Our final competition this season at Whitehawk was our Ace of Aces Finale played Sept. 28. Marcia Zeigler continued to dominate our 2010 season, coming up the low gross winner by shooting a round of 80.
Marcia was also our club champion again this year and awarded as our most improved player at our awards luncheon on Oct. 5.
Christy Randall finished her season strong with a round of 67 to come in as our Ace of Aces low net winner. Congratulations to Marcia and Christy.
Graeagle Meadows Women
Following the annual awards luncheon at Cuccia's Wednesday, the Graeagle Meadows Women's Golf Club closed out the 2010 season with it 25th annual Turd Tournament Thursday, Oct. 14.
Each player was assigned a symbol for the Halloween card game. A player could be a cat, a bat, a ghost or a Jack-o-lantern.
The four-person team played each hole in normal fashion but determined its score on the next tee box using two net scores as indicated by symbols found there. No one knew which scores would be used until after the hole had been played.
The team winning first place included Priscilla Piper, Sharon Rogers, Jacquie McMaster and Janet Reihsen. Taking second place was Ann Pratt, Ellen Fearing, and Maureen Ford. In third place were Pat Nichols, Jan Pierce, Connie Rehab and Garnet Bell. Lynn Hogan, Kathy Sipel, Esther Rimbault and Donna Swanson came in fourth.
The Turd Queen, determined by the low net score over the field, was Cheryl Brennan. Closest to the pin was won by Lynn Hogan on the third hole and by Jody Lindroth on the twelfth hole.
Bailey Creek Women
The Bailey Creek Women's Club enjoyed fabulous fall weather for their final play day of the year Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Winning low gross was Mary Ashburn of Greenville, followed by Jenni Cesarin and Lee Hunter.
In addition to fun and competition, a highlight of the day was a long chip-in on the 7th hole by Joan Eychner of Foxwood.
The club will play weekly on Wednesdays when Bailey Creek reopens in the spring.
For membership information contact Jenni Cesarin at email@example.com or 284-7469.
Plumas Pines Women's
Golf Club
The ladies played the front nine twice, due to the fact that the golf course is busily getting ready for winter preparation and had the back nine closed for aerification on October 19th. The game was a 9-hole eclectic where the best score on a hole was used. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day that was enjoyed by all who played. Winning Low Gross over the field was Jan Talbott who scored a 49 and Scooter Kidwell won Low Net over the field with a 36. Sharon Rogers won Low Gross in her flight with a 54, and Jennifer Zumbro won Low Net scoring a 37-1/2. There were no chip-ins which means there is only one more chance for someone to win a pretty sizeable pot next week. The final official ladies play day is Tuesday, October 26th and Halloween Golf will be the game. If the weather stays warm like it's been, there may be unofficial ladies play days. Contact Plumas Pines Golf Course to inquire and sign up.
To have your golf club included in the weekly results, email the information to email@example.com or fax it to 283-3952 by Friday at 3 p.m.


text:
Wild Man Blues
Barbara Kopple's entertaining and occasionally illuminating documentary about Woody Allen's 1995 jazz band tour of Europe divides its time between the concert commitments and the quiet times with Allen and future wife Soon-Yi Previn.
Cast: Woody Allen
Produced by: Jean Doumanian
Directed by: Barbara Kopple
Written by:
Running time:
1hr 44min
Opens: Apr 17, 1998
Theaters for Today |
Pick a day
on this day. |


text:
Cracked corn pilaf: an unusual dish but full of flavors, perfect to serve alongside your favorite stew.
#23442Peanut Butter Buttercream frosting to top off a surprise filled cupcake.
#23438Vietnamese-style Banh Mi sandwich -- juicy pork meatballs, carrot slaw and spicy mayo inside a crisp, light roll!
#23437Saison Caramelized Pineapple Beer Shortcakes.
Shortcakes made with beer and pineapples.
Bacon & Eggs Risotto: a playful take on a classic breakfast combination, served over rice to make a hearty, filling dinner
#23431Vegetarian (really vegan) Shepherd's Pie, loaded with healthy vegetables and beans, then top with creamy mashed potatoes.
#23430Layered Frozen Yogurt Cake with delicious add-ins on a homemade Oreo crust.
#23427An elaborate Spring Layer Cake: Carrot Pineapple Spice & Brownie Layer Cake with Whipped Cream & Cream Cheese Frosting and Marzipan Carrots
#23425Christina Marsigliese bakes Spicy Herb & Garlic Bread Loaf! Easier than you think.
#23418Tips of Vegetable Roasting ~ America's Test Kitchen sugests turning up the heat and some other great tricks to getting better roasted veggies.
#23415Moroccan Spice Rub - perfect for grilling or roasting lamb, chicken and more
#23413Simple Cheesy Chicken Farfalle with Peas is a balanced meal that the adults and kids will love!
#23408Flavorful beef empanadas with onions, green olives, raisins, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs
#23400Mixing Methods ~ Chasing Delicious has created a great guide to the many different ways of bringing things together in baking.


