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UGC: Just a Loss Leader in the End?
Back in the late 1990s, dot coms were all about the land grab. The idea was the more eyeballs and shoppers you got- POOF!- the more valuable you were. Never mind, the advertising market wasn't quite there yet and you were selling bags of dog food at a loss. The common wisdom has been that this was irresponsible, and truth be told, none of these companies had any business being publicly traded. But, more than half of the companies started during this time, actually stayed in business-- incredibly high odds for startups. To many, that proves that the problem wasn't that too many companies were started and nor was it their unfounded business models. It was that too much money was wasted on each one, and that it was never a game the public markets should have been playing.
There was, of course, one very important benefit to that land grab and wasted millions in investment capital: All those free services and cheap bags of dog food did bring a ton of people online. And they stayed online, even as many of the companies that did survive did so by charging realistic prices and shipping if they were in ecommerce, or switching to premium services and subscription fees if they were in content or entertainment. In fact, throughout the post 2000s, nearly every Web startup pitching venture capitalists or reporters were all talking up their premium services and subscription fees. You can still see vestiges of it with The Wall Street Journal's stubborn resistance to giving away content for free and early Web 2.0 companies like LinkedIn that didn't wait for an ad market to develop, but rather charged fees for things like job posting and "InMail."
As the wet blanket of recession has settled around the Valley and startups have come under pressure to monetize what they've built, I've wondered when we'd see the same flight to subscriptions and fees. Instead we're starting to see something similar but with a Web 2.0 twist: The rejection of user generated content in favor of professional content that's more consistent, reliable and palatable to advertisers.
This is bold shift, as the whole Web 2.0 movement was predicated on user generated content and the engineer-centric idea that you could build an easy to use platform, everyday people would create content for free, and other everyday people would navigate it, consume it and push the very best up to the top. It was rooted in the conviction that you didn't need the kind of doomed content partnerships of the past between New York, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, because Web 2.0 was democratizing media and entertainment and ultimately that platform was the future, not the content gatekeepers.
This was clearly the most pronounced on YouTube, where the viral sensations like the Evolution of the Dance and the Grape Lady (ow! ow! owwwwww!) became the lexicon of an entire generation and the myth sprung up that everyday stars of viral videos would become household names with their own movies and HBO shows. (They never did.) Sure there were whispered claims that as much as 50% of YouTube's views were actually of copyrighted material. Still, the company never would have sold to Google for $1.65 billion without UGC.
In other words, user generated content was to Web 2.0 what free-bags-of-dog-food was to ecommerce. But flash-forward to 2009, and there's still no clear way to monetize user generated content, either from the sites themselves or the would-be stars.
Guess what? The Web has evolved to the point where you can monetize professional content. And that's why you see most of the smarter members of the Web 2.0 elite doing the very content deals they would have rejected a year ago. First, there was YouTube's rumored deal with the William Morris Agency, and now Slide has teamed up with the Valley-addict Ashton Kutcher and his company Katalyst Media. Katalyst also launched its site The Blah Girls at TechCrunch50 and produced 24-hours-at-Sundance with Kevin Rose last month, to mixed reviews.
Under the deal, Slide's FunSpace application on Facebook will be the exclusive distributor for Katalyst's reality show about its own company, KatalystHQ. Cheetos will sponsor the show. (What's that? ACTUAL REVENUES!? Between Cheetos and BlahGirls' sponsor Vitamin Water, Ashton's poor fans are going to need gym memberships, stat.)
Liz Gannes over at NewTeeVee questioned the logic in limiting distribution to an application within a site, even if it is the highly popular FunSpace on the highly popular Facebook. That was my first question too. But, Ashton's approach to all things Silicon Valley is very hat-in-hand, you-guys-are-the-experts, teach-me-your-techy-ways. He wants to learn what works as much as he wants to make each particular project a raging success. I think that's smart. And Max, with his metrics-watching obsession, knows what works online.
I talked to Ashton and Max yesterday, and while they noted the shift from UGC to professional partnerships was real, both said "loss leader" was too harsh a term for User Generated Content. They were both careful to extol UGC's virtues. Max talked it up as an unparalleled way for sites to get a volume of cheap and frequently highly viral content, and Ashton said that professional content had learned a lot from more on-the-fly lifecasting and the interactivity of user generated video. Indeed, the content of KatalystHQ is little more than Ashton's receptionist shooting video of life around the office.
But the inconsistency and unpredictability makes UGC nearly impossible to monetize. Said Max, "It's a much easier ad sale to do product placement in professional video where advertisers can control how they want it to be. They don't really want to rely on thirty second clips of people slamming into trees." So UGC is a tool for bringing in users and content, but not very monetizable. Hmm...Sounds like the very definition of a loss leader to me...
But I grant their point that the shift hardly means that the move to democratize content is over. It's very possible there is still a genius way to monetize UGC, we just haven't found it yet. Remember how long it took the industry to come up with paid search ads? Back when Google was founded, many VCs deemed it too late to an already mature market with no good business model. It's also very possible a huge star does arise from YouTube and actually does cross-over to traditional media. But just like in the post-March-2000-era, companies need to focus on where advertisers want to spend money now, versus trying to sell them on the future. The future, simply put, will still be there when the economic crisis is over.
But why should we believe ties between Hollywood and the Valley will finally bear all that much-promised fruit? Max pointed to nearly every broadcaster voluntarily making content available online, the surprising success of Hulu, and viewers increasingly choosing the Web as the place to consume even long-form content. "A year ago, I think (Slide's sassy head of business development) Keith (Rabois) would have spit in the face of anyone suggesting a content deal with us," Max said. "Now you can't argue against it." The wake up call for Ashton? Five years ago, if you made people chose to get rid of their TVs or computers, most of the ones he knows would have said computers. "Now, you ask the same question and hands down everyone would get rid of the TV. You don't need it anymore."
When I teased Ashton about his third splashy Valley press tour in just a few months, he added, "By the way, I'm not going away so people can brace themselves for that."
Is a deal with Twitter next?
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GREAT analysis. It will be interesting to see what happens with Twitter especially, since they seem to have an 'old-guard' mentality about funding and are supposed to start trying to monetize soon.
I think you are writing UGC off too easily. The key to it will be product placement. I bought a Roomba within 30 seconds of seeing Roomba cat on YouTube. A $250 purchase as a direct result of watching a YouTube video yet YouTube made nothing from it.
I think all this 'get professional content, sell ads against it' approach is old school tv advertising transposed to the web. There is no new thinking there. The reason search advertising cleaned up is for the first time it offered advertisers something different.
UGC product placement works because it is showing real people using the products. With a lot of things it would be genuinely useful to look at a few videos of whatever being used in a normal context before buying. How hard can it be to sell relevant ads against that with all Google's tech?
I don't think UGC can be painted with such a broad brush and it really depends on the context.
For instance, certainly some bloggers can risen to fame and gotten huge audiences (in many cases, replacing mainsteam media). So much so that many online publications are now considered mainstream, and blogging is some of the earliest UGC.
And UGC can be highly valuable for sites in lieu of or along with professionally written content. Reviews are a great example. Amazon.com balances professional reviews with user reviews. The core of tripadvisor is UGC.
I think Vanessa said it best, "I don't think UGC can be painted with such a broad brush and it really depends on the context."
One thing that is difficult with "new media" (to use an old term) is that we still think of one-size all solutions.
Being in the interactive space for over 10 years in marketing, I've seen people constantly chasing for the next "killer app".
Unfortunately, if the whole "long tail" meme holds true, there will be no "killer app". Everything depends on context. There's are now a multitude ways of generating content and creating media - yet not all will work well depending on the situation.
Vanessa and Robleh are correct in UGC's value for reviews. There has been a number of ROI-focused case-studies that show that ecommerce websites with user-based reviews tend to have higher conversion rates than a ecommerce website with none.
Again, this all comes into context. Clearly a website like TripAdvisor are very, very different than YouTube. Yet both are technically "UGC".
Intriguing article - definitely got me thinking.
I think that UGC has a place in media consumption and the monetization path goes far beyond display advertising, or any advertising for that matter.
For example, I met "the evolution of dance" guy at Blog World Expo last year, and he didn't make a penny from that video (he couldn't because he didn't have the rights to the music). He had actually been doing that skit for over a year when it hit YouTube - he was totally shocked - so I think you are right about the lack of predictability. That being said, he now makes money doing corporate speaking gigs.
So, while he didn't make money from the video it led to other opportunities. I think that many creators of UGC think of it the same way - as a means to an end.
Advertising on UGC or any other content is probably not the best long-term solution for publishers either, as consumers get better and better at blocking ads, either through ignoring them (banner blindness) or adblockers.
All businesses need to ask "What creative and relevant paths are to monetize beyond advertising?". Look at CNN - they sell t-shirts with headlines, other news sites are selling photos, books and more. Pandora is looking to use their knowledge about your musical tastes to sell you concert tickets (vs. regular radio which is advertising based).
For both the content creators and publishers there seem to be better paths to monetization than advertising.
A minor complaint. This is the first sentence in the article where the name "Max" appears:
"And Max, with his metrics-watching obsession, knows what works online."
I don't know who Max is. He is not mentioned in your TechTicker interview with Kutcher, which is the link previous to the name "Max".
Had to figure this out from context. A little confusing.
Daniel Riveong wrote: "There has been a number of ROI-focused case-studies that show that ecommerce websites with user-based reviews tend to have higher conversion rates than a ecommerce website with none. Again, this all comes into context. Clearly a website like TripAdvisor are very, very different than YouTube."
I think the trend against user generated content is fairly broad. VibeAgent is a competitor to TripAdvisor, and VibeAgent has just given up on its whole emphasis on its social network, which was originally going to be the thing that set it apart.
Krista Neher writes " Look at CNN - they sell t-shirts with headlines, other news sites are selling photos, books and more.... For both the content creators and publishers there seem to be better paths to monetization than advertising."
I wouldn't know how to make money off of a property like CNN, because it is so broad in scope. But it came into existence before the web, and it still draws most of its profits from its offline business. Content sites that have no offline divisions tend to be much more niche oriented. I think advertising still offers the possibility of excellent profits for online properties, but the editorial strategy needs to be quite different from anything like CNN.
Lately, when I've been asked for advice about how to make a content site profitable, I've been emphasizing the need for extreme focus. Over the last 9 years, I think I've seen close to $2 million wasted on startups that simply were not focused enough. Most people who consider startups are somewhat aware of the need to be focused, but I think the need is especially intense for content sites that will supported by advertising.
I think it's best if the entrepreneur starting a startup knows, before the site is created, which industry the site will get its advertising from. Then they need to create the content that will bring the customers who are interested in that industry. For instance, if an entrepreneur were creating a content site focused on fishing, they would (I hope) decide ahead of time whether the focus would be on deep sea fishing or freshwater fishing. After they make that decision they would know, roughly, which companies they could expect as advertisers. Then (hopefully) they would create the content that would bring in the ideal customers for those advertisers. They might, for instance, hire some bloggers who are already writing about fishing. For any large community (such as fishermen), it is possible to find at least a few bloggers who are in that community and who have distinguished themselves as excellent writers.
There is, of course, room on the web for authentic voices that speak about personal experiences or insights. Most of us have blogs where we write with no expectation of turning a profit (at least not in any direct, obvious way). But if the goal is a content site that lives 100% on the web and is meant to turn a profit, I think there needs to be a very high level of focus. And then, I think, the profits can be quite good.
Hold on, isn't this very blog UGC?
Flanagan, how much money do you think Sarah Lacy is making on this blog? The time she invests here doesn't make her any money, though it may help to sell some books, or it may help her career in some other way, for instance, by raising her profile. So her writing here is a loss leader for the rest of the stuff that she'd like promote, which is the point that, on a general level, she is trying to make.
When UGC is available at the dinner table, it will be a huge money maker in the end. Think about it. Search advertising was limited to the most tech savvy companies, the early adopters, who were the initial purveyors… But then Brands realized that they were missing out on the action and that's how Google grew to prominence. The action that drew the Brands was the huge mass of people that flocked to the internet with improvements in technology, specifically the death of dial up and the standard of DSL and cable to get on the internet.
With UGC, as with any other successful media, the power lies with the attention of the masses and their accessibility to the desired media. Sure, UGC doesn't make booku bucks now. But it's still a young media with a limited mass following (it's mainly the younger age groups who are the mass consumers of online video) and inefficient accessibility (you have to be online and it's not available on your living room TV).
The tipping point for UGC comes when web enabled TV gives you the power to watch online video while you're eating dinner with your friends. This ushers in a paradigm shift. UGC is known for garnering eyeballs and despite the unpredictability of the content (which truthfully, people have seen worse on Animal Planet or America's Funniest Home Video anyways) the masses will certainly take from the trough of UGC. At that point, bold companies will take advantage of this shift in media consumption, just like in the search industry, and UGC can be efficiently monetized with this technological revolution (hehe, sorry all… can't say anymore already got ideas for this stage). But seriously…
UGC at the Dinner Table… Think about it.
just read it now.. may 1st. good article...
"When I teased Ashton about his third splashy Valley press tour in just a few months, he added, "By the way, I'm not going away so people can brace themselves for that."
Is a deal with Twitter next?"
are you related to nostradamus..? or actually you gave him the idea (Ashton Vs CNN race in twitter)
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Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin, andU.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel held trilateral defense ministerial talks in Singapore June 1 on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue to discuss the regional security situation and North Korea. The ROK, the U.S. and Japan have held the trilateral defense Minister Meeting on the occasion of the Shangri-La Dialogue and this year's meeting was the fourth one.
The three ministers expressed their common view that North Korea's nuclear and missile program and continued acts of provocation, including a long-range ballistic missile launch in December 2012 and a nuclear test in February 2013, are serious threats that undermine not only the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula but also those of Northeast Asia and around the world.
The three ministers strongly called for North Korea to comply with the obligations pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087, and 2094, including the abandonmentof all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear program, and they emphasized the importance of the steadfast implementation of the resolutions. Additionally, the three ministers expressed their support for the UNSC resolutions, in which the UNSC expresses its determination to take further significant measuresin the event of a additional North Korean missile launch or nuclear test. The three ministers affirmed that they willcontinue their collaboration to deter North Korean threats of nuclear and missile development and further provocative acts.
The three ministers reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation, based on common values and shared security interests, and their nations' cooperative efforts to contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe.
The three ministers reaffirmed the importance of trilateral collaboration for regional peace and security and decidedto expand joint efforts in counter piracyoperations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, in HA/DR cooperation, in Search and Rescue Exercise and in counter-proliferation efforts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chuck Miller
Never settle for "just good enough."
Yearly Archive for 2013
Mile Marker 5.2
I've been playing with my brand new Nikon Df camera, testing it out in situations, attaching lenses to it, taking test shots wherever I can. And one of the places I wanted to capture with this new photo-weapon was an eerily serene creek along Interstate 787. You've seen it as you drive by – a […] [Read More]
Week 9 of the 2013-14 "Catch the Mania" Tournament at the Ruck
We've made it past the halfway point in this trivia tournament. And it's freakin' cold at the Ruck. How cold is it? It's this cold. BRRRR My teammates, Matt, Donna and Dylan, are under plenty of coats and hats – and blankets – just to ge through the game tonight. See, when we get to […] [Read More]
When you block someone on Facebook
For some, it's an action equivalent to blasphemy. For others, it's a necessary means to survival and sanity. And no matter who you do it to, you're automatically branded as – well – a reactionary, a psychotic, a micromanager. Like it's your fault that this has escalated to this point in time, and that you've […] [Read More]
Shot one ghost sign… found another!
When I took my new Nikon Df camera out for an initial photo shoot, I tested it on a ghost sign I found in Waterford. Then I found another ghost sign, hidden where I least expected to see… Click here and read all the details. [Read More]
Another test of the GAF Aerial film
So I loaded another roll of GAF Aerial film in one of my vintage cameras, and went out shooting last Sunday. Did I get a decent shot with film so old, it could have taken pictures of the Bicentennial? Click in today's blog and you can see if all went well. [Read More]
How to manage blog time
So how do I keep blogging every day, for four and a half years, without fail? Read today's blog and find out my tips and tricks for doing so. [Read More]
Best of Our TU Community Blogs, December 26 2013: Ten for Thursday
So I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas this year. And as one last gift to you… I want you to enjoy the works of ten of my fellow Times Union community bloggers. Hey, if you're still shaking off that egg nog high, and if you finally figured out that it was Uncle Stanley who […] [Read More]
"Hurry Up, Tinsel!"
It's Christmas Eve at the North Pole. And at the launching pad where Santa Claus has his flying sleigh parked, the elves in charge of maintaining Santa's holiday delivery chariot are going over every last-minute detail with Santa himself. "Bangle, have you fine-tuned that sleigh runner? Last year there was a nasty vibration on my […] [Read More]
The Parking Lot Incident 2013
It's Sunday afternoon. I wanted to get one last item for the holidays – actually, I wanted to purchase a small pane of glass to replace a broken glass pane in one of my pictures. And since it was Sunday, I couldn't go to Hobby Lobby to get the pane of glass – so I […] [Read More]
Week 8 of the 2013-14 "Catch the Mania" Tournament at the Ruck
We're starting to jell as a team, this group of all-stars called the "We Are Your Nemesis … Fear Us!" squad. And so long as we keep putting our heads together, we can continue to win. And one thing I want to get rid of is a score of 52. We scored that earlier this […] [Read More]
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Eastham has arrived on a one-month loan from Championship club Blackpool while former Leicester and Derby defender Stewart was a free agent after leaving Millwall in the summer and has signed a short-term deal with Keith Curle's side.
Eastham, 21, has experience of League One football having appeared 27 times for Bury during a loan spell last season. The centre-back has also enjoyed loan stints at Cheltenham, Carlisle and, most recently, Fleetwood.
Stewart, 30, has been training with Notts and has impressed Curle enough to earn a contract.
Both players are available for selection for Saturday's league match at home to table-topping Tranmere.


