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Comic Books and Strips
News about Comic Books and Strips, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Chronology of Coverage
Oct. 5, 2015
Independent comic book publishers are working on financial deals that could potentially bring their characters to movies, television and Broadway; are eager to promote their properties at New York Comic Con. MORE
Sep. 23, 2015
Author and comic book fan Ta-Nehisi Coates will write yearlong story line for Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther, fulfilling childhood dream of working in comics industry. MORE
Jul. 12, 2015
Snapshot interview with comic book artist Fiona Staples, who has redrawn characters from Archie Comics in reboot of classic teen comic series. MORE
Jul. 12, 2015
Marvel Comics superhero Ant-Man, now subject of eponymously titled film, appeared to be a bit more average than other memorable characters chronicled in Marvel's comic books from the early 1960s. MORE
Jul. 6, 2015
ComiXology, the iTunes of the comic book industry, will be expanding its digital library. MORE
Jul. 6, 2015
Comic book publishers both big and small are expected to expand their readership by promoting more varied selection of gay-themed comic books at annual Comic-Con International gathering in San Diego. MORE
Jul. 6, 2015
Free digital comics website Line Webtoon is expected to announce partnership with comic book legend Stan Lee and YouTube star Michelle Phan at Comic-Con International in San Diego; site was founded in South Korea and is making big push to expand its readership in United States. MORE
Jun. 14, 2015
Drawn & Quarterly, independent comic known for promoting female cartoonists, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with book detailing its rise; look at three artists it published, Julie Doucet, Lynda Barry and Kate Beaton, and how their work influenced the comic world. MORE
Jun. 14, 2015
Roundup of ten essential titles published by innovative comics house Drawn & Quarterly. MORE
May. 28, 2015
Superhero Batman's sidekick Robin is sexy spy in new comic series entitled Grayson. MORE
May. 17, 2015
Lydia Polgreen Talk interview with Alison Bechdel, cartoonist behind graphic novel Fun Home, in which she discusses impact of sudden success on her work and mainstreaming of gay culture; Fun Home has been adapted into Broadway musical and Bechdel won MacArthur 'genius' grant in 2014. MORE
Mar. 20, 2015
Comics Experience founded by Andy Schmidt is e-business, part of growing trend, that teaches would-be artists the fundamentals of making comics; offers courses in drawing, writing and coloring, as well as explaining trademark and copyright laws and other legal aspects of starting a business. MORE
Mar. 9, 2015
Comics publishing and media production company Black Mask Studios will introduce series of YouTube channels for comics and debut its first animated movie Godkiller in summer 2014. MORE
Mar. 9, 2015
Beijing-based DMG Entertainment partners with independent comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment in nine-figure investment deal to develop feature films, publishing, television and licensing opportunities based on Valiant's comic book characters and concepts. MORE
Feb. 22, 2015
Amy Reeder, artist who co-created comic book series Rocket Girl, discusses her typical Sunday routine. MORE
Feb. 15, 2015
Neighborhood Joint column on Alex's MVP Cards and Comics, newly relocated to York Avenue in Yorkville section of Manhattan; owner Alex Gregg lost his lease on store's original East 89th street location after 26 years. MORE
Dec. 15, 2014
Archie Comic Publications is relaunching its star Archie Andrews in 2015 with new creative team; new look and edgier tone for character will be accompanied by Fox television series and clothing line from Marc Ecko. MORE
Nov. 30, 2014
Roy Thomas book 75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen looks back on the comic book's influence and role in popular culture. MORE
Nov. 30, 2014
Marvel Comics, struggling financially in 1975, received a big boost when it published six-issue tie-in to blockbuster 1977 film Star Wars. MORE
Nov. 29, 2014
Saturday profile of Suleiman Bakhit, Jordanian comic book author and entrepreneur who creates Middle Eastern stories that present an alternative to terrorist ideologies; Bakhit aims to present antidote to mythologies that he says draw youth to terrorist groups like the Islamic State. MORE
Nov. 11, 2014
"Masks," by Gillian Flynn, will be published by Dark Horse Comics in February. MORE
Nov. 2, 2014
Fantagraphics releases The Complete Zap, $500 hardcover boxed set of influential underground magazine Zap Comix, which was started in 1967 by cartoonist R Crumb. MORE
Oct. 26, 2014
More fans are seeking original comic art leading to an increase in value; guide for where to buy original comic book art given. MORE
Oct. 22, 2014
Darryl McDaniels, founding member of hip-hop group Run-DMC, creates new comic-book series called DMC. MORE
Oct. 3, 2014
New York's first major comic book convention in 1964 was very focused on comic books, unlike today's Comic Con, which is dominated by film and television. MORE
Oct. 3, 2014
Suggested highlights of New York Super Week, sister festival running concurrently with New York Comic Con. MORE
Sep. 26, 2014
Richard McGuire has expanded his 36-panel comic Here into full-color, book-length work; book, scheduled to be published by Pantheon in December, is receiving preview in exhibit From Here to Here: Richard McGuire Makes a Book at the Morgan Library & Museum. MORE
Aug. 30, 2014
Comic book publisher Toon Graphics translates works of literature into comic books aimed at children in the fourth grade and up; company, new imprint of Raw Junior publishing house, draws on power of comics to create better readers and seeks to help teachers adhere to Common Core standards. MORE
Aug. 17, 2014
New York Giants defensive lineman Israel Idonije, facing uncertain future in his 12th season in the NFL, has crafted a promising new career as the creator of a comic book series; has produced two volumes of The Protectors with writer Ron Marz and artist Bart Sears, and series has already started to make waves. MORE
Aug. 7, 2014
Creators of characters in Marvel Studios movie Guardians of the Galaxy are profiting from film's success after grassroots effort by comic book fans. MORE
Aug. 3, 2014
Comic books often read better than films that are made based on them; directors often go for over-the-top action, as in Guardians of the Galaxy, while comics tend to be more intricate stories, with complex plot lines, developed over time, leaving die-hard fans disappointed with what ends up on screen. MORE
Jul. 21, 2014
Report finds that North American sales of both digital and traditional comics reached $870 million in 2013, up from $635 in 2013; strength in digital sales and subscriptions are welcome news for many entrepreneurial contributors who have yet to make their mark on the industry. MORE
Jun. 26, 2014
SoHo shop Opening Ceremony plans to incorporate images from Japanese comic books known as manga into their summer collection; items and images, many of which are homoerotic in content, will arrive just in time for Gay Pride Week. MORE
Jun. 23, 2014
Illustrator John Romita Jr, decades-long veteran of Marvel Comics, has begun working for DC Comics, drawing mixed reactions from fans; Romita's first work for DC, a Superman comic, will debut in June. MORE
Jun. 19, 2014
Japan's Parliament outlaws the possession of child pornography; new law, however, leaves untouched the nation's popular and sometimes sexually explicit manga comics as well as other portrayals of young girls as objects of sexual desire; exemption for the popular comics, and also of Japan's 'anime' animated cartoons, is a concession to the nation's powerful publishing and entertainment industries. MORE
Jun. 11, 2014
A city-wide festival, "New York Super Week," will be held in conjunction with New York Comic Con in October. MORE
May. 15, 2014
Kit Eaton App Smart column assesses mobile apps that can help users make comic books; recommends RockMyRun, free app that is about playing motivational exercise music. MORE
May. 11, 2014
Box Seats essay notes that Andre Rene Roussimoff, the late professional wrestler known as Andre the Giant, is the subject of a new graphic novel by cartoonist Box Brown. MORE
May. 2, 2014
Free Comic Book Day, annual effort that began in 2002 to promote the comic-book industry, is intended to shift focus from blockbuster movies and television back to the printed page; list of participating stores around New York City. MORE
Mar. 20, 2014
Kit Eaton App Smart column surveys mobile applications that animate the process of reading comic books. MORE
Mar. 3, 2014
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is new chief creative officer at Archie Comic Publications; Aguirre-Sacasa, who has written for film and television, is tasked with figuring out how best to exploit company's characters in comics, as well as in other media. MORE
Feb. 9, 2014
Television versions of graphic novels Mind MGMT, Fatale, American Vampire, Hawkeye and Manhattan Projects are described as potential good additions to host of current shows, like AMC's The Walking Dead, that are based on comic books. MORE
Jan. 10, 2014
Several books are available that beautifully reproduce old newspaper comics. MORE
Dec. 22, 2013
Comic book writer Scott Snyder has given DC Comics' Batman biggest makeover since 1980s and transformed traditional vampire myth with classic Americana in his graphic novel series American Vampire. MORE
Dec. 15, 2013
Douglas Wolk reviews comic books and graphic novels Nowhere Men, Vol 1: Fates Worse Than Death by Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde, Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh, Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Bagge, Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor and Smoke/Ashes by Alex de Campi and Igor Kordey. MORE
Dec. 8, 2013
Glen Weldon reviews book Superheroes!: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture by Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor. MORE
Nov. 29, 2013
George Gene Gustines reviews selection of graphic novels, perfect for holiday gift-giving. MORE
Nov. 21, 2013
Gadgetwise blog; Shifter, graphic novel from Anomaly Productions, provides additional details, more back story and 3-D models via an accompanying mobile app, making prehistoric creatures spring to life. MORE
Nov. 16, 2013
Holland Cotter reviews exhibition Art Spiegelman's Co-Mix: A Retrospective at Jewish Museum. MORE
Nov. 6, 2013
Ms Marvel, new series from Marvel Comics, will star Kamala Khan, teenage Muslim girl living in Jersey City. MORE
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Indie Comic Book Publishers Make Moves Toward TV and Film
Reimagining themselves as entertainment companies, smaller comic book publishers broaden their horizons with the hope of featuring their characters in movies, on television and even on Broadway.
October 5, 2015, Monday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Comic Books and Strips , Movies , Television , DC Comics , Marvel Entertainment , IDW Publishing , Dark Horse Comics , Archie Comic Publications , Comic-Con (Conventions)
Ta-Nehisi Coates to Write Black Panther Comic for Marvel
Mr. Coates will write a yearlong series about the superhero that is to begin next spring.
September 23, 2015, Wednesday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Comic Books and Strips , Coates, Ta-Nehisi , Marvel Comics , Books and Literature
Brad Anderson, Creator of 'Marmaduke,' Dies at 91
At its pinnacle, Mr. Anderson's comic strip about a mischievous but lovable Great Dane appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and in other countries.
September 9, 2015, Wednesday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Deaths (Obituaries) , Anderson, Brad (1924-2015) , Comic Books and Strips
Judd Winick's Age-Appropriate Return to Comic-Strip Roots
With the first of his "Hilo" graphic novels, the artist-animator-reality TV housemate delivers a book that even his preteen son can read.
September 7, 2015, Monday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Comic Books and Strips , Cartoons and Cartoonists , Graphic Novels , Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation , Cartoon Network , DC Comics , Marvel Entertainment , Winick, Judd (1970- )