text: Situated right in the heart of fashionable Bermondsey and just a short 10 minute walk from London Bridge Station, 190 Bermondsey Street is in the perfect location to travel anywhere in London for business or pleasure. Great style, cutting edge design, combined with the latest technology and free broadband, ensure that the apartments at Bermondsey Street are perfect for any occasion.... £50.00 pre-authorisation will be taken at the time of check-in from your credit or debit card. Payment can be made with all major credit and debit cards, no cash or cheque payments accepted. If the reservation is made less than 48 hours prior to arrival please ensure that a valid credit / debit card is provided at the time of booking so that the charge can be processed immediately ; as Think Apartments do not accept cash aspayments on arrival at our receptions.


text: Hair | In the mid 1920's, a lady by the name of Mary Lesswall Smith invented the hair tie to tie back her long hair because she was so clumsy it would get in her way. This trend caught on quickly and has maintained its popularity even today. Even med have adopted the style and have kept it popular for all these years. Our hair bands are available in variety of styles and colors including pony tail, holder and other hat and cap styles for women. These hair accessory items are made of durable material and are available at amazingly low prices. Check out our ponytail, flower, feather, rose, and Tymi hair bands for a unique look. These are the perfect ladies accessory for any occasion or season. These fashionable women's accessories are a fantastic addition to any wardrobe. You are sure to find the perfect hair accessory for you here at e4Hats.com. |


text:
Plays: 32
#LoveTheWords. Record a poem. Join our 75th-anniversary celebrations by recording a reading of your favorite poem. Whether your reading is a humble tribute, a whispered prayer or a barbaric yawp, we want to hear how you love the words. Follow the instructions here and be part of our storied literary history.


text:
Wuzhen Jixiang Hotel - Wuzhen
- Location:
- Address:58 Zhenlongyuan Road, Wuzhen, Tongxiang
- Tel:0573-88722105 (Book this hotel, call 800-2682918)
- Hotel Name in Chinese:乌镇吉祥宾馆
- Lowest Price: $17
- Prices not include 18% service fee and tax.
- Payment Method: pay using our secure online payment service or pay at the hotel at some hotels.
- Triple/quad occupancy may require an extra bed at extra cost.
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Services | Car rentals, Medical clinic service, Wake Up Call, Permanent English-speaking staff, Business Centre, Copy Service, E-mail, Fax Service, Typing Service |
Room Amenities | Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Color Television, Telephone, Bath and Shower, Internet access |
Hotel Amenities: Elevator, Parking, Business Floor or Executive Floor, Air-Conditioned Facilities, Beauty Salon, Sauna, Meeting Room, Deposit Box at Front Desk, Fire Detector, Chess & Playing Cards Room
Dining Facilities: Chinese Restaurant, Western Restaurant
Print the Taxi Directions
- Please drive me to Wuzhen Jixiang Hotel - Wuzhen, thank you!
- 请送我到乌镇吉祥宾馆,谢谢
- Address:58 Zhenlongyuan Road, Wuzhen, Tongxiang
- 地址:58 Zhenlongyuan Road, Wuzhen, Tongxiang
- Tel: 0573-88722105
Similar Hotels as Wuzhen Jixiang Hotel - Wuzhen
Check out the list of all 24 hotels in Wuzhen