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Evil Eye in Judaism
There are a number of Jewish practices to ward off the harmful effects of the evil eye.
By Rabbi Louis Jacobs
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Reprinted from The Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by Oxford University Press.
The Evil Eye (ayin ha-ra) is often defined as the ability to bring about evil results by a malicious gaze. In most cultures the belief is prevalent that some human beings have the power of sending destructive rays, so to speak, in order to cause harm to those of whom they are envious or otherwise dislike.
Development of the Concept
The concept of the evil eye seems to have come about in stages in Jewish thought. Originally, in the Mishnah, for example, the "evil eye" simply denoted that its possessor could not bear with equanimity the good fortune of others. In this sense the term is used in contrast to the "good eye," the possessor of which enjoys seeing others happy and successful.
But, especially in the Babylonian Talmud, the notion developed that some persons do have this kind of baneful power and there are a number of superstitious practices to ward off the harmful effects of the evil eye, for example, spitting out three times when a person seems to be at risk.
Even today some people, when praising others, will add: "let it be without the evil eye" (in the Yiddish form, kenenhora), meaning I do not intend my praise to suggest that I am enviously casting a malevolent glance.
Immunity from the Evil Eye?
There was a widespread belief that the descendants of the biblical hero Joseph were immune from the effects of the evil eye; hence the curious incantation found in theTalmud (Berakhot 55b) to ward off the effects: "Take the thumb of the right hand in the left hand and the thumb of the left hand in the right hand, and say: "I, so-and-so, am of the seed of Joseph over whom the evil eye has no power.'"
In view of this, it cannot be said that Judaism knows nothing of the belief in the malevolent power of the evil eye. But it has also to be said that Jewish thinkers such as Maimonides fought against all kinds of superstition, both because they seem totally unreasonable and because of the theological difficulty that since God is in control of His universe it can hardly be possible for human beings to frustrate His will by supernatural means.
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Viewers: in countries Watching now:
In Photoshop Lightroom 3 Essential Training, author Chris Orwig provides a comprehensive look at Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, the popular photo-asset management, enhancement, and publishing program. The course covers indispensable techniques such as importing, processing, and organizing images in the Library, correcting and adjusting images in the Develop module, and creating slideshows, web galleries, and print picture packages. In addition to exploring all of Lightroom 3's capabilities, this course is rich with creative tips and expert advice on photographic workflow. Exercise files accompany the course.
All right, well, let's take a look at how we can start to use flags, stars, and labels. I want to start off with stars here. I am on my first image in the set. I'll go ahead and give this one a one -star rating by pressing the 1 key. Then what I am going to do is press the right arrow key in order to move forward in the photographs. And when I get to these three photos, I notice that they are very similar, yet different. So I'll press the back arrow key to go back and forth between these photographs until I find the one that I like, and I'll press 2 to add a two-star rating.
Now sometimes you'll find that you'll click pretty quickly with this right arrow key as you move through these photographs and give them some star ratings. All right, well, as I move forward through these photographs, one of the things that you are noticing is I am pressing the right arrow key, and then I am giving this a star rating. Now, a lot of times I give it a star rating and then I advance to the next image. Well, in this particular case, as I move to this photograph, I realize that this one is good, but it's not great, and I think I don't even want to keep this image. It's not a keeper at all.
So what I am going to do here is I am going to take advantage of using a certain flag setting which is called Reject. It's the X key, which allows you to apply that as a shortcut. Well, now that this one has been rejected, you'll notice that it's a little bit grayed out. And the nice thing about using this flag is it allows us, or gives us the ability, to delete this particular photograph really quickly. All right, well, I am going to keep moving forward, but keep in mind that we'll jump back to that Reject in a moment. All right, well, one-star rating here and again, I am moving forward.
One of the ways that I might want to speed up my workflow is by using this shortcut. If you press the Caps Lock key, what that will do is turn on Auto Advance, whether I am using flags, stars, or labels. So now if I press the 1 key, it adds a one- star rating and advances to the next image. Well, this next image, I don't want any star rating so I press 0, and it does nothing, or applies a 0 rating, and moves to the next image where I can add a 1 or so on and so forth. Here you get the just, right? It gives me ability to have these different criteria.
All right, well, what about labels? Well, there are times, let's say, when you really like a particular photograph, and you say that this image maybe is something for your portfolio. Let's go back to this two-star image here. Well, in this case, let's say that I have defined this particular image as one that perhaps I want to use in portfolio, online or post on a blog or something. I've decided that the red label is my label for marking those images as a certain type of a keeper, whether to post on a blog or portfolio or whatever the criteria is; it doesn't matter.
Well, in that case, I am going to press the 6 key, and that will add that label and move forward. Now, if you don't like this Auto Advance feature, all you need to do is press Caps Lock again, and then in that particular scenario, you can add a star rating by pressing the 1 key. You can add a label by pressing the 6 key or any key between 6-9; stars 0-5. Then you could also add a flag by pressing P for pick, U for unpick or removing flag or unflag, and then also X for reject.
So the whole point here is that you can indeed add multiple ratings, but what you would need to do would be to turn off that Auto Advance feature. All right, well, let's take a look at just a few more images. I am going to go ahead and define this one as a reject, and then just a couple of more here in order to go through that process and add a few more star ratings. I am going to do that by simply clicking on a number. Now, when I get to this image, one of the things I notice is that while I like this one, I like the second one even more. I gave it a one-star rating, but I want to increase the rating.
This image, let's say, it's kind of grown on me. You know that happens with some of your photographs? What you can do is you can press the bracket key, right bracket key increases the rating; left bracket key decreases. All right, well I'll just go ahead and make my way through just a couple more images, adding some star ratings here. I think that's pretty good. I'll scroll to the end to see if there are any others that we want to use here. Sure, we'll save this one at a two-star rating. All right, well, I've made my way through my photographs. As I scroll back, we are going to see that some are rejected, some have a star rating, some have a rating and a label and even a flag.
What about these reject photos? Why did we do that? Well, there is an amazing shortcut that we can take advantage of, in regards to that Reject flag there. What it does is it gives us the ability to quickly delete those images that we just absolutely know we don't want to work with, and that we actually want to delete completely or remove from our Library. Here is the shortcut. You want to jot this one down. On a Mac, if you press Command+Delete, what that will do is it will show you all of the images where you have applied this reject flag, and then it'll ask you, hey, what do you want to do? You have two options; you can either say, you know what, I want to keep them, but I don't want them as part of my Lightroom Library.
That would be the option for Remove, or let's say you think you know what, I don't even want to have these photos ever again. I want them to be completely gone, removed from Lightroom and removed or deleted from the hard drive. In that case, you would choose Delete. This is really helpful because as you are editing, what you are going to discover is you are going to come across images where the composition is just horrible, or the focus is off, or the flash didn't fire or whatever, those images that you know you just need to get rid of so that you don't increase your overall file size on your hard drive and whatnot; you can use that shortcut.
You press the X key to add that reject flag and then really quickly, hit Command+Delete, if you are on a Mac. All right, well, because this is a demo, I am not going to go ahead and delete or remove those files; I'll simply hit Cancel to go back to my regular, unfiltered view. One of the things that I am hoping to do here in this movie is just to get you to begin to think about how you can use flags, stars, and labels. The trick with all of this, of course, is coming up with a system that's consistent, and that makes sense in your overall workflow.
In other words, some people only use stars; that's fine. Some people only use flags; that's fine. And others, well, they'll use labels while other people will use a combination of all three. Again, what's most important is consistency so that as you work through different sets of photographs, and as you begin to filter based on these different criteria, that filtering is really consistent so that you can find what you are actually looking for.
There are currently no FAQs about Lightroom 3 Essential Training.
Access exercise files from a button right under the course name.
Search within course videos and transcripts, and jump right to the results.
Remove icons showing you already watched videos if you want to start over.
Make the video wide, narrow, full-screen, or pop the player out of the page into its own window.
Click on text in the transcript to jump to that spot in the video. As the video plays, the relevant spot in the transcript will be highlighted.