Donald Trump, the Green Lantern Candidate
Mr. Trump, with a brash style but no superpowers that we know of, is exploiting the myth of an all-powerful president.
August 26, 2015, Wednesday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Trump, Donald J , Presidential Election of 2016 , United States Politics and Government , United States Economy , Comic Books and Strips
The Strip
A weekly comic strip featured in the Sunday Review.
August 23, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Presidential Election of 2016 , Illegal Immigration , Citizenship and Naturalization , Comic Books and Strips , United States Politics and Government
The Strip
A weekly comic strip featured in the Sunday Review.
August 16, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Obama, Barack , Comic Books and Strips
The Strip
A weekly comic strip featured in the Sunday Review.
August 9, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Environmental Protection Agency , Comic Books and Strips
The Strip
A weekly comic strip featured in the Sunday Review.
August 2, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: United States Politics and Government , Boy Scouts , Comic Books and Strips
The Strip
A weekly comic strip featured in the Sunday Review.
July 26, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON COMIC BOOKS AND STRIPS AND: Presidential Election of 2016 , Comic Books and Strips
Summer Reveries, Frame by Frame
Graphic novels on a kick-back summer reading list.
Excerpts From 'Drawn & Quarterly 25'
Comics by Kate Beaton, Jillian Tamaki and Geneviève Castrée.
Hail! Hail! O Classic Superhero
Superheroes are here to stay (just turn on your TV), and five new superbooks celebrate heroes of comics, and the men (and occasional woman) who brought them to life.
Comic Shop Over the Multiplex
The reporter Dana Jennings on why the comic book may be a better alternative than the movie theater.
Weapons Rule at Comic-Con
Attendees of Comic-Con International bring an assortment of "weapons" to the convention hall that are screened by security officers.
Long Days, Extra Innings
New art books include textured dreamscapes by Lee Bontecou and full-size reproductions of Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts."
Sketching Superman's Power
The illustrator John Romita Jr., a decades-long veteran of Marvel Comics, is now making his DC Comics debut. His first assignment: Drawing Superman.
App Smart | Create Your Own Comics
Kit Eaton tests out three apps that can help you get started creating your own digital comic book.
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Supermodels Beverly Johnson, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Lauren Hutton gather for "A Model Conversation" in 1993.
Photo: MTV
Season: 5 Episode: 24
Title: A Model Conversation
Original Airdate: 7/93
Appearances: Beverly Johnson, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Lauren Hutton
In many ways, this one-hour special acts as a State of the Union for the modeling industry in 1993. It's a roundtable discussion between two generations of models, and features Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Beverly Johnson, Lauren Hutton, and Linda Evangelista, along with short interviews with modeling agents like Bethann Hardison and Monique Pillard, and editors like Anna Wintour and Gabé Doppelt. The supermodels talk about their careers, how each got her start and the taxing aspects of their jobs. They break down the politics of becoming a successful model and assert that it's largely based on relationships with photographers and magazines. It's an interesting time to be discussing the shifting ideals of beauty: The supermodels were still very much in the forefront of the fashion industry, but their influence was beginning to wane in light of the waifish, gamine look embodied by newcomer Kate Moss.
On starting out:
The models take turns describing how they were discovered: Cindy met a local photographer in Chicago; Christy posed for a portrait when she was on the competitive horseback riding circuit(!); Linda competed in a Miss Niagara pageant that a scout attended; Naomi was playing hooky from school with a group of blonde, blue-eyed friends when an agent approached her. Beverly had visions of becoming a lawyer and Lauren Hutton got noticed the hard way—hitting the pavement for 7-9 months before she got her start. Linda mentions that she used to get paid $20 for modeling in bridal shows (she always played bridesmaid) and $8 an hour for local department store ads. Long before America's Next Top Model, we learn the term "go see" (what it's called when models hit up agencies, editors and photographers with a book of their photos) and Cindy mentions how humbling the process can be.
On being objectified:
The models talk about how frequently they're mistreated. They've been on multiple shoots and sets where they're often referred to as "it" and directed as if they're not even in the room. In fact, when Cindy asks if her assembled peers have been objectified, Lauren scoffs, "Are you kidding?" Naomi talks about a time when, at age 16, she was felt up by a stylist for a Japanese client. Cindy recounts the time she asked to be let out of a steam bath; her protests went unheeded until she passed out.
On modeling contracts:
At the start of her career, Christy landed a major contract as the face of Calvin Klein, so she knows how and why it can be a mistake to take a contract too early. Beverly talks about how exclusivity to one client and aligning with one campaign can make a girl seem to lose access from other aspects of the business. The most salient point comes from Cindy, who readily admits how envious other models were when Christy landed her Calvin Klein contract. Cindy's frank in acknowledging the pros and cons of any career decision, but you can tell from the exchange that it's the first time Cindy admitted her jealousy to Christy in person, and it's a revelation.
On degrading photos:
Cindy talks about the difference between choosing to participate in a sexy shoot now that she's older, versus being manipulated into taking her top off for Elle magazine at 16 and having her parents and high school friends find out. She talks about how feminism doesn't preclude steamier shoots, but that it's about feeling empowered enough to choose.
On relationships with photographers:
It's obvious that a good rapport and a level of comfort with a photographer makes for a more positive working experience, but Beverly notes that it's the entire vibe on set — from the makeup to the hair — that's key: A good shoot is a team effort. Beverly also talks about the back-and-forth that comes naturally when you're working with a photographer you trust. She discusses being "turned on," and you're reminded again of how much the end result is reliant not just upon the model's face, body language, and the photographer's technical skill, but chemistry. It's that attraction that leads to truly transcendent photographs.
On eating and traveling:
For all the well-intentioned segments that House of Style aired on eating disorders, and on the societal pressure to emulate a certain idea of beauty, there's something tremendously powerful in hearing Beverly talk about her dysfunctional relationship with food. She doesn't go into any gory details, but she sounds rueful and tired. Linda admits that she could eat anything she liked until she was 25, at which point she had to actively start watching her intake. But Cindy brings up an interesting point that people rarely consider apart from the weight question: the awkwardness of looking like you're 25 despite being 16. Cindy says that looking like an adult and being made to look like an adult can be extremely unhealthy — people assume it's ok to offer you drugs or ask you to remove your clothes. There are men coming on to you, and it's not considered gross or unseemly.
Lauren quips that all models should be at least 30 years old before they start, and Naomi chimes in to say that she put a lot of pressure on herself to act mature because her mother had just had a baby when Naomi was 15 and starting out in the business.
Then each of the models discusses how lonely it can be to travel, despite the exciting cities they visit. Christy expresses how much she hates Paris. Naomi agrees that Paris can be brutal, because they don't care whether you've worked 7 days in a row for 20 hours a day; she says she sometimes cracks up and cries because she works until she's fried. Cindy admits that the money is a great incentive, and that she's worked on shoots where the photographer and the clothes were awful and led to her doing division in her head to calculate how much money she's making per second in order to make the experience worthwhile. Lauren then chides everyone who's complaining about the long hours because being a model is a ridiculous, absurd, obscenely lucky job. It also becomes apparent that the savvier you are as a businesswoman, the better you are at controlling your career. Linda equates their work as a sort of commission taxed on the deals of multibillion-dollar conglomerates and Christy counters that their clients are not stupid and that they wouldn't be making the sort of money were it not worth the companies' while. Linda is clearly the one who wanted to be a model the most, and says simply that her job is a dream come true.
On ever-evolving standards of beauty:
The models talk about falling in and out of favor with photographers and magazines. They generally understand that this is a matter of course and seem nonplussed, but Naomi is visibly angry when the question of racism comes up. Without naming names, she says that certain magazine editors tell her, "You can't be on the cover because you were on the cover three years ago and we can't have another black model on the cover right now." She also says she's been told that an alarming number of times, and that she's determined to change this thinking and behavior. She speaks of her gratitude toward Beverly and Iman for opening the door for younger black models, particularly the August 1974 issue of American Vogue, on which Beverly was the first African-American cover model.
Funnily enough Lauren Hutton played a part in Beverly's historic Vogue cover. They were in Richard Avedon's studio: Lauren had been called in for a cover try, saw Beverly and told Polly Mellen (legendary stylist and editor for a number of fashion magazines) to do a cover try with this "beautiful woman." Lauren was also a pioneer in a manner of speaking: She refused to fix the gap in her teeth, which Cindy always admired (Georgia May Jagger and Lindsey Wixson also have Ms. Hutton to thank), since she was badgered to have her beauty spot removed from her face. Naomi confides that she'll never remove the scar on her face. Lauren talks about how important their jobs can be to hold up different ideals of beauty, and then agrees that modeling in 10 hairpieces, after 5-hour makeup sessions, with taped boobs can be misleading.
On the fashion industry powers that be:
In this complementary segment, House of Style interviews the people who decide which girl is "it." We speak to former model, now agent Bethann Hardison; agents Monique Pillard and Ann Veltri; editors Anna Wintour, Gabé Doppelt; and Polly Mellen; and photographer Sante D'Orazio. The industry insiders talk about that moment everything gels. The agent knows when he or she has met someone special, and sends her to meet editors. Those editors impatiently complain about why they've never met her before. That's when the "go see" results in exposure in Mademoiselle (R.I.P.), Elle and Vogue, which in turn creates "miracles" seemingly overnight. American Vogue EIC Anna Wintour cautions viewers not to overestimate what Vogue can do (a notable and rare moment of candor about the limits of her power), explaining that the photographer often launches the career. Sante confirms this, and says there's a moment behind the lens when you know that a model has never looked more beautiful, and that it's often that instant or that point-of-view that clinches a model's ascent. Anna also reminds us that, many times, a photographer can also end a career, noting the moment when Steven Meisel not only invented Naomi, Christy and Linda, but also decided when fashion needed new faces like Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta.
Like us on Facebook so we can be friends and follow us on Twitter @MTVstyle to talk.