text:
Kenexa/TABE Kenexa Prove IT! is an online tool that includes over 1,500 validated assessments for clerical, software, call center, behavioral, financial, healthcare, industrial and technical job classifications.
TABE, the Test for Adult Basic Education, is used to determine skill levels in math, reading and language arts as applied in the workplace and in everyday situations.
Location: Denver Workforce Center at Montbello 4685 Peoria, Suite 251


text:
Top Definition
A record or album that sells one million copies or more as recognized by the Christian Recording Industry of South Park.
Congratulations boys, your album "Im Ready 4 Your Meat" sold its one millionth copy today! First day and its already gone Myrrh!
od uživatele Fingurbang
15. Červenec 2009
3 more definitions
Another name for synthetic marijuana that is sold as incense in head shops.
Jesus had a piss test coming up soon so instead of taking the risk of failing it, he went to the wise man down the street and picked up a couple of bags of myrrh.
od uživatele papuanewguineapunkjr
11. Březen 2011
Myrrh is a magical dewdrop from a myrrh tree used to refresh a town's crystal so then the town is safe from miasma. although the crystal must be refreshed every year, the trees will have a new drop every two years.
The heroes from Tipa move their caravan to find myrrh to save their town. But the miasma can be removed. It will be a very long journey since you'll need your chalis to have the unknown element.
od uživatele Cats
18. Duben 2004
To be a coward in the face of danger. To be un-helpful to others in their time of need.
1. The white mage was acting very myrrh as her comrades fell all around her in heat of battle.
2. "Don't be so myrrh!" said the dying orphen as it reached out its hand in need.
2. "Don't be so myrrh!" said the dying orphen as it reached out its hand in need.
od uživatele Jtown
28. Září 2006


text:
All Categories
- Baltimore SoundStage
- Camden Yards
- Cowboy Coast OC
- Harford Community College - APGFCU Arena
- Hippodrome Performing Arts Center
- M&T Bank Stadium
- Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts
- Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
- Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
- Murphy Fine Arts Center
- Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
- Ottobar
- Pier Six Concert Pavilion
- Pimlico Race Course
- more
- Rams Head Center Stage
- Rams Head Live
- Rams Head On Stage
- Royal Farms Arena
- SECU Arena
- Security Square Mall
- fewer
We're sorry, but we currently have no tickets available for this event.
Check out our full selection of tickets or sign up to be notified when tickets for this event are available.
Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium Ticket Information
Have you heard a rumor that an event at Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium is sold-out? At Vividseats.com we have a large selection of tickets to all events at Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium and we sell them at a discount! Don't believe us? View the upcoming schedule of Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium and click on "Find Your Seats" and you will find the tickets you want to fit almost any budget. In addition to providing tickets to Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium events, we also information such as seating charts, venue information, maps, and directions. When buying tickets for an event at Grand Chapiteau at M&T Bank Stadium always use Vividseats.com.