text: The Gold Wheels Cali T-Shirt features that classic LL Cool J silhouette. Going Back to Cali? I don't think so. Gold detailing throughout. Thick. A 100% cotton t-shirt. Seamless graphic tag at neck. Available in colorways as seen below. Men's sizes: SM (34-36), MD (38-40), LG (42-44), XL (46-48) unless otherwise noted. Skate Warehouse shows all colors that we have in stock. In rare cases the logo or the color pictured may be slightly different than what is shipped. Model wears a medium.


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Cooking and Baking
quiche making suggestions
I'm going to bake a quiche tomorrow and I'm planning on using asparagus and tomato. I want a third vegetable, preferably something in season, but I can't decide on one. Any suggestions?
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


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UPDATE: The House passed H.R. 3094, which would amend the NLRB's new unionization elections rule, by 235-188.
Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) charged today that Congress did not fix the unconstitutional detainee policy in the final NDAA bill. See update by clicking on this article's headline.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would impose government censorship on the Internet.
UPDATE: The resolution to undo the FCC's "Net Neutrality" Internet power grab was rejected in the Senate by 52-46 on November 10.
Update, November 11, 2011: The joint resolution, S.J. Res. 27, to roll back the EPA's cross-state air pollution rule was rejected by the Senate by 56-41 on November 10.
Wisconsin's AB 237 would make all civil forfeiture offenses into arrestable offenses.
Congress should end federal aid to education. This aid has not improved reading scores.
Observe "UN Day" by viewing this video by John F. McManus advocating Get US out! of the UN.
Last week a House panel approved a Republican proposal to defund the UN Population Fund.
House bill H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act, would end ObamaCare abortion funding and restore the conscience clause.