subset: commoncrawl


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Read: The War On Second Contracts
At TSN, Bob McKenzie talks about how the NHL is hell bent on ending front loaded deals and making it so that players have a much harder time hitting the jackpot in their second contract.
McKenzie says that the NHL has proposed reducing entry-level contracts to two years and pushing salary arbitration back another year.
On second contracts, McKenzie writes "the war against second contracts is one the general managers have asked for because it would assist them, within the salary cap system, in building their teams. Besides, truth be told, some veteran NHL players wouldn't be opposed to the youngsters having to wait to the third contract to hit their home run."
He adds that the compromise to the contract issues would be to keep the rule that contracts can't increase or decrease more than 5% from year to year, eliminate the five-year term limit, keep entry level deals short, arbitration farther away but keep free agency where it is.


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I build simple and dynamic database-driven web sites using Oracle Application Express (Apex).
Here are a few of them:
2015: SportsPlus Camp Registration
A site that takes registrations for youth camps. Used by SportsPlus to take registrations from participants, coaches and leaders for their camp in 2015.
If you're planning a youth camp anywhere in Australia and need to take registrations online, send me an email and I can set up a test site for you to evaluate.
2015: Volunteer Australia!
A site that allows volunteers to register for events. Used by the City of South Perth to take registrations for the Australia Day Celebration Zone in January 2015.
If you're planning an event and you need to take registrations for volunteers, send me an email and I can set up a test site for you to evaluate.
"The online registration system worked very well – no major issues – and the data that I needed was perfect!" – Latesha Houston, City of South Perth
2013-2015: GamesFest
GamesFest is a unique registration and management system for multi-sport events. Many applications in one, built originally for State Youth Games, it successfully accepted registrations from over 930 players for SYG 2013, and a copy of the application for Masters Games later that year was also successful.
It includes the following features:
- Allows players to register themselves for a team and get their sport allocations
- Integrates with payment gateways to allow players to pay their fees online
- Allows team coordinators to register their team, set their fees and options, and manage their players
- Allows team coordinators to manage their team, assigning players to their preferred sports
- Allows volunteers to sign up and select their preferred events and jobs
- Allows central scorers to enter and publish the event scores and leaderboards
- Provides the event director and coordinators with detailed real-time reporting
- Automatically presents a "Mobile" style interface for mobile devices
- Detailed financial position for team coordinators and event director
- Custom info pages for each competition
- Bulk messaging – send quick alerts by email and/or SMS to all members of a team or the whole competition
In 2014 the site was further improved and expanded for use by multiple separate but concurrent clients – serving State Youth Games, Masters Games, GI Games, Goldfields Youth Games, and SportsFest. The site is now capable of catering to any number of different organisations and competitions and may be used by similar multi-sport event organisers throughout Australia.
"Thanks for all you do. It's having a huge impact on our churches through these sports events we run." – Cam Barnes, State Youth Games WA
2012: My Home Contents
My Home Contents (AU) was launched in early 2012 (in a blaze of very little publicity) to help people keep track of their special home contents and their book, CD, and DVD libraries. It allows them to enter the ISBN of a book, which in many cases will automatically load the details of the book and a cover image. It is useful for keeping track of the warranty details for significant purchases.
The site runs 24×7 on Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) with user-uploaded content stored on Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3).
2011: Foothills Church of Christ
This web site was designed for Foothills Church of Christ primarily as a source of information for visitors to the church; and secondarily as a launching point for members to access a number of other tools and resources. The front page features all the information needed for a visitor who just wants to know "when" and "where".
The site's look and feel was built based on an image painted by a graphic artist (another church member), and was constructed as an Apex template from scratch. The pull-down menus and the photo gallery (which cycles and fades between a set of images) were incorporated into Apex using simple Javascript components.
The site runs 24×7 on Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) with images and mp3 resources served from Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3).
2010-2012: Hills Team
The Hills Team needed a simple site to take team member registrations for the annual State Youth Games (SYG). This site, updated in 2011 and 2012 (superseded by the new State Youth Games site in 2013), allowed young people to easily sign up using an email address or mobile phone number, pick their preferred events, and are kept up-to-date about their assigned events and teams.
Behind the site is a comprehensive team management system, including a preference management tool that allows the team organizers to find an optimal assignment of participants to their preferred sports, with the (often competing) goals of minimizing disappointment, adhering to the SYG rules and guidelines, and responding quickly to late additions, cancellations and event changes. While the site doesn't help the team win the event, it certainly takes a lot of pain out of coordinating the team.
The site used a custom authentication scheme which allowed players to sign up without having to log in straight away. About half of the team registrations in any year are from new players who are unfamiliar with the system, so as much of the friction in getting through the registration steps was removed. For example, login details (so the player can get back into the system later on, while protecting their privacy) are created automatically and sent to the player by email or SMS. The initial registration only asked for the bare minimum of details that are required; further details is gathered later. Also, some players are more concerned about playing sport than sitting down at a computer to sign up, so they'll ask their partners or siblings to sign up for them; so the site was designed to cater for people signing up multiple players.
If you need a custom database-driven web site, and think Apex may be suitable as a platform, feel free to contact Jeff on firstname.lastname@example.com to discuss your requirements.


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(KPRC) - There are some medical tests every man needs to have performed.
Jeffrey Donovan, 45, has never taken a sick day from work. He has never had the flu.
He is the picture of good health and he has the annual physicals from his job to prove it.
"All the testing I had through work and my history has always revealed normal cholesterol levels, a normal body type and my nutrition was always I would say average to above average. I ran six days a week and three to four marathons a year," said Donovan.
So when Donovan's doctor suggested getting an advanced cholesterol screening after his father passed away from what doctor's call a silent heart attack, Donovan thought nothing of it.
"I thought it would be another one of those visits where they tell you everything is great, just avoid that second glass of wine. This was much different. This was your good cholesterol is OK, but a closer look at the bad, a deeper look at the size particles of that cholesterol is not good," Donavon said.
Dr. Dian Ginsberg with Specialty Healthcare and Wellness said the results were that of a person on the path to dropping dead of a heart attack with very little notice.
"I think there is a feeling of invincibility if you are very active living a fairly healthy lifestyle," said Donovan.
Donovan said he wants people, men especially, to realize it can be a dangerous thing not to look deeper into some of these medical issues.
Ginsburg said the annual physical needs to be looked at like a tune-up for your car.
A basic check finds basic problems, but for better performance you need a better look.
Dr. John Ott, also with Specialty Healthcare and Wellness, said that isn't so easy to get since a recent federal task force started pushing for fewer tests in regular physicals.
"The guidelines seem to suggest we do less instead of more. Now that's a little worrisome when their guidelines leave us open to finding things a little bit too late. To me the doctor's biggest concern now is that the motive may be more financial than the individuals benefit. We don't have crystal balls. How are we going to find out a person has a problem? It can't strictly be based on their lifestyle or family history. We have to have some data and labs of some sort," said Ott.
Ott said people should all be wary of the in-and-out, check-the-box style of annual physicals.
"The tests are designed to find people who already have a problem. When you come in without a problem you don't have any way of knowing if you are headed that way or not with just the standard tests," said Ott.
But thanks to new science and new tests, there are ways to look past the surface results and spot some signs of problems to come.
A standard checklist for a 30-year-old man includes a basic cholesterol test and a check of the thyroid gland.
Men will also get a screening for skin cancer since it occurs in males more than females and a testicular exam because this cancer usually occurs before the age of 40.
Ott said in the thirties, the name of the game is prevention - making sure the body is working efficiently.
He suggested these men also add a micro-nutrient test to their physical to see what vitamins and minerals their bodies are absorbing.
He said having this in balance sets up a strong foundation.
"You can assume at 30 you are looking at preventing aging. At 40 you start repairing what aging has occurred. It takes a lot more effort to make 40 work. We want to find out if the body is building the initial blocks of heart disease because most people at 40 will still look good on conventional tests," said Ott.
The conventional tests at 40 are the same as 30 but more focus is put on blood pressure and a diabetes screening is added to the mix.
Doctors should also look at Vitamin D levels since the body doesn't collect it as well after 40.
Ott said this decade is when men should add that advanced cholesterol screening that helped Donovan.
It is called the lipoprotein profile, or LPP, and looks deeper at the density of cholesterol particles in the body, not just overall numbers.
By 50, the same tests apply but now hearing and colon checks are added along with screenings for bladder and prostate cancer. It also is a time where more focus is put on checking the metabolism.
"At 50 you want the whole package because we assume that something is wrong," said Dr. Ott.