text:
Wellness CenterMarch 24, 2015
Our Brain's "Negativity Bias"
Negativity is an addiction to the bleak shadow that lingers around every human form ... you can transfigure negativity by turning it toward the light of your soul.
John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Quality of life, general wellbeing, is an ongoing concern for us. We want a daily existence characterized by positive emotions. We try in earnest to rest our minds on what is calming and edifying, states of mind such as trust, hope, optimism, gratitude, serenity, compassion or joy.
Yet we often find our mind resists this effort. It prefers to rest on what is disquieting, repeatedly warning us to mistrust and be vigilant because the world is not a safe place. It abounds with losses, and dangers.
So we scan people and situations looking for signs of threat. And when we find them, whether real or imagined, our alarm system immediately goes off, compelling us to take some form of action, namely flee, freeze, or get ready to attack or defend.
According to neuropsychologist Rick Hanson*, this phenomenon is omnipresent and is known as the "brain's negativity bias." It is part of our evolutionary inheritance. It is a neural pathway that evolved to increase our chances of survival, which in the calculus of evolution, is the superordinate goal. To that end, it is more adaptive to be on edge, hyper-alert and in a state of anticipation. The faster we scan and detect what is or could go wrong the better our chances of staying alive. This concern trumps all others, be it the quest for serenity, gratitude, resilience, comfort, positivity or even the accuracy of the assumed threats themselves.
In fact, it is infinitely more adaptive to have a brain that jumps the gun, and goes into alert mode naming a threat that turns out to be false than it is to remain silent when the threat is actually there. The brain, Rick Hanson likes to say, "is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones."
This "bias" served us well in earlier times, when nature and the wild overpowered us. The world of today is different. For better or worse. The cave, some diseases and the sabre tooth tiger are gone. The wild recedes to domesticity. The rogue now reckons with moral precepts and commandments. The language of threat and danger is now the language of risk and cost-benefit analysis. The world may not be completely safe but it is safer than it used to be.
More and more of us survive and aim beyond survival. We want contentment. We want to pursue opportunities--which calls for taking risks. We want to build, broaden our horizons, our future.
Certainly, our antiquated alarm system needs a tune up. The alarm needs not go off so frequently or indiscriminately.
Besides, hyper-responsiveness to the negative can be costly to our health and wellbeing. When we choose hyper-alertness and a proclivity to predict negative outcomes, we select agitation and forgo relaxation. We open the door to pessimism and stress related disorders.
But so far, it appears as if the negativity bias is so formidable that it is destiny. Not so, says Hanson. The good news is that it can be counteracted or diminished thanks to another feature of the brain, "experience-based neuroplasticity." The brain does not stop learning. Just as the brain can structure the mind, the mind can shape the brain. New neural pathways can be established when we direct our intention and attention away from negativity and in other desired directions, like towards positivity, and when we pursue the project in a disciplined, sustained and focused manner. More good news – change can occur in months rather than millennia.
Research from psychologist Barbara Fredrickson** and colleagues indicate immersion in positive emotions is also adaptive. It is advantageous personally as well as socio-culturally. Positivity promotes energy and vigor, counteracts depression and anxiety, increases overall resilience, and fosters creativity and deeper connections with others. This is a quantum leap from the "negativity bias," which is focused on attack and defense. In her words, "Positive emotions broaden [our] scope of attention, cognition and action, and build physical, intellectual and social resources."
How do we tilt towards positivity? According to Hanson, if we are interested in its beneficial effects, a good starting place is to begin noticing how and when we attend to the negative and ignore the positive elements in our everyday life. We cannot change what we do not notice. Having become mindful of them, the next major strategy for Hanson is to "install" them in our behavioral repertoire by taking in what is good and positive. And with those elements we begin to build a new neural pathway—one leading to calm, confidence and contentment.
The method is simple, doable and effective. It will be the theme of my April post.
*Hanson, Rick. Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence. New York: Harmony Books, 2013.
**Fredrickson, Barbara. Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3 to 1 Ratio That Will Change Your Life. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2009.
Julio F. Angulo, PhD
NWPF Blogger
2015 March 2015January 2015
2014 December 2014
April/May 2014
Jan/Feb 2014
2013 May/June 2013
See More
2012 Year in Review 2012
November 2012
September 2012
July/August 2012
May/June 2012
March/April 2012
January/February 2012
2011 November/December 2011
September/October 2011
Summer 2011
June/July 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
2010 December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
PD Community Blog
Recent Posts ReplacementsFinding Time for Caregiver Care
The Helplessness Antidote
Examples of living your best
10 exercise tips for people with Parkinson's
Bit on Basketball
See More
Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) Report
Living for a Cure
Three Huge Changes for People with Parkinson's
Caregiving, the Next Level
Parkinson's Pundit
Making Spousal Relationships Work
Parkinson's and Luck
Strength. Courage.
Resolve to be a Better Caregiver!
Update from the Parkinson's Action Network
Strategies to Achieve our New Year's Resolutions and Goals
Movement is Medicine
Hello from Canada!
You can't do that!... Can you?
Behind the Scenes with Maria Cole, MSW
Aiming for Well-Being
Holiday Feasts, Family & Fun
Pause and Be Thankful
Diagnosis is a turning point, not a beginning
Behind the Scenes with Steve Wright
On the Practice of Gratitude
Thanks for Joining Us at the HOPE Conference for Parkinson's
Frozen Men
Is there anything good about Parkinson's Disease?
Understanding and Managing PD-Related Shame and Embarrassment
An Open Letter to My Family & Friends
Parkinson's Travel Tips
PD & Creativity
Living Conference Held in Boise
Caregiver Burnout - Write it Down!
How Could I Be So Wrong?
Medicine and Cognition
Take a Hint from PD
Taking the Park out of Parkinson's
Northera and Dizziness
Re-Prioritizing Hopes
Dairy & Gut Health in PD
Nature's Moments
One Step At A time
Antioxidant Diet
Common Medicines Common Side Effects
Parkinson's Posture
Parkinson's Disease & Supplemental Security Income
Parkinson's Paradoxes
Coming Out of the Caregiving Closet
Parkinson's Disease Nutrition: Why is it Relevant?
The Importance of Care before Cure: NWPF's Past, Present & Future
Impulsive behaviors and activities: What is the cause?
Top medicines that worsen Parkinson's disease or cause secondary parkinsonism
Is leg pain a symptom of Parkinson's?
Look beyond Parkinson's when symptoms change quickly
Stem cells-what are they and how are they made?
Acting out your dreams- a sleep problem in Parkinson's disease
Are there recommendations for the best type of mattress for Parkinson's?
How can service dogs help Parkinson's?
Is your environment a high risk PD zone?
Is natural dopamine better than Sinemet?
Is marijuana helpful for Parkinson's?
What is atypical parkinsonism and how does it differ from PD?
Does glutathione help Parkinson's disease
What do I need to know about vitamins?
When do I need to see a physical therapist?
Can you give any additional information about Othello Syndrome in the context of PD?
What causes hallucinations?
How can I alert medical providers that I have DBS in an emergency? Can mammogram be done?
Top Ten Tips for Parkinson's Disease- Tell us yours
How do I best time doses of carbidopa/Ldopa?
Booth Gardner has touched the lives of so many
My mom has PD and almost every evening, any time between ...
How does Parkinson's affect cognition? What can be done about it?
Absorption of Sinemet requires optimal GI health. Is anyone working on a sublingual delivery of the medication?
Can ultrasound treat Parkinson's tremor?
Most popular posts of 2012
What are you grateful for this holiday season?
How can I tell whether medications are wearing off or Parkinson's disease is progressing?
Can a person with Parkinson's give blood?
When is the right time to start Levodopa?
Can acupuncture help PD symptoms?
Support the Caregiver in your Life
Power of the mind to move treatment further
Top 10 Foods for Parkinson's (and counting!)
How can I prevent dizziness?
What can you tell me about laser light therapy and Parkinson's
What is music therapy?
Should I take Coenzyme Q10 for my Parkinson's?
How do I treat my cough at night?
Parkinson's fitness programs need to be tailored to the individual to get results
Carrying the Olympic Torch for Parkinson's today
Coffee reduces risk of Parkinson's. What about other foods?
Facts about depression
How can I find a good doctor who is knowledgeable about PD and is caring as well? My doctor does not always listen.
Help for constipation
Sex, Intimacy and Parkinson's
Does DBS affect speech?
Walking and balance can significantly impact quality of life- but is treatable.
Depression is common with Parkinson's
Ode to Parkinson's- Poem from Member
Music Enhances Brain Activity
How does posture change with Parkinson's?
What is important to you?
Are hallucinations caused by Parkinson's?
Hot Off the Press – Neupro approved by FDA
How do I find a Parkinson's physical therapist to keep me exercising?
Does Azilect slow disease progression?
Manage nausea from medicines
Is delaying medication harmful?
Advice for newly diagnosed
Is Parkinson's Hereditary?
Medication Timing
Is gambling a side effect of medicine?
Medication Assistance
Does stress cause Parkinson's?
When to see a physical therapist
FDA approves DATScan
Coconut Oil
Protein's effect on medicine
Restless Leg Syndrome