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Elevate Your Stage Of Pleasure With These Self Help Suggestions
May 14, 2015
Finding out a lot more about private development is a wonderful way to make sure that you are doing everything you can with your life. There is a vast volume of info accessible on this subject matter, so it is in your best interests to take the information you find out listed here and utilize it in the direction of becoming the greatest man or woman you can possibly be.
Tension is a single of the main impediments to a satisfied, enjoyable way of life. When our minds go through pressure, this actually damages our whole body, physically and mentally. In get to accomplish our objectives, we should find out to calm our minds and rid our lives of needless stress. Timetable a time for the duration of your day to be on your own, chill out, and obvious your head of everything. Ultimately, you will find out to appear forward to this tranquil time every single day.
Try out to maximize your perform time and get a lot more work accomplished. One successful way to operate more successfully is to schedule far more normal split moments. This might appear like it is counterproductive, but if you just take a split you will reduce the amount of stress you have and get far more accomplished.
Get a notebook all around with you to jot suggestions in. Carry a journal or diary with you, everywhere you go. Create down your notion in element, then employ it at a afterwards time when you can broaden on the situation.
Declaring lowliness is a vital action in advancing in personalized advancement. When you acknowledge that you are but a small speck in the scope of our universe, you can commence to realize that there is considerably to understand if you hope to advance. As soon as you have this notion lodged in your mind, you are heading to want to realize and be ready to find out distinct factors, which leads to bettering yourself.
As earlier talked about, furthering your personalized advancement requires increasing your information. Nevertheless, learning new expertise is pointless if you by no means implement it to any genuine lifestyle scenarios. There are numerous approaches you can start your journey to private development. You can start to feel much better about oneself when you place this details into motion.
Want To Find Personal Development Success? This Article Is For You!
May 11, 2015
Most people have at the very least one particular facet in their lives that they would like to enhance. For many, this could indicate private demands, whilst other people could mean expert wants. This article has some suggestions for men and women who want to boost their personalized improvement.
Pick to invest your time with good individuals. They are going to help you keep on observe by getting good function models for positive behavior, and you are going to much better stability any negative energy you get from men and women who are not as supportive of your self-advancement objectives.
Don't set off generating choices, as this could deny you options. Never ever again down from an chance. If you lack expertise about a distinct area, you must even now be prepared to make the most informed decision you can with the info at hand. Currently being in a position to make very good conclusions someday demands you to believe in your instincts. Even mistaken conclusions are valuable simply because they give instructive studying encounters. When you make a mistaken choice, you are probably to make a better one particular following time.
See what hurdles are keeping you from accomplishment. This is hard to do for a lot of people. As soon as you can pinpoint your own weaknesses, it is easier to acknowledge them, act on them, and modify them. Eliminating obstructions in your existence can help you get a clearer photo of what is actually to occur.
At any time and anywhere, be all set for when your ideas strike. Pack some paper with you when you go out. Scribble in depth notes when one thing arrives to you, and then carry them out each time your creative imagination is piqued.
The bulk of men and women have facets of their lives they wish to boost, but merely do not know in which to begin. The adhering to piece involves numerous views on how to get the ball rolling, though in the end, the responsibility is yours. Keep inspired by trying to keep these guidelines in head at all instances.
Tips To Mentor Your self To A Fantastic Foreseeable future!
May 9, 2015
Private improvement is all about becoming a much better, far more effectively-rounded individual. It aids to provide your personal targets and your spiritual awareness into harmony. The aim of this write-up is to support you with some methods to improve your personalized improvement targets. A deeper comprehending of yourself can result if you get sluggish and measured methods transferring ahead.
When working with private development, not making a selection implies forgoing an chance. Will not dread generating choices even if you happen to be not that informed about them. Very good instincts are the result of profitable decisions. You can even learn a great deal from producing mistakes simply because you then know what not to do. Making an incorrect choice will aid enhance the chances that you will decide on correctly the next time you are confronted with a equivalent option.
Humility is a essential element in personalized development. The much more humble you are, realizing that there is area for growth, the a lot more prepared you are to achieve information. By instilling these concepts in your brain, you will be a lot more open up to enhancing your self and understanding new info.
By getting care of your actual physical health, you will be supporting each and every spot of personal improvement. Acquiring ample sleep, possessing a healthier diet, and doing exercises frequently are easy routines that preserve strength high, and it presents you a greater opportunity at getting successful with your individual development. This might audio straightforward but modifying your life-style will require a great deal of initiatives from you.
Performing exercises is not only a way to drop bodyweight. There are a selection of excellent causes to exercise. Workout will help get your human body to make chemical substances that cause a a lot more calming and happier result in you.
Keep in mind to hold keep track of of your progress together the way. Consider the info included in this article and figure out what you want to do. Possibly retaining a diary of what you are carrying out and how usually, will assist you in looking at the modifications that are happening close to you.
Understand How To Boost Your Lifestyle With These Useful Tips
May 8, 2015
The journey of individual improvement could seem to be difficult to start if you will not know where to get started. The self is comprised of so a lot of factors, so exactly where can you perhaps commence? Read through this write-up for a record of diverse possibilities you need to think about if you want to obtain your goals. This post is the initial action of your journey toward success.
Stress is one of the main impediments to a content, enjoyable life-style. Stress brings about the two physical and psychological injury that boosts in severity the more time we knowledge it. All of us need to have distinct, calm contemplating to enable us to plan and execute our life's function, and this only happens when we allow go of demanding feelings. Routine a time during your day to be by yourself, chill out, and very clear your mind of everything. This time of rejuvenation can support you really feel far better about oneself, and give you a lot more peace at coronary heart.
Only affiliate with constructive men and women. This will assist you to have a greater attitude and preserve it as effectively as maintaining you away from negative people that are not behind your desires and goals.
Consider perusing some guides on personal growth. A very good e-book can offer you with the details that you want to get started on your journey toward a new you. Make sure you choose a guide which has a number of very good evaluations because some textbooks in the individual improvement style can be quite terribly created.
As you can see, private growth is simpler than it seems. By breaking your personalized development method into little, manageable goals, you'll discover yourself closer to your goals by the stop of every working day. You will be able to exercise what you happen to be searching for to undertake as practice, and you'll enhance your very own morale to carry on. These tips are only a springboard, it's up to you to create a better life.


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Quick, Spontaneous Getaways with Discovery Suites
Quick, Spontaneous Getaways made easier with Discovery Suites' Indulgence Package
Enjoy an upgraded One Bedroom Serendipity suite
Discovery Suites'Indulgence Package offers a way for local residents to have a quickand spontaneous getaway, but without the hassles of an out-of-town trip or the expenses one usually shells out for a resort destination.
Suite Indulgence Package is inclusive of a relaxing 60-minute couple's massage at Terra Wellness Spa
For only P 6,000 ++for a Regular One Bedroom suite, or P 6,500++ for the upgraded One Bedroom Serendipity suite, local residents get to enjoy the privacy,premium amenities and comforts of an overnight hotel stay with a hearty breakfast buffet for 2 guests at Restaurant 5. Aside from thehotel stay, Discovery's Indulgence Package is inclusive of a relaxing 60-minute couple's massage at Terra Wellness Spa.Guests will be given a choice from 3 popular massage treatments namely Deep Tissue,the traditional Hilot massage,or Terra's signature treatment called Terra's Touch.
Experience an exquisite 3-course set lunch or dinner menu at 22 Prime
Discovery's Indulgence Package also has an Overnight Stay and Set Meal option. At only P 6,500++ for a Regular One Bedroom suite, or P 7,000++ for the upgraded One Bedroom Serendipity suite, guests will get to experience an exquisite 3-course set lunch or dinner menu at 22 Prime. The menu consists of the Chef's Soup of the Day for starters, a choice between Grilled Hangar Steak or Grilled Norwegian Salmon for the main entrée and assorted fresh fruits for desserts.Located on the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites, 22 Prime is considered one of Manila's best restaurants for high grade steaks. It was also named one of the Philippines' best restaurants from Asian restaurant bible The Miele Guide.
Situated in the heart of the Ortigas Business District, Discovery Suites' central location makes it easily accessible from all points of the city. It is a favorite weekend sanctuary for families because of its spacious One, Two or Three Bedroom suite with fully-furnished kitchens. Guests staying at Discovery Suites are entitled to use hotel amenities such as a swimming pool, modern fitness center and a children's play and activity area. Discovery Suites has 2 restaurant outlets and a bar-lounge.
Great shopping nearby at The Podium mall
As a full-serviced apartment, it has Front Desk and Guest Relations services, 24-hour house keeping and Room Service. Discovery Suites is also a short walk or drive to major shopping and entertainment destinations in the city such as The Podium and SM Mega malls, the Shangri-La Plaza,Robinson's Galleria, Tiendesita's, Greenhills and Virra Mall thus making Discovery a perfect home base for weekend shopping trips.
For inquiries about Discovery Suites'Indulgence package, please call (02)719.8888 or email@example.com
DiscoverySuites, Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay, Discovery Shores Boracay,Club Paradise Palawan, and Discovery Primea (opening 2014) aremanaged by The Discovery Leisure Company Inc (TDLCI)


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I've been Playing Golf for: 6 years, just came back from a 2 year hiatus
My current handicap index or average score is: ~13
My typical ball flight is: Low with a slight fade
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Toe hits
I generally hit the ball relatively low with a good amount of spin. I generally hit just a little bit of a fade, but sometimes I strike it well with a slight to moderate draw when I don't mean to. A couple things I've worked on/fixed since this video was taken are keeping my head from coming down towards the ball, staying a little more back on my feet during my downswing, and the BIG ONE: not coming too far inside on the backswing. My measurements are 2* upright and 1/4 inch long. My 6 iron swing speed is 84 on a good, smooth, stock shot. My misses are off of the toe, in which the ball has more or less the shape I wanted, but I lose ~15 yards and have no spin. Not coming too far inside has seriously mitigated this issue and my toe hits only come on really wild swings now. I'm a self-taught golfer with input on my swing from a few different people. This shot was hit with a Callaway X-Forged 6-iron standard length and lie, Project X 6.0 shaft, while I was on a break at work. I currently play Toski T-54 musclebacks, Dynamic Gold S300 shafts (super forgiving for muscleback irons). If I remember correctly, this shot had a 185 carry with about 2 yards of draw.