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Companion forum thread to:How to Best Pack Your UL/Frameless Backpack with UL Gear
It would have been nice to see a sequence of photos of the pack being packed.-Frank
In regardings to hydration, isn't it generally accepted that having water bottles like Platypus in the mesh side pockets that are outside the pack for easy one handed access?For myself, I take this a little step further and put my snack bars in them too so that I can reach back and grab something to eat while on the go to reduce the need to stop, remove my pack, and rummage inside my main pack for food.Questions regarding the front pocket of the backpacking: Is that reserved for wet gear like tarps and bivies?I tend to keep daily use items in there like hat, gloves, windshirt, water treatment/filter, med/repair kit, headlamps, firestarting kit, TP & hand sanitizer, and snow stake for potty trowel in my front pocket so that I am only needing to access my main pack to get food at lunch time, insulating layer, and rain gear.In the event that I had wet gear from the night before, I would relocate those items into the main pack and place all the wet stuff in the front pocket to drain and dry off throughout the day?Also, I am assuming the assumption that having the sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack is loose and not in a compression bag so that it fills out all the tiny voids in the bottom of the pack?I use a compression bag for my quilt so that I can make it as small as possible....I know that I have voids of wasted space, but I find that squishing the quilt down as small as possible might give me more room inside the pack than if it were uncompressed. Any thoughts on this? Is another benefit of having the sleeping bag uncompressed is that it gives better shape and form to the frameless pack?Lastly, any thoughts of the idea of leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?I don't do this myself, but I have heard that the bivy would provide additional protection from moisture (rain) and may speed up setup time in camp and packing up in the morning.Does anyone use this method?Good article....agree with the poster above that photos showing the process might be helpful.I see packing your gear as also about trying to gain efficiency on the trail by having things located for quick and easy access that would reduce the number of times you need to remove your pack to get something. Of course, this assumes that you want to hike all day and get in as many miles as you can and therefore want to limit stopping on the trail and dropping your pack to open it up to get something.-Tony
"Lastly, any thoughts of the idea of leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?I hadn't thought of this before, but seems like a good way to leave a dry bag at home depending on the bivy. Plus, speed of setup would be increased. Cool. Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDF26eJ2sqU&feature=plcp&context=C44a0e23VDvjVQa1PpcFOKyqpEsjUaZgVji5__xKAXSC5W4wQMX9s%3DHere is Hendrik's spin on it.
> leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?I see diminishing returns potential here. One of the reasons to use a bivy is keeping humidity (from internal or external sources) off the bag and on the bivy so when packing you don't pack all that humidity with the bag.
I used to use a Prolite 3 short, and it worked perfectly as a back pad, as described in the article.I just purchased a NeoAir short...now what do I do!? No more backpad...I guess I'll just have to be more creative...any suggestions?Also, I put my clothes and sleeping bag in a large polyethylene bag, same cross-section as my pack, at the bottom (as noted in the article), then fold it up well and put everything else on top. All the other items except food (in ziplocs, plus some other misc items) can get wet, but it doesn't matter for things like a stove, tarp, water containers, etc.
You could always cut a Z-lite into 4 sections and use that against your back. It would add about 5-6oz, however. On the other hand, you could use it under your feet when using the short NeoAir.....
one thing ill try soon is using a sam splint to stiffen the pack ... ill try that soon as having a split when climbing might prove useful
Elliott,See Figure 6 and related text in this article.
When I was hiking the PCT I carried a RayWay pack I built from his kit. I carried a standard, old fashioned, 6' blue foam sleeping pad. This became my frame. The pack was lined with a garbage bag, and then the rolled up pad went in. It expanded, (un-rolled) to stretch the pack out, and then everything went in down the the center area. It worked very well and carried perfectly. I came to really dislike having to unpack absolutely everything before I could finally be comfortable each evening. I never needed to get inside the pack during the day however, except for a very few time early on when it was cold, windy, and threatening. I still long for a pack I can lay down, and unzip so it opens like a suitcase. The few ounces would be worth it on an extended trip.fred :) (aka Mr. Smiles.)
>I use a compression bag for my quilt so that I can make it as small as possible....I know that I have voids of wasted space, but I find that squishing the quilt down as small as possible might give me more room inside the pack than if it were uncompressed. Any thoughts on this?Tony, I kinda think along the same lines. If you have a small pack, then compressing your quilt into a stuff sack might reduce the volume to be more beneficial than letting it go loose. If you have a large pack, then you'll have the pack volume to spare. I think it's one of those issues that is unique to each pack and kit.
Not able to open "Hendrik's spin" you tube.
DavidTry selecting both lines of the link and pasting into the web address area. Worked for me.Andrew
Thanks Ken!Here's a clickable link to that video http://youtu.be/MDF26eJ2sqU =)
Edited by skullmonkey on 03/18/2012 10:16:48 MDT.
Nice little article.Who is Jen Matteis? Weird to see something written by an unknown(no post history on BPL) around here.Anyone else chuckle at the photo of "ultralight packs"?With the mention of a Gust being used and another one being spotted on the trail makes me wonder if this is a new article, or just previously unpublished. Edit: The author hiked a portion of the AT in 2003. No doubt as to when now.Edit: Found her. http://sites.google.com/site/jenmatteis/Its a good video, Glad to share it Hendrik.Related reading.http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=18973http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=19092http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00194.htmlhttp://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=50447
Edited by kthompson on 03/18/2012 18:41:32 MDT.
Good article. I am more interested in packing light as I approach my 55th birthday. I unfortunately am feeling more pain when I hike than when I was younger and I am still interested in doing mountain and deep canyon (Grand Canyon) hiking. So I am continuously looking for ways to lighten the load. Thanks.http://www.backpack-and-gear.com/backpacking-guide.html
Alfred;Check-out this link:http://www.moonbowgear.com/1trailgear/1Custom%20packs/Powerpacks/1powerpac.html
Alfred:I too love panel loaders. Both my wife and I have carried this model for many years.Six Moon Designs Travelerhttp://www.sixmoondesigns.com/packs/Traveler.html3800 cu. inches = 62 liters25 oz without hoop stay29 oz. with the stay.
In my Golite Peak, I do the following:- GG Nightlight torso sleeping pad folded against back.- Liner bag behind and outside sleeping pad.In liner, from bottom to top:- Sleeping bag and bag cover (bivy), food, extra clothing, miscellaneous items in one bag.- Fold liner over.Outside and on top of closed liner:- Shelter, rain jacket, cup with small canister inside, wind jacket (if no rain in forecast, otherwise put inside liner), todays lunch/snacks, garbage.In front pocket:- Shelter stakes, water container, sit pad.In side pockets: - Water containers, maybe snacks.
Edited by jshann on 04/08/2012 13:19:01 MDT.
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Batman Superhero Birthday Invitation - PRINTABLE - By A Blissful Nest
Product Info
A Batman party invitation is just what your guests need to get them ready to attend your Super Hero event! A blue and black color scheme with accents of yellow make this a action packed color scheme to set the stage for your party.
More boy's Party printable items are available in our shop here:
This listing is for 1 customized 5X7 printable PDF file of this invitation design.
If you would like us to print your order, please see below for information on professional printing services.
Please include in "notes to seller" at check out the following information:
1.Child's Name
2.Child's Age
3.Location of Party
4.Date & Time of Party
5.RSVP information
6.File Type
File Type Options:
1. 5x7 Printable JPG file for printing at a photo lab
2. 8.5x11 Printable PDF file for in home printing on card stock. 2 invites formatted per page
Materials Needed: (to make invitation at home)
-bright white paper or card stock
-Xacto Knife or Scissors
Digital files allow you unlimited printing and you can print from the convenience of your own home or you make take your file to a photo lab or print shop.
Upon receiving the above information, we will begin your proof and send the completed (low resolution) version to you for approval within 2 business days. Once approved your file will be sent to the email address provided on your etsy account within 4 business days unless otherwise specified in "notes to seller". No physical materials will be shipped to you.
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Hazard Communication Program
Claremont McKenna College (hereinafter referred to as CMC) has developed a Hazard Communication Program to enhance our employees' health and safety.
As a college we intend to provide information about chemical hazards and other hazardous substances, and the control of hazards via our comprehensive Hazard Communication Program which includes container labeling and disposal, Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) and training.
The following program outlines how we will accomplish this objective.
Container Labeling
It is the policy of this college that no container of hazardous substances will be released for use until the supervisor verifies the following information:
o Containers are clearly labeled as to the contents;
o Appropriate hazard warnings are noted;
o The name and address of the manufacturer are listed on the container.
All labels must be legible and, if any of the information is missing, a new label must be made. Labels must be written in English. Supervisors will provide assistance, when requested, if the employee is encountering language or general reading difficulties. All containers must be labeled.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Copies of MSDS for all hazardous substances to which employees of this company may be exposed will be kept in the Human Resources Department. Supervisors are responsible for providing Human Resources with their MSDS. MSDS which are applicable to specific departments are kept at Collins Hall, Ducey Gym, Faculty Support Centers, Keck Science Center, the Psychology Research Labs, and Story House. CMC provides a copy of the MSDS to each employee who may be exposed to that hazardous substance. It is up to the employee to read the information and either keep the copy at their work site or take it home.
Each supervisor will review incoming MSDS for new and significant health and safety information. Supervisors will see that any new information is distributed to the affected employees.
MSDS will be reviewed for completeness once per year, if not more often, by each supervisor and a date of review will be noted. If a MSDS is missing or incomplete, a new MSDS will be requested within seven days, in writing, from the manufacturer. Cal/OSHA must be notified if the manufacturer does not respond.
MSDS must be available for employees to review.
Employee Information and Training
Employees are to attend a health and safety orientation by their department supervisor, prior to beginning a new position, for information and training on:
- An overview of the requirements contained in the Hazard Communication Regulation, including their rights under the regulation.
- Inform employees of any operations in their work area where hazardous substances are present and identify those substances.
- Location and availability of the written hazard communication program.
- Physical and health effects of the hazardous substances to which they may be exposed.
- Methods and observation techniques used to determine the presence or release of hazardous substances in the work place.
- How to lessen or prevent exposure to these hazardous substances through use of proper work practices and personal protective equipment.
- Emergency and first aid procedures to follow if employees are exposed to a hazardous substance.
- How to read labels and review MSDS to obtain appropriate hazard information.
When new hazardous substances are introduced the supervisor will review these items with all employees affected.
List of Hazardous Substances
Each department is responsible for compiling a list of all hazardous materials used by their employees. A material is considered hazardous if the label states its hazardous quality. This list must be updated every time a new hazardous material is introduced into the workplace or any chemical currently in use is discovered to be hazardous. Specific information on each substance on the list can be found on the MSDS.
Hazardous Non-Routine Tasks
Periodically, employees are required to perform hazardous, non-routine tasks. Prior to starting work on such projects, each affected employee will be given information by his/her supervisor about hazards to which he/she may be exposed.
This information will include:
- Specific hazards;
- Protective equipment and safety measures which must be utilized;
- Measures CMC has taken to lessen the hazards including ventilation, respirators, presence of another employee and emergency procedures.
Outside Contractors
To ensure that outside contractors work safely on campus, it is the responsibility of the person who established the relationship to provide the following information: *
- Hazardous substances to which they may be exposed on the jobsite.
- Precautions their employees may take to lessen the possibility of exposure by usage of proper protective measures.
- A copy of CMC's hazardous communication program and IIPP.
The person who established this relationship with an outside contractor must obtain a copy of the contractor's hazardous communication program and IIPP.
* All requirements must be met prior to commencement of project.
Disposal of Hazardous Material
To dispose of any hazardous materials each department must take the following steps:
- The using department shall collect excess hazardous waste in containers no larger than 5 gallons. Containers must be suitable for the materials placed in them.
- The using department will identify by chemical name the amount, concentration and hazard class of the hazardous materials in each container.
- The materials shall be collected in a centralized location and properly stored pending deposition.
- At least once each quarter the CUC Physical Plant will pick up the materials and transport them to a Hazardous Materials/Waste Collection yard.
- This material will be separated by a licensed contractor for appropriate disposition.
- All materials classified as hazardous waste will be disposed of by this contractor according to all applicable rules and regulations. All labeling, packing and other preparation for transport will be done by this contractor.
- The designated vendor will meet all applicable rules and regulations and provide emergency response for spills.
- A kit for cleaning up small spills (less than 5 gallons) shall be maintained in each department's storage area with appropriate personal protective equipment. Large spills will be handled by the designated vendor noted above.