text:
Gonzalez, Stults look to return to form in matinee
Orioles, Padres hurlers both shaky in recent outings
During his first season and a half at the big league level, Miguel Gonzalez established himself as one of the Orioles' most consistent, trustworthy starters.
That's exactly what has made his past two outings so baffling. The Baltimore righty didn't make it out of the fifth inning in either start, allowing a total of 15 runs (10 earned) in 8 1/3 frames. He picked up back-to-back losses for the first time in his young career.
Gonzalez (8-5, 3.88 ERA) gets the ball Wednesday afternoon for the final game of a quick two-game series against the Padres, looking to reestablish himself as the reliable starter the Orioles have come to know.
"Everything's been flat," Gonzalez said after his most recent start. " ...You just can't pitch that way."
Opposite Gonzalez will be Padres left-hander Eric Stults (8-10, 3.55 ERA), who is in the midst of some uncharacteristic struggles, as well.
The crafty southpaw has dropped his last three starts, during which he allowed a total of 29 hits. Still, Stults has been the Padres' most reliable starter this season, and the Friars have won eight of his last nine home starts, dating back to April 27.
Stults will have to contend with Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, coming off his first four-hit game of the season. The Orioles took the series opener, 4-1, on Tuesday night on the strength of a Jones homer and two RBIs.
Orioles: Roberts returns
Second baseman Brian Roberts returned to the Orioles' lineup on Tuesday, going 0-for-3 with a walk in his first game back from paternity leave. His wife, Diana, gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Jax, on Friday.
"I'm really thankful to have been there and support my wife, as much as she's been there for me the past couple of years," Roberts said. "To be able to be beside her and support her, it was great."
The club optioned third baseman Danny Valencia to Triple-A Norfolk to clear space for Roberts, who is hitting .238 in 31 games this season.
Padres: Cabrera apologizes
San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, who was suspended 50 games on Monday for violating MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, apologized to his Padres teammates before Tuesday's game against the Orioles.
"This hurts our team, obviously, so in that respect there may be some of those feelings," third baseman Chase Headley said. "But, there's also a feeling of I've been around this guy for four or five years, and you can see the emotion that's coming out of him."
Worth noting
• There won't be many familiar matchups Wednesday afternoon. Gonzalez has yet to face any hitters on the Padres' roster in his career, and Stults has faced only one Orioles batter -- Nate McLouth, who is 0-for-2 against him.
• With his 0-for-5 night on Tuesday, Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis dropped to second all-time in Interleague Play batting average (minimum 300 at-bats). His .344 average against the opposite league trails only Larry Walker's lifetime .346 mark.
• Headley has returned to form a bit recently, posting a .306 average since July 5.
AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Chicago Cubs
Fiercely loyal Cubs fans don't go anywhere without their red-white-and-blue Cubs caps. So where's yours? Wrigley Field is one of the oldest stadiums in the MLB, find gear at Lids.com to appreciate the home of the Cubs! Shop a large selection of ladies Cubs apparel. Need Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo gear and other great gear? Lids.com helps to show that Chicago Cubs fans are the best fans!
Currently there are no products available...
Shop By