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Pender Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Manager, Sharon Becker, named Leader of Excellence at NHRMC
WILMINGTON – New Hanover Regional Medical Center has named Sharon Becker, Manager of the Emergency Department at
Pender Memorial Hospital
, as its Leader of Excellence for the fourth quarter of 2013. Becker was nominated for her integrity, honesty and accountability. Since her arrival at Pender Memorial Hospital in December 2010, Becker has made many positive changes that have improved the quality of care for patients. She has added an automated medication dispensing unit, a portable ultrasound machine to help diagnose patients after hours, and has implemented stroke and STEMI heart attack protocols to ensure that these patients receive high quality care to achieve the best possible outcomes. In addition, Becker worked with the NHRMC Foundation to install TVs in patient rooms and start a Pediatric Toy Closet, which provides stuffed animals to help comfort the department's smallest patients. Becker has also worked to provide more collaboration and training with Pender County EMS. Their departments train together on many of their medical skills. Without a doubt, a strong working relationship between these two departments means better outcomes for patients. "Sharon has worked hard to ensure that not only does the department provide the highest quality clinical care, but they also provide compassion to the patients and visitors to the department," said Ruth Glaser, President of Pender Memorial Hospital. "Sharon's commitment and work ethic have led her to become an expert leader with a generous and caring spirit that instills pride in the nursing profession." The Leader of Excellence is a quarterly award that honors New Hanover Regional Medical Center's team leaders for their demonstration of exceptional leadership qualities.
New Hanover Regional Medical Center is the leading provider of quality and accessible health care in Southeastern North Carolina, delivering care to all in need, without the support of taxpayer dollars. The medical center takes seriously its responsibility as an economic engine for the community, creating more than 5,000 jobs directly and another 6,000 jobs indirectly. ###
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Roadtrek Ranger RT
Practical adventure awaits you in this all-new 2013 Roadtrek Ranger RT - a Class B conversion van made to tackle a treacherous mountain pass or your child's birthday party.
Imagine a SUV that gets 18 mpg with a refrigerator, sink, bathroom and shower and you'll see why Roadtrek's are the best selling Class B motor homes around.
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Here are some of the other benefits of the 2013 Roadtrek Ranger RT:
• Panoramic windows
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• Stand up shower
Visit any of our Southern California Mike Thompson's RV locations or contact us at 888-350-8832 to learn more about the Roadtrek Ranger RT Class B conversion van.Click for Manufacturer Photos


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It's probably foolish to think that smoking will ever go away entirely. The health risks have long been decided, but people have their vices and smoking has long been among them. That said it seems like governments around the world are on the same page when it comes to reducing the number of places people can smoke, and increasing the cost of doing so. That suggests an ever-shrinking window for Altria (NYSE:MO), but investors can likely wring a great deal of cash flow for many years to come.
Investopedia Markets: Explore the best one-stop source for financial news, quotes and insights.
Year-End Results Come in as Expected
Altria's earnings are often a mess, but the company's fundamental performance was more or less in line with expectations. Revenue net of excise tax rose 5%, as weaker cigarette volumes were offset by better performance in smokeless tobacco.
Margins and profits continue to stay reasonably healthy. So-called operating company income (on an adjusted basis) rose almost 9%, and the company's share count continues to shrink. By segment, cigarette earnings before interest and tax grew almost 14%, while smokeless tobacco earnings grew about 4%. (For related reading, see A Clear Look At EBITDA.)
Still Fighting for Share
The tobacco "pie" isn't getting any larger in the United States, so maintaining brands is critical. To that end, Altria is having mixed success. The 3% adjusted decline in cigarette volume this quarter basically matched the industry, but key brand Marlboro's share slipped very slightly. Altria is still the 800-pound gorilla in the U.S., though, with roughly half the market and well more than Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) and Lorrilard (NYSE:LO).
The story is a little different with smokeless tobacco, where Altria saw nearly 10% volume growth. As smoking becomes increasingly stigmatized, more and more smokers are shifting to smokeless tobacco. It's also not hurting Altria that the U.S. government is making it increasingly difficult to export smokeless tobacco into the country, leaving only very few companies like Swedish Match with the willingness and ability to compete.
Pushing for Growth
What can Altria do to make more money? Much is made of the price inelasticity of vice products like tobacco, but that's really not true. There's always a price-point where people cut back or switch brands.
At the same time, there's arguably not much slack left in the company from an operational perspective. That suggests to me, then, that the company's best option is to pressure its supply change - pushing on companies like Universal (NYSE:UVV) for better leaf tobacco pricing, and companies like Glatfelter (NYSE:GLT) for better pricing on filters and packaging.
The Bottom Line
For companies like Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM), British American Tobacco (AMEX:BTI) and Imperial Tobacco (OTCC:ITYBY) there's still some international growth potential as improving economic conditions allow smokers in emerging markets to upgrade their tobacco options. At the same time, a lot of emerging markets heavily regulate or product their markets, so it's not exactly a profitable free-for-all. (For related reading, see What Is An Emerging Market Economy?)
In many respects, Altria is like a royalty trust. There isn't going to be much market growth, but the company can reap a meaningful amount of earnings and cash over the coming decades, assuming that the federal government (whether through lawsuits or health regulations) allows them to. That leaves Altria as a reasonable, though not particularly cheap, income play.
Use the Investopedia Stock Simulator to trade the stocks mentioned in this stock analysis, risk free!
At the time of writing, Stephen Simpson did not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article.


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- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
State Department Official: Negotiations to Keep Troops in Afghanistan Past 2014
Posted By Adan On October 16, 2012 @ 1:50 pm In Old Infowars Posts Style,Tile,War on Terror | Comments Disabled
Josh Rogin
October 16, 2012
Despite statements by Vice President Joe Biden, the State Department is about to begin formal negotiations over the extension of U.S. troops past 2014, a top State Department official said Tuesday.
Last week, U.S. and Afghan negotiators met in Kabul to talk about the Bilateral Security Agreement that will govern the extension of U.S. troops past 2014, when President Barack Obama said the combat mission in Afghanistan will end and the U.S. will complete the transition of the entire country to Afghan government control.
Also last week, Biden told Americans during his Oct. 11 debate with Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan that U.S. troops were leaving Afghanistan by 2014.
Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/state-department-official-negotiations-to-keep-troops-in-afghanistan-past-2014/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2015 Infowars. All rights reserved.


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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"This came exactly as expected and I have no complaints. I was surprised at how fast it was delivered. I received it within 4 days of ordering. Great product!"
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"This invite is perfect for my daughter's shower...it is somewhat on the smaller side but quality of the paper and printing is great and I really like the card shape, something different and memorable! Have used Weddingpaperdivas for several projects so far and quality and service on all has been excellent, Thank you1"
"Was very happy with the whole process of selection, ordering, review and finished product. I wanted to add an extra line into the text and spoke to someone on the phone who explained how to include it. The proof review was very quickly emailed and the shower invitations arrived even sooner than I expected. It was a pleasure."


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The Vampire Diaries
Steven R. McQueen Talks About How Jeremy Has Failed on The Vampire Diaries
Little bros. Can't they do anything right? The Vampire Diaries' Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) actually has an excellent track record of getting girlfriends, losing them to death, and sketching out his feelings in drawing diary. But give him a hybrid and a cleaver, and little Gilbert can hold his own. The boy has some issue with the supernatural element in his town, and he hasn't been thrilled with the way they've invaded his life. (Do we have a future Council member on our hands?) When Steven R. McQueen spoke to Hollywood Life at The CW Upfront, he said he doesn't think Elena (Nina Dobrev) becoming a vampire will do much to improve his character's mood.
"Jeremy's main objective has been to keep the people he loves safe, and he's failed at doing that multiple times. So I think at this point, he's just gonna callous even more. You know, he's been through the ringer," Steven says.
Sigh, it sounds like JerBer might return to his pot-smoking ways. Perhaps a little Bonnie (Kat Graham) lovin' will cure what ails him. As McQueen points out, those two have some "unresolved issues."
Maybe it's time they had that awkward "Sorry I ghost-kissed my ex" conversation?
Source: Hollywood Life
Need your daily Vampire Diaries fix? Like us on our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter!
Follow Jenny McGrath on Twitter @wetpaintjenny.