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BUFFALO -- The Kenmore Town of Tonowanda Board of Education created a resolution calling upon the New York State Commissioner of Education and the New York State Board of Regents to stop the over reliance on standardized tests as a measure of student performance.
"We're looking at getting testing right -- that is what's important," Bob Dana Ken-Ton Board of Education President said. "Right now, students are taking tests and time allocated for them to take the test - some of the questions, all inappropriate."
The Board of Education President Bob Dana feels the Common Core test should have the appropriate amount of questions and worded in a way that students at the grade level can understand.
"It just seems to me like in many ways the state is trying to put together a plane while it's still in the air," Dana said. "I think we need to take a time out and take a step back and just get things right before we unleash it on the general population."
Dana is calling on volunteers to work in teams of up to four people who are willing to lobby face to face with state senator Mark Grisanti and Assemblyman Robin Schimminger
The idea is to get 8 teams that will lobby each of these legislators once a week over a three month period to make testing right.
In response, Senator Grisanti's office states that:
Senator Grisanti understands that common core testing has become a hot button issue not only in Western New York, but across the state. The Senator will continue to meet with concerned parents, teachers and school board members on this issue.
Grisanti's spokesperson points out: We have concerns with it just like everyone else. The federal government mandated Common Core and it was the State Education Departments job to implement it.
"I'm not sure we need standardized test in every single grade level -- I would like to see each one of the tests more realistic in terms of addressing the appropriate questions and what the students have learned," Grisanti said. Plus appropriate time to do the test -- I would feel a lot better if things were that way."


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Built for Skiers. The Atomic Skiwear Lookbook 14/15.
Extremely cold, extremely good! News of success for ATOMIC after the ice-cold weekend of the nordic athletes! Olympic Champion Bill Demong (USA) achieved the best time in the ski run at the world championships dress rehearsal of the nordic combined athletics in Val di Fiemme and finished on the podium after he ranked 17th after the jumping. ATOMIC Athlete Marthe Kristoffersen (NOR) also achieved 3rd place in the 10 km mass start race at the world cup in Rybinsk, Russia.
In Val die Fiemme, the 2009 combined world champion of Liberec proved his medal ambitions one year before the World Championships. After winning here last year too, Bill Demong achieved his first World Cup podium of this season in the Italian venue of the World Championships. The Olympic champion of 2010 was happy about his ATOMIC WORLD CUP SKATE HARDTRACK, "The ski run was super tight. I think I've never skied on such an extreme trail. My skis were perfect for these conditions." The 10 km race of Marthe Kristoffersen in ice-cold Russia was hard as bone as well. The Norwegian started with an enormous speed, when temperature was minus 19,3 degrees Celsius – it had almost reached the limits according to FIS regulations. She kept attacking and was rewarded with her first World Cup podium place of the season at the end of the race. In the overall World Cup ranking, Kristoffersen now ranks 7th. Jörgen Aukland missed Ludwiglauf victory by 1,3 seconds Jörgen Aukland continues his streak of success in the Worldloppet series after his victory at Marcialonga. The 36-year-old Norwegian using his ATOMIC WORLD CUP CLASSIC finished on place 3 at the 50 km König-Ludwig-Lauf – and only missed the winner by 1,3 seconds, "Minus 17 degrees Celsius were extremely cold – I was wearing two pairs of gloves and two layers of underwear. I also had some problems with my goggles. Considering all this, my performance was top." Aukland now ranks 2nd in the FIS Marathon Cup with 220 points after 4 out of 10 races. In the ladies' 23 km Classic race, ATOMIC racer Denise Herrmann won in 1:08:17,8. At the Swiss Championships in Campra, ATOMIC athlete Jonas Baumann won a gold medal.


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Building JavaScript Web Apps With MVC & Spine.js
JavaScript developers wishing to add more structure to their code often look for simple ways to apply the popular MVC architecture pattern to their applications. Utilizing a client-side MVC framework can be useful for such code organization and today we'll … Continue reading →
Building Large-Scale jQuery Applications
Today we're going to look at the end-to-end tools and options you have for building large-scale enterprise jQuery applications. Although jQuery is an excellent JavaScript library and provides a well-designed set of tools for development, it's focus on staying compact … Continue reading →
My name is Addy Osmani. I'm an engineer at Google working with the Chrome team to build tools to help improve developer productivity and satisfaction.
I've also written 'Developing Backbone.js Applications' and 'Learning JavaScript Design Patterns'.
First do it, then do it right, then do it better. This is one fundamental I always keep in mind when developing anything.
If you're a developer wishing to learn something new, regardless of skill-level, remember that as important as it is to read, it's equally as important to get out there and *do*.
Create a new gist or JSBin, pop open the console and experiment. It's effing fun.


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ATLANTA (WXIA) -- For many of us, just swimming lap after lap in the community pool is challenging enough.
But take away that safe, blue line and calm, predictable waters, and you're in the world of open water swimming.
Megan Melgaard has lived in that world for 14 years. A swim instructor and open water safety expert, she spends at least four hours in the pool every day. So when she saw Diana Nyad walk onto that Florida beach, she knew what it took to get her there.
"You're going from the sun beating down on you all day with the risk of sunburn, to the cold, dark night. Scary," Melgaard said. "It's a very dynamic environment."
Melgaard was almost able to go along for the ride. She was on standby, one of the people that would have accompanied Diana in a boat during her fourth attempt. Melgaard's own race in Poland got in the way.
"[Nyad] really had to put herself in the mindset to do this," she said. "Knowing she'd tried four times before, but she really wanted to accomplish this and see everyone on the beach in Florida."