text:
Similar images
View allKeywords
Two Czech computer games specialists, Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta ,... News PhotoAirport,Arrival,Computer,Czech Republic,Expertise,Family,Friendship,Greece,Horizontal,People,Politics,Prague,Surveillance,Suspicion,Technology,Waist UpPhotographer isifaCollection: Getty Images News 2013 isifaPRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - JANUARY 17: Two Czech computer games specialists, Martin Pezlar (C) and Ivan Buchta (not pictured), who were detained in Greece since last September on suspicion of espionage, are welcomed by family members and friends after their arrival at the airport on January 17, 2013 in Prague, Czech Republic. Greek police reportedly detained them for taking photographs of military facilities on the Lemnos Island. Pezlar and Buchta were released from custody after they paid the bail of 5,000 euros each. (Photo by Martin Divisek/VLP/isifa/Getty Images)


text:
A dyed dark purple quartzite cabochon adds luscious luster to this classic and versatile enhancer. A great addition to a beaded necklace or sterling silver chain, the diamond-shaped gemstone gleams inside a frame of sterling silver openwork. A detailed sterling silver bail adds the finishing touch. Enhancer measures 2" long x 1-1/4" wide with a small snap hinge bail. Made in America with gemstones from around the world.
Like all fine jewelry, Carolyn Pollack Sterling Silver Jewelry should be handled carefully. Store jewelry in a plastic bag, dry and wrapped in tissue paper, when not being worn or displayed. Clean sterling silver with a silver polishing cloth when necessary, but never subject to chlorine, silver dips, chemical solutions or ultrasonic cleaners, as these substances can cause the genuine gemstones to discolor. Never wear jewelry in a swimming pool.