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10-gallon Garbage Pail
Durable galvanized sheet steel receptacle resists rust and won't freeze or crack like plastic containers. Garbage cans have side drop handles and recessed bottoms for easy handling. Corrugated sides and wire-reinforced rim add strength. Measures 15-3/4"Hx15-3/4" dia. Lid sold separately as Item No. 176448. USA made.
2015 Master Catalog: Page 532


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Chiselled on the reverse: LEONARDUS RINALDIUS/ A. VICTORIA. F/ MDXXXXVI. Although his name is chiselled on the reverse, the bust is not in the style of Alessandro Vittoria (1525-1608), the leading sculptor working in Venice in the second half of the sixte
Find more like this:1525, 1608, 402989, alessandro, although, bust, chiselled, half, hi, leading, leonardo, leonardu, mdxxxxvi, name, ng6357.
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Bust Portrait of Leonardo Rinaldi (?)
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20% Cancellation Fee on Made to Order products
If you decided to cancel your made-to-order print for any reason, it is unlikely that we could sell it to another customer at full selling price. We'll therefore charge a cancellation fee of 20% of the order price.


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See definition in Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionarySyllabification: air·wom·an
Pronunciation: /ˈerˌwo͝omən/
Definition of airwoman in English:
noun (plural airwomen)
1A female pilot or member of the crew of an aircraft, especially in an air force.
Example sentences
- The 36-year-old American airwoman has landed after completing a solo flight of 2,300 miles across the Pacific from Honolulu.
- Storms over the Pacific today forced America's premier airwoman to abandon her plan to start on her 27,000-mile round-the-world flight.
- Mail addressed to "Miss Amy Johnson, Famous Airwoman" arrived at the right house.
1.1A female member of the US Air Force of the lowest rank, below sergeant.
Example sentences
- As a former Captain in the U.S. Air Force myself, I shared a willingness to protect and defend the United States of America with all my fellow airwomen.
- Our troops constructed a base for 5,000 airmen and airwomen.
- The Air Force provides many different opportunities for airmen and airwomen.
Words that rhyme with airwomanchairwoman
Definition of airwoman in:
- British & World English dictionary
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text:
In a time filled with Galaxy Note 2s, Galaxy S3s, and Galaxy Tabs galore it may be hard to accept phones lower on Samsung's totem pole, let alone the entirety of Verizon's shelves. The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2 seems to have found itself some space, though, as Verizon quietly launched the device in stores and online.
Verizon's asking for $130 after a new two-year contract, and for that you're getting a phone that actually does well for itself. It features a 4 inch WVGA Super AMOLED dispaly with a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera with a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 4G LTE, Ice Cream Sandwich and more.
It's not a bad phone, it's just that it's not Verizon's best phone. If you were to put the this up against the Galaxy S3 for the same price people would probably choose latter, but its price point will help consumers get over the fact that they're not getting Samsung's absolute best.
Another reason this phone might capture sales is because it's one of the few decent phones that have come out with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Those come in rare form these days, and it's even rarer to see this form factor with such great specs.
And perhaps folks haven't grown fond of that 4.7 inch size that has swept the smartphone landscape as of late. Whatever the reason, though, we would have no qualms if we were to ask you to pull out a respectable smartphone and this is what came out of your pocket. Head to Verizon Wireless if you're thinking about adding this beaut to your life.
Continue reading:
- SwiftKey Keyboard goes free
- Laugh if you want, but TREWGrip's accor
- Buy SwiftKey for half price this holiday
- Android 4.2 AOSP keyboard with Gesture Typing
TAGS: keyboards , physical keyboards , Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2


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BELTON (april 12, 2013) -- The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but could not hold on in extra innings as the Cru fell to Schreiner University 5-4 in 11 innings Friday night in Belton. UMHB drops to 16-17 overall and 8-8 in American Southwest Conference West Division play with the loss. Schreiner improves to 10-25 overall and 3-10 in the ASC West with the victory.
Schreiner opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the third inning. UMHB tied it with Chase Burrow's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. It would stay that way into the seventh before Marco Carreon led off with a solo homer that bounced off the top of the left field fence and went over. The Mountaineers added another unearned run in that frame to make it 3-1. A two-out error in the top of the eighth led to another unearned run and a 4-1 Schreiner lead. Robert Loewe's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth pulled UMHB to within 4-2, but the Cru left two runners on base in the inning. Heath Spencer blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and the Cru put the potential game-winning run at second base but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat. Schreiner put runners at first and third in the top if the tenth inning, but Sam VanHoozer pitched his way out of that jam. Curt Jaeger's two-out, infield RBI single gave the Mountaineers a 5-4 lead in the top of the eleventh. UMHB then went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
VanHoozer took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the year despite not giving up an earned run in one a two-thirds innings of work. Ian Ekery struck out 10 and surrendered just one earned run in seven innings of work. Burrow, Garrett Webb and Chris Florack had two hits apiece for UMHB. Charlie Stewart earned the win to move to 1-2 for the Mountaineers and Carreon topped Schreiner with four hits.
The two teams will close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday. That doubleheader will also close out ASC West Division play for the Cru. UMHB can clinch a berth in the ASC Championship Tournament by sweeping the Mountaineers on Saturday.


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Should Republicans support immigration reform or hold firm?
As both parties get past the shutdown, some members of Congress want a new push for immigration reform. Democrats are generally supportive, but many Republicans are not. As Yahoo News reported, "Now that the government has reopened, immigration reform activists are preparing another push to encourage lawmakers to overhaul federal immigration laws, but it is clear […] [Read More]
Should some crimes have mandatory minimum sentences?
That was the trend years ago, but a backlash has developed. As the AP reported, "Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday implored Senate colleagues to support a sweeping overhaul of federal sentencing guidelines, saying they disproportionately affect minorities and are reminiscent of Jim Crow laws. " … Paul has drafted legislation with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman […] [Read More]


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Spicy Thai fish cakesMobile version Email a friend Print
From: Good Food Live
On TV Tonight
- 20:00 - Caribbean Food Made Easy - CARIBBEAN FOOD MADE EASY
- 20:30 - Chinese Food Made Easy - Seafood
- 21:00 - MasterChef: The Final Three - MasterChef
- Prep time:
- 20 min
- Cook time:
- 10 min
- Serves:
- 6-8 fish cakes
Enjoy a taste of Thai street food with Jonathan File's recipe for deep-fried, spicy fish cakes
Method1. In a large pestle and mortar pound together the chillies, shallot, coriander roots, lemon grass, lime zest, galangal, salt and ground pepper into a paste.
2. Add the cod and pound until sticky. Transfer the pounded mixture to a large bowl and mix in the green beans, lime leaves and fish sauce, kneading together well.
3. Using wetted hands shape the mixture into balls, then flatten out each ball into a disc about 1 cm thick.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or deep fat-fryer. Once hot add the fish cakes and deep-fry in batches over a moderate heat until golden on both sides. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Transfer to a serving plate, garnishing with the sliced cucumber, pineapple and tomatoes.
6. Mix together the sweet chilli sauce, thinly sliced cucumber wedges and crushed peanuts and serve as a dipping sauce.
- 3 dried chillies
- 1 tbsp sliced shallots
- 1 tbsp shredded coriander roots
- 1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
- 1/2 tbsp grated lime zest
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped galangal
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 400 g cod fillets, skin removed and minced
- 200 g string beans, finely chopped
- 5 lime leaves, de-veined and finely shredded
- fish sauce
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
To garnish:
For the Dipping sauce:


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Wednesday, June 27, 2012
No Easy Days
This has become a common theme for all of my trips here in Europe. It's either the bike, the weather or me that is failing at some level.
Example would be almost every morning in northern France, I spent the first 20 minute of the day digging through the tool bag. Minor problems, but still problems.
Finally it had seemed things had worked themselves out, but on my way to Toulouse, several weeks later, the bike ran great, but as I had said before, I ran into some of the worst weather to date on this trip. I didn't mention, that I had also ran out of fucking gas 3 times that day, as I navigated back roads and short cuts in an effort to avoid the shitty weather.
Ok, plan your stops better, no problem. So last weekend, going to Chimay, we pulled into town, easy ride, no weather, no problems, and the group got separated. I decided to go and catch the stragglers, and told them to pull off and I'll explain directions. As I am giving them these very directions, the bike sat idling, and unbeknownst to me, was rolling backward down the street, until it finally fell over. Fucking mother fucker.
So at the end of a problem free day, I still had to find a welder and fix my carb support and sissy bar. The air filter was replaced a couple days later. And so, now it's back to usual, with shitty weather, more long days and who knows what will be next.
But with all this being said, I would do every day again, and would actually be worried if nothing ever went wrong! If it was easy, every poser would do it. And if you see me on the side of the road, pull over and give me a beer! See you out there
9 comments:
That needs to be published in Show Class or similar, well said.ReplyDelete
If you need some place to stay, or a garage to work on your bike, always welcome here in Bruges, Belgium.ReplyDelete
I have everything you need to weld or fix your bike.
Chris Speed Seekers
very cool....youd never be having this much fun and meeting so many interesting new people on a new bike...some people just dont get that.....ReplyDelete
hes lying, he wants crown royalReplyDelete
Running out of gas and welding?? I did'nt mention... Maybe a banner near a gasstation?? ;-)ReplyDelete
Jon that was crazy enough to weld the bracket without taken off the carb, I am still shaking hahahaha!ReplyDelete
Yes to all of the above!ReplyDelete
head south, your weather problems will be over after the pirineesReplyDelete
Jon ! Come back to the south ! your bike feels better ! and you too !ReplyDelete