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10 U.S. Code § 1602 - Basic pay
(a) Authority To Fix Rates of Basic Pay.— The Secretary of Defense (subject to the provisions of this section) shall fix the rates of basic pay for positions established under section 1601 of this title in relation to the rates of pay provided for comparable positions in the Department of Defense and subject to the same limitations on maximum rates of pay established for employees of the Department of Defense by law or regulation.
(b) Prevailing Rate Systems.— The Secretary of Defense may, consistent with section 5341 of title 5, adopt such provisions of that title as provide for prevailing rate systems of basic pay and may apply those provisions to positions for civilian employees in or under which the Department of Defense may employ individuals described by section 5342(a)(2)(A) of that title.
Source(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVI, § 1632(a)(3),Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2746; amended Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XI, § 1103(a),Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2072; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title X, § 1071(g)(12),Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2403.)
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in sections 1590 (b) and (c) and 1604 (b)(1) and (c) of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–201, §§ 1632(a)(3), 1633(a).
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–364made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 108–375, § 1103(a)(1). See 2004 Amendment note below.
2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–375, § 1103(a)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 109–364, substituted "in relation to the rates of pay provided for comparable positions in the Department of Defense and subject to the same limitations on maximum rates of pay established for employees of the Department of Defense by law or regulation" for "in relation to the rates of basic pay provided in subpart D of part III of title 5 for positions subject to that subpart which have corresponding levels of duties and responsibilities".
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 108–375, § 1103(a)(2), (3), redesignatedsubsec. (c) as (b) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (b). Text read as follows: "A rate of basic pay fixed under subsection (a) for a position established under section 1601 of this title may not (except as otherwise provided by law) exceed—
"(1) in the case of a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service position, the maximum rate provided in section 5382 of title 5;
"(2) in the case of an Intelligence Senior Level position, the maximum rate provided in section 5382 of title 5; and
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title X, § 1071(g),Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2402, provided that the amendment made by section 1071 (g)(12) is effective as of Oct. 28, 2004, and as if included in Pub. L. 108–375as enacted.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1635 ofPub. L. 104–201, set out as an Effective Date of 1996 Amendment note under section 1593 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Visit our other brands: danishdesignstore.com, adogslife.net
makelike is a multi-disciplinary design studio comprised of artist/designers Mary Kysar & Topher Sinkinson and illustrator/designer Rob Halverson. The team has been designing hand-drawn wallpaper and other printed ephemera for clients (big and small, young and old, near and far) for over a decade. Everything is designed and illustrated in-house and produced by hand in their hometown of Portland, OR.


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WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Following the State Of The Union address, we now know President Obama's priorities for 2013.
Last year, we heard a lot of economic promises, too.Some of them were kept, but some of them were not kept.
The State of the economy hasn't changed dramatically since the last State of the Union address. We haveseen a slight decline in the nation's unemployment rate, dropping from 8.3 in January 2012 to 7.9 percent last month.
But some groups enjoyed new help: on education for all college students there was a promise to keep costs down while putting administrators on notice. The president extended a $2500 a year tax credit for eligible students and public pressure caused some private universities to freeze tuition and cut costs.
Some promises ran into stiff congressional opposition. A move to halt outsourcing was rejected in the Senate, as was an end to oil subsidies.
Other pledges were watered down or pushed aside, such as taxes on the rich. This was the President's line in the sand:"If you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn't go up."
But the political winds blew that line up to $450,000 for couples as part of a dragged out, 11th hour "fiscal cliff" deal. It's the same deal that swallowed a payroll tax cut pledge.
Instead, this year, workers had taxes go up after the social security tax holiday expired.By year's end, a typical family making $50,000 a year will see their paychecks drop by around $1,000.
Focusing on Tuesday night's address, we saw earlier promises renewed.Ones specifically to watch the President's focus on public works projects.They were the centerpiece of a jobs plan he unveiled in 2011. He couldn't get it passed in Congress then. Trying again, he is calling for a $50 billion program to fix aging roads and bridges.
Another priority is raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour.This dates back to his presidential campaign of 2008. Then, he proposed raising it to $9.50 an hour.


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Hoop Earrings
Looking for a touch of class to dress up your outfit? Choose from a wide selection of hoop earrings in gold, silver and sterling silver varieties. Helzberg Diamonds offers unique designs and details in each pair of hoop earrings. As contemporary as they are chic, our slender earrings also come studded with gemstones, which add a little sparkle to any casual look.


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- Northern New York Newspapers
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SACKETS HARBOR A former member of the Sackets Harbor Fire Company is accusing its leadership of improperly removing her.
This process was a marginalization of me in the fire department, Helene G. Stewart-Rainville said Thursday. Im being forced out, and I think theres something wrong.
She said she served with the volunteer company since August 2007 as an emergency medical technician, before becoming an interior firefighter in 2009.
She said she was nationally certified as a Firefighter II, among other qualifications.
Ms. Stewart-Rainville, in a letter to the department sent Feb. 12 through her attorney, Barry M. Schreibman, of Cazenovia, also accused department leadership of ignoring a death threat against her.
The president of the companys board of directors, Michael D. Hoagland, said a response to the allegations was being prepared by attorney Jonathan B. Fellows of Bond, Schoeneck & King Attorneys, Syracuse, and declined to talk about specifics of the letter.
The February letter from Mr. Schreibman states that meetings asked for by the company to discuss her employment did not meet the legal standard of a hearing, in which she could cross-examine witnesses.
Ms. Stewart-Rainville said the department sent her a letter Jan. 15 saying she was terminated and telling her to return her equipment.
Her letter to Mr. Hoagland also describes what she said was a death threat to her from another member last May, along with a later incident in which she alleges the same person tried to hit her with a firetruck.
The letter says Ms. Stewart-Rainville, believing that person to be a soldier, contacted Fort Drum police, which she says led to scrutiny of her by the fire company.
Instead of investigating her allegations, they investigated her, Mr. Schreibman said Thursday. Both Ms. Stewart-Rainville and Mr. Schreibman declined to discuss specifics of the incidents beyond what was stated in the letter.
Mr. Schreibman said the departments allegation that she could not work effectively with other members was inaccurate.
They just made it up, in the same way they made up the procedure to terminate her, he said.
Mr. Schreibman said he hoped a solution could be determined without taking the matter to the state Division of Human Rights, which handles employment discrimination cases.
Ms. Stewart-Rainville, who said her last fire call was in August, said she hoped to return to work if the issue could be resolved.
Last year, Ms. Stewart-Rainville accused village police Sgt. Richard G. Coseo of improperly using a police vehicle, a claim that was investigated and later dismissed by the village Board of Trustees.
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Not only can you talk baseball with him but he is also well versed and educated on a plethora of topics.
In fact his thread today, Conspiracy, clearly demonstrates why he is considered the modern day equivalent of Mark Twain and Will Rogers. He truly is a legend in his own mind.
SinceYaz, this donut is for you!


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Esther Hannaford who plays Ann Darrow performs on stage during a... Fotografia de notíciasArte, Cultura e Espetáculo,Assunto,Atuação,Austrália,Bestof,Da cintura para cima,Evento de Artes Dramáticas e Musicais,Horizontal,King Kong - Musical de 2013,King Kong - Named Work,Meios de Comunicação,Melbourne,Palco,Regent Theatre - Melbourne,Retrato,TopixPhotographer Scott BarbourCollection: Getty Images Entertainment 2013 Getty ImagesMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 14: Esther Hannaford who plays Ann Darrow performs on stage during a 'King Kong' production media call at the Regent Theatre on June 14, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. Based on the novel of the original 1933 screenplay and five years in the making, the new music theatre event King Kong will have its world premiere on June 15th. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)