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Smart appliances need time and awareness to flourish
Despite limited interest and limited availability, smart appliances will play an increasingly important role in the smart grid as utilities worldwide deploy smart meters.
According to Pike Research, smart appliances will represent a growing share of the total appliance market after 2015 with the annual market value increasing from $613 million in 2012 to $34.9 billion in 2020.
"In order for this market to flourish, there needs to be a wider selection of appliances by type, by brand, and by price range," said Pike Senior Research Analyst Bob Lockhart. "In addition, it will take time and education to bring smart appliance awareness and interest to the forefront of consumers' minds."
In the meantime, smart plugs -- act as sensors for conventional appliances and electronic devices, enabling consumers to track electricity usage by the outlet -- could serve as a bridge to the greater awareness of smart appliances, according to the research.
Pike contends that while the number of smart appliances remains low, and prices of available models remain high, smart plugs may be able to provide consumers with a way to save money on energy bills while familiarizing themselves with smart household technology and its benefits.
For more:
- see this article
Related Articles:
Smart appliance market slow to flourish
Smart washing machines leading smart appliances globally
Smart appliance market to grow after 2015


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UAW Solidarity House | 8000 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48214 | p. (313) 926-5000
© Copyright 2014 UAW. All Rights Reserved.
Based in Utica, Mich., Local 400 represents approximately 5,500 men and women who work at the Visteon trim facilities in Chesterfield and Utica, Ford's Romeo engine plant, Highland Park warehouse and Michigan proving grounds. The local also represents 4,000 retirees.
Website: Local 400


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For our Students
Our Network helps students and interns
Go Abroad
Student Councelling
International Student Advisor
Welcome to AA Education Network, your international education agency
for New Zealand and Australia.
Our Education Portal is a gateway for international students providing free multilingual information about education and training. Our international student services are worldwide available.
Apply for your international qualification with AA Education Network, get the future you want!
AA Education Network is an education agency and:
- offers free services for students, working holiday makers and travellers & educational providers.
- provides education counselling for students, including advice and support for applications to all levels of overseas education in Australia and New Zealand.
- access to all types of studies: master, phd, bachelor, vocational training (Short term courses: certificate, diploma), English language courses, high school placement.
- organizes educational counselling for visiting universities and schools.
- publishes Online Study Abroad Guides.
- is a globally affiliated agency that provides free advice in accessing a variety of education pathways, with a mission to develop and enhance the bilateral relationships between Australia, New Zealand and other countries by creating and fostering all forms of educational, travel and immigration links.
Students and internes receive individual services to help them prepare for their stay in Australia and New Zealand.
- Apply here for our International Education Program!
What do students care about most when choosing us as an education agency?
Education consultants do research, negotiate and follow up with international students. So what will set us apart from other agencies?
- Honest and Transparent Service: Students know that we are giving them an honest assessment for their unique situation.
- Genuine Compassion: Students happiness will lead to a long lasting relationship that will lead to higher lifetime customer revenue.
- Timely Correspondence: Students are not lost in a sea of prospects.
- Ongoing Support: We stay connected with our students.


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We love the number of sneak peeks Glee creator Ryan Murphy gives us of the show via his Twitter account. He recently gave us a look at a very gorgeous Kate Hudson filming her guest spot for the show. His latest tweet has given us an insight as of what to expect from the annual Halloween episode. At least, that's what we think it is. Check out the photograph above of the lovely Darren Criss dressed up as Robin. The message along with the photograph read, "Who is that masked man keeping crime away from the halls of McKinley?" He should have added a "bam!" and a "kapow!" for good measure. What we're loving most of all is that if you look closer, you'll see that Darren's also got a bow-tie around his collar! Considering they did an entire episode in homage to Rocky Horror Picture Show around Halloween in 2010, one would think this is the key to what they're planning this year, right? We'd really like more details, but have a feeling this is all we're going to get for some time. More importantly, if Darren is Robin, we really want to know who Batman is? Any guesses, Gleeks?
[Photo via Twitter]


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Whether Superstorm Sandy seems like it was really long ago or really recently depends on whether your home was affected by the floods that swept up New York and New Jersey's coastlines — some people are still putting the pieces of their lives back together. But on today's one year anniversary, we just wanted to take a second to remember the good that came out of the storm: So many people, rich and poor, regular joe and super famous, came together to help those in need. We saw the best of the Jersey Shore cast, Alec Baldwin, Emma Watson, Amar'e Stoudemire, Justin Timberlake and more.
Who would have thought Madonna and Kelly Osbourne would be seen on construction sites? And that someone would catch Ben Stiller in the act of serving pancakes? Or that Kanye West and Kristen Stewart would be in the weirdest onstage fashion competition? We're sure people living without power, gas, water or a roof over their heads were happy to have anyone helping them out at the time, but, woah, they must have some stories to tell later. We hope it also had the desired effect of inspiring more nonfamous people to give back too.
Did you volunteer to help Sandy victims last year? Share your stories with us in the comments below!


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Don't forget to check your spam folder if you cannot find the email. For further assistance please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com .Okay
Bath-time luxury: Pamper yourself with this elegant expandable bathtub caddy in chrome-plated steel with a jumbo removable reading rack. Protective vinyl-coated grips prevent scratching of the tub surface.


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Hear from IT leaders and industry experts in more than 100 sessions at the leading business technology event.
Director of Security Solutions, Intel Corporation
Steve Orrin is Director of Security Solutions, for SSG's SPI group at Intel, Corp. and is responsible for Security Strategy and Pathfinding. Steve joined Intel as part of the acquisition of Sarvega, Inc. where he was their CSO. Steve was previously CTO of Sanctum, a pioneer in Web application security testing and firewall software. Prior to joining Sanctum, Steve was CTO and co-founder of LockStar, Inc. LockStar provided enterprises with the means to secure and XML/WebService enable legacy mainframe and enterprise applications for e-business. Steve joined LockStar from SynData Technologies, Inc. where he was CTO and chief architect of their desktop e-mail and file security product.
Once an organization has completed the initial server virtualization/consolidation phase, it becomes clear that the right advanced management tools along with the right policies and processes are required to better monitor, manage, secure, troubleshoot and tune this new virtual infrastructure, to reap the full benefits of operational efficiency and IT agility. IT managers have to sift through the plethora of virtualization management solutions to identify which products are really ready for prime time, and how to match their particular needs with available solutions. In addition, many shops with traditional Enterprise Systems Management solutions are wondering how new management tools integrate with and utilize what they already have. Beyond operational management, successfully moving towards full virtualization requires optimization and automation of the virtual infrastructure -- creating a self-managing compute factory. Add self-service provisioning and a service catalog to the mix and you have a private cloud, which may extend to public/hybrid cloud computing.
For more information click here.


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RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) — The gubernatorial race could go from two candidates to three. Lt. Governor Bill Bolling told CBS 6 News he is climbing an uphill battle to possibly run against his own party.
In November, Bolling stepped aside in his bid to gain the Republican Party nomination for governor. But now he may be stepping up his efforts to once again join the race – this time as an independent.
"I have been tremendously encouraged," Bolling said.
He said his decision not to run as a Republican was made after the state GOP decided a convention and not a primary would determine who the candidate would be.
"Unfortunately when the Republican party needs to be a big tent party it seems to me we are doing everything we can to become a pup tent party," Bolling said. "That is not the right direction for the Republican party."
The decision by the GOP led Bolling to go in a different route. A direction CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth believes was closely mapped out.
"It's certain that Bill Bolling is continuing to think about this because he thinks given the public mood and the toxicity of politics in general and given the fact the public thinks the parties are controlled by the extremes; he thinks it might be time for an independent," Holsworth said. "We'll have to see if he can make this uphill climb."
Bolling said for the next 60 days his attention will be on the General Assembly session, but he plans to make a decision on whether or not he will enter the gubernatorial race by mid-March.
Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe are the presumptive candidates for their respective parties.


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Just when you thought you had enough of 2014 year-end lists, it's now 2015 and time to begin everyone's "halfway through the decade" retrospective lists. The folks at Fandor are the first out of the gate, as they asked 290 film critics (and assorted other movie lovers) what they thought the best films of 2010-2014 […]
SDCC '14: Spotlight on Bryan Lee O'Malley Panel Recap
By: Alexander Jones Even without the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World film, author Bryan Lee O'Malley would likely still be a talent who is universally adored. However, after the movie, he is one of the most interesting creators who has ever graced the comic book scene. After finishing the Scott Pilgrim series of novels and […]
Scott Pilgrim art is selling fast…and relatively cheap
NYCC 12: Color Scott Pilgrim V2 will be available in three editions
How to get a copy of the Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1 Collectors Edition
Color Scott Pilgrim is coming.
It was available at Comic-Con. And soon it will be available on-line. Soon meaning August 8th.
But to get the very rare Collector's Editions (which includes the Evil Edition, along with all the sweet merch mentioned below and pictured above, like coins and prints and patches) you must watch and wait. And then crash the server, probably. Here are the details:
Scott Pilgrim is back in full-color hardcover reprint
All of you Scott Pilgrim fans, here's a whole new edition to purchase and display with pride—a reprint of the one that started it all, SCOTT PILGRIM'S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE, in full color by Nathan Fairbairn, in a deluxe 6×9 hardcover. AND a new cover! The news was announced at tonight's spotlight on creator Bryan Lee O'Malley at ECCC.
Bryan Lee O'Malley's SECONDS to be published at Villard
Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has been teasing a new projects called SECONDS with a photo on his Twitter feed, and Publishers Weekly has confirmed that it will be a new graphic novel to be published by Random house imprint Villard in 2013.
Tpain and Chris Brown do Scott Pilgrim
Or that's what SCOTT PILGRIM director Edgar Wright just tweeted:
Scott Pilgrim lives
Jill Pantozzi, a recent Pilgrimite, surveys some of the Pilgrim offerings on the craft website. Please don't read too much symbolism into the irony of a post entitled "Scott Pilgrim Lives" with a Day f the Dead figure. It's these contradictions that make life more interesting. Love him or hate him*, he's here to stay.
Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Debate
So when the tale was written, SCOTT PILGRIM Vs THE WORLD ended up #5 at the box office with a disappointing $10.5 mil. This simple fact has caused ethnic wars everywhere on the internet. People ask, double rainbow-like, "What does it mean?" and argue over who is a fanboy, what is a fanboy, what is […]
Tonight to do: Anamanaguchi at Brooklyn Bowl
Pilgrimania is taking over the world — especially the Hilton
Scott Pilgrim promo fever is hitting 105˚ in advance of next week's San Diego Comic-Con, sure to be known in future years as "The Scott Pilgrim One." To wit, various Twitter feeds have been capturing the progress of a giant Scott Pilgrim banner being erected over the Hilton Bayfront hotel. Yowsa.
Scott PIlgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has a thorough list of events he's involved with, including his midnight signing appearance in Toronto, where it all began. (We'll have more details on midnight events in a few days.)
O'Malley's lettering lessons
Via his blog, Bryann Lee O'Malley shades the wisdom of cartooning and good balloon flow: Try to avoid layouts that make as little sense as this one. Also try to avoid hiding your weak layouts with trickery, such as arbitrarily wider gutters (top right) or dropping panel borders to create the illusion of clarity (bottom […]
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World poster revealed
Via EMPIRE, the international poster. Awesomeness and excitement grows.


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It is public art made of private wishes.
In a phenomenon spreading across the globe, oversized blackboards, painted on buildings and freestanding displays, invite passers-by to complete the sentence: "Before I die I want to ..."
Answers, some profound, some profane, are written on stenciled lines with pieces of sidewalk chalk picked from the ground below.
"... make my dad proud."
"... find the yin to my yang."
Since artist Candy Chang created the first wall on an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighborhood in 2011, more than 400 walls have gone up in the United States and more than 60 other countries, including Kazakhstan, Mexico, Iraq, Haiti, South Korea and South Africa. For two weeks in October, Charleston, too, showcased a version of the wall.
"... be happy."
"... see Italy."
"I've been surprised by how quickly people have dropped their guards and written sincere and sometimes heartbreaking things on these walls," said Chang, who said the first wall was inspired by the loss of a loved one. "It reassures me that I'm not alone as I try to make sense of my life."
"... eat more everything."
"... get my wife back."
"... slow down for a moment and maybe even stop."
"It's an honest mess of the longing, anxiety, joy, pain, gratitude, insecurity and wonder you find in every community. ... It's like collective therapy in public space," said Chang, responding to questions via email. Chang earned a master's degree in urban planning and sees in public spaces the potential to unify and communicate.
Her own entries have ranged from "enjoy more places with the people I love" to "revive a ghost town."
"I don't know if maybe you're more likely to do it because now it's out there for the world to see, there's just something magical about stuff like this," said Sara McAlister, 22, after stopping to write on a former factory building in Syracuse. "I think putting it out there, even considering the question, is going to make a difference."
"Travel the world," "brighten someone's day," wrote McAlister, a bartender who recently finished a master's degree in social work at Syracuse University.
"And between you and me, I wrote, marry this one over here," she said, nodding toward her boyfriend, Patrick Kraushaar, 26, who was writing "inspire someone positively" and "make my family proud."
"It's almost like positive imagery," Kraushaar said after putting his chalk down. "It helps bring it to fruition, maybe?"
Building owner Rick Destito painted the "Before I Die" wall after seeing the idea on Facebook. "It's such a simple idea but it resonated so much with me because there are so many things that I want to do before I die," said Destito, who is transforming the former gear factory into artist and rehearsal studios. He has watched people of all ages and backgrounds stop and write, some lingering, others dashing off a hope and hurrying off.
"... see a cure for autism."
"... grow a moustache."
"... get clean."
Nyquis Turner, 16, stopped to write, "play in the NFL."
"... find alien life."
"... tell my dad I'm gay."
"Find a cure for cancer. Be famous," Lynn Morehouse read from one of two boards that went up last month in Providence, R.I. "Some of them are funny. Some of them are a little off the wall. ... I like it."
In October, College of Charleston students Ashley Bell and Kristin Angles took chalk to a stretch of temporary black wall at King and Mary streets, writing in bold capital letters "BEFORE I DIE..." and subdividing the wall with lines meant to accommodate the phrases of passersby. Then stepping back to see what would happen.
Prompted by a school assignment and inspired by Chang's TED Talk, Bell and Angles were surprised at the response. The wall filled up fast.
"This was a two-week challenge for a class, but in all honesty it turned into so much more than an assignment," wrote Bell on her blog. "After creating the chalkboard I didn't dream it would get this much attention. Reading over some of the 'Before I Die' dreams, I really felt so inspired by this. And I think other people did, too."
After two weeks, it all disappeared. The property owner of the vacant lot behind the wall wanted it cleaned off, Bell said.
Chang said a universal theme is personal well-being, citing repeat entries like: "come to terms with who I am," "have no regrets," "forgive and be forgiven," "heal."
A hardcover book, "Before I Die," released earlier this month by St. Martin's Press, permanently captures some of the answers, which are often otherwise erased to make room for more.
"Some walls reflect the current politics of the region," Chang said. "But for the most part, the walls have shown just how universal our hopes are.
"We want to love and be loved," she said. "We want to see the world. We want to help others. We want to understand who we really are."
The Post and Courier's Adam Parker contributed to this report.
Nyquis Turner, 16, writes Play in the NFL on a wall that invites passers-by in Syracuse, N.Y., to complete the sentence: Before I die, I want to ... More than 400 walls have gone up in the United States and more than 60 other countries.×
Passers-by add their thoughts to the Before I Die project blackboard last month in Providence, R.I.×
Passers-by in Charleston completed the sentence, Before I die I want to ... , on a chalkboard in October.×
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Neil deGrasse Tyson brings his "badass" reaction meme to life at the behest of The Verge's Joshua Topolsky.
Neil deGrasse Tyson brings his "badass" reaction meme to life at the behest of The Verge's Joshua Topolsky.
Avery Monsen and Jory John's best-selling not-really-for-children children's book All My Friends Are Dead gets an appropriately titled sequel, All My Friends Are Still Dead.
Spoiler Alert: Everybody dies in the end.
Animated GIF Wall of the Day: Well, this is fairly fascinating: A wall of animated GIFs showing the reactions of winners and losers in different Oscar categories throughout the years (winners are all on the far right).
And speaking of Sally Kirkland -- was her Wikipedia page edited by Cher?
Animated GIF of the Day: An important reminder from blackout participant The Oatmeal of all the wonderful things at stake in sitting idly by while SOPA/PIPA are allowed to pass.
Animated GIF(s) of the Day: Merry GIFmas! From Mel Roach's jolly madness to yours.
(Click on Rudolph to expand.)
Animated GIF of the Day: Wait for it...
Animated GIF of the Day: Frankie delivers!
Turns out there is more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking: This GIF!
(Also, note to Jimbo: If this were the image in the donation bar on Wikipedia, I would shut up and give you all my money.)


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Why is this news? To address that question without feeling like I'm answering my editor, I'll just point you to an earlier post we made that said the Motorola Aura can't be sold on eBay or anywhere else. In other words, the Aura is, and always will be, a Motorola exclusive.
And that's exactly what they're saying about it over on the Motorola web site. The proud words "Moto Store Exclusive" are printed over the handset itself in pictures.
As earlier announced, it comes with a circular, 16 million color display that's protected by a 62-carat sapphire crystal coating. Other features include a 2-megapixel fixed focus camera, internal quad band GSM antenna, 2GB of on-board memory and microUSB connectivity. Oh, and don't forget that stainless steel housing.
It costs $1,999.99 and a lot of blind faith. Available now with free shipping from the Moto Store. Of course, you could always just go for other cheap alternatives…