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Have you or anyone else you know bought a Harman Kardon product?
Can a loudspeaker possibly be worth that much? Add $10,000 for speaker cables, and that's what I paid for my first home in 1992. Today, the average American home costs around $272,000, which is likely less than the cost of an audio system built around a pair of Alexandra XLFs.
Think no one spends that kind of money on a music system? Don't kid yourself. Many people can afford it, and many spend itthough not as many as should. We need to educate those people! Anyone want to fly me to Monaco on a goodwill mission?
The real question is this: Is the XLF's sound worth that expense?
I know a pair of speakers can be worth at least $158,000: I've heard the XLF's predecessor, the Alexandria X-2 Series 2, in a few systems over the past few years, including the one in the living room of recording engineer Roy Halee, driven by a pair of big Boulder amplifiers. I sat there for an enjoyable afternoon, mesmerized by, among other things, the X-2s' exceptional transient and microdynamic delicacy, massive macrodynamic scale, bass precision, and top-to-bottom coherence. It's a sound that demands respect: This speaker performs at a level only a few others can manage.
I also know that a pair of speakers can be worth $65,000: At home, I listen contentedly and with great appreciation to a pair of Wilson MAXX 3s. Not an evening of listening goes by that I don't remind myself how lucky I was to be able to buy these speakers, which are part of a system I never imagined I'd be able to own.
Well, actually, I did imagine it years ago, as I lived vicariously through the writings of J. Gordon Holt, Harry Pearson, and others, when the total cost of my audio system was only a few thousand dollars: Denon direct-drive turntable with AC motor, Lustre GST-1 tonearm, Dynavector Ruby cartridge, Marcoff PPA-1 head amp, Hafler DH101 preamplifier and DH200 power-amp kits, and Spica TC-50 speakers. And back then, I felt lucky to own that system.
While the Alexandria XLF superficially resembles its predecessor, the Alexandria X-2 Series 2 ($158,000), the XLF does not replace the X-2, which will continue to be available. The XLF is larger, and at 655 lbs is 50 lbs heavier, than the already massive X-2; it also incorporates numerous changes and refinements.
The volume of the XLF's bass enclosure is 14% greater than the X-2's. The cabinet walls are thicker, and inside, a newly developed bracing geometry better deals with the XLF's greater production of low-frequency energy. The bass drive-units, though, are the same as in the X-2: 13" and 15" woofers made by Focal. The cones are of Focal's proprietary W material: two layers of woven glass tissue separated by and bonded to a core of aeronautical foam, the mass of which can be precisely varied to match the needs of the particular driver design. The W material is ultra-stiff, ultra-lightweight, and said to be extremely low in coloration. It's also 10 times more expensive to make than the high-quality paper Focal uses for its less expensive subwoofer cones, including the ones used in the MAXX 3. (A few years ago, at Focal's facility in St. Etienne, France, I watched W cones being made by developmentally challenged people, who had been taught to operate the machines as part of a government program to create meaningful employment for them.)
The Alexandria XLF features Wilson's unique, room-optimizing, Cross Load Firing (XLF) porting system. With this latest refinement in owner-designer Dave Wilson's attempt to produce speakers that can be optimized to work well in a wide variety of rooms, you can easily switch between front and rear porting by unscrewing a few bolts and swapping the locations of some parts.
The Alexandria series' rigid "wings" that bracket the midrange and tweeter modules, made of cross-braced sections of Wilson's X material (a proprietary phenolic composite), has been substantially strengthened and thickened. Wilson's composite S material was first used in the Sasha W/P, which replaced the WATT/Puppy. Here, in combination with the X material, it replaces the M4 material used in the Alexandria X-2's midrange baffle, and is claimed to audibly and measurably reduce midrange noise and coloration. Wilson's strategy has long been one of relatively large midrange drivers that cover almost the entire midrange without being interrupted by the crossover. However, to avoid high-frequency beaming, this necessitates the two 7" carbon-fiber/paper-cone midrange units handing off to the tweeter at the unusually low frequency of about 1kHz. This is why one of the most significant upgrades in the XLF is its new Convergent Synergy silk-dome tweeter, made for Wilson by Scan-Speak. This replaces the inverted titanium dome used in the X-2 and is built to Wilson's specifications by Focal, variations of which have long been used throughout much of the Wilson line.
While the new tweeter superficially resembles versions used by other manufacturers, Wilson's specific requirements took three years of development to achieve the high power handling, low distortion, and wide bandwidth required by Wilson's crossover strategyall of which the inverted titanium dome had successfully achieved. The new silk dome meets the goals of low distortion and high power handling while surpassing the titanium dome's overall linearity and HF extension. Another silk dome, a variant of the Convergent Synergy, acts as a supertweeter and fires to the rear from the top of the upper midrange module.
Living like the 99%, listening like the 1%
Had Wilson Audio Specialties been looking for a space in which to demonstrate the efficacy of Dave Wilson's group-delay technology, in particular the Aspherical Group Delay adjustability (see below) implemented in the Alexandria X-2 and the new Alexandria XLF, they couldn't have found one more challenging than my listening room, which measures only 15' by 21' by 8'.
The room itself is not the challenge. In fact, its acoustics have been measured and found to be reasonably linear, and particularly excellent in terms of decay, which one acoustician described as "ideal," thanks to my walls of LPs. Even when not being played, vinyl sounds good. Nor was the challenge one of shoehorning into a ground-floor room two speakers, each one 5' 10" tall, 19" wide, 28" deep, and weighing 655 lbs. Like all of Wilson's large speakers, the XLFs ship in pieces, the massive woofer cabinets rolling out of their crates on casters. The total shipping weight per pair is just under a ton: 1910 lbs. And let's leave aside for the moment the not-insignificant problem of taming the combined output of two enormous woofer boxes placed just a few feet from the room's corners.
The seemingly insoluble dilemma was how to create a coherent soundfield from two tall stacks of drivers sitting just 94" from the listening position. And yet, as unlikely as it seemed, particularly to me, Wilson's Peter McGrath was convinced that the XLFs would, in my room, work as well as if not better than the MAXX 3s. But then, I'd been convinced the MAXX 2s and 3s wouldn't work here, and they didthe 3s better than the 2s, because of the 3s' increased driver adjustability.
An audiophile friend helped me unbox the Alexandria XLFs' many crates, remarking as we went on Wilson's fanatical attention to detail and the precise fit'n'finish of all partseven the ones owners are unlikely to ever see once the speaker is assembled.
Have you or anyone else you know bought a Harman Kardon product?
Leave it to you to bring up something not even related. [flame deleted by John Atkinson].
As I've told JRusskie in the Forums, I'll tell you as well... Dear Georgie, the way you form your arguments and present them in these discussions make for great study material in the research of logic, cognitive skills, and personality. Would make a wonderful project for an undergraduate study, since the two of you are not very complex.
If you haven't noticed, my posts are only to you and JRusskie. And they're always relevant to something...
In many respects, how you and JRusskie argue against John Atkinson and his staff at Stereophile actually confirms that they are on the right track.
by yor spellllling.
I'll chime in my 2c.
1) I agree with the frequency response plot: looks ridiculous, and would expect at most a +/- 3db variation over 20Hz to 20 KHz, wishfully at most +/- 1 db, given the price.
2) I've loved the sound of the Wilson X1 in the past. Not so much the Sophia and Sasha as of late, but my tastes have changed, and so have the partnering electronics. Size wise, the Alexia is more suited to my present condo than the XLF.
3) I'd love to hear this speaker and see how it compares to the Focal Grande Utopia EM and the more recent Magico (Q7).
4) Anyone else waiting to see the Avalon Tesseract? :)
There are lots of other cost-no-object designs; which of them measures +/- 1 dB of flat in a real room from 20 - 20K?
...the disposable income, I'd buy them. Why not? Wilson Loudspeakers are the best in the world..period.
And yes, I have heard all of them except the Thor's Hammer sub.
Great write-up Michael!
As professional loudspeaker engeneer for 30 years I would like to give my compliments to Mr Atkinson for his ever realistic quotes about the measurements;we use same equipment and I measured same speakers with same measurement results in past.The discussion i red above here is more emo-/phsycological than about real facts.200k is lot of money;and blind-staring at frequency-responses within 0,5dB is like drilling to water on the moon.
As every commercial product,at any price,the direct costs are about 1/8 from retail price.We all buy that,every day.I know a car is about 1/10th direct cost;and we all by cars (stil).
So wake up,dont focus on direct costs,imagine-or try to-how many hours of development for a new design like this?Some high-end speaker (direct information)manufacturers spend one year with 30 people à 150/h to design a new speaker.Take your calculator now.I measured on many Wilson products and to my opinion its real well build,units are modified very clever;that's the "x-factor" say the magic why some speakers sound so very good.Wilson excells in this.Btw i have no business-relation with Wilson.
I never read DIY fora,gives me bad stomach of nitwit people 99% of the time;everybody with bucks can buy a scanspeak or accuton;and think they can do it better.So,if than,elevate a company and sell your speakers worldwide! What a real good design is,is not that flat freq curve,not that ripple-free imp curve or symmetric cross-over curve,but the sum of 100 other parameters;and thats a very intensive and intelligent process,besides of taste etc.
Better talk about design philosofics;aiming the goal;relation between measurements and what you hear.thats the clue.Thank you.
Grtz from Holland
i know that , but the frequeney response is a part of the sound quality, bad frequency responce make bad speaker, the sound is better when the fréquency response is flatter, and a ripple in the imp curve in usable fréquency response is for below average driver
wilson audio have make a bas speaker for the price, adam in deuchland have really good engeenering speaker, very clever design, excellent tweeter, when they see this design they probably laught
for a fraction of this price i can buy an adam audio s7a mk2, whith good implémentation this speaker have not the bad mesuring and the sound of the wilson audio, it is better, they know how utilise good driver, the high-medium air motion transformer is an exceptionnal driver
the only problèm is the size and the basic black finish but good finish
this technologie if it corectly use, is beter than any dôme, except the french acoustical beauty driver whith no iron in the and a ferrofluid join in the motor
Please include your professional affiliation at the end of your postings here or be banned. Just a fair warning, it's required on Stereophile
So you like to think DIY is 99% of the time nitwits? That attitude right there makes me dismiss anything you have to say. Pompus thinking like that is for the nitwit themself.
"Pompus thinking like that is for the nitwit themself".
I would say that sums up your posts pretty well, George.
Like I care what you think? I see Stereophile likes to delete honest answers but allows really vile posts to stay on here when it benifits them. Stay classy Sterophile.
You're full of opinions about the Wilson. Though I get this feeling you've never heard it.
Right or wrong?
I see Stereophile likes to delete honest answers but allows really vile posts to stay on here when it benifits them.
I have now posted several warnings in various threads that I will delete without notice comments that are nothing more than flames, in my opinion. If a comment, while being strongly worded, expresses a sentiment that I feel deserves to see the light of day, whether pro- or con-Stereophile, I leave it up, though I may well delete some of the content if it consists of flames.
I try to be consistent, but if you have a problem with our moderation of this site, then there is nothing that compels you to post to it, GeorgeHolland.
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
I registered here just to say this. This was my first time on the Stereophile website and this was the first review I read. In reading the comments I was quite surprised when I realized the guy who was making some of the worst, most flaming comments was the guy who wrote the review himself.
If your policy is to delete posts that consist of nothing more than flames or to delete that content from those posts, I think you need to do some serious work on Michael Fremer's own comments. What is a flame if not "Your iggnorance is only matched by your spellllling," period; no further content? His remarks are extremely unprofessional, discourteous, knee-jerk, insulting, and I would say go beyond anything said about him by a wide margin (unless something considerably nastier than what remains was removed earlier). I'm surprised there is no policy in place that staff should be above whatever chaos occurs in the comments and should always maintain some manner of decorum when participating. Frankly, in many, if not the vast majority of, professions, his behavior would be worthy of serious reprimand/firing.
Im just her to say that I used to read stereophile, found the magazine completely snobby, and useless to real people, and i completely agree with nothing to say. I also feel that mikey boy needs to calm down and actually have a conversation rather than simple berate others that do not share his opinion. I don't exactly agree with george either. But if I were editor, mike would be in the unemployment line. I believe he is being overly defensive because he knows he wasted $200k on speakers that could never be worth that much.. Good luck trying to get your money back. But I'm sure mike will just call me names as well... Not that anything he says has any meaning.
and those speakers are ugly as sin.
You're making friends left and right there Georgie! Speaking of your friends, Johnny hasn't been around today...
Maybe he finally got the boot!
@Mr GH;so,if you are in the biss of the DIY-what i read between the lines-,or maybe feel connected;than,i can understand you feel not OK by my text about my quote that 99% of the DIY designers are nitwitts.I dont talk to- or point in direction to people who buy a DIY-kit.I aim on the people (pfff...see my text before) who buy expensive drive-units and think they can copy (what is illegal by law;is "intellectual property"-issue) a renowned/famous/expensive design or think that they can even make it better.Almost zero chance-seen that.Besides,what i told in my previous post,is related to 30 years of experience in the speakerworld.Been there done that.Ego is biggest ennemy of forward thinking and end-result;so i stepped on it?Sorry for you.As you are probably or maybe an inmortatant player in the DIY industry you feel not OK with my pure personal conclusions.Reality hurts,sometimes.Thats life.I dont even give a blink about your megalomane quote about banning.And;whats your "affiliation"??Or are you the God of speaker-industry who thinks he is above all?see header.
@Billyjul;thank you for your kind and fair reply;I am familiar with these AMT's-say Air Motion Transformers-i measured them on a reference baffle (IEC) as we do with every drive-unit; and my conclusions are same as yours;the only minus is a trade off in the horizontal beaming,since the width of the membrane is quite wide the beaming starts at relatively low frequency;(343/width membrane in meters-than divede to 2 is average frequency start beaming)so,in practice,the horizontal spational-amplitude response is worth considering.Nothing is perfect.Tune the filtering to flat response on 15dgrees to 10Khz..Distortion is about 0,05%measured at 95dB;not cheap drivers but for real high-end systems one of the best solutions.
Grtz to all audio and music lovers;from Holland
Btw,in my opinion,200K issue;see my previous post.
please state your affiliation.
this is one of our policies.
If Micky wants to send his money on Wilsons that's his choice. I've been in the "Hi Fi Industry for 30 years, and I have yet to hear a Wilson product that really knocked me out. But thats just me.
Have you heard it Pauly. Or are you another critic that, depite being in the "Hi Fi Industry for 30 years" ( Who with, what doing?), can judge a product without listening to it.
I have no idea what it sounds like. It may sound awful or it could transport me to realms untravelled.
What gets me about the Stereophile comments section are the naysayers, the armchair critics, experts on products they've never seen, let alone heard.
"David Wilson, amateur! That guy just throws a few drivers in a box and wants 200 grand. I could do better than that".
Give me a fucking break.
Many posters here try to suck the joy out of all that's fun and positive about this marginal, slightly bizarre, yet wonderful hobby.
Thanks JA. Enjoy the mag.
Mike among the companies I worked for as a rep where Mc Intosh, Dynaco, Hafler, and Hafler Pro, Sherwood,Rockford Fosgate Jim Fosgate,AR, NHT, ADS, NAD, PSB, Ixos, and Esoteric Audio. I also worked as a Buyer for 8 years,and did two of the LA Stereophile shows. SO you give me a break. I have heard many Wilson speakers(Not this one) and I'm not impresed by them. I have never judged a audio product without a listen.If you had read my post I was defending Micky's choice to by the Wilsons. I just said they don't do anything for me as a audiophile.
I ask this simply because I'd never heard anything I liked from earlier Wilsons, including generation of W/Ps and the Maxx 2s, and even some newer models like the Sophia 3, but to me the Sasha and Alexia have been truly special sonically, finally not suffering from the "cones in a box" disease of most dynamic designs.
it is not difficult to do excelolent speaker for good DIYER
they no mistake
if you use corectly a driver, you can't go wrong, on internet there a quantity of utilitise to simulate parametters, listenig for learn how make a speaker
but construct a driver is far difficult, it is a crutial point, a good speaker bigin whith good drivers, and goods drivers choice to have a good intégration
whith a good reflexion you can make not a good, but a very good speaker in 2voice, a three voice is more complicate
i think,
"David Wilson, amateur! That guy just throws a few drivers in a box and wants 200 grand. I could do better than that"
yes, i agree his speaker have problem, the integration of the drivers, in the cabinet and the design of this are the problem i think
an exemple, the focal berylium tweeter have to be flush mounted on the cabinet, is you don't do this , the response curve is awfull, not flat, flush mounted it is excellent, and the sound is realy better
whtih air motion transformer you can do to directive driver, i think one of the best design is the adam adio x-ART but the model whith the most powerfull magnet, for the high-end speaker
and they have an high medium whitch is a very interesting driver, he goes lower than most other, and they are no to long and vertical directive
they make reference direct radiation drivers for 800hz to 20000hz
As I said at the beginning of this section, there are practical limitations when measuring so large a loudspeaker. While I am confident that my measurements regime fully characterizes the performance of a small speaker (such as KEF's LS50, which I reviewed last month), with a speaker as large as Wilson's Alexandria XLF, the measurements offer suggestions rather than certainties.
I'm not sure I understand what the implication is here - because it would seem that, by this statement, you could be confident in the response of the speaker above a certain frequency (let's say somewhere above the high pass moving from the bass drivers to the mid/tweet module) - and that those measurements, per the assumptions you derive from your methods ordinarily, would be more of the "certainty" variety and less of the "suggestion" variety.
Would you say that you are cnfident in the response of the speaker above ca: 150Hz?
I tend to stay away from the comment section following reviews, mine and those of other reviewers, and this thread is a good reason why.
The arrogance, stupidity and ignorance is simply appalling and depressing.
I have had many of the world's greatest speakers in my room and I've heard others in other settings: homes, stores and shows around the world.
There are MANY different sounds that are valid and designed for different tastes. The inability of some here to understand that, not to mention understanding how to interpret measurements, is just plain pathetic.
Were I to be led around by measurements, all of which are CRUDE compared to the ear/brain, I'd be listening to CDs...
This hobby combines science, art and human perception.
Some of the comments here are sub-human, I'm afraid...
Beyond the finished product measurements, drivers parameters can help figure out the style of sound, especially in bass.
For instance, the difference of sound between 18" pro bass drivers JBL 2241 and 2242 can be traced to certain parameters such as BL and moving mass:
JBL 2241 BL 19, mm 145g, 98dB/w/m versus JBL 2242 BL 24, mm 158g, 99 dB/w/m
Despite a slightly heavier moving mass, but thanks to a more powerful motor, bass from 2242 are much tighter offering better transient response and allowing more freedom in upper frequency cut off while bass through 2241 are more of the rolling type.
Similarly one can compare the same parameters in JBL pro offering versus the Focal drivers used in the Wilson family design:
In 15"
Audiom 15 BL 18, mm 137g, 92 dB/w/m versus JBL 2226 BL 19, mm 98g, 97 dB/w/m
In 12"
Audiom 13 BL 18, mm 108g, 90 dB/w/m versus JBL 2206 BL 18, mm 65g, 95 dB/w/m
Clearly, with a low BL and heavy moving mass, the Focal drivers exhibit quite a low output for such large drivers - a serious problem when trying to recreate live dynamics-, and won't physically deliver faster transients than their JBL pro counterparts, that is clean, lean bass. Other factors such as cone rigidity might help compensate but from the start, I would expect the Focal sound to be plump. Conversely, the 2226 won't go as deep as the Audiom 15, yet its bass will be tighter, punchier. My recent audition of the Focal Grand Utopia confirmed that feeling versus the quickness and tone of the JBL. And here we keep the comparison to bass/upper bass, as cone midranges versus compression would add another level of challenge for the expensive speaker as it did with the Utopia.
So the Wilsons or Focal are of course beautifully crafted, well designed speakers destined to plush interiors and lovers of a certain kind of sound, just as Cadillacs can deliver a certain style of ride. Fine. Yet at $200,000 there is plenty of space for DIY audiophiles to challenge them at more reasonable costs, especially when using active networking designs. Notwithstanding the choice of pro monitoring speakers that are much more affordable than these luxury items. Therefore, some DYI can proudly defend the quality of their bespoke work; however, others could tone down their arguments of authority, checkbook arrogance and quick tongue.
I have no doubt that a good DIYer could build a speaker with better frequency response, but I'd still like to see the plots and hear what a reviewer had to say about the sound (I've heard any number of components with impeccable response graphs but that sounded simply horrible.)
That of course ignores what price you'd have to sell it for to afford a full-blown factory with staff to produce it in the US, but let's just start with that.
There are any number of "hot rodders" who can build a Porsche-beater for less than the price of a new 911, but they too tend to be one-offs rather than something you can walk into a showroom and purchase.
Check the price differential between some Watt/Puppy and a 4348 JBL pro studio monitor and compare the sound... Your answer is there. At the price of this professional gear, even DIY are almost getting not economical.
plat frequency response for a driver used in a speaker is just the beginning, but with active crossover witch contain an equalizer, you can correct the response of a speaker, to make better, butt, good driver hame flat frequency response there are other parameters, you have to look, when you make a speaker, parameters, that most audiophile , don't know and a speaker tha measure good on overall parameter can't be a bad speaker, it is not the case for this wilson audio and the jbl mansionned is better than this for much lower price, beaucause jbl know what to do and have developed all the excellent driver to achieve their desgn